Shared from the 4/18/2019 American News eEdition

2019 All-Area Girls Basketball Team

It was another hard-fought, competitive girls high school basketball season on the hardcourt in northeast South Dakota. Three teams found their way through region play and the SoDak 16 to every squad’s ultimate destination — the state tournament.

Aberdeen Roncalli advanced to its second straight Class A state tournament, becoming the first Cavaliers team to make it to back-to-back state tourneys. Warner found itself one of the eight final teams in Class B for the third straight year, while Ipswich made its return trip for the first time since 1988. As is always the case, however, there is more to each season that just a state tournament appearance.

Here is a capsule-style look at each player selected to this year’s All-Area Basketball Team.

Emma Yeske, Aberdeen Central

Class: Senior. Position: Forward. Season Stats: 10 points per game, 11 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game.

“Emma is one of the toughest athletes that I’ve coached. She played through a nagging knee injury and continued to improve her game throughout the season. She was our best defender and was able to guard every position on the court.” — head coach Dawn Seiler.

Mariah Winegar, Aberdeen Roncalli

Class: Senior. Position: Center. Season Stats: 14 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game. Awards/Honors: Class A All-State Third Team, All-Northeast Conference selection.

“Mariah has been a staple for us in the post the last couple of seasons. She has really made herself into a post player that can go both directions with several post moves. Mariah was our leading scorer and rebounder this season and showcased her talent in the first round of the state tournament scoring 26 points and grabbing 12 rebounds against eventual state champs in Winner.” — head coach Derek Larson.

Jami Ewart, Aberdeen Roncalli

Class: Senior. Position: Guard. Season Stats: 11.1 points per game, 5 rebounds per game, 3.9 assists per game. Awards/Honors: All-Northeast Conference selection.

“Jami started at the point for us for five years. She has been the definition of consistency and toughness battling through injuries in the last two state tournaments. She was our best defender and always guarded the other team’s best player and never missed a game in her high school career.” — head coach Derek Larson.

Megan Streier, Aberdeen Roncalli

Class: Senior. Position: Guard. Season Stats: 11 points per game, 3.1 rebounds per game, 1.6 assists per game. Awards/Honors: All-Northeast Conference selection.

“Megan started a guard position for us for five years. This season was her best offensively, but more importantly, she really defended well this year. Megan made 60 3-point baskets this year, which featured seven 3s against Clark/Willow Lake. She really extended defenses and gave others opportunities because teams keyed on her. Megan was another athlete who never missed a game in five years of starting in our program.” — head coach Derek Larson.

Taylor Cramer, Faulkton Area

Class: Senior. Position: Guard. Season Stats: 11.3 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, 2 assists per game, 1.7 steals per game. Awards/Honors: All-Lake Region Conference selection.

“Taylor was a great leader on and off the court for us last year. She was a consistent scorer and rebounder throughout the season.” — head coach Chase Casper.

Brooke Niederbaumer, Faulkton Area

Class: Junior. Position: Guard. Season Stats: 11.4 points per game, 6 rebounds per game, 2 assists per game, 1.5 steals per game. Awards/Honors: All-Lake Region Conference selection.

“Brooke was a steady contributor for our team on both ends of the floor last season. She is a very versatile player and consistently scored from both the low-post and mid-range areas.” — head coach Chase Casper.

Madalyn Schumacher, Herreid/Selby Area.

Class: Senior. Position: Guard/Forward. Season Stats: 11.6 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game, 2.3 steals per game.

“Madalyn was a four-year starter and two-year captain for us. Madalyn is a versatile scorer being able to shoot the 3, as well as use her length and skill to attack the basket. Her length and athleticism helped her to be an effective rebounder as well. Maddie was a senior captain and did a nice job in a leadership role helping to bridge the gap between the few upperclassmen we had and the large number of younger players.” — head coach Steve Sawinsky.

Rachel Fiedler, Herreid/Selby Area

Class: Sophomore. Position: Guard/Forward. Season Stats: 14.3 points per game, 5 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game, 2 steals per game.

