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Iowa all-state girls' basketball 2021: Area stars comprise half of Class 2A first team

There's no debate where the best area girls' basketball storylines resided this winter.
They were in Class 2A.
North Linn reached the state tournament for the sixth time in the past eight years. West Branch won its first state-tournament game in school history. Maquoketa Valley reached the championship game, and very nearly won it.
Elite talent helps make elite teams, and those three squads accounted for half of the 2A all-state first team.
The Iowa Print Sports Writers Association released its honor teams Tuesday morning. Eleven area players earned first-team status, including four in Class 2A — seniors Ella Imler and Emerson Whittenbaugh of Maquoketa Valley, senior Sasha Koenig of West Branch and freshman Kamryn Kurt of North Linn.
Imler averaged 14.3 points and 4.5 assists per game, and Whittenbaugh tallied 12.5 points per contest as the Wildcats went 25-1 and earned runner-up honors. Imler hit the go-ahead free throws with six seconds left in the semifinal.
Maquoketa Valley fell to Dike-New Hartford, 47-42, in the title game.
Imler will play at Coe College next year, Whittenbaugh — who returned after missing her junior season due to a knee injury — at Loras.
Koenig will join older sister Tatum Koenig at Bradley University next year. She averaged 20.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.1 steals as the Bears enjoyed their best season in school history, finishing 21-2.
Kurt is the only freshman in any class to earn first-team status. She posted 13.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as the Lynx (21-3) reached the 20-win mark for the 11th consecutive season.
Other area first-team picks:
• Iowa City West senior Audrey Koch averaged 19.1 points and 5.9 rebounds as the Trojans (14-1) advanced to the Class 5A state semifinals. The Providence signee shot 57.6 percent from the field.
• Cedar Rapids Washington junior Hannah Stuelke posted 21.4 points and 12.2 rebounds per contest to lead the Warriors (13-4) to the 5A regional finals. Stuelke has committed to the University of Iowa. She shot 57.8 percent from the floor.
• Marion senior Ella Van Weelden has signed with Valparaiso. She was good for 16.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game as the Indians went 14-9, shared the Wamac Conference East Division title and reached the 4A regional finals.
• One of the state's top volleyball players and a former state champion in the long jump, West Liberty junior Macy Daufeldt is a 3A first-team pick. She registered 14.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. The Comets went 16-6 and reached the 3A regional finals.
• Center Point-Urbana junior Ryley Goebel is a 3A pick after averaging 18.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game for the Stormin' Pointers (15-7). Goebel shot 57.7 percent from the floor and has committed to Northern Iowa.
• One of the most prolific 3-point shooters in state history, Montezuma senior Elise Boulton posted 17.3 points and 5.6 assists per game as the Bravettes (23-2) reached the 1A state semifinals, one of her four state trips. The Simpson College recruit shared the season lead for treys (73) with younger sister Mia Boulton.
• Springville junior Lauren Wilson registered 17.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. The Orioles (21-5) were a state-tournament team, and gave Algona Garrigan a tussle before bowing 48-42 in the opening round.
Katie Dinnebier of 5A state-champion Waukee was selected as Miss Iowa Basketball 2021. Dinnebier will play for Drake.
Sportswriters from around the state met in a Zoom conference Sunday morning to select the teams.
Class 5A
FIRST TEAM
Katie Dinnebier, sr., Waukee
Anaya Barney, sr., Cedar Falls
Grace Larkins, sr., Southeast Polk
Jada Gyamfi, jr., Johnston
Audrey Koch, sr., Iowa City West
Halli Poock, soph., Waterloo West
Sahara Williams, soph., Waterloo West
Hannah Stuelke, jr., Cedar Rapids Washington
SECOND TEAM
Maggie Phipps, sr., Ankeny Centennial
Arianna Jackson, soph., Des Moines Roosevelt
Caroline Waite, sr., Ames
Kelsey Joens, soph., Iowa City High
