COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Conference Commissioners Association of Division II (D2 CCA) has announced their Midwest Region Awards for Women's Basketball, with McKendree's sophomore forward Baylie Parks (Lake Zurich, Ill.) being placed on the first team.
This is the second time in program history that the team has had a player recognized for regional honors by the D2 CCA. Senior guard Clare Breden (Jerseyville, Ill.) obtained Second Team All-Midwest Region last year at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Parks has made a name for herself this season, collecting three Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Player of the Week honors, being named as a First-Team All-GLVC, and being tabbed to the Hansen-Spear Funeral Home Classic All-Tournament Team.
The Sophomore led the conference in scoring with 19.7 points per game by a 1.5 margin on a seventh-best 49.2 field goal percentage. Her rebounding (including both offensively and defensively) also ranked first in the GLVC by a 2.2 margin. She was even 10th in the conference in assisting (2.7), fourth in stealing (2.2), and seventh in blocking (1.1).
The Lake Zurich, Illinois native has shown up highly on the national leaderboards, placing 18th in the country in points averaged throughout the season (18.9) along with a 19th-best total of 14 double-doubles in the 26 games played. Just like in conference play, her 10.7 total rebounds per game and 7.5 defensive rebounds per game each rank 17th and 13th in the entire nation respectively. Parks did not at any point this season score under 11 points, reaching the 20-point plateau 10 times and has grabbed 15+ rebounds six times. Her 17 rebounds corralled at Quincy University on February 20th remain the GLVC-best game total this season.
Sports information directors from NCAA Division II Midwest Region schools and conferences selected the D2 CCA Midwest-Region teams. The process concludes with All-American selections announced later in the month, which Parks will now be eligible for. The NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association sponsored the All-Region teams.
Here are the full two-team selections:
FIRST TEAM
Rylie Bisballe – Grand Valley State (D2 CAA Midwest Region Player of the Year)
Taylor Gugliuzza - Lewis
Zoe Miller - Ashland
Baylie Parks - McKendree
Erin Kaufman - Malone
SECOND TEAM
Shea Tripp - Wayne State
Megan McCalla – Saginaw Valley State
Nicole McDermott - Quincy
Jacy Weisbrod - Northern Michigan
Caitlynn Daniels - Drury
Gracie Stugart - Maryville
UP NEXT
The 2025-26 season schedule will be expected to be released in the fall of 2025.
ABOUT THE D2 CCA
The mission of the CCA is to encourage and promote Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics. The CCA works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities, and serves as a voice to the NCAA representing those schools.
