IHD News Archive 2012
8th Graders win Elgin NAYS Championship
JUDSON UNIVERSITY – Playing in their first tournament since the June break for HS summer leagues the 8th White team did not disappoint and had another successful weekend executing their game plan on both ends of the court while compiling a prefect 5-0 record.
Comfortable wins against the Stars IV, Bulls Elite, and Rockford Heat set the stage for two great games against a very aggressive and talented WI Playground Elite squad that had beaten its other tournament opponents by an average of 35 points thanks to their intense full court pressure and timely trapping defense.
Guards Jamie Netzley, Julia Peterson, and Kyla Helsel proved they were more than capable of dealing with the Playground pressure as each player repeatedly demonstrated her ability to handle the ball and to make smart decisions while under duress leading the team to a 15 point win in the first game.
In the championship game re-match the IHD guard trio was equally effective at neutralizing Playground’s pressure and at applying plenty of their own as Coach Z put on the full court press after every made basket and switched his defenses repeatedly which frustrated the opponent and led to multiple Playground turnovers and IHD scoring opportunities.
Guard Mackenzie Altmeyer was a key contributor down the stretch with her speed on both ends, while forwards Kaitlin Brohan and 7th graders Morgan Claussen and Mackie Kelleher controlled the boards from beginning to end. All combined to lead the team to a challenging but well-earned 10 point championship game win.
8th Graders Take 2nd Place at the USJN Mid-America Challenge
CHAMPAIGN, IL – Despite playing the weekend without 3 of the team’s top players and an injury that dramatically limited another on Sunday, the 8th grade team finished in 2nd place in the 13u Division of the USJN tournament at the University of Illinois that featured over 150 teams from across the Midwest. The girls bonded together, others stepped in to meet the challenge, and all refused to give up as they ultimately advanced to the championship game of the tournament. The team won their pool with dominating victories over the IL Wolverines, IA Kingdom Hoops, and the IL West Central Cougars on Saturday to advance to the 13u Final Four. In Sunday’s 13u semi-final, clutch shooting by Marlee Kyles early in the contest and by Olivia Rienertson in the final 5 minutes, in addition to a big free throw by Jamie Netzley, proved to be the difference as the team won the game 37-36 over IL Pizazz to advance to the 13u championship game where they finally ran out of gas in a loss to the IL Predators to finish the weekend at 4-1.
The sophomores also had a very successful weekend in Champaign finishing 2nd in their pool with a 2-1 record with their only loss coming against eventual 15u Division champions Chicago Hoops Express. Katie Swanson, Tori Patterson, Liz McNally, Julia Moll, and Clarissa Ramos were among the players that had standout moments during the tournament while making significant contributions to the team’s success. Perhaps the highlight of the weekend was Sunday’s win vs. Bulls Elite when Steve Moll was overcome with tears of pride watching his daughter Julia play the game he loved growing up in the same gym that he and Mrs. Moll had played in over 30 years ago as young students. The team finished the weekend with a 3-1 record.
In the 14u Division our Frosh team finished 1-3 losing close games to very good teams. The team, having historically done very well in USJN events while compiling a 10-3 record over the past two seasons, was placed in a highly competitive pool and matched up against solid talent in every game. Despite the disappointing record, the girls played well while learning valuable lessons about themselves about what it takes to excel at the next level
Nichole Davidson was named to the 14u All-Star team and Katie Swanson and Tori Patterson were named to the 15u All-Star team. 8th grader Hannah Vitkus was selected by the IHD coaching staff as our tournament MVP for her outstanding effort and energy on both ends of the court.
FTG MOTHER’S DAY SHOOT OUT CHAMPIONS!
ZION, IL – Congratulations to all of the IHD teams that participated in the shoot-out on March 12th. Our 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Black teams finished undefeated with all four teams taking first place in their respective age brackets while the Freshman and Sophomores each had only 1 loss and finished in second place giving IHD a combined 17-4 record for the day.
The 5th graders played inspired defense and continue to improve on the offensive end as they learn to play the game at a high level and to compete against the best available competition. Their dedication to team play and high energy has helped them to quickly become a formidable group that plays hard from tip-off until the final buzzer.
