Nov. 7, 2001

LARAMIE, Wyo. -

The Mountain West Conference announced it's 2001 Women's Soccer postseason awards today. The league's seven head coaches selected the all-conference teams, coach, player, freshman awards.

New Mexico head coach Kit Vela captured Coach of the Year honors, while Aleisha Cramer of BYU was selected as the Player of the Year and Jennifer Rowland of Air Force was named Freshman of the Year.

Regular-season champion BYU led the way with five all-conference selections, including three first team honorees. New Mexico, who finished second in the conference standings, placed four athletes on the all-league team as did Utah, which placed third in the in MWC play.

Kit Vela earned coach of the year honors in her first year at the helm of the Lobos. Vela led New Mexico to a 3-2-1 conference record and a second place finish in the league standings, the highest finish for the Lobos in their season in the MWC.

BYU sophomore midfielder Aleisha Cramer was selected as Player of the Year after leading the Cougars to their third straight MWC regular-season title. The All-American from Lakewood Colo. (Green Mountain High School) leads the conference with seven assists and ranks seconds in goals (9) and points (25).

Freshman of the Year honors went to Air Force's Jennifer Rowland, a forward/midfielder from La Canada, Calif. (Flintridge High School). Rowland scored two goals during league play and has six total goals on the year. She has also recorded three assists this season for a total of 15 points. Rowland was the only women's soccer player this season in the MWC to be named player of the week twice.

All-Mountain West Conference Women's Soccer Team
(selected by head coaches)

First TeamBeth Boyer               Air Force  M    5-3   Sr.  Waukee, Iowa/Waukee High SchoolKim Castellanos          SDSU       F    5-2   So.  Escondido, Calif./Rancho Bernardo HSJennie Christianson      BYU        M    5-4   Sr.  South Jordan, Utah/ Bingham HSAleisha Cramer           BYU        M    5-10  So.  Lakewood, Colo./Green Mountain HSShauna Gurr-Bingham      Utah       F    5-6   Jr.  Woods Cross, Utah/Wood Cross HSAmy Kofoed               Utah       F    5-6   Sr.  Layton, Utah/Northridge HSAnita Pedford            UNLV       M    5-4   Sr.  Ontario, Calif./Ontario HSKim Rogers               SDSU       F    5-4   Sr.  Whiterock, B.C., Canada/Texas El PasoJennifer Rowland         Air Force  F/M  5-5   Fr.  La Canada, Calif./Flintridge HSJeni Willardson-Viernes  BYU        M/F  5-9   Jr.  Murray, Utah/Murray HS
Goal KeeperShelly Hammock           New Mexico G    5-7   Sr.  San Antonio, Texas/Winston Churchhill HS

Second TeamBobbie Benegas           Utah       M/F  5-3   So.  Aurora, Colo./Rangeview HSAmber Brower             Utah       M    5-5   So.  Hyrum, Utah/Mountain Crest HSKim Devine               BYU        F    5-5   Fr.  Laguna Niguel, Calif/Aliso Niguel HSCristyn Enea             UNLV       M    5-6   Jr.  San Ramon, Calif./Carondelet HSTania Lee                UNLV       D/M  5-8   So.  Thorton, Colo./Horizon HSMichelle Longmire        New Mexico M    5-6   Jr.  Los Alamos, N.M./Los Alamos HSNicole McCarty           New Mexico D    5-4   Fr.  Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo HS
Jessica Piccone          Wyoming    D    5-5   Sr.  Aravada, Colo./Arvada West HSErchen Theys             New Mexico M    5-7   So.  Langdorp, Belgium/Sint-Josephs CollegeAurelin Weidner          BYU        D    5-4   Sr.  Mission Viejo, Calif/ Mission Viejo HS
Goal KeeperLinnea Quinones          SDSU       G    5-7   Sr.  Chula Vista, Calif./Bonita Vista HS
Player of the Year - Aleisha Cramer, BYUFreshman of the Year - Jennifer Rowland, Air ForceCoach of the Year - Kit Vela, New Mexico