2003-2004 team awards handed out at women's basketball banquet

After six years, red-shirt senior guard Jody LeRose shut the books ON her JMU career at the women's basketball awards banquet at the Convocation Center Thursday.

"This is definitely the final closing," she said. "It's a good way to go out and see everyone one last time, hang out and reminisce about the season."

LeRose was honored as the Dukes' lone senior, and received the Leadership Award, an honor voted on by the members of the team.

"It means a lot to me because for the most part, I'm a very introverted, reserved person," said LeRose, who had been used to being a role player for most of her career.

While LeRose said she could have done a better job leading, coach Kenny Brooks said she did a great job filling a leadership void coming into the start of this season.

"As the year went along, she got better and better at it to the point where at the end of the year, she was doing a great job for us on and off the court," Brooks said.

Freshman forward Lesley Dickinson was named the team's Most Valuable Player. Dickinson said she was honored to receive the award because it also was voted on by her teammates.

"It shows the level of respect that my teammates have for me," Dickinson said. "Everything I do, I do it for the team,"

"Just the fact that they noticed me for that really means a lot," she added.

Dickinson led JMU in scoring with 15.4 points a game. She was named the Colonial Athletic Association's Rookie of the Year, in addition to earning a place on the All-CAA Third Team and the CAA All-Rookie team.

"She had a tremendous season, not only for a rookie, but for anybody," Brooks said.

Freshman forward Meredith Alexis earned the Newcomer of the Year Award after finishing the season with 10.4 rebounds per game, tops in the CAA. Alexis also was an All-CAA Third Team selection, as well as a member of the CAA All-Rookie team.

Freshman guard Shameena Felix was named the team's Most Improved Player after working her way into the starting lineup late in the season.

In other honors, junior center Krystal Brooks earned the Attitude Award, red-shirt junior guard Mary Beth Culbertson earned the Courageous Award and freshman forward Shirley McCall won the Hustle Award.

Although the season has been over for more than a month, Dickinson said now is when the great players are made, as the team currently goes through their off-season training and conditioning.

"It's kind of an end, but it's a new beginning," she said.

As for LeRose, she won't be leaving just yet. She still has one more year of grad school at JMU to complete.