23rd Classic In The Country Challenge - 2026s Who Shined

Prep Girls Hoops covered the 23rd Annual Classic In the Country Challenge that took place inside the Perry Reese JR Community Center at [program_tooltip program_id='712419' first='Berlin' last='Hiland'] High School. This was a three day event that took place over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday that celebrated Dr. King's social impact on society and the great hospitality of the wonderful Amish Country community. These three days featured 22 games that highlighted many of the top high school programs in the state of Ohio across all divisions. Here is our list of the 2026s who shined during this three day hoops challenge!!    Minor is an active small forward who makes her presence felt on the floor for her team! She plays with an aggressive style that you can't teach as she is not afraid to look for her own shot. Minor also crashes the offensive glass with purpose fighting for three big boards in the win versus Carrollton. She also contributed with four points and was active at the free throw line making her two attempts. Minor certainly has a high ceiling as she looks to just be tapping into her potential in her senior year!     Shafer is a solid offensive contributor to the Carrollton Warriors. In their game versus Wadsworth she finished with 10 points and attacked the basket drawing fouls for most of the game. I was impressed with her ballhandling and quickness. Shafer likes to attack the glass as well looking for putbacks and opportunities for runouts in transition. Her energy makes a big impact on the floor for the Warriors!     Ujcich had a monster game on the boards in Carrollton's game versus Wadsworth! She finished with 12 rebounds and fought hard for three offensive boards in her six points she contributed. Ujcich also showed her activity defensively with three steals. She has good size at the three and impacts the game with her rebounding. 12 bounds was just insane! I wouldn't be surprised she starts to climb into the rankings with a performance like that. College coaches need to get to know the name [player_tooltip player_id='894638' first='Kylie' last='Ujcich']!     The engine that drives the Wadsworth Grizzlies. Decker is a reliable scorer who doesn't back down when she is needed! This wing can do more than just score! Decker rebounds and facilitates effectively for her teammates. She flat out contributes to winning on both ends of the floor! Oh by the way, she finished with seven steals as well! Yes...seven!! What can't Decker do? Offensively and defensively, she puts on a dominate performance each and every game for the Wadsworth Grizzlies!     Dress is a fun player to watch! She plays the game with a level of natural joy that you can't teach. Dress was productive leading her Medina Bees in scoring with 14 points and knocking down three threes in the game versus Toledo Start. Dress uses her size well to rebound and run the floor effectively in transition. The explosive wing had four assists in the game and was disruptