2008 Woodie Awards
Women take 4th
Sean Coit '09
Issue date: 11/10/06 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
The Atlantic 10 coaches and media recently named the Hawks women's basketball team as the #4 team in the conference in their annual preseason poll, thanks in large part to their incredible 13 game turnaround last year, the nations biggest.
The Hawks, who were selected last year to play in the WNIT, will return 10 varisty players and three starters, giving Head Coach Cindy Griffin an experienced team to improve upon last year's successful 20-win season.
In addition to the team's recognition by the coaches and media, senior guard Ayahna Cornish was honored by the same poll, selected to the A-10 preseason All Conference Second Team.
Cornish led last year's squad with games as the high scorer, as well as games with double digit scoring statistics.
Her leadership, along with that of fellow senior Whitney Ffrench will be greatly needed this year, as George Washington, picked first in the poll, along with Xavier and Temple present daunting challenges if the Hawks are to make a run at the conference championship.
Speedy junior guard Timisha Gomez and sophomore shooter Jen Oyler are likely to play major roles for the team as well, as they look to support Ffrench and Cornish, especially from beyond the 3 point line.
Both guards will provide depth and see significant time in a seasoned backcourt that promises to be the team's strength all year.
Along with Gomez and Oyler, junior transfer Amy Wold will add a veteran presence in the backcourt, while Amy Gillespie begins what coach Griffin hopes will be an extremely successful career for the Hawks.
An All - American Honorable Mention selection from Cardinal O'Hara, Gillespie represents the future of the budding program.
Hoping to show that last year's turnaround was not a fluke, but a step in the right direction, Coach Griffin and the Hawks have a tough schedule ahead of them. Aside from their full A-10 schedule, laced with quality teams ranked both above and below them, games against 11 postseason teams from last year, Illinois, Boston College, North Carolina State, Villanova, and UPenn will provide more than enough tests for a team looking to establish itself.
When the Hawks open their season, Nov. 12 at home against Bucknell, they will have earned the respect they deserve from the coaches and media that see them play every day.
This season will be defined by the team's resiliency to opponents looking to slow the Hawks momentum.
The Hawks, who were selected last year to play in the WNIT, will return 10 varisty players and three starters, giving Head Coach Cindy Griffin an experienced team to improve upon last year's successful 20-win season.
In addition to the team's recognition by the coaches and media, senior guard Ayahna Cornish was honored by the same poll, selected to the A-10 preseason All Conference Second Team.
Cornish led last year's squad with games as the high scorer, as well as games with double digit scoring statistics.
Her leadership, along with that of fellow senior Whitney Ffrench will be greatly needed this year, as George Washington, picked first in the poll, along with Xavier and Temple present daunting challenges if the Hawks are to make a run at the conference championship.
Speedy junior guard Timisha Gomez and sophomore shooter Jen Oyler are likely to play major roles for the team as well, as they look to support Ffrench and Cornish, especially from beyond the 3 point line.
Both guards will provide depth and see significant time in a seasoned backcourt that promises to be the team's strength all year.
Along with Gomez and Oyler, junior transfer Amy Wold will add a veteran presence in the backcourt, while Amy Gillespie begins what coach Griffin hopes will be an extremely successful career for the Hawks.
An All - American Honorable Mention selection from Cardinal O'Hara, Gillespie represents the future of the budding program.
Hoping to show that last year's turnaround was not a fluke, but a step in the right direction, Coach Griffin and the Hawks have a tough schedule ahead of them. Aside from their full A-10 schedule, laced with quality teams ranked both above and below them, games against 11 postseason teams from last year, Illinois, Boston College, North Carolina State, Villanova, and UPenn will provide more than enough tests for a team looking to establish itself.
When the Hawks open their season, Nov. 12 at home against Bucknell, they will have earned the respect they deserve from the coaches and media that see them play every day.
This season will be defined by the team's resiliency to opponents looking to slow the Hawks momentum.
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