And after a Class 3A state runner-up finish, a lot of the awards have been for sophomore guard Savanna Wright and the Mount Vernon girls basketball team.
Named captain of the all-tournament team in 3A, Wright was also a first-team all-state pick by the IBCA/IPSWA and the Des Moines Register.
She was also the WaMaC East Player of the Year and Class 3A Player of the Year.
“Well deserved,” Mount Vernon coach Jacob Misener said. “She’s just a special player. Very talented and she works very hard at it. She loves basketball. A gym rat. Plays year round with no signs of slowing down.
“She’s the whole package. For her to do this as a sophomore …”
Wright averaged 17.9 points per game, shooting 43.7 percent from the field (187 of 428) including 79 of 219 (36.1 percent) from 3-point range. She added 61 assists and 82 steals.
Senior Taylor Franck, also an all-tournament pick, was also first-team all-state by the IBCA/IPSWA. The Northern Iowa signee was also a first-team pick in the WaMaC East.
Taylor averaged 11.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game.
“And she missed seven games,” Misener said, referring to her midseason injury. “I think that in itself explains who she is.
“She was so awesome for us. She set the table for us offensively and some of her best stuff was getting to the lane and creating for others. And she was willing to do it time and time again.”
Her sister, Courtney, was a second-team IBCA/IPSWA all-state pick and honorable mention all-state by the Register. She was also a first-team WaMaC East selection.
The future Wayne State Wildcat, Courtney wasn’t a score-first guard, which may have hurt her when up for honors.
She averaged just 4.0 points but had 8.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 4.0 steals per game, leading the team in all three categories.
“Scoring is the ‘sexy’ stat,” Misener said. “Some people get on all-state because they have gaudy scoring numbers. Despite that, she was heavily in consideration for firsts team. It speaks to the player she is.
“There is no weakness in her game. And she knocked down timely shots all season.”
Wright, Courtney and Taylor, as well as sophomore Quinn Pershing, earned IBCA All-Region honors. And Misener was selected as the IBCA Region 3 Coach of the Year.
Pershing — who averaged 12.2 points per game, and made 77 3-pointer (just two fewer than Wright) — was a second-team Wamac East pick. Juniors Rylee Rasmussen and Alivia Truitt were Wamac East honorable mention.
“Quinn’s skill set was the unsung perfect ingredient to what we needed this year,” Misener said. “Her ability to space the floor and make the shots is exactly what Taylor and Courtney needed to space the defense and it also drew some attention off Savanna. She was the perfect puzzle piece for us.”
Mount Vernon finished 24-3 including 14-0 in the WaMaC and 8-0 in the WaMaC East.