Girls basketball: DuPage County All-Area team
Whitney Adams
Montini
The North Carolina recruit grew into a dynamic inside-outside threat. Adams averaged 10.8 points and 5.5 rebounds a game and led Montini with 66 3-pointers. The senior forward was dominant on the boards in the state title run, averaging 9.7 rebounds over the last six playoff games. “She put the work in and got the rewards,” Montini coach Jason Nichols said. “Her development is very satisfying to me.”
Danielle Canulli
Benet
When Benet faced a tough guard, there was little doubt Canulli had the defensive assignment. The senior guard averaged 9.1 points and 1.6 steals per game. Canulli hit 32 3-pointers at a 38 percent clip. She made the sacrifice to move to point guard for the 24-7 sectional finalist. “She bought into that all year and did an excellent job,” Benet coach Peter Paul said.
Mary Connolly
West Chicago
The senior forward was valuable to the 17-11 Wildcats in many facets, most notably as the team's post presence. Connolly averaged 12 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals a game. She is committed to DePaul for softball. Aggressive and versatile with improved conditioning, Connolly anchored West Chicago's zone defense. “She's just a very good athlete,” Wildcats coach Kim Wallner said.
Mary Colon
York
The senior forward was a tough matchup, with the ability to score inside and outside. Colon averaged 16.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Colon was best in the clutch, never more than when she scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to rally York from 16 down at Glenbard West for the school's first West Suburban Silver title since 1994. “She's a gamer,” York coach Jason Reinecke said.
Emma Donahue
Naperville Central
A consistent post presence with a deft shooting touch, is this 6-foot-3 Redhawks junior. Donahue averaged 11.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game and shot 82 percent from the free-throw line. Indiana State and Drake are among Division I schools to offer Donahue. “If she shows the same level of improvement from her junior year to her senior year as she did this year,” Redhawks coach Andy Nussbaum said, “she's going to create problems for a lot of our opponents.”
Megan Doody
Neuqua Valley
The junior guard's 30-point night in a season-opening win over Wheaton North set the tone for the 20-8 Wildcats' bounce-back year. Possessing a quick release, Doody hit 59 3-pointers while averaging a team-high 13.8 points per game. As teams game-planned to stop her, Doody picked up other areas of her game and led the team in assists and was second in steals. “She was not a secret weapon anymore by Christmas,” Neuqua coach Mike Williams said.
Kasey Gassensmith
WW South
The athletic junior forward took her game to the next level in her second varsity season. Gassensmith led a balanced Tigers team with 10.7 points a game and also averaged 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals for the 22-7 DVC co-champions. Gassensmith had her two biggest games against rival Wheaton North, averaging 21.5 points in two wins. “She really expanded her game,” coach Rob Kroehnke said.
Alexis Hahn
Lake Park
A great comeback story, this junior forward returned from a back injury that cost her much of sophomore year to put up huge numbers. Hahn averaged 18.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. She scored a personal-high 35 points against Prairie Ridge. “She will do anything that is asked of her,” Lake Park coach Chris Fruehling said, “and she produces when she's in there.”
Cayla Herbst
Glenbard West
Always a presence defensively, this senior forward matured as a post player in third varsity season. Herbst averaged 11.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game. She is committed to Southern Indiana. Herbst scored 22 points in conference wins over Oak Park and Proviso West. “She's a kid we had to get the ball to,” Hilltoppers coach Mike Hofland said.
Whitney Holloway
Montini
The four-time All-Area and two-time state champion, Holloway is the Captain of the All-Area Team. The Notre Dame-bound senior point guard averaged 14.2 points, 4.5 assists and 4.1 steals per game and hit 46 3-pointers. Holloway scored 19 points in championship game. “She drove the bus, the train, the plane,” Montini coach Jason Nichols said, “and it landed with two state championships.”
Nevena Markovic
Glenbard South
This senior center put the Raiders on her back, carrying Glenbard South to a school-record 23 wins and its first conference title. Markovic averaged 19.4 points and 9.4 rebounds a game. She is committed to IUPUI. Markovic broke Raiders coach Julie Fonda's single-game school scoring record with 38 against Riverside-Brookfield and also set the single-game assist record. “Her work ethic totally paid off,” Fonda said.
Fiona McMahon
St. Francis
The Spartans senior didn't start playing until her sophomore year — but made herself into one of area's best post players. McMahon averaged 15.3 points and an area-best 10.2 rebounds a game for the 16-14 Spartans. Several Division III schools are interested in McMahon. “I think she's going to blossom even further at the next level,” St. Francis coach Jeff Gerdeman said.
