University of Houston Athletics
Hawkins Named to Preseason All-Conference USA Team
8/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Aug. 24, 2004
University of Houston senior midfielder Nikki Hawkins, who has been named to the First Team All-Conference USA Team each of the last two years after leading the Cougars in every offensive category, was picked by league coaches as a pre-season All-Conference Selection.
In addition, Houston was picked to finish twelfth among the field of 14 schools in the league this season, which is set to kick off this Friday (Aug. 27) against Rice at Robertson Stadium.
Heading into her senior campaign, Hawkins currently rests among Houston's all-time Top Ten in virtually every offensive category, including goals scored, points and assists. She led the Cougar squad in every offensive category in 2003, and in C-USA games alone she led the team with 11 points, four goals, three assists, 23 total shots and nine shots on goal. Her 17 points in the 2003 campaign are a career high and the most by a Cougar player since the 2000 season, good for fourth all-time.
UAB, the 2003 Conference USA regular season champion, has been selected to win the 2004 C-USA Championship by the league's coaches. Junior midfielder/forward Julianna Sitch of DePaul was named the Preseason Player of the Year after earning Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2003.
Saint Louis was picked second in the coaches' vote, followed by DePaul as third. Both teams tallied a conference-best 14 wins last season. Senior Billiken Jamie Perry earned a spot on the Preseason-All Conference USA Team and her squad will host the 2004 Conference USA Tournament.
Marquette has been tabbed to finish fourth in the league this season. The Golden Eagles will be seeking their fifth NCAA Tournament bid in six years and their first regular-season and tournaments crowns since 2000.
Charlotte has been picked to finish fifth, in front of TCU. Cincinnati earned the No. 7 spot in the preseason rankings, followed by East Carolina. USF has been picked to finish ninth, followed by Tulane, Houston, Louisville and Southern Miss in the last four slots, respectively.
Rounding out the preseason All-Conference team are Yuiko Konno and Nicky McLeod of Memphis, ECU's Megan McCallion and Jamie Craft of Louisville. Craft is the lone sophomore on the preseason team and was the 2003 C-USA Freshman of the Year.
The top eight finishers in the regular season earn a spot in the 2004 Conference USA Tournament, November 3-6 in St. Louis. The league's tenth season kicks off Friday, August 27.
2004 C-USA PRESEASON AWARDS
C-USA PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Julianne Sitch, Jr., MF/F, DePaul
ALL-CONFERENCE
Breck Bankester, Sr., GK, USF
Jamie Craft, So., F, Louisville
Nikki Hawkins, Sr., MF, Houston
Tara Kidwell, Sr., F, UAB
Yuiko Konno, Sr., F, Memphis
Megan McCallion, Jr., F, ECU
Briana McCarty, Sr., D, UAB
Nicky McLeod, Jr., MF, Memphis
Jessi Moore, Sr., F, TCU
Jamie Perry, Sr., F, Saint Louis
Julianne Sitch, Jr., MF/F, DePaul
2004 C-USA PRESEASON POLL
(as selected by C-USA coaches)
1. UAB
2. Saint Louis
3. DePaul
4. Marquette
5. Charlotte
6. TCU
7. Cincinnati
8. Memphis
9. East Carolina
10. USF
11. Tulane
12. Houston
13. Louisville
14. Southern Miss
