Photo submitted Ariel Nickell, a junior forward for Alice Lloyd College, has been named Player of the Year for the KIAC. Nickell is from Tazewell and played at Claiborne High School.

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The Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference coaches selected Alice Lloyd College forward Ariel Nickell as the conference Player of the Year and Point Park University head coach Tony Grenek as the conference coach of the year, conference officials announced recently.

Ariel Nickell, of Tazewell, who played at Claiborne High School before her college career, led Alice Lloyd to a 17-10 overall record and a 10-5 conference record. Nickell ranked near the top in several conference statistical categories and was also near the top nationally. The junior forward led the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) and NAIA Division II with 25.96 points per game. She led the conference and was second in the nation with 12.68 rebounds per game. Nickell also was fifth in the conference in field goal percentage (46.2), third in steals per game (2.28), and eighth in blocks per game (0.72). The Eagles entered the KIAC Tournament as the No. 2 seed.

Point Park head coach Toney Grenek was named the KIAC Coach of the Year. Grenek led the Pioneers to a 22-6 overall record and claimed the conference regular season championship with an 11-4 conference record. Point Park is ranked No. 29 in the latest NAIA Division II women’s basketball coaches’ poll after receiving 23 votes.

Alice Lloyd College sophomore Carla Booth was named the KIAC Newcomer of the Year. Booth ranked fourth in the KIAC with 17.67 points per game and second with 4.22 assists per game.

Honors awarded by KIAC coaches include:

Player of the Year: Ariel Nickell, Alice Lloyd College

Coach of the Year: Tony Grenek, Point Park University

Newcomer of the Year: Carla Booth, Alice Lloyd College

Nickell and Booth, from Warfield, Ky., were the only two Alice Lloyd players to make the All-Conference Team.