That meant a half-dozen area girls were among the 15 as decided by the U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association at its annual meeting on Monday held at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.

Westwood and Negaunee had a player on each honor squad, while Marquette and Manistique added a Second Team honor, too.

Westwood 5-foot-8 senior guard Megan Marta earned her berth on the First Team after being named to the West PAC Dream Team and the Mid-Peninsula Conference’s First Team and also its Defensive Team.

“She was hurt for four games and took only limited shots after her re-entry,” Patriots head coach Ann Skewis said about a Grade-4 ankle sprain she suffered. “Before that, she was averaging 20 points a game and made 45% on field goals.”

Negaunee’s Aubrey Johnson moves the ball into the offensive zone during a game against Ishpeming at Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium in Negaunee on Jan. 12. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

The NMU-bound Marta finished with averages of 15.3 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals per game, making 38.4% from the floor and 70% on free throws.

In her comments supporting her nomination, Skewis noted that Marta had a 24-point game vs. eventual state champion Ishpeming.

Also reaching First Team status was Negaunee 5-7 junior guard Aubrey Johnson, a West PAC Iron Division First Team and M-PC First Team honoree who also made each league’s Defensive Team.

“Aubrey, in my opinion, was the best defensive player in the U.P. and she was close to Ishpeming’s Katie Kaukola as Defensive (Player of the Year),” Miners head coach Mike O’Donnell said in Johnson’s supporting statement.

Kaukola did win that defensive honors in both her leagues.

Westwood’s Lexi Olson, left, waves to alter the shot of Ishpeming’s Jenessa Eagle during their game played at the Patriots’ gym in Ishpeming on Jan. 26. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

“Her offensive stats don’t pop off the page, but anyone who saw us play this year knows her value to our team and our success wasn’t measured in offensive stats strictly,” the coach said.

Johnson scored at 8.9 points per game, adding in 4.5 steals, 3.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds. He also included her 4.5 deflections per game.

Marquette 6-foot senior center Kyley Elmblad was among four area players making the Divisions 1-3 Second Team. With the Sentinels a modest 6-15, Elmblad was their representative on the Great Northern Conference’s top honor unit, its First Team.

She helped MSHS get a pair of road wins and victories over Westwood, Houghton, Escanaba and Munising.

Elmblad nearly posted a double-double per-game average of 14.4 points and 9.4 rebounds while adding in 1.4 steals and 1.0 assist a contest, making 46% from the field.

From left, Marquette’s Kyley Elmblad and Ishpeming’s Kadie Kaukola and Mya Hemmer get into position for a rebound during their game played at the Barb Crill Gymnasium in Marquette on Feb. 22. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Another Marquette County senior on the Second Team is Negaunee 5-8 guard Callie Rajala, who didn’t play a minute the previous season due to a torn ACL.

In her final high school campaign, she made the West PAC Iron Division First Team and M-PC Second Team, averaging 7.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.6 assists per game, hitting 33% on her 3-pointers, 35 of them in all.

Westwood 5-5 junior guard Lexi Olson is also a Second Teamer after earning West PAC Iron Division First Team and M-PC Second Team laurels. She averaged 14.1 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals while shooting 40.5% from the field and 63.2% on free throws.

“She was asked to take over (Megan) Marta’s role when she was out and also early in her return,” Skewis said of Olson.

And the fourth area Second Team honoree is Manistique 5-9 senior Danielle Lund, easily the top player for the 7-14 Emeralds after she made the M-PC Second Team and Defensive Team.

She posted averages of 7.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.2 steals and 3.9 assists each outing.

Steve Brownlee can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 552. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.