Aug. 7, 2002
RICHMOND, Va. - Old Dominion senior guard Okeisha Howard (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne), who battled back from a mid-season leg injury to help lead the Lady Monarchs to their 11th consecutive CAA championship, and the NCAA Elite Eight was the top vote-getter on the pre-season All-CAA women's basketball team for 2002-03. Junior Monique Coker(Bronx, NY./Monsignor Scanlan) was alsoselected to the first team. The squad was determined by a vote of the league's 10 head coaches.
Joining Howard and Coker on the All-CAA first team were George Mason junior guard Jen Derevjanik (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's), Virginia Commonwealth senior forward Kristine Austgulen (Bergen, Norway/Fana Gymnas), and James Madison senior forward Shanna Price (Danville, Va./George Washington).
Howard, who was a 1st-team All-CAA pick in 2000-01, suffered a fractured fibula in her right leg in mid-January, but still managed to average 12.1 points per game and earn 2nd-team all-conference honors a year ago. She was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2002 CAA Tournament. The 6-1 Coker averaged 9.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and earned All-Tournament honors last season.She was also 4th in the CAA in field goal percentage (51.2%).
Sophomore guard Shareese Grant (Va. Beach, Va.) and freshman center Corrina Turner (Miami, FL.)received honorable mention votes. Grant, a CAA All-rookie selection averaged 5.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. Turner missed last season recovering from a knee injury.
PRE-SEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
(selected by CAA head coaches)
FIRST TEAMPlayer, School Cl. Pos. Ht. Hometown/High SchoolOkeisha Howard, Old Dominion# Sr. G 5-5 Virginia Beach, Va./Princess AnneJen Derevjanik, George Mason# Jr. G 5-10 Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter'sKristine Austgulen, Va. Commonwealth* Sr. F 6-0 Bergen, Norway/Fana GymnasMonique Coker, Old Dominion Jr. F 6-1 Bronx, N.Y./Monsignor ScanlanShanna Price, James Madison# Sr. F 5-9 Danville, Va./George Washington
SECOND TEAMNadine Morgan, James Madison Sr. F 5-10 Stone Mountain, Ga./Stone MountainShameka Montgomery, UNC Wilmington Sr. F/C 6-1 N. Myrtle Beach, S.C./N. Myrtle BeachAllison Trapp, Delaware Sr. G 5-9 Philadelphia, Pa./West CatholicJen Sobota, William and Mary Sr. G 5-4 Latrobe, Pa./Greater LatrobeJulie Sailer, Delaware So. G 5-11 Washington Crossing, Pa./Council Rock
CAA Pre-Season Player of the Year: Okeisha Howard, Old DominionOthers Receiving Votes: Jen Brickey, Sr., G, Hofstra; Jennifer Kapper, Jr., G, UNC Wilmington; Jessica Copskey, So., G, Drexel; Vernessa Neamo, Jr., F, George Mason; Corrina Turner, Fr., C, Old Dominion; Cyndy Wilks, Jr., G, Virginia Commonwealth; Steph Frysinger, Sr., G, Drexel; Shareese Grant, So., G, Old Dominion; Kelli Talbot, So., F/G, Towson
* - 1st Team All-CAA in 2001-02 # - 2nd Team All-CAA in 2001-02