Espinoza earns Daktronics all-region honors

PUEBLO, Colo. (March 10, 2010) – CSU-Pueblo junior point guard Rachel Espinoza was voted a first-team selection in the Daktronics Women's Basketball Division II All-Central Region team, released Wednesday.

Espinoza, who led the ThunderWolves with 14.9 PPG this season, is now a candidate to be a Daktronics all-American by virtue of being an all-Central Region first-team selection.

In addition to her all-Central Region honor, the first all-regional honor of her career, Espinoza was earlier named a first-team all-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection.

Espinoza was joined on the team by Minnesota-Duluth forward Jheri Booker, who was voted the Daktronics Women’s Basketball Central Region Player of the Year.

Booker, a transfer from Tennessee State and a Summerville, Ga. native, averaged 20.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs this season and was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference’s (NSIC) offensive and defensive player of the year. 

Espinoza was also joined on the all-Central squad by Wayne State (NE)’s Ashley Arlen, Fort Lewis (CO)’s Allison Rosel and Chadron State (NE)’s Kaitlin Petri.

Fort Lewis, the host of this weekend’s NCAA Division II Central Regional Tournament, also netted another all-region selection in addition to Rosel, as teammate Katie Mackey earned second-team honors.  Mackey was joined on the second-team by Concordia-St. Paul (MN)’s Maurika Hickman, Minnesota State-Moorhead’s Alison Nash-Gerlach, Adams State (CO)’s Vera Jo Bustos, and Colorado Christian’s Abby Rosenthal.

The Daktronics All-Central Region team was voted upon by sports information directors throughout the Central Region.  Each of the five first-team all-region selections will now be listed on the Daktronics Division II Women’s Basketball All-American ballot, with the announcement of those All-American teams expected Tuesday, March 23.

Daktronics All-Central Region First Team
Jheri Booker, F, Minnesota Duluth (2010 Central Region Player of the Year)
Ashley Arlen, F, Wayne State (Neb.)
Allison Rosel, C, Fort Lewis (Colo.)
Kaitlin Petri, G, Chadron State (Neb.)
Rachel Espinoza, G, Colorado State-Pueblo

Daktronics All-Central Region Second Team
Maurika Hickman, G, Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.)
Katie Mackey, G, Fort Lewis (Colo.)
Alison Nash-Gerlach, F, Minnesota State-Moorhead
Vera Jo Bustos, G, Adams State (Colo.)
Abby Rosenthal, F, Colorado Christian