Oct. 14, 2014
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - San Diego State women's basketball point guard McKynzie Fort (Fontana, Calif.) was selected as the Mountain West preseason freshman of the year in a combined vote of the league's 11 head coaches and select conference media members.
Fort is the fifth straight Aztec player to garner top MW preseason freshman accolades, following in the respective paths of teammate Chloe Johnson, Deajanae Scurry, Chairese Culberson, as well as Melissa Sweat, who received such recognition prior to the 2010-11 campaign.
A product of the powerhouse Etiwanda High program, Fort was named the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin Player of the Year and earned all-area distinction by the Los Angeles Times as a senior after averaging a team-high 15.4 points per game, leading the Eagles to the Baseline League championship and a spot in the Southern Section Open Division semifinals. In addition, the Fontana native garnered first-team all-CIF accolades and collected conference MVP honors last season as Etiwanda High subsequently advanced to the Southern Regional finals of the CIF state playoffs.
Fort, who was also a CIF Division I second-team all-state selection following her junior campaign, twice served as team captain and helped the Eagles compile a 39-1 record against conference opponents during her prep career. She was ranked 24th nationally among point guards and 95th overall by ESPN HoopGurlz, earning a four-star scouts grade of 92 by the website.
As a team, SDSU was predicted to finish seventh in the preseason poll released Tuesday by the league office. The Aztecs, who tied for sixth in the MW standings during the 2013-14 regular season, earned 134 points from the panel, trailing sixth-place UNLV (143 pts.) by just 20 points and topping eighth place Utah State (123 pts.) by 11 points.
Defending regular-season champion Colorado State was picked to repeat after receiving 21 of 28 first-place votes and 276 points, comfortably ahead of Boise State, which received four first-place votes and 241 points, while Wyoming followed closely in the third spot with three first-place votes and 235 points.
SDSU, which returns three starters and eight letterwinners from a year ago, opens its 2014-15 campaign against Point Loma in an exhibition game on Saturday, Nov. 8, at Viejas Arena, starting at noon.
Second-year head coach Stacie Terry and the Aztecs will then tip off their regular-season schedule the following week with another home game against Sacramento State on Friday, Nov. 14, beginning at 2 p.m.
Season tickets are available for San Diego State's 2014-15 home schedule and start at just $60. Tickets may be purchased online at www.goaztecs.com, at Qualcomm Stadium Window E (M-F 9 a.m.-5 p.m.) or over the phone at (619) 283-7378 (SDSU).
2014-15 Mountain West Women's Basketball Preseason PollRk. Team (First-place votes) Points1. Colorado State (21) 2762. Boise State (4) 2413. Wyoming (3) 2354. Fresno State 1815. Nevada 1556. UNLV 1437. San Diego State 1348. Utah State 1239. New Mexico 12210. San José State 8111. Air Force 27
2014-15 Preseason All-Mountain West TeamDeanna Weaver (Boise State, Sr., F)Ellen Nystrom (Colorado State, So., G)Alex Sheedy (Fresno State, Sr., F)Ta'Rea Cunnigan (San José Staté, Sr., G)Kayla Woodward (Wyoming, Sr., F)
Preseason Mountain West Player of the YearKayla Woodward (Wyoming, Sr., F)
Preseason Mountain West Freshman of the YearMcKynzie Fort (San Diego State, G)
Preseason Mountain West Newcomer of the YearCamille Redmon (Boise State, Sr., C)