June 30, 2025
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Mount Ayr, Nodaway Valley centers named all-state

By LARRY PETERSON
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Mount Ayr junior post player Kelcie Shields is fouled while taking a shot in the lane during a game against Bedford this season. Shields was named to the INA's Class 1A all-state first team after leading Mount Ayr to the state tournament. (CNA file)

Two area standout post players from the Pride of Iowa Conference are all-staters today in Class 1A, but if they are to repeat as seniors next year, it may have to be in Class 2A.

The Iowa Newspaper Association announced its 2016 All-State Girls Basketball teams in all five classes today.

State qualifier Mount Ayr is represented by 6-1 junior Kelcie Shields on the Class 1A first-team front line. She is the Raiderettes’ first all-stater since Becca Pennington from the 2011 Class 2A state qualifier, and Pennington and Bailey Myer from the Class 1A runner-up team in 2010.

Nodaway Valley, meanwhile, gets its first INA all-stater in Tom Thompson’s seven years as coach as 6-1 junior Josie Clarke was named to the third-team front line.

However, based on enrollment shifts among schools, it’s likely that Nodaway Valley will move up to Class 2A next year, and it’s possible Mount Ayr could do the same.

“Right now our BEDS (enrollment) number is 134 for next year, which puts us just over the cut line for 1A,” said Mount Ayr coach Thad Streit. “But that’s not final yet. We’re right on the edge.”

“It appears we are going up,” said Nodaway Valley coach Tom Thompson. “We were at 129 last year, but now we’ll be at 149 and last year the cutoff was 131 for 1A.”

In Class 2A, they would join Pride of Iowa co-champions Interstate 35 and Central Decatur, which each had one player selected to the INA all-state teams. Gracey Griglione, 6-1 junior from I-35, is on the Class 2A first-team front line, while state qualifier Central Decatur is represented on the third team by 5-11 junior Raegan Boothe at a utility position.

Bedford, projected to stay in Class 1A, was third in the POI this year while Nodaway Valley was fourth and state qualifier Mount Ayr was fifth.

“We had a lot of good teams and most of them are heavy in juniors,” Streit said.

Shields certainly established herself as an inside force in Class 1A with an outstanding state tournament game. Turkey Valley, which lost 48-47 to Springville in the state title game, held off Mount Ayr 55-51 in the quarterfinals. In that game, Shields scored 25 points along with 10 rebounds and two blocked shots. She made 11 of 18 shots from the field.

“I think (voters) were impressed with what she did up there, and they saw her field goal percentage for the season,” said Streit, whose team finished 18-8 after the state tourney run.

Inside force

Shields shot 63.8 percent from the floor for the season while averaging 19.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. She also had 29 steals, 25 assists and a school-record 84 blocked shots. She already owns the school career blocked shots record of 140 with another season to go.

Streit said Shields has deceptive athleticism and strength, which was also on display during a stellar volleyball season for the 25-10 Raiderettes in which she had 393 kills (fourth in Class 1A) and 114 blocks (third in Class 1A).

“Until you go against her in practice, you don’t realize just how strong she is,” Streit said. “When she drop steps, she has strong legs and gets herself to a good angle and she jumps well, so at 6-1 that’s pretty hard to stop. She also has good hands. She knows how to spin it no matter where she is at, so she’s good at finishing around the basket. With her hands, I always said she’d be a heck of a tight end!”

The Raiderette coach said he saw Shields made a quick adjustment on a move at the state tournament that showed how far she’s advanced her offensive game.

“Kelcie went to drop step at the state tournament,” Streit said, “and the (defensive) girl had position. She whipped it through and stepped through that girl and made a finishing move. Her best ball is ahead of her. Last year she missed a month with a broken foot. She’s making a lot of progress.”

After getting 27 and 29 blocked shots as a freshman and sophomore, Shields shattered the Mount Ayr season and career record with 84 blocks this season, which ranks fifth in Class 1A.

“She’s already 6-1, and with her jumping ability coming from volleyball and her approach to spiking, she can really block shots with great timing,” Streit said. “Our defense can set traps and be aggressive because they know there’s somebody back there with long arms who can protect the rim.”

Versatile center

Nodaway Valley’s Clarke is also one of the state’s top shot blockers, swatting 112 shots this season to rank second in Class 1A and third among all classes.

Despite her height, Clarke’s game is diversified at 14.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, along with 48 assists and 24 steals. She shot 44 percent from the field. This year she was 4-of-25 from 3-point range, but she has shown the potential to step out and shoot by hitting 8-of-17 from behind the arc as a sophomore.

“We’ve pulled her inside a little more because that’s where we need her,” Thompson said. “But she is certainly capable of shooting from the perimeter and she handles the ball really well for a girl her size. She has great footwork around the basket and rebounds so well. A lot of times she gets a second or third shot when she does miss.”

While the versatile Paige McElfish and versatile senior Jessica Nelson were also big threats for the 18-6 Wolverines who reached the regional finals vs. Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton, it was Clarke’s inside presence defensively that allowed Thompson to employ an aggressive, denial style out front.

“The thing about Josie is, the way she blocks shots, we funnel things toward her,” Thompson said. “We set a school record for points allowed at 35 (per game), and the record was 42. She was a big part of setting that record.”

Exira/EH-K’s 5-10 sophomore, Sophia Peppers, was named to the 1A second team at utility.

Bedford’s Calfee took the third-team utility spot after contributing in many ways to Bedford’s 18-5 season, and her career also includes playing in the state tournament. As a senior she averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 3.5 steals.

Hawkeye 10

The Hawkeye 10 Conference has the following all-state players: St. Albert senior Paige Beacom and senior teammate Alyssa Carley, both on the Class 2A second team; Shenandoah senior Logan Ehlers on the Class 3A third team; Harlan senior Taylor Frederick and senior teammate Jordyn Moser on the Class 4A first team; and Lewis Central sophomore Maegan Holt on the Class 4A second team.

The panel of sportswriters, assisted by representative coaches from the Iowa Basketball Coaches Association, named Makenzie Meyer of Class 4A state champion Mason City as 2016 Miss Basketball.

A three-time all-state selection, Meyer finished her career with 1,590 points. The University of Iowa signee has been recognized as first-team All-CIML Northern Division four years running and All-CIML overall the past two seasons. She averaged 17.9 points and had 159 rebounds as a senior, while also compiling 54 steals and 50 assists.

The 2016 Iowa Newspaper Association All-State Girls Basketball Teams:

CLASS 1A

First team: Front line: Mikayla Nachazel, 5-10, So., Springville; Johanna Vaske, 5-10, Sr., Algona Garrigan; Kelcie Shields, 6-1, Jr., Mount Ayr. Back court: Rylee Menster, 5-6, So., Springville; Shelby Reicks, 5-9, Jr., Turkey Valley; Riley Kilbride, 5-8, Sr., Burlington Notre Dame. Utility: Regan Shockley, 5-5, Sr., H-M-S.

Second team: Front line: Tori Hazard, 5-10, Jr., Janesville; Marissa Schroeder, 6-1, Jr., Bellevue Marquette; Julia Fleecs, 6-2, Jr., Glidden-Ralston. Back court: Hattie Davidson, 5-7, Sr., Northwood-Kensett; Erin Gerke, 5-7, Jr., Newell-Fonda; Megan Wagaman, 5-8, Sr., Springville. Utility: Sophia Peppers, 5-10, So., Exira-EHK.

Third team: Front line: Brenna Lanser, 5-10, Jr., Lynnville-Sully; Addison Hirschman, 6-2, So., Kingsley-Pierson; Josie Clarke, 6-1, Jr., Nodaway Valley. Back court: Emilee Danner, 5-9, Fr., Ar-We-Va; Sarah Dreckman, 5-7, Sr., MMC; Emma Staudt, 5-8, Jr., Rockford. Utility: Callie Calfee, 5-9, Sr., Bedford.

CLASS 2A

First team: Front line: Anna Kiel, 6-0, Sr., Orange City Unity Christian; Ashtyn Veerbeek, 6-2, So., Hull Western Christian; Gracey Griglione, 6-1, Jr., Interstate 35. Back court: Chanda Zomermaand, 5-8, Sr., Orange City Unity Christian; Katie Lindeman, 5-8, Sr., Grundy Center; Mary Crompton, 5-8, So., Iowa City Regina. Utility: Beth Atwood, 5-11, Sr., Pekin.

Second team: Front line: Megan Peschong, 6-0, Sr., Okoboji; Morgan Boer, 5-11, Sr., North Linn; Paige Beacom, 5-10, Sr., CB St. Albert. Back court: Alyssa Carley, 5-10, Sr., CB St. Albert; Maria Gonzalez, 5-5, Sr., West Hancock; Mackenzie Roberts, 5-8, Jr., Van Meter. Utility: Kailey Burke, 5-10, Sr., Hinton.

