The Kansas Wesleyan women’s basketball team continues to reap the rewards of its successful and unprecedented 2019-20 season.

Kelcey Hinz (SO/Whitewater, Kan.) and Amanda Hill (JR/Rossville, Kan.) have been named Honorable Mention NAIA All-Americans by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, and Hinz was chosen a Third Team All-American by the NAIA. KWU Coach Ryan Showman was selected one of six finalists for NAIA Coach of the Year by th WBCA.

The Coyotes won the Kansas Conference title outright with a 21-3 record – the first in program history – and advanced to the NAIA Division II National Championship in Sioux City, Iowa, where they defeated Mayville State (N.D.) 86-64 in the first round before the tournament was cancelled because of the Covid-19 virus. KWU finished the season with a 26-6 overall record.

“It just goes to show that good things happen to good people and hard workers,” Showman said of Hill and Hinz, “and that’s what Amanda and Kelcey are.”

Hinz, a 6-foot-1 post player, transferred to KWU from Neosho County Community College during the off-season and had an immediate and profound impact.

She was fourth in scoring in the KCAC with a 15.7 average, second in field goal percentage (50.6), third in rebounding (11.2) and second in blocks (2.5). She had 14 double-doubles, scoring in double figures in 27 games and grabbing double figure rebounds in 17. She ended the season with 33 points and 19 rebounds against Oklahoma Wesleyan in the KCAC quarterfinals, then had 32 points and nine rebounds against Mayville State in the national tournament.

She was a First Team All-KCAC selection and was chosen the conference’s Newcomer of the Year.

“She came in and had to build relationships with her teammates, she had to be coachable and had to buy into a new culture and she did those three things,” Showman said. “That allowed her to be in position to have the success that she did.”

Hill burst onto the scene this winter after seeing significant playing time during the 2018-19 season. She was sixth in scoring in the KCAC at 15.3 points, fourth in field goal percentage (48.9), led the conference in 3-point shooting (43.7 percent, 52 of 119) and was ninth in rebounding (6.0). She was also named to the All-KCAC First Team.

“Amanda’s been with us for three years and from day one she’s bought in and accepted her role and has worked extremely hard to get where she’s at right now,” Showman said.

The good news is Hill and Hinz both return next season.

“Twenty-six wins, outright conference championship, Sweet 16 in the national tournament, a lot of momentum in this program,” Showman said. “We return two First-Team All-Conference players and two All-Americans and a host of others that were very instrumental in our success. It’s really exciting from a coaching standpoint. We can be very selective in terms of recruiting, we can fill the spots we need to fill, we can develop the kids in our program to fill those spots. It’s an exciting time to be a Coyote.”

Showman’s eighth season at the Coyote controls was his best. He became the winningest coach in program history on January 11 in KWU’s victory over Oklahoma Wesleyan in Bartlesville, Okla.

A KWU graduate and former player under Coach Jerry Jones and former women’s assistant under Coach Gordon Reimer, Showman has compiled a 153-98 overall record, including a 106-60 slate in the KCAC. He was named the KCAC Coach of the Year last month.

“As a head coach you never think about the personal accolades,” he said. “I just want my kids to be successful and have a chance to win games. My hard work and dedication to the program and the university, to see that rewarded, it means a lot.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have really great players, I’ve been fortunate to have really great coaches with me, really great supports staff.”

Showman credits current assistant coach Carolyn Jenkins for playing a key role. She’s been with the program since 2014.

“She’s an absolute huge reason for me to even be mentioned as a Coach of the Year finalist just because of what she’s done for our program, what she’s done recruiting-wise and how she’s supported me as an assistant coach over the last six years,” he said. “She’s been a great friend and great coach for me.”