The 6th graders continue to deal with injuries; however, it has not slowed their progress or their ability to excel on the court. The circumstances have forced the players to step out of their traditional roles and comfort zones and as a result, they will all be stronger, more versatile players as they grow in the game. In the championship game win over Full Package, several players contributed to a very well balanced effort.
In the 7th grade division, the IHD team won all three games by a minimum of 22 points despite playing without key post players. Maddie Sagnola led the scoring with a combined 41 points and was followed by Katie Castoro with 30, Kristina Ahlers 20, Lauren Woelffer 18, and Sam Munroe 14, Sami Sample and Cam Pozna with 9 each and Kasey Lindstrom with 2 and a gorgeous black eye. The team defense was superb as the guards were switching seamlessly. Despite our lack of size Sample, Pozna, Castoro, and Ahlers controlled the defensive boards.
8th Black was led by Shelby Holt, Sam Cruz, Kayla Ross, and Hannah Vitkus who combined to lead the team to the championship. Balanced performances in wins against the Glenn Ellyn Extreme and Kenosha Heat was followed by a convincing championship game win over a very talented IL Elite team in a rematch game from last month’s AAU state tournament. Also making significant contributions were Becca Gerke on the defensive boards and Jamie Netzley with her great decision making and execution down the stretch in the championship game.
In the HS division, both the IHD Freshmen and Sophomore teams finished in 2nd place with 2-1 records. The Frosh girls advanced to the final with wins over IL Magic and Full Package to set up a championship game with the WI Lakers. In the previous meeting with the Lakers at the close of last season, IHD came away with a close win in OT, this time the Lakers got the win with a 1 point victory in a game that saw numerous lead changes and that came down to the last shot. The girls from both teams competed and battled from start to finish.
The Soph team’s dominating performances in wins over Full Package in their first game and over IL Magic in their second, led to a championship game match-up with IL Elite where the team fell short of its goal of going 3-0 for the day. Despite the loss in the championship game, the Soph team had a great experience and continues to improve every week.
April 28 Shoot Out Champions
LAKE BARRINGTON – The IHD 7th graders won the April Shoot Out championship in the 7th/8th Grade Division going 3-0 with impressive double-digit wins over Wildcat Pride, the Bartlett Hawks, and the GSBS Stars. The team was led on the offensive end by Kristina Ahlers and Katie Castoro while the defense was anchored by the dynamic rebounding combination of Mackie Kelleher and Morgan Clausen. Maddie Spagnola also played a key role with her ability to stymie opposing offenses by denying and defending point guards while applying full court pressure. Sam Monroe and Lauren Woelffer made key contributions during the tournament on both ends of the court. The girls defeated three 8th grade teams to win the tournament and we’re very proud of the effort the entire team displayed.
SCHAUMBURG – 6th Black finished in 2nd place in the 6th/7th Grade Division with a 2-1 record. Executing on the offensive end and playing a combination of man and zone defenses to keep their opponents off balance, the girls won their first two games against the 7th grade Mooney and Lady Blue Chips teams. Injuries to 3 players during the games left the team short-handed in the championship match up with the Rockford Wildcats, but the team refused to make excuses and they displayed a ton of heart and character. The coaches were very impressed with the way the girls gutted it out and played hurt while refusing to give up. Great effort girls!
USJN Windy City Classic
LIBERTYVILLE - The IHD Frosh (2015/14u) and Soph (2014/15u) squads were among the nearly 300 teams from several states and Canada that participated in the 7th annual Windy City Classic. The tournament is one of the largest April exposure weekend events in the country and it attracts college coaches representing dozens of NCAA DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, and JOCO schools in search of talented student-athletes.
Our freshmen had a great Saturday going 3-0 and finishing in 1st place their pool with wins over IN Lady Legit, Heart of Illinois, and the WI Shooting Stars while the sophomores also did well, starting 2-0 before losing a close game at the end of the day by 4 to the MO Rockets to finish 2nd in their pool. Both teams managed to have successful days despite a schedule starting at 7:45AM that didn’t end until the conclusion of the last game at nearly 10:00PM.
The freshman finished the weekend with an impressive 3-1 record and the sophomores were a very respectable 2-2.
