2024 All-Area girls' basketball: Meet the first team

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2024 All-Area girls' basketball: Meet the first team

Josie Armstrong

Tri-County senior guard

Why she made the first team ...

• Armstrong, one of the best all-around players in the area, followed her All-Area First-Team junior season with another do-it-all campaign, averaging 18.4 points, six rebounds, 4.7 steals and 2.8 assists per game for the 21-win Titans. She was a unanimous All-Lincoln Prairie Conference First-Team selection and an AP All-State Honorable-Mention pick and will be playing at Lake Land College next season.

She needs tickets to see ...

• Rock the Country.

Before she competes, she eats ...

• nothing specific, sometimes fruit snacks or a granola bar.

Her dream career is ...

• a wildlife biologist.

Her favorite school subject is ...

• science.

Her favorite athlete is ...

• Marcus Domask.

Her favorite TV shows are ...

• “That ’70s Show” and “Gilmore Girls.”

If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ...

• Pat Summitt, Katey Moore and her great-grandma, Ma Betty.

Three things on her bucket list are ...

• visiting another country, seeing the mountains and winning a national championship.

Molly Buckles

LeRoy senior guard/forward

Why she made the first team ...

• Buckles led the Panthers to their first regional championship since 2016, averaging 15.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game. She finishes her high school career fourth on LeRoy’s all-time scoring (1,097) and rebounding (529) lists. Also a volleyball and softball standout, Buckles made the Heart of Illinois Conference First Team and was voted an All-Stater by the coaches.

She needs tickets to see ...

• a Zach Bryan concert in the front row.

Before she competes, she eats ...

• a big breakfast and lunch and drinks lots of water.

Her dream career is ...

• an ultrasound technologist.

Her favorite school subject is ...

• English.

Her favorite athlete is ...

• Caitlin Clark.

Her favorite movie is ...

• “Top Gun: Maverick.”

If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ...

• Cody Johnson, Parker McCollum and Donald Trump.

Three things on her bucket list are ...

• traveling to another country, visiting Hawaii and having a family.

Alexa Jamison

Salt Fork junior guard

Why she made the first team ...

• Jamison had surgery on a torn ACL last July and missed the first six games of the season, in which the Storm went 3-3. After she returned, Salt Fork only lost three more games the rest of the way, a season that ended one win short of a sectional title. Jamison led the Storm at 14.8 points per game, making the All-Vermilion Valley Conference First Team, the IBCA All-State Third Team and the AP All-State Honorable Mention.

She needs tickets to see ...

• the women’s basketball National Championship.

Before she competes, she drinks ...

• a lot of water or Bodyarmor.

Her dream career is ...

• an orthopedic physical therapist so I can help others who have gone through similar experiences.

Her favorite school subjects are ...

• history and English.

Her favorite athlete is ...

• Paige Bueckers.

Her favorite TV show is ...

• “Selling Sunset.”

If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ...

• my papa, who died a few years ago, Caitlin Clark and Kobe Bryant.

Three things on her bucket list are ...

• visiting Hawaii, graduating college with a master’s and doctorate degree after playing a collegiate sport and watching the Olympics in person.

Addison Lucht

Cissna Park sophomore guard

Why she made the first team ...

• The three-sport star was the driving force in sending the Timberwolves’ to super-sectionals as the last area team standing. She reached the 1,000-point milestone as just a sophomore, with a per-game line of 16 points, 3.7 steals and 3.3 assists. Lucht was the Vermilion Valley Conference MVP and an IBCA All-State Second-Team honoree. Cissna Park coach Anthony Videka called her one of the most competitive players he’s ever coached.

She needs tickets to see ...

• the NCAA March Madness Final Four.

Before she competes, she eats ...

• fruit.

Her dream career is ...

• coaching a college sport.

Her favorite school subject is ...

• Spanish.

Her favorite athlete is ...

• Michael Jordan.

Her favorite movie is ...

• “Remember the Titans.”

If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ...

• Kobe Bryant, Sis Bates and Jayda Coleman.

Three things on her bucket list are ...

• running a marathon, traveling outside the United States and visiting all 30 MLB stadiums.

Addy Martinie

St. Joseph-Ogden senior forward

Why she made the first team ...

• Martinie had to step up after fellow senior stud Addison Seggebruch tore her ACL in late December, and step up she did. Martinie was the Spartans’ go-to scorer, averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. She also drilled 85 three-pointers, good for nearly three of them every game. Martinie’s All-Illini Prairie Conference First-Team season led SJ-O to a regional title.

She needs tickets to see ...

• a J. Cole concert.

Before she competes, she eats ...

• a Hershey’s chocolate bar.

Her dream career is ...

• a judge.

Her favorite school subject is ...

• physical education.

Her favorite athletes are ...

• her teammates.

Her favorite TV show is ...

• “All American.”

If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ...

• Jesus, Cleopatra and Thomas Jefferson.

