Photos by Lee Epps
Senior Addyson McHugh and freshman Siri Konkel were honored by their 2023 Spring Grove basketball teammates as the Impact or Most Valuable Players. Konkel and fellow freshman Kylie Hammel shared the Hustle Award. Receiving the most votes for Most Improved was eighth grader Brinley Middendorf.
Another tie saw senior Lydia Solum and sophomore Emerson Ingvalson both voted the GRIT Award. First-year head coach Taylor Elton said the GRIT Award recognizes the program philosophy of “intensity, passion and toughness every single day.”
Solum also earned the rare distinction of Academic All-State, which recognizes senior players who have earned a 3.8 or higher GPA, cumulative from her freshman year through the first semester of her senior year. The Lions, with a team 3.803 GPA, earned the state’s top academic accolade as a State Gold Academic Team.
McHugh (co-MVP), a 5-foot-10 senior guard/forward was Second Team All-Conference and received Honorable Mention All-Area while leading the Lions in statistical efficiency points and also lifted a team high 71 steals (2.6 per game). She was the second leading scorer with 9.2 points per game and ranked third with 4.9 rebounds per contest.
McHugh, a team captain, graduates highly ranked high in four career categories: tied for fifth all-time in 3-point field goals (108 treys), eighth in blocked shots (66), 11th in career steals (218) and ninth in career scoring (727 points).
Konkel (co-MVP, co-Hustle), a 5-3 freshman point guard, led the Lions in three key categories – assists, assist-to-turnover ratio and free throw shooting. She achieved something few do – more assists (5 per game) than turnovers. Her 134-assist total is the eighth-best season in the record book. Her 1.411 assist-to-turnover ratio is the 10th-best season on record for Lion girls.
Konkel was a scoring threat at the foul line, hitting 76.9% of her free throws – the fifth-best season accuracy in the record book. She ranked second in steals (2.1 spg) and besides orchestrating the attack, she was the fourth leading scorer with 6.9 point per game.
Hammel (co-Hustle), a 5-9 freshman guard/forward, had previously received Honorable Mention on the All-SEC Team. She led Spring Grove in both scoring (11.1 ppg) and 3-point accuracy (30.2%) and was the Lions’ second-leading rebounder with 5.6 caroms per contest
Middendorf (Most Improved), a 5-9 eighth grade forward, had a breakout season with the Lions’ best field goal percentage, hitting 45.2% of her attempts from the field. In overall statistics, she had the team’s second-best efficiency rating – as an eighth grader. Middendorf averaged 3.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
Solum (co-GRIT, Academic All-State) a 5-10 senior guard/forward and team captain, combined skill, effort, academics and leadership. She had the Lions’ second-best 3-point percentage (28.6%), the third-best shooting from the field overall (36.6%) and the third-best free throw shooting percentage (55.2%).
Ingvalson (co-GRIT), a 5-6 sophomore guard, was the Lions’ third-leading scorer with 8.0 points per game and the third-best 3-point accuracy (22.7%). She first lettered four years ago as a seventh grader.
With the team academic award, it is not surprising that seven of the eight letter winners were Academic All-Conference: Solum, McHugh, Konkel, Hammel, Middendorf, Kendal VanMinsel and Carlie Halverson. This recognizes letter winners who earned a 3.4 or higher GPA during the second academic quarter.
Three Lions have now lettered four times in basketball; seniors Solum and McHugh along with sophomore Ingvalson. Earning their second varsity letters were freshmen Hammel and Konkel plus sophomore Kendal VanMinsel. First-year letter winners were eighth grader Middendorf and freshman Carlie Halverson.
——————————-
LION LEADERS 2023
Scoring – points per game
Kylie Hammel 11.1
Addyson McHugh 9.2
Emerson Ingvalson 8.0
Siri Konkel 6.9
Rebounding – rebounds per game
Kendal VanMinsel 6.2
Kylie Hammel 5.6
Addyson McHugh 4.9
Brinley Middendorf 4.4
Free Throw Percentage
Siri Konkel 75.9%
Izabel Kaufmann 60.0%
Lydia Solum 55.2%
Field Goal Percentage
Brinley Middendorf 45.2%
Kendal VanMinsel 40.3%
Lydia Solum 36.6%
Emerson Ingvalson 32.5%
Kylie Hammel 32.5%
3-point FG Percentage
Kylie Hammel 30.2%
Lydia Solum 28.6%
Emerson Ingvalson 22.7%
Addyson McHugh 22.4%
Assists -assists per game
Siri Konkel 5.0
Emerson Ingvalson 1.5
Kylie Hammel 1.5
Steals – steals per game
Addyson McHugh 2.6
Siri Konkel 2.1
Kylie Hammel 1.7
Emerson Ingvalson 1.4
Lydia Solum 1.2