All-GTNS girls' small school team selections

The winter sports season has concluded and now is the time where Andy Krutsinger, the sports editor for the Mt. Pleasant News, Al Mandell from the Fairfield Ledger and myself choose the cream of the crop for the Golden Triangle area.

Today?s focus is for girls? basketball from the area, looking at the smaller schools first.

While none of the teams made a trip to the state tournament, it was still a great year for all players.

That made the deciding process hard for the three of us.

Tomorrow, the larger schools of Washington, Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield will be the topic of conversation for the girls? teams.

Here are our picks for the 2016-17 All-Golden Triangle team for girls? basketball from the smaller schools:

The boss of the Panthers led Pekin to an overall record of 17-5 and three rounds deep in the postseason.

Having lost four starters from 2015-16, not much was expected from Pekin this year.

The Panthers started out 3-3 in 2016-17. Then, under Eidahl?s skilled guidance, the Panthers won 13 contests in a row.

A 5-foot-8 junior forward, Gambell led the Pekin Panthers to a 17-5 overall record. She averaged 19.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest.

Gambell shot 43 percent from beyond the arc and 59 percent overall.

She made Iowa Girls Coaches Association Class 2A All-State Second Team.

The unquestioned team leader, Gambell led the Panthers on a 13-game regular-season winning streak.

Senior Shania Boyd led the Columbus Wildcats in scoring with 420 points, averaging 19.1 points per game.

She broke three school records this year: most free throw attempts in a career, with 419, most free throws made in a season of 123 and most career free throws made, 257.

She was picked to be part of the Southeast Iowa Super Conference North 1st team as well.

The senior from Highland led the Huskies in scoring 382 points this year en route to a four-year career total of 1,233.

She averaged 18.2 points per game this year. She made 57-of-80 free throws, or 71.3 percent.

She also led the team in assists with 79 and had the most steals with 86.

Hora was chosen for the Southeast Iowa Super Conference North first team.

A freshman point guard, Bartholomew was the engine of the Warrior attack, leading Van Buren to a 16-7 record.

She averaged 8.2 points, 4.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 3.9 steals per contest.

More important than any stat, the crafty Bartholomew was a human press-breaker.

Then, once the press was broke, her skilled long-distance shooting ? Bartholomew connected on 37.6 percent beyond the arc ? frustrated foes.

A New London team gutted by last year?s graduation needed a shot in the arm in 2016-17, and Madysen Wahls, a transfer, gave the Tigers just what they needed.

The senior point guard was fifth in Class 1A with 138 assists, and added 10.9 points per game, 70 rebounds and 47 steals to her All-GTNS resume.

A 6-foot-3 freshman, Scheuermann was a dominating player for Van Buren, averaging 13.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest.

A skilled scorer in the paint, she also drew out defenders by canning 32 percent of her 3-point attempts.

Her ability to block shots was the key reason the Warriors were so difficult to score against: Scheuermann averaged nearly six swats per contest.

Bailey Stroud is a Columbus Community senior who scored 366 points this season, averaging 16.6 points per game.

She broke the school record for career assists this year with 307 and broke the school?s single season record for 3-point shots made with 70.

She was also named to the Southeast Iowa Super Conference North 1st team.

- The All-Golden Triangle News Service teams are selected by sports editors Allan Mandell of the Fairfield Daily Ledger, Bill Gatchel of the Washington Evening Journal and Andy Krutsinger of the Mt. Pleasant News.