PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Round 1

Polling closed at 10 p.m. Thank you for voting and be sure to check back tomorrow for the Daily News Player of the Year second round matchups.

Ray McCallum Region

Nate Davis

Nate Davis solidified himself as one of the top players in the Mid-American Conference and the nation this season as he was selected as the MAC's Offensive Player of the Year and was one of 10 finalists for the Manning Award, which is given to college football's top quarterback. He passed for 3,591 yards to become the first Cardinal quarterback to pass for more than 3,000 yards in a season twice in a career. The junior finished the regular season with the sixth-best passing efficiency in the nation. He completed 64.3 percent of his passes and threw for 26 touchdowns before leaving Ball State for the NFL.

Teresa Phipps

In her first season at Ball State, Teresa Phipps was one of three Cardinal gymnasts to advance to NCAA Regionals - marking the first time since 2003 that any Ball State gymnasts advanced to the regional meet. After transferring to Ball State from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Phipps won nine individual event titles throughout the season - three on the beam, two in the all-around, two on the vault and one each on the bars and the floor exercise. The senior posted a team-best and career-best of 39.225 in the all-around in a meet at Kent State University.

Emily Rein

For the fourth consecutive year, Emily Rein led Ball State in scoring this season as she recorded a team best five goals and six assists. The forward was named to the All-Mid-American Conference Second Team and became the first Cardinal to be named to be recognized by the MAC all four years of her career. The conference also recognized her as a member of the Academic All-MAC squad, the third consecutive season she earned the honor. The senior scored the lone goal in Ball State's regular season finale against Miami. She finished her career second in Ball State history in scoring, goals and assists.

Ethan Pheister

In his second season as Ball State's starting setter, Ethan Pheister was second in the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association during the regular season with 44 aces and a 0.49 aces per game average. The 2008 all-conference player also had a career-high five aces in a sweep against Carthage College in February. Entering the conference tournament this week, Pheister is fourth in the conference as he is averaging 11.66 assists per game. Pheister also was named the MIVA Player of the Week on March 9 after having 136 combined assists in three matches during the previous week.

Jarrod Jones

Jarrod Jones became the fifth player in program history to be named the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year this season. The forward also is the lone freshman to be named Honorable Mention All-MAC. In his freshman season, Jones led the Cardinals in scoring and rebounding with 11.0 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game as Ball State took a share of the MAC West title. His season put him at fifth all-time in Ball State history for freshman scoring and third all-time for freshman rebounding. He posted three double-doubles on the season and was named the MAC West Player of the Week once.

Sean Baker

As a redshirt freshman, Sean Baker finished second among Ball State players with 94 tackles and led the team with six interceptions, which tied for 12th best in the nation. He had four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 10 pass breakups and was named the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year. The free safety scored two touchdowns - one from an interception return and one from a fumble recovery. He also was named the Walter Camp Foundation National Defensive Player of the Week after he intercepted three passes at the University of Akron.

Emily Maggert

With her 13.4 points per game, Emily Maggert led Ball State in scoring during her sophomore season. The forward also added six rebounds per game, which was third best on the Cardinals' Mid-American Conference Championship team. Her points and rebounds were 11th and 16th best in the conference, respectively. Maggert led Ball State with a .831 free throw percentage and .540 field goal percentage, which was third and fourth best in the MAC. She also added 18 blocks and 27 steals on the season. Maggert was named Third Team All-MAC in her first season as a starter for the Cardinals.

Jen Reifschneider

In her first season with Ball State, Jen Reifschneider tied the Cardinals' single season home run record with eight on the partially-completed season. The eight long balls also are tied for the most in the Mid-American Conference. The junior leads the team with nine doubles. She is second on the team with 27 RBIs and 17 walks. The Cardinals' first baseman has started every game this season after transferring from Pratt Community College and has a .991 fielding percentage with 204 putouts. Reifschneider has a .214 batting average, 11 runs scored and a .509 slugging percentage.

