Taking a Quick Look at the Class 3A State Girls Basketball Tournament
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The Matchups
No. 3 Solon (21-3) vs. No. 7 Dubuque Wahlert (19-5)
One of two quarterfinal rematches from last year’s Class 3A state tournament Solon and Dubuque Wahlert square off in the opening round for the second consecutive season.
Solon won last year’s opening-round meeting 54-46, closing the game on a 13-2 run.
The Spartans return to the state tournament one of the hottest teams in Class 3A, riding a nine-game winning streak in which they have outscored teams by an average of 38.7 points per game.
Solon is 4-2 against state tournament qualifiers this season with wins over 3A qualifiers Benton Community and Mount Vernon, 1A qualifier Martensdale St. Marys and 2A top-seed Dike-New Hartford.
The Spartans three losses this season are to 4A qualifier Clear Creek Amana, 3A qualifier Mount Vernon and 4A No. 12 Marion.
Solon is led by Iowa signee Callie Levin who averages 22.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.1 steals and 4.5 assists per game.
A Class 3A all-tournament team pick a year ago, senior guard Hailey Miller is second on the team with 135 points per game.
Senior Mia Stahle averages 6.9 points and 3 steals per game and senior Anna Quillin averages a team-high 8.9 rebounds and 5.1 points per game for the Spartans.
Dubuque Wahlert returns to the state tournament for the third time in the past four seasons seeking its first state tournament win since 2004.
The Golden Eagles enter the state tournament battle tested with all five of their losses coming to Class 4A and 5A competition.
Dubuque Wahlert lost three straight games to Liberty High, 4A No. 14 Western Dubuque and 5A No. 7 Cedar Falls to close the regular season but responded by winning three regional games by an average of 29 points.
Junior Claire Lueken was a second-team all-state pick last season and leads Dubuque Wahlert with 17.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
Senior Maria Freed averages 11.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while sophomore Ruth Tauber is averaging 8.5 points and a team-high 3.8 assists per game.
No. 2 Des Moines Christian (23-1) vs. No. 8 Benton Community (18-6)
Another quarterfinal rematch has Des Moines Christian and Benton Community meeting in after Benton Community won 40-34 in last year’s 3A opening round.
Benton Community went on to reach the 3A title game last season where it fell to Sioux Center 62-47.
The Bobcats are hoping for another state tournament run this year and enter on a seven-game winning streak after downing ninth-ranked Monticello 42-35 in the regional final.
All six losses for Benton Community have come to ranked opponents including five losses to top-four ranked teams Clear Creek Amana (twice), Waverly-Shell Rock, Solon and Mount Vernon.
Senior guard Emma Townsley leads the Bobcats with 15.3 points, 5.1 rebounds. 5 assists and 3.3 steals per game while senior McKenna Kramer is averaging 13.1 points per contest.
Des Moines Christian is making its second consecutive state tournament appearance and fourth in the past six seasons.
The Lions have lost their opening round game at state each of the past two seasons and will look to reverse that trend in a rematch with Benton Community.
Des Moines Christian has won 20 straight games following its only loss of the season against Class 4A fourth-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes back on December 1.
The Lions are among the best defensive teams in Class 3A ranking third in 3A in points allowed at 34.4 per game.
Senior Abby Hall leads the Lions in scoring at 12 points per game while sophomore guard Addy Oetker is averaging 8.3 points, 5 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 3 assists per game.
Junior Meg Muller averages 7 points and senior Tori Burton averages 5.8 points per game for the Lions.
No. 4 Mount Vernon (21-3) vs. No. 6 Harlan (20-3)
One of the most interesting opening-round matchups in Class 3A features a pair of strong programs returning to the state tournament in search of their first state tournament win in nearly a decade.
Harlan is making its first trip to state since 2001 but hasn’t won a game in Des Moines since claiming the 4A title in 2015.
Mount Vernon is making its first appearance since 2016 and seeking its first state-tournament win since a runner-up finish in 2011.
Harlan has won five straight and returned to the state tournament with a 50-47 win over No. 15 Cherokee in the regional title game.
The three losses for the Cyclones have come to 4A state qualifier Council Bluffs Lewis Central and 1A qualifier Council Bluffs St. Albert.
