Colorado State University Athletics
Williams, Nystrom earn preseason accolades
10/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Athletics Communications
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The Colorado State University women’s basketball program enter the 2015-16 season looking to continue one of the best stretches in program history. The Rams are coming off back-to-back Mountain West regular season titles and have accumulated a 48-16 record over the past two years, which ranks as the third best two-year stretch in school history.
On Wednesday morning, more honors were bestowed upon the program as College Sports Madness released its Mountain West Preseason All-Conference and All-High Major Teams.
Head Coach Ryun Williams was named the Mountain West Preseason Coach of the Year, while junior guard Ellen Nystrom was named the conference’s Preseason Player of the Year by the publication. Nystrom was also earned a spot on the All-High Major Second Team, which consists of players from the Atlantic 10, Colonial, Conference USA, Horizon, Mid-American, Missouri Valley, Mountain West and West Coast conferences.
Nystrom earned a spot on the all-Mountain West team and the conference’s all-defense team for her play last year, in which she averaged 9.2 points per game and a team-best 6.8 rebounds per game as a guard and was routinely asked to shut down the opponent’s best perimeter threat.
Williams is entering his fourth season at Colorado State, where he has turned the program around and restored it back to the success it achieved in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Prior to Williams’s arrival, the Rams hadn’t had a winning season since the 2004-05 campaign, and hadn’t had a 20-win season since 2002-03. After going 11-19 in his first year, Williams orchestrated Colorado State’s single biggest turnaround with a 25-win season in his second year.
The Rams return three starters and seven letterwinners from last year’s conference championship squad. Colorado State will host South Carolina-Aiken in an exhibition game on Nov. 6 with the regular season opening up at home on Nov. 13 vs. Western State. In total, the Rams will play 16 contests at home. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased at the Moby Arena box office or online here.
College Sports Madness Mountain West Preseason All-Conference Teams
Coach of the Year – Ryun Williams, Colorado State
Player of the Year – Ellen Nystrom, Colorado State
Freshman of the Year – Rachelle Tucker, Wyoming
First Team
Guard – Marquelle Dent, Wyoming
Guard – Ellen Nystrom, Colorado State
Guard/Forward – Funda Naggasoglu, Utah State
Forward – Khadijah Shumpert, New Mexico
Forward/Center – Aley Rohde, UNLV
Second Team
Guard – Cortney Porter, Air Force
Guard – McKynzie Fort, San Diego State
Guard – Jordan Kelley, Wyoming
Guard – Terilyn Moe, Nevada
Guard/Forward – Brooke Pahukoa, Boise State
College Sports Madness All-High Major Teams
Coach of the Year – Kevin Borseth, Green Bay
Player of the Year – Jonquel Jones, George Washington
Freshman of the Year – Riley Rose, Missouri State
First Team
Guard – Olivia Jones, Middle Tennessee State
Guard – Lexi Eaton, BYU
Guard/Forward – Elle Tinkle, Gonzaga
Forward – Jonquel Jones, George Washington
Forward/Center – Lizzy Wendell, Drake
Second Team
Guard – Kendall Noble, Western Kentucky
Guard – Ellen Nystrom, Colorado State
Guard/Forward – April Robinson, Duquesne
Forward – Dyana Pierre, Southern Illinois
Forward/Center – Caira Washington, George Washington
Third Team
Guard – Nathalie Fontaine, Ball State
Guard – Katie Healy, St. Bonaventure
Guard/Forward – Ashunae Durant, Hofstra
Forward – Taylor Proctor, San Francisco
Forward/Center – Heidi Schlegel, Youngstown State
Fourth Team
Guard – Tesha Buck, Green Bay
Guard – Caitlin Ingle, Drake
Guard – Marquelle Dent, Wyoming
Guard/Forward – Sara Dickey, Evansville
Forward/Center – Miracle Woods, Western Michigan