Class 3A – Region 1: 2023’s to Watch

As we look for other ways to cover prospects we thought it would be beneficial to cover players in a way that allows us to cover those we don’t write much about. We will be using the region’s from last season as they were constructed. Obviously, these regions will change into next season but for these stories it was the easiest way to divide players and teams as equally as possible. We will be writing a series of three stories for each region in the state and the categories are as follows: 2023’s to put on Your Radar, 2022’s who can Breakout, and 2021’s Who Should be Valued by Colleges. We will continue to go through each region and aim to hit as many players as we can that we haven’t talked about previously. Here are five 2023’s who need to be on your radar. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="127626" first="Gracie" last="Schoonhoven"] - Unity Christian</strong> The top freshman scorer in the region last year was Unity Christian’s [player_tooltip player_id="127626" first="Gracie" last="Schoonhoven"]. Schoonhoven helped the Knights score 15 victories before a tough loss in the postseason to MOC-Floyd Valley. Unity Christian will return all five starters next year and Schoonhoven should be another integral part. She finished her first varsity season with 303 points, 145 rebounds, a team-high 113 assists and 74 steals, shooting nearly 57 percent from the field. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63049" first="Kenna" last="Mongan"] - Cherokee</strong> Cherokee made another run at the state tournament, finishing 17-6 overall with a regional runner-up crown to the resume. Now, the Lakes Conference runners-up will look to build on that success around several returning players including freshman [player_tooltip player_id="63049" first="Kenna" last="Mongan"]. Mongan started 13 of 23 games in her first season, scoring 194 points with 55 assists, 50 rebounds and 49 steals. She shot just under 44 percent from the field and 31 percent from the 3-point line, burying 28 triples in all. <strong>Tyra Schulteman - Unity Christian</strong> While not a starter for Unity Christian this past year, newcomer Tyra Schulteman made an impact. Schulteman scored 167 points with 92 rebounds, 28 assists, 22 steals and 19 blocked shots. She shot just under 50 percent from the field, making 17 three-pointers - which ranked third on the team. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="160563" first="Kenley" last="Meis"] - Sioux City Heelan</strong> The defending state champion and Missouri River Conference champs Sioux City Heelan will have a bit of a different look next season with [player_tooltip player_id="135011" first="Ella" last="Skinner"] and [player_tooltip player_id="135036" first="Katelyn" last="Stanley"] among those graduating. However, the Crusaders are built for the long haul with regular [player_tooltip player_id="160563" first="Kenley" last="Meis"] set to take on more of a role. Meis played in 25 games as a newcomer, scoring 83 points with 45 rebounds, 21 steals and 20 assists. She made 10 three-pointers and also got to the free throw line 34 times. <strong>Gianna Klarenbeek - West Lyon</strong> It was a strong season for West Lyon, winning 16 games and reaching the regional semifinals before falling to eventual state champion Sioux City Heelan. The Wildcats were a young team this past winter, and are primed for big things this coming season with Gianna Klarenbeek among those back in the fold. Klarenbeek saw action in 22 games, scoring 46 points with 15 rebounds and nine made three-pointers.