Morningside Athletics
Mark Adkins, Sports Information Director
SIOUX CITY, Iowa –Three Morningside College student-athletes represented the men’s and women’s basketball programs on the 2019 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ Division II All-American teams, released Thursday, March 14.
Head coach Jamie Sale’s squad had sophomore guard Sierra Mitchell (Pleasant Hill, Iowa)garner honorable mention accolades. Head coach Jim Sykes’ men’s team put junior forward/center Tyler Borchers (LeMars, Iowa)and sophomore guard Zach Imig (Gretna, Neb.)on the second team (Borchers) and honorable mention listing (Imig).
Borchers, a two-time All-American selection, reeled off 22 straight double-figure scoring games to conclude 2018-19, as he helped lead the Mustangs to a second successive Elite Eight entrance in the national championships. The division’s field goal percentage leader (70.6 percent) tallied 539 points in route to joining the school’s 1,000-point club where he rose to ninth (1,428 points) going into his senior season. Borchers adds the honor to all-national championship tournament and Great Plains Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year accolades.
Mitchell’s award, added to a first team all-GPAC honor, closed out a sensational second season in a Maroon uniform. She ranked in the division’s top 10 in made three-point baskets (106) and made treys per game (3.313) in route to a 500-point-plus total (525). Mitchell registered double-figure points in 26 of 32 contests which included four 30-point-plus outings. Imig had similar staggering numbers posting just shy of 400 points (369) to go with 98 assists and 90 steals. Also a first team all-league selectee, he finished among the divisional top 50 in total steals and steals per game (1.613).