A total of five girls basketball players named to All-Conference first or second team
By Mark Schafer | The News-Review
This winter was a year full of broken records, and some history being rewritten in the South Iowa Cedar League.
Just among the area schools one team spent part of the year ranked. Another team played only seven girls and still advanced to the regional semifinals. Every area team that played in the SICL this winter broke some type of record.
Because of the success the three area schools were well recognized on the SICL All-Conference lists this year.
On the first-team list was Sigourney sophomore, Brynn Clarahan. Keota’s Cameron Haifley and English Valleys Anna Luers
Making the second-team All-Conference list were Addison Achenbach from English Valleys and Keota’s Emily Conger.
For Sigourney, their sophomore do-everything guard, Brynn Clarahan earned a unanimous selection to the All-Conference first team by having another outstanding season. She played and started in all 24 games for the Savages and racked up a conference-leading 573 points this winter. She shot 42 percent from the field. She made 47 three pointers and was lethal at the free throw line making 112 of the 153 free throws she attempted, shooting 73 percent from the stripe.
She was more than just an offensive player. Overall she grabbed a team-leading 176 rebounds (131 on defense). She had 176 steals (leading the conference). She also finished with 87 assists and three blocks. Simply put, if Sigourney needed something done it was usually Clarahan who ended up with the ball.
Clarahan wasn’t the only unanimous player from the area selected to the list.
Keota sophomore Cameron Haifley was also named to the first-team All-Conference list without hesitation. Haifley scored 418 points this winter, which was the second-most in conference play. She finished the year making 35 percent of her field goals.Overall, she sank 45 three pointers. At the line she made 89 of her 125 free throws to finish the season shooting 71 percent. Haifley also proved to be a well-rounded player. She pulled in 78 rebounds, 53 assists, 73 steals and she collected 30 blocks on the year. Her 30 blocks were the third-most amongst all SICL players this season.
English Valleys sophomore Anna Luers was also named to the first-team All-Conference list. The Bears asked a lot from their players this winter as they finished with only seven players on their roster. That didn’t seem to hold back the Bears, or especially, Luers.
The sophomore would score 293 total points this season. She shot 36 percent from the field, and went to the free throw line 130 times, making 87 shots and finishing the year shooting 67 percent from the line.
Luers proved she could do just about anything on the court. She led her team with 194 rebounds, grabbing 127 boards on defense. She also had 107 steals, the third most in conference play this year. She also had 48 assists and 38 blocks.
On the second team All-Conference list was English Valleys junior Addison Achenbach. Achenbach played in all 24 games and wound up scoring 275 points by the end of the year. She shot 31 percent from the field, and would make 69 percent of the free throws she attempted, as 89 of her 130 free throws counted for points. Overall, Achenbach was able to see the floor well. She finished the season with 96 rebounds, 52 of those coming on the defensive end. She also had 60 assists, 54 steals and five blocks.
Emily Conger was a solid player for the Eagles this year. She would finish the season with 219 total points. Conger was able to shoot the ball from anywhere as she made 40 percent of her field goals and was shooting 39 percent from three point land. She was almost automatic at the free throw line shooting 82 percent.
Conger added 73 rebounds, 41 assists, 64 steals and a block throughout the year.
A number of local athletes were also named to the All-Conference honorable mention list.
For Sigourney Bailey Gretter and Ella Bruns were both named to the honorable mention list.
Gretter finished her junior season with 224 points scored. She had 98 rebounds, with 50 of those coming on the offensive side of the floor. She also had 56 steals, 38 assists and three blocks.
Bruns would score 75 points. She had 73 rebounds with 28 assists, 27 steals and a block to cap off her sophomore year.
Freshman Jessalyn Aller and senior Kennedy Jackson were both named to the honorable mention list for Keota.
Aller had an outstanding freshman season as she finished with 174 total points. She also had 163 total rebounds with 104 of those on defense. This winter, Aller had 24 assists, 22 steals and nine blocks.
Jackson was a strong player for the Eagles throughout the season. She had 126 total points. She added 102 rebounds, 27 steals, 26 assists and 11 blocks.
English Valleys named Kaylynn Caster and Aubrey Achenbach to the honorable mention list.
Caster finished the season with 195 points. She had 183 rebounds, 49 steals, 21 assists and 11 blocks.
Aubrey Achenbach scored 205 points this season. She pulled in 87 rebounds, 39 steals, 28 assists and four blocks.
Photos by Mark Schafer
