ALVA, Okla. - The Great American Conference announced their annual Conference awards early Thursday afternoon. The Rangers utility player Hannah Howell was rewarded Thursday afternoon by making the Honorable Mention All-GAC team for the 2021 season.
The Great American Conference coaches vote on the annual end of the year awards and are not allowed to vote for their own player. Each season the conference announces an All-GAC First Team, All-GAC Second Team, Honorable Mention Team, along with individual awards in Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the year.
The Anna, Texas native, is a utility player for the Rangers, as she saw time as a pitcher, Designated player(DP), and first baseman this past season. The Rangers' sophomore finished among the top 10 in several conference categories. Howell ended the regular season with a .383 batting average, six home runs, 25-RBI, SLG% of .626, along 44 hits. These were all team highs for the 2021 season. Howell finished with the sixth-best average and slugging percentage in the Great American Conference. The 44 hits and six home runs were both tied for 11th in the conference. She finished the season with 10 doubles, tied for 8th in the league.
Howell's season also included 17 starts in the circle for the Rangers. She concluded the season, finishing 10th in innings pitched with 98 on the season. She struck out the sixth most batters looking this season with 27 on the year.
The rest of the Great American Conference awards finished as followed:
GAC Player of the Year: Mahina Sauer, Southern Nazarene
GAC Pitcher of the Year: Lily Tanski, Harding
GAC Newcomer of the Year: Cheyenne Mahy, Southeastern Oklahoma State
GAC Freshman of the Year: Amberlyn Walsworth, Southeastern Oklahoma State
GAC Coach of the Year: Phil Berry, Harding
2021 ALL-GAC SOFTBALL FIRST TEAM - * UNANIMOUS SELECTION
P Lily Tanski Harding So. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
P Victoria Taylor Southern Arkansas Sr. Greenwood, Arkansas
P Amberlyn Walsworth Southeastern Oklahoma State Fr. Shreveport, Louisiana
C Laina Suesue Southern Arkansas Sr. Salt Lake City, Utah*
1B Mahina Sauer Southern Nazarene Sr. Milani, Hawaii
2B Kyia Monahwee Southeastern Oklahoma State Jr. Morris, Oklahoma
3B Caitlin Curlee Southern Nazarene Jr. Keller, Texas
SS Hanna Jones Harding Jr. Keller, Texas
OF Alese Casper Southern Arkansas Jr. Grantsville, Utah
OF Makenzie Chappell Harding Fr. Lawrenceville, Georgia
OF Kaitlyn O'Quinn Henderson State Fr. Coppell, Texas
OF Peyton Streetman Southeastern Oklahoma State So. Howe, Texas
DP Elisa Favela Southern Arkansas Sr. Ewa Beach, Hawaii
UT/P Cheyenne Mahy Southeastern Oklahoma State So. Atwater, California
UTL Makenzie Addis Arkansas Tech Sr. Tulsa, Oklahoma
2021 ALL-GAC SOFTBALL SECOND TEAM
P Shannon Lasey Arkansas Tech Fr. Dover, Arkansas
P Kayleigh Jones Oklahoma Baptist So. Claremore, Oklahoma
P Sydney Wader Southern Arkansas Sr. Vilonia, Arkansas
C Chelsea Blankenship Harding Fr. Haslet, Texas
1B Kady Fryrear Southeastern Oklahoma State Fr. Tuttle, Oklahoma
2B Sarah Evans Southern Arkansas So. Bryant, Arkansas
3B Nicole Shano Harding So. Peoria, Arizona
SS Hope Waid Ouachita So. Ft Worth, Texas
OF Heather Brown Ouachita So. Mount Vernon, Texas
OF Tymber Riley Arkansas Tech Jr. Bentonville, Arkansas
OF Sydney Sundbye Southern Nazarene Fr. Bethany, Oklahoma
DP Caitlyn Wells Arkansas Tech Fr. Edmond, Oklahoma
UT/P Brooklyn Sqarkman Southern Nazarene Sr. Mustang, Oklahoma
UTL Kyia Monahwee Southeastern Oklahoma State Jr. Morris, Oklahoma
2021 ALL-GAC SOFTBALL HONORABLE MENTION
P Mallory Brewer Henderson State Jr. El Dorado, Arkansas
P Maddy Prough Arkansas Tech Jr. Bella Vista, Arkansas
P Nikki Schneider Ouachita Fr. Glen Rose, Arkansas
C Haley Godeaux Arkansas-Monticello Sr. Cecila, Louisiana
1B Hannah Franklin Southwestern Oklahoma State Sr. Yukon, Oklahoma
2B Katelynn Stamper Arkansas-Monticello Sr. Sanger, Texas3B Patricia Loredo Arkansas Tech Sr. Fort Worth, Texas
3B Faith Otts Southern Arkansas Sr. Haskell, Arkansas
SS Bailey Camp Arkansas-Monticello Fr. Perryville, Arkansas
SS Jaxynn Dyson Southern Arkansas Fr. Normal, Illinois
OF Ashton Bryce Harding Fr. Frisco, Texas
OF Cheyenne Demaree Oklahoma Baptist Sr. Pryor, Oklahoma
OF Shelby Savage Oklahoma Baptist Sr. Shawnee, Oklahoma
UT/P Hannah Howell Northwestern Oklahoma State So. Anna, Texas
UTL Abbie Moore Henderson State So. North Richland Hills, Texas
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