2006-07 Daily Star Girls Basketball All-Stars

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Stephanie Shellman, Downsville, junior point guard

Went from junior varsity postseason call-up as a sophomore to area’s top varsity player in one season. €¦ Averaged 17.2 points, 5.3 steals, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in helping Eagles to Delaware League championship, a Section Four Class D final appearance and a 20-3 record, despite graduating the bulk of their starters from the previous season. €¦ Scored 21 points in 62-53 Section Four Class D championship loss to eventual state semifinalist Odessa-Montour. €¦ Downsville’s best ballhandler can shoot, penetrate, pass and rebound and possesses college-level basketball smarts. €¦ "Even if she didn’t have a lot of points, she still did all the other stuff," Downsville coach Christine Baldauf said. "She was always a factor." €¦ Earned Fifth Team All-State honors. €¦ Also a standout in soccer, cross country and outdoor track.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Bob Conway, Bainbridge-Guilford, 25th season

Led well-balanced Bobcats to Midstate Athletic Conference championship and a spot in the Section Four Class C championship game opposite defending state champion Elmira Notre Dame. €¦ Fell to Crusaders, 54-50, in sectional final one season after absorbing 30-point loss to END in sectional semifinal. €¦ END went on to win state championship for second straight season. €¦ Defense led the way for Conway’s girls, who amassed 315 steals this past winter. €¦ B-G finished 19-3, with other two losses against MAC Division I champion Unatego during the regular season. €¦ Division II MAC champion Bobcats avenged those losses with 49-44 victory over Spartans in MAC final Feb. 17 at Oxford, marking second straight league championship for B-G.

FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS

sr. C Amie Ballo, Andes

Sixth Team All-State selection in Class D averaged a double-double of 14.2 points and 14.9 rebounds during the regular season. €¦ The 6-foot center finished in double digits for rebounding every game this winter, including a season-high 28 against Margaretville in December. €¦ "She had a ton of blocks, too," said Andes superintendent John Bernhardt, who coached the Mountaineers until Jeff Rhone took over after the Christmas break. €¦ "If she didn’t block it, there were so many change-of-direction shots that it was unbelievable." €¦ Shot 54 percent from the floor (109-for-202) during the regular season, fueled by a 55-for-89 effort (62 percent) over the Mountaineers’ last eight games. €¦ Headed to Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa., for softball.

sr. PG Bobbi-Jean Bryden, Morris

Averaged 15.7 points, 3.5 steals and 3.0 rebounds per game for Tri-Valley League champion Mustangs, who fell to eventual Section Four Class D champion Odessa-Montour in a sectional semifinal. €¦ Senior leadership contributed greatly to 13-7 finish. €¦ "Sometimes we put Bobbi out on the wing," Morris coach Kerry Mason said of his 5-foot-5 point guard, "but she could post up, too. She’s strong. The whole key next season is to replace Bobbi-Jean at the point." €¦ Daily Star Second Team All-Star selection last winter. €¦ Looking to play basketball for SUNY Brockport next season.

soph. PG Danielle Conway, G-MU

Scored team-best 350 points for an average of 17.5 for Gilbertsville-Mount Upton, which finished 15-5 overall. €¦ Team’s best ballhandler also hit 27 three-pointers and grabbed 209 rebounds (10.5 per game). €¦ "You could post her up if you wanted to because of her height," Raiders coach Jim Johnson said of the 5-foot-11 Conway. "She has the outside shot, too. She can score with her back to the basket, but she likes to face the basket and see what’s going on." €¦ Also led team in assists (81) and free throw percentage (76.4, 113-for-148), and contributed 48 steals.

jr. C Samantha Fox, Cooperstown

Scored 401 points during 13-9 season for the Redskins, whose season ended with loss to eventual Section Three Class C champion Little Falls. €¦ In addition to 18.2 points per game, 6-foot center Fox also averaged 15.2 rebounds, 5.7 blocks, 3.6 steals and 2.4 assists. €¦ "She’s a true center," Cooperstown coach Frank Miosek said of Fox, who earned Division II MVP honors in the Center State Conference. "She can hit the three, but I can’t take her away from the basket." €¦ Selected to represent the Redskins in the Zebra Classic, a season-ending all-star showcase for teams in Section Three. €¦ Daily Star Second Team All-Star last season.

