William Penn Athletics #1 Story from 2016-2017

William Penn University Athletics

Oskaloosa–The top individual performers get the spotlight once more as the #1 story of the 2016-2017 year is about our Statesmen All-Americans.

Jamal Boma became the first All-American of the year, and the first ever for cross country (either team), as he concluded his record-breaking season with a big effort. Boma, who won three individual titles including the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships, placed 13th at the national championship. The senior broke the program’s 8K record at 24:51 (also took down the four-mile and 6K marks) and was named Heart Runner of the Week four times.

Another senior, Alyssa Phillips, capped her collegiate career with a national laurel. She was tabbed as an Honorable-Mention All-American for the second time, being recognized for averaging 13.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. She became a member of the 1,000-Point Club this past winter.

Men’s basketball seniors Torren Jones and Lionel Ellison guided the men’s basketball program to a 33-win campaign that was highlighted by an appearance in the national semifinals. Jones produced one of the best individual seasons in school history, averaging 20.4 points and 12.3 rebounds; he had 28 double-doubles during the winter.

Ellison was a wonderful complement to Jones, averaging 11.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He also snatched 87 steals during the year.

The leader of the Statesmen pack this year, though, was Derek Seddon. The senior track and field member, who was tabbed as the Booster Club Player of the Year, won his third and four All-America honors. He was fifth in the indoor weight throw (62-4.75) and then fulfilled his ultimate goal by becoming a national champion, winning the outdoor discus at 183-0. He is just the second national champion in school history and the first since 1994. His efforts helped WPU to runner-up finishes in the Heart in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.