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PURPLE SWEEP: Braves Dominate All-U.P. Awards
 MARQUETTE---The Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association has released its list of the region’s top high school girls basketball teams, coaches, and players. A group of 18 reporters from every corner of the U.P. met at Northern Michigan University on Monday to come up with the awards list, which was released Wednesday night. The Gladstone Braves, who won their first regional championship in more than a decade in Division Two, swept the major awards. The Braves were voted as the Team of the Year, edging the Negaunee Miners in the voting. Negaunee beat Gladstone twice in the regular season, but the Braves got revenge in the district title game. That was Negaunee’s only loss of the season while Gladstone finished 23-3 after a state quarterfinal loss to Frankenmuth. Gladstone Coach Andy Cretens was named Coach of the Year, with Negaunee Coach Mike O’Donnell also being considered for the award after the Miners’ successful season. There was no debate about the top player of the year in the Upper Peninsula. Lillie Johnson, who shattered several Gladstone High School scoring and rebounding records, was the unanimous choice for Miss U.P. Basketball, as well as a spot on the Dream Team and as Player of the Year for Divisions 1, 2, and 3. And she is a junior, with one more season of high school ball ahead of her. In Division Three, the Calumet Copper Kings were chosen as Team of the Year after their trip to the Breslin Center for a state semifinal berth. But the Copper Kings did not have a player selected for the Dream Team, or even for the First Team, because their girls were up against kids from larger schools in Divisions One and Two. In Division Four, the Ewen-Trout Creek Panthers were picked as Team of the Year after their run to the state championship game last month at Michigan State University. Jacky Besonen was the unanimous choice for D-4 Coach of the Year, and freshman Bree Besonen was chosen to the Dream Team. Two other Panthers made the First Team in Division Four. UPSSA President Mike Ludlum was satisfied with how things went. “We had teams that were evenly-matched in different divisions,” Ludlum said. “You had players from opposite ends of the U.P. that were kind of hard for us to get into a pecking order. In some cases, the decisions were easy (Lillie Johnson), and some, we had to check and double-check our (voting) totals to see if things went right.” The All-U.P. lists are posted below. The boys All-U.P. lists will be released Friday evening. All-U.P. Girls Basketball Team Special Awards Miss Basketball: Lillie Johnson, Gladstone, 6-0, Jr. Division 1-3 Player of the Year: Lillie Johnson, Gladstone, 6-0, Jr. Coach of the Year: Andy Cretens, Gladstone Division 1-2 Team of the Year: Gladstone Division 3 Team of the Year: Calumet Division 4 Player of the Year: Bree Besonen, Ewen-Trout Creek, 5-3, Fresh. Team of the Year: Ewen-Trout Creek Coach of the Year: Jacky Besonen, Ewen-Trout Creek Dream Team Lillie Johnson, Gladstone, 6-0, Jr. Bree Besonen, Ewen-Trout Creek, 5-3, Fresh. Jenessa Eagle, Ishpeming, 5-8, Jr. Aubrey Johnson, Negaunee, 5-6, Sr. Lauren Adams, Norway, 5-9, Jr. Division 1-3 First Team Eva Gerard, Houghton, 5-10, Sr. Piper Bell, Sault Ste. Marie, 5-6, Soph. Lexi Olson, Westwood, 5-5, Sr. Gretel Johnson, Negaunee, 5-7, Soph. Macy Linsenbigler, Iron Mountain, 5-11, Sr. Second Team Jackie Kiilunen, Calumet, 5-8, Sr. Peyton Kakkuri, Ishpeming, 5-7, Sr. Mayce Hanson, Gladstone, 5-6, Sr. Bailey Strom, Calumet, 5-6, Soph. Brianna Anderson, Marquette, Sr. Grayson LaMarche, Escanaba, 6-0, Sr. Gianna Coduti, Menominee, 5-11, Jr. Marissa Ives, Bark River-Harris, 5-6, Sr. Aubrie Moore, Kingsford, 5-4, Fresh. Ellie Hainault, Houghton, Soph. Clare O’Donnell, Negaunee, 5-11, Jr. Special Mention Aubree Blackburn, Marquette, Sr.; Makayla Delmont, Gwinn; Emma Zawada, Bark River-Harris, 5-8, Soph.; Hanna Vaughn, Ironwood, 5-1, Sr.; Keira Waterman, Negaunee, 5-9, Soph. Honorable Mention Lexi Curran, Marquette, Jr.; Taylor Heinonen, Jeffers; Katey Lamb, Escanaba, 5-7, Sr.; Lexi Marineau, Menominee, 5-2, Jr.; Mia Nordstrom, Jeffers; Jaelyn Novascone, Ironwood, 5-10, Jr.; Katlin Smith, West Iron County, 5-4, Sr. Division 4 First Team Emily Jokela, Lake Linden-Hubbell, 5-5, Sr. Emma Besonen, Ewen-Trout Creek, 5-1, Jr. Jillian Fraser, St. Ignace, 5-8, Sr. Kara Roberts, Baraga, 5-4, Jr. Irelynd McGeshick, Ewen-Trout Creek, 5-10, Jr. Second Team Addie Bowerman, Munising, 5-11, Fresh. Addison Cullen, St. Ignace, 5-11, Sr. Bailey Corcoran, Munising, 5-9, Sr. Elsie Williams, Forest Park, 5-5, Jr. Grace Maule, Carney-Nadeau, 5-9, Sr. Cleo Milkey, Lake Linden-Hubbell, Jr. Adria Ruleau, Stephenson, 5-7, Sr. Allie Whalen, Newberry, 5-7, Sr. Brooklyn Dompier, L’Anse, Sr. Kwynn Voskuhl, L’Anse, 5-8, Fresh. Special Mention Emery Chynoweth, Hancock, Jr.; Mya Hendrickson, Baraga, 5-8, Fresh.; Lauren Jungwirth, North Dickinson, 5-6, Fresh.; Mariska Laurila, Carney-Nadeau, 5-9, Sr.; Mylee Londo, L’Anse, 5-6, Sr.; Audrey Stone, Bessemer, 5-10, Jr. Honorable Mention Kenly Anderson, Wakefield-Marenisco, 5-8, Soph.; Dayne Behning, Munising, 5-7, Sr.; Hali Butkovich, Engadine, 5-9, Sr.; Addison Carrick, Brimley, 5-5, Sr.; Emma Choronzy, Wakefield-Marenisco, 5-8, Jr.; Cadence Cullen, St. Ignace, 5-10, Sr.; Katie Halberg, St. Ignace, 5-6, Fresh.; Gracie Johnson, Newberry, 5-7, Fresh.; Melissa Johnson, Stephenson, 5-6, Sr.; Sammy Johnson, Superior Central, 5-8, Sr.; Raina Ledzian, North Dickinson, 5-7, Jr.; Evelyn Moilanen, Dollar Bay, 5-7, Sr.; Brooke Portice, Pickford, 6-0, Sr.; Caragan Thill, Big Bay de Noc, 6-0, Jr.; Makenna Smith, Cedarville-DeTour, 5-8, Soph.; Alyson Steinbrecher, North Dickinson, 5-7, Fresh.; Emma Sundling, Rapid River, 5-7, Sr.; Avery Visnaw, St. Ignace, 5-5, Jr. |
