March 19, 2008

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . Nine Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) basketball players, five women and four men, were named to the seventh annual D3hoops.com All-West Region Teams.

Simpson College senior Katelyn Whiton (Panora, Iowa/Perry), the 2007-08 Iowa Conference Women's Basketball Most Valuable Player, was named to the First Team and was recognized as the West Region Player of the Year. She was a Third Team selection a year ago. Joining Whiton on the All-West Region First Team was Buena Vista University sophomore Margo Muhlbauer (Manilla, Iowa/IKM). Muhlbauer was a Second Team pick in 2007. Luther College senior Ashley TeKippe (Decorah, Iowa/Decorah) was the lone IIAC player named to the Second Team, while Coe College senior Amber Karkosh (Toledo, Iowa/South Tama) and Loras College senior Natalie Pucci (West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs) were Third Team picks. Pucci was a Second Team selection last year, while Karkosh was a repeat selection to the Third Team.

On the men’s side, two-time Conference MVP Kyle White (Antioch, Ill./Antioch), a senior from Loras College, was named to the D3hoops.com Men’s All-West Region Second Team for the second consecutive season. University of Dubuque senior Tyler Daugherty (Bellevue, Iowa/Bellevue), Buena Vista University junior Andre Wagner (Omaha, Neb./Northwest), and Coe College senior Kyle Kuenstling (Dunkerton, Iowa/Dunkerton) were each named to the Third Team.

Buena Vista University men's coach Brian Van Haaften was honored as the D3hoops.com Men's West Region Coach of the Year for the second time in three years. Van Haaften, who also received the honor following the 2005-06 season, led the Beavers to their ninth Iowa Conference title (their sixth since 1996-97) with a 14-2 Conference record. Buena Vista advanced to its eighth NCAA Division III Tournament, reaching the Sweet 16 for the third time in school history before bowing out with a 23-7 overall record. This is the seventh time in 12 years under Van Haaften that BVU has won 20 games or more.

The nine IIAC players selected to this year’s All-West Region Teams equal the most Conference players named to the d3hoops.com All-Region Teams since its inception in 2001-02. Nine IIAC basketball players were named to the inaugural All-Region Team. Eight players were honored in 2002-03 and 2006-07. The four men’s All-Region selections are the Conference’s best showing in the seven years the team has been selected.

Players were nominated for these awards by the Sports Information Directors at the various schools, who were contacted several times as the season wound down to remind them to make their players eligible. There were 659 players nominated nationwide. The ballot was then made available to SIDs, who voted for 10 players in their region. SIDs voted for six frontcourt players and four backcourt players to insure balance.

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