Bartlett's Gulczynski named first team all-state
The postseason accolades have begun to roll in for Bartlett senior girls basketball standout Jacki Gulczynski.
The 6-foot-1 Gulczynski on Thursday was selected to The Associated Press' first team all-state for Class 4A.
The five-player team is selected by a statewide panel of sports writers and broadcasters.
"It's pretty exciting," Gulczynski said Thursday night. "I sat down with my dad at the beginning of the season and set goals. We didn't reach the ultimate team goal of going downstate but from a personal side this was a goal I wanted to reach."
Gulczynski, who is signed with Wisconsin, led the Hawks to a 28-2 season and their second straight regional championship, as well as the Upstate Eight Conference's Valley Division title. She was given "special recognition" by the conference, which equates to player of the year honors.
"It's quite an honor for Jacki," said Bartlett coach Denise Sarna. "Jacki is an extremely talented player and she has great knowledge of the game. She realized what it took in practice and games to make our team better."
This season, playing on one of the most offensively balanced teams in the state, Gulczynski averaged 14.3 points per game and 7.3 rebounds.
She shot 49 percent from the field, including 35 percent from 3-point range, and also shot 80 percent from the free-throw line. She also averaged 2 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
For her Bartlett career Gulczynski, who is Bartlett's first all-state first team selection since Lindsay Schrader in 2005, scored 1,696 points (14.4 average) and had 954 rebounds (8.1 average). She also stepped outside to hit 59 3-pointers in her career.
"It was a long season and an enjoyable season," Gulczynski said. "We had a great run and I was just happy to be a part of it."
Gulczynski, who has been nominated as a McDonald's All-American, was all-tournament at Dundee-Crown's Christmas tournament, made the Upstate Eight all-academic team and has been named to the ESPN all-area team.
A three-sport athlete who also plays volleyball and softball, Gulczynski was joined on the AP first team by Ariel Massengale and Morgan Tuck of Bolingbrook, Jewel Loyd of Niles West and Megan Rogowski of Hersey. Massengale is committed to Tennessee, Tuck to Connecticut and Rogowski to DePaul. Loyd, a junior, is undecided.
Gulczynski is also the reigning co-captain of the Daily Herald's Fox Valley All-Area team. The 2010-11 team will be published March 11.
Three other Fox Valley area players were recognized as honorable mention all-state players by AP. Cary-Grove seniors Claire Jakubicek and Megan Straumann were named honorable mention in Class 4A, as was Hampshire senior Alex Dumoulin in Class 3A.
Additionally, Johnsburg senior Melissa Dixon, who will play collegiately at Iowa, was named to the Class 3A first team.