Iowa all-state girls’ basketball 2023: For the most part, Kelsey Joens’ senior year went according to script

DES MOINES — It was everything Kelsey Joens hoped it would be.

“It was a new experience,” Joens said, referring to her transfer to West Liberty and playing for her sister, head coach Courtney Joens. “I’m happy that it happened.

“It had its ups and downs, because Courtney and I are so much alike. We understand each other, and I could bounce some ideas off of her. We butted heads a little bit like sisters do, but it was really good.”

A senior who finished with 1,647 career points, Joens is one of six Gazette-area girls’ basketball players who earned first-team all-state honors by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association.

Sportwriters and coaches congregated Sunday for voting.

Audi Crooks of Algona Garrigan was named Miss Iowa Basketball 2023. A 6-foot-3 post bound for Iowa State, Crooks led Garrigan to back-to-back Class 1A state championships after runner-up finishes in 2020 and 2021.

Crooks punctuated her career with a 49-point effort in Garrigan’s title-game victory over Newell-Fonda on Saturday. She averaged 32.9 points and 14.2 rebounds per game this season, and her career totals in points (2,734) and rebounds (1,339) both rank No. 3 all-time in Iowa.

Like Crooks, Joens will be at Iowa State next year.

“I’m really excited about it,” she said. “There’s only three months until we start workouts. I watch the team, and I can see myself out there.

“The defense at that level is more physical. I’ve got to be able to handle the ball with more pressure.”

Joens played her first three seasons at Iowa City High; she was a first-team Class 5A pick as a junior. She averaged 24.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 4.0 steals this season as the Comets (17-7) reached the Class 3A regional finals.

Among the other area first-teamers:

Benton Community senior Jenna Twedt is a four-time all-stater, but this is the first time she has earned first-team status. She led the Bobcats (23-4) to the 3A championship game, averaging 20.1 points and 3.5 assists per game. The Kirkwood Community College recruit has a school-record 1,815 career points.

North Linn junior Kamryn Kurt becomes a three-time first-team selection — in 1A the last two seasons, in 2A in 2021. Kurt averaged 16.8 points, 4.4 assists and 3.8 steals per game as the Lynx (23-2) made it to the 1A semifinals. She has 1,206 points with one season remaining.

Solon junior Callie Levin is a three-time all-stater, a two-time first-teamer. This year, she averaged 18.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.7 steals per game to lead the Spartans (23-3) to the 3A semifinals. The University of Iowa commit has 1,391 points with one season remaining.

Sophomore Libby Fandel has been a 4A first-team pick in both of her seasons at Cedar Rapids Xavier (16-8). The Saints were 4A champions last year, quarterfinalists this season. She averaged 16.2 points and 6.9 boards per game this winter and has 725 points with two seasons remaining.

Senior Bryar Duwe led Decorah (21-3) to its first state appearance since 2007. The Truman State University recruit averaged 17.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. She was a 4A third-team selection last year and finishes her career with 1,420 points.

2023 IPSWA girls’ basketball all-state teams

Class 5A

FIRST TEAM

Savanah Gage, soph., Ankeny

Grace Knutson, jr., Cedar Falls

Halli Poock, sr., Waterloo West

Aaliyah Riley, jr., Johnston

Aili Tanke, jr., Johnston

Halle Vice, sr., Pleasant Valley

Sahara Williams, sr., Waterloo West

Ava Zediker, soph., West Des Moines Dowling

SECOND TEAM

Jasmine Barney, sr., Iowa City Liberty

Brooklin Dailey, sr., Southeast Polk

Journey Houston, soph., Davenport North

Arianna Jackson, sr., Des Moines Roosevelt

Elise Jaeger, jr., West Des Moines Valley

Amani Jenkins, soph., Des Moines North

Jaeden Pratt, soph., Ankeny Centennial

Kaliyah Sain, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy

THIRD TEAM

Divine Bourage, soph., Davenport North

Jessie Clemons, jr., Pleasant Valley

Alex Flattery, jr., Sioux City East

Zoe Kennedy, sr., Linn-Mar

Jenica Lewis, fr., Johnston

Ellie Muller, fr., West Des Moines Dowling

Lillie Peterson, sr., Bettendorf

Meena Tate, sr., Iowa City West

Class 4A

FIRST TEAM

MaKayla Boatman, sr., North Polk

Bryar Duwe, sr., Decorah

Libby Fandel, soph., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Payton Hardy, sr., Sergeant Bluff-Luton

