Three Rivers’ Chaylea Mosby and Myia Yelder were selected to the NJCAA All-American team.
“I thought it was pretty special as a program to get a couple of kids on the All-American list,” Three Rivers coach Alex Wiggs said. “If you ask me, I think we have more than two, but I understand how big of an accomplishment it is to just have one, let alone two on the list.”
Mosby was named to the first team while Yelder was on the third team, the NJCAA announced Tuesday. The Raiders reached the final four for the first time in program history after an undefeated regular season and finished fourth overall in the final national rankings.
“They are two big pieces to that puzzle, and it shows by these postseason awards,” Wiggs said. “Those two, game in and game ... allowed us and the other girls to be more confident on the defensive end.
“Offensively ... it makes it really hard to lock in on two people when you have multiple kids coming off the bench and on the floor at the same time who can get things done.”
Mosby was also named to the first-team All-Region XVI and MCCAC All-Conference teams and was named Region XVI Player of the Year.
“It’s an honor. I give all the glory to God,” Mosby said. “All my accomplishments and everything, I wouldn’t have this opportunity if it wasn’t for Him.”
Yelder was also selected to the first team All-Region XVI and MCCAC All-Conference teams.
“I was really excited,” said Yelder, who wrote down making the All-American team as a personal goal prior to both her seasons at Three Rivers. “I was just happy.”
Yelder found out from a text from Wiggs. She then instantly told her parents.
“They were really excited for me and just proud,” Yelder said. “I felt like I worked hard. They acted like they weren’t surprised, but they were surprised.”
After coming off the bench as a freshman, Mosby averaged 13.6 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.7 steals this season, finishing second on the team in all four categories.
Mosby was with her mom when a text from Wiggs told her the good news.
“I just smiled,” Mosby said. “She was just sitting there smiling, looking at me and smiling.
“(My phone) has been blowing up ...People have been congratulating me.”
The Dexter alumna made 72 3-pointers this season to finish fifth in the country and had two double-doubles.
She averaged 8 points in the national tournament and also averaged 5.75 rebounds, 1.75 assists and 1 steal.
A sophomore point guard, Yelder led the Raiders with 14.2 points per game, 4.0 assists and 3.1 steals this season. She also averaged 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 offensive rebounds per game. She finished fifth in the nation with 78 steals.
In two seasons at Three Rivers, she started all but one game.
In the national tournament, Yelder averaged 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2.75 assists, 2.5 steals, and played at least 29 minutes in each game.
Scott Borkgren - Daily American Republic