Several quality players stepped out of the shadows at Hayfield

In addition to the performances of Waseca's Madison Gehloff, Hutchinson's Kenzie Rensch and Lyle-Austin Pacelli's Olivia Christianson who we highlighted in separate articles, there were a number of other players who stood out Saturday in Hayfield. We have written at length about the rise of senior Mary Burke from Mountain Iron-Buhl (see Marc's update on the 2018 rankings where Burke has jumped up to #17) and she was terrific Saturday in a win over the host Lady Vikings. Ditto for veterans like Abby Mackenthun of Norwood-Young America, Mya Chmielewski of Mayer Lutheran and Olivia McCabe of St. Peter. These are some other less-heralded players who impressed at Hayfield:

Kaylee Kirk, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton – 5'5″ senior point guard. As Kirk goes, so go the Panthers. On a team full of workmanlike soldiers, Kirk is TMB's most talented, athletic player. Kirk's 7 assists per game average tells you what you need to know about her approach to the game. The crafty guard has surpassed 1,000 career points and is committed to NAIA Dakota Wesleyan in Mitchell, S.D.

Elizabeth Wortz, Hutchinson – 5'6″ junior guard. Wortz suffers from the younger sister syndrome, having always played in the shadow of big sister Tori (St. Cloud State), who was Hutchinson's leader for so many years. Elizabeth has emerged as a talent in her own right, and her defensive smarts, outside shooting and reliable ball handling are a big part of Hutchinson's success.

Madisen Overbye, Mountain Iron-Buhl – 5'6″ junior guard. Everyone at MIB has been an understudy to the great Chelsea Mason (Minnesota Duluth), and Overbye is now the understudy to the understudy Macy Savela. On Saturday, Savela was sitting on the sidelines for the most part with a bad shoulder and Overbye was center stage. She did an outstanding job in a high-pressure situation, leading MIB to a win over Hayfield.

Alyssa Williamson, Martin County West – 5'6″ junior guard. Williamson is a dynamic little guard. She is quick and athletic and can really handle the ball. She has nice court vision and plays with swagger. Alyssa goes hard to the rim and has nice elevation for a player of her size. The confident point guard is also MCW's leading scorer at 17 ppg. She's hearing from D3 schools and will be great at that level.

Morgan Kelly, St. Peter – 5'10″ freshman post. Kelly is a big, strong, somewhat raw power forward with tremendous potential. I liked her intelligence and aggressiveness. On Saturday she had 12 pts on 6/7 shooting, plus 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Apparently she hasn't been a serious basketball player for very long. I was surprised to learn she is the daughter of Gustavus coach Laurie Kelly, who is one of the greatest players in D3 history with 2,607 career points and 1,204 rebounds. You can't beat good genetics!