MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – Wheaton College (Mass.) seniors Abby Fernandes (Assonet, Mass.), Sydney Ropes (Duxbury, Mass.), juniors Nasha Arnold (North Reading, Mass.), Regan Keyter (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Catherine Penick (Bedford, N.H.), Kiki Walters (Fleetwood, Pa.) and sophomore Cheyenne Colbert (Brookline, N.H.) were named to the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Academic All-Conference Team, it was announced by the league.
Honorees must have met the following criteria: earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5/4.0 scale or 4.35/5.0 scale after the 2024 fall semester, achieved second year academic status at their institution, and been a member of the varsity team for the entire season.
Fernandes and Ropes have been named to the All-Academic Team all three years they were eligible, while Arnold, Keyter and Walters receive the honor for the second straight year. Penick and Colbert were both chosen for the first time.
Fernandes started the first 13 games of the season for the Lyons, before suffering a season-ending injury. The senior Biology major averaged 11.4 points and reached the 1000-point mark in her final game to finish with 1,001 career points. Ropes played in 21 contests for Wheaton, including one start. The senior Psychology and Sociology major came up with five steals and averaged 0.9 rebounds per game.
Arnold started 17 of 18 games that she appeared in for the Lyons. The junior Biochemistry major led the team with 6.6 rebounds per game and averaged 5.8 points per outing. Keyter averaged 9.4 points per game and finished the season strong, netting 14.3 points per game over her final eight contests. The junior Biochemistry major started 22 of 25 games for Wheaton. Penick managed to see time in six games after missing the entire 2023-24 campaign with an injury. The junior Nursing major shot 50% (1-2) from the floor for the Lyons made both of her free throw attempts, while averaging 0.7 points per game for the season. Walters was the only player on the squad to start all 25 contests and averaged 8.0 points and 4.8 rebounds, while shooting a career-best 81.1% (73-90) from the line. The junior Biochemistry major ranked third among NEWMAC leaders with 2.4 steals with 59 for the season. Colbert broke into the Wheaton lineup, starting seven times in 21 games that she appeared in. The sophomore Biochemistry major averaged 4.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
The Lyons finished the season with a 7-18 overall record, including 3-8 in conference play.