soph. PG Madie Harlem, Oneonta

Southern Tier Athletic Conference All-Central Division selection scored 248 points for an average of 11.8. €¦ Daily Star honorable mention last season, when she averaged almost 10 points as a freshman. €¦ Only returning starter from previous season also had 84 steals and 77 assists. €¦. "She kind of had to do everything," OHS coach Bob Zeh said. "Her greatest asset is that she has good basketball sense. I have to scream at her to shoot because she’s unselfish to a fault."

fr. C Samantha Meyerhoff, Davenport

Second season as a varsity starter resulted in averages of 18.6 points and 10.4 rebounds. €¦ Scored 427 points as a freshman, one season after scoring 142. €¦. Finished in double digits for scoring in all but one game and had 71 steals for Upper Delaware Division champion Wildcats. €¦ "I thought she was one of the two best players in the Delaware League," Davenport coach Ray Preston said of the 5-foot-8 Meyerhoff. "At the beginning of the season, we really thought we wouldn’t have that one player who scores 18-20 points per game, but it turned out that she did that. I was very pleasantly surprised."

soph. G Colleen O’Hara, Unatego

Started every varsity game for third straight season for three-time defending Midstate Athletic Conference Division I champion Spartans. €¦ A 5-foot-10 guard who could do damage inside as well as outside, O’Hara scored 306 points for an average of 13.9. €¦ Also averaged 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals and hit 36 three-pointers. €¦ "She did a nice job improving her shot and extended her range on the jump shot," Unatego coach Greg Bonczkowski said. "She was making threes from well beyond the line, too. People knew she could shoot, so she had to work on penetrating because she has the ballhandling skills of a point guard. She’s a very versatile player."

sr. C MacKensey O’Hara, Unatego

Finished with 11.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.4 blocks and 2.9 steals per game for Midstate Athletic Conference Division I champion Spartans. €¦ A 6-foot-1 center, O’Hara altered more shots than she blocked in the paint and made opponents think twice about trying to pound the ball inside. €¦ "MacKensey definitely brings a presence to the floor and she influenced a lot of shots," Unatego coach Greg Bonczkowski said. "People weren’t so quick to attack us inside the paint, and she was a big factor." €¦ Also had ability to distribute the ball effectively from the high post, finding teammates on the blocks for easy baskets. "She brought a lot of intangibles to the team," Bonczkowski said. €¦ Daily Star Second Team All-Star last season.

sr. PG Jen Patten, Bainbridge-Guilford

One of three 1,000-point scorers in B-G girls basketball history, 5-foot-9 point guard Patten scored 377 points for an average of 17.1 per game. €¦ Shot 121-for-250 from the field (48 percent), 81-for-117 from the foul line (69 percent) and grabbed 176 rebounds (8.0 per game). €¦ Also had 117 assists and 87 steals en route to second straight Daily Star First Team All-Star selection. €¦ "She’s been our leader in every offensive category for the last three years," B-G coach Bob Conway said. "And on top of everything else, she’s one of our top two defensive players." €¦ Finished with 1,103 varsity points, which ranks behind Courtney Mattingly (1,918) and Danielle Baldwin (1,472) at B-G. €¦ A Fourth Team All-State pick in Class C. €¦ Planning to attend Cortland State.

sr. G/F Sybil Stanton, Walton

Unquestionably the Warriors’ go-to player who finished with an area-best 20.1 points per game. €¦ Third straight season as a Daily Star First Team All-Star. €¦ The 5-foot-9 Stanton served Walton as its primary ballhandler but also could score against the best of the Midstate Athletic Conference’s towers inside. €¦ Fifth-year starter finished as school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,351 points, 111 ahead of former leader and 1989 graduate Janet Merrill. €¦ Also hit 37 three-pointers and finished with 8.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. €¦ "She was a great teacher for the young kids," Walton coach Gary Backus said. "She was always trying to help out." €¦ Headed to SUNY Delhi to study architecture.

SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS

jr. Casey Aplin, Gilboa

sr. Anna Bulka, Jefferson

sr. Jess Cole, South Kortright

sr. Nicole Conway, Bainbridge-Guilford

sr. Marcie Day, Bainbridge-Guilford

sr. Brandee Decker, Morris

sr. Sarah Grantier, Worcester

jr. Mariah Schaeffer, Bainbridge-Guilford

jr. Blake Shelton, Unatego

jr. Jen Wehner, Cooperstown

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Afton _ Melissa Oswald, Jessica Winans.

