By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Western Illinois forward Mia Nicastro was one of the nation’s top mid-major women’s basketball players this season.

She added another honor on Friday, when she was named the Ohio Valley Conference’s female athlete of the year.

Nicastro helped lead the Leathernecks to a share of the OVC regular-season championship and the conference tournament title, earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. She was named the OVC’s player of the year and was one of five finalists for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major player of the year.

Nicastro ranked fourth in NCAA Division I play in scoring at 24.1 points per game. She also averaged 9.8 rebounds per game in a season in which she had 16 double-doubles.

She led the OVC in nine different statistical categories and ranked in the top 50 nationally in 13 categories — she was sixth in points (770), eighth in field goals made (282), 11th in defensive rebounds/game (8.2), 13th in free throws (180) and free throw percentage (89.6), 18th in double-doubles, 31st in rebounds (315), 34th in rebounds/game, and 45th in field goal percentage (51.8).

Nicastro, a senior from St. Charles, Mo., played in the Lilly Women’s College All-Star Game during the Final Four weekend. She announced this week she will be playing professionally in Greece next season.

Photo: Western Illinois’ Mia Nicastro celebrates after the Leathernecks won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament in March. (Photo courtesy of the Ohio Valley Conference)