Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – West High seniors Rachael Saunders and Logan Cook got the perfect present to end their prep careers last week.

Cook and Saunders helped West High to its second state title in program history with a 56-45 win over top-ranked City High in the 5A championship game.

The duo added a bow to top of their senior sendoff on Tuesday earning all-state honors from the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association.

Cook and Saunders joined junior teammate Cailyn Morgan in landing on the inaugural all-state teams compiled by the newly formed Iowa Print Sports Writers Association.

“They are great players, great kids off the floor and they mean the world to our program,” West High coach BJ Mayer said. “For us to be able to send them out one at state, two winning a state title and three winning it over your cross-town rivals is a pretty cool thing.”

Cook was named to the Class 5A first team after leading West High (19-7) in scoring (13.8) and rebounding (6.9).

An Iowa signee, Cook eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career with 14 points in the state title game.

“She upped her rebounding, she was more vocal and she was a lot more aggressive,” Mayer said. “The stats didn’t always show it but she was a focal point of a lot of people from last year, being an Iowa recruit.”

The 6-foot-1 Cook was second on the team in assists (51), steals (41) and blocked shots.

Cook shot 46 percent from the field and 71 percent from the free throw line as a senior.

“The thing that I really appreciated about Logan is she never forced things,” Mayer said. “Some kids that are high DI kids, when things aren’t going their way they tend to force things and there were games when she had seven or eight assists when teams doubled her. She really bought into what we were trying to do and I think that is a tribute to her as well.”

Saunders was a second-team selection while Morgan was named to the Class 5A third team.

A 5-foot-8 guard, Saunders missed the first nine games of the season while recovering from knee surgery but bounced back to rank second on the team with 10.9 points per game.

The Creighton signee added 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

Saunders averaged 11.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in three state tournament wins.

“Both Rachael and Logan played for four years and improved a lot not only in their ability to play but their leadership roles,” Mayer said. “They’ve just gotten a lot more comfortable.”

Morgan earned all-state honors for the first time after a solid junior season that ended with an impressive showing at the state tournament.

The 5-foot-9 junior averaged 9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game this season and scored in double figures in four consecutive games to end the year.

Morgan had 13 points in a regional final win over No. 8 Pleasant Valley before averaging 14.7 points per game at the state tournament.

“I think she was playing her best at state but she was really good in the Pleasant Valley game also,” Mayer said. “She was really good defensively and I think she played very well offensively as well.”

2018 Iowa Print Sports Writers Association All-State Teams

Class 5A

First Team – Ashley Joens, Sr., City High; Grace Berg, Sr., Indianola; Caitlin Clark, Soph., West Des Moines Dowling; Logan Cook, Sr., West High; Zoe Young, Jr., West Des Moines Valley; Maggie McGraw, Jr., Indianola; Emerson Green, Soph., Cedar Falls; Ellie Spelhaug, Sr., Pleasant Valley.

Second Team – Maya McDermott, Soph., Johnston; Grace Larkins, Fr., Southeast Polk; Rachael Saunders, Sr., West High; Anna Brown, Jr., Waukee; Rose Nkumu, Soph., City High; Hailey Dolphin, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Kamryn Finley, Sr., Cedar Falls; Chloe Olson, Sr., Ankeny Centennial.

Third Team – Kiana Barney, Sr., Cedar Falls; Cynthia Wolf, Sr., Cedar Falls; Josie Filer, Jr. West Des Moines Dowling; Aubrey Joens, Soph., City High; Sidney McCrea, Soph., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Jenna Johnson, Sr., Johnston; Kira Arthofer, Sr., Pleasant Valley; Cailyn Morgan, Jr., West High.

Class 4A

First Team – Megan Meyer, Jr., Mason City; Chloe Rice, Sr., Marion; Kayba Laube, Soph., Marion; Sienna Durr, Sr., Grinnell; Maegan Holt, Sr., Lewis Central; Madison Dreckman, Jr., LeMars; Allie Wooldridge, Sr., Center Point-Urbana; Amber Nicole Buch, Sr., Fairfield.

Second Team – Grace Boffeli, Soph., North Scott; Caitlynn Daniels, Soph., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Caitlynne Shadle, Sr., Boone; Kameron Moore, Sr., Grinnell; Jenna Borchers, Sr., Dallas Center-Grimes; Keeley Petzenhauser, Sr., Spencer; Katelyn Stanley, Soph., Sioux City Heelan; Abby Wisecup, Jr., Sergeant Bluff-Luton.

