June 22, 2007

CANYON, Texas - West Texas A&M University women's basketball guard, Emily Brister, was selected as the 2007 Lone Star Conference Female Athlete of the Year, announced Thursday following a vote of the league's sports information directors.

Brister was picked as the league's top female athlete for the second year in a row, after guiding the Lady Buffs to a 28-5 season including a perfect 14-0 run in the South Division en route to its fourth straight trip to the NCAA Division II basketball tournament.

Brister, a 5-9 guard from Amarillo, Texas, recorded a superb sophomore season. She was named the 2006-07 Daktronics South Central Region Player of the Year in addition to earning LSC South Division Player of the Year honors for the second straight year. The first team all-conference pick averaged 22.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

Brister led the LSC in scoring, was fifth in free throw percentage (.850) and second in steals (97). She was named to the LSC All-Tournament Team and was an Academic All-District VI First Team selection by CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine. She was also chosen for the LSC All-Academic Team and was the LSC South Division Academic Player of the Year.

Brister claimed the women's award in front of Cameron softball star Stephanie Bour and Texas A&M-Commerce basketball sensation Brittney Jordan.

Distance runner standout Nicodemus Naimadu from Abilene Christian University was named the LSC Male Athelete of the Year after leading the Wildcats to their sixth straight NCAA Division II national championship in track and field and the school's first NCAA title in cross country this year.