Dayton Division 3 Teams to Watch- Part 1

The Division 3 girls basketball scene in the Miami Valley will again see a lot of the same teams at the top when the season begins next month. Back in March, Waynesville took an unbeaten record to the state championship game before nearly upsetting Africentric. Gone are some key seniors for the Spartans, but like several other teams, they have some quality players returning. Today, I will look at a few teams who expect to compete and challenge this season in Division 3. <strong>Division 3 Teams to Watch</strong> <strong>Greeneview</strong> Always competitive in the Ohio Heritage Conference, the Rams look to challenge again this season coming off a league championship. It all starts with Sylvie Sonneman, a 5-8 senior shooting guard who is among the top players in the region. Sylvie <strong><span style="font-size: 10pt"> </span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt">has e</span>xcellent range, good handles and a great floor leader. Sophomore Ellie Snyder is a solid player and should increase her production. Another player to watch this season is junior Rachel Strickle. <strong>Indian Lake</strong> They were a sub-.500 team last season, but with all of the top players back, the Lakers are looking to make some noise and compete at the top of the CBC Mad River Division. Kristen Young missed the second half of the season last year, but was their leading scorer. She returns, as does Kaylee Shelton, Kyleigh Huffer, Bethany Golliday, Cheyenne Hill, Kaitlyn Boberg all return, and add in one of the top freshman in the league in [player_tooltip player_id="93550" first="Allison" last="Kinney"]. Their turnaround could begin this season. <strong>Middletown Madison</strong> After struggling last season, the Mohawks hope to turn things back around to where they were an annual power in the area. One thing that will help is the return of all-area senior guard Kenzi Saunders, who returns from missing last season with a knee injury. It is uncertain how anyone recovered until they hit the floor, but a healthy Saunders will boost their chances for success. Also junior Grace Baker and senior Ally King return to led the way for Madison. <strong>Miami East</strong> How big of a loss will [player_tooltip player_id="32370" first="Morgan" last="Haney"] be for the Vikings? It’s hard to tell yet, but they do have some quality players back who will be a factor in the success of the Vikings this season, as they challenge again for the Cross County Conference title. Camryn Miller is a key senior guard, as she has great range and solid handles.  A pair of juniors returning include Rori Hunley (5-8) and Cadence Gross (5-7) and add in sophomore Paxton Hunley, a 5-6 guard. and the Vikings will likely find themselves in good shape this season. <strong>West Liberty Salem</strong> Great season for the Tigers last year, but is that ever surprising?  They are well coached but will have to replace some talented seniors. Returning this season will be 6-foot post Selena Weaver, their key player in the paint this season. Grace Estes is another key junior returning as the guard looks to increase her production. [player_tooltip player_id="32610" first="Emily" last="Hollar"] is only a sophomore, but very talented. Expect them to challenge at the top of the OHC again this season. &nbsp; &nbsp;