Northwest Herald 
Girls Basketball All-Area Team

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

Player of the Year: Melissa Dixon, Johnsburg

Coach of the Year: Rod Saffert, Cary-Grove

First Team

Hailey Cnota

Jacobs, sr., guard

Perhaps the Golden Eagles’ most unselfish player, Cnota could have scored more than her 10 points a game, but she distributed the ball often. She led her team with 105 assists. Cnota helped Jacobs to the program’s first Fox Valley Conference conference or division title – an honor the Eagles shared with Cary-Grove in the FVC Valley Division – and a trip to the IHSA Class 4A McHenry Regional final.

Melissa Dixon

Johnsburg, jr., guard

Dixon, the Northwest Herald Girls Basketball Player of the Year, averaged 19.1 points to lead the area. Her 84 three-pointers and 85 percent free-throw shooting also led the area. Dixon, a three-year varsity starter, already has 1,345 career points – 345 of those coming after Christmas this season – and helped Johnsburg reach an IHSA Class 3A supersectional for a third consecutive year.

Chrissy Heine

Hampshire, sr., forward

Heine averaged 13.7 points and six rebounds to lead Hampshire to a 29-2 record. Heine was dominant in the post and offered a solid option outside in addition to her ability to run the point efficiently. Heine scored her 1,000th career point in November and helped Hampshire win three Big Northern Conference East Division titles and two regional titles in her four varsity seasons. Heine will play basketball at NAIA St. Xavier in Chicago this fall.

Claire Jakubicek

Cary-Grove, jr., forward

Jakubicek showed her basketball acumen this season when she was called upon to not only control the post but keep her team together when point guard Megan Straumann tore an ACL in December. Jakubicek averaged 16 points, eight rebounds, 2.3 assists, 3.1 steals and 4.1 deflections. Jakubicek finished with 1,096 points as a three-year varsity player.

Megan Lopez

Johnsburg, sr., guard

Although the bulk of the Skyhawks’ scoring went to her teammates, Lopez ran the show, starting for Johnsburg for four seasons and becoming the only team-sport athlete in school history to win 100 varsity games. Lopez won her 103rd game when the Skyhawks won their third consecutive Class 3A sectional title Feb. 26. Lopez led the team in assists with 131, was third in the area with 52 three-pointers and grabbed a team third-best 108 rebounds.

Second Team

Alex Dumoulin – Hampshire, jr., forward

Michelle Gaede – Crystal Lake South, sr., guard

Danielle Slivka – Johnsburg, sr., forward

Maria Tamburrino – Jacobs, sr., guard

Nelle Youel – Crystal Lake Central, jr., guard

Honorable Mention

Liz Bart – Cary-Grove, sr., guard

Katie Burton – Crystal Lake South, sr., guard

Cassie Dumoulin – Hampshire, sr., guard

Sierra Dunner – Jacobs, sr., guard

Erin Frazier – Crystal Lake Central, jr., guard

Jenny Hanrahan – Crystal Lake South, sr., forward

Haley Ljunggren – Prairie Ridge, jr., guard

Kadie Lowery – Huntley, jr., guard

Chrissy Velasquez – Woodstock, jr., guard

Krista Volden – Johnsburg, sr., forward

– Maureen Lynch, mlynch@nwherald.com