MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Ave Maria's Bob Batson and Sandy Jenkins were tabbed as Coach of the Year and Player of the Year, respectively, when the 2012 All-Conference women's basketball team was announced at the conference tournament banquet on Thursday evening. The banquet was hosted by St. Thomas at the Convocation Center on the Bobcats' Miami Gardens campus. Batson's award was his second in three seasons as he led the Lady Gyrenes to a 14-1 conference record and the program's first regular season conference crown in AMU's third season of competition. Ave Maria also achieved national recognition in 2011-12 and is currently ranked 14th in the NAIA national poll. Jenkins, a 6-0 senior forward from Holly Hill, Fla., is AMU's scoring and rebounding leader, average 15.3 points and 10.7 boards per contest. She was named the league's Player of the Week four times and figures among the league's top five in scoring (3rd), rebounding (1st), steals per game (5th, 2.1) and blocks per game (2nd, 1.5). Johnson & Wales' Kristina Bridges was a unanimous pick for Freshman of the Year. A native of Atlanta, Ga., the 5-8 forward averaged 11.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and shot 42 percent from the field and 38 percent from beyond the arc. Southeastern's Nadia Givens and Northwood's Yasmene Harris shared Newcomer of the Year honors. Givens, a junior transfer from Jacksonville, Fla., led the Fire in rebounding (5.2 rpg) and averaged 8.4 points and 3.7 assists per game as SEU's starting point guard. A 5-8 guard from Long Island, N.Y., Harris is second on the Northwood roster in scoring at 11.1 points per contest and averages 3.7 assists per game. In addition to individual on-court accomplishments, the conference also recognized five Champions of Character Award recipients and seven Academic All-Conference selections. To be eligible for the Academic All-Conference, a student-athlete must have completed one full academic year at the league institution and have a 3.5 or better grade point average, while Champions of Character Award honorees are nominated by their head coaches. Sun Conference tournament play resumes on Friday with the semifinals being played at St. Thomas' Fernandez Family Center. Third-seeded Warner (22-9) will face No. 2 seed St. Thomas at 5 p.m., followed by fourth-seeded Northwood against top-seeded Ave Maria at 7 p.m.

WOMEN First Team Dominque Butler, Florida Memorial (14.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.2 bpg) Shawnelle Campbell, Warner (19.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.9 spg) Ciara Carter, Southeastern (14.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.2 apg) Maddie Cummings, St. Thomas (14.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.7 spg) Emily Huber, Ave Maria (13.2 pp, 4.1 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.4 spg) Sandy Jenkins, Ave Maria (15.4 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.3 spg) Nickerline Montina, St. Thomas (15.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.5 spg)

Second Team Constina Cousins, St. Thomas (8.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg) Erika Derks, Ave Maria (10.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.7 apg) Amy Myler, Ave Maria (9.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.4 spg) Dannisha Pierce, St. Thomas (10.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.4 spg) Erin Riley, Northwood (11.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.2 spg) Myia Russell, Johnson & Wales (20.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg) Ashley Wilson, Southeastern (10.1 pgg, 4.3 rpg, 2.7 apg) Player of the Year Sandy Jenkins, Ave Maria (15.4 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.3 spg)

Coach of the Year Bob Batson, Ave Maria

Freshman of the Year Kristina Bridges, Johnson & Wales (11.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg)

Defensive Player of the Year Dannisha Pierce, St. Thomas (10.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.4 spg)

Co-Newcomers of the Year Nadia Givens, Southeastern ( 8.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.7 apg) Yasmene Harris, Northwood (11.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Champions of Character Maddie Cumming, St. Thomas Sarah Pasetsky, Northwood Erika Derks, Ave Maria Mackenzie Messenger, Southeastern Ashlee Villard, Florida Memorial Academic All-Conference Liz Capps, Southeastern Rebekah Day, Southeastern Tracy Gentry, Warner MacKenzie, Messenger, Southeastern Tori Robison, Southeastern Rachel Turner, Southeastern Ashley Villard, Florida Memorial