Seven Grizzlies pick up post season honors; Hunter voted Coach of the Year
Coach Adam Hunter and the Butler Grizzlies won their 13th Jayhawk East title outright and claimed their 10th trip to the national tournament this season, and they were well represented in the end of season honors that were released on Friday as seven different players received All-Conference nominations. The seven nominations was the most on one team across the league.
Brooke Sullivan, Brooklyn Hunter, Yossi Vilagrana, Madeline Bowman, Kenzee Godwin and Kyrah Klumpp all received first team honors while Korryn Hackney was nominated to the second team. In addition, Head Coach Adam Hunter was named Jayhawk Conference Coach of the Year for the sixth time.
Sullivan, a freshman out of Goddard, started all 22 matches for the Grizzlies and scored 14 goals, good for fifth in the conference, 28th in the country and second on the team behind only Kenzee Godwin. She also finished with 33 points which was good for seventh in the conference. Her six game winning goals was fourth in the country.
Kenzee Godwin, a sophomore from McPherson, KS, led the Grizzlies in goals with 16, which was third in the conference. She was one of the biggest attacking threats in the league all season, racking up eight assists which was 10th in the conference and 40 points, good enough for third. Her 69 shots was good enough for fourth and she also racked up six game winning goals, in addition to being fourth nationally.
Brooklyn Hunter, the daughter of Head Coach Adam Hunter and El Dorado native, makes her second straight appearance as a member of the All-Conference first team. She started in all 22 games and was one of the best players in the country. Her 19 assists led the conference and was second in the nation, as she set up her teammates all season. She was deadly accurate from corner kicks and set up numerous huge goals, including two assists in the Region VI tournament.
Yossi Vilagrana, a Wichita native, contributed four goals and seven assists. Her real contributions came in midfield, however, as she was dominant in possession all year. She played her best soccer at the end of the season when the Grizzlies needed it most, scoring an equalizer against the Barton Cougars in the Region VI final at Stryker Stadium.
Madeline Bowman, a defender who hails from Buhler, chipped in up front on a regular basis for the Grizzlies, as she scored five goals and two assists. She was a threat from set pieces and anchored a defense that finished the regular season with seven shutouts.
Kyrah Klumpp was simply one of the best goalkeepers in the country. She was second in minutes nationally, playing over 1500 minutes this season. She allowed just 21 goals and made 93 saves which was 11th in the country. She was fifth in the country in wins with 13 and she accounted for five shutouts. She finished with a save percentage of .816.
Korryn Hackney, a sophomore midfielder from Rose Hill, KS, played in all 22 games and was a lockdown defensive midfielder for Adam Hunter's squad. She helped lock down some of the best forwards in the country and she also contributed a goal and two points.
Adam Hunter earned coach of the year honors for the second straight year and sixth time overall. He will take the Grizzlies on their 10th trip to the national tournament in his 16th year as head coach of the Grizzlies. He coached Butler to an undefeated season in conference play for the fifth time and their 13th Jayhawk Conference title overall. He leads the Grizzlies to their third straight national tournament, hosted in Evans, Georgia.
The Grizzlies will head to Georgia this weekend and will kick things off in group play as the third seed against Salt Lake on Sunday. Butler will finish group play with a game against Monroe College on Tuesday with a chance to advance to the semifinal match.
COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS