One last hurrah for Fitzpatrick

CEDAR RAPIDS - Before the attention shifts full-time to track, Kari Fitzpatrick took one last opportunity to wear her Edgewood-Colesburg basketball jersey.

Fitzpatrick, a two-time Iowa Newspaper Association Class 2A first team all-state selection, competed for the 2A Select team in the Larry Niemeyer Senior All-Star girls' basketball event Sunday at Kirkwood's Johnson Hall. Her 2A team defeated the 1A Select team, 85-59.

'Being able to come back and put it on and play again was really nice,” Fitzpatrick said. 'And to showcase the other great players around the area. It's nice.”

Fitzpatrick scored 13 points for the 2A team, and had impressive on-court chemistry with 2015 Miss Iowa Basketball Nicole Miller of North-Linn. Fitzpatrick and Miller ran the floor effectively for some easy transition baskets. Miller added seven points for the 2A team, while Highland's Chelsey Lampe chipped in six.

'We come from rival schools,” Fitzpatrick said. 'We used to be in the same conference. When we're on the same team, we just put it aside and try to win.”

Fitzpatrick was a very productive four-year player for the Vikings. She averaged over 20 points per game in both her junior and senior seasons. Though she primarily played point guard, the 5-foot-9 Fitzpatrick's rebounding numbers spiked impressively the past two seasons. As a senior, she finished second in the state with 317 total rebounds, good for 13.8 per game.

'Coach kept stressing to me, ‘We have to rebound, we have to box out,'” Fitzgerald said. 'Being a senior and the tallest on the team, I knew that was one of things that I would have to step up and do.”

Fitzpatrick returns to the Ed-Co track team this spring. At last year's Class 1A state meet, she placed fourth in the 1,500 meter run and eighth in the 3,200. This season, she has her sights set on the 800, the 1,500 and possibly the 3,200. She will also compete on Ed-Co's 3,200 relay team in either the starting position or anchor. After graduation, she'll play basketball at Upper Iowa and study sports administration.

Rylee Voss of English Valleys led all scorers with 18 points for the 1A team, while Sarah Matus of Springville added 11. Cedar Valley Christian's Shelby Hembera was listed on the 1A roster but did not play as she continues to work her way back from an ankle injury.

In other games, Elkader Central's Kiana Stender poured in 15 points, while Lauren Miller of English Valleys added 14 in Class 1A White's 89-50 win over Class 1A Grey. Maddie Boer of North-Linn helped Class 2A White get by Class 2A Grey, 88-83, with 18 points.

AT JOHNSON HALL

1A WHITE (89): Kiana Stender 5 1-2 15, Angel Rasmussen 5 1-1 12, Lauren Miller 6 0-0 14, Andrea McClary 6 0-0 12, Riley Schmieder 4 0-0 8, Madison Sieren 4 0-0 10, Lysandra James 4 2-2 10, Lauren Link 1 0-0 2, Marisa Pope 2 0-0 4, Totals 38 4-5 89.

1A GREY (50): Becca Wiarda 1 0-0 2, Nicole Blum 3 0-0 7, Hanna Christopher 5 0-0 10, Anna Hermann 4 0-0 9, MacKenzie Petersen 0 1-2 1, Morgan Petersen 2 0-1 2, Deena Snyder 2 0-0 2, Lisa Moss 0 0-0 0, Shannon Eads 1 1-4 3, Totals 23 2-7 50.

Halftime-1A White 46-19. Three-point goals-1A White 8 (Stender 4, Miller 2, Sieren 2, Rasmussen 1); 1A Grey 2 (Blum, Herrmann).

AT JOHNSON HALL

1A SELECT (59): Sarah Matus 3 0-0 7, Kaitlyn Johnson 0 0-0 0, Jordan Carter 0 0-0 0, Shayla Dean 1 0-2 0, Brianna Wells 2 0-0 4, Macy Williams 1 0-0 3, Taylor Hickey 4 0-0 9, Rylee Voss 7 4-5 18, Rachel Smith 4 0-0 10, Totals 24 4-7 59.

2A SELECT (85): Nicole Miller 3 0-0 7, Kari Fitzpatrick 5 3-4 13, Steffi Cunard 3 2-2 9, Haley Birks 2 5-6 9, Elsa Anderson 7 2-2 16, Morgan Muhlbauer 2 2-2 7, Anna Yung 1 0-0 2, Kayla Morgan 4 0-0 8, Amanda Cartney 2 4-6 8, Chelsey Lampe, 3 0-2 6, Totals 32 18-24 85.

Halftime-2A Select 39-27. Three-point goals-1A Select 7 (Smith 2, Barritt 2, Williams 1, Hickey 1, Matus 1); 2A Select 3 (Cunnard 1, Miller 1, Muhlbauer 1).

AT JOHNSON HALL

2A WHITE (88): Erica Armstrong 4 1-2 9, Kelsey Pretz 6 1-2 13, Tori Clauson 2 1-4 5, Lindsey Koch 4 2-3 13, Kali Rasmussen 1 0-0 3, Baily Janssen 6 0-1 12, Maddie Boer 7 1-1 18, Jessi Campbell 2 1-2 5, Grace Austin 3 1-2 10, Totals 35 8-17 88.

2A GREY (83): Claire Molony 0 0-0 0, Hallie Linhart 6 0-0 14, Jasmine Stabler 2 0-1 2, Kristen Weber 9 0-0 21, Hannah Stein 2 5-6 9, Kennedy Core 3 0-0 7, Gabbie Mohs 1 0-0 2, Kayli Christensen 9 0-0 18, Courtney Larson 4 0-0 8, Totals 36 5-7 83.

Halftime-2A Grey 44-38. Three-point goals-2A White 10 (Boer 3, Koch 3, Austin 3, Rasmussen 1), 2A Grey 6 (Weber 3, Linhart 2, Core 1)

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com