The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball team continues to rack up postseason honors, as the annual Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association awards were released on Wednesday. Sarah Ericson was tabbed as Division II Co-Player of the Year and a First Team All-Met selection, while teammate Erin Leary also received First Team All-Met accolades. In addition, Head Coach Bill Cleary, was named the All-Met Division II Coach of the Year.

Ericson and Leary played an integral role in leading the Spartans to a 21-9 overall record, along with a 12-4 East Coast Conference mark. STAC reached the ECC playoffs for the ninth consecutive season and the tournament final for the first time since 2018. Despite falling to Daemen in the championship game, St. Thomas Aquinas received an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history (2003, 2018, 2019, 2023).

Sarah Ericson earned both Player of the Year honors and first team status from the ECC, and a D2CCA first team selection to go along with her addition to the All-Met squad. The sophomore guard from Norwich, Conn. ranked second in the ECC rebounds per game (9.7, tops on the team), fourth in 3-point shooting percentage (36.7%), and fifth in both scoring (12.5) and steals (1.9) per game. She shot 40.4% from the floor overall and 82.5% at the free throw line.

Erin Leary took home first team accolades from the East Coast Conference in 2022-23. The sophomore from Carle Place, N.Y. led the Spartans in points per game (14.0, 4th in ECC) and field goal percentage (44.0%), while placing fourth in the ECC in rebounds per game (7.7, 2nd on the team).

For his efforts in building a tough, gritty, defensive-minded STAC squad, Bill Cleary was awarded his inauguaral All-Met Coach of the Year honors. In two seasons in Sparkill, Coach Cleary has guided his team to a 35-24 overall record, back-to-back conference tournament runs, an ECC championship finals appearance in 2022-23 and the program's first NCAA D2 Tournament bid since 2019.

Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Division II Women's Basketball Awards

FIRST TEAM

Sarah Ericson, St. Thomas Aquinas      

Ty’Zhea Hawkins, Adelphi                     

Erin Leary, St. Thomas Aquinas            

Briana Lee, Felician                               

Tanasha Mills, Dominican                     

Casey O’Shaughnessy, Caldwell           

Katie Wall, Mercy                               

SECOND TEAM

Jenalyse Alarcon, Staten Island            

Taysha Bender, Mercy                         

Brianna Davis, Queens                        

Lauren Hackett, Pace                             

Alexis Suarez, Dominican                      

Co-Player of the Year: Sarah Ericson, St. Thomas Aquinas

Co-Player of the Year: Briana Lee, Felician

Coach of the Year: Bill Cleary, St. Thomas Aquinas