Jones named 1st Team All-Conference, Kuhrts and Bradshaw are 2nd Team

Release Date: March 8, 2000

The Monmouth College Fighting Scots, picked in the preseason to finish eighth in the Midwest Conference, surprised many by challenging for the league’s final playoff spot deep into the season and posting an overall record of 12-10.

A big reason was the quick maturation of freshman Melissa Jones, who emerged as one of the top players in the league and was named Tuesday to the first team of the All-MWC squad. She was joined on the 20-member all-league unit by teammates Amber Kuhrts and Erin Bradshaw, who were selected second-teamers.

The first team featured Player of the Year Alison Grubbs of Lake Forest, and also included St. Norbert’s Liz Valela and Julie Schill, Carroll’s Corey Grosskopf and Lawrence’s Mindy Rueden. Grubbs led the MWC in scoring (18.3 ppg) and free throw percentage (86.8), was second in three-point percentage (50.7) and was fourth in assists (3.9). The Foresters won the postseason tournament after St. Norbert had taken the regular-season crown. LFC’s Jackie Slaats was named Coach of the Year.

The rest of the first team included Krista Thomas of Knox, Nadia Czajkowski of St. Norbert, Addie Ahlemeyer of Illinois College, Jenny Carney of Lawrence, Kerry Eddy and Connie Tetzlaff of Carroll, Addi Murphy of Lake Forest and Jones.

The second unit featured Melissa Schneider and Karla Gribble of Lake Forest, Molly Kneip and AnnMarie Ibis of Ripon, Adrienne Dickerson of Illinois College and Kuhrts and Bradshaw.

Jones scored 14.0 ppg in league games to rank seventh. She also finished seventh in the league in free throw accuracy at 78.2 percent, and her 6.5 rebounds per game ranked 11th. She made 75.2 percent of her free throws in Monmouth’s full slate of games and is currently the career leader in accuracy, moving ahead of Mary Hollinrake, who hit 75.0 of her foul tosses from 1983-85. With one season under her belt, Jones is also on pace to rank in the top five in her career in such major categories as points, rebounds, free throws made, free throws attempted and blocks. Her numbers for her first year were 307 points, 162 rebounds, 76-of-101 from the foul line and 19 blocks.

Kuhrts and Bradshaw were both among the MWC stat leaders for the Fighting Scots; Kuhrts, was 14th in rebounding (6.1) and 13th in scoring (11.2); Bradshaw, was 18th in scoring (10.1).