Bies Earns MVP Award to Highlight U-M Team Banquet

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team put the finishing touches on its 2001-02 season this afternoon (Sunday, April 7) with its annual team banquet. Six postseason awards were handed out, highlighted by junior center LeeAnn Bies (Lakeview, Mich./Lakeview HS) being voted team MVP by her teammates. Bies also walked away with the Windex Award for the second straight season as the Wolverines' top rebounder.

Bies

Joining Bies as the big winner of the afternoon was outgoing senior guard Susana Jara (Quito, Ecuador/Tustin HS, Calif.), who garnered two awards and shared a third. Jara was voted Most Improved Player by her teammates as well as earning the Wolverine Coaches' Award, which goes to the player who best exemplifies spirit, leadership and enthusiasm for Michigan. Jara also shared the Best Defensive Player honor with sophomore guard-forward Stephanie Gandy (Detroit, Mich./Northern HS).

Rounding out the afternoon's honorees was senior Heather Oesterle (Mason, Mich./Mason HS), who was presented with the M-Zone Award, which is given out by the Michigan women's basketball booster club.

Bies finished her All-Big Ten second-team junior campaign as the Wolverines' leader in points (15.8), rebounds (8.2) and blocks (1.3). Bies ranked third in the Big Ten with a team-best nine point-rebound double-doubles, and her 246 total rebounds are the sixth-best single-season total in Michigan history. Bies is the first Michigan center to be named team MVP since Pollyanna Johns (1995-98) in 1998. Bies also claimed the Windex Award as the team's top rebounder for the second straight year and is the third Wolverine to take home that honor for two straight seasons.

Jara, who started just one game in her first three seasons, set career highs this season in every statistical category after starting 19 games at point guard. The former student manager worked her way into a Michigan uniform in the middle of her freshman season and evolved into one of the Wolverines' best perimeter defenders, grabbing a career-best five steals in a win at New Hampshire (Nov. 23), which was her first start of the season. Jara shared the Defensive Player Award with Gandy, who turned into one of the best sophomores in the Big Ten late in the season, highlighted by a career-best 29-point effort at Ohio State (Feb. 10).

One of three team captains, Oesterle came back from an ACL injury late in her junior season to play in 27 of Michigan's 30 games with nine starts this season. Despite the knee injury and suffering from recurring back problems, the senior guard-forward finished second on the team with 60 assists and delivered a 12-rebound, five-steal and six-assist performance in a win over Indiana (Jan. 20).

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423

University of Michigan Athletics

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LeeAnn Bies

Stephanie Gandy

Susana Jara

Heather Oesterle

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