(Players listed by school)

Dani Conway, sr, Bainbridge-Guilford, 5-foot-11
One of only a handful of Chenango County girls’ basketball players to finish with over 1,500 career points (she totaled 1,514), Conway was a virtual triple-double waiting to happen, and she recorded three of them this season, far and away the best among all local athletes. “She has a lot of ability and the opportunity to play on the next level if she wants to work at it,” said B-G coach Bob Conway. “She pretty much did everything we needed her to do.” Conway scored a career-high 41 points against Harpursville, and led the County in scoring a third straight season averaging 20.5 points per game. She grabbed 10 rebounds and added six assists, and nearly 2 1/2 steals per game. She share MAC Co-MVP honors with Harpursville’s Hannah Kimmel – Conway’s second straight league MVP award. “It’s fair to say she’ll leave a gaping hole in our lineup,” coach Conway said.

Tanya Barnes, so., G-MU, 5-foot-6’
Part of a three sophomore standouts to make our year-end team, Barnes was so well regarded by the Tri-Valley League (mind you, Barnes played on a 3-16 Raiders club) that it named the lefty sharp-shooter a first team all-league player. “That’s a pretty good accomplishment considering our record,” said Raiders coach Jim Johnson. Outside of an eight-point game the second contest of the season (her team finished with just 10 total points that game), Barnes was in double figures every game finishing with a 16.3 points a game average. She had a career-high 28 points against Schenevus, and added 27 points in a win over Worcester. “She’s so darn fast, there were not too many teams who had someone to stay with her,” Johnson said. “We’re looking forward to her coming back the next two years. She’s fun to watch.”

Liz Wentlent, jr., Greene, 5-foot-9
When coaches speak of Wentlent, the word sacrifice enters the conversation. While the fourth-year varsity Greene guard may have sacrificed some shots and points to run the Trojans’ offense, she and her team didn’t sacrifice any wins. “Ever since she started playing, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make the team successful,” said B-G head coach Bob Conway. “She may take four or five shots a game and gave up individual statistics for the team. That’s the type of kid every coach needs.” An unsung hero, according to Greene coach Dave Gorton, Wentlent led her team in assists, always guarded the opposing team’s best offensive guard, she drew a team-high 13 defensive charges, and was a dead-on free throw shooter. “I don’t know if people realize how great a player Lizzy is,” Gorton said. “She played the point guard because it gave us the best chance to win, and she’s all about winning.”

Megan McDermott, sr., Greene, 5-foot-10
The Trojans’ second leading scorer, McDermott used her superior quickness in the low post and hustle to consistently find a way to put the ball in the basket. “Athletically, she was as good as anyone in our league,” said B-G coach Bob Conway. “She is not a pure shooter, but she is a scorer.” A spirited player with a motor that does not stop, McDermott was in double figures scoring 22 of 25 games scoring a career-high 28 points against Afton, and adding a 23-point night in a playoff victory over Candor. “She dedicated herself to the team, and her goal was to be a sectional champion,” said head coach Dave Gorton. “Not many individuals make team goals a priority, and she accomplished it. She is a superior athlete, and when we ran the break, no post player came close to her speed. She was the fastest post player in Section IV, without a doubt.”

Barb Borst, sr., Greene, 5-foot-6
Work ethic and desire to improve her game best describe Borst, a four-year Greene player who finished with 1,011 career points – one of just three Greene girls to pass the 1,000-point mark. “She is just a real gritty player, and she’s there night in and night out,” said B-G coach Bob Conway, who watched Greene play about a dozen times this season. The bigger the game, the better Borst played. She had 43 total points in helping Greene win the Norwich Pennysaver Tournament, She had 40 points in two tournament wins over Chenango Forks and Union-Endicott, and her Section IV postseason performances will long be remembered by Greene fans. “Her offseason dedication paid huge dividends for us,” said Greene coach Dave Gorton. “She did whatever we needed her to do to win games. If we needed her on the defensive end, she played shut-down defense. She rebounded, she finished on the break, she passed, and she hit big shots for us. She had an amazing year.”

