HONOLULU – Hawai'i Pacific University junior
Amy Baum and senior
Olivia West were named All-America today, and head coach
Reid Takatsuka was selected a finalist for national coach of the year as both the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division II Coaches and the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-America Teams were announced.
Baum was named honorable mention on both the WBCA and D2CCA teams, with West chosen honorable mention on the WBCA team.
Takatsuka was the West Region finalist for the United States Marine Corps/WBCA Division II National Coach of the Year.
The Sharks finished the season 13-1 overall, 12-0 in PacWest Conference play, that included a season-opening victory over the University of Hawai'i in December. The Sharks had a 38-game winning streak – the longest active in Division II – that ended with a loss in the NCAA Division II Women's West Regional.
Baum, a 5-7 junior guard from Melbourne, Australia/Rowville Secondary, earned All-America honors for the second straight season as she led Division II with 8.6 assists per game and a 4.06 assist turnover ratio in 2020-21. The back-to-back PacWest Conference Player of the Year, she averaged 14.5 points a game (13th in the PacWest and 151st nationally) and 7.2 rebounds per contest (12th in the PacWest and 141st nationally). She scored a career-high 28 points in leading the Sharks to their 82-74 victory at Hawai'i on Dec. 13. Baum owns the HPU career record with 454 assists, is fifth on the HPU career charts with 560 rebounds and ninth in career career scoring with 873 points in three seasons.
West, a 5-7 senior guard from Launceston, Australia/Templestowe, a transfer from Utah State, led the PacWest Conference in scoring with 18.2 points per game, ranking 42nd in Division II. An All-PacWest Conference performer this season, West scored season-highs of 30 points at Hawai'i Hilo and 29 points at Chaminade in leading the HPU offense to 77.3 points a game, 21st in NCAA Division II. She led the PacWest and was 33rd nationally with a 41.3 3-point field goal percentage while making 2.36 3-pointers per game (fourth in the PacWest and 49th nationally). West shot 44.6 percent from the floor (eighth in the conference, 112th nationally) and 85.1 percent from the free throw line (fourth in the league, 47th nationally).
Takataksuka was honored by the WBCA for the first time after winning the PacWest Conference Coach of the Year for the fifth time in 2021. He led the Sharks not only to the 38-game winning streak, but top five rankings in both the WBCA and D2SIDA polls the last two seasons. The winningest active coach in the State of Hawai'i won his 200th game this season and holds a career record of 209-65 (.763). In addition to this season's PacWest Hawai'i Championship and a second straight undefeated PacWest season, Takatuska has won the conference title four other times and has led HPU to six NCAA Tournament berths, including the fifth straight in 2021.
The WBCA honored Drury (Mo.) coach Amy Eagan as Coach of the Year.
Both the WBCA and D2CCA selected Drury's Paige Robinson as national Player of the Year.
The HPU trio were the only PacWest or West Region members selected to the teams.
+++ HPU +++
2021 WBCA NCAA DIVISION II COACHES' ALL-AMERICA TEAM
| Name |
School |
| Hannah Belanger |
Truman State |
| Makalla Cange |
Lander |
| Kwajelin Farrar |
Valdosta State |
| Brynne Lytle |
Christian Brothers |
| Brooke Olson |
Minnesota-Duluth |
| Brooklyn Pannell |
Charleston (W.Va.) |
| Zamiya Passmore |
Lander |
| *Paige Robinson |
Drury |
| Allie Schulte |
Lubbock Christian |
| Zakiyah Winfield |
Glenville State |
(*-Player of the Year)
2021 WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches' All-America Honorable Mention
| Name |
School |
| Amy Baum |
Hawai'i Pacific |
| Ay'Anna Bey |
Benedict |
| Kiara Bradley |
William Jewell |
| Claire Dingus |
Saint Martin's |
| Zyaire Ewing |
Delta State |
| Riley Fitzwater |
Concord |
| Lexy Hightower |
West Texas A&M |
| Jaden Hobbs |
Fort Hays State |
| Tre'Zure Jobe |
Emporia State |
| DesiRay Kernal |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
| Alex LaPorta |
Missouri-St Louis |
| Ellie Mackay |
Michigan Tech |
| Jada Marone |
Notre Dame (Ohio) |
| Allie Navarette |
Metropolitan State |
| Erin Norling |
Wayne State (Neb.) |
| Lilly Ritz |
Wheeling University |
| Dyani Robinson |
Texas A&M University-Commerce |
| Haley Schubert |
Lee |
| Maddie Sutton |
Tusculum |
| Julianne Sutton |
North Georgia |
| Katie Titus |
Daemen |
| Olivia West |
Hawai'i Pacific |
| Caroline White |
Daemen |
| Tori Wortz |
St Cloud State |
| Braelyn Wykle |
Carson-Newman |
2021 US MARINE CORPS/WBCA DIVISION II COACH OF THE YEAR
Amy Eagan, Drury
Coach of the Year Finalists
| NAME |
SCHOOL |
| Jennifer Banker |
Daemen |
| Amy Eagan |
Drury |
| Tianni Kelly |
Charleston (W.Va.) |
| Dave Krauth |
Augustana |
| Kevin Pederson |
Lander |
| Deandra Schirmer |
Valdosta State |
| Reid Takatsuka |
Hawai'i Pacific |
| Lora Westling |
Western Colorado |
2021 D2CCA ALL-AMERICA TEAM
First Team
*Paige Robinson, Drury
Makaila Cange, Lander
Brooklyn Pannell, Charleston
Lilly Ritz, Wheeling
Maddie Sutton, Tusculum
(*-Ron Lentz Player of the Year)
Second Team
Riley Fitzwater, Concord
Tre'Zure Jobe, Emporia State
Brynne Lytle, Christian Brothers
Brooke Olson, Minnesota Duluth
Allie Schulte, Lubbock Christian
Third Team
Lexy Hightower, West Texas A&M
Breanna Locke, Emmanuel College
Emma Middleton, Lubbock Christian
Shanika Peterkin, Barton College
Makyra Tramble, Southwestern Oklahoma State
Honorable Mention
Amy Baum, Hawai'i Pacific
Nija Collier, Central Missouri
Allie Navarette, MSU Denver
Zamiya Passmore, Lander
Jaelencia Williams, Union
Braelyn Wykle, Carson-Newman