FTG EASTER SHOOT OUT
KENOSHA, WI - The IHD 7th graders opened the 2012 season with a 2-1 record. After a first game loss by 4pts to a Kenosha Heat team that out rebounded them 37-20, they bounced back to win the next game vs. Lightning Navy 37-17 with everyone on the roster contributing and playing significant minutes. The final game of the day for the team was a rematch with WI Lakeside; the team that gave them their most physical game of the season last summer in Waukegan.
In another physical battle that went down to the wire, Katy Castoro made 5 of 6 free throws and Kristina Ahlers was perfect from the line with her 2 late free throws with the game’s outcome still in doubt. A drive and dish for an easy lay-up put the game away 53-47.
Kristina Ahlers and Mackie Kelleher each had a great offensive game during the shootout and all of the players, including the four new additions, made nice contributions.
WAUKEGAN – The IHD 5th graders were 2-1 on the day and after an opening loss to Lightning Columbia they recovered for back to back dominating wins over Lighting Navy and the Big Shots. Saturday’s games were the first AAU experience for most of the 5th grade players and Coach West was very encouraged by their effort and enthusiasm throughout the day.
DEERFIELD – The 6th grade teams combined for a 4-2 record with all of the players contributing to nice wins against Lightning Navy, Big Shots, and the CU All-Stars. A one point loss to Racine in the closing seconds by 6th Black prevented them from advancing to the championship game, but they gave a great effort and both teams will continue to improve as the girls become more accustomed to playing together.
In the 8th grade bracket, the Black and White teams also had good season opening days. The teams combined for wins over WI Playground Elite, the Springfield Predators, and IL Connections. Marlee Kyles and Julia Peterson led the White team. On the Black team, Kayla Ross played outstanding defense in all three games, Olivia Rienertson was on fire from the field as she scored repeatedly to burn the Connections, and Jamie Netzley had a huge free throw late in the game to seal the come from behind win against the Predators.
UP TEMPO CLASSIC – the 5th graders continued the growth from the previous weekend and won their first tournament championship of the season. Their focus, execution, and aggressive play allowed them to dominate teams of similar size and it was the deciding factor in their championship victory against the larger and stronger Lady Lightning 6th graders. Coach West’s girls continue to play tough and they have responded well to meeting the IHD expectations. Excellent job young ladies!
AAU STATE TOURNAMENT - The 8thgrade Black team competed in the AAU state tournament against some great competition as they faced off against 2 of the 3 top teams in the field. Playing with 2 injured starters and without 2 other key players for the tournament, the girls nonetheless gave it all they had and left no doubt that they will be force on this summer’s AAU club circuit.
After a very slow start on Friday night against the IL Celtics, the girls displayed their signature “never give up” attitude and battled back to out-score their opponents in the second half. They were unable to completely recover from the deficit caused by their scoring drought in the first half, but they played hard until the end and learned some valuable lessons.
On Saturday, the girls played with a defensive intensity that would make any coach or parent proud. The energy each player displayed was the critical component in our very effective full court pressure and was the key to our leading the game by 3 points at halftime. Our lack of depth and the injuries eventually caught up with us and the girls ran out of gas late in the second half resulting in a loss to the much taller IL Elite team, but the girls certainly left it all on the floor and we’re very proud of them for the outstanding effort.
We congratulate both the Celtics and Elite (2nd and 3rd place respectively) for playing great games against us and for their success in the tournament.
LADY FIRE SHOWCASE - The season opener for the IHD frosh (2015) and sophomore (2014) girls was a success. Each team played 3 games at Ridgewood HS on Sunday afternoon to warm-up for next weekend’s NCAA exposure tournament. The freshman finished the day unbeaten with a 3-0 record, winning games against the Rockets, Lady Fire, and Hoop Defenders while the sophomores played tough games with the Wolverines, Bolingbrook Panthers, and got a great win over the Naperville Rockets sophomores. Each team has welcomed a few talented new faces to the roster and the returning IHD players continue to get re-acquainted with one another after the long HS season. Both teams are well equipped to be successful and we’re looking forward to watching them jell and grow together this season.