Elisha Eddy, jr., Norwich, 5-foot-9
Undersized in the post, Eddy used her quickness and ability to finish with either hand around the basket to lead Norwich in scoring at 12.2 points a game this season. Eddy, a STAC all-division player and eighth-team all-state pick in Class A, carried Norwich’s offense the first half of the season, and had a season-high 25 points against Johnson, while also scoring at least 20 in two other games. “She is just a natural athlete who has incredible stamina,” said Norwich coach Krista Porter. “She has good quickness and is able to maneuver around bigger post players pretty easily. She was like the Energizer Bunny, and you never caught her with her hands on her knees catching her breath.” A humble player whose only concern was winning games, Eddy was named the Tornado’s most valuable player at the postseason team banquet.

Hannah Runyon, so., Norwich, 5-foot-8
One of four sophomores on this year’s all-star squad, Runyon picked up her scoring the second half of the season, and was the Tornado’s most consistent points producer the last 10 games averaging nearly 13 points a game during that stretch, and just a shade under 10 points a game for the season. “I thought she came right in and was ready to be a starter,” said Norwich coach Krista Porter. “She put in a lot of time in the offseason playing on an older AAU team and attending a point guard camp...she was a consistent player for us on both ends of the court; a gutsy player and a team player.” Runyon was the winner of the season-end banquet’s coach’s award, a distinction that signifies time and effort put into improving themselves. In other words, Runyon was a “gym rat.” The sophomore led Norwich in free throw shooting percentage, assists, and was second in scoring a rebounding. She scored a career-high 19 points in an overtime win over Owego, and also scored 18 against Chenango Forks.

Haley Witchella, so., Oxford, 5-foot-10
Witchella still remains raw in her development as an inside post threat for the Blackhawks, but the ceiling on her talent level is extremely high. She led Oxford in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, blocked shots, and steals. If she develops a mid-range game and continues to improve her ballhandling, the sky is the limit for her,” said Oxford first-year mentor Chris Palmer. “I really think she can be a force in our league the next two seasons.” Witchella averaged 14.5 points, eight rebounds, 2.9 steals, and nearly two blocks a game, and her field goal percentage was at 51 percent to lead Oxford. “She was as strong as anyone in our league,” Palmer said. “She has the potential to play at the next level, and she has the athletic ability that coaches drool over.” Witchella reached a high of 24 points on two occasions, and was in double figures scoring 17 of 21 games. Witchella was also named a first-team all-MAC division two performer.

Bridget Irwin, so., Sherburne-Earlville, 5-foot-7
The leading scorer on a balanced roster that matched S-E’s team-record for victories this past season, Irwin was part of the youth movement for the Marauders that mixed nicely with a veteran corps or returning players. “She did a lot of work in the offseason to add to her game,” said Marauders coach Karen Mulligan. “She was one of best defenders as well.” Irwin was giving up height most of the team, but made up for that differential with effort and hard work. She led S-E with 10.9 points and 6.8 rebounds, and was among the team leaders with 2.4 steals per game. An all-division all-star in the Center State Conference, Mulligan expects continued improvement from Irwin. “I think she’ll extend her shooting range, add the three to her game, and take people off the dribble a little more,” Mulligan. “She was an important part of our team this year, and she played three or four positions at different times.”

Hannah Johnson, sr., Unadilla Valley, 5-foot-8
A three-year starter for the Storm, Johnson was a do-everything type of player who earned MAC all-division honors for the second straight season. “Things didn’t happen for us out there unless Hannah was on the floor,” said second-year UV varsity coach, Brandi Backus. “I don’t think people noticed everything she did for us because she wasn’t always scoring.” Better suited to play forward, Johnson was often required to bring the ball up the floor against defensive pressure. Not only that, she rebounded, scored, and played team defense. She led the team with 12.7 points and 7.6 rebounds, and was second in assists and steals. She had at least 20 points three times, but perhaps her best game was a 19-point outing against eventual Class C champion Greene, a contest in which UV hung close until the final moments. “She led by example, and with five sophomores on the team, (Hannah) kind of took them under her wing,” Backus said. “It will be tough to replace her leadership next season.”