West Liberty’s Kelsey Joens (23) reaches out to shoot the ball in a Class 3A ladies’ basketball regional last in opposition to Benton Group on Feb. 18. Joens is a 3A first-team all-stater. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

DES MOINES — It was the whole lot Kelsey Joens hoped it could be.

“It was a brand new expertise,” Joens stated, referring to her switch to West Liberty and taking part in for her sister, head coach Courtney Joens. “I’m comfortable that it occurred.

“It had its ups and downs, as a result of Courtney and I are a lot alike. We perceive one another, and I may bounce some concepts off of her. We butted heads a little bit bit like sisters do, but it surely was actually good.”

A senior who completed with 1,647 profession factors, Joens is one in all six Gazette-area ladies’ basketball gamers who earned first-team all-state honors by the Iowa Print Sports activities Writers Affiliation.

Sportwriters and coaches congregated Sunday for voting.

Audi Crooks of Algona Garrigan was named Miss Iowa Basketball 2023. A 6-foot-3 submit sure for Iowa State, Crooks led Garrigan to back-to-back Class 1A state championships after runner-up finishes in 2020 and 2021.

Crooks punctuated her profession with a 49-point effort in Garrigan’s title-game victory over Newell-Fonda on Saturday. She averaged 32.9 factors and 14.2 rebounds per recreation this season, and her profession totals in factors (2,734) and rebounds (1,339) each rank No. 3 all-time in Iowa.

Like Crooks, Joens will likely be at Iowa State subsequent 12 months.

“I’m actually enthusiastic about it,” she stated. “There’s solely three months till we begin exercises. I watch the workforce, and I can see myself on the market.

“The protection at that stage is extra bodily. I’ve received to have the ability to deal with the ball with extra strain.”

Joens performed her first three seasons at Iowa Metropolis Excessive; she was a first-team Class 5A decide as a junior. She averaged 24.6 factors, 11.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 4.0 steals this season because the Comets (17-7) reached the Class 3A regional finals.

Among the many different space first-teamers:

Benton Group senior Jenna Twedt is a four-time all-stater, however that is the primary time she has earned first-team standing. She led the Bobcats (23-4) to the 3A championship recreation, averaging 20.1 factors and three.5 assists per recreation. The Kirkwood Group School recruit has a school-record 1,815 profession factors.

Benton Group’s Jenna Twedt (21), a Class 3A first-team all-state choice. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

North Linn junior Kamryn Kurt turns into a three-time first-team choice — in 1A the final two seasons, in 2A in 2021. Kurt averaged 16.8 factors, 4.4 assists and three.8 steals per recreation because the Lynx (23-2) made it to the 1A semifinals. She has 1,206 factors with one season remaining.

North Linn’s Kamryn Kurt (35), a three-time first-team all-stater. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Solon junior Callie Levin is a three-time all-stater, a two-time first-teamer. This 12 months, she averaged 18.2 factors, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and three.7 steals per recreation to guide the Spartans (23-3) to the 3A semifinals. The College of Iowa commit has 1,391 factors with one season remaining.

Solon’s Callie Levin (23), Class 3A first-team all-state. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Sophomore Libby Fandel has been a 4A first-team decide in each of her seasons at Cedar Rapids Xavier (16-8). The Saints had been 4A champions final 12 months, quarterfinalists this season. She averaged 16.2 factors and 6.9 boards per recreation this winter and has 725 factors with two seasons remaining.

Cedar Rapids Xavier’s Libby Fandel (13), a two-time first-team all-stater in Class 4A. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Senior Bryar Duwe led Decorah (21-3) to its first state look since 2007. The Truman State College recruit averaged 17.9 factors, 5.4 rebounds and three.5 assists per recreation. She was a 4A third-team choice final 12 months and finishes her profession with 1,420 factors.

Decorah’s Bryar Duwe (25), Class 4A first-team all-state. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

2023 IPSWA ladies’ basketball all-state groups

Class 5A

FIRST TEAM

Savanah Gage, soph., Ankeny

Grace Knutson, jr., Cedar Falls

Halli Poock, sr., Waterloo West

Aaliyah Riley, jr., Johnston

Aili Tanke, jr., Johnston

Halle Vice, sr., Nice Valley

Sahara Williams, sr., Waterloo West

Ava Zediker, soph., West Des Moines Dowling

SECOND TEAM

Jasmine Barney, sr., Iowa Metropolis Liberty

Brooklin Dailey, sr., Southeast Polk

Journey Houston, soph., Davenport North

Arianna Jackson, sr., Des Moines Roosevelt

Elise Jaeger, jr., West Des Moines Valley

Amani Jenkins, soph., Des Moines North

Jaeden Pratt, soph., Ankeny Centennial

Kaliyah Sain, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy

THIRD TEAM

Divine Bourage, soph., Davenport North

Jessie Clemons, jr., Nice Valley

Alex Flattery, jr., Sioux Metropolis East

Zoe Kennedy, sr., Linn-Mar

Jenica Lewis, fr., Johnston

Ellie Muller, fr., West Des Moines Dowling

Lillie Peterson, sr., Bettendorf

Meena Tate, sr., Iowa Metropolis West

Class 4A

FIRST TEAM

MaKayla Boatman, sr., North Polk

Bryar Duwe, sr., Decorah

Libby Fandel, soph., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Payton Hardy, sr., Sergeant Bluff-Luton

