With two players on the Class A All-State first team, which was released Wednesday by the South Dakota High School Basketball Coaches Association, the Lennox girls’ basketball team showed why it was one of the top teams throughout much of the season.
Leading the way on the first team were Lennox seniors Madysen Vlastuin and Rianna Fillipi, who led the Orioles to a 21-1 record and berth in the State Tournament, which currently is on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vlastuin, a 6-foot guard/forward, is also the Class A Player of the Year, averaging 20.2 points per game, along with 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals.
Vlastuin is the school career leader in rebounds with 745 and points with 1,914, while Fillipi is the school career leader in assists with 438, as the Orioles are 82-12 in the last four years.
“Madysen has been a focal point of Lennox girls’ basketball the past five years and has rewritten the record book,” Lennox coach Adam Quail said. “She has spent countless hours in the gym, and the results speak for themselves. Madysen is an offensive threat from anywhere on the court and is an underrated defender. Madysen is a complete player and leaves behind a legacy of hard work, dedication and a passion for the game.”
Fillipi averaged 15.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and had 86 steals in 21 games.
“Rianna has been an outstanding leader for our team the past few years,” said Quail. “She has put in the hard work necessary to become the best point guard in the state. Because of her exceptional athleticism and competitive nature, she influences the game in a number of different ways. Rianna is a great teammate and a player who makes those around her better.”
Other players on the first team include St. Thomas More junior Haleigh Timmer, Flandreau senior Hannah Parsley, Winner sophomore Bella Swedlund and Todd County senior Kelsie Herman.
Vlastuin is a three-time all-state first team selection, while Timmer and Parsley have earned the honors for the second straight year.
Timmer was the go-to player again for the often-injured Cavaliers who are looking to get back in the title game (if the state tournament will be played) again this season after having their six-year state championship reign end last season.
The 5-11 junior led the way at 22.8 points a game, hitting 58.6% from the field, including 23-of-55 3-pointers. She also averaged 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
In a program that has featured several college players throughout the years, Timmer, who went over the 1,000-point career mark this season, is currently fourth on the all-time scoring list and is also highly ranked in rebounding and assists.
“Haleigh is a highly-skilled player with quick speed and explosive strength,” STM coach Brandon Kandolin said. “She is also a player that is very determined and driven, which has led to much of her success so far. She will joining a list of very talented players who have gone through this program, and I suspect she will be highly successful at the next level. She is a coach’s dream of a player that can do most everything from scoring to defending, and she has the right attitude to work and be a leader.”
Herman had another outstanding season for the Lady Falcons, leading the state in scoring, breaking the school record for points per game at 26.8.
A second-team all-state performer last season and member of the 2019 Class A All-Tournament Team, Herman was also a three-time Big Dakota All-Conference, a three-time member of the Lakota Nation Invitation All-Tournament team and won the Sacred Hoops Character Award at the LNI. Her 1,611 points are a Todd County record.
“It’s very deserving for Kelsie to earn All-State. She is one of the very best players in the state of South Dakota because she works at it,” Todd County coach Bob Boyd Jr. said. “I can’t tell you the hours and sweat that Kelsie has put in to be an All-Stater. When most kids are home sleeping, Kelsie is in the gym or the weight room getting better. She is not only a great ballplayer, but also a tremendous role model for our little girls on the Rosebud Reservation. She is the example that if you work hard and have determination, you can accomplish anything. It’s been a real honor to coach her for five years.”
Swedlund, the youngest member of the first team, has been a force for the defending state champion and unbeaten Lady Warriors. A starter as an seventh-greater, she was injured for much of her eighth-grade season and came back strong as a second-team all-stater her freshman season and had another strong sophomore campaign, averaging 20.2 points a game, grabbing 6.9 rebounds, along with 3.1 assists and 2.9 steals per game.
