Three Nebraska Wesleyan University women’s basketball players earned All-Conference honors when the 2011-12 GPAC Women’s Basketball All-Conference teams were released on Wednesday (Feb. 29). Senior guard Shea Rasmussen headlines the list by earning First-Team All-GPAC. Junior forward Mallory Shanahan and junior guard Janelle Baal both were named All-GPAC honorable mention.
Shea Rasmussen becomes just the second NWU women’s basketball player to ever earn First-Team All-GPAC honors and the first since the inaugural GPAC season in 2000-01, when Summer Allen received the honor.
Rasmussen (Longmont, Colo.) ranked second in the GPAC in scoring averaging 17.0 points per game. She was fourth in made 3-pointers (70), third in 3-point percentage (.427) and seventh in free throw percentage (.814). This is the third consecutive season that Rasmussen earned All-Conference recognition as she was honorable mention All-GPAC as a sophomore and junior. As a senior she had the third highest single season point total in school history (426) and her 70 3-pointers were the second highest season total. The Longmont H.S., graduate finished her career third on the NWU all-time scoring list with 1,292 points and set the NWU career record with 199 made 3-pointers.
Shanahan (Wahoo, Neb.) earns All-GPAC honorable mention for the third consecutive season. Shanahan led the team in rebounding at 6.8 per game and was second on the team averaging 12.1 points per game. She ranked in the top 15 of the GPAC in both scoring and rebounding. Shanahan was third in the GPAC in free throw percentage (.852) and fifth in blocked shots (29). The Wahoo H.S., product scored in double figures in 14 games with a career-high 28 points against Dakota Wesleyan. Shanahan now ranks 10th on the NWU career rebound charts (487) and is the NWU leader in career free throw percentage (.830).
Baal (Littleton, Colo.) earns her first All-GPAC honor this season. Baal started all 25 games at 
point guard and led the team with 63 assists. Baal was second on the team with 20 made 3-pointers, averaging 4.5 points per game. The Dakota Ridge H.S., graduate has now started 76 games at point guard the past three seasons for the Prairie Wolves. She also entered the NWU career top 10 charts for 3-pointers ranking ninth with 66.
Kendra De Jong from Northwestern was named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Player-of-the Year to headline the All-GPAC team. Katie Rich from Concordia was the Defensive Player-of-the-Year, Mattie Murren from Briar Cliff was the Freshman-of-the-Year and Drew Olson from Concordia was the Coach-of-the-Year.
Nebraska Wesleyan finished the 2011-12 season with a 5-20 overall record.
