Collins leads Class A all-state team

• Caitlyn Haring and Sarah Feeney

Press Photo by Dustin Monke Fargo South senior Caitlyn Haring, left, and Bismarck High senior Sarah Feeney fight for a loose ball in the Class A state championship game March 14 at the Fargodome. Both players earned first-team all-state honors.

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BISMARCK — North Dakota Miss Basketball Ali Collins leads the 2008-09 North Dakota Class A girls basketball all-state first team.

When Collins was in seventh grade, she broke her right leg in a snowmobile accident and had a titanium rod inserted in the leg. It was the kind of injury that might have sidelined a less determined athlete, but it never slowed Collins.

She helped the Braves win three state championships, was named the best player in the state and on Tuesday became the only unanimous first-teamer on the all-state team, as chosen by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

Joining Collins on the first team are Bismarck’s Sarah Feeney and Kelsey Sigl, who helped lead the Demons to their first state title since 1991, Fargo South’s Caitlyn Haring and Jamestown’s Morgan Dale.

Though Mandan had its record string of six straight state titles snapped, Collins, a 5-9 senior guard, turned in another outstanding season. She was second among Class A players in scoring (19.0) and first in steals (5.8). She also averaged 7.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. It is the third all-state selection for Collins, and her second time on the first team.

“She’s a gamer — she always comes to play a game,” Mandan coach Greg Amundson said. “When the ball goes up, she’s ready, and she’s done that ever since she was a little kid.”

Like Collins, Feeney is a repeat first-team selection. After missing the start of the season with an injury, the 6-2 senior guard averaged 15.7 points and 7 rebounds per game.

She was complemented on the inside by Sigl. The 5-11 senior forward contributed 16.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. A Miss Basketball finalist, Sigl shot 56.3 percent from the floor.

“Those two were our leaders,” Bismarck coach Andrea Ronderos said. “Kelsey was a force inside, and Sarah brought outside and 3-point shooting and can penetrate.

“They were a really good 1-2 punch,” Ronderos said. “They’re just great leaders, leading with integrity, and they were selfless. Neither one of them wanted anything for themselves.”

Dale, a 5-11 senior guard-post, also made the first team for a second time. She was chosen as West Region senior athlete of the year by the coaches. Dale contributed 15.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.6 steals per game for the Blue Jays.

“Morgan’s versatility was her biggest asset,” Jamestown coach Scott Botner said. “She could play inside very effectively and play outside very effectively, and she learned how to defend in the post and on the wing. Her skills, along with her team attitude, made everybody around her better. She always put team first.”

Haring, a 5-6 senior guard, was chosen as the Class A senior athlete of the year by the coaches. Haring averaged just 9.8 points per game, but she led Class A players in assists (6.2 per game) and also averaged 7.1 rebounds and 4.6 steals a night. A second-team all-stater last season, Haring led the Bruins to a 24-1 mark, their only loss coming in the state title game.

“She was the heart and soul of the team the last two years,” South coach Craig Flaagan said. “She did so many things. She was our all-time assists leader. She was our defensive stopper. She both rebounded and got the ball up the floor. She could play all five positions.”

The second team:

- Madi Buck, Bismarck Century: The 6-foot junior forward averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

E Sasha Golus, Belcourt: The 5-10 sophomore center led all Class A players in scoring (19.8) and also hauled down 10.1 rebounds and made 3.2 steals per game.

E Megan Roehrich, Fargo South: The 5-10 sophomore guard averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 4.2 steals per game.

E Siri Burck, Fargo South: The 5-11 junior guard averaged 12.8 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 4 steals per game.

E Caitlin Farroh, Grand Forks Central: The 6-foot sophomore forward averaged 14.6 points and led all Class A players in rebounds (11.5) and blocks (4.2).

Tags: preps, sports, girls, all-state, basketball