19th Annual Elite Eight Athletes of the Year Award – Brought to you by: POET and made possible by KORN News Radio, Q107-3 and KORN Country 92-1
Athletes must be a Junior or a Senior, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, be involved in community and school activities, be an elite athlete, and be nominated by their coach or administration. The Elite Eight Committee votes on the nominations based on criteria.
Avery Broughton – Corsica-Stickney (Jr.) – Basketball
Broughton continues to put together one of the most impressive resumes in South Dakota girls high school basketball history with her third straight Class B All-State first team selection this season, while averaging 18.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. She is already the all-time Corsica-Stickney leader in career points (1,909) and rebounds (1,014). Broughton also had a 4.28 GPA. The junior has already committed to play collegiately at the University of South Dakota.
Maria Baker – Mt. Vernon/Plankinton (Sr.) – Basketball/Volleyball
A three sport star at Mt. Vernon/Plankinton, Baker has made an impact on the basketball and volleyball court, as well as track during her high school career. She averaged 13.6 points and 5.5 rebounds as a senior for the Titans and put up a school record 348 kills this past volleyball season to go along with 311 digs. Baker also helped MVP place third at the Class A State track & field meet last spring, being a part of the winning 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter relay teams.
Rachel Gerlach – Corsica-Stickney (Sr.) – Basketball
Gerlach was selected to the Class B All-State second team this season, averaging 14 points, 5.3 rebounds, hitting 44 3-pointers and shooting 81 percent from the foul line. The four-year varsity starter for the Jaguars broke the school’s all-time made three pointers record earlier in her senior season and also scored her 1,000th career point in December in a win over Avon.
Adisyn Indahl – Burke (Jr.) – Volleyball
Indahl led Burke to the Class B state tournament this past fall, pushing #1 Platte-Geddes to five sets in the opening round. She compiled 598 kills, 652 digs and 70 aces for the Lady Cougars as a junior, on her way to an All-State second team selection. Indahl had 935 career kills, 1,642 digs and 143 aces with her senior season to go. She also finished fifth individually at the Class B state golf tournament this past spring and is expected to be a state title contender this season.
Lizzie Tyler – Mitchell (Jr.) – Volleyball
Tyler made her first All-State team this past fall, making the Class AA second team and the All ESD conference team as a junior. She filled the stat sheet for the Kernels, finishing with 185 kills, 39 aces, 19 total blocks, 342 digs and 434 assists. Tyler surpassed the 1,000-career dig mark in an October win vs. Rapid City Stevens. The former Wagner Red Raider was an honorable mention selection on the Class A All-State team as a freshman in 2019. She also placed seventh in the 400 meters are the state track meet last spring. Tyler has a 4.0 GPA.
Julia Weber – Bridgewater-Emery (Sr.) – Volleyball
Weber was a Class B All-State second team selection as a senior leading the Huskies to a 28-1 record. She had 372 kills and 284 digs as a senior. During her career, Weber amassed over 1,100 kills, nearly 2,000 dis and 132 aces. Bridgewater-Emery volleyball had a 99-18 record during her career, along with two appearances in the State B Volleyball Tournament. On the basketball court, Weber is Bridgewater-Emery’s all-time leading scorer with 1,731 career points. She averaged 16.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists as a senior. Weber maintained a 4.0 GPA into the last semester of her senior year and plans to play volleyball collegiately at Mt. Marty University.
Emma Yost – Wagner (Jr.) – Basketball/Volleyball
Yost helped led Wagner to a #1 seed in this year’s Class A state basketball tournament, a fourth-place finish and a 22-3 record. The junior averaged 14.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists on the season on her way to being a Class A second-team All-State pick. She goes into her senior season with 1,262 career points and 998 career rebounds. On the volleyball court, Yost was also a second-team All-State selection, leading the Red Raiders to a fourth-place finish at the state tournament with a 28-8 record. He led Wagner with 343 kills and 483 digs on the year.
Allison Ziebart – Parkston (Sr.) – Basketball
The senior from Parkston averaged 12.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2 steals per game for the Trojans this season, while also contributing 251 kills and 436 digs during volleyball season. She also placed third last spring in the Triple Jump at the state meet with a jump of 35 feet, 3.5 inches. Ziebart will continue her athletic career as a part of the track & field team at South Dakota State.