dfsaadsfaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaKINROSS — Senior Meagan Yonker of new league member Big Bay de Noc was named girls basketball Player of the Year by coaches in the Northern Lights League recently.

The Black Bears joined the conference this season after being long-time members of the Skyline Central and Central Upper Peninsula conferences.

The Northern Lights League includes some of the smallest schools by enrollment in the state, including Grand Marais, Munising Baptist, Paradise, Mackinac Island, Beaver Island, Maplewood Baptist, Hannahville and Ojibwe Charter.

Yonker averaged 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

“Meagan was always in high gear and played lock-down defense,” BBdN coach Bob Pederson said. “Meagan served as a wonderful role model for her much younger teammates.”

Black Bears freshman teammate Alix Bleau joined Yonker on the NL First Team as she averaged 6.9 rebounds and 4.4 steals to go with 11.7 ppg.

Two players from Maplewood Baptist also made the First Team — sophomore Halie Miller, who averaged 8.4 points and 4.5 rebounds, and eighth-grader Chloe May, with per-game totals of 14.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

The First Team was rounded out by Mackinac Island sophomore Mabel Styburski, who averaged 15.3 points and 13.1 rebounds.

The Second Team includes Beaver Island senior Elsie Burton and junior Skylar Marsh, Maplewood senior Lauren Mulder, Ojibwe senior Chennoah Teeple and Big Bay freshman Piper Jones.

Making up the honorable mention list are sophomore Annileece Lofquist and freshman Desirae Lattergrass of Hannahville and senior Brooke Dziobak of Mackinac Island.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.