Jenna Hopp, sr., Glenwood

Emma Miner, sr., Dallas Middle-Grimes

Brooklyn Stanley, jr., Sioux Metropolis Heelan

Aaliyah Thompson, jr., Ballard

SECOND TEAM

Vanessa Bickford, jr., Dallas Middle-Grimes

Ava Locklear, sr., Clear Creek Amana

Kyla Mason, sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Jada Newberg, sr., Sioux Metropolis Heelan

Abby Tuttle, soph., North Polk

Lauren Walker, soph., DeWitt Central

Yazmeen Whitsitt, jr., Decorah

Jena Younger, sr., Winterset

THIRD TEAM

Ella Bockenstedt, sr., Marion

Katelyn Eggena, jr., Waverly-Shell Rock

Lauren Golinghorst, sr., North Scott

Andrea Lopreato, sr., Mount Nice

Doryn Paup, sr., Creston

Jada Piercy, sr., Spencer

Lucy Scott, jr., Lewis Central

Reggi Spotts, jr., Mason Metropolis

Class 3A

FIRST TEAM

Kelsey Joens, sr., West Liberty

Callie Levin, jr., Solon

Carlee Rochford, sr., New Hampton

Katy Reyerson, sr., West Marshall

Gracie Schoonhoven, sr., Unity Christian

Haylee Stokes, soph., Estherville ELC

Emily Ter Wee, sr., West Lyon

Jenna Twedt, sr., Benton Group

SECOND TEAM

Willow Bleeker, sr., Sioux Middle

Emma Donovan, sr., Dubuque Wahlert

Alyssa Griffith, sr., Vinton-Shellsburg

Payton Harter, soph., Atlantic

Jayden Kuper, soph., Monticello

Xada Johnson, jr,. Clear Lake

Kaitlyn Mumm, sr., Des Moines Christian

Aubrey Schwieso, soph., Harlan

THIRD TEAM

Finley Corridor, sr., West Liberty

Chloe Meester, soph., Mount Vernon

Hailey Miller, jr., Solon

Ava Schubert, sr., Davenport Assumption

Lilly See, sr., Mount Vernon

Jordyn Stokes, sr., Estherville ELC

Bailey Strovers, sr., Grinnell

Emma Townsley, jr., Benton Group

Class 2A

FIRST TEAM

Madison Brouwer, sr., Sibley-Ocheyedan

Lindsey Davis, jr., Nodaway Valley

Akaysa Duitscher, sr., Pocahontas Space

Desta Hoogendoorn, jr., Central Lyon

Addison Klosterbeur, sr., Central Lyon

Jadyn Petersen, jr., Dike-New Hartford

Payton Petersen, jr., Dike-New Hartford

Clara Teigland, sr., Treynor

SECOND TEAM

Riley Batta, sr., South Central Calhoun

Morgan Christian, sr., Sioux Central

Grace Hennessy, sr., Denver

Carly Janssen, sr., Pocahontas Space

Whitney Klyn, sr., Eddyville EBF

Ellary Knock, sr., Dike-New Hartford

Morgan Miller, soph., Iowa Metropolis Regina

Laney Pilcher, sr., Jesup

THIRD TEAM

Kora Alesch, sr., Marcus MMCRU

Bailey Boeve, fr., Hinton

Payton Bush, sr., Mediapolis

Izzy Eisbach, fr., Nodaway Valley

Brooklyn Love, jr., Hudson

Alyssa Lux, sr., Cascade

Morgan Neuroth, jr., East Marshall

Jaidyn Sellers, jr., Panorama

Class 1A

FIRST TEAM

Bradie Buffington, sr., Winfield-Mount Union

Audi Crooks, sr., Algona Garrigan (Miss Iowa Basketball 2023)

Quinn Grubbs, sr., Exira-EHK

Whitney Jensen, jr., Remsen St. Mary’s

Molly Joyce, sr., Algona Garrigan

Kamryn Kurt, jr., North Linn

Mallory Leerar, jr., West Hancock

Mary Walker, sr., Newell-Fonda

SECOND TEAM

Pleasure Beran, sr., Riceville

Macy Boge, jr., North Linn

Mia Boulton, sr., Montezuma

Sarah Burton, jr., Highland

Audrie Helmrichs, jr., Edgewood-Colesburg

Kierra Jungers, jr., Newell-Fonda

Ellah Kissell, sr., WACO

Emma Martinek, sr., West Fork

THIRD TEAM

Molly Boge, soph., North Linn

Mya Bunkers, jr., Remsen St. Mary’s

Abbe Capesius, jr., Algona Garrigan

Sadie Cox, soph., Lenox

Ashlyn Davis, soph., Westwood

Brynnly German, jr., Martensdale-St. Marys

Madison Hillman, sr., Saint Ansgar

Nakia Ollivierre, fr., Ackley AGWSR

Feedback: jeff.linder@thegazette.com