Chiawana’s von Oelhoffen named to Seattle Times all-state basketball team

Chiawana junior Talia von Oelhoffen was named a first-team all-state player by The Seattle Times.

Von Oelhoffen was the Mid-Columbia Conference player of the year, and averaged an-MCC best 25.8 points a game.

Rated by ESPN as one of the top players in the nation for the class of 2021, she has narrowed her college choice down to five schools: UConn, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Stanford and UCLA.

Joining von Oelhoffen on the Times’ first team are Todd Beamer senior guard Aaliyah Alexander (headed to EWU), Central Valley junior guard M.J. Bruno, Garfield senior guard Meghan Fiso (headed to Michigan), and Woodinville junior forward Mia Hughes.

The Player of the Year is Cashmere senior Hailey Van Lith, who has signed with Louisville.

The Times’ Boys Player of the Year is Mt. Si senior Jabe Mullins, who will play next season for Saint Mary’s.

Other players on the first team are O’Dea junior power forward Paolo Banchero, Garfield senior forward Tari Eason (headed to Cincinnati), Eastside Catholic junior point guard Nolan Hickman, Battle Ground junior post Kaden Perry, and Union senior guard Tanner Toolson.

Toolson’s father, by the way, is former Tri-City Chinook shooter Andy Toolson — who played in the NBA with the Utah Jazz.

• The all-state teams for Washington state, put together by The Associated Press with voting from writers all around the state, should come out within the next two weeks.

Each classification will have its own all-state team.

5 area players on all-senior teams

The Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association and the Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches Association each came out with their all-state teams for seniors.

They were done by classification, and the Mid-Columbia had five players on the lengthy list.

Chiawana’s Cooper DeWitt was on the list for the Class 4A boys team, while Kamiakin’s Kyson Rose was listed on the Class 3A boys team.

On the girls side, Kennewick’s MeiLani McBee made the Class 3A girls team, and Columbia-Burbank’s Jadyn Johnson – who was named the EWAC East 2B conference’s MVP – was named to the Class 2B girls team.

Sunnyside Christian’s Madi Candoza was listed on the Class 1B girls team.

All-MCC boys basketball team

Here is the All-MCC boys basketball team, as voted on by the coaches, that was released a few weeks ago:

Chiawana senior Cooper DeWitt earned top honors for the boys team, being named Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and first team.

Chiawana’s Chad Herron, who led his squad to a 22-3 mark, was named MCC Coach of the Year.

Joining DeWitt on the first team are Kennewick senior Ayoni Benavidez, Walla Walla junior Michael Cornia, Kamiakin senior Kyson Rose and Southridge senior Tristan Smith.

Here’s the second team: Richland junior Andrew Albrecht, Walla Walla senior Dylan Ashbeck, Chiawana junior Jayden Martinez, Chiawana sophomore Connor Mendez, and Kamiakin junior Messiah Jones.

Three players were honorable mention selections: Kennewick senior Blaine Chavez, Pasco senior Ethan Legard, and Hanford sophomore Hudson Shupe.

Joining DeWitt on the All-Defensive unit are Walla Walla’s Cornia, Richland junior Ben Fewel, Kamiakin’s Jones, and Kennewick sophomore Myles Mayovsky.

All-MCC girls basketball team

Here is the All-MCC girls basketball team, as voted on by the coaches, that was released a few weeks ago:

Chiawana’s Talia von Oelhoffen was named the MCC Player of the Year, and the junior was on the first team.

Hermiston junior Jayden Ray was named Defensive Player of the Year, while Kennewick’s Daron Santo was named MCC Coach of the Year.

Joining von Oelhoffen on the first team are Walla Walla senior Rian Clear, Kennewick junior Madeline Gebers, Pasco sophomore A’niyah Heavens, and Kennewick senior MeiLani McBee.

Here is the second team: Richland juniors Jayda Clark and Laura Smith, Pasco soph Mya Groce, Hanford soph Iliana Moran, and Hermiston senior Jazlyn Romero.

Players earning honorable mention status: Chiawana senior Alyssa Agundis, Kamiakin junior Amani Davis, Kennewick senior Aislin Fiander, Pasco soph Taija Mackey, and Chiawana senior Kylie Thorne.

Joining Ray on the All-Defensive unit are Chiawana’s Agundis, Pasco soph Taleya Maiden, Walla Walla senior Emmalynn Ogden, and Kamiakin freshman Nikole Thomas.

Notes

• One player set for next fall at the University of Idaho is Kiona-Benton senior Ariel Lofton, who signed a letter of intent to play women’s soccer for the Vandals.

Lofton was the SCAC East co-Player of the Year in both 2017 and 2019, and scored 132 goals and 40 assists in her four-year career with the Bears.

Lofton is also a product of Three Rivers Soccer and Eastern Washington Elite Player Development.

“Ariel has the potential to be a very special player for the Vandals,” said Idaho head coach Jeremy Clevenger. “Ariel has great size, speed, and is a gifted goal scorer. She has so many tools in her game and I think she will cause a lot of problems for defenders next year. She can beat defenders with her pace but is also so strong she rarely gets knocked off the ball. I look for Ariel to come in and be a goal-scoring threat right away.”

• Kamiakin wide receiver Woodley Downard received his first college scholarship offer recently. Eastern Washington University is interested in him.

• The Western Hockey League officially announced the end of the 2019-20 regular season on Wednesday.

The Tri-City Americans lose five games, four of which were home contests.

The team announced that a staffer will contact those people with ticket packages soon, and go over the options for what to do about those games.

• The annual Bloomsday race in Spokane — of which many Tri-Citians run in — has been moved from May 3 back to Sept. 20.

The event is usually held on the first Sunday in May. This is the first time in 44 years the event will not happen in May.

• The NWAC made it official on Tuesday, announcing all community college spring sports are done for the year.

Scott Rogers, athletic director at Columbia Basin College, said all spring sports sophomores will get an extra year of eligibility next spring.