Lehman named NCAA Division II Player of the Year by BennettRank.com

Fort Hays State senior center Kate Lehman was named the BennettRank.com NCAA Division II Player of the Year on Friday. She was also named to the BennettRank.com All-America First Team, her fourth All-America First Team honor this year, as she also received the honor from the WBCA, Daktronics/D2 Conference Commissioner’s Association, and Division II Bulletin.

Joining Lehman on the BennettRank.com All-America First Team are Chontiquah White of West Texas A&M, Mariyah Brawner-Henley of Lewis University, Amy Philamlee of Union (Tenn.), and Shaunteva Ashley of Augustana (S.D.). Shareta Brown of Wayne State (Mich.), the National Player of the Year by the WBCA, Daktronics, and Division II Bulletin was named to the second team by BennettRank.com.BennettRank claimed that Lehman’s accomplishments are more impressive given that Fort Hays State plays in the toughest Division II women’s basketball conference in the nation, the MIAA (which had three of the top five ranked teams in the nation – FHSU, Emporia State, and Pittsburg State). Brown put up impressive numbers of 22.0 points and 14.7 rebounds per game, while shooting a Division II-best 64.9 percent from the field.

In addition to earning the MIAA Player of the Year honors this season, the MIAA named Lehman the Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight season. Lehman averaged 19.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks per game while recording 55 career double-doubles and three career triple-doubles. Lehman was the first Division II women’s basketball player in history to reach 1,000 career points (1,917), 1,000 career rebounds (1,109) and 500 blocks (515) in a career as she helped the Tigers to the Central Regional Finals of the NCAA Tournament before falling to rival Emporia State.

The methodology to how BennettRank selected its All-America Team can be found at the following here.

Lehman helped FHSU reach new heights in its NCAA Division II history in 2014-15. She helped the Tigers to a record of 30-4 and their first-ever MIAA Regular Season Championship. It was the first-ever 30-win season at the NCAA level for FHSU and it extended a run of four straight seasons in which the program has churned out at least 20 wins, which spanned Lehman’s four years at FHSU. She helped the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 years and the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament wins, reaching the Sweet 16 (Central Regional Final).

Lehman adds this to the list of post-season honors she has received this year. Below are the honors she has already collected…
-Division II Bulletin All-America First Team
-WBCA National Player of the Year Finalist
-WBCA All-America First Team
-Daktronics/Division II Commissioner’s Association All-America First Team
-Daktronics/Division II Commissioner’s Association Central Region Most Outstanding Player
-Daktronics/Division II Commissioner’s Association All-Central Region First Team
-MIAA Player of the Year
-MIAA Defensive Player of the Year (3^rd straight year)
-All-MIAA First Team (3^rd straight year)
-MIAA All-Defensive Team (3^rd straight year)

Lehman finished 2014-15 with 655 points, 337 rebounds, and 141 blocked shots, while shooting 57.8 percent from the field. Her 515 career blocks ranks second most in NCAA Division II history and she is now the FHSU record holder in career rebounds and blocked shots. She finished second all-time in scoring. She finished fourth all-time at any level of NCAA (Division I, II, or III) in blocked shots.

2014-2015 BENNETTRANK.COM DIVISION II WOMEN‘S BASKETBALL ALLAMERICAN TEAM

FIRST TEAM
 Kate Lehman, Fort Hays State: 6’4″ Center, Sr., Newton, Kan.
Chontiquah White, West Texas A&M: 5’11” Forward/Center, Sr., Dallas, Texas
Mariyah BrawnerHenley, Lewis: 6’0″ Forward, Jr., Skokie, Ill.
Amy Philamlee, Union (Tenn.): 5’5″ Guard, Sr., Jonesboro, Ark.
Shaunteva Ashley, Augustana (S.D.): 5’8″ Guard, Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D.

SECOND TEAM
Shareta Brown, Wayne State (Mich.): 6’1″ Center, Sr., Pontiac, Mich.
Morgan Pullins, St. Mary’s (Texas): 6’0″ Forward, Sr., Franklin, Mich.
Emily Caswell, Caldwell: 6’1″ Forward, Sr., Wakefield, R.I.
Aquillin Hayes, New Haven: 5’8″ Guard, Sr., Harlem, N.Y.
Michelle Mitchell, Columbus State: 5’9″ Guard, Jr., Eastman, Ga.

THIRD TEAM
Jada Blackwell, Cal Poly Pomona: 6’1″ Center, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Erin Chambers, Simon Fraser: 6’1″ Sr., Forward, Mission, B.C., Canada
Madison Rowland, Queens (N.Y.): 5’10” Forward, Soph., Albany, N.Y.
Jamie Johnson, Lewis: 5’8″ Guard, Jr., South Holland, Ill.
Lindsay Stamp, Indiana (Pa.): 5’10” Guard/Forward, Sr., Erie, Pa.

BENNETTRANK.COM PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kate Lehman, Fort Hays State
BENNETTRANK.COM COACH OF THE YEAR: Jenna Eckelberry, Shepherd