Prep Girls’ Basketball- The Southeast Iowa Super Conference (SEISC) released their All-Conference teams for the North and South divisions with the state-bound Mediapolis squad leading the way with seven All-Conference nominees.
North Division
The North Conference Player of the Year went to Lone Tree’s Finley Jacque as she led the division with 19 points per game, while adding 5.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 4.3 steals per game. Her output led to the Lions securing 2nd in the North.
Highland may have been upset in the Region 6 quarterfinals, but the Huskies accumulated a 19-2 overall record and a perfect record in North play. Kamryn Fink, unanimous, and Hailey Brun led the play on the court, and conducting the team from the sideline was Jody Fink, as she was named North Coach of the Year.
For our local teams, Wapello’s Macey Kuntz, a junior, and Brenna Graber, a junior from WACO, both earned 1st Team honors. Kuntz was one of four players in the North to average a double-double with 13.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, while Graber averaged 11.8 points per game and finished top five in assists and steals per game.
Columbus had Kennedy Woepking and Ellie Sanders placed on the 2nd Team. Both averaged over 10 points per game, while Woepking added eight rebounds per contest.
Wapello’s Annaka Greiner tabbed 2nd Team honors as she averaged 7.8 points per game to go along with 2.4 steals per game.
WACO’s Madelyn Farmer was named 2nd Team along with Winfield-Mt. Union’s Madisen Kellogg. Farmer, a junior, nabbed the 10th most rebounds in the North. Kellogg etched her name in the history books by tying the team record for points in a game with 35 against New London, she also averaged 14.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
*Unanimous
First Team: Kamryn Fink*, Highland; Hailey Brun, Highland; Finley Jacque, Lone Tree; Ava Christofferson, Lone Tree; Grace Kissell, Louisa-Muscatine; Hannah Kissell, Louisa-Muscatine; Abby Guise*, Pekin; Macey Kuntz*, Wapello; Brenna Graber, WACO; Claire Withrow, Hillcrest Academy
Second Team: Katelyn Thomann, Highland; Kinzie Ruess, Highland; Dalanie Graap, Lone Tree; Kennedy Woepking, Columbus; Ellie Sanders, Columbus; Anna Hadley, Pekin; Annaka Greiner, Wapello; Madelyn Farmer, WACO; Niva Helmuth, Hillcrest Academy; Madisen Kellogg, Winfield-Mt. Union.
Honorable Mentions: Isabel Rendon and Iris Garza for Columbus, Taeya Wagner and Lexi Brown for Wapello, Carlee Lunsford and Drew Graber for WACO, and Suttyn Schlee and Quin Smith of Winfield-Mt. Union
Standings: Highland (16-0), Lone Tree (12-4), Louisa-Muscatine (10-6), Columbus (9-7), Pekin (9-7), Wapello (8-8), WACO (4-12), Hillcrest Academy (3-13), Winfield-Mt. Union (1-15)
South Division
Another year, another undefeated run for Mediapolis through the SEISC, including a dominant win over Highland at the shootout. This year, the Bulldogs put the exclamation mark on the regular season by clinching their first trip to the state tournament since 2015. The result was all five of their starters getting placed on the 1st Team.
Additionally, Grace Holsteen of Mediapolis will share the Conference Player of the Year award with Central Lee’s Kenna Sandoval. Holsteen averaged nearly 17 points per game, while tying for the conference lead in three-pointers made per game with 3.2. Sandoval nearly averaged a double-double with a conference-high 17.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
Nabbing Coach of the Year honors was Todd Borrison as he led the Bulldogs to a perfect 24-0 record on the season and a #8 ranking in Class 3A. Coach Borrison discussed what makes his team so special,
“Well, they really love each other, and they take care of each other, and they play together as a team. And I said before, our strength, our superpower is our balance. And that balance starts, to be a team of truly balanced kids, you gotta really like each other, and you gotta know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. And they really get the game, and they really, ultimately, they don’t care who gets any credit. They just like to win, and that makes it a fun group, and a group that you like to see be successful.”
Along with Holsteen, the Bulldogs had Ellah Wagenbach, Josie Hutcheson, Amilia Grier, and Bryn Wright named to the 1st Team. Wagenbach, Grier, and Hutcheson each averaged 11 points per game, while Hutcheson ranked first in the conference in three-point percentage, knocking down nearly 50% of her tries. Wright led the conference with 6.1 assists per game.
Also finding a spot on the First Team was Danville’s Alaina Gourley, Kaylee Webb of West Burlington, and Van Buren County’s Sophia Jirak. Gourley finished second in the conference in points per game with 17 and tied for first in steals with 4.2. Webb led the conference with 4.2 steals per game and added 7.8 rebounds to her 12.9 points per game. Jirak did it all with 10.9 points, 3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game.
Holy Trinity Catholic’s Adalyn Kruse found a spot on the 2nd Team as she supplied 11.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Danville placed two on the 2nd Team in Alivia Bauer, as she put up 11.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, and Brynley Wenig.
Mediapolis’ final senior, Maycie Thornburg, was put on the 2nd Team, as was Central Lee’s Taylor Jones and Nora Lampe. Burlington Notre Dame’s Daisy Hazell made the 2nd Team along with West Burlington’s Presley Prill and Van Buren County’s Marlee Mertens and Adalyn Snowgren, who led the Warriors in scoring.
*Unanimous
First Team: Kenna Sandoval*, Central Lee; Alaina Gourley*, Danville; Grace Holsteen*, Mediapolis; Josie Hutcheson*, Mediapolis; Ellah Wagenbach*, Mediapolis; Amilia Grier*, Mediapolis, Bryn Wrigth, Mediapolis; Kaylee Webb*, West Burlington; Sophia Jirak, Van Buren County
Second Team: Taylor Jones*, Central Lee; Nora Lampe, Central Lee; Alivia Bauer*, Danville; Brynley Wenig, Danville; Adalyn Kruse*, Holy Trinity Catholic; Presley Prill*, West Burlington; Adalyn Snowgren, Van Buren County; Marlee Mertens, Van Buren County; Maycie Thornburg, Mediapolis
Honorable Mentions: Jayden Mueller and Macie Doty of Central Lee. Addi Steffener of Mediapolis. Daphny Wells and Kayley Snowgren of Van Buren County. Kaitlyn Kipp and Kinsey Cameron of Burlington Notre Dame. Elizabeth Griffin and Olivia Bendlage of Holy Trinity Catholic. Megan Lee and Molly Proost of New London. Macie Wagner and Violette Sowell of Danville. Kyleigh Applegate and Adley Mundth of West Burlington.
Standings: Mediapolis (16-0), Danville (10-4), Van Buren County (9-5), West Burlington (9-5), Central Lee (8-6), Holy Trinity Catholic (3-10), Burlington Notre Dame (2-11), New London (0-14)