NEWARK, Del. – Freshman forward Brittany Blackwell was tabbed the Colonial Athletic Association’s Rookie-of-the-Year to headline UNC Wilmington’s award winners at the league’s post-season women’s basketball awards banquet Wednesday night at Clayton Hall.

Blackwell also garnered Second-Team and All-Rookie Team accolades while junior forward Sahsha Taylor was a Third-Team selection. Senior guard Stephanie Fernald was also recognized for her efforts off the court as she was named to the All-Academic Team.

“We are exited that three of our players have been recognized for their outstanding efforts both on and off the court this season,” UNCW head coach Ann Hancock said. “These awards speak volumes to their character and what it takes to be a successful student-athlete.”

A native of Raleigh, N.C., Blackwell becomes just the second player in program history to earn the league’s top freshman honor, joining former Seahawk Meagan Samis, who was recognized following the 2004-05 season. She is also just the eighth Seahawks player to earn Second-Team honors and the 12th UNCW freshmen to be named to the All-Rookie team.

Blackwell made an immediate impact in the UNCW lineup during her rookie season, pacing the team in both scoring (14.3) and rebounding (7.7) while starting 23 of 27 games. The four-time CAA Rookie-of-the-Week honoree also made her presence felt at the conference level, finishing the regular season third in field goal percentage (.509), fourth in scoring and sixth in rebounding among all league participants while leading CAA freshmen in all three categories.

“Brittany had a tremendous impact on our team during her freshman season,” Hancock said. “When she arrived, we knew her skill level was advanced for a freshman, but her mentality is what has impressed us the most. She has proved from day one that she was going to work hard and her competitive nature has paid dividends for both her and the team.”

Taylor turned in another solid performance during her junior season, ranking second on the team in scoring (13.7) and third in rebounding (5.9). The Charlotte, N.C., native reached a trio of milestones during the 2007-08 season, becoming the 14th player in program history to grab 500 rebounds, the 13th to score more than 1,000 points and just the sixth to accomplish both of those feats during their career.

“This has been Sahsha’s best season overall, especially in regards to her consistency and effort,” Hancock said. “She has been the opposing team’s focus on defense almost every night and she has been able to go out and still be effective offensively for us. She has also been able to step up this season and be a player that we look to in critical situations, which has helped us be successful.”

 Fernald, an exercise science major, was named to the All-Academic Team for the third consecutive season, joining Bethany Stranges as the only UNCW student-athletes to be All-Academic Team selections three times during their careers.

“Stephanie has been a dedicated student-athlete during her career,” Hancock said. “She is a true asset to the Seahawks program.”

The eighth-seeded Seahawks open the CAA Tournament Thursday with a first-round contest against ninth-seed Delaware at 5 p.m. at the Bob Carpenter Center.