24 WPIAL players, 2 coaches earn all-state girls basketball honors

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, April 24, 2018 | 3:15 PM

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Mars basketball teammates Lauren Wasylson and Tai Johnson, who won a state title together, have reason to celebrate with coach Dana Petruska one more time.

The two players were among 11 girls from the WPIAL who earned first-team all-state honors Tuesday, and Petruska was named the state's Coach of the Year in Class 5A. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic's Molly Rottmann, whose team won the WPIAL title, was the state's top coach in Class 4A.

Also earning first-team honors were Peters Township's Makenna Marisa, North Allegheny's Rachel Martindale, Beaver's Bella Posset, Bishop Canevin's Brionna Allen, East Allegheny's Amani Johnson, Leechburg's Mikayla Lovelace, Chartiers-Houston's Alexa Williamson, and Winchester Thurston teammates Gia Thorpe and Ayanna Townsend.

The teams were selected by a statewide vote of sports writers.

Mars was the only WPIAL basketball team to win a state title this season. The Planets defeated Archbishop Wood, 36-33, in the state finals March 28.

In all, 24 WPIAL players were honors on the first, second or third team.

Earning second-team honors were Hampton's Laryn Edwards, Chartiers Valley's Megan McConnell, Blackhawk's Mackenzie Amalia and Mady Aulbach, Southmoreland's Cali Konek, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic's Kylee Lewandowski, Bishop Canevin's Shamyjha Price and Vincentian Academy's Caroline Elliott.

Latrobe's Laura Graytok, North Allegheny's Piper Morningstar, Hampton's Ali Collins, Thomas Jefferson's Jenna Clark and CWNC's Tess Myers earned third team.

ALL-STATE GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM

The 2017-18 Pennsylvania Sports Writers All-State Girls Basketball teams, including each player's school, height, class and scoring average.

CLASS 6A

First team

Kate Connolly, Souderton, 6-2, Sr., 11.3

Kenzie Gardler, Cardinal O'Hara, 5-7, Sr., 14.2

Makenna Marisa, Peters Township, 5-11, Jr., 22.9

Rachel Martindale, North Allegheny, 5-9, Jr., 15.3

Taylor O'Brien, Plymouth-Whitemarsh, 5-10, Sr., 22.8

Jackie Vargas, Upper Dublin, 6-3, So., 11.3

Second team

Alexa Brodie, Central Bucks South, 5-6, Jr., 13.2

Kassondra Brown, Abington, 6-2, Jr., 18.3

Maddie Burke, Central Bucks West, 6-0, So., 14.7

Jamiya Eaddy, Erie, 5-5, Sr., 20.8

Megan Jonassen, Perkiomen Valley, 6-1, Sr., 17.5

Victoria Keenan, Northampton, 5-7, Jr., 16.8

Hailey Meinel, Central Bucks South, 5-10, Sr., 16.1

Third team

Kion Andrews, Allen, 5-7, Sr., 18.3

Brianne Borcky, Garnet Valley, 6-0, Jr., 10.3

Leanna Deegan, Easton, 6-0, Sr., 15.8

Laura Graytok, Latrobe, 5-7, Sr., 23.1

Maura Hendrixson, Cardinal O'Hara, 5-10, Sr., 13.8

Emily McAteer, Garnet Valley, 6-0, Jr., 15.3

Piper Morningstar, North Allegheny, 6-0, Sr., 11.1

Awards

Player of the year: Taylor O'Brien, Plymouth-Whitemarsh

Coach of the year: Morgan Funsten, Upper Dublin

CLASS 5A

First team

Dajahnae Brannon, Harrisburg, 5-10, Sr., 17.4

Rajah Fink, Dover, 5-11, Sr., 25.3

Tai Johnson, Mars, 5-7, Jr., 18.4

Katie May, Archbishop Wood, 5-11, Sr., 8.8

Amanda Mobley, Southern Lehigh, 5-6, Sr., 11.1

Lauren Wasylson, Mars, 5-10, Sr., 17.5

Second team

Laryn Edwards, Hampton, 5-8, Sr., 21.7

Taylor Geiman, South Western, 6-0, Jr., 13.4

Molly Masciantonio, Archbishop Carroll, 5-9, Sr., 16.1

Megan McConnell, Chartiers Valley, 5-6, So., 19.0

Olivia Snyder, Southern Lehigh, 6-0, Jr., 17.6

Jaden Walker, Susquehannock, 5-10, Jr., 14.8

Third team

Kaitlyn Orihel, Archbishop Wood, 5-9, Fr., 10.5

Ali Benim, Harbor Creek, 5-9, Jr., 20.0

Ali Collins, Hampton, 5-7, Sr., 20.0

Jenna Clark, Thomas Jefferson, 5-6, Jr., 17.7

Grace Ferguson, West Chester Henderson, 6-2, Jr., 11.6

Margo Loutzenhiser, Warren, 5-9, Jr., 18.4

Peyton McDaniel, Twin Valley, 5-11, So., 18.0

Awards

Player of the year: Katie May, Archbishop Wood

Coach of the year: Dana Petruska, Mars

CLASS 4A

First team

Kiki Jefferson, Lancaster Catholic, 6-0, Jr., 18.0

Taliyah Medina, Bethlehem Catholic, 6-0, So., 14.0

Molly Mraz, Erie Villa Maria, 5-8, Sr., 11.7

Sydney Palermo, Erie Villa Maria, 6-2, Sr., 13.0

Bella Posset, Beaver, 5-8, Sr., 19.6

Dejah Terrell, Berks Catholic, 6-0, Sr., 17.1

Second team

Mackenzie Amalia, Blackhawk, 5-5, So., 17.0

Mady Aulbach, Blackhawk, 5-5, Jr., 16.0

Cali Konek, Southmoreland, 5-7, Jr., 17.9

Kayley Kovac, Jim Thorpe, 5-10, Sr., 23.7

Kylee Lewandowski, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, 6-0, So., 15.2

