University of Delaware Athletics
Stephanie Leon Presented with Prestigious CAA Dean Ehlers Award; Kelsey Buchanan Named All-CAA First Team
3/12/2014 11:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – For the first time in school history, a University of Delaware women's basketball student-athlete brought home the prestigious Colonial Athletic Association Dean Ehlers Leadership Award.
Junior Stephanie Leon (Northport, N.Y.) was named the recipient of the 2014 Dean Ehlers award while senior Kelsey Buchanan (South Riding, Va.) earned All-CAA first team and All-Academic Team accolades.
The awards were announced Wednesday evening at the league's post-season banquet.
The Dean Ehlers Leadership award is presented annually to a men's and women's basketball student-athlete who embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity and sportsmanship in conjunction with academic athletic achievement.
“It's really an honor to win this award,” exclaimed Leon, one of the team's tri-captains. “I am so thankful to the CAA for this opportunity and it's amazing to be recognized for such hard work on and off of the basketball court.”
Leon, an international relations major minoring in organizational and community leadership and public policy, spends a lot of time off of the basketball court as a leader on the University of Delaware campus and in the community. During her time at UD, Leon has grown with the Blue Hen Leadership Program and volunteers with elementary schools, mission trips and food pantries to name a few.
Buchanan led the Blue Hens and ranked third in the league with 17.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Entering her senior year, Buchanan averaged just 2.5 points per game, but blossomed in her final season by scoring double figures in all but three games. Buchanan was also honored four times this season as a CAA Player of the Week.
James Madison's Kirby Burkholder was named the Player of the Year while teammate Nikki Newman was the Defensive Player of the Year and Kenny Brooks was the Coach of the Year. Marlena Tremba (William & Mary) was honored as the CAA Rookie of the Year.
Play in the 2014 CAA Women's Basketball Tournament begins Friday for Delaware as the second-seeded Blue Hens face off against seventh-seeded Northeastern at 5 p.m.
2013-14 CAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL AWARD WINNERS
| ALL-CAA FIRST TEAM | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | Hometown/Previous School |
| Kelsey Buchanan, Delaware | Sr. | C | 6-3 | South Riding, Va./Freedom |
| Kirby Burkholder, James Madison | Sr. | G | 6-0 | Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby |
| Tanisha McTiller, Towson | Sr. | G | 5-7 | Chicago, Ill./Lincoln Park |
| Afreyea Tolbert, College of Charleston | Sr. | G | 5-10 | Teaneck, N.J./St. Mary's/Northeastern |
| Jewel Tunstull, Northeastern | Sr. | C | 6-3 | Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood |
| ALL-CAA SECOND TEAM | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | Hometown/Previous School |
| Kelva Atkins, UNCW | Jr. | G | 5-4 | Stem, N.C./Granville Central/Columbia State JC |
| Alyssa Frye, College of Charleston | Sr. | G | 5-8 | Chester, Va./Dale |
| Toia Giggetts, James Madison | Jr. | F | 6-0 | Norfolk, Va./Lake Taylor |
| Precious Hall, James Madison | So. | G | 5-8 | Tallahassee, Fla./Maclay School |
| LaTorri Hines-Allen, Towson | Jr. | F | 6-1 | Montclair, N.J./Montclair |
| ALL-CAA THIRD TEAM | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | Hometown/Previous School |
| A'lece Mark, Northeastern | Jr. | G | 5-7 | Springfield, Mass./Loomis Chaffee Academy |
| Kaitlyn Mathieu, William & Mary | Sr. | F | 6-2 | Waterboro, Maine/Worcester Academy (Mass.) |
| Nikki Newman, James Madison | Sr. | G/F | 6-2 | Harrisonburg, Va./Turner Ashby |
| Anma Onyeuku, Hofstra | Sr. | F | 5-10 | Fayetteville, Ga./Fayette County |
| Annie Payton, Hofstra | Sr. | G | 5-9 | Camden, N.J./Camden |
| Rachel Pearson, Drexel | So. | G/F | 5-11 | West Chester, Pa./Archbishop Carroll |
2014 CAA PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kirby Burkholder, James Madison
2014 CAA COACH OF THE YEAR: Kenny Brooks, James Madison
2014 CAA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Marlena Tremba, William & Mary
2014 CAA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nikki Newman, James Madison
2014 DEAN EHLERS LEADERSHIP AWARDS: Stephanie Leon, Delaware
| ALL-ROOKIE TEAM | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | Hometown/Previous School |
| Breanna Bolden, College of Charleston | Fr. | F | 5-11 | Edgewater, Md./South River |
| Sarah Curran, Drexel | Fr. | F | 5-11 | Media, Pa./Archbishop Carroll |
| Elo Edeferioka, Hofstra | Fr. | F | 6-3 | Warri, Nigeria/Life Center Academy (N.J.) |
| Brie Mobley, UNCW | Fr. | G | 5-8 | Winter Haven, Fla./Winter Haven |
| Marlena Tremba, William & Mary | Fr. | G | 5-9 | Vienna, Va./Paul VI |
| ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | Hometown/Previous School |
| Jazmen Boone, William & Mary | Jr. | F | 5-8 | Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne |
| Jazmon Gwathmey, James Madison | So. | G | 6-2 | Bealeton, Va./Liberty |
| Mikaela Hopkins, College of Charleston | Jr. | F/C | 6-5 | Augusta, Ga./Thomas |
| Tanisha McTiller, Towson | Sr. | G | 5-7 | Chicago, Ill./Lincoln Park |
| Nikki Newman, James Madison | Sr. | G/F | 6-2 | Harrisonburg, Va./Turner Ashby |
| Jewel Tunstull, Northeastern | Sr. | C | 6-3 | Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood |
| ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | Hometown/Previous School |
| Kelva Atkins, UNCW | Jr. | Jr. | 5-4 | Stem, N.C./Granville Central/Columbia State JC |
| Jazmen Boone, William & Mary | Jr. | F | 5-8 | Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne |
| Jill Brown, College of Charleston | Sr. | G | 5-6 | Midlothian, Va./Trinity Episcopal |
| Kelsey Buchanan, Delaware | Sr. | C | 6-3 | South Riding, Va./Freedom |
| Kirby Burkholder, James Madison | Sr. | G | 6-0 | Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby |
| Meghan Creighton, Drexel | So. | G | 5-7 | West Chester, Pa./Archbishop Carroll |
| Fiona Flanagan, Drexel | Sr. | G | 5-10 | Penn Valley, Pa./Notre Dame de Namur |
| Alyssa Frye, College of Charleston | Sr. | G | 5-8 | Chester, Va./Dale |
| Kyla Kerstetter, William & Mary | Jr. | G | 5-11 | Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood |
| Amencie Mercier, Northeastern | Jr. | G | 5-7 | Pierrefonds, Quebec/Dawson College |
| Nikki Newman, James Madison | Sr. | G/F | 6-2 | Harrisonburg, Va./Turner Ashby |
| Anma Onyeuku, Hofstra | Sr. | F | 5-10 | Fayetteville, Ga./Fayette County |
| Rachel Pearson, Drexel | So. | G/F | 5-11 | West Chester, Pa./Archbishop Carroll |
| Tory Thierolf, Drexel | Sr. | F | 6-0 | Doylestown, Pa./Germantown Academy |
| Nyree Williams, Towson | Sr. | F | 6-1 | Ellicott City, Md./Howard HS |