Third team: Front line: Kaira Moss, 6-2, Sr., Hull Western Christian; Ali Verzani, 5-9, Sr., Lawton-Bronson; Faith Troshynski, 5-8, Sr., Manson-NW. Back court: Kelsey Hora, 5-3, Jr., Highland; Janey Botkins, 5-7, Sr., Durant; Emalee Fundermann, 5-8, Sr., Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto. Utility: Raegan Boothe, 5-11, Jr., Central Decatur.

CLASS 3A

First team: Front line: Arika Wooldridge, 6-0, Sr., Center Point-Urbana; Kati Cassabaum, 6-0, Sr., Nevada; Lexi Koudelka, 6-1, So., Nevada. Back court: Elle Ruffridge, 5-3, Jr., Pocahontas Area; Kaely Hummel, 5-8, Sr., Cherokee; Mackenzie Rogers, 5-8, So., Mediapolis. Utility: Ellie Friesen, 5-3, So., Osage.

Second team: Front line: Kaitlyn Volesky, 5-10, Jr., Mount Vernon; Allison Wooldridge, 6-1, So., Center Point-Urbana; Gabby Reyerson, 6-1, Sr., West Marshall. Back court: Faith Meyer, 5-8, Jr., Pocahontas Area; Jessica Speake, 5-6, Sr., Hampton-Dumont; Jordan Prantner, 5-7, Sr., Hampton-Dumont. Utility: Grace Meyer, 5-9, Jr., Pocahontas Area.

Third team: Front line: Britany Mathison, 5-8, Sr., Central Lee; Logan Ehlers, 6-1, Sr., Shenandoah; Lauren Ries, 5-9, So., Monticello. Back court: Emily Snelling, 5-6, Jr., Clear Lake; Alyssa Weebel, 5-8, Sr., Benton Community; Alli Fey, 5-9, Sr., Nevada. Utility: Jasmine Harris, 5-10, Jr., Davenport Assumption.

CLASS 4A

First team: Front line: Megan Maahs, 6-1, Sr., Western Dubuque; Taylor Frederick, 6-1, Sr., Harlan; Agatha Beier, 5-9, Jr., Carlisle. Back court: Makenzie Meyer, 5-10, Sr., Mason City; Jordyn Moser, 5-7, Sr., Harlan; Chloe Rice, 5-10, So., Marion. Utility: Katie Vander Molen, 5-9, Jr., Pella.

Second team: Front line: Gabie Doud, 5-11 Sr., Ballard; Amanda Brainerd, 6-2, Sr., DeWitt Central; Maegan Holt, 5-11, So., CB Lewis Central. Back court: Morgan Pitz, 5-9, Jr., Western Dubuque; Karli Rucker, 5-6, Jr., North Scott; Michaela Davis, 5-4, So., Keokuk. Utility: Sienna Durr, 6-0, So., Grinnell.

Third team: Front line: Katie Harken, 5-11, Jr., Waverly-Shell Rock; Kiara Bradley, 5-10, Jr., Pella; Kaeley Petzenhauser, 5-10, So., Spencer. Back court: Megan Meyer, 5-8, Fr., Mason City; Mia Laube, 5-9, So., Marion; Nicole Buch, 5-10, So., Fairfield. Utility: Makenzie Pezley, 5-9, Jr., Keokuk.

CLASS 5A

First team: Front line: Taryn Knuth, 6-4, Jr., Johnston; Amanda Ollinger, 6-1, Sr., Linn-Mar; Lela Sellers, 5-11, Sr., CR Kennedy. Back court: Becca Hittner, 6-0, Sr., WDM Dowling; Ashley Joens, 5-11, So., Iowa City High; Carlie Littlefield, 5-9, Jr., Waukee. Utility: Jinaya Houston, 6-0, Jr., Davenport North.

Second team: Front line: Grace Berg, 6-0, So., Indianola; Reilly Jacobson, 6-1, Sr., Waukee; Tasha Vipond, 6-1, Sr., Ankeny Centennial. Back court: Chrislyn Carr, 5-4, So., Davenport West; Jacionna Stowers, 5-7, Jr., Davenport North; Casey Stuart, 5-8, Sr., Southeast Polk. Utility: Emma Gerdes, 5-10, Sr., Cedar Falls.

Third team: Front line: Kennedy Dighton, 6-1, Jr., CR Jefferson; Courtney Joens, 5-11, Sr., Iowa City High; Ellie Spelhaug, 5-10, So., Pleasant Valley. Back court: Joniqua Clark, 5-1, Sr., CR Washington; Kamryn Finley, 5-8, So., Linn-Mar; Hannah Fuller, 5-8, Jr., WDM Valley. Utility: Rachael Saunders, 5-9, So., Iowa City West.