In the latest development in a season that just seems to keep getting better, men’s basketball placed five players on the All-UAA team and earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors to cap off a remarkable regular season before heading to NCAAs for the first time in five years.
Finishing at the front of the league in multiple categories, fourth-year guard Brandon Woodhead and third-year forward Nate Hainje took first-team recognition, while fourth-year guard Jesse Meyer received the second-team nod. Fellow seniors center Jason Vismantas and guard Drew Adams, wrapped up the Maroons’ accolades with honorable mentions.
Making his third consecutive All-UAA squad, Woodhead ranked among the league’s best in scoring (third, 15.8 ppg), free throw percentage (seventh, 73.9 percent), field goal percentage (eighth, 48.8 percent), and in steals (eighth, 1.4 per game). Woodhead will leave Ratner this year as the 13th Maroon to rack up 1,000 career points after fittingly meeting the milestone in the squad’s 89-71 win over Emory (8–17, 2–12) on Senior Day.
Hainje joined Woodhead on the first team with his high ranking in three-pointers (sixth, 1.84 per game), assists (seventh, 3.56 per game), rebounding (eighth, 6.1 rpg), and free throw percentage (eighth, 73.5 percent). He also became the first Chicago player to lead the squad in both rebounding and assists since official recordkeeping started in 1986.
Just shy of taking top honors, Meyer ranked second in the league in three-point field goals with 2.68 per game and sixth in three-point percentage at 42.7. The squad’s top scorer from beyond the arc, he has stamped the program record books with the most career treys (208), and most threes in one game (8).
Rounding out the South Siders selection for 2006-2007, Adams finished alongside Meyers as one of the league’s top men from three-point distance with a .417 accuracy and 40 treys on the year. Vismantas received recognition for finishing the final seven games as a starter with 9.6 ppg and 7.9 rpg in that stretch.
On the women’s side, three Maroons earned special notice from the UAA. Fourth-year guard Korry Schwanz and third-year guard Nofi Mojidi grabbed spots on the first team while first-year forward Molly Hackney was named the Rookie of the Year.
A standout in the league her entire career, Schwanz notched her fourth All-UAA selection as DIII’s top free throw shooter with a near-perfect 93.2 percent from the line. She also finished as sixth in the conference in scoring (12.5 ppg) and three-point field goals (1.44 per game).
Earning her second straight All–UAA award, Mojidi closed the books on the season as the Association’s leading scorer with 16.4 ppg. The Athlete of the Week for November 28, Mojidi also ranked third in steals (2.52 per game) and fifth in field goal percentage (49.5).
While she didn’t join her teammates on the first team, Hackney notched an honorable mention pick and led all newcomers in four categories. She set the bar in scoring (9.3 ppg), rebounding (6.2 rpg), field goal percentage (43.6), and blocked shots (1.72 per game). The East Lansing native is the third Maroon in five years to earn the Rookie of the Year title.
