TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) -- The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) announced its All-PAC Women's Basketball teams and yearly award winners for the 2022-23 season on Tuesday.

The all-conference teams, as well as the PAC's yearly award winners, are determined by vote of the league's 11 head coaches.

Headlining the award winners was Washington & Jefferson sophomore guard/forward Meghan Dryburgh (Pittsburgh, Pa./ | Baldwin) earning PAC Player of the year, while Saint Vincent junior guard/forward Alana Winkler (Wexford, Pa. | Vincentian Academy) was voted the PAC Defensive Player of the Year.

The award for Newcomer of the Year goes to Chatham's freshman forward Alyssa Laukus (Irwin, Pa. | Norwin) and the PAC Coach of the Year is veteran W&J coach Jina DeRubbo. 

A Second Team All-PAC selection last season as a freshman, Dryburgh is the second W&J player to earn Player of the Year in the league in the last three years (Alie Seto in 2020-21). The W&J sophomore had a remarkable all-around season for the Presidents, ranking seventh in the conference in scoring (13.3), second in rebounding (11.5), third in field goal percentage (48.1), second in assists (3.8), fifth in steals (2.4) and fifth in blocked shots (1.5). 

Dryburgh completed her sophomore season with 17 double-doubles, highlighted by a 22-point, 26-board line in a Jan. 14th victory at Grove City. Two games later on Jan. 25th against Chatham, Dryburgh posted a triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Winkler is the second Saint Vincent player to claim the Defensive Player of the Year award, joining Carlee Kilgus, who won the honor in 2020-21. Winkler's work on the defensive end fueled a Bearcat team that allowed a league-low shooting percentage at 27.9 percent, as well as rank second in scoring defense at 49.9 points per game. Saint Vincent held their opponent to 45 or fewer points in eight games this year, including the PAC Tournament quarterfinal win over Bethany (43) and PAC semifinal victory over Westminster (45).

For the year, Winkler averaged 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, while also posting a team-leading 3.3 assists for the Bearcats.

This is the second time a Chatham player has received the Newcomer of the Year award, as Laukus joins Riley D'Angelo, who won the award in 2019-20. In her debut season for the Cougars, Laukus started 21 of the 25 games she appeared in and averaged 11.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. She also led the PAC by shooting 51.9 percent from the floor and ranked seventh in blocked shots with 1.4 rejections per game.

Laukus posted her first career double-double with 14 points and 10 boards Feb. 20th against Allegheny and reached double digits in scoring 16 times in her freshman campaign.

The coach of the year honor is DeRubbo's ninth. She led the Presidents to a school-record tying 24 wins during the season and the program cracked the WBCA Top 25 during the latter stages of the season. The 24 wins also marks the 14th with 20 or more victories since 2004-05. 

DeRubbo won her 500th career game on Feb. 11th at Waynesburg and has compiled a 503-201 record (.715) during her 26-year coaching career (19 at W&J, 7 at Bethany).

By virtue of its 68-52 victory over Chatham in the PAC Tournament Championship game, Saint Vincent earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The postseason will begin for the Bearcats Friday, March 3rd when they take on Cortland (N.Y.) in a first round game that will be held at pod host Trinity (Conn.) College.

PAC Women's Basketball annual award winners
Player of the Year: W&J sophomore guard/forward Meghan Dryburgh (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Baldwin)
Defensive Player of the Year: Saint Vincent junior guard/forward Alana Winkler (Wexford, Pa. | Vincentian Academy)
Newcomer of the Year: Chatham freshman forward Alyssa Laukus (Irwin, Pa. | Norwin)
Coach of the Year: W&J head coach Jina DeRubbo

2022-23 All-PAC Women's Basketball Teams

First Team
Name	School	Pos.	Yr.	Hometown | High School
Emily Lauer	Allegheny	G	So.	Knox, Pa. | Keystone
Ashlie Louden	Chatham	G	So.	Beallsville, Ohio | Beallsville
Megan Kallock	Grove City	G	Sr.	Greensburg, Pa. | Greensburg Salem
Emily Cavacini	Saint Vincent	G	Jr.	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Shaler
Meghan Dryburgh	W&J	G/F	So.	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Baldwin

 

Second Team
Name	School	Pos.	Yr.	Hometown | High School
Mia San Nicolas	Geneva	G	Sr.	Sinajana, Guam | Academy of Our Lady of Guam
Madison Weber	Saint Vincent	F	Sr.	Grampian, Pa. | Curwensville
Bryn Bezjak	W&J	G	So.	Uniontown, Pa. | Albert Gallatin
Adalynn Cherry	W&J	G	So.	Altoona, Pa. | Altoona Area
Natalie Murrio	Westminster	G	Sr.	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Brentwood

 

Honorable Mentions
Name	School	Pos.	Yr.	Hometown | High School
Makenzee Mason	Bethany	G	Jr.	Lithopolis, Ohio | Bloom-Carroll
Ashleigh Wheeler	Bethany	G	So.	Quaker City, Ohio | Shenandoah
Alyssa Laukus	Chatham	F	Fr.	Irwin, Pa. | Norwin
Destiny Johnson	Thiel	F	Sr.	Baltimore, Md. | Western
Ella Marconi	Saint Vincent	C	Sr.	Kane, Pa. | Kane
Lindsay Bell	Westminster	F	Sr.	Youngstown, Ohio | Ursuline

 

PAC Sportsmanship Team
Name	School	Pos.	Yr.	Hometown | High School
Branygan Bianchin	Allegheny	G	Jr.	Wexford, Pa. | North Catholic
Taylor Dusenberry	Bethany	G	Fr.	Dilliner, Pa. | Mapletown
Keegan McConahy	Chatham	F	So.	Volant, Pa. | Kennedy Catholic
Jazzlyn Melnyk	Franciscan	G	So.	Weirton, W.Va. | Weirton Madonna
Taylor Milroy	Geneva	G	So.	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Eden Christian Academy
Kat Goetz	Grove City	F	Jr.	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Avonworth
Alana Winkler	Saint Vincent	G/F	Jr.	Wexford, Pa. | Vincentian Academy
Giana Arnese	Thiel	G	So.	Carbondale, Pa. | Carbondale
Adalynn Cherry	W&J	G	So.	Altoona, Pa. | Altoona Area
Aubrey Burns	Waynesburg	G	Fr.	Kittanning, Pa. | Armstrong
Camden Hergenrother	Westminster	G	Sr.	Salem, Ohio | Cardinal Mooney