AAU Weekly Recap #5: Prelims set the stage for State

If you have followed Prep Girls Hoops’ AAU coverage over the years then you know that our primary focus during the spring and summer basketball season is on highlighting individual prospects and evaluating newcomers, not on team results. There are two exceptions to this approach: State Prelims weekend and the AAU State Tournament. This past weekend’s Prelims were all about team performance, and we were totally dialed in on the results to see who would capture the top seed in each of the four age groups we cover – grades 8 (2025), 9 (2024), 10 (2023) and 11 (2022). In the end, this year’s outcomes are quite straightforward to report because North Tartan won all four grades and will hold the four #1 seeds entering the AAU State Tournament May 23-25.

Here’s a recap.

11th grade – North Tartan 2022 EYBL

Last August, the star-studded 2022 Metro Stars squad scored a dramatic 66-64 win over North Tartan EYBL to capture an AAU state championship at Shakopee in one of the most hard-fought, most entertaining games we saw all summer. Sunday afternoon the two squads met again. This time around it was North Tartan that recorded the victory, a convincing 54-36 triumph that earned Gerard Coury’s squad the #1 seed for the State Tournament.

Tartan did a nice job of containing the Metro Stars’ potent lineup, which is essentially Hopkins 2.0. The Royals’ sophomore standouts Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #28 Nation MN and Nunu Agara Nunu Agara 6'1" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #32 Nation MN , who had romped through previous games at will all weekend, were held to just 18 points between them. Point guard extraordinaire Amaya Battle Amaya Battle 5'10" | PG Hopkins | 2022 State #29 Nation MN was held to just six points while freshman standout Liv McGill Liv McGill 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2024 State MN had nine. Distilled to its essence, that was the difference.

North Tartan boasts a star-studded lineup of its own, and the big dogs showed up Sunday when it counted, led by University of Minnesota commit Mara Braun Mara Braun 5'11" | CG Wayzata | 2022 State #21 Nation MN of Wayzata, who scored 16 points in the win. Top 20 prospect Lily Fandre Lily Fandre 6'2" | SF Eagan | 2022 State MN of Eagan had 12 points while South Dakota State commits Ellie Colbeck Ellie Colbeck 5'9" | PG Fergus Falls | 2022 State MN (Fergus Falls) and Madison Mathiowetz Madison Mathiowetz 5'10" | CG Sleepy Eye St. Mary's | 2022 State MN (Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s) combined for 15. Top-10 junior Kiani Lockett Kiani Lockett 5'9" | PG Minnetonka | 2022 State MN of Minnetonka was outstanding at point guard, while Minnesota commit Nia Holloway Nia Holloway 6'0" | PF Eden Prairie | 2022 State #45 Nation MN of Eden Prairie and Lilly Nuytten Lilly Nuytten 6'1" | PF Hastings | 2022 State MN of Hastings did a nice job on the boards against the Metro Stars’ formidable bigs. Kennedy Klick Kennedy Klick 6'0" | CG Maple Grove | 2023 State MN , pulled up from the 2023 team, was a spark off the bench.

10th grade – North Tartan 2023 EYBL

Minnesota Stars Hersch had a solid weekend at the Prelims. Last year’s State Tournament finalists in the 2023 Division scored impressive wins over North Tartan 2023 Elite and Minnesota Fury 2023 Premier led by Emily Bowron Emily Bowron 5'7" | SG Rochester Lourdes | 2023 State MN and Vivica Bretton Vivica Bretton 5'9" | SF Rochester Lourdes | 2023 State MN of Rochester Lourdes, Emily Christenson Emily Christenson 5'11" | SF East Ridge | 2023 State MN of East Ridge, North Dakota State commit Taryn Hamling Taryn Hamling 5'9" | PG Grand Rapids | 2023 State MN of Grand Rapids, and others. The real key, though, for Josh Hersch’s team was defense. In the duel for the #1 seed on Sunday afternoon, however, North Tartan’s high-octane offensive would prove a little too much as Marqus McGlothan’s squad scored a 44-29 victory.

North Tartan did what they do best – moved the ball, scored inside and out, and defended like there was no tomorrow. Guards Molly Lenz Molly Lenz 5'8" | CG Eden Prairie | 2023 State MN of Eden Prairie, Maren Westin Maren Westin 5'8" | CG Becker | 2023 State MN of Becker and Laura Hauge Laura Hauge 5'9" | SG St. Croix Lutheran | 2024 State MN of St. Croix Lutheran – all top-10 prospects – were very good. Wing Clara Glad Clara Glad 6'0" | SF Rogers | 2023 State MN of Rogers was the best we have seen in months. Big forwards Emma Dasovich Emma Dasovich 6'1" | PF Valley Vista | 2024 MN of Minnetonka and Walker DeMers of Grafton, ND, were solid inside against some formidable bigs, while Kennedy Klick Kennedy Klick 6'0" | CG Maple Grove | 2023 State MN of Maple Grove, Reese Ross of Rapid City, SD, Ella Johnson Ella Johnson 6'2" | SF Elk River | 2023 State MN of Elk River and Sophie Lahti Sophie Lahti 6'1" | SF Pine City | 2023 State MN of Pine City provided length, speed, and athleticism. It was a potent combination, and too much on this day for the Stars.

