OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Gonzaga senior guard Jill Townsend has been named to the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award First Team All-America team, becoming the first Zag to be honored as part of the national team award.
 
To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be classified as NCAA Division I seniors and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The award is chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I women's basketball coaches, national basketball media and fans.
 
Townsend, the 2019-20 WCC Player of the Year, two-time First Team All-WCC performer and AP All-America Honorable Mention selection led the Zags in scoring this season at 13.5 points per game shooting 49.6 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from long range. The Okanogan, Wash., native added 5.0 rebounds per game to rank third on the team and reached double-figures 18 times on the season including a career-high 29 points at South Dakota State on Dec. 6. She also recorded four double-doubles on the season (points, rebounds) and on Jan. 24 became the 24th player in program history to eclipse 1,000 career points, closing her career with 1,172.
 
Townsend has also excelled in the classroom working toward her B.A. in biology, and she has spent nearly 60 hours assisting the Spokane Community.
 
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School^®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: classroom, community, character, and competition.
 
2020-21 Senior CLASS Award Women's Basketball First-Team All-Americans
 
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
Dana Evans, Louisville
Blanca Millan, Maine
Michaela Onyenwere, UCLA
Jill Townsend, Gonzaga
 
2020-21 Senior CLASS Award Women's Basketball Second-Team All-Americans
 
Arella Guirantes, Rutgers
Nancy Mulkey, Rice
Ilmar'l Thomas, Cincinnati
Unique Thompson, Auburn
Mariah White, Cleveland State