TOLEDO, OH - Toledo put the finishing touches on a memorable 2016-17 season with its postseason banquet on Sunday in the Brady Center at the Nitschke Complex. The end-of-year celebration was an opportunity to recognize the efforts of the program, while also acknowledging seniors Janice Monakana and Sophie Reecher.

Monakana and Reecher were part of 77 overall victories over the last four seasons, including 43 Mid-American Conference wins. The frontcourt duo played a significant role in helping the Rockets secure a berth in the 2017 NCAA Championships, as well as advancing to the second round of the 2015 Postseason WNIT.

UT finished the 2016-17 campaign with a 25-9 overall ledger and a 12-6 mark in the league, equaling the fifth-most wins in single history. The Rockets also captured their eighth MAC title in program history and advanced to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2001. 

Toledo earned the MAC's automatic bid to the "Big Dance" after winning the MAC Tournament in Cleveland. The Midnight Blue & Gold defeated Akron, 65-37, in the first round; MAC East Division champion Kent State, 67-63, in the quarterfinals; defending MAC Tournament champion Buffalo, 72-65, in the semifinals; and Northern Illinois, 82-71, in the finals. 
 
The complete list of award winners is as follows:

Team MVP
Sophomore Mikaela Boyd (Hillside, IL)

Boyd averaged a team-high 12.2 points, a squad-best 7.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and a team-high 2.1 steals in a squad-best 30.8 minutes. 

The only Rocket to start all 34 contests this year, Boyd ranked fourth in the MAC in defensive caroms (5.8 rpg), sixth in thefts, overall rebounding and assist/turnover ratio (1.6, 137-85), seventh in helpers and 20th in scoring.

The 2016-17 third-team all-league selection was nothing short of sensational during the conference tourney, contributing 12.3 points, a team-high 11.0 boards, a squad-tying best 4.8 helpers and a team-high 2.5 thefts in a squad-best 33.5 minutes, en route to being named the MAC Tournament MVP.     

The Hillside, IL native scored in double figures in two of the four postseason contests, including a career-high 27 points, a contest-best 14 caroms, three helpers, one blocked shot and two thefts in a career-tying high 38 minutes vs. Northern Illinois in the championship game on March 11. 

Overall this year, Boyd produced double figures in points in a squad-best 23 games, including four contests with at least 20 points. 

She led the Rockets in rebounding on a squad-best 20 occasions, assists 13 times, steals on a squad-tying high 13 occasions, scoring a team-best 11 times and blocked shots on three occasions.

In MAC contests, Boyd tallied 13.2 ppg, a team-high 8.7 rpg, 3.3 apg and a squad-best 1.8 spg in a team-high 31.6 mpg.

Best Defender Award
Sophomore Sarah St-Fort (Montreal, PQ) & freshman Mariella Santucci (Bologna, Italy)

St-Fort made six starts this season and contributed 5.2 points and 5.3 boards in 19.5 minutes as a member of the "starting five."

Overall this year, St-Fort appeared in all 34 games and averaged 2.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 0.6 steals in 12.1 minutes. The second-year Rocket scored at least six points on seven occasions, including a career-high nine vs. Madonna on Dec. 4.

The 2016-17 Academic All-MAC honoree ranked fifth on the team in overall rebounding, overall field-goal percentage (.417, 35-of-84) and steals and tied for fifth in blocked shots (4).

The two-year letterwinner led the Rockets in rebounding on two occasions and helpers, thefts and rejections once.

Santucci started 33 of 34 games in her first season wearing the Midnight Blue & Gold, averaging 7.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, a team-high 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals in 29.5 minutes. 

The 2016-17 MAC All-Freshman Team honoree ranked sixth in the league in helpers, ninth in assist/turnover ratio (1.4, 156-110) and 10th in thefts.

The 2017 MAC All-Tournament Team recipient led the Rockets in dimes on a team-high 17 occasions, thefts a squad-tying best 14 times, rejections on six occasions, scoring four times and rebounding once.

The Bologna, Italy native also dished out at least seven dimes on four occasions this year, including a season-best 11 at Kent. St. on Jan. 21.

Most Improved Award
Sophomore Olivia Cunningham (Horn Lakes, MS)

Cunningham made an immediate impact in her first season wearing the Midnight Blue & Gold in 2016-17. Cunningham appeared in 32 games and averaged 5.5 points, 1.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.5 steals in 13.4 minutes. 

Cunningham finished first on the team in free throw percentage (.800, 32-of-40), third in three-point field-goal percentage (.302, 16-of-53), tied for third in overall field-goal percentage (.427, 64-of-150), tied for fourth in three-point field-goals made (16) and fifth in helpers.

Cunningham led the Rockets in scoring, rebounding, dimes and thefts once.

Cunningham tallied double digits in points six times this year, the sixth-highest total on the team, including a season-high 20 points, a season-tying best four caroms and one dime in 25 minutes vs. Northern Illinois in the  championship game of the MAC Tournament on March 11.

The Horn Lake, MS native contributed 11.3 ppg in only 15.3 mpg during the conference tourney, the third-highest mark on the squad.

Whatever it Takes Award
Junior Michaela Rasmussen (Chaska, MN)

Rasmussen was chosen to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association 2017 Allstate Good Works Team, becoming the first Rocket to be named to the prestigious squad.
  
The WBCA Good Works Team honors college basketball student-athletes that have dedicated themselves to improving the lives of others through giving back to their communities. 