Lexi Boles, sr., West Des Moines Dowling
Peyton Kelderman, sr., Waukee
Bella Sims, sr., Davenport North
Sydney Mitvalsky, sr., Cedar Rapids Washington
THIRD TEAM
Aili Tanke, fr., Johnston
Hattie Aanestad, soph., Bettendorf
Matayia Tellis, soph., Iowa City West
Sophia Barrett, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Eviyon Richardson, jr., Iowa City High
Emma Gipple, jr., West Des Moines Dowlin
Reagan Bartholomew, jr., Waukee
Ashley Iiams, sr., Ames
Class 4A
FIRST TEAM
Abbie Draper, sr., Waverly-Shell Rock
Taylor Veach, jr., DeWitt Central
Katelyn Lappe, jr., Bondurant-Farrar
Jenna Hopp, soph., Glenwood
Allison Meadows, jr., DeWitt Central
Ella Van Weelden, sr., Marion
Molly Ihle, sr., Ballard
Ava Hawthorne, jr., Gilbert
SECOND TEAM
Ashley Fountain, sr., North Scott
Emma Donovan, soph., Dubuque Wahlert
Jenna Twedt, soph., Benton Community
Calia Clubb, jr., Clear Creek Amana
Madison Camden, jr., Glenwood
Paige Andersen, sr., Denison-Schleswig
Emma Miner, soph., Dallas Center-Grimes
Ivey Schmidt, jr., Grinnell
THIRD TEAM
Kelsey Fields, sr., Creston
Malarie Ross, jr., Fort Madison
Sadie Struchen, jr., Marion
Lexi Turner, soph., Cedar Rapids Xavier
Andrea Lopreato, soph., Mount Pleasant
Brooke Loewe, jr., Ballard
Claire Schmitz, jr., Harlan
Samantha Scott, sr., North Scott
Class 3A
FIRST TEAM
Maggie Wilkins, sr., Knoxville
Gracie Schoonhoven, soph., Unity Christian
Janie Schoonhoven, sr., Unity Christian
Brooklyn Meyer, jr., West Lyon
JeMae Nichols, sr., Cherokee
Macy Daufeldt, jr., West Liberty
Ryley Goebel, jr., Center Point-Urbana
Mya Merschman, sr., Central Lee
SECOND TEAM
Moriah Prewitt, sr., Des Moines Christian
Jaydan Nitchals, jr., Estherville ELC
Callie Levin, fr., Solon
Gabrielle Guilford, sr., Monticello
Haley Rasmussen, sr., Atlantic
Katy Reyerson, soph., West Marshall
Payton Beckman, jr., Panorama
Sydney Marlow, sr., West Burlington
THIRD TEAM
Dani Johnson, sr., Osage
Claire Mathews, sr., Centerville
Finley Hall, soph., West Liberty
Reagan Barkema, jr., Roland-Story
Jaden Ainley, jr., Clear Lake
Lucy Howes-Vonstein, sr., Vinton-Shellsburg
Kenley Meis, soph., Sioux City Heelan
Kendal Clark, sr., Humboldt
Class 2A
FIRST TEAM
Ella Imler, sr., Maquoketa Valley
Emerson Whittenbaugh, sr., Maquoketa Valley
Isabel Manning, sr., Van Buren County
Kamryn Kurt, fr., North Linn
Maddax DeVault, jr., Nodaway Valley
Rachel Leerar, sr., West Hancock
Sasha Koenig, sr., West Branch
Sophia Hoffmann, jr., Dike-New Hartford
SECOND TEAM
Ali Vesely, sr., Waterloo Columbus
Ellie Ware, sr., North Linn
Kelsey Drake, jr., Wilton
Kennedy Kelly, jr., West Hancock
Lindsey Davis, fr., Nodaway Valley
Mallory McCall, sr., West Monona
Payton Petersen, fr., Dike-New Hartford
Taya Tucker, sr., Maquoketa Valley
THIRD TEAM
Alison Van Gorp, sr., Pella Christian
Kailey Jones, sr., Avoca AHSTW
Abbie Schany, sr., Emmetsburg
Abby Heemstra, sr., Rock Valley
Hannah Dau, sr., South O'Brien
Hayden Heimensen, sr., Central Lyon
Lainey Thoren, jr., Grundy Center
Morgan Brandt, jr., Sumner-Fredericksburg
Class 1A
FIRST TEAM
Audi Crooks, soph., Algona Garrigan
Molly Joyce, soph., Algona Garrigan
Macy Sievers, jr., Newell-Fonda
Cassidy Nelson, sr., Lenox
Elise Boulton, sr., Montezuma
Hali Anderson, sr., Saint Ansgar
Macy Emgarten, jr., Exira-EHK
Lauren Wilson, jr., Springville
SECOND TEAM
Quinn Grubbs, soph., Exira-EHK
Danielle Hoyle, sr., Paton-Churdan
T.J. Stoaks, sr., Lenox
Kaylyn Meyers, Algona Garrigan
Bailey Sievers, jr., Newell-Fonda
Taylor Harpenau, jr., Marcus MMCRU
Reagan Franzen, sr., Collins-Maxwell
Layla Hargis, jr., North Mahaska
THIRD TEAM
Sara Reid, jr., Central City
Allie Petry, sr., Council Bluffs St. Albert
Katy Stephens, jr., Burlington Notre Dame
Emily Dreckman, jr., Marcus MMCRU
Maggie Walker, sr., Newell-Fonda
McKenzie Goodwin, jr., Kingsley-Pierson
Aleah Hermansen, jr., Audubon
Reagan Mudderman, jr., Lansing Kee
Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com
Maquoketa Valley's Ella Imler (15) is introduced before a Class 2A state tournament game last week at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Imler is one of 11 Gazette-area players to earn first-team all-state recognition. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)