Three things on her bucket list are ...

• skydiving, driving a racecar and seeing the Northern Lights.

Sydney Moss

Tuscola senior forward

Why she made the first team ...

• The Warriors don’t go 61-5 during the last two seasons without Moss, especially this past season. Leading Tuscola to a Class 1A regional championship and 28 wins this season while averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game, Moss had a serious case for All-Area Player of the Year. She was a unanimous All-Central Illinois Conference selection, an IBCA All-State Third-Team selection and an AP All-State Honorable-Mention pick.

She needs tickets to see ...

• a Drake concert.

Before she competes, she eats ...

• Jimmy John’s.

Her dream career is ...

• a CRNA.

Her favorite school subject is ...

• Spanish.

Her favorite athlete is ...

• Emily Czerwonka.

Her favorite TV show is ...

• “Criminal Minds.”

If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ...

• Carley Ochs, Lizzy Powell and Emily Czerwonka.

Three things on her bucket list are ...

• skydiving, learning to surf and traveling to Italy.

Claire Seal

ALAH senior forward

Why she made the first team ...

• Our All-Area Player of the Year was a double-double machine for the Knights. Seal averaged 18.6 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game, recording a double-double in 23 of 32 games. She broke ALAH single-season records for points (594) and rebounds (425) as well as career records for both (1,539 points and 1,052 rebounds). Seal was the East’s MVP in the Bird Cage Classic and is now a three-time unanimous All-Lincoln Prairie Conference honoree.

She needs tickets to see ...

• The Weekend in concert.

Before she competes, she eats ...

 pretzels and Goldfish.

Her dream career is ...

• unrealistically, a princess or a queen. Realistically, an orthopedic surgeon.

Her favorite school subjects are ... history and science.

Her favorite athlete is ...

• Paige Bueckers.

Her favorite TV shows are ...

• “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “South Park.”

If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ...

• my great-grandmother, whom I haven’t seen since I was in second grade, Geno Auriemma and Florence Nightingale.

Three things on her bucket list are ...

• visiting the Taj Mahal, owning a Rolls-Royce and taking my parents on vacation wherever they want to go.

Ruari Quarnstrom

St. Thomas More senior guard/forward

Why she made the first team ...

• Quarnstrom averaged 17 points per game for a Sabers team that went 13-16, and she made the second team in the full-of-talent Illini Prairie Conference, averaging 19 points in conference games. She also led her team in field-goal percentage (37.8) and assists (2.1 per game). Quarnstrom rarely had an off night for STM, and her team leaned on her for a majority of its production.

She needs tickets to see ...

• a Noah Kahan concert.

Before she competes, she eats ...

• a protein bar and drinks a Celsius.

Her dream career is ...

• sports advertising/marketing.

Her favorite school subject is ...

• statistics.

Her favorite athlete is ...

• Patrick Quarnstrom.

Her favorite movie is ...

• “The Family Stone.”

If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ...

• Jason Sudeikis, Caitlin Clark and Katey Moore.

Three things on her bucket list are ...

• traveling to all seven continents, running a marathon and skydiving.

Kacie Sisk

Arcola junior forward

Why she made the first team ...

• Sisk was another player in the discussion for All-Area Player of the Year as the only area talent with a scoring average north of 20 points per game. She also pulled down 9.4 rebounds and came away with 3.5 steals per game en route to a unanimous All-Lincoln Prairie Conference First-Team selection and AP All-State Honorable Mention. Sisk reached 1,000 career points this season and is poised for another run at Player of the Year next season.

She needs tickets to see ...

• the Women’s College World Series.

Before she competes, she eats ...

• a bowl of Fruity Pebbles and drinks a blue Gatorade.

Her dream career is ...

• to be determined.

Her favorite school subject is ...

• chemistry.

Her favorite athlete is ...

• Neymar.

Her favorite movie is ...

• “Coco.”

If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ...

• Dolly Parton, Caitlin Clark and Luke Combs.

Three things on her bucket list are ... going to Hawaii, seeing the Northern Lights and winning a regional title.

Raegen Stringer

Unity senior guard

Why she made the first team ...

• You’d be hard pressed to find a better point guard in the area. Stringer averaged an uber-consistent line of 15.3 points, 3.9 assists, 3.6 steals and 3.3 rebounds per game to go along with her unmatched motor on the court. The Illinois College recruit and repeat All-Area First Team selection was also an All-Illini Prairie Conference First-Team honoree and an IBCA All-State Third-Teamer.

She needs tickets to see ...

• a UConn basketball game.

Before she competes, she eats ...

• Skittles.

Her dream career is ...

• a police officer.

Her favorite school subject is ...

• math.

Her favorite athletes are ...

• Paige Bueckers and Michael Jordan.

Her favorite movie is ...

• “Hustle.”

If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ...

• Michael Jordan, Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark.

Three things on her bucket list are ...

• getting my dream car, playing basketball overseas and skydiving.