All-Area girls team | Tri Cities

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Lexi Baltes St. Charles EastThis 5-foot-6 junior guard was good all season, then really stepped up her game in the postseason. Baltes scored 22 points in a win over South Elgin, then led all scorers with 17 to knock off top-seed St. Charles North and win the regional title. She finished with team-leading averages of 12.2 points and 3.6 assists per game while making the Upstate Eight All-Conference team and her second spot on the All-Area team. Shot 72 percent at the free-throw line. "She's got the ball in her hands more than anyone, and she also plays great defense," St. Charles East coach Lori Drumtra said. "She's a complete player. She plays both sides of the court harder than anybody."

Jenna Bell St. Charles NorthBell, a 5-foot-11 junior forward, made major strides this year to give St. Charles North another low-post threat with Kelsey Smith. She finished third on the team in scoring at 7.1 points a game and second in rebounding with 4 a game. "JB is a completely different player," St. Charles North coach Katie Sauber said of the transition from sophomore to junior year. "She has become a basketball player. Last year she got minutes here and there but this year she was a huge contributor for us."

Kiley Hackbarth St. Charles NorthFrom averaging 3.5 points a game as a sophomore, this 5-foot-4 junior point guard doubled that average to 8.7 this season. The 2-time All-Area selection also led the North Stars in assists at 3.4 a game while keeping her turnovers to a minimum. Her 40 3-pointers ranked second in the area. It was her feisty defense that coach Katie Sauber was most thankful for, along with Hackbarth's ability to run the offense. "She handles the ball so well," Sauber said. "Defensively she challenges everyone. She's come a long way."

Stephanie Haugen RosaryThis 5-foot-6 junior guard was the go-to shooter for Rosary, finishing second on the team with an 11.9 scoring average. She made the all-tournament team while helping Rosary win the Oswego Christmas tournament. Led the area shooting 83.9 percent at the free-throw line. "She is one of the best pure shooters I've ever coached," Rosary coach Dave Beebe said. "Steph played the one, two, three for us this season, filling in for whatever position was needed for us."

Emily Hinchman GenevaHinchman, a 5-foot-7 senior guard, made life miserable for opponents at the top of Geneva's 1-2-1-1 diamond press. She averaged 2.8 steals a game, then also was quite a threat on the offensive end with her 9.3 points per game scoring average and 3.3 assists a game. "She is just so quick up there," Geneva coach Gina Nolan said. "She has sparked our offense in so many ways through her defense, to be able to get a tip out to someone and have a score."

Kara Lydon BataviaThis 5-foot-11 sweet-shooting senior will be missed at Batavia. She finished second in the area in free-throw percentage at 82.6, finished third in 3-pointers made while averaging just under 11 points a game. Lydon played on varsity three years at Batavia helping the Bulldogs improve from 13 wins to 21 to 22 this year. "It's been really fun watching Kara for three years," Batavia coach Tim DeBruycker said. "It's been fun watching that group develop."

Katie Petrando RosaryThis junior forward was one of the more versatile players. She contributed a little of everything for the 21-7 Royals, averaging 9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals a game while earning a spot on the Suburban Catholic all-conference team, and the Oswego Christmas tournament team. "Katie had another all-around season," Rosary coach Dave Beebe said. "She was a force on the boards again and she picked up her scoring. One of our better defenders."

Jordan Rettig RosaryOnly a junior, this 6-foot center already has passed 1,000 points in her career and has been on the All-Area team three times. She has many Division I schools recruiting her after averaging 18.1 points and 10.4 rebounds this season. Earned all-tournament spots at both Geneva at Thanksgiving and Oswego at Christmas. Also made the Suburban Catholic all-conference team again. "Jordan had many dominant games this season," Rosary coach Dave Beebe said. "She will play Division I basketball."

Jaime Rust St. Charles EastFor someone known for her defense, the Saints' 5-foot-9 junior guard contributes a lot on the offensive end as well. Rust finished second on the Saints in scoring at 9.8 a game and was a 3-point threat with 20 this season. Alas, the defensive numbers were there too: 5.2 rebounds and a steal a game. "Jaime is our defensive specialist," St. Charles East coach Lori Drumtra said. "She always draws our toughest assignment defending someone much bigger than she is, and she can defend on the perimeter too which is nice. What was nice about this year is she really stepped up her offense."

Kelsey Smith St. Charles NorthSt. Charles North basketball will have some big shoes to fill next year without Smith, the school's all-time leader in scoring, rebounding and blocks - over 1,500, 1,000 and 500 respectively. No wonder she is headed to the Big Ten next year to play at Michigan State and made the Class 4A All-State team. After leading the North Stars to the supersectional as a junior, this four-time All-Area selection and 2008 captain finished her four-year career this season by averaging 17 points and 9.4 rebounds a game and adding variety to her game. "Kelsey developed her outside shot," St. Charles North coach Katie Sauber said. "If you leave her open she'll take that outside shot. That's one thing I've seen develop with Kelsey. Not only is she a threat inside the paint but if you leave her open she'll knock down those 10- and 12-footers."

Natalie Tarter BataviaHer college future is in track, as the reigning Illinois state champ in the 300 hurdles is headed to Wisconsin next fall. But this 5-foot-8 forward has had a mighty impact on the hard court the last three years as well - each one ending with a spot on the All-Area team. Tarter capped her career by surpassing the 1,000-point mark in a game Jan. 15 against DeKalb. She finished leading Batavia in scoring at 14.7 a game while also averaging 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals. "I think initially she was a great athlete playing basketball," Batavia coach Tim DeBruycker said. "The biggest difference is that she knows how to use her athleticism."

Bri Tye West AuroraThe smallest player on the All-Area team at 5-foot-3, the senior guard has never let it stop her from making the biggest impact on the game. She led the area with 48 3-pointers this year while averaging a team-high 13.9 points and 6 assists her game. Her coach Connie Siljendahl said Tye would be, "Impossible to replace." Tye also set West Aurora's single-season assist record and was a two-time All-Area pick. "She pretty much carried the team this season," Siljendahl said. "We missed so many shots under the basket or her assists would be even better. She led us."

Taylor Whitley GenevaGeneva basketball won't be the same next year without this 5-foot-9 guard. Whitley graduates as the Vikings' all-time leading scorer with 2,094 points and counting heading into this weekend's state tournament. She averaged 20.4 this year along with 3.1 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 3.3 assists a game. The two-time captain of the All-Area team and four-time All-Area team member has led Geneva to a 104-14 record in her four years. Headed to Indiana State. "She's tough as nails and hates to come off the floor," Geneva coach Gina Nolan said. "I've been so lucky to have Taylor on my team."

Lauren Wicinski GenevaWith all the havoc Geneva's guards cause, this 6-foot-1 junior post has a similar effect around the basket. She led the Vikings with 6.3 rebounds a game while finishing second on the team in scoring at 11.5 points a game. Second straight All-Area selection. "She's been such a force for us inside," Geneva coach Gina Nolan said. "The way she goes up for a rebound with two arms, she's dominant in there. She has carried us a few times. She has been invaluable to us out there."

Kat Yelle GenevaYelle shares many of the traits as senior Taylor Whitley. The 5-7 Yelle averaged 9.3 points, 2.9 assists and 2.1 steals a game but has potential to score much more, as evidenced by a 20-point game against Elk Grove and 25 against Lake Park in the sectionals. "Kat is such a fierce competitor," Geneva coach Gina Nolan said. "She's just come on so strong. There's some games where she might not score much for us but what she does handling the ball and distributing the ball is one of those things that doesn't show up in the box score but we don't have the success we have without her."