NEW YORK - Highlighted by First Team selections Mia Castillo (Baruch) and Alexa Charles (Hunter), a total of seven CUNY Athletic Conference women's basketball players were recognized on the Met Basketball Writers Association Division III All-Met Teams announced on Monday.

Lehman's Heaven Figueroa was a Second Team selection, while John Jay's Ashley Zeolla was chosen to the Third Team.  Alicia Gumbs (York), Anna Kitch (Brooklyn) and Michaela Lattimore (John Jay) were All-Met Honorable Mention.

Being named All-Met is unique in that there are 35 colleges and universities and more than 500 players under the MBWA Division III women’s umbrella.
 
The 2024-25 All-Met teams will be honored at the 92nd MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner on Thursday, April 24, at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel & Conference Center in Tarrytown, NY. The Haggerty dinner is the longest running, media-managed college basketball awards program in the United States.

Castillo, the CUNYAC Co-Player of the Year and a First Team All-Star, averaged 27.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 5.0 steals per game for the Bearcats this season.  Earlier this season she became the all-time leading scorer in CUNYAC women's basketball history as she finished her career with 2,369 points.  Her scoring average places her first in NCAA Division III and the CUNYAC, while she finished first in the conference in assists and steals, ranking No. 1 nationally in steals and No. 4 in assists.

Charles, who was CUNYAC Co-Player of the Year along with Castillo and a First Team All-Star, finished second in the conference and nationally in scoring with her 26.6 ppg average.  She led the conference and ranked inside the top 20 in Division III in rebounding with 11.0 rebounds per game, while contributing 4.5 steals and 2.6 steals per game.  Charles posted 18 double-doubles in 26 games, good for No. 4 nationally, while ranking second in Division III in steals per game.

Figueroa, a CUNYAC First Team All-Star who was named Honorable Mention WBCA All-America as well, recorded 24.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game for the Lightning this season while starting all 25 games.  She ranked third in the conference and fifth nationally in scoring while finishing sixth in the league in rebounding.  Figueroa also averaged 4.9 steals and 3.6 assists per contest, with her steals ranking her third in the conference and in all of Division III.

Zeolla, a First Team CUNYAC All-Star, led the Bloodhounds and ranked No. 5 in the CUNYAC in scoring with her 16.3 ppg average.  She reached double figures in the scoring column 23 times and recorded five double-doubles, while adding 7.6 rebounds per game, ranking No. 11 in the conference.

Gumbs, a CUNYAC Second Team All-Star, averaged 20.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.9 steals, and 2.8 assists per game for the Cardinals over 21 contests.

Kitch, a First Team All-Star, averaged 11.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game for the CUNYAC champion Bulldogs while knocking down 61 three-pointers.

Lattimore, a First Team All-Star, recorded 14.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game for the Bloodhounds while shooting 45% from the floor.

FIRST TEAM
Natalie Bruns, NYU • 6-1, Gr., F, St. Louis, MO
Mia Castillo, Baruch • 5-8, Sr., G, Pleasant Valley, NY
Alexa Charles, Hunter • 5-8, Jr., G, Tarrytown, NY
Alyssa Craigwell, Montclair State • 5-11, Fr., F, Secaucus, NJ
Tova Gelb, Vassar • 5-8, Sr., G, Sharon, MA
Emily Grasseler, USMMA • 6-0, So., F, Millbrook, NY
Belle Pellecchia, NYU • 5-8, Sr., G, Mendham, NJ                    

SECOND TEAM          
Carolae Barton, USMMA • 6-1, Fr., F, Waldorf, MD
Danielle Bessler, Yeshiva • 5-6, Sr., G/F, Brookline, MA
Leyla Castro, Stevens • 5-5, Jr., G, Old Bridge, NJ
Heaven Figueroa, Lehman • 5-7, Gr., G, Brooklyn, NY
Sierra McDermed, Vassar • 5-9, Jr., G, San Antonio, TX
Caroline Peper, NYU • 6-0, Jr. G, South Eston, MA

THIRD TEAM            
Vatijah Davis, Centenary • 5-10, So., F, Poconos, PA             
Julia Harvey, Vassar • 5-8, Sr., G, Delmar, NY
Brianna Smith, William Paterson • 5-6, Gr., G, Hillsdale, NJ
Maddison Vaughn, Kean • 5-10, Sr., F/C, Roselle, NJ
Ashley Zeolla, John Jay • 6-1, Sr., G, Yorktown Heights, NY          

HONORABLE MENTION
Lucy Alberici, Stevens; Jamie Behar, NYU; Sophie Beneventine, Montclair State; 
Brianna Guglielmo, Mount St. Mary; Alicia Gumbs, York; Anna Kitch, Brooklyn; Michaela Lattimore, John Jay; Esther Ramos, Manhattanville; Erin Smith, Mount St. Vincent; Megan Spina, St. Joseph’s-Long Island;  Olivia Vero, Montclair State

Player of the Year: Natalie Bruns, NYU
Coach of the Year: Meg Barber, NYU

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