“Bella is a fierce competitor with a very advanced skill set,” Winner coach Larry Aaker said. “She is a great 3-point shooter from the perimeter and can also take the ball to the rim and finish. She is constantly striving to get better in every aspect of the game.”
Parsley holds five Flandreau records – all-time leading scorer (1,547 points), single game record for most post (32), most points in a season (415), most assists in a season (107) and all-time leader in assists (332).
A Southwest Minnesota State University commit, Parsley averaged 13.8 ppg., 7.1 rpg., and 3.0 apg., in her career (112 games).
“Hannah proved to be an all-around player early in her career – she filled every statistical category. I’ve never coached a player who has been able to be so disruptive on the defensive end of the court, she just made plays happen,” Flandreau coach Megan Severtson said. “What I was most impressed with this year was the fact that she transitioned to point guard and yet still averaged nearly 10 rebounds a game. She has always been very, very coachable, too. Not only has she put a lot of time in, in order to improve, she also plays with an incredible amount of aggressiveness and hustle. She’s one of the best – if not the best – player in Flandreau girls’ basketball history. It will be strange for all of us taking the court without her, but our program is incredibly fortunate to have had her set the foundation of expectation for years to come.”
Named to the second team were Vermillion junior Lexi Plitzuweit, Tea Area junior Olivia Ritter, McCook Central/Montrose senior Jacy Pulse, Crow Creek senior Kaylee Wells, Mt. Vernon-Plankinton eighth-grader Emilee Fox and Winner senior Morgan Hammerbeck.
Also named to the third team were Rapid City Christian freshman Olivia Kieffer, Dakota Valley sophomore Rylee Rosenquist, Miller senior Kadye Fernholz, Deuel senior Britney Lovre, Tea Area senior Bailey Conrad and Garretson junior Lizzie Olson.
2020 Girls’ Basketball Class A All-State Teams
First Team
Madysen Vlastuin, Sr., Lennox, 20.2 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 2.1 apg.
Haleigh Timmer Jr., STM, 22.8 ppg., 6.5 rpg., 3.1 apg.
Hannah Parsley, Sr., Flandreau, 18.2 ppg., 9.4 rpg., 4.0 apg.
Bella Swedlund, So., Winner, 20.2 ppg., 6.9 rpg, 3.1 apg.
Rianna Fillipi, Sr., Lennox, 15.9 ppg., 3.5 rpg., 4.9 apg.
Kelsie Herman, Sr., Todd County, 26.8 ppg., 3.6 rpg., 3.2 apg.
Second Team
Lexi Plitzuweit, Jr., Vermillion, 16.9 ppg., 9.6 rpg., 4.1 apg.
Olivia Ritter, Jr., Tea Area, 21.2 ppg., 6.1 rpf., 2.5 apg.
Jacy Pulse, Sr., McCook Central/Montrose, 18.5 ppg., 6.7 rpg., 4.0 apg.
Kaylee Wells, Sr., Crow Creek, 22.4 ppg., 9.4 rpg., 2.1 apg.
Emilee Fox, 8th, Mt. Vernon-Plankinton, 18.1 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 4.1 apg.
Morgan Hammerbeck, Sr., Winner, 11.9 ppg., 7.1 rpg., 3.4 apg.
Third Team
Rylee Rosenquist, Soph., Dakota Valley, 18.9 ppg., 9.4 rpg, 3.1 apg.
Olivia Kieffer, Fr., Rapid City Christian, 23.5 ppg., 6.7 rpg., 3.6 apg.
Kadye Fernholz, Sr., Miller, 12.8 ppg., 3.6 rpg., 2.2 apg.
Britney Lovre, Sr., Deuel, 19.6 ppg., 6.6 rpg., 2.3 apg.
Bailey Conrad, Sr., Tea Area, 12.9 ppg., 6.4 rpg., 6.6 apg.
Lizzie Olson, Jr., Garretson, 17.4 ppg., 10.0 rpg., 0.8 apg.
