McMahon Named Coach of the Year; Vanover Named Co-Coach of the Year

As the men recently finished out the season with three district tournament appearances and the women competed in the NJCAA National Championship tournament, nine Edison State Community College basketball players have been named recipients of post-season awards from the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) for the 2021–22 season.

Representing the women's team, Kailah Johnson, of Holland, has been named Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference. Johnson, a 5-foot-7-inch sophomore guard, averaged 22.8 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, and 2.1 assists per game in conference action.

"Kailah is one of the best players I've ever coached," said Head Women's Basketball Coach Tim McMahon. "She's a great scorer from anywhere on the court and a great student and person off the court."

Whitney Staggs has also been named to the First Team All-Conference. Staggs, a 5-foot-10-inch sophomore forward from Columbus, averaged 18.0 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game, and 2.2 assists per game in conference play.

"Whitney plays the game at one speed—fast," McMahon said. "She's a great scorer and rebounder, and one of the nicest young ladies to be around."

Maddy Bakosh, of Springboro, has been named to the All-Conference Honorable Mention Team. Bakosh, a 5-foot-8-inch sophomore guard, averaged 9.9 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.4 steals per game in conference action.

"Maddy is a fantastic long-range shooter and an excellent passer," McMahon said. "She'll do wonderful things in the future."

Joining Bakosh on the All-Conference Honorable Mention Team is Allison Siefring. The 5-foot-6-inch sophomore guard from St. Henry averaged 18.3 points per game, 3.1 assists per game, and 1.9 steals per game in conference play.

"Allison plays all out every day, both in practice and in games. She's a coach on the floor and has a bright future in coaching," said McMahon.

Audra Schaub, of Wapakoneta, was named to the All-Defensive Team. Schaub, a 5-foot-4-inch sophomore guard, made 35.3% of her field goal attempts, pulled down 2.1 rebounds per game, and averaged 1.4 assists per game in conference action.

"Audra is the best guard. She sacrificed her stats for the good of the team," McMahon said.

Additionally, Head Women's Basketball Coach Tim McMahon was named Coach of the Year. In 2020, he led the Lady Chargers to a conference title and regional championship. The same year, the team was slated to appear in the NJCAA National Championship but missed out on the opportunity due to the pandemic.

On the men's team, Ibrahima Athie, of Cincinnati, has been named First Team All-Conference, All-Defensive Team, and Co-Player of the Year Runner-Up. Athie, a 6-foot-5-inch freshman guard/wing, averaged 22.8 points, 1.4 assists, and 8.9 rebounds per game in conference play.

"Ibrahima had to play out of position most of the year based on the team's needs, and he excelled in that role at an extremely high level," said Head Men's Basketball Coach Kyle Vanover. "I couldn't be prouder of his accomplishments this year, which will jump-start him into next season."

Freshman Jaylen Robinson, of Cincinnati, was named to the Second Team All-Conference. Robinson, a 6-foot-1-inch point/shooting guard, averaged 23.6 points per game, 2.3 rebounds per game, and 1.4 assists per game in conference action.

"Jaylen came to us this year as a transfer and hit the court running," Vanover said. "His growth in the short amount of time with us is astonishing. Jaylen helped lead our team with his experience this season, and his accomplishments show that."

Jordan Howard has been named to the All-Conference Honorable Mention Team. Howard, a 6-foot-1-inch freshman point/shooting guard from Springfield, contributed an average of 16.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game in conference play.

"Jordan is just starting to tap into his potential. He can always be the most dynamic player on the court," said Vanover. "He'll be carrying his accomplishments into next season, where he'll be looking to place himself higher on the list of conference laurels."

Joining Howard on the All-Conference Honorable Mention Team is Sekou Maiga. The 6-foot-7-inch sophomore forward from Columbus was also named to the All-Defensive Team. Maiga made 49.2% of his field goal attempts and averaged 15.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in conference action.

"Sekou has been with us for three years, sticking it out throughout the COVID pandemic," Vanover said. "He's demonstrated excellence on and off the court and is going to be a diamond in the rough for a four-year school.

Head Men's Basketball Coach Kyle Vanover was named Co-Coach of the Year. Leading the men's team for the fourth year, Vanover has experienced very successful seasons with the Chargers. During his first season with the program, he helped the men's team finish with a 25-6 overall record, a 12-4 finish in OCCAC play, and a perfect 18-0 home record.

"You're only as good as your assistants, and we have the best at Edison State," said Vanover. "Matt Gross, Craig Maschino, and Mark Eustache are a huge reason why I received this award. Having great student-athletes who do things the right way in the classroom and on the court helps tremendously as well. I'd like to thank all the coaches and players at Edison State for making this possible."

Both the women's and men's basketball teams finished their regular season with winning records. The men were 18-8 overall and 7-5 in the conference. The women remained undefeated all season, finishing the regular season 27-0 overall and 14-0 in the OCCAC.

For more information, visit athletics.edisonohio.edu.