Dixie State senior midfielder Mikala Wilkes has been named the 2009 Pacific West Conference Player of the Year in an announcement made Thursday morning at the conference’s media office in Arizona. The conference champion Red Storm got six players on either on the first team, second team or honorable mention list.

Wilkes and Camille Peterson made the midfielder first team while Carly Haycock is an honorable mention. Wendy Stratford is a first team forward and Shannon Larsen made the second team. Whitley Davis also made her position’s first team as a defender.

Mikala Wilkes (Cedar Hills. UT/Lone Peak HS '06) led the 2009 Red Storm in goals (12), points (29), shots (86) and shots on goal (40. The Cedar Hills senior makes the Pac West first team for the third straight year. An All-American scholar athlete last season, she sports a 3.93 grade point average majoring in accounting. Wilkes was a team captain this season and leaves Dixie State as the most decorated player statistically to ever play for the Red Storm.

Camille Peterson (North Logan. UT/Sky View) started all 18 matches for Dixie State. She compiled a team-high seven assists and finished second behind Wilkes in points (17). Her 56.4% shots-on-goal percentage also tops the Red Storm club. The sophomore midfielder garners her first conference postseason accolade.

Senior midfielder Carly Haycock (Bountiful. UT/Bountiful HS '06) is the third DSC midfielder honored this year earning an honorable mention. She started 15 matches compiling six goals and 13 points. Haycock was a Pac West first team midfielder in 2008 and made the second team in 2007.

Wendy Stratford (Layton. UT/Layton HS '05) led the Red Storm with four game-wining goals in 2009 leading to her place on the first team forwards list. Over half of her seven goals were game winners and her 16 points ranked third best for DSC. Stratford leaps to the conference’s first team after an honorable mention in 2008.

Shannon Larsen (Salt Lake City. UT/Skyline HS '06) started 17 of 18 matches in her senior season netting four goals and six assists. She finished the regular season fourth on the team with 34 shots and ended among the conference leaders in points, points per game, goals, game winning goals, assists and assists per game.

The lone DSC defender on the first team is sophomore Whitley Davis (Sandy. UT/Brighton). She made the most of her eight season shots by scoring twice and was the most successful threat on penalty kicks converting on both attempts this year. Davis anchored the final line of defense that allowed opponents only 21 goals in 18 matches.

The Red Storm continue their season in the first round of the NCAA Division-II Soccer Championship on Friday afternoon against Cal State University Dominguez Hills. The match, held at Cal State Los Angeles, will mark the first ever postseason match in the young history of the Red Storm program in Division-II.

Forwards

First Team

Dyanne Anderson (HPU)

Megan Fuller (HPU)

Emily Mearns (BYUH)

Wendy Stratford (DX)

Second Team

Bridget Folan (DOM)

Kaylen Jackson (GCU)

Shannon Larsen (DX)

Margeret Sekona (BYUH)

Honorable Mention

Sally Olsson (NDNU)

Alexis Tershay (NDNU)

Gina Tumasone (UHH)

Mary Wheeler (DOM)

Midfielders

First Team

Natasha Aiono (BYUH)

Amber Fuller (HPU)

Camille Peterson (DX)

Mikala Wilkes (DX)

Second Team

Aislinn Finfrock (GCU)

Emily Lambert (UHH)

Eleanna Mendez (DOM)

Kayla Poe (GCU)

Honorable Mention

Carly Haycock (DX)

Jamie Hirai (HPU)

Stephanie Malone (DOM)

Sasha Scott (GCU)

Defenders

First Team