TAYLOR, Mich. - Maria Rodriguez and Natalie Jimenez were named the Division I and Division II/III Players of the Year by the National Ten Pin Coaches Association and headline the 2011 All-American team. The honors were announced at the NCAA Tournament’s Banquet on the eve of this year’s championship.

Rodriguez, a senior representing Maryland-Eastern Shore, joined teammate Kristina Frahm, Central Missouri’s sophomore Jimenez and two members of Fairleigh Dickinson’s top-rated team, senior Tracy Ganjoin and sophomore Danielle McEwan. Rodriguez earned her third straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Year award, finishing her regular season averaging 211.18. The Columbian native was named to two all-tournament teams, was a New Jersey Jamboree All Star and was the MEAC Bowler of the Week in 2011. Jimenez played in eight tournaments this year, finishing in the top 10 seven times. She earned five all-tournament team honors in the process.

The All-American second team consisted of Nicole Trudell of Sacred Heart, Thea Aspiras of Norfolk State, Martha Perez of Maryland-Eastern Shore and two Vanderbilt bowlers, Jessica Earnest and Brittni Hamilton.

The third team included Vanderbilt’s Samantha Hesley, Fairleigh Dickinson’s Sara Litteral and Joely Carrillo, Addileen Pointer of Alabama A & M and Anggie Ramirez of Maryland-Eastern Shore. Nicole Trudell of Sacred Heart was voted the Rookie of the Year for Division I and Central Missouri’s Kara Richard won for Division II/II. This award goes to a bowler who has demonstrated, despite minimal experience, that he or she has potential to make significant contributions over the course of a four-year career.

Trudell was a dominant newcomer, earning the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year after winning the NEC Rookie of the Week five times and Player of the Week once. She was a first-team all NEC selection. She made all tournament teams in two of six tournaments, handling the anchor position by season’s end. Her 205.5 average was the eighth best for the 601 NCAA bowlers.
Richard played in eight tournaments, earning two all-tournament team honors - she was the Most Valuable Player of the Nebraska Big Red Classic in addition to finishing in the top 15 of the Greater Ozarks Invitational, Jeannette Lee Invitational, and Mid-Winter Classic.

Fairleigh Dickinson’s Mike LoPresti was voted the Division I Coach of the Year after guiding the Knights to a No. 1 ranking throughout the season and Kutztown’s Joe Ambrose won in Division II/III for getting his program into the Top 10 and making the NCAA Tournament field.

2011 NTCA All-America Teams

First Team
Kristina Frahm Senior University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Oswego, Ill
Tracy Ganjoin Senior Fairleigh Dickinson University Brick, NJ
Natalie Jimenez Sophomore University of Central Missouri Rowland Heights, CA
Danielle McEwan Sophomore Fairleigh Dickinson University Stony Point, NY
Maria Rodriguez Senior University of Maryland - Eastern Shore Ibague Tomina, Columbia

Second Team
Thea Aspiras Freshman Norfolk State University Chesapeake, VA
Jessica Earnest Sophomore Vanderbilt University Vandalia, IL
Brittni Hamilton Junior Vanderbilt University Webster, NY
Martha Perez Senior University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Bogota, Columbia
Nicole Trudell Freshman Sacred Heart University Coventry, RI

Third Team
Joely Carrillo Junior Fairleigh Dickinson University Clifton, NJ
Samantha Hesley Junior Vanderbilt University Wellington, FL
Sara Litteral Senior Fairleigh Dickinson University Chesterfield, MI
Addileen Pointer Junior Alabama A & M University Highland, MI
Anggie Ramirez Sophomore University of Maryland - Eastern Shore Bogota, Columbia

Honorable Mention
Natalie Cortese Junior Valparaiso University Hoffman Estates, IL
Kelly Daunno Sophomore New Jersey City University Carteret, NJ
Verra Diggs Senior Bowie State University Fort Washington, MD
Emily Fravel Senior Arkansas State University Tomball, TX
Dayna Galganski Junior Sam Houston State University West Palm Beach, FL
Kayla Jones Junior Kutztown University Johnstown, PA
Kara Richard Freshman University of Central Missouri Tecumseh, MI
Samantha Santoro Junior Kutztown University Reinholds, PA
Danilelle van der Meer Senior University of Nebraska Hilversum, Netherlands
Kim Wallace Junior University of Central Missouri Richmond, TX

Players of the Year
Division I Maria Rodriguez University of Maryland - Eastern Shore Ibague Tomina, Columbia
Division II/III Natalie Jimenez University of Central Missouri Rowland Heights, CA

Rookies of the Year
Division I Nicole Trudell Sacred Heart University Coventry, RI
Division II/III Kara Richard University of Central Missouri Tecumseh, MI

Coach of the Year
Division I Mike LoPresti Fairleigh Dickinson University
Division II/III Joe Ambrose Kutztown University