South Dakota State junior Macy Miller was voted The Summit League Player of the Year, sophomore Tagyn Larson was named Transfer of the Year and three other Jackrabbits earned All-Summit League honors Wednesday as the league officials announced award winners before the start of the upcoming Summit League Basketball Championships.
The No. 2-seeded Jackrabbits begin their journey to a possible eighth championship against seventh-seed North Dakota State at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Votes by the league’s head coaches, sports information directors and select media members determined the league awards.
A 6-0 guard from Mitchell, Miller is the second Jackrabbit to earn Summit League Player of the Year honors (Jennifer Warkenthien, 2009). She also earned a spot on the all-league first team for the second time. Miller led The Summit League in scoring (18.2) and finished second in league-only scoring (17.9). The guard scored in double figures in 13 of 14 Summit League games and collected 13 20-plus point games overall and four against league opponents.
The five-time Summit League Player of the Week and January Female Athlete of the Month enters The Summit League Championship averaging 5.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 49.9 percent from the field, 47.6 percent from 3-point range and 78.7 percent from the free-throw line.
As The Summit League’s top 3-point shooter, junior Madison Guebert picks up first-team all-league honors for a second consecutive season. The guard finished the regular season second in scoring (15.1) for the Jackrabbits, fourth in overall Summit League games and league-only contests (16.1). Guebert scored in double figures in 13 of 14 league games and collected four 20-plus point games. From beyond the 3-point line, she is shooting 39.3 percent and sinking 2.7 treys per game. The Apple Valley, Minn., native is also shooting a league-leading 92.0 percent from the free-throw line.
Miller and Guebert are the Jackrabbits’ 12th and 13th first-team picks in SDSU’s Summit League history.
Rounding out the All-Summit League First Team were Oral Roberts’ Faith Ihim, Western Illinois’ Emily Clemens and South Dakota’s Allison Arens and Ciara Duffy.
Senior Ellie Thompson picked up second-team honors for the third-straight year. She enters The Summit League Tournament averaging 9.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in 14 league games. The senior forward scored in double figures seven times and registered a double-double at Omaha. Overall, the Chaska, Minn., native is averaging 8.3 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 48.6 percent from the field.
Rounding out the All-Summit League Second Team were Western Illinois’ Taylor Higginbotham and Morgan Blumer, Oral Roberts’ Maria Martianez and South Dakota’s Jasmine Trimboli.
The Summit League honorable mention team included Denver’s Jordyn Alt and Claire Gritt, South Dakota’s Jaycee Bradley and Madison McKeever and North Dakota State’s Reilly Jacobson.
Larson was named the Jackrabbits’ first Summit League Transfer of the Year after playing all 29 games and starting 11. The Sioux Falls native enters The Summit League Tournament averaging 7.4 points, a team-best 5.8 rebounds and squad-leading 1.2 blocks while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 78.6 from the charity stripe.
Larson and freshman Myah Selland were honored on The Summit League All-Newcomer Team. Selland finished the regular season third on the team in scoring despite missing eight games with an injury. The forward averaged 9.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 48.8 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from long range and 73.6 percent from foul line. Playing in just eight league games, the Letcher native averaged 9.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
Trimboli was named Sixth Woman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year and Gritt the Freshman of the Year. South Dakota’s Dawn Plitzuweit was named Coach of the Year.
THE SUMMIT LEAGUE MVP
Year Player
2018 Macy Miller
2009 Jennifer Warkenthien
ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE
Year Player (Team)
2018 Macy Miller (1), Madison Guebert (1), Ellie Thompson (2)
2017 Kerri Young (1), Madison Guebert (1), Ellie Thompson (2), Clarissa Ober (HM)
2016 Macy Miller (1), Ellie Thompson (2), Kerri Young (HM)
2015 Megan Waytashek (1), Mariah Clarin (2), Macy Miller (2)
2014 Megan Waytashek (1), Steph Paluch (2)
2013 Ashley Eide (1), Megan Waytashek (1)
2012 Jennie Sunnarborg (1), Jill Young (2)
2011 Kristin Rotert (2), Jennie Sunnarborg (2)
2010 Maria Boever (1), Ketty Cornemann (2)
2009 Jennifer Warkenthien (1), Ketty Cornemann (2)
2008 Jennifer Warkenthien (1)
THE SUMMIT LEAGUE
ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM
Year Player
2018 Tagyn Larson, Myah Selland
2016 Madison Guebert
2015 Macy Miller, Ellie Thompson
2014 Kerri Young
2009 Jill Young
2008 Kristin Rotert
THE SUMMIT LEAGUE
SIXTH WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Year Player
2016 Gabby Boever
2014 Kerri Young
2013 Katie Lingle
2009 Jill Young
2008 Kristin Rotert
THE SUMMIT LEAGUE
TRANSFER OF THE YEAR
Year Player
2018 Tagyn Larson
THE SUMMIT LEAGUE
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Year Player
2016 Madison Guebert
THE SUMMIT LEAGUE
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Year Player
2017 Clarissa Ober
2016 Clarissa Ober
Photo from www.gojacks.com.