Jenna Hopp, sr., Glenwood

Emma Miner, sr., Dallas Center-Grimes

Brooklyn Stanley, jr., Sioux City Heelan

Aaliyah Thompson, jr., Ballard

SECOND TEAM

Vanessa Bickford, jr., Dallas Center-Grimes

Ava Locklear, sr., Clear Creek Amana

Kyla Mason, sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Jada Newberg, sr., Sioux City Heelan

Abby Tuttle, soph., North Polk

Lauren Walker, soph., DeWitt Central

Yazmeen Whitsitt, jr., Decorah

Jena Young, sr., Winterset

THIRD TEAM

Ella Bockenstedt, sr., Marion

Katelyn Eggena, jr., Waverly-Shell Rock

Lauren Golinghorst, sr., North Scott

Andrea Lopreato, sr., Mount Pleasant

Doryn Paup, sr., Creston

Jada Piercy, sr., Spencer

Lucy Scott, jr., Lewis Central

Reggi Spotts, jr., Mason City

Class 3A

FIRST TEAM

Kelsey Joens, sr., West Liberty

Callie Levin, jr., Solon

Carlee Rochford, sr., New Hampton

Katy Reyerson, sr., West Marshall

Gracie Schoonhoven, sr., Unity Christian

Haylee Stokes, soph., Estherville ELC

Emily Ter Wee, sr., West Lyon

Jenna Twedt, sr., Benton Community

SECOND TEAM

Willow Bleeker, sr., Sioux Center

Emma Donovan, sr., Dubuque Wahlert

Alyssa Griffith, sr., Vinton-Shellsburg

Payton Harter, soph., Atlantic

Jayden Kuper, soph., Monticello

Xada Johnson, jr,. Clear Lake

Kaitlyn Mumm, sr., Des Moines Christian

Aubrey Schwieso, soph., Harlan

THIRD TEAM

Finley Hall, sr., West Liberty

Chloe Meester, soph., Mount Vernon

Hailey Miller, jr., Solon

Ava Schubert, sr., Davenport Assumption

Lilly See, sr., Mount Vernon

Jordyn Stokes, sr., Estherville ELC

Bailey Strovers, sr., Grinnell

Emma Townsley, jr., Benton Community

Class 2A

FIRST TEAM

Madison Brouwer, sr., Sibley-Ocheyedan

Lindsey Davis, jr., Nodaway Valley

Akaysa Duitscher, sr., Pocahontas Area

Desta Hoogendoorn, jr., Central Lyon

Addison Klosterbeur, sr., Central Lyon

Jadyn Petersen, jr., Dike-New Hartford

Payton Petersen, jr., Dike-New Hartford

Clara Teigland, sr., Treynor

SECOND TEAM

Riley Batta, sr., South Central Calhoun

Morgan Christian, sr., Sioux Central

Grace Hennessy, sr., Denver

Carly Janssen, sr., Pocahontas Area

Whitney Klyn, sr., Eddyville EBF

Ellary Knock, sr., Dike-New Hartford

Morgan Miller, soph., Iowa City Regina

Laney Pilcher, sr., Jesup

THIRD TEAM

Kora Alesch, sr., Marcus MMCRU

Bailey Boeve, fr., Hinton

Payton Bush, sr., Mediapolis

Izzy Eisbach, fr., Nodaway Valley

Brooklyn Love, jr., Hudson

Alyssa Lux, sr., Cascade

Morgan Neuroth, jr., East Marshall

Jaidyn Sellers, jr., Panorama

Class 1A

FIRST TEAM

Bradie Buffington, sr., Winfield-Mount Union

Audi Crooks, sr., Algona Garrigan (Miss Iowa Basketball 2023)

Quinn Grubbs, sr., Exira-EHK

Whitney Jensen, jr., Remsen St. Mary’s

Molly Joyce, sr., Algona Garrigan

Kamryn Kurt, jr., North Linn

Mallory Leerar, jr., West Hancock

Mary Walker, sr., Newell-Fonda

SECOND TEAM

Joy Beran, sr., Riceville

Macy Boge, jr., North Linn

Mia Boulton, sr., Montezuma

Sarah Burton, jr., Highland

Audrie Helmrichs, jr., Edgewood-Colesburg

Kierra Jungers, jr., Newell-Fonda

Ellah Kissell, sr., WACO

Emma Martinek, sr., West Fork

THIRD TEAM

Molly Boge, soph., North Linn

Mya Bunkers, jr., Remsen St. Mary’s

Abbe Capesius, jr., Algona Garrigan

Sadie Cox, soph., Lenox

Ashlyn Davis, soph., Westwood

Brynnly German, jr., Martensdale-St. Marys

Madison Hillman, sr., Saint Ansgar

Nakia Ollivierre, fr., Ackley AGWSR

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com