Third Team – Emily Holtenhaus, Jr., Pella; Katie Keitges, Soph., Knoxville; Megan Witte, Soph., Lewis Central; Adrianna Katcher, Soph., Center Point-Urbana; Karsyn Stratton, Soph., Clear Creek Amana; Mia Laube, Sr., Boone; Claire Sandvig, Sr., Boone; Michaela Davis, Sr., Keokuk.

Class 3A

First Team – Lexi Toering, Sr., Sioux Center; Isabelle Gradwell, Sr., West Marshall; Shannon Pisney, Sr., Crestwood, Sharon Goodman, Soph., Crestwood; Jessica Musgrave, Jr., South Tama; Lexy Koudelka, Sr., Nevada; Ivy Swarthout, Sr., Chariton; Maddie Jones, Jr., South Central Calhoun.

Second Team – Paityn Hagberg, Sr., Cherokee; Jordan Van Maanen, Sr., Sioux Center; Logan Hughes, Jr., Shenandoah; Lauren Ries, Sr., Monticello; Makenzie Northup, Jr., Central Lee; Maggie Phipps, Fr., North Polk; Taylor Houska, Jr., East Sac County; Ellie Friesen, Sr., Crestwood.

Third Team – Jenna Clark, Sr., Roland-Story; Taylor McDonald, Sr., Monticello; Hannah Anderson, Sr., Forest City; Addie Rath, Sr., Mid-Prairie; Kassidy Pingel, Jr., Cherokee; Regan Freland, Soph., PCM; Sara Faber, Soph., Clear Lake; Carlye Brown, Sr., Davenport Assumption.

Class 2A

First Team – Ashtyn Veerbeek, Sr., Western Christian; Alex Wiese, Jr., Iowa City Regina; Sam Wall, Jr., Maquoketa Valley; Tatum Koenig, Sr., West Branch; Taryn Scheurmann, Soph., Van Buren; Ashley Tull, Sr., North Linn; Kayla Chapman, Jr., Treynor; Nicole McDermott, Soph., Cascade.

Second Team – Kaylee Parks, Sr., Central Springs; Hailey Wallis, Jr., Grundy Center; Madelyn Deitchler, Sr., Treynor; Bailey Beckman, Jr., Panorama; Chloe Lofstrom, Soph., North Union; Maya Johnson, Jr., Mediapolis; Ellie Foster, Soph., Dike-New Hartford; Maci Gambell, Sr., Pekin.

Third Team – Mackenzie Rogers, Sr., Mediapolis; Grace Flanagan, Soph., North Linn; Mary Crompton, Sr., Iowa City Regina; Autum Barthelman, Sr., Sigourney; Dani Boettscher, Sr., Sioux Central; Sam Stewart, Soph., Mount Ayr; Kia Rasmussen, Sr., IKM-Manning; Konnor Sudmann, Jr., Treynor.

Class 1A

First Team – Mikayla Nachazel, Sr., Springville; Rylee Menster, Sr., Springville; Jenna Boelter, Sr., Algona Garrigan; Olivia Larsen, Jr., Newell-Fonda; Alli Masters, Jr., Central Decatur; Sophia Peppers, Sr., Exira-EHK; Emilee Danner, Sr., Ar-We-Va; Addison Hirschman, Sr., Kingsley-Pierson.

Second Team – Mandy Willems, Sr., AGWSR; Rachael Leerar, Fr., West Hancock; Aubrie Fisher, Jr., AGWSR; Kassidi Steel, Soph., North Mahaska; Lexee Hartsock, Sr., Winfield-Mount Union; Carah Drees, Jr., Westwood; Emma Atwood, Jr., Central Decatur; Peyton Olson, Sr., Mason City Newman.

Third Team – Shateah Wetering, Soph., Montezuma; Amanda Chizek, Soph., West Hancock; Carson Fisk, Jr., Lynnville-Sully; Acey Jellison, Jr., Seymour; Kealy Nelson, Sr., Exira-EHK; Blaire Steenhoek, Jr., Southeast Warren; Katie Sobotka, Sr., Diagonal; Ashley Schwartzhoff, Sr., Kee.