ST. LOUIS – Five members of the Drake University women's basketball team were picked to the Missouri Valley Women's Basketball All-Conference teams to highlight a banner awards day for the team. Seniors Caitlin Ingle (Runnells, Iowa) and Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.) along with freshman Becca Hittner (Urbandale, Iowa) were selected to the All-MVC First Team while sophomore Sammie Bachrodt (Wichita, Kan.) and redshirt sophomore Becca Jonas (Independence, Mo.) garnered All-MVC honorable mention honors, the league office announced Wednesday, March 8. Drake has a league-leading 49 all-conference selections in MVC history. The five have started the past 23 games together and the group has posted an impressive 22-1 record.
 
Also, announced on Wednesday was the MVC All-Defensive and All-Freshman teams. Bachrodt and Wendell, who are tied for second in the Valley with 78 steals this season, were each picked to the all-defensive team for the first times in their respective career. Hittner was selected to the all-freshman team as Drake has had at least one freshman picked to the team in four-straight seasons.
 
Wendell is on the All-MVC First Team for the fourth-consecutive season, a feat that has been accomplished by just six others in MVC history. Wendell, the MVC Preseason Player of the Year, is averaging a league-leading 21.1 points and ranks among the top five in assists (3.1, 5th), free throw percentage (76.6, 5^th), shooting percentage (51.1, 5th) and steals (2.7, T-2nd). She has scored 2,470 career points, which is the third most in league history and among active NCAA Division I players. Wendell has been tabbed MVC Player of the Week a league-high five times this season and 14 times in her career, a total that is second all-time in Valley history. She had the longest double figure scoring streak in MVC history at 102-consecutive games and has scored in double figures in 120-of-125 career games.
 
Ingle, a point guard, is on the All-MVC First Team for the third-straight season. She is the MVC's all-time assists leader with 755 and needs just 13 more to have the top mark in Drake history. Ingle averages 7.6 assists per game, which ranks third in the nation and leads the MVC. She averages 10.2 points per game and earlier this season surpassed 1,000 career points. Ingle has handed out eight or more assists in 13-of-29 games this year, including matching her career high of 15 in the win over Missouri State on Jan. 1. In her career, Ingle has recorded one triple double, 15 points/assists double-doubles, and 22 games with 10 or more assists. She is a three-time MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team selection.
 
Hittner has continued the run of Bulldog freshman contributing immediately in their first season. The local product from Dowling Catholic is averaging 12.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 53.6 percent from the floor, 84.4 percent from the free-throw line and 52.4 percent from behind the three-point arc. Her shooting, free throw and three-point percentages rank third, second and first, respectively, in the MVC. Hittner, missed the first four games of the season, but has played in 25 games with 23 starts since. She has scored in double figures in 19 of those 25 games, including in the last eight games. Hittner poured in a career-high 22 points in the win over Missouri State on March 2.
 
Bachrodt started all 29 games this year and every game in her career (62). She averages 10.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 41.6 percent from beyond the arc. Bachrodt scored in double figures in 15-of-29 games, including a career-high 23 points in the regular season finale against Wichita State. Her steals and three-point percentage rank tied for second and third, respectively, in the MVC. This is the first career All-MVC honor for Bachrodt, who was named to the 2016 MVC All-Freshman team.
 
Jonas returned to the court this year after missing the 2015-16 season due to an injury. She played in 26 games, including starting the last 25 contests, and averages 9.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting league-high 57.1 percent. Jonas recorded four double-doubles this season and has 14 in her career. She scored a career-high 24 points in the win over Eastern Washington. As a freshman, Jonas garnered All-MVC honorable mention accolades and was named to the MVC All-Freshman team. Earlier this week, she was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Second Team.
 
Drake is the top seed at this week's MVC Tournament at the iWireless Center in Moline, Ill. The Bulldogs will play either No. 8 Indiana State or No. 9 Illinois State on Friday at 12 p.m.