Braves’ girls honored by the M-PC

Andie Balenger

CHAMPION — Gladstone junior center Megan Crow battled through injuries and other ailments to still put up good numbers this basketball season, and she was rewarded for it by being named to the Mid-Peninsula Conference first team at the coaches annual meeting at Wawonowin Country Club in Ishpeming Monday.

Crow, a 6-foot-3 Grand Valley State commit, averaged 12.9 points per game in conference play. She missed four games with an ankle injury and saw limited time in a few others.

Joining Crow on the first team were Gwinn’s Marissa Delmont, Westwood’s Madelyn Koski and Negaunee teammates Alyssa Hill and Chloe Norman.

Westwood’s Tessa Leece was named Player of the Year after leading the U.P.’s third-ranked Patriots to an 18-2 record and an 11-1 record in the M-PC to capture the league title for the second straight season.

Gladstone’s Maddie Ahlgren highlights the second team. The senior point guard averaged 10.3 points per game while also consistently guarding one of the other team’s top players.

Megan Crow

Joining Ahlgren on the second team are Gwinn’s Emily Curtice, Ishpeming’s Emma Poirier and Westwood teammates Karlie Patron and Natalie Prophet.

Earning all-defensive team honors were Gladstone’s Andie Balenger and Manistique’s Emilee McDaniel. Balenger, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in the Great Northern Conference, put together another spectacular season on the defensive end while McDaniel helped the Emeralds double their win total from last year to finish 7-14.

Joining them on the all-defensive team were Leece, Norman and Curtice.

Balenger and McDaniel also both received honorable mention. Also receiving honorable mention were Iron Mountain’s Reagan Lundholm, Negaunee’s Lilly Nelson and Gwinn’s Tianna Taylor.