Thursday, March 9, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – Samantha Bowman’s record-setting season for Central Washington has earned her recognition as the Division II Conference Commissioners Association West Region Player of the Year.

The senior center from Zillah, Washington has been unstoppable this season, setting the GNAC all-time career rebounding record with 1,203 rebounds and counting while averaging 22.1 points and 14.8 boards per game. Also named the GNAC Player of the Year, Bowman has 25 double-doubles this season with one in all but four of the Wildcats’ games.

Bowman ranks top 10 in Divison II in double-doubles (second), field goals (third), points per game (fifth), rebounds (first), defensive rebounds per game (first), rebounds per game (first) and triple-doubles (tied first).

Bowman is the only repeat honoree on the D2CCA All-Region team from a season ago and leads four total GNAC selections, the most of any conference in the region. Joining Bowman on the First Team is Western Washington junior guard Brooke Walling while Western Washington senior guard Avery Dykstra and Alaska Anchorage junior forward Vishe’ Rabb were named Second Team All-West Region.

Walling earns First Team honors less than a week after leading the Vikings to their first GNAC women’s basketball championship since 2014 and being named the GNAC Championships MVP. Walling has been one of the top scoring threats in the conference this year, averaging 13.6 points per game while shooting 58.4% from the field.

Dykstra was selected to the All-West Region Second Team after being named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row. She averages 2.9 blocks per game for a Western Washington defense that leads the conference and ranks second in Division II with 5.9 blocks per contest. Dykstra also averages 7.8 points and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 45.2 % from the field.

GNAC Newcomer of the Year Rabb was named to the Second Team All-West Region in a season where she has averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game to lead the Seawolves. She has also been the best free throw shooter in the conference, knocking down 87.9% of her attempts to rank 24th in Division II.

The D2CAA Player of the Year award and all-region teams are nominated and selected by members of the region’s athletics communications staffs. The five members of the All-West Region First Team will now be placed on the national ballot for All-America consideration. The All-America teams will be released on March 19.