Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

When you earn your first outright conference title since 1972 it’s a cause for celebration.

That is exactly what West Branch did after locking up its first ever River Valley Conference crown earlier this month.

It’s also a reason to be rewarded with postseason recognition.

That came for the Bears on Friday.

RVC South Division champion West Branch had five players earn all-conference honors and head coach Jarod Tylee was tabbed South Division coach of the year when the league announced its postseason honors on Friday.

West Branch went 17-2 in RVC play, including a perfect 12-0 mark against South Division opponents while claiming its first RVC title and first outright conference crown of any kind in nearly 40 years.

Sasha Koenig headlined the West Branch all-conference honorees being named to the 10-member Elite Team that honors the top players from both the North and South Divisions for the second year in a row.

The junior point guard was a unanimous Elite Team pick after leading West Branch with 15.5 points, 5.6 assists and 3.7 steals per game and adding 3.7 rebounds per contest.

Regina senior Sam Greving was a first-time Elite Team selection to lead a group of three Regals to receive postseason honors.

Seniors Taylor Thein and Kaiya Luneckas and sophomore Rylan Druecker were all named to the South Division squad for West Branch along with Regina junior Annie Gahan.

Thein averaged 8.4 points and 3 steals and 2.2 rebounds per game for West Branch while Druecker was second on the team in scoring at 9 points per game and averaged 3.3 rebounds per contest.

Luneckas averaged 4.5 points per game and led the South Division with 9.5 rebounds per game.

Greving led Regina in scoring at 12.5 points per game and was second on the team with 5.7 rebounds per game.

Gahan averaged 11.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-high 2.3 steals per game.

Junior Taya Young was an honorable mention pick for West Branch while senior guard Claire Gaarde was an honorable mention honoree for Regina.

River Valley Conference Girls Basketball Teams

Elite Team – *Nicole McDermott, Sr., Cascade; *Skylar Dolphin, Sr., Cascade; *Sasha Koenig, Jr., West Branch; *Jordan Kuper, Sr., Monticello; Lindsey Banowetz, Sr., Bellevue; Abby Welter, Sr., Cascade; Gabrielle Steiner, Sr., Monticello; Macy Daufeldt, Soph., West Liberty; Sam Greving, Sr., Regina; Kelsey Drake, Soph., Wilton

South Team – Finley Hall, Fr., West Liberty; Annie Gahan, Jr., Regina; Maddie Nonnenmann, Soph., Mid-Prairie; Taylor Thein, Sr., West Branch; Kaiya Luneckas, Sr., West Branch; Rylan Druecker, Soph., West Branch; Sailor Hall, Soph., West Liberty; Kylie Kay, Sr., Durant; Ally Happ, Soph., Durant; Rachel Bierman, Sr., Tipton

South Division coach of the year – Jarod Tylee, West Branch

North Team – Claire Abbott, Sr., Northeast; Emma Fowler, Jr., Northeast; Jenna Syring, Jr., North Cedar; Maggie McQuillen, Sr., Anamosa; Maddie Schmidt, Jr., Bellevue; Teresa Paulsen, Jr., Bellevue; Tori McDonald, Jr., Monticello; Karli Recker, Jr., Monticello; Ally Hoffman, Soph., Cascade; Tarah Wehde, Sr., Camanche

North Division coach of the year – Mike Sconsa, Cascade; Donnie Kremer, Monticello

Honorable mention – Aubrey Carstensen, Soph., Camanche; Maddie Heims, Jr., Anamosa; Mariah Hueneke, Soph., Bellevue; Gabrielle Guilford, Jr., Monticello; Kayla Syring, Sr., North Cedar; Alexis Ehlers, Jr., Northeast; Jordan Simon, Sr., Cascade; Myah Lugar, Jr., Mid-Prairie; Claire Gaarde, Sr., Regina; Taya Young, Jr., West Branch; Janey Gingerich, Jr., West Liberty; Ella Caffery, Soph., Wilton; Kira Schult, Sr., Durant; Kamryn Chapman, Sr., Tipton

*-Unanimous selection

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