Don Kronauge Region

Amber Williams

After sitting out last season to train for the 2008 Summer Olympics, Amber Williams returned to the Cardinals and once again established herself as one of the best athletes in the Mid-American Conference. Williams was named the Women's Most Valuable Performer at the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. The senior won the 60-meter hurdles (8.24), the 60-meter dash (7.44) and the 200-meter dash (24.27). Her marks in the 60-meter races were both NCAA provisional qualifying marks. Williams finished 12th at the 2009 NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 60-meter hurdles.

Brittany Hammer

Not only did Brittany Hammer lead Ball State in scoring, she also made one of the team's two game-winning goals on the season. The freshman led the Cardinals with six goals on the season and tied for the team lead with three assists, giving her a team best 15 points on the year. Hammer contributed to both of Ball State's wins as she scored the Cardinals' first goal of a 2-0 win against Davidson College and the third goal in a 6-2 win against Missouri State University. She also had the best shooting percentage on the team among players who took more than five shots on the year.

Todd Chamberlain

As a preseason All-Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association selection, senior outside attacker Todd Chamberlain had a team-high 3.28 kills per game average in the regular season. He was also eighth in the conference with 282 kills, including a then career-high 20 kills in a three-game loss to No. 3 Stanford University in January. Following that season opening loss, Chamberlain was named the MIVA Player of the Week. Chamberlain ended the regular season in the conference's top 15 for blocks and attack percentage and was named to the All-MIVA academic team.

Bibiana Rodriguez

Bibiana Rodriguez became the second Ball State gymnast since 2004 to win a Mid-American Conference individual title this year when she tied for first on the uneven bars with a 9.850, which was her career high and Ball State season best. Her feat earned her All-MAC First Team honors and a trip to the NCAA Regionals, where she scored a 9.675 on the uneven bars. Rodriguez led the Cardinals on the uneven bars five times this season, including in two of their four wins. The junior tied for the fifth-best Ball State score on the vault by posting a 9.700, which was a career high for her.

Robert Brewster

Part of the reason why Ball State ranked fourth in the nation and first in the Mid-American Conference in sacks allowed was because of Robert Brewster. The right tackle was an All-MAC First Team selection. He also was on the watch lists for the Rotary Lombardi Trophy - which goes to college football's best offensive or defensive lineman - and Outland Trophy - which goes to college football's best interior offensive or defensive lineman. The senior helped Ball State limit opponents to one sack per game and led the way for MiQuale Lewis to set a Ball State single-season rushing record with 1,736 yards.

Audrey McDonald

By making 95 3-pointers this season, Audrey McDonald broke her own program record for most 3-pointers made during a season. The guard led Ball State with a .406 3-point shooting percentage on the season. She averaged 11.5 points per game, which was fourth best on the team. McDonald also had the fifth-most rebounds on the team as she averaged 2.8 per game. The junior added 44 steals and two blocks on the season. McDonald started every game for Ball State as the Cardinals won their first Mid-American Conference Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

Jeremy Hazelbaker

With a .440 average, Jeremy Hazelbaker has the best batting average in the Mid-American Conference among players with at least five at bats on the season. He also leads the conference with 59 hits and 49 runs scored. He is second in the MAC with 23 stolen bases, third with four triples, third with 94 total bases and third with a .701 slugging percentage. The junior center fielder has been named the MAC West Player of the Week three times this season. He also has five home runs and 26 RBIs on the season as the Cardinals' leadoff hitter. Hazelbaker hit for the cycle against Kent State University.

Brittany McGinnis

Brittany McGinnis was one of two Cardinals to be named to the All-Mid-American Conference Freshman Team. In her first year at Ball State, the setter finished the season with a team-best 17 double-doubles, a 9.80 assist-per-game average and 31 aces. She also was second on the team with 312 digs and third with 0.71 blocks per game. She became the third Cardinal to collect 20 digs in a match this season when she had a career-high 20 at Bowling Green State University. McGinnis also had a career-best 56 assists against the Falcons. She played in all 127 of Ball State's games this season.