9th grade – North Tartan 2024 Nike

Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN of Minnesota Fury 2024 UAA is the class of the Class of 2024, a national-caliber talent who seldom fails to deliver a standout performance. We watched Olivia play three times this weekend and she did not disappoint in any way. Olson scored 21 points in Sunday’s final against North Tartan 2024 Nike, but it wasn’t quite enough as Andy Berkvam’s team turned in a huge effort to post a 44-39 win over the Fury, who are the defending state champions in the 2024 Division.

North Tartan played with passion and energy and a commitment to team defense. It didn’t hurt that Chanhassen point guard Lauren Arnold Lauren Arnold 5'9" | CG Chanhassen | 2024 State MN had the game of her life.  Arnold scored 14 points to lead North Tartan. 8th grader Rainey Welson of Appleton, WI, was also in double figures as the athletic, stocky guard continued to impress in her first summer in Minnesota. This North Tartan team may not have the star power of Olson or her Fury teammate Katie Vasecka Katie Vasecka 6'1" | CG South Dakota | 2024 MN (Tea, SD), but it has a nice collection of pieces that combined really well over the weekend.

Berkvam has plenty of length in Kylie Waytashek Kylie Waytashek 6'2" | PF Royalton | 2024 State MN of Royalton, Sidney Reed Sidney Reed 6'2" | SF Minnetonka | 2024 State MN of Minnetonka, Finley Ohnstad Finley Ohnstad 6'1" | SF Lakeville South | 2024 State MN of Lakeville South and Karly Jusczak of Pine City. Arnold and Tori McKinney Tori McKinney 6'1" | CG Minnetonka | 2024 State MN of Minnetonka are high-skill point guards who can distribute and score. St. Peter’s Rhyan Holmgren Rhyan Holmgren 5'9" | SG St. Peter | 2024 State MN is as athletic as they come. And scrappy guard Ariana Comfort of St. Francis is a defensive dynamo. All nine of them showed up and delivered on Sunday to earn the #1 seed.

8th grade – North Tartan 2025 Nike

Minnesota Stars Borowicz won the 2025 State Championship one year ago, and the girls in red and black will no doubt be in the conversation before it’s all over in a couple of weeks. The Stars lost their opportunity to earn the #1 seed on Sunday, however, courtesy of an excellent performance by Minnesota Fury 2025 Blue. Jordan Ode Jordan Ode 6'0" | CG Maple Grove | 2025 State MN of Maple Grove and Keegan McVicker of Hastings scored 9 points apiece to lead the Fury to a 42-39 win over the Stars, enabling the girls in blue to advance to face North Tartan 2025 Nike for the top seed.

Coach Ashley Ellis-Milan’s North Tartan team turned in an exceptional performance to score a 53-46 victory led by Bree Bowman (Prior Lake) and Abby Hoselton (St. Michael-Albertville) with 11 points each, and Mylea Monahan (Glencoe-Silverlake) with 10. Bowman, who is a pure shooter from distance, played very well all weekend as did Hoselton, a big power forward who is progressing rapidly in her first season of AAU action. North Tartan’s lineup features Tori Schlagel Tori Schlagel 5'9" | CG Eden Prairie | 2025 State MN , Rae Ehrman Rae Ehrman 5'9" | SF Eden Prairie | 2025 State MN and Vanessa Jordan of Eden Prairie, along with Addison Mack Addison Mack 5'9" | PG Minnehaha Academy | 2025 State MN (Minnehaha Academy) and Isabella Anderson (Milbank, SD). Highly-touted Sophie Hawkinson Sophie Hawkinson 5'8" | CG Wayzata | 2025 State MN of Wayzata wasn’t available to play this weekend. Elise Dieterle of Stillwater, who led the 2025 division in scoring at the Prelims, had 16 for the Fury while Ode scored 9 and Zahara Bishop Zahara Bishop 5'10" | CG Benilde-St. Margaret's School | 2025 State MN (Richfield) had 8.

We will have much more coverage from the State Prelims coming up over the next couple of days, including Top Performers, Stock Raisers and Newcomers to Watch.

Top photo: North Tartan 2023 EYBL earned the #1 seed in the 10th grade division at the State Prelims.