Miller, Sanderson headline all-area team

When it was time to purchase a home, Nate Sanderson was less concerned about the house than the yard.

It had to be flat. It had to be spacious.

Sanderson is a social studies teacher and a girls' basketball coach at Springville High School. But his stamp on the world lies beyond that.

On Memorial Day weekend and again Labor Day weekend, the Sanderson yard becomes the home of a Wiffle ball tournament, with all proceeds going to various charities. Last year's tournaments raised more than $3,000.

He also initiated 'The Charity Stripe,” a day when his team shoots free throws, with funds going to Kids Against Hunger.

'He's just one of those guys that leaves an impact,” said senior Sarah Matus. 'He inspires you to find something you love and to dedicate yourself to it. I'm definitely glad I was able to play for him.”

Sanderson has constructed more that foul poles and backstops. At Springville, he has rebuilt a girls' basketball winner.

After five consecutive losing seasons, the Orioles used a blend of veterans and talented newcomers to rise. Springville went 23-4 and reached the Class 1A championship game before falling a bucket short against Newell-Fonda.

Sanderson is the Gazette/KCRG-TV9 girls' basketball coach of the year.

'Things fell into place for us,” said Sanderson, 37, who has a 61-56 mark in five seasons at Springville after turning around a moribund program at Louisa-Muscatine. 'We got great leadership out of our seniors (Matus and Rachel Gloeckner). And we had a lot of kids who were extremely selfless.”

Nicole Miller of North-Linn, Miss Iowa Basketball for 2015, was an easy choice for area player of the year. The Drake University recruit was second in the state in scoring at 26.5 points per game and led the Lynx (25-2) to a second-place finish in 2A.

She is joined on the 10-player unit by Megan Maahs and Rose Simon-Ressler of 4A runner-up Western Dubuque, Mikaela Morgan of 5A semifinalist Iowa City West, Stephanie Botkin and Lela Sellers of Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Kari Fitzpatrick of Edgewood-Colesburg, Ashley Joens of Iowa City High, Amanda Ollinger of Linn-Mar and Arika Wooldridge of Center Point-Urbana.

Miller led the Lynx to a four-year mark of 93-10 with two state appearances. She finished her career with 2,207 points, which ranks No. 10 all-time in the five-player game.

'I hope the impact we've had on our school is the little ones we've impacted. I hope we've been positive role models,” Miller said when named Miss Iowa Basketball. 'I'll never forget the relationship I've had with the other girls, especially the seniors. It's been a lot of fun, and I'm really sad it's over.”

Miller collected 7.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 4.5 steals per game this season.

Tri-Rivers rivals North-Linn and Springville both made it to championship night. The Lynx weren't a major surprise.

The Orioles were.

Even though Sanderson's first four seasons resulted in sub-. 500 records, something was building. And it exploded this season.

'It was the best overall experience I've ever had,” Matus said. 'It's not just because we were winning. Everybody bought into Coach's motto - Play Hard, Love Each Other, Do What We Do.”

Springville ranked fifth in the state in field goal accuracy at 48.8 percent and fourth in assists with 469.

'We were an equal-opportunity offense,” Sanderson said. 'We don't do a lot of dribble penetration. We're reliant on moving the basketball.”

That's fun basketball, and Sanderson highlighted it in a number of videos he made of his team and posted to YouTube, with accompanying music and inspirational speeches.

One of those sayings: 'If you are not making somebody else's life better, you are wasting your time.”

Sanderson's time isn't idle time.

2015 GAZETTE/KCRG ALL-AREA GIRLS' BASKETBALL TEAM

STEPHANIE BOTKIN (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) - The 6-foot senior averaged 15.5 points per game, 6.5 rebounds and shot 78.1 percent from the free throw line.

KARI FITZPATRICK (Edgewood Colesburg) - The 5-11 senior averaged 20.9 points, 13.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.3 steals.

ASHLEY JOENS (Iowa City High) - A 5-9 freshman, Joens averaged 18.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.4 steals

MEGAN MAAHS (Western Dubuque) - The 6-1 junior averaged 13.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.8 blocks.

NICOLE MILLER (North-Linn) - The 5-8 senior was named Miss Iowa Basketball after averaging 26.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 4.5 steals. She shot 54 percent from the field, 84.6 from the free throw line. Signed with Drake University.

MIKAELA MORGAN (Iowa City West) - The 5-11 senior averaged 12.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals for state tournament team. Signed with the University of Northern Iowa.

AMANDA OLLINGER (Linn-Mar) - The 6-2 junior, who transferred from Jefferson midway through the season. averaged 14 points, 8.4 rebounds and shot 79 percent from the line. Committed to the University of Iowa.

LELA SELLERS (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) - The 6-foot junior averaged 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.6 steals.

ROSE SIMON-RESSLER, (Western Dubuque) - The 5-9 senior averaged 12.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

ARIKA WOOLDRIDGE (Center Point-Urbana) - The 6-foot junior averaged 17.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.5 steals and shot 84.4 percent from the line.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com