Winamac’s Kroft named Hoosier North MVP

Popejoy, Iverson, Culver’s McCune, Berndt, Caston’s Douglass, Pioneer’s McKaig, Argos’ Bollenbacher also make first team

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Girls basketball

Kandace Kroft

Winamac senior Kandace Kroft was named the Hoosier North MVP in voting done by the conference’s coaches and released to the media.

Kroft averaged 18.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.2 steals per game for the Lady Warriors. She led the team in scoring, assists and steals and guided Winamac to a 19-7 overall record and a 6-2 record in conference play.

The 19 wins were a five-win improvement on last year and the most wins in a season for Winamac since 2012.

Kroft also ranked second in the state with 97 made 3-pointers.

Kroft was one of 12 area players selected first-team all-conference. Two others made honorable mention.

The first-team players from the area included Kroft’s Winamac teammates

Top: Sadie Popejoy Top:Marissa Iverson Top:Ava McCune

Bottom:Ashlynn Berndt Bottom:Madi Douglass Bottom:Mia McKaig

Sadie Popejoy and Marissa Iverson; Caston’s Madi Douglass; Pioneer’s Mia McKaig; the Culver guard duo of Ava McCune and Ashlynn Berndt; Argos’ Ellie Bollenbacher; and North Miami’s Kayden Donaldson, Grace Sailors and Laney Musall.

Popejoy, a junior, averaged 13 ppg, 6.9 rpg and 2.9 apg. Iverson, a senior, averaged 11.2 ppg and 8.6 rpg.

Douglass, a junior, averaged 16.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game and led Caston in all three categories. She also became the fourth girls player in Caston history to score 1,000 career points.

McKaig, a senior, led Pioneer with 12.8 points and 4 apg, and she also averaged 7.1 rpg.

McCune and Berndt, both sophomores, guided Culver to a 17-7 record and a tie for second in the conference with a 6-2 mark.

Bollenbacher, a senior forward, led Argos with 9.5 ppg and 6.2 rpg.

Musall led North Miami in scoring with 13 ppg while Donaldson averaged 12.3 ppg and Sailors averaged 9.7 ppg. Sailors led North Miami with 10.1 rpg, and she and Musall tied for team-high assist honors at 2.5 per game. Donaldson also averaged 8.5 rpg.

Musall and Sailors are seniors while Donaldson is a junior.

Culver senior Brianna Schlemmer and Caston sophomore Grace Colvin both earned honorable mention status.

All-Hoosier North

Kayden Donaldson (North Miami), Grace Sailors (North Miami), Laney Musall (North Miami), Ava McCune (Culver), Ashlynn Berndt (Culver), Kandace Kroft (Winamac), Sadie Popejoy (Winamac), Marissa Iverson (Winamac), Cailyn Tunis (North Judson), Madisyn Douglass (Caston), Mia McKaig (Pioneer), Sierra Hawley (Triton), Sarah Thompson (Oregon-Davis), Ellie Bollenbacher (Argos)

Honorable mention

Brianna Schlemmer (Culver), Shiloh DeBoard (North Judson), Grace Colvin (Caston), Mylie Groves (Triton)

Hoosier North MVP – Kandace Kroft (Winamac)

Final Hoosier North standings

North Miami 7-1, Culver 6-2, Winamac 6-2, North Judson 5-3, Caston 4-4, Pioneer 3-5, Triton 3-5, Oregon-Davis 2-6, Argos 0-8