ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, February 27, 1997            TAG: 9702270039
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: B-2  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER

ATHEY STANDING TALL MAROONS CENTER NAMED ODAC'S TOP PLAYER

Amy Athey entered college as a small forward from Cave Spring High School's girls' basketball team. She'll leave Roanoke College as a 6-foot-1 center and the 1996-97 Old Dominion Athletic Conference player of the year.

At the ODAC women's basketball banquet on Wednesday at the Salem Civic Center, Athey was announced as the league's player of the year following a vote of the league's coaches.

First-year coach Jean Willi of Bridgewater was named coach of the year and Tara Carleton, who averaged 19.4 points and 11.3 rebounds for Randolph-Macon Woman's College, was voted freshman of the year.

A week ago, Athey became the 11th woman in Roanoke College history to score 1,000 career points. As the regular-season champion Maroons embarked on a 22-game winning streak this season, Athey was the most consistent scorer, leading her team with 16.4 points per game. That placed her fifth in the ODAC.

She was ninth in the league in rebounding (8.3 per game), ninth in field goal percentage (45.4) and 11th in free throw percentage (72.1). Athey also had nine double-doubles.

Athey and fellow seniors and former Timesland stars Suzanne Moore (Blacksburg) and Ashley McCallum (William Byrd) accounted for 49.2 percent of the scoring for Roanoke, which has been ranked No.1 in the NCAA South Region for most of this season.

The All-ODAC teams also were announced Wednesday, with Athey heading the list. (Complete list in Scoreboard.) She was joined by Guilford's Laura Haynes, Eastern Mennonite's Anika Egli, Kristie Olson of Bridgewater and Angie Simpkins of Emory & Henry and Auburn High School.

Moore made the second team and McCallum was honorable mention. Amy Worley, who led Hollins and the ODAC in rebounding, and Kelly Fackler, from Lynchburg College and Fieldale-Collinsville earned honorable mention. In addition, two Washington and Lee players, Ansley Miller and Amber Hinkle, earned honorable mention.

LENGTH: Short :   45 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  (headshot) Athey.