Sports News: Winter 2003-04

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

SEAMAN NAMED TO COMMONWEALTH ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM; HACKLEMAN SELECTED ROOKIE OF THE YEAR & SPIRK HONORED AS COACH OF THE YEAR

ANNVILLE, PA --- Sophomore forward Stephanie Seaman (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) of the Moravian College women’s basketball team has been named to the 2003-04 Commonwealth All-Conference First Team while freshman forward Jenny Hackleman (Solvang, CA/Rutgers Prep {NJ} HS) was honored as Commonwealth Rookie of the Year and head coach Mary Beth Spirk earned Commonwealth Coach of the Year honors announced by the Middle Atlantic Corporation Tuesday.

Joining Seaman on the All-Conference First Team were Jessica Hollinshead of Elizabethtown College, who was named the Commonwealth Player of the Year, Erin Eaby from Lebanon Valley College, Eli Cook of Messiah College and Nikki Carden of Widener University.

Spirk has coached the Greyhounds to a 17-8 overall record, a 10-4 slate in Commonwealth Conference action and the squad’s third straight postseason berth this year. Spirk has a career record of 306-151 and earned the 300th victory of her 17-year career at Moravian with an 85-77 victory over rival Muhlenberg College on January 26, 2004. The Coach of the Year award is the fifth for Spirk, who was the MAC South Coach of the Year in 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92 and the MAC Commonwealth Coach of the Year back in 1996-97. Spirk was the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1991-92 and has led Moravian to the postseason in 14 of her 17 seasons, including four NCAA Tournament bids and three ECAC Tournament berths.

Seaman leads Moravian in rebounding this season at 8.1 boards per contest, and she is second on the squad in scoring with an average of 11.3 points per game. Seaman has also contributed a team high 56 steals this winter to go along with 32 assists and 14 blocked shots. Seaman was named to the Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball Team of the Month in December, and she was honored as the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week on December 1, 2003.

Hackleman is the second straight Greyhound to win the Commonwealth Rookie of the Year Award after Catherine Golden won last season. Hackleman is contributing 7.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in her debut season. She leads Moravian with 31 blocked shots and has added 31 assists and 26 steals. Hackleman has been in double figures in points five times and rebounds six times this season.

Moravian is the second seed in the upcoming Commonwealth Conference Tournament and will host third-seeded Lebanon Valley College in a semifinal game on Wednesday, February 25th at 7:00 p.m. in Johnston Hall. The winner of the Commonwealth Tournament, which concludes on Saturday, February 28th earns a berth in the 2004 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.