Junior Aubrey Schwieso leads Harlan with 14.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.3 steals per game while senior Erica Rust averages 14.1 points and a team-high 9.2 rebounds per game.
Mount Vernon has been strong all season with its only losses coming to 4A top-ranked Clear Creek Amana, 1A top-ranked North Linn and 3A third-ranked Solon by a combined total of 16 points.
Junior Chloe Meester leads four Mustangs that average at least 7.8 points per game with a team-high 13.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
Sydney Huber averages 12.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while Peyton Simpson averages 9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
No. 1 Estherville Lincoln Central (22-2) vs. No. 12 Forest City (21-3)
Another intriguing quarterfinal matchup pits a recent state tournament regular in Estherville Lincoln Central against first-time qualifier Forest City.
The 2022 Class 3A champion Estherville Lincoln Central returns to the state tournament for the third consecutive season.
The Midgets were the top seed a year ago but were upset by Vinton-Shellsburg 54-46 in the opening round.
Estherville Lincoln Central brings a 14-game winning streak into the state tournament after defeating No. 10 Spirit Lake 57-38 in the regional title game.
The current 14-game winning streak for the Midgets stretches back to December and features seven wins over ranked opponents.
Estherville Lincoln Central is led by junior guard Haylee Stokes who averages 24 points, 6.8 assists and 5.6 steals per game while junior Rylee Yager averages 15.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game.
Forest City is making its first ever trip to state after a 67-55 upset of fifth-ranked Roland-Story in the regional title game.
The regional final upset was the eighth straight win for the Indians who are unbeaten against 3A competition this season.
The losses for Forest City came to 1A fifth-ranked Algona Garrigan, 2A No. 12 North Union and 4A second-ranked Waverly-Shell Rock in a span of 21 days in January.
Since the 57-34 loss to Waverly on January 23 Forest City has won nine straight avenging the loss to Algona Garrigan and downing Roland-Story in the regional final.
The Players
Solon: Callie Levin, 5-9, Sr. – An Iowa recruit, Levin is one of the top players in the state and averages 22.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.1 steals and 4.5 assists per game.
Dubuque Wahlert: Claire Lueken, 5-10, Jr. – A second-team all-state pick after leading Wahlert in scoring last season as a sophomore Lueken has been even better this season averaging 17.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.9 steals and 1 blocked shot per game.
Des Moines Christian: Abby Hall, 5-8, Sr. – Hall leads the Lions in scoring for the second straight season averaging a team-high 12 points per game to go with 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest.
Benton Community: Emma Townsley, 5-8, Sr. – A three-year full-time stater Townsley has stepped up to fill the void created by the graduation of all-stater Jenna Twedt. Townsley is averaging 15.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5 assists and 3.3 steals per game.
Mount Vernon: Chloe Meester, 6-2, Jr. – A Louisville volleyball recruit, Meester is a major impact player on both ends of the court averaging a team-high 13.1 points per game on 60 percent shooting from the field while also leading the Mustangs in rebounds (8.1) and blocked shots (3.1).
Harlan: Aubrey Schwieso, 5-10, Sr. – A third-team all-state pick last season Schwieso leads the Cyclones in points (14.5), assists (4.6) and steals (3.3) and ranks second on the team in rebounds (5.1) and blocked shots (.8).
Estherville Lincoln Central: Haylee Stokes, 5-6, Jr. – A first-time all-state pick last season Stokes continues to fill the stat sheet as well as any player in the state averaging 24 points, 6.8 assists, 5.6 steals and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Forest City: Hayden Brown, 5-9, Soph. – A starter last season as a freshman Brown has upped her production while leading the Indians in scoring for the second consecutive season. The sophomore point guard is averaging a team-high 13.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game along with 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals.
The Storylines
The Favorite
With Sioux Center moving up to Class 4A this season 3A is the only class without a defending champ in the field.
Class 3A is also the only field without an unbeaten team leaving 3A as the lone bracket without an obvious favorite entering this week.
There are several options to hold this title but preseason top-ranked Solon gets the nod.
The Spartans spent much of the season ranked in the top spot, they have the best player in the tournament in senior point guard Callie Levin, they have state tournament experience with four starters back from last year’s semifinal team and they are tested with a 4-2 mark against state qualifiers.