Leah Miller, Punxsutawney, 5-11, Sr., 15.3

Third team

Olivia Fasick, Bishop McDevitt, 5-8, Jr., 16.4

Skylynn Faust, Lehighton, 5-11, Sr., 22.8

Sarah Holweg, Wyoming Area, 5-7, Sr., 16.0

Hannah Kauffman, Jersey Shore, 5-9, Jr., 19.0

Reese Mensinger, Berwick, 5-7, Sr., 21.8

Tess Myers, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, 5-10, So., 13.0

Rachael Rose, Scranton Prep, 5-2, Fr., 15.7

Awards

Player of the year: Kiki Jefferson, Lancaster Catholic

Coach of the year: Molly Rottmann, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic

CLASS 3A

First team

Brionna Allen, Bishop Canevin, 5-7, Sr., 15.6

Anna Camden, Shipley, 6-1, Jr., 17.6

Halle Herrington, Philipsburg-Osceola, 5-4, Jr., 30.6

Jabria Ingram, Neumann-Goretti, 5-8, Sr., 16.5

Amani Johnson, East Allegheny, 5-5, Sr., 28.9

Averi Jordan, North Schuylkill, 5-10, Sr., 25.7

Second team

Olivia Fusaro, West Shamokin, 5-8, Sr., 22.2

Emily Hegedus, Karns City, 5-9, Sr., 25.7

Shamyjha Price, Bishop Canevin, 5-9, Jr., 14.4

Casey Remolde, Saint Basil, 5-10, Jr., 13.0

Tory Self, Wellsboro, 5-8, Sr., 20.4

Victoria Toomey, Dunmore, 6-1, Jr., 17.0

Nicole Varano, Mount Carmel, 5-9, Sr., 22.5

Third team

Jaye Haynes, Germantown Academy, 5-8, So., 12.0

Tatiana Jones, Neumann-Goretti, 5-11, Jr., 14.0

Sunshine McCrae, Camp Hill Trinity, 6-0, Jr., 13.6

Summer Reeser, Pequea Valley, 5-6, So., 18.0

Alana Swift, Imhotep, 5-6, Jr., 12.1

Awards

Player of the year: Jabria Ingram, Neumann-Goretti

Coach of the year: Kevin Bankos, York Catholic

CLASS 2A

First team

Diamond Bragg. Camp Hill, 5-9, Sr., 22.1

Alli Campbell, Bellwood-Antis, 6-1, So., 26.4

Rena Enterline, Blairsville, 5-8, Sr., 19.8

Mikayla Lovelace, Leechburg, 5-10, Sr., 23.8

Maggie Wigoda, Minersville, 5-9, Sr., 16.9

Alexa Williamson, Chartiers-Houston, 6-1, Sr., 30.7

Second team

Delaney Dogan, West Middlesex, 6-0, Sr., 16.8

Caroline Elliott, Vincentian, 5-10, Sr., 17.0

Autumn Fennell, Penns Manor, 5-3, Jr., 17.7

Ella Marconi, Kane, 6-2, Jr., 15.3

Tamiah Robinson, West Catholic, 5-6, So., 13.9

Third team

Brenna Babcock, Northwest, 5-5, Jr., 16.7

Megan Babinsky, Mahanoy Area, 5-4, Sr., 10.7

Megan Bisco, Mahanoy Area, 5-8, Sr., 11.5

Emily Fullem, Ridgway, 6-1, Sr., 20.4

Taylor Geer, Keystone, 5-10, Sr., 20.2

Maggie Pina, Notre Dame de Namur, 5-7, Jr., 17.7

Makennah White, West Middlesex, 6-0, So., 19.2

Awards

Player of the year: Alli Campbell, Bellwood-Antis

Coach of the year: Jim Swaney, Bellwood-Antis

CLASS A

First team

Alexis Hill, Lebanon Catholic, 6-0, Sr., 18.0

Alyssa Martinazzi, Bishop Carroll, 5-9., Sr., 18.8

Tori Obenrader, North Clarion, 5-11, Sr., 24.2

Halee Smith, Juniata Valley, 5-11, So., 16.1

Gia Thorpe, Winchester Thurston, 5-9, Sr., 23.3

Ayanna Townsend, Winchester Thurston, 6-2, Sr., 15.2

Second team

Kiera Booth, Berlin Brothersvalley, 6-1, So., 16.9

Jennifer Kremp, Jenkintown, 5-8, Sr., 14.7

Malia Magestro, Kennedy Catholic, 5-9, So., 22.0

Shayna McNamee, Saint John Neumann, 5-8, Jr., 17.1

Ellie Thompson, Allegheny-Clarion Valley, 5-8, Sr., 19.5

Third team

Selina Albert, Lourdes Regional, 5-11, Sr., 15.0

Jessica King, Sullivan County, 6-0, So., 10.8

Mia Kolb, Jenkintown, 5-9, Jr., 10.7

Mykenzie Malacusky, Sullivan County, 5-7, Jr., 14.3

Emily Zocsin, Weatherly, 5-6, Jr., 18.7

Awards

Player of the year: Alexis Hill, Lebanon Catholic

Coach of the year: Jim Romano, Jenkintown

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.