Competition for awards, too
Miners, Hematites tops in girls hoops honors
From left, Ishpeming’s Jenessa Eagle leaps to take a shot behind a screen set by teammate Mya Hemmer as Ewen-Trout Creek’s Bree Besonen attempts to defend during their MHSAA Division 4 regional championship girls basketball game played at Westwood High School in Ishpeming on March 11. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)
Negaunee’s Clare O'Donnell, right, is fouled by Westwood’s Lyn Magnuson as the Miners player goes up for a shot during their high school girls basketball game played at the Patriots’ gym on Jan. 16. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)
Gwinn’s Makayla Delmont, right, tries to inbound the ball as Ishpeming’s Jenessa Eagle defends during their high school girls basketball game played at Northern Michigan University’s Vandament Arena in Marquette on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
From left, Ishpeming’s Jenessa Eagle leaps to take a shot behind a screen set by teammate Mya Hemmer as Ewen-Trout Creek’s Bree Besonen attempts to defend during their MHSAA Division 4 regional championship girls basketball game played at Westwood High School in Ishpeming on March 11. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)
Negaunee’s Clare O'Donnell, right, is fouled by Westwood’s Lyn Magnuson as the Miners player goes up for a shot during their high school girls basketball game played at the Patriots’ gym on Jan. 16. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)
Gwinn’s Makayla Delmont, right, tries to inbound the ball as Ishpeming’s Jenessa Eagle defends during their high school girls basketball game played at Northern Michigan University’s Vandament Arena in Marquette on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
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NEGAUNEE -- When it comes to high school girls basketball in western Marquette County, it's a real horse race between Negaunee and Ishpeming.
The Miners won the conference title -- both for varsity and JV teams -- in the West PAC but it was Ishpeming that captured its second state championship in three years in East Lansing on Saturday.
Of course, the Hematites play in a lower division, having an enrollment nowadays significantly less than Negaunee's.
But their honors in the West PAC -- standing for Western Peninsula Athletic Conference -- and the Mid-Peninsula Conference came down to just about even.
Negaunee carried off a few more awards in the West PAC, while Ishpeming gathered a few more in the M-PC.
So call that a draw, which knowing the fans in both those cities, won't make anybody happy.
There was also room for a few awards to be won by Westwood and Gwinn, also dual members of both conferences, along with Manistique, which is only a member of the M-PC.
So for no other reason than alphabetical, let's start with the honors for Ishpeming.
Senior guard Jenessa Eagle stands head and shoulders above any other player in either league, sharing the Player of the Year honor in the M-PC with Gladstone senior guard Lillie Johnson and winning that title outright in the West PAC.
She was also named to the All-Defensive Team in both conferences.
Senior teammate Mya Hemmer was named Defensive Player of the Year in both leagues -- no sharing necessary there -- and Hematites coach Ryan Reichel earned the Coach of the Year honor in the M-PC.
Hemmer also made the highest honor squad in each conference, the Dream Team in the West PAC and First Team in the M-PC.
Ishpeming senior Brittanie Piotrowski got on the First Team Iron Division of the West PAC and Second Team in the M-PC, also garnering a spot on the M-PC's All-Defensive unit.
And sophomore teammate Frankie Stetson earned honorable mention in both leagues, called honorable mention Iron Division in the West PAC.
For Negaunee, in addition to the Miners being league champs, coach Mike O'Donnell won Coach of the Year in the West PAC.
Among his charges, Miners senior Clare O'Donnell and junior Gretel Johnson each earned berths on the West PAC Dream Team and M-PC First Team.
Two more NHS players, junior Keira Waterman and sophomore Paige O'Donnell, both got on the West PAC Iron Division First Team and M-PC Second Team.
Waterman also won a spot on each league's All-Defensive Team.
For the honorable mention list, Negaunee senior Lili Saunders got that honor in the West PAC and fellow NHS senior Aleana Park in the M-PC.
Among other area teams, Gwinn junior Makayla Delmont garnered the single highest honor, making the First Team in the M-PC, while she also got on the West PAC Iron Division First Team.
Modeltowners junior Adeline Derwin earned a spot on West PAC Iron Division honorable mention, while sophomore teammate Alayna Soyring was M-PC honorable mention.
Westwood senior Addy Hallum tripled up on her honors -- in the M-PC, she was named to the All-Defensive Team and the Second Team, while in the West PAC the First Team Iron Division.
Patriots sophomore Lyn Magnuson was named to the M-PC honorable mention list and the West PAC Iron Division honorable mention.
Finally, for Manistique, sophomore guard Pressley Spettel made M-PC honorable mention.
Here are the other honorees, broken down by league. Each player is listed with year and school, and where available, position:
West PAC
Dream Team -- Ellie Hainault, jr., Houghton; Emery Chynoweth, sr., Hancock
First Team Copper Division -- Alecia Aho, sr., Hancock; Bailey Strom, jr., Calumet; Bristol Shamion, soph., West Iron County; Mia Nordstrom, sr., Jeffers; Ruby Zawada, jr., Houghton
Honorable mention Copper Division -- Isabel Rajala, soph., Jeffers; Jacey Sleeman, sr., Houghton; Kiirsi Johnson, sr., Calumet; Lacey Shamion, sr., WIC; Lydia Pelli, sr., Hancock
All-Defensive -- Bailey Strom, jr., Calumet; Emery Chynoweth, sr., Hancock; Romi Mattson, sr., Houghton
M-PC
First Team -- Eva Pankonien, jr. guard, Gladstone
Second Team -- Addy Blowers, sr. guard, Gladstone
Honorable mention -- Adele Ostlund, jr. forward, Gladstone; Alysia Wood, jr. guard, Iron Mountain
All-Defensive -- Lillie Johnson, sr. guard, Gladstone
Story contents based on emails received from Negaunee High School athletic director Jake Skewis. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee's email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.