PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore's special season continued on Friday (March 8) as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced its postseason award winners.
Senior point guard Ciani Byrom (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) was named First-Team All-MEAC for the first time in her career, while head coach Fred Batchelor earned MEAC Coach of the Year honors.
"I think it is a great honor for her," Batchelor said. "She has had moments of being an all-conference player for four years, so it was nice that she was able to get this recognition in her senior year. I am extremely proud of her. She has been a pleasure to coach and I am going to miss her after this year."
By the time this season comes to an end, Byrom's name will be all over the program's all-time records. She is currently No. 5 in all-time scoring with 1,184 points, No. 3 in all-time assists with 345, No. 2 in assists per game with 3.9, No. 7 in points per game with 13.3, No. 5 in free throws made with 313, No. 9 in made field goals with 380 and No. 8 in 3-pointers made with 111 just to name some. This was all accomplished despite missing the equivalent of an entire season due to a serious knee injury. She has started 76 of her 89 games played and averages 31.1 minutes per game for her career.
"I think a lot of this has happened since she came back from injury, which happened a long time ago," Batchelor said. "But overcoming her injury is probably her greatest accomplishment."
Byrom is the first Hawk to receive First-Team All-MEAC since Moengaroa Subritzky in 2015-16 and is the 14th in program history. She last won MEAC honors when she made the All-Rookie Team in 2015-16 before missing parts of the next two seasons due to the injury.
As a senior, she has started every game she played for the Hawks. She leads the MEAC in assists per game with 5.2 and assists/turnover ratio with 1.8. She is No. 11 in the conference in free throw percentage, No. 11 in 3-point percentage and No. 6 in scoring with 15.8 points per game.
Batchelor — who is in his 15th season at The Shore and a 124-121 record in MEAC play — is a first-time winner of MEAC Coach of the Year.
When assistant coaches Sidney Raikes and Casey Morton told Batchelor about his win in the locker room, the team mobbed him and celebrated it as recognition of what some of them have worked at for four years.
"When the people around you are more excited than you are for that type of accomplishment, it means that you are really fortunate," Batchelor said. "I have a lot of respect for every coach in this league from top to bottom. They make you better.
"Terrell Robinson has done an outstanding job at North Carolina A&T State this year and I don't know how anybody doesn't get that award after going 16-0, but I am fortunate and blessed to be recognized and so is my program."
The Hawks' 12-4 MEAC record marks the best winning percentage (.750) in conference play for the program under Batchelor. It was the most MEAC wins since the 2005-06 season when they were 12-6 in conference play. The Hawks are 16-13 overall and the program record for wins is 17 accomplished in 2007-08 when the team went 17-10 with Morton as a freshman point guard on that squad. Willie Simon also had a team go 17-10 as the head coach during the 1991-92 season.
"A lot of this goes to my athletic director, Keith Davidson, who when we were 4-12 (2013-14) said we are going to stick with you and stick with what you are building," Batchelor said. "And some of it goes to these kids who came in and played for us. But the staff has been important. It starts with my staff. Coach Raikes has made a tremendous influence here and coach Morton along with Mia (Rudd).
"But I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Cedric Jenkins, Revonda Whitley, Richard Ashley, Christopher Massey, Jasmine Blanton and Vontreece Hayes — all those people that have played a role in the development of this program. For me to be the leader and for me to be recognized like this is a tribute to all of them. I am fortunate and blessed to be able to represent the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and for the voters to recognize our program in this manner."
Batchelor is the second coach from the Hawks program to win MEAC coach of the Year. Garmaine McAuley took the honor is 1986-87 after finishing 12-14 overall.
The award is voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Eastern Shore was picked by the same group during the preseason to finish fifth in the MEAC this season.
2018-19 MEAC Women's Basketball All-MEAC Teams
Voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors
Player of the Year: NaJai Pollard, Delaware State
Rookie of the Year: Myasia Jones, Savannah State
Defensive Player of the Year: Chance Graham, Coppin State
Coach of the Year: Fred Batchelor, Maryland Eastern Shore
FIRST TEAM
Angel Golden, G, 5-8, Sr., Bethune-Cookman, Tampa, Florida
Brooke Fields, G, 5-6, Sr., Coppin State, Owings Mills, Maryland
NaJai Pollard, F, 5-11, Sr., Delaware State, Richmond, Virginia
Ciani Byrom, G, 5-5, Sr., Maryland Eastern Shore, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Adre'onia Coleman*, G/F, 5-10, Sr., Morgan State, Baltimore, Maryland
C'coriea Foy*, G, 6-0, Jr., N.C. A&T State, Fayetteville, North Carolina
SECOND TEAM
Chance Graham, F, 6-0, Jr., Coppin State, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Sarah Edmond, G, 5-9, Jr., Howard, Freeport, New York
Raven Russell, G, 5-10, Sr., Norfolk State, Millbrook, Alabama
Cinia McCray, G, 5-9, Jr., N.C. A&T State, Broadview, Illinois
Taylor Brown, G/F, 6-0, Jr., S.C. State, Patterson, New Jersey
THIRD TEAM
Chasimmie Brown, F, 6-0, Sr., Bethune-Cookman, Deltona, Florida
Jayla Thornton, G, 5-9, So., Howard, Newark, New Jersey
Ayonna Williams, G, 5-4, Jr., Howard, Washington, D.C.
Paulina Afriyie, F, 5-11, Jr., N.C. Central, Bronx, New York
Rodneysha Martin, G, 5-5, Sr., N.C. Central, Olive Branch, Mississippi
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Camary Harris, G, 5-6, Fr., Bethune-Cookman, Suffolk, Virginia
Mya Moye, G, 5-6, Fr., Florida A&M, Washington, D.C.
Krislyn Marsh, F, 6-0, Fr., Howard, Duncanville, Texas
Ashia McCalla, G, 5-6, Fr., Morgan State, Greenbelt, Maryland
Myasia Jones, G, 5-10, Fr., Savannah State, Lavonia, Georgia
*denotes tie
