Minnesota Class AAA & AAAA All-Tournament Team
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Julia Bengtson Julia Bengtson 5'10" | PG Becker | 2021 State MN and her Becker Bulldogs have put on a lot of miles together for the better part of a decade, sticking together from their early days of elementary school…
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Continue ReadingJulia Bengtson Julia Bengtson 5'10" | PG Becker | 2021 State MN and her Becker Bulldogs have put on a lot of miles together for the better part of a decade, sticking together from their early days of elementary school through many grueling AAU summers, and the heartbreak of two lost opportunities to win a Class AAA State Championship. On Friday night all of their collective effort paid off in spades as Julia and her fellow seniors Megan Gamble Megan Gamble 5'10" | SF Becker | 2021 State MN , Courtney Nuest Courtney Nuest 5'8" | CG Becker | 2021 State MN and Alayna Lindquist Alayna Lindquist 5'8" | CG Becker | 2021 State MN celebrated with junior Adeline Kent Adeline Kent 5'8" | CG Becker | 2022 State MN and sophomores Maren Westin Maren Westin 5'8" | CG Becker | 2023 State MN , Ayla Brown Ayla Brown 5'6" | SG Becker | 2023 State MN and Dani Nuest Dani Nuest 5'6" | CG Becker | 2023 State MN . It certainly wasn’t easy.
Becker had to overcome an incredibly tough, very physical team from Marshall who gave the Bulldogs everything they could handle before Becker finally prevailed by a score of 70-58. It was a game of runs, as Becker seized control for the first time on a 14-2 spurt late in the opening half to build a 13-point lead at the break. In the second period, Marshall just kept pounding away with their relentless defensive pressure and ability to get to the rim through sheer physicality and strength of will. In spite of losing Westin to injury early in the second half, Becker just kept on pushing the pace and eventually pulled away.
After falling to DeLaSalle in the 2019 state title game, and watching their shot at a rematch with the Islanders evaporate last spring, the Bulldogs put together a championship season to remember. It was well-deserved.
CLASS AAA ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
First Team
- Julia Bengtson Julia Bengtson 5'10" | PG Becker | 2021 State MN – senior guard, Becker (Eastern Illinois)
- Adeline Kent Adeline Kent 5'8" | CG Becker | 2022 State MN – junior guard, Becker (Tampa)
- Courtney Nuest Courtney Nuest 5'8" | CG Becker | 2021 State MN – senior forward, Becker (Bethel)
- Jordyn Hilgemann Jordyn Hilgemann 5'10" | SF Marshall | 2021 State MN – senior guard, Marshall (Northern State)
- Emily Meier – senior forward, Marshall
Second Team
- Maren Westin Maren Westin 5'8" | CG Becker | 2023 State MN – sophomore guard, Becker
- Lilli Mackley Lilli Mackley 5'11" | CG Hill-Murray | 2021 State MN – senior guard, Hill-Murray (Dakota State)
- Hope Dudycha Hope Dudycha 5'6" | CG Austin | 2022 State MN – junior guard, Austin
- Taryn Hamling Taryn Hamling 5'9" | PG Grand Rapids | 2023 State MN – sophomore guard, Grand Rapids (NDSU)
- Frankie Vascellaro Frankie Vascellaro 6'0" | SF Holy Angels | 2021 State MN – senior forward, Holy Angels
CLASS AAAA ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
One perfect play. In a season full of superlatives, with a gigantic semifinal win already in the books and a flawless record on the line, the Chaska Hawks executed one last play exactly as their coach had drawn it up. As a result, the Hawks earned a last-second Class AAAA state championship title with a stunning 45-43 victory over the Rosemount Irish. It was a terrific battle between two well-coached, highly talented squads who left it all on the court one final time. After a season of turmoil due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a year’s worth of what-ifs after last year’s tournament cancellation, the final game of the 2021 season could not have been more exciting.
Rosemount nearly pulled it off, thanks in no small part to the play of senior Helen Staley Helen Staley 6'0" | PF Rosemount | 2021 State MN , who saved the game of her life for the final moments of her high school career. Helen has been a mainstay for the Irish for five years, having played through injuries and adversity and in every position on the floor. She finished the night with 17 points on 50% shooting to go along with 9 rebounds and 5 assists. But after junior Tayah Leenderts Tayah Leenderts 6'0" | PF Rosemount | 2022 State MN had scored at the rim to put the Irish ahead with 17 seconds remaining, Chaska coach Tara Seifert called time out to draw up one last play.
It worked, as Kennedy Sanders Kennedy Sanders 5'8" | CG Chaska | 2023 State MN slipped the pass inside to Mallory Heyer Mallory Heyer 6'1" | PF Chaska | 2022 State #36 Nation MN who caught a cutting Kaylee Van Eps Kaylee Van Eps 5'11" | SF Chaska | 2021 State MN at the back door where she made no mistake. We have watched all three of those kids make wonderful plays over the years but none they will remember more than the one that gave them a state championship. The moment would not have been possible if not for the stellar play of Kelsey Willems Kelsey Willems 5'8" | CG Chaska | 2021 State MN , the Augustana commit who made big plays and big shots throughout. Junior Kendall Karrmann Kendall Karrmann 6'1" | SF Chaska | 2022 State MN and sophomore Ashley Schuelke Ashley Schuelke 5'10" | SF Chaska | 2023 State MN were very good, as well. What a game!
Here is the Class AAAA All-Tournament Team:
First Team
- Mallory Heyer Mallory Heyer 6'1" | PF Chaska | 2022 State #36 Nation MN – junior forward, Chaska (Minnesota)
- Kaylee Van Eps Kaylee Van Eps 5'11" | SF Chaska | 2021 State MN – senior guard, Chaska (Lehigh)
- Kennedy Sanders Kennedy Sanders 5'8" | CG Chaska | 2023 State MN – sophomore guard, Chaska
- Helen Staley Helen Staley 6'0" | PF Rosemount | 2021 State MN – senior guard, Rosemount (Oakland)
- Alexa Ratzlaff Alexa Ratzlaff 5'9" | CG Rosemount | 2022 State MN – junior guard, Rosemount
Second Team
- Ivory Finley Ivory Finley 5'8" | CG Rosemount | 2021 State MN – senior guard, Rosemount (UMass-Lowell)
- Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #28 Nation MN – sophomore forward, Hopkins
- Nunu Agara Nunu Agara 6'1" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #32 Nation MN – sophomore forward, Hopkins
- Peyton Blandin Peyton Blandin 5'8" | SG Farmington | 2021 State MN – senior guard, Farmington (Southwest Minn. State)
- Jodi Anderson Jodi Anderson 5'11" | CG Centennial | 2021 State MN – senior guard, Centennial (North Dakota)