Tami Morice
Waubonsie Valley
A scorer and a shooter, this junior guard expanded her game in her third varsity season. Morice averaged a team-high 12.7 points a game and hit 66 3-pointers for the 24-4 regional champions. Morice took positive steps in her defensive game, often asked to guard the opponent's best shooter. “She has one of the purest 3-point shots around,” Warriors coach Kim Connell said.
Emma Ondik
Naperville Central
The senior point guard was invaluable to the 24-9 Redhawks in so many ways. Ondik averaged 16.9 points and 3.8 assists a game, shot free throws at a 79 percent clip and hit 69 3-pointers. She scored a personal-high 41 points in upset of Marian Catholic. Ondik finished with 1,516 varsity points, third Redhawk all-time behind Candace Parker and Erica Carter. “The No. 1 reason for our success was Emma,” coach Andy Nussbaum said.
Sidney Prasse
Benet
Redwings coach Peter Paul said this junior guard has “the quickest release I know of.” It served Benet well. Prasse averaged team-high 11.0 points a game and hit 59 3-pointers at a 38 percent clip for the 24-7 sectional finalists. Prasse scored 19 points in a sectional semifinal win over Waubonsie Valley. “When we needed to make a critical shot,” Paul said, “she was outstanding.”
Kasey Reaber
Montini
Three times All-Area, this senior guard won her second state championship after doing so as a sophomore at Driscoll. Reaber had ACL surgery in mid-July and didn't miss a game. Reaber was second on the team in assists a game and rebounds and third in steals. “For a kid to be that good at the game without scoring, you don't see it too often,” Montini coach Jason Nichols said. “She gave it up for the team's success.”
Fantasia Vine
Wheaton North
A gifted athletic talent, is this Bradley-bound senior guard. Vine averaged 15.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.0 steals a game. Vine is the first Falcon to score 1,500 varsity points. She scored a personal-high 32 points in a double-overtime duel with Hersey's Megan Rogowski at the Wheaton North tournament. “She did some things I don't know if I'll ever see again at Wheaton North,” Falcons coach Dave Eaton said.
Alexa Wilde
Neuqua Valley
This Baylor recruit for soccer did a little bit of everything for the 20-8 Wildcats. Wilde averaged 8.7 points, team-high 7.4 rebounds and 3.8 steals a game. Wilde had 16 points and 18 rebounds in a regional final loss to Naperville Central. Her leadership was huge for a young team with six freshmen. “Our seniors were called the Mother Hens,” Neuqua coach Mike Williams said, “and she was the Mother of the Mother Hens.”
Becky Williford
Waubonsie Valley
One of the area's better point guards, this junior sacrificed scoring to grow into an outstanding playmaker. Williford averaged 9.0 points, an area-best 5.9 assists and 2.1 rebounds a game for the 24-4 regional champion Warriors. “She utilized her teammates more and took advantage of some of her other strengths,” Warriors coach Kim Connell said.
Kiki Wilson
Montini
The Wisconsin-Milwaukee recruit stepped into the starting lineup as a senior and enjoyed a breakout year. Wilson averaged 11.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game and hit 63 3-pointers. She hit seven 3s and scored a personal-high 27 points in a blowout of 4A-ranked Edwardsville. A tremendous rebounder at 5-foot-5 and a tenacious defender. “One of those kids who played hard in practice and played hard in games,” Montini coach Jason Nichols said.
Honorable mention
Tianna Brown (Montini, jr., F); Shannon Bushman (Naperville North, jr., G); Jill D'Amico (Naperville Central, jr., G); Allie DiVito (Immaculate Conception, sr., G); Lauren Graham (Wheaton North, sr., F); Brianna Harn (Glenbard North, jr., G); Jazmin Little (Addison Trail, sr., G); Claire Monroe (West Chicago, jr., G); Uzo Okoro (Hinsdale South, jr., C); Kelly Reinke (St. Francis, sr., G); Rachael Ross (Waubonsie Valley, jr., F); Carly Saraceno (Downers Grove South, sr., G); Annie Shain (WW South, sr., G); Alison Schuster (Downers Grove North, sr., F); Sydney Sharkey (Wheaton North, jr., G); Michaela Stranski (Glenbard East, sr., F); Zoe Swift (Naperville North, so., G); Allie Tapanes (West Chicago, jr., G); Ashley Veselik (Benet, sr., F); Meghan Waldron (WW South, fr., G)