A native of Chaska, MN, Rasmussen was one of five Division I women's basketball players chosen along with five student-athletes from NCAA Divisions II, III and NAIA.

Rasmussen and the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team were recognized during the 2017 NCAA Women's Final Four® in Dallas, and participated in a local community project in Dallas community.

In the classroom, Rasmussen has posted a perfect 4.0 GPA in biology with a minor in chemistry and Spanish and has aspirations to become a doctor. She is currently interested in neurology, but has interests in other areas as well.  

On the court, Rasmussen has started 22 of 82 games over the past three seasons wearing the Midnight Blue & Gold. She is averaging 2.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per contest as a member of the Midnight Blue & Gold.   

Even with those impressive statistics in the classroom and on the court, it is in the community where Rasmussen shines the most. She volunteers regularly for the Sunshine Therapeutic Riding Program, which offers therapeutic horseback riding for individuals of all ages with developmental disabilities.  

Rasmussen's passion for helping those with special needs or disabilities hits close to home. Her older brother Nathan has an underdeveloped corpus callosum and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at an early age. He suffers from poor muscle function and can say very few words. Rasmussen began accompanying him to his therapeutic horseback riding sessions four years ago and saw the joy riding horses brought him. She continued to go with Nathan to his sessions, and two years later decided to organize a Special Olympics Unified Basketball Tournament at her high school, Holy Family Catholic. Her goal was to provide another tournament for the teams in the conference, and enlisted the help of her high school teammates. After the tournament was finished, her teammates said they were inspired and that the way the teams competed and cheered each other on at the same time was extremely impactfuL.  
 
Most Inspirational Award
Senior Sophie Reecher (Byron, IL)

Reecher appeared in 33 games in 2016-17, averaging 2.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, 0.1 assists and 0.3 steals in 8.1 minutes. The three-time team captain finished second on the team in overall field-goal percentage (.542, 32-of-59) and tied for fifth in blocked shots (4).

Reecher contributed a season-high 11 points, five boards, a career-best three rejections and a collegiate-tying high three steals in a season-best 28 minutes vs. Kent State in the quarterfinal round of the MAC Tournament on March 8. Reecher shot a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe against the MAC East Division champion Golden Flashes to score in double digits for the 16th career time as a Rocket.

The three-time "Most Inspirational Award" recipient preceded that performance against KSU with seven points and three caroms in 15 minutes at Ball State in Toledo's regular-season finale on March 4. The Byron, IL native was huge in overtime against the rival Cardinals, knocking down back-to-back field goals and was credited with an offense rebound that led to two additional points to put UT in front for good, 72-66, at the 1:16 mark.

The two-time Academic All-MAC honoree led the Rockets in rebounding on two occasions and blocked shots once. 

Academic Award
Junior Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott (London, England) & Junior Michaela Rasmussen (Chaska, MN)

Bravo-Harriott and Rasmussen were two of a league-tying best five Rockets named to the 2016-17 Academic All-Mid-American Conference Team. The two-time Academic All-MAC honorees duo were two of six MAC student-athletes who finished up the 2016-17 campaign with a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA.

In addition, Bravo-Harriott was named to the 2016-17 CoSIDA Academic All-District™ 5 Team for the second-straight year. The 2016-17 team captain also became only the second player in school history to earn this prestigious honor on more than one occasion, joining Kelly Walker who achieved this feat during the 2001-02 and 2003-04 campaigns, respectively. District 5 includes all schools within the states of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

A native of London, England, Bravo-Harriott is a communication major with a minor in general business and a perfect 4.0 GPA. 

A native of Chaska, MN, Rasmussen is a biology major with a minor in chemistry and Spanish and a perfect 4.0 GPA.  

Ultimate Rocket Award
Sophomore Mikaela Boyd (Hillside, IL)

Boyd was inserted into the starting lineup this season to fill the void left by 2015-16 first-team All-MAC honoree Brenae Harris. Boyd did an impressive job in her expanded role in 2016-17, finishing first on team in scoring (12.2 ppg), overall field-goals made (156), overall rebounding (7.9 rpg), steals (2.1 spg), games started (34) and minutes played (1,046), as well as ranking second in assists (4.0 apg) and free throws made (102), tied for third in overall field-goal percentage (.427, 156-of-365), fourth in free throw percentage (.713, 102-of-143) and tied for fifth in blocked shots (4).  

The 2016-17 third-team All-MAC honoree led the Rockets in rebounding on a squad-best 20 occasions, assists 13 times, steals on a team-tying high 13 occasions, scoring a squad-best 11 times and blocked shots on three occasions.

A year ago, Boyd averaged 2.8 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.5 steals in 9.4 minutes per contest.

Daniel & Mary Jo Hanson Scholar Award
Senior Sophie Reecher (Byron, IL)

Reecher has been a member of UT's Dean's List in four of the last five semesters, including a perfect 4.0 GPA in Fall 2016. Prior to the start of the 2016-17 season, the two-time Academic All-MAC recipient earned the Roy & Gail Hummel Scholarship, which is awarded to the women's basketball student-athlete with the highest GPA.     A native of Byron, IL, Reecher is an exercise science major with a concentration as a Physician's Assistant and a 3.55 GPA.

Sixth Person Award (sponsored by Igniters Fan Club) 
Sophomore Sarah St-Fort (Montreal, PQ)

Rocket Award
Brad Pierson and Lynn Nusbaum