Hunter Named WIAC Player of the Year; Wahl Joins Hunter on First Team

For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 5, 2009

Madison, Wis. – University of Wisconsin-La Crosse senior forward Mackenzie Hunter of Eau Claire (Regis) has been named the 2008-09 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Basketball Player of the Year in a vote by league coaches. Hunter and senior forward Lindsay Wahl of Burnsville, Minn. (H.S.)have both been selected to this year’s All-WIAC First Team. Hunter was also named the Judy Kruckman WIAC Scholar-Athlete and was selected to the all-defensive team.

It marks the second straight season Hunter and Wahl have been named to the all-conference first team. The Eagles have now had an All-WIAC First Team selection in eight of the last nine seasons.

UW-L senior guard Anna Halat of Waukesha (South) was named to the 2008-09 WIAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

Hunter becomes the first player in UW-L history to be named the WIAC Player of the Year and the first to earn all-conference honors all four seasons. She was also named to the 2005-06 and 2007-08 All-WIAC First Team and to the 2006-07 All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team. Hunter is the only player in school history to be named to the first team three times.

A starter in all 26 games in 2008-09, Hunter led UW-L with 20.6 points and 2.8 steals per game while finishing third on the team in rebounds (5.1) and assists (1.8). She scored in double figures in all 26 contests, including a career-high 32 points at UW-Stevens Point Feb. 18 and at UW-Superior Jan. 31. The 32 points is tied for fifth in single-game school history. Her 535 points this year is second in single-season school history. Hunter also led UW-L in minutes (32.5 per game), field goals made (195) and attempted (424), three-point field goals made (28) and attempted (70) and free throw shooting (88.0%) this year. The 88.0% free throw shooting ranks second in single-season school history. She is also third in single-season free throw percentage at 85.9% (55-of-64) set in 2005-06.

Hunter recorded a pair of double-doubles this year with 32 points and 10 rebounds at UW-Stevens Point and 27 points with a career-high 11 rebounds versus Bemidji State University (Minn.) Nov. 21. She finished with at least 20 points in 12 contests this year.

Named the MVP of the Wildwood Lodge Tip-Off Tournament at Concordia, St. Paul (Minn.) Nov. 21-22, Hunter was also selected to the Wartburg College (Iowa) AmericInn Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team Dec. 29-30.

A starter in 103 of career 105 games, Hunter finishes second in school history in scoring (1,526 points). She is first in school history in career free throw shooting (85.4%) and steals (224). Her 85.4% free throw shooting also tops the WIAC all-time list. Hunter is second in career starts (103) and free throws made (281) at UW-L while being tied for fifth in attempts (329). She also ranks fifth in career three-point field goals made (81) and sixth in attempts (212), fourth in career three-point shooting (38.2%), fourth in career field goals made (582) and second in attempts (1,292).

She currently leads the WIAC in scoring and free throw shooting while ranking second in steals and three-point shooting (40.0%). Hunter is also 11th in three-point field goals per game (1.08) and field goal shooting (46.0%) while ranking 17th in rebounding (5.1).

Hunter becomes the third player in school history and the first since 1987-88 (Debra Beyer) to selected the Judy Kruckman WIAC Scholar-Athlete for women’s basketball. Donna Freese earned the honor in 1983-84. Hunter is a sport management major and business administration minor with a 3.41 grade point average. She has been a member of UW-L’s Dean’s List for three semesters and a member of UW-L Winner’s Council.

Wahl earned her second consecutive All-WIAC First Team selection this year after starting all 25 games she played. She finished second on the team in scoring (14.7) and rebounding (5.3) this year while leading the Eagles in field goal shooting at 50.8% (122-of-240). Wahl also led the team in free throws made (124) and attempted (172) as well as blocks (14). Her 124 free throws made ranks second in single-season school history while the 172 attempts set a school record, breaking her own record of 170 set last year. Wahl set a single-season school record with 125 free throws made a year ago.

Selected the Wartburg College (Iowa) AmericInn Holiday Classic MVP Dec. 29-30, Wahl averaged 14.0 points and 6.5 rebounds versus Presentation College (S.D.) and Wartburg. She earned her first career double-double with 28 points and 10 rebounds versus Carroll University (Wis.) Nov. 30. The 28 points was a career-high. Wahl finished with 20 points and career-high 11 rebounds at Ripon College (Wis.) Dec. 3. Wahl scored in double figures in 21 contests.

She became UW-L’s career leader in free throws made (325) and attempted (478) this season. Playing in 103 career contests, Wahl is tied for sixth in career field goal shooting (49.4%, 324-of-656).

Wahl is fourth in the WIAC in scoring this season while ranking sixth in field goal shooting, seventh in free throw shooting (72.1%) and seventh in blocks per game (0.56). She is 16th in rebounding (5.3).

Halat started all 25 games she played in 2008-09, leading UW-L with 57 assists (2.3 per game). She had a career-high seven assists versus UW-Oshkosh Feb. 7. Halat finished seventh on the team in scoring this year at 4.1 points per game, including a career-high 13 against Viterbo University (Wis.) Nov. 26. She also had five assists and four rebounds versus the V-Hawks. Halat had a season-high six rebounds in three different contests this year.

UW-L finished 17-9 overall this season, its third winning season in the last four years. The Eagles’ 17 victories are the most since 2005-06 (19-6) and the third-most in the last 25 seasons. UW-L was 9-7 in the WIAC in 2008-09.