Nonnenmann, Golden Hawks head All-Union team

For Union coverage area girls basketball teams, it was yet another excellent year on the hardwood. There was an abundance of talent that showed out time and time again.

The 2021-22 All-Union small school girls basketball team is comprised of seven players, four of which came from opposing teams. Mid-Prairie spearheads the list with this years captain and coach. Highlands leads with the most players, coming in with two.

COACH

Daniel Hershberger, Mid-Prairie

It was a great year for the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks and head coach Daniel Hershberger. Hershberger helped the Golden Hawks come to within one game of the state tournament.

Mid-Prairie came in with one of the youngest teams in the River Valley Conference, sporting just two seniors. The Golden Hawks also lost their second and third leading scorers from the previous year. The younger girls answered the calling and did not sway.

It was the first winning season for the Golden Hawks in two years and the first over .600 season since 2016-17 in which that squad went 17-7. After going sub .500 in 2020-21, 10-12, and in 2019-20, 7-15, Mid-Prairie took a leap this year finishing 15-9.

Mid-Prairie finished in the middle of pack when it came to the regular seasons end, taking the fourth spot. But by the end of the regional round, it was the Golden Hawks, along with Regina Catholic, as the only two South teams with a chance at the state tournament.

The Golden Hawks knocked out Tipton and West Burlington before falling to Davenport Assumption in the regional final. Senior Maddie Nonnenmann led the Golden Hawks averaging 15.8 points per game and junior Amara Jones followed with 10.2 points per game.

CAPTAIN

Maddie Nonnenmann, senior, Mid-Prairie

It was a fantastic final season to say the least for Mid-Prairie star Maddie Nonnenmann. It’s her second time on the list, but this time around she holds the captain spot.

Nonnenmann led a Golden Hawks team — that a lot of people doubted early in the season — to within one game of a state tournament appearance.

Nonnenmann showed out in the River Valley Conference, which also features powerhouses like Regina Catholic and Cascade, both of which made the trip to the state tournament.

She was named to the River Valley Conference’s Elite Team, a collection of the top players in the River Valley’s North and South Divisions, for the second consecutive year.

Her 15.8 points per game were third-best in the River Valley South and fourth-best in the River Valley. She also finished the year averaging 5.3 rebounds per game and blocked 1.2 shot per contest, good enough for fourth best in the South. She was also third in the conference in field goals made per game, tallying 6.3 per game.

As a freshman, Nonnenmann was the only ninth-grader to earn league recognition and was also an All-South Division choice as a sophomore.

Bradie Buffington, junior, Winfield Mt. Union

Bradie Buffington proved herself one of the best low post players in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference this season.

For two years now, the Wolves have been right at the top of the SEISC North Division. WMU won the North Division last season, posting an 18-1 overall record and came in a close second this go around with a 19-5 record.

Each of the last two seasons, Buffington has been a catalyst for the Wolves. She led WMU in scoring (8.6 ppg) as sophomore and she’s only gotten better this season.

This season Buffington, improved in every stat category. She tallied a team-best 15.0 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game, good enough for seventh and second best in the SEISC. She was first overall in offensive rebounds with 4.5 per contest. Buffington also shot with a 49.4% clip from the field, which put her at fifth best in the conference.

WMU made it to the Regional Semifinals this season before falling to Burlington Notre Dame.

Ellah Kissell, junior, WACO

Last season, Ellah Kissell solidified herself as one of the top scorers in the SEISC, this season she continued that trend. It’s her second time on the All-Union list.

She once again led the Warriors in points per game, this time around averaging 18.0 points per game, which made her the fourth best scorer in the league and second best in the South Division. Her 2.3 assists per game were a team-best, and 6.4 rebounds ranked second on the team. Kissell also ranked second in field goals made per game in the league with 7.1 per game.

She broke two school records in a game against New London earlier in the season, in which she scored 41 points and came away with 10 steals.

Kissell and the Warriors season ended this year against state tournament qualifier Notre Dame.

Esther Hughes, senior, Hillcrest Academy

In Hillcrest Academy’s first year back with a varsity girls basketball team, Esther Hughes showed out.

Hughes, who had to play for Mid-Prairie in her junior season due to not having a varsity basketball team, averaged 5.5 points and 4.0 rebounds for the Golden Hawks.

This season, Hughes was huge for the Ravens. She led Hillcrest in nearly every category, with the one exception being assists and free throw percentage.

Her 15.1 points per game were not only a team-best, but also sixth best in the SEISC. She led the Ravens with 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals per contest. She also led in field goal percentage (36.5%) and three-point percentage (30.1%).

Hughes also finished ninth in field goals made per game in the SEISC with 5.1. She was also fourth in free throws attempted and made with averages of 5.7 and 3.6.

Hughes and the Ravens were defeated by powerhouse WMU in the opening round of regionals.

Kerrigan Pope, senior, Pekin

Pekin’s Kerrigan Pope was just about as dominant as they came this season. It’s her second consecutive All-Union selection.

Pope was an easy selection this season, once again sealing her name as one of the top scorers in the conference. Pope finish third in the North Division, fifth in the SEISC, in scoring for a second time averaging 16.6 points per game. She was only bested by Louisa-Muscatine’s Kaylee Corbin and Mediapolis’ Hallie Mohr in the North.

Her 8.6 rebounds led the Panthers and were seventh in the SEISC. She was particularly dominant on the offensive glass, pulling down 3.8 per game, fourth-best in the conference. She was fifth in field goals made with 6.6. Pope was also second in free throws attempted, 5.8, and fifth in free throws made, 3.5.

Pope and the Panthers fell to Pella Christian in the regional quarterfinals.

Abbi Stransky, junior, Highland

Abbi Stransky had a stellar junior campaign for the Huskies this season. Stransky did just about everything you could ask for in a starting guard and more.

She was all over the SEISC stat categories.

She led the Huskies in both points, assists, and blocks, averaging 12.8 points, 2.9 assists and 1.9 blocks. She also did work on the boards finishing second with 8.1 rebounds a game.

Stransky had a knack for swatting her opponents shots. Her 1.9 blocks per game were an SEISC best. Her 12.9 points and 2.9 assists were thirteenth and tenth best in the league. Stransky’s rebounding numbers also notched her the ninth-best spot in the SEISC and she was the best defensive rebounder in the conference, averaging 7.0 a game.

Stransky had a tough ending to the season, going down with an ACL injury in the Huskies round one victory over Lisbon.

Sarah Burton, sophomore, Highland

Burton, the youngest player on the list, showed time and time again that she can be a star in the SEISC.

Much like her teammate Stransky, Burton filled the stat sheet.

She finished second on the Highland in points with 11.5 per game, the sixteenth best in the SEISC, and first in rebounds with 9.0, fifth best in the league. Burton was great on both the offensive and defensive glass, finishing fourth in defensive boards (5.8) and ninth in offensive (3.2).

She also tallied 1.2 blocks a game, the third best in the conference. Burton also ranked eleventh in the conference in field goals made per game with 5.0.

Burton was the most efficient scorer in the league finishing with the best shooting percentage in the SEISC, an outstanding 57.9% clip.