Tamara Bowie Region

Porchia Green

After the season Porchia Green had for Ball State, she was being considered as a possible selection in the WNBA Draft. Green earned All-Mid-American Conference First Team honors, became the second Ball State player to ever be named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and was named MAC West Player of the Week three times. The senior guard was second among Ball State players in both scoring and rebounding, as she averaged 12.8 points and 6.9 boards per game. She also was among the MAC leaders in scoring (14th), rebounding (eighth), assists (ninth), steals (12th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (third).

Brian Maurer

Throughout the season, Brian Maurer has been at or near the top of the Ball State leaderboard. Maurer leads the Cardinals with a 73.45 stroke average through 29 rounds this season. He led Ball State at five of its 10 invitationals this season, while he finished second three times and third twice. The senior's best performance came at Ball State's Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational, where he finished second overall and earned the Mid-American Conference Golfer of the Week award. Maurer has finished in the overall top 10 three times and the top 20 six times this season.

Ali Bishel

After missing the cross country season due to injury, Ali Bishel returned to the track as strong as ever. Bishel was named the Women's Most Outstanding Track Performer at the 2009 Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships after she won the 3,000-meter run with a time of 9:43.23 and the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:39.80. Her time in the 5,000 meters was an NCAA-provisional qualifying mark and 48th best in the nation. She finished 11th in the 5,000-meter run during a NCAA-qualifying meet. Bishel was named All-MAC First Team and Academic All-MAC this year.

Lisa Maertin

For the second consecutive season, Lisa Maertin qualified for the NCAA Zone Diving Regionals. At the Mid-American Conference Championships, Maertin placed fifth on the 1-meter board and seventh on 3-meter board. Her season high on 3-meter came at Miami University with a total score of 301.13, which is her career best. Her 1-meter best at home against Akron where she scored 281.85. At the NCAA Zone Diving Regionals, Maertin finished in 28th place. Her 212 point performance through six dives was 21.1 points shy of qualifying for the finals at the regional meet.

Kolbrin Vitek

At the beginning of the year, Kolbrin Vitek was named to the watch list for the 2009 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award, which goes to the nation's top collegiate baseball player. The sophomore has responded by having Ball State's second-best batting average at .376, most doubles with 16, most home runs with seven and third most stolen bases with 12. In addition to playing third base and being a designated hitter, Vitek is also a pitcher and has two wins, a 4.05 ERA, team best 34 strike outs and team best .256 opponents' batting average. He also earned a Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Week award.

Eduardo Pavia

Playing at No. 1 and No. 2 singles all year, Eduardo Pavia has accumulated a 12-7 overall record and earned two Mid-American Conference Player of the Week awards - the most of any Cardinal this season. The sophomore has a 4-5 record at No. 1 singles and an 8-2 record at No. 2 singles. After winning the MAC Newcomer of the Year award last year, he finished MAC play with a 3-2 record this season. In doubles, Pavia has played with four partners to amass a 10-9 record. He is undefeated when playing doubles with Jose Perdomo and Jon Wegener, while he is 4-1 with Jorge Rodriguez.

Elizabeth Milian

In her third year as the No. 1 pitcher for the softball team, Elizabeth Milian has a 1.89 ERA, which is the third lowest in the Mid-American Conference. She has a 16-11 record and is 8-2 in MAC play. Milian's 163 strikeouts on the season is second in the MAC and has her on pace to break the Ball State single season record of 200. The junior leads the MAC in innings pitched and wins. Milian has been named MAC West Pitcher of the Week three times this year, including the last two weeks. At the plate, Milian has nine RBIs, four doubles and a .327 on base percentage.

B.J. Hill

With the exception of Nate Davis, B.J. Hill was the lone Ball State player to earn multiple honors from the Mid-American Conference this season. Hill was named All-MAC First Team for his play as a cornerback and All-MAC Second Team as a punt return specialist. The senior returned 18 punts for a 12.7 average, which included a season long 72-yard return. He was tied for second on the team with three interceptions on the season. Hill also made 77 tackles, including five which were for a loss. He also broke up five passes, hurried the quarterback once and forced a fumble.

