Women’s Basketball All-Americans Announced, Four Region 12 Student-Athletes Recognized
The NJCAA announced the 2023-24 Women's Basketball All-America Teams on Tuesday (April 9) and Region 12 was well-represented after another phenomenal year on the hardwood.
Lansing Community College forward/center, Kara Bartels, earned NJCAA Division II Second Team honors after leading the Stars to a Great Lakes District C Championship Game appearance with averages of 17.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 1.7 steals per contest. Bartels now adds the Second Team All-American nod to an incredible list of accolades already won this season, including MCCAA Western Conference Player of the Year, Western Conference Freshman of the Year, Western Conference All-Defensive Team and Great Lakes District C All-Tournament Team honors.
Lake Michigan College's Arial Ford was the first of three Region 12 student-athletes to earn Third Team All-American honors. Ford ended the year tied for sixth in scoring nationally at 23.2 points per game and was second in rebounds in NJCAA Division II with 14.8 per contest, only 0.2 behind the national leader. Ford was also top 10 in blocks (ninth, 76) on her way to All-Region, All-MCCAA and First Team MCCAA Western Conference honors.
One of the top scorers in the country—and the nation's leader in NJCAA Division II for half of the season—Kellogg Community College's Kaylee Glidden also earned Third Team All-American honors from the NJCAA. Glidden earned All-American recognition after helping lead Kellogg to a share of the MCCAA Western Conference title in a season that saw the standout guard capture All-Region, All-MCCAA and First Team MCCAA Western Conference honors. Glidden tallied 23.7 points per game and drained 109 3-pointers this season, both of which were good for third nationally.
The four Region 12 student-athlete honored overall and third tabbed as Third Team All-American was Southwestern Michigan College's Cameron Thomas. Thomas, Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the MCCAA Western Conference, helped lead the Roadrunners to a NJCAA Division II National Tournament berth to go along with a Great Lakes District B Championship and a share of the MCCAA Western Conference title. Cameron averaged 21.4 points (10th in NJCAA Division II), 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game this season.
