Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Regis’ Erin Fry is the 2022-23 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, the league announced Wednesday alongside its all-conference rosters. Fry headlines a list of four individuals earning RMAC superlatives and a list of 20 players recognized among the first and second-team all-conference rosters. RMAC individual awards and all-conference rosters are voted on by the league’s 15 head coaches. Coaches are not permitted to vote for themselves or their players.
 
Fry claims the league’s top honor after leading her squad to the No. 1 seed at the RMAC Women’s Basketball Tournament in addition to helping the Rangers clinch the league’s regular-season title. The junior guard has facilitated a potent Regis offense all season long and leads the RMAC for assists (138) and assists per game (4.8) this season. In addition to her passing prowess, Fry also creates her own opportunities and frequently puts herself at the free-throw line, where she ranks ninth nationally with 139 successful free throws on the year. Behind Fry, the Rangers hold a .94 assist-to-turnover ratio and outscore opponents by an 8.5 margin.
 
Colorado School of Mines’ Sammy Van Sickle locks up the league’s Defensive Player of the Year honor after leading the Orediggers to the No. 2 seed at this week’s RMAC Women’s Basketball Tournament. Van Sickle’s length has been a consistent problem for opposing teams as she has compiled 74 steals and a league-best 50 blocks, which ranks 17th in NCAA Division II. The Arvada, Colo., native has four double-double performances and averages 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.8 blocks for the season. While averaging 28.5 minutes per contest, she also holds a 44.4-percent field goal average and a 32-percent average from beyond the arc.
 
Colorado Mesa’s Olivia Reed is the RMAC Freshman of the Year after closing the regular season averaging 12.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. She has quickly stepped into a starring role for the Mavericks and leads her team with 12 double-doubles over 29 appearances. A 5-11 forward, Reed already stacks up with the nation’s best and stands among NCAA DII’s top-25 individuals for double-doubles, field-goal percentage (61.6 percent), which she ranks fifth nationally, and total rebounds (267). Reed averaged 31.6 minutes on the floor and started in all 29 of her regular-season appearances for the Mavericks.
 
Adams State head coach Mario Caetano is the RMAC Coach of the Year after leading the Grizzlies to a 16-6 conference record and the No. 4 seed at the RMAC Tournament. Heading into postseason play, Caetano has Adams State ranked fifth in the nation with 13.4 team steals per game. The Grizzlies also stand fifth nationally with an 8.4 turnover margin and sixth in the country with 23.3 turnovers forced per game. Caetano led his team to a 14-1 regular-season record at home on the year and wins in seven of its last eight RMAC contests.
 
Of the 20 individuals recognized on the 2022-23 RMAC Women’s Basketball All-Conference rosters, 13 RMAC institutions are represented. Colorado School of Mines and Regis lead the way with three selections apiece. Black Hills State, Metropolitan State University of Denver and Westminster each account for two honorees. Adams State, Chadron State, Colorado Mesa, Colorado State University Pueblo, Fort Lewis, New Mexico Highlands, University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Western Colorado round out the all-conference rosters with one selection each.