Van Dorin shoots to third place in 3-point finals

Jessie Van Dorin had an awfully tough act to follow Saturday in the Queen of the Hill 3-point shootout finals at Redbird Arena in Normal.

Van Dorin, the Hampshire junior who won the Class 3A championship on Friday, shot third Saturday in the finals and made 9 of her 15 shots. But she needed more as Bloomington Central Catholic junior Allie Norton, who helped her team win the Class 2A championship last weekend, had nailed 12 of her 15 shots just before Van Dorin.

Marist senior Haley Stercic, the Class 4A champ, made 10 of her 15 after Van Dorin, leaving the 5-foot-3 Whip-Pur sharpshooter in third place. Senior Kelsey Herridge of Brimfield, the Class 1A champ, had opened the competition by making 8 of 15.

"It was a good experience and a lot of fun," said Van Dorin, who made 83 3-pointers during the season for the 29-2 Whips. "I was just hoping I'd have my best round."

And while that didn't happen, Van Dorin did earn $500 for Hampshire High School when she made her 16th shot, which was taken with a green and white basketball supplied by Country Financial, the sponsor of the event.