The Tribunes 2007-08 Girls Basketball All-Area Teams

Published 12:00 am Saturday, March 22, 2008

First team

Kate Hartman

Northwood-Kensett

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Sophomore

Kate Hartman earned the Tribune&8217;s all-area player of the year honor as a sophomore. She was a unanimous first-team Corn Bowl Conference selection and was the only girl to average a double-double in the area. She accounted for almost half the Vikings&8217; point production with 15.3 points per game and an average of two assists per contest.

Alyssa Kerkhoff

New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva

Freshman

Alyssa Kerkhoff posted stunning numbers from the point guard position. Leading the Panthers &8212; the best team record in the area &8212; to a 16-11 mark overall and 13-3 in the Gopher Conference, she averaged 14 points per game and led the team with 2.5 assists per game. She shot 33 percent for the season and 57 percent from the line. She also swiped 88 steals.

Abbey Arends

Albert Lea

Sophomore

Abbey Arends led Albert Lea in points with 246 and averaged 9.8.

Arends averaged 8.3 per contest for Albert Lea, which finished at 7-19 overall and 5-13 in the Big Nine. She hit nearly 40 percent of her attempted field goals and connected on 32 percent of her 3-point tries. Arends hit 69 percent of her free throws (91-for-132) and recorded 40 assists.

Val Sahr

United South Central

Freshman

Val Sahr led the 7-19 United South Central Rebels, and should continue to do so for the next few years. As a freshman she averaged 9.8 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per contest &8212; including 59 total offensive boards. She shot 40 percent from the floor and notched 37 steals and six blocked shots. From the line, she shot 56-for-103, good for 54 percent.

Megan Miller

Alden-Conger

Junior

Megan Miller scored 11.1 points per game for Alden-Conger, which played to an 8-15 mark this season under first-year coach Gary Newman. The Knights were 2-9 in the Valley Conference. Miller, a junior, averaged 5.7 rebounds and one assist per contest. She shot 39 percent from the floor and shot 67 percent from the charity stripe.

Second team

Morgan Stadheim

Albert Lea

Sophomore

Morgan Stadheim scored an average of 7.8 points this season for coach Karol Hansen&8217;s squad, which went 7-19 in 2007-08. Stadheim shot 37 percent from the floor for the Tigers and grabbed 7.4 rebounds per game. Stadheim converted 60 percent of her free throws (65-for-109) and had 31 steals in addition to her 25 assists.

Kelsey Christensen

New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva

Junior

Kelsey Christensen was a captain for the Panthers this season, and returned for her second full year of starting. She averaged six points a game and grabbed 4.6 rebounds while starting every game for NRHEG. She had 52 steals and dished out 48 helpers. She hit 54-of-94 free throws, good for second-best on the team for those who had more than 50 attempts.

Alyssa Hagen

New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva

Sophomore

Alyssa Hagen was a NRHEG captain this season and earned all-conference distinction. She was one of three Panthers to average in double-figures with 11.3 per game while shooting 35 percent. She led the Panthers in rebounding with around eight boards per game, including 91 total offensive rebounds. Hagen was second on the team in assists with 55.

Hali Hendrickson

Albert Lea

Senior

Hali Hendrickson led the Tigers in 3-point percentage, points, rebound average and assists, but missed Albert Lea&8217;s first 10 games. Her 15.4 points per game led the area and her 68 assists, better than four per game. Hendrickson made 32 percent of her 3-point attempts (30-for-93) and pulled down 8.8 rebounds a game. She had 17 blocked shots in 16 games played.

Jordyn VanRyswyk

Glenville-Emmons

Senior

Jordyn VanRyswyk was Glenville-Emmons&8217; go-to girl this season. She scored 11.2 points per game for the Wolverines, who finished the season at 6-18. She made 41 percent of her field goals down low for Glenville-Emmons and gave the Wolverines an inside presence, grabbing 7.2 rebounds per contest. She led the area in blocks with 2.6 per game and 63 total.

Third team

Lauren Schuster

United South Central

Senior

Lauren Schuster scored 6.5 points per game for the USC Rebels, who finished 2007-08 at 7-19. In 20 games, Schuster turned the ball over only 27 times and blocked 16 shots. She shot at a 35 percent clip from the field and 54 percent from the line. Her season-high for 2007-08 was 20 points. Schuster had 23 steals on the season.

Alyssa Bangert

Alden-Conger

Senior

Alyssa Bangert ran the offense for Alden-Conger this year. Coach Gary Newman applauded her for doing things that don&8217;t show up in on the stat sheet &8212; especially on defense and in a leadership role. Bangert averaged five points per game and shot at a 42 percent clip. She had 54 rebounds, 28 steals and 23 assists, and made 51 percent of her free throws.

Jordynn Brackey

Lake Mills

Senior

Jordynn Brackey was Lake Mills&8217; leader on the hardwood this season, averaging eight

points per game for the 3-19 Bulldogs. Brackey, a senior, connected on 41 percent of her shots (63-for-154) and made seven 3-pointers out of 29 attempts. She made 55 percent of her free throws this season and almost six rebounds, which also led the the Bulldogs.

Kristina Cole

New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva

Freshman

Kristina Cole was NRHEG&8217;s third-leading scorer and averaged six rebounds per game for the Panthers, who came close to another Gopher Conference title with a 13-3 conference mark. Cole led the team in field-goal average, converting 43 percent of her shots. She also hit five 3-pointers and led the team in free-throw average, making 63 percent (76-for-121).

Lauren Hartman

Northwood-Kensett

Senior

Lauren Hartman was one of only two girls to shoot better than 40 percent from the field for the Vikings. The other was her sister and player of the year Kate Hartman. She was second on the team with 8.1 points per game and third in rebounding with 4.7 per game. Her greatest asset to the team was her senior leadership and mentoring the younger players on the squad.