After Hurricane Katrina’s devastating impact on the 2005-2006 athletics program, this year’s women’s teams inspired all to come back strong.

The Maroon’s Female Athlete of the Year is a three-way tie between national competing cross country runner Mary Erin Imwalle and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference-champion basketball guards Trenese and Trenell Smith.

MARY ERIN IMWALLE

Her specialty is the 5-km, and there are few who can run it as fast as she can.

Imwalle, mass communication junior, made it to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Championship this season along with runners Matt Cagigal, finance senior, and Richard Bouckaert, history senior.

She qualified after achieving All-Region honors at the Regional meet where she made sixth place with a time of 19:59.67.

This season’s cross country team lacked players and, because of busy schedules, often couldn’t compete as a team at meets.

Despite these setbacks, Imwalle continued to run all the way to nationals in Louisville, Ky.

Disappointed in Loyola’s recruiting for cross country, Imwalle said it is important to have good competition within a team in order “to always have someone pushing you.”

Last semester the Louisiana Sports Writers Association named Imwalle, along with Cagigal and Bouckaert, to the All-Louisiana team.

Next fall Imwalle hopes to three-peat as a GCAC Conference champ and make it, once again, to nationals.

THE SMITH TWINS

The last two seasons have been the Wolfpack women’s best since the university’s reinstatement of athletics. Much of the credit goes to two soft-spoken twin sisters from LaPlace.

Twin psychology sophomores Trenese and Trenell Smith led the ‘Pack in scoring for a season that included 14 at-home victories and a 17-game winning streak.

Breaking several Loyola records in the process, Trenese Smith ranked number one in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference for points per game and number six in the NAIA for three-point percentage. She maintained scoring in the double digits for 23 straight games this season.

Last season the GCAC named her Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year.

Trenell Smith followed closely behind.

Second only to her sister, Trenell averaged 13.9 points per game and placed fifth best in university history for points scored in a single season.

Trenell Smith’s offense dominated the GCAC tournament where she scored 26 points against Mobile in the semi-finals and 23 against Xavier to clinch the tournament.

She likes playing for Coach Dobee Plaisance because of her coaching style and fun attitude about the game.

The two, who share a room in Cabra Hall with six other teammates, said they enjoyed the opportunity to get to know each other.

When asked about aspirations for next year, Trenell said, “We now have a title to defend.”

Steve Heath can be reached at [email protected].