Blair game back with best girls basketball players

Elite area basketball players, including prep All-American Angie Bjorklund from University and State 4A MVP Heather Bowman from champion Lewis and Clark, will take part in the annual Jack Blair Memorial Girls AAU All-Star Basketball Classic.

The game is named in memory of Jack Blair, former Central Valley girls basketball coach, LC administrator and co-founder of the Spokane Stars select summer basketball program.

The 13th annual game will be played at 7:30 p.m. June 7 at University High.

The game features the best players from Inland Northwest high schools. The Metro team, made up of Greater Spokane League players, has won the previous 12 games.

This year’s Metro team includes the 6-foot-2 Gonzaga University-bound Bowman, who became the GSL’s all-time overall leading scorer with 1,680 points. She participated on four state tournament Tiger teams, leading them to this year’s title.

Bjorklund, 6-1, a junior at U-Hi, was Associated Press Player of the Year and member of the all-tourney team for the 4A third-place Titans. She was named to two national prep All-America teams, has been invited to try out for USA Basketball’s U18 team and has orally committed to the University of Tennessee.

Others on the team are Katelan Redmon, a 6-1 junior two-time All-GSL player and Brittany Kennedy, 5-7 sophomore, from the 4A champion Tigers; Tonya Schnibbe, 5-6 senior, from U-Hi; Heidi Heintz, 5-10 senior from CV; Corrina O’Brien, 5-2 senior, and Tara Cronin, 5-9 junior, from Gonzaga Prep; Nikki Nelson, 5-4 junior and Kelli Valentine, 6-0 junior, from Mead; Lexi Bishop, 5-8 junior and Lexie Petterson, 6-0 sophomore, from Shadle Park.

The Region team includes Freeman’s Jessie DePell, a 6-0 senior who was two-time 1A State Tournament MVP and AP Player of the Year. She’s joined by Kelsey Taylor from Moscow, a 6-4 two-time Idaho All-State player.

Other Idaho players on the team are Jenna DeLong, 6-0 junior, Lindsey Stark, 5-4 junior, and Deanna Dotts 6-1 sophomore from 5A state runner-up Coeur d’Alene; Kayla Stiegemeier, 5-4 senior, and Brigitte Boucher, 6-0 senior from Lakeland; and Jenny McVeigh, 5-10 sophomore from Post Falls.

Other Washington players are Misty Atkinson, 5-10 junior from Clarkston; Megan Teade, 5-10 sophomore from State 1A champion Colfax; Roni Jo Meilke, 5-6 junior from Sprague-Harrington; and Kia Gibson, 6-0 junior from Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls).

Notes

Former CV and current Coeur d’Alene coach Dale Poffenroth will again coach the Region team. G-Prep’s Mike Arte and LC’s Jim Redmon will coach the Metro team. … Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens, children 9 and younger free. … There will be an autograph and picture session with the players.