Chris Beerman Region

J.D. Gasparovic

Playing most of the season without the other all-conference middle attacker Matt McCarthy, J.D. Gasparovic finished the regular season leading the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association with a .472 attack percentage and 120 blocks. The sophomore was first in the conference and fifth in the nation with a 1.45 blocks per game average. It was the second straight year he led the league in blocks. In a sweep against No. 12 Lewis University in January, the middle attacker led Ball State with eight blocks and a career-high 16 kills - a performance that lead to him being named the MIVA Player of the Week.

Ben Battjes

In the last two seasons, one person on the Ball State men's swimming and diving team has received All-Mid-American Conference honors: Ben Battjes. The junior was named to the All-MAC Second Team in February after being the Cardinals' top individual scorer at the conference tournament. Battjes' best finish was in the 50-meter freestyle when he placed eighth with a time of 20.76 seconds. He also finished in 22nd place in the 100-meter freestyle at 45.99 seconds. In addition to top 25 finishes at the MAC meet, Battjes set personal-best times in the 50-meter freestyle and the 100-meter breaststroke.

Brittany Kelly

Averaging a team-best 77.57 strokes per round, sophomore Brittany Kelly leads the women's golf team with seven top-10 finishes and eight top-20 finishes this season. Her highest finish this season was second place at the Zippy Invitational during the fall season. At the Hawkeye Invitational, Kelly was one of two Cardinals to finish in the top 10 as Ball State defeated three Big Ten teams to win by three strokes. She also shot a season-best 70 in a round at the Pat Bradley Invitational in October. The sophomore has led the Cardinals in five out of 11 meets, which is the most of any Ball State golfer.

Brad Piatt

As Ball State is in the midst of the Mid-American Conference season, the Cardinals have been led on the mound by Brad Piatt. The junior leads the team with a 3.95 ERA and a 4-1 record through nine games this season. His 3.95 ERA is seventh in the conference this season and best in the MAC West. In 43.1 innings pitched, Piatt has struck out 26 batters and has held opponents to a .293 batting average. He is 1-1 in MAC play and has struck out 13 batters in five games. The right hander is having his best season of his career with his current ERA and win total.

Danielle Gratton

After transferring from the University of Illinois, Danielle Gratton established herself at Ball State by garnering All-Mid-American Conference Third Team honors. Gratton led the Cardinals with seven rebounds per game and also added 11.7 points per game, which was third best on the team. The forward was the lone MAC player to be named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V Team this year in addition to making the Academic All-MAC Team. The junior was sixth in the MAC with 36 blocked shots and seventh in the conference with her seven rebounds per game.

Alyssa Collins

Alyssa Collins leads the Mid-American Conference in batting average for batters with more than 100 at bats. The sophomore has started every game for the Cardinals as the clean-up hitter and right fielder. She has scored 19 runs, 16 RBIs and a .417 slugging percentage. She has had 11 multi-hit games and the team's longest hitting streak at 11 consecutive games. She is on an eight-game streak that is twice as long as the next closest player. Collins also has four doubles, a triple and 12 stolen bases on the year. She has a .941 fielding percentage in right field.

MiQuale Lewis

MiQuale Lewis rode his Mid-American Conference best 1,736 yard rushing season to All-MAC First Team honors this season. His rushing yards were the third most in the nation. The running back also led the conference with 132 points off 22 touchdowns for the season. The yardage and the 22 rushing touchdowns were the most in Ball State single season history for an individual. Lewis was third among the Cardinals with 35 catches on the season. The junior finished third in the MAC in all-purpose yards with 2,078 after missing most of last year because of an injury.

Brandon Lampley

Ball State won the Mid-American Conference West Division with the help of All-MAC Honorable Mention Brandon Lampley. Lampley finished the season second on the team in scoring with a 10 point per game average. He led the Cardinals by averaging 12.1 points per game in MAC play. The senior led the team with 85 assists on the year and with 31.6 minutes played per game in his first season as a starter. Lampley was second in the MAC in 3-point shooting with a .415 percentage. The guard scored in double figures 17 times, including in 13 of Ball State's final 15 regular season games.

Polling closed at 10 p.m. Thank you for voting and be sure to check back tomorrow for the Daily News Player of the Year second round matchups.

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