MSU-N's Faupel named Player of the Year

Just one year ago, then Montana State University-Northern senior A'Jha Edwards received the highest honor in the Frontier Conference, earning Women's Player of the Year. One year later, the award is staying at Northern.

Wednesday, the league released its postseason awards, and Northern junior Natalee Faupel was named the 2016 Frontier Conference Women's Player of the Year.

Faupel, a junior from Butte, was also named First-Team All-Conference for the second straight season, and is now a three-time All-Conference performer.

"Natalee was just so consistent all year," MSU-N head coach Chris Mouat said. "She didn't have what I would call a bad game all season. Every night, she would be charged with guarding a star player, so even when she didn't lead us in scoring, she was still doing so many other things to help us win."

Faupel did lead the Skylights in scoring for the season, as she averaged 16.3 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per night. She shot 48 percent from the field and 84 percent from the foul line, and she topped the 20-point plateau 12 times, and the 30-point barrier on three occasions this season, while also joining Northern's historic 1,000-point club.

"It's a great honor and one I can say she really deserved," Mouat said. "There are a lot of great kids in our league, and five or six of them could have won this award. So for Natalee to get it, just speaks to what a tremendous player she is. I'm very proud of her. It's a great achievement for her, and for our program."

And Faupel wasn't the only one to be recognized, as sophomore teammate Jacy Thompson was named the Frontier Women's Defensive Player of the Year. A Townsend native, Thompson also earned First-Team All-Conference honors after scoring 15 points and shooting better than 38 percent from the 3-point line this season.

"Jacy was charged with guarding the other team's best player every single night," Mouat said. "So for her to be able to do that, and still do what she did for us offensively, while coming off a serious knee surgery last year, that's amazing. Jacy just has a huge heart, and she brings it every single night. So this award is a huge for her as well."

Northern sophomore Cydney Auzenne was also honored by the league, earning Honorable Mention All-Conference. Auzenne, who also plays volleyball at MSU-N, came on strong at the start of conference play, and never let up. By season's end, she is averaging nearly 11 points per game, and is one of MSU-N's top 3-point shooters.

Other Frontier awards included Lewis-Clark State head coach Brian Orr being named Coach of the Year, Montana Tech's Sammy McGree earning Freshman of the Year, Rocky Mountain College's Justyn Juhl being named Sixth Player of the Year and UM-Western's Aniese Palmore being selected Newcomer of the Year.

The rest of the First Team included, Carroll's Katie Estey, LCSC's Caelyn Orlandi and Brittney Tackett and UGF's Erin Legel, who is now a four-time All-Conference performer.

2016 Frontier Women's All-Conference

First Team

Katie Estey, Carroll College, 5-6, Sr., G, Spokane, Wash.; Caelyn Orlandi, Lewis-Clark State, 5-9, Jr.G, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Brittney Tackett, Lewis-Clark State, 6-1, So., P/F, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Natalee Faupel, MSU-Northern, 5-10, Jr.G, Butte, Mont.; Jacy Thompson, MSU-Northern, 5-7, So., G, Townsend, Mont.; Erin Legel, University of Great Falls, 5-5, Sr., G, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Second Team

Cassidy Hashley, Carroll College, 6-2, So. F, Kalispell, Mont.; Aniese Palmore, Montana Western, 5-5, Jr., G, Santa Monica, Calif.; Whitney Mitchell, Rocky Mountain, 5-7, Sr., G, West Valley, Utah; Tenika Capouch, Rocky Mountain, 5-11Sr., F, Billings, Mont.; Nneka Nnadi, University of Great Falls, 5-9, Jr., G, Tacoma, Wash.

Honorable Mention

Baylee Watson Carroll College, 6-2, Jr., F, Townsend, Mont.; Brooke Litalien, Lewis-Clark State, 5-7, Jr., G, Post Falls, Idaho; Cydney Auzenne, MSU-Northern, 5-10, So., F, Regina Beach, Saskatchewan; Martha Dembek, Montana Tech, 5-9, Jr., G, Winnett, Mont.; Hattie Thatcher, Montana Tech, 5-5 Jr., G, Butte, Mont.; Sierra Higheagle Montana Western, 5-10 Sr., G/F, Lapwai, Idaho; Molly Klinker, Montana Western, 6-1, Jr., F, Fairfield, Mont.; Stephanie McDonagh, University of Great Falls, 5-9, So., G, Vancouver, Wash.