The Underdog
Forest City finds itself in a perfect underdog role.
The Indians are making the first state tournament appearance in program history and have excitement and momentum on their side.
Forest City has won eight straight games after a regional final upset of fifth-ranked Roland-Story and have allowed 38 points or less five times during its current eight-game winning streak.
The Darkhorse
Much in the same way that Forest City fits the underdog role perfect Benton Community makes a perfect darkhorse in this year’s 3A field.
The defending 3A runner-up Bobcats have flown under the radar most of the season and enter with a 3A tournament field-high six losses.
Look closer that those losses. Benton has lost twice to 4A top-ranked Clear Creek Amana, to 4A second-ranked Waverly-Shell Rock by 10, to 4A No. 12 Marion by two and to 3A qualifiers Solon by three and Mount Vernon by eight.
Benton Community has showed the ability to win on the state’s biggest stage and has the ability to make another run this season.
The Focus
Can Solon finish the job?
With the core of the team returning from last year’s state semifinal team Solon entered this season with the clear goal of a state title.
The Spartans have looked like a state title team for most of the season and return to Des Moines for the second year in a row needing three wins for its first title since 1998.
There are plenty of teams capable of stopping the Spartans short of their ultimate goal in what appears to be a balanced 3A field.
Top-seeded Estherville Lincoln Central was the 2022 champion and is making a third consecutive state tournament appearance and Dubuque Wahlert is a dangerous opening round opponent.
The Numbers
Scoring Leaders
- Haylee Stokes, Jr., Estherville Lincoln Central – 24
- Callie Levin, Sr., Solon – 22.4
- Claire Lueken, Jr., Dubuque Wahlert – 17.1
- Rylee Yager, Jr., Estherville Lincoln Central – 15.8
- Emma Townsley, Sr., Benton Community – 15.3
Rebounding Leaders
- Rylee Yager, Jr., Estherville Lincoln Central – 9.3
- Erica Rust, Sr., Harlan – 9.2
- Anna Quillin, Sr., Solon – 8.9
- Chloe Meester, Jr., Mount Vernon – 8.1
- Gianna Bennett, Sr., Des Moines Christian – 7.7
Assist Leaders
- Haylee Stokes, Jr., Estherville Lincoln Central – 6.8
- Emma Townsley, Sr., Benton – 5
- Courtney Franck, Soph., Mount Vernon – 4.8
- Aubrey Schwieso, Harlan – 4.6
- Callie Levin, Sr., Solon – 4.5
Five Fast Facts
*- In the 11 seasons since the IGHSAU went to five classes Estherville Lincoln Central is the only team in the 3A field to win a state title.
*- The only two players in the state to average at least 20 points, 5 steals and 4 assists are in the 3A field in Estherville Lincoln Central junior Haylee Stokes and Solon senior Callie Levin.
*- Solon ranks second in Class 3A and ninth in the state in points per game this season averaging 64 points per game.
*- Class 3A is the only state tournament field this week that does not feature both the defending champion and runner-up from last season.
*- With 71 blocked shots this season Mount Vernon junior Chloe Meester has more blocks than half of the teams in the Class 3A tournament field.
The History
Last 5 Champions
2023 – Sioux Center
2022 – Estherville-Lincoln Central
2021 – Unity Christian
2020 – Sioux City Heelan
2019 – Center Point-Urbana
Last Year’s Qualifiers
Sioux Center; Solon; Dubuque Wahlert; Estherville-Lincoln Central; Vinton-Shellsburg; Benton Community; Des Moines Christian; West Marshall
The Schedule
Monday’s Quarterfinals
Estherville Lincoln Central (22-2) vs. Forest City (21-3), 5 p.m.
Mount Vernon (21-3) vs. Harlan (20-3), 6:45 p.m.
Des Moines Christian (23-1) vs. Benton Community (18-6), 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday’s Quarterfinal
Solon (21-3) vs. Dubuque Wahlert (19-5), 10 a.m.
Thursday’s Semifinals
Estherville Lincoln Central/Forest City winner vs. Mount Vernon/Harlan winner, 1:30 p.m.
Des Moines Christian/Benton Community winner vs. Solon/Dubuque Wahlert winner, 3:15 p.m.
Friday’s Championship
Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.
Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.
