Six WHA girls’ basketball players receive all-conference awards

The Lady Wolves basketball team celebrated its historic season with an awards banquet held at Tianna last week.

Six varsity players were selected to the Northwoods All-Conference teams and the team received many other individual awards.

Selected to the First Team were juniors Aubrey Morrison, Avery Morrison and Ava Welk. Junior Britta Rand and sophomore Makenna Oelschlager made the Second Team, and junior Adyson Kurtz was selected Honorable Mention.

Once again Aubrey Morrison won the Playmaker of the Year Award, while Welk grabbed the Rebounding Award averaging 13.1 per game. The Rookie of the Year Award went to Oelschlager.

Coaches Jim Lien and Pat Richter handed out all awards, praising the players, families, booster club and community for the support they showed the team this season.

Kelliher-Northome won the Conference North Division with a 12-1 mark — their only loss coming at home to WHA.

Cass Lake-Bena and WHA tied at 11-2 in the South Division, but WHA’s two losses were to the Panthers.

Other conference awards handed out were Gabby Fineday selected as MVP, just ahead of Mya Stacey of Nevis and Aubrey Morrison of WHA. Fineday also took the Free Throw Award at 83 percent and Most Three-pointers with 50, 10 better than Stacey. Kate Thayer of Kelliher-Northome was named Defensive Player of the Year.

Kevin Waldo of Kelliher-Northome was selected as Coach of the Year.

WHA team awards

Fourteen team awards were also handed out at the banquet.

Aubrey Morrison and Welk shared MVP honors, Avery Morrison was Best Defensive Player, Welk the Best Rebounder, Oelschlager the Rookie of the Year and Super Sub, and Kylea Ludwig the Rising Star.

A school record for most three-pointers was set during the season with Aubrey Morrison draining 90, including a record eight in one game.

Morrison also scored a record 611 points in the season, which was two more than last year’s record effort.

Welk grabbed a record 387 rebounds to lead the team, Kurtz was named Most Improved, Rand received the Breakout Player of the Year Award, and Gretchen Turney — the only senior on the team — and Lily Cairns were named Best Managers.

Letters or pins were also handed out to all varsity players and two managers.

Each player gets a certificate from the Minnesota State High School League for competing at the State Tournament. Aubrey Morrison was also selected to the All-State Honorable Mention Team.