OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Averaging 14.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 assist per game, Johnson County sophomore guard Jaylan Townsend was named the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Division II Most Valuable Player. She becomes the fourth Lady Cavalier to be selected as MVP of the conference, joining DaShawn Harden (2013), Juanita Robinson (2014) and Austin Richardson (2017).
Sophomore forward LaJahda Boyland joins Townsend on the conference first-team, and sophomore guards Presley Barton and Gabby Fuller earned second-team honors.
In addition, head coach Ben Conrad was selected as Coach of the Year. This is the seventh time he has been chosen the top coach by his peers in his 13 seasons coaching the Lady Cavaliers. He has twice been named the National Coach of the Year.
In 20 games this season, Townsend scored in double figures in 18 of them, including a career-high25 in a win over Hesston and 24 in JCCC's 80-41 win over Highland in the Region VI Tournament semifinals. She leads the conference and ranks third in the NJCAA with 89.5 percent shooting percentage at the free throw line. She also leads the conference in field goal accuracy at 45.4 percent. Just a few weeks ago, Townsend was selected the KJCCC D-II Player of the Week in week 10 after averaging 19.5 points and 1.5 assists in a pair of victories.
"Jay has a tremenodu passion for the game," Conrad said. "It's very important to her, and you can see it in her preparation. She has been a kid for us on both ends of the floor and is a tremendous leader."
Boyland is averaging 9.7 points and is tied for the team lead averaging 8.3 rebounds per game. Her 165 total rebounds lead the team, rank second in the conference and 20th in the NJCAA. Boyland has scored in double figures nine times this season, had four games with 10+ rebounds and has three double-doubles. In late February, Boyland led JCCC to an 86-38 win over Metropolitan with a career-high 20 points and 17 rebounds. She followed with 12 points and nine boards in a 65-53 win over No. 4-ranked Kansas City Kansas. Those performances earned her KJCCC D-II Player of the Week for week six.
Barton joined the program this fall after playing her freshman year at Hutchinson, and immediately made a big impression in her debut, knocking down six 3-pointers for 20 points in a 73-44 win over Southeast. Midway into the season, she tied the third-best game in team history making eight 3-pointers in a win at Fort Scott. Barton now has made a league-leading 58 treys, which also ranks her ninth in the NJCAA. She is the team's second leading scorer averaging 10.8 points per game. She shooting 38.2 percent beyond the arch, third-best in the conference and 32nd overall in the country.
Fuller averages 9.3 points and is tied with Boyland for the team lead in rebound average at 8.3 per game. Her 158 total rebounds rank third in the conference and 26th in the NJCAA, and her 8.3 average ties for fourth in the conference. She has scored in double-figures 10 times this season, has a team-best nine games with 10+ rebounds and four double-double games.