Bainbridge-Guilford _ Samantha Spalholz.

Cherry Valley-Springfield _ Courtney VanBrink.

Davenport _ Nicole Frank, Chelsea Haight.

Delhi _ Meghan Taylor.

Downsville _ Brittany D’Addezio.

Franklin _ Nicole Simonds.

Gilbertsville-Mount Upton _ Brittany Rudnitsky.

Gilboa _ Nadine Gurley.

Hunter-Tannersville _ Paige Plattner.

Jefferson _ Chelsea Martin.

Milford _ Brenna Campbell, Chandler Prouty.

Morris _ Gretchen Meyer.

Schenevus _ Nicole Dulkis.

Sidney _ Maria Mirabito.

South Kortright _ Ally Gardner, Jordan Nichols.

Unadilla Valley _ Theresa Lazarus.

Unatego _ Katya Harris.

Walton _ Carlee Hoyt.

DAILY STAR HISTORY

GIRLS PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Yr. Player Team Avg.

1984 Denise McNeilly, Franklin €"

1985 Denise McNeilly, Franklin 33.2

1986 Daphne Joy, Morris 20.6

1987 Karen Finn, Cooperstown 16.1

1988 Karen Finn, Cooperstown 15.2

TIE Stacie Kane, Afton 20.2

1989 Janet Merrill, Walton 17.8

1990 Mieke Veenhof, Gilbertsville 24.3

1991 Jill Kathmann, Delhi 22.2

1992 Jill Kathmann, Delhi 23.8

TIE Jennifer Wright, Davenport 22.6

1993 Melinda Knapp, Schenevus 17.6

TIE Cindy Wagner, G-MU 19.1

1994 Danielle Baldwin, B-G 15.4

TIE Ellen McGrail, Stamford 13.2

1995 Danielle Baldwin, B-G 18.3

TIE Liz McGrail, Stamford 14.2

1996 Danielle Baldwin, B-G 22.0

1997 Krissy Zeh, Oneonta 15.4

1998 Krissy Zeh, Oneonta 15.3

TIE Courtney Mattingly, B-G 24.7

1999 Courtney Mattingly, B-G 24.1

2000 Katie Arnold, Cooperstown 16.1

2001 Brooke Davis, Stamford 18.2

TIE Ashlei Kenchen, South Kortright 18.8

2002 Angela Mirabito, Sidney 24.5

2003 Shannon Weir, Milford 19.6

2004 Renee Kemmerer, Afton 20.2

2005 Jarrin Hayen, Oneonta 16.7

2006 Jessica Laing, South Kortright 25.6

2007 Stephanie Shellman, Downsville 17.2

GIRLS COACHES OF THE YEAR

Yr. Coach Team W-L

1984 Doug Fessenden, Sidney 21-4

1985 Earl Sussman, Unatego 24-3

TIE Joan Martin, Morris 22-2

1986 Bob Conway, Mount Upton 21-1

1987 Doug Fessenden, Sidney 22-2

TIE Ray Preston, Davenport 21-1

1988 Jim Johnson, Gilbertsville 17-3

1989 Ray Preston, Davenport 24-3

1990 Tom Sherwood, Stamford 21-4

1991 A.B. Jones, Roxbury 20-3

1992 Ray Preston, Davenport 22-2

TIE Karen Clark, Sidney 24-3

1993 Tom Sherwood, Stamford 24-1

1994 Tom Sherwood, Stamford 26-1

TIE Bob Conway, B-G 20-3

1995 Floyd Bourne, Richfield Springs 18-4

1996 Duane Ely, Roxbury 18-5

1997 Tom Moriarty, Oneonta 26-1

1998 Tom Moriarty, Oneonta 27-0

1999 Bob Conway, B-G 25-3

2000 Tom Sherwood, Stamford 23-1

2001 Jim Johnson, G-MU 17-6

2002 Loraine Butcher, Sidney 26-1

2003 Bob Conway, B-G 22-2

2004 John Simonds, Afton 17-10

2005 Christine Baldauf, Downsville 24-3

2006 Harry Nissen, South Kortright 25-1

2007 Bob Conway, B-G 19-3