The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball team picked up some hardware on Friday, as the annual Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association awards were released. Sarah Ericson was tabbed as Division II Player of the Year and a First Team All-Met selection, while teammate Erin Leary also received First Team All-Met accolades. Both Spartans take home the same exact Met awards for a second consecutive season.
Ericson and Leary played an integral role in leading the Spartans to a 18-12 overall record, along with a 11-5 East Coast Conference mark. STAC reached the ECC playoffs for the tenth consecutive season, which took the team to the semifinal round of the tournament in 2023-24.
Ericson (Norwich, Conn.) averaged 16.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. In recognition of her extraordinary season, the junior guard was previously named a D2CCA All-East Region First Team choice and an East Coast Conference First Team All-Conference member.
Ericson was also named the ECC Preseason Player of the Year, a two-time ECC Player of the Week, a two-time Met Basketball Writer's Player of the Week and a one-time D2CIDA National Player of the Week this year. In addition, she scored her 1,000th career point on January 31, 2024 at Molloy University.
In Sarah's outstanding three years in Sparkill to date, she has amassed 1,144 points, 712 rebounds, 278 assists, 137 steals and 15 blocked shots in 88 games played. She also becomes the fourth Spartan to earn the distinction of being named the MBWA Division II Women's Player of the Year.
Leary (Carle Place, N.Y.) averaged 14.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. In recognition of her magnificent season, the junior forward was previously selected as an East Coast Conference First Team All-Conference honoree.
Leary was also named a three-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week and a one-time Met Basketball Writer's Player of the Week. In addition, she scored her 1,000th career point on February 18, 2024 at D'Youville University.
In Erin's superb three years in maroon and gold to date, she has recorded 1,099 points, 644 rebounds, 194 assists, 94 steals and 95 blocked shots in 89 contests.
Additionally, both women's hoops student-athletes were recently recognized by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) with Academic All-District Team honors.
The 2023-24 All-Met teams will be honored at the 91st MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner on Thursday, April 18, at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel & Conference Center in Tarrytown, NY. The Haggerty dinner is the longest running, media-managed college basketball awards program in the United States.