“A two-year starter, Rachel can score both inside and out, and also has the ability to create and set up her teammates, as she also led our team in assists. She was an efficient scorer this season, with a 44-percent effective field goal percentage, and also shot 77 percent from the free throw line. Rachel is also an excellent defender and at times is assigned to guard the other team’s best scorer.” — head coach Steve Sawinsky.

Kamryn Heinz, Ipswich

Class: Senior. Position: Forward. Season Stats: 18 points per game, 10 rebounds per game, 4 assists per game. Awards/Honors: Class B All-State First Team, All-Lake Region Conference selection.

“Kamryn was just one of the hardest working players I’ve been around and leaves Ipswich as the No. 2 leading scorer and rebounder in the program’s history. She also finished with the most assists in history and in 3-pointers made. She will be missed.” — head coach Brian Hogie.

Abby Grabowska, Ipswich

Class: Senior. Position: Forward. Season Stats: 11 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, 2 steals per game. Awards/Honors: All-Lake Region Conference selection.

“Abby really made out defense work this season. She wasn’t the biggest girl on the floor, but she used her athleticism to really make it difficult on our opponents. She took 16 charges this season and used her positioning on the floor really well.” — head coach Brian Hogie.

Halle Heinz, Ipswich

Class: Sophomore. Position: Guard. Season Stats: 17 points per game, 4 rebounds per game, 3 steals per game. Awards/Honors: Class B All-State Third Team, All-Lake Region Conference selection.

“Halle really had a breakout season for us. She broke a school record for 3-pointers in a season with 66, set a new school record for 3s in a game with 10, and set another school record for steals in a season with 78. She also had three 30-point performances this season.” — head coach Brian Hogie.

Ady Dwight, Langford Area

Class: Junior. Position: Forward. Season Stats: 19.8 points per game, 10.1 rebounds per game, 2.3 steals per game, 1.5 blocks per game. Awards/Honors: All-Lake Region Conference selection.

“Ady has a tremendous work ethic, and it shows. She spends a lot of time in the gym and in the weight room during the off-season to improve her game. She attracts a lot of attention from other teams, but is still able to score or get to the free throw line. Her athletic ability and length make her a good defender and a terrific rebounder.” — head coach Michael Alberts.

Chesney Olson, Langford Area

Class: Senior. Position: Guard. Season Stats: 11.1 points per game, 11.6 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game, 3.7 steals per game. Awards/Honors: All-Lake Region Conference selection.

“Whatever Chesney does, she always puts in 100-percent effort. Her hustle and effort always put her in the rights spots to get rebounds or steals. Chesney does a little bit of everything for our team. Whatever you tell her to do, she will do it. She makes smart decisions and tries to do whatever it takes for us to win. She is a great role model for younger kids and a great leader for our team.” — head coach Michael Alberts.

Nicole Schmitz, Oakes, N.D.

Class: Junior. Position: Forward. Season Stats: 16.7 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game, 2.5 assists per game. Awards/Honors: Class B All-State Second Team, All-Region 3 selection.

“Nicole is a great person and very talented basketball player. She is an extremely hard worker and I’m very excited to have her for another year. She is a versatile player that plays both inside and outside while also excelling in our transition game. She is a true position-less player who can match up offensively and defensively with anyone on the court.” — head coach Brennan Hack.

Jenna Robbennolt, Potter County

Class: Junior. Position: Forward. Season Stats: 11.5 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, 1.7 assists per game.

“Jenna is a universal player, she can do almost anything you need her to do on and off the court. She has more talent than she knows she has and is just a very fun player to watch.” — head coach Shawn Donovan.

Ashley Fischbach, Warner

Class: Senior. Position: Guard. Season Stats: 12 points per game, 6 rebounds per game, 4.5 assists per game. Award/Honors: All-Lake Region Conference selection.

“Ashley was a very important part of our success this year. She worked hard to become a very good shooter. Ashley was a player that other teams had to prepare for because of her ability to hit shots on the perimeter as well as get herself to the rim. Ashley was one of our captains and did a good job with the other captains of leading our team this year.” — head coach Stewart Bohle.

See this article in the e-Edition Here