Lakeland College

Three Women's Basketball Players Receive NAC Post-Season Honors

Athletics - posted on 3/4/2008

Three members of the Lakeland College women's basketball team earned All-Northern Athletics Conference recognition as the post-season awards were announced on Tuesday.

Sophomore guard/forward KC Blahnik (Gladstone, Mich.) was named a second team All-NAC selection while senior guard Peggy Keiper (Stalwart, Mich./Pickford) and senior forward Brenda Paulson (Clayton) received honorable mentions.

Blahnik, who was a member of the NAC All-Rookie team last season, was a major force for the Muskies on offense and on the glass this season, as she was second on the team in scoring with 11.1 ppg and grabbed 7.6 rpg, good for eighth-best in the NAC. She also shot 80.2 percent from the free throw line for seventh in the NAC.

"It's a great honor to have three players earn all-conference awards," said head coach Teri Johnson. "KC Blahnik really stepped up her game the last five or six weeks of the season and helped us out in crucial moments."

Keiper was well-known for her deadly accuracy from 3-point range, and led the NAC in 3-point field goals made per game with 2.92. She also led the Muskies in scoring with 12.7 ppg. Paulson, who came into the season accustomed to playing the guard spot, was converted into a small forward by necessity with much success. Her experience and leadership were also major assets to the squad this season, as she finished third in the NAC with an 82.9 percent free throw average and was third amongst her teammates in scoring with 9.2 ppg.

"Brenda Paulson was playing out of position this year, but she ended up being one of our top post defenders and really got things done in the paint," Johnson said. "She was a huge asset to us and a great leader. Peggy was another great leader for us, and obviously her shooting capability earns her the right to be all-conference."