For the second straight season, a Wildcat women’s basketball player has taken home the honor of GNAC Freshman of the Year.

Freshman guard Mandy Steward joined fellow backcourt member, sophomore Jasmin Edwards, to be the second-straight winner of the award for Central.

“I think with Mandy and Jasmin in our backcourt that’s a pretty dynamic duo,” head coach Jeff Harada said. “We have a pretty bright future at the guard spot.”

Steward averaged 10 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. She came off the bench in all but one of her 28 games played.

“It’s pretty exciting because I wasn’t really recruited very much out of high school,” Steward said. “So getting this is like proving myself to everybody.”

Steward scored 10 or more points in 16 of Central’s 28 games while connecting on 36 percent of 3-pointers.

“She’s a kid who stretches the defense and can handle the ball a little big and create her own shot,” Harada said.

Earlier this season, Steward said she didn’t expect to make this much of an impact so early.

Both Steward and Harada had questions on whether or not she’d be able to keep up on defense.

“She knew she had a lot to learn,” Harada said.

According to Harada, she has put in the effort to bring her defense to the level it needs to be at, but there is still room to grow.

“She still has some things she needs to improve on, but I think she has the potential to be an all-conference player,” Harada said.

Steward’s best game this season came against Seattle Pacific University on Jan. 30. She scored 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting and had 5 steals.

“She definitely is a weapon for us and I look forward to having her the next three years,” Harada said.