5 girls to watch
Published 11:46 pm Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Kristi Kingma
Jackson
5-10 Sr. G
Key 2006-2007 stats: 19 ppg, 5.5 apg, 4.5 rpg
Comment: Before taking her coveted skills to the University of Washington, Kingma will try to lead Jackson to the Class 4A state tournament for the third straight season.
Ranked No. 44 in the nation among Class of 2008 players by HoopGurlz.com, Kingma is a rare four-year starter who often controls the flow of a game.
“Jackson has a lot of great players but Kingma kind of sets the tone for the whole team with her tenacity and competitiveness,” Kamiak coach Jody Schauer said. “If she’s not scoring she’s setting things up, making assists and steals. The competitor in her gets other players to step up and raise their game.”
Eryn Jones
Meadowdale
5-8 Sr. G
Key 2006-2007 stats: 17.4 ppg, 5.0 apg, 3.1 spg
Comment: The Mavericks’ three-year captain emerged as one of the state’s elite guards last season and guided Meadowdale to a sixth-place finish at the Class 3A state tournament. She has an impressive knack for exploding to the basket and sinking clutch jump shots.
This season the Portland State University recruit will be expected to do even more.
“Eryn will continue to be a team leader as captain and the floor leader as the point guard. With the loss of (2007 Meadowdale graduate) Marelle Moehrle, (Jones) will have the task of creating opportunities for her other teammates,” Mavs coach Dan Taylor said.
Mary Ochiltree
Lake Stevens
5-11 Sr. G
Key 2006-2007 stats: 15.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.4 spg
Comment: It’s not wise for foes to give Ochiltree an inch of room on the perimeter. Odds are she’ll drain yet another longer.
Ochiltree, a 2006-2007 All-Wesco North first team honoree, has made a school-record 128 3-point shots in her career, according to Lake Stevens coach Randall Edens. Last season she converted 51 3-pointers, making 36 percent of her attempts.
Coming off two consecutive state-tournament appearances, the Vikings return several key players, including talented posts Brittany Tri and Karri Gallagher. If defenses focus on stopping Tri and Gallagher inside, Ochiltree could have an even more productive season.
Katie Benson
Snohomish
6-1 Jr. F
Key 2006-2007 stats: 9.2 ppg, 5 rpg
Comment: One of several gifted players on another deep Snohomish squad, Benson doesn’t play year-round like most of the area’s elite competitors. But this past summer she put in plenty of time getting better, Snohomish coach Ken Roberts.
Benson — who Roberts said has received interest from D-I programs — got stronger by lifting weights, refined her fundamentals and developed new offensive moves. She also benefited from frequently playing against her older sister, Sydney Benson, a starting forward at Eastern Washington University.
With the ability to score inside and outside, the younger Benson is a potential D-I competitor who is difficult for opponents to guard, Roberts said.
Mietra Smollack
Oak Harbor
5-9 Sr. G/F
Key 2006-2007 stats: 14.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg
Comment: Known as an outstanding track and cross country runner, Smollack is also one of the area’s best hoops players. The three-year starter earned All-Wesco North first team recognition last season after nearly averaging a double-double.
Smollack’s intensity and effort inspire teammates, Oak Harbor coach Brett McLeod said.
“Mietra is a leader (through) her work ethic. She is a big-time competitor who hates to lose whether in basketball or in track,” McLeod said. “She makes good things happen for us on both ends of the court.”
Eastern Oregon University is recruiting Smollack for basketball, while larger schools like Washington State want her for track, McLeod said.
Mike Cane, Herald Writer
