Norway’s Lauren Adams (3) challenges a shot by West Iron County’s Danica Shamion during a Jan. 24 girls varsity basketball clash at Norway High School. Both were recognized by UPSSA members for their efforts during the 2022-23 season. (Dennis Mansfield/Daily News file photo)

MARQUETTE — More than a dozen area girls enjoyed solid basketball seasons and were honored for their efforts during the 48th annual meeting of the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association at Northern Michigan University on Wednesday.

Keira Maki, a 5-foot-10 junior from Escanaba, was a Dream Team selection.

Senior teammate Mari Bink (5-9), Bark River-Harris senior Lauren Zawada and West Iron County junior Danica Shamion (5-7) landed first-team berths with Gladstone freshman Lillie Johnson (6-0), BR-H sophomore Nina Bower (5-8) and Iron Mountain senior Anja Kleiman (6-1) picked for the second team among the larger schools.

In D-4, Carney-Nadeau sophomore Grace Maule (5-6) was a first-team pick and Norway senior Hannah Burklund (5-5) and freshman Lauren Adams, C-N senior Shae Linder (5-7), North Dickinson senior Micah Lindholm (5-7) and Superior Central junior Maddie Begovac (5-8) were second-team selections.

Joining Maki on the Dream Team were Hancock senior Isabelle Hebert (5-6), Negaunee junior Ella Mason (5-8), Engadine senior Leah French (5-7) and Ewen-Trout Creek senior Kate Borseth (5-6).

Hebert was selected Division 1-3 Player of the Year with French earning similar honors in D-4.

Maki, the Great Northern Conference Player of the Year, averaged 17.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.2 steals, 3.3 assists and 2.8 blocked shots a game.

Hebert was also named U.P. Ms. Basketball and selected Player of the Year in the WestPAC Conference.

French, an Aquinas College recruit, earned D-4 second-team all-state honors and was Player of the Year in the Eastern U.P. Conference. She was a 43-percent field goal shooter and hit 33 percent from 3-point range.

She averaged 26.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 6.7 steals and 3.1 assists and scored a career-high 54 points in a 72-66 overtime victory at St. Ignace Feb. 6.

Tyler Larson, who led Baraga to a state runner-up finished, received Coach of the Year honors in D-4 and Negaunee’s Mike O’Donnell getting the nod in 1-3.

Sault Ste. Marie, which dropped a 47-45 overtime decision to Flint Carmen-Ainsworth in a D-1 regional final, was selected Team of the Year in Division 1-2.

Hancock was named Team of the Year in D-3 with Baraga, which fell to Maple City Glen Lake 60-43 in the state final, was the top pick in D-4.

The Bulldogs finished 20-2 after dropping a 47-44 decision to Negaunee in a D-3 district final.

Mason was a 79-percent free throw shooter for the Miners and received second-team all-state recognition. She carried averages of 20 1/2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2 1/2 assists and 1.9 steals.

Borseth led E-TC with a 20-point average and averaged 6.7 boards, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals. She received all-state D-4 first-team honors and scored 504 points this season.

Bink, a GNC first-team selection, provided Esky with 14 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.8 steals a game. Zawada averaged 14 points and Shamion carried a 15.6-point average.

Johnson, also a GNC first-team pick, enjoyed a superb freshman season for the Braves, averaging 15.6 points, 12 boards, 3 1/2 steals and 2.1 assists and Bower averaged 11 points and sank seven triples in one game for the Broncos.

Kleiman paced the Mountaineers by averaging 10 points, eight rebounds, two steals and one block.

Among the smaller schools, Maule held a 15.6-point average and Begovac, named Player of the Year in the recently reformed Central U.P. Conference, averaged 12 points and seven boards.

Burklund, the Knights’ team leader, missed the second half of her senior season after suffering a season-ending knee injury in late January.

Area players gaining special mention include Kingsford senior Alaina Kowalski and BR-H junior Mckenzie Hoffmeyer.

Honorable mention recipients were Kingsford senior Laura Bracket and Gladstone sophomore Tia Schone (larger schools) and Norway senior Andi Carlson and Forest Park freshman Elsie Williams (smaller schools).

Editor’s Note: A complete list of honors, as voted on by UPSSA members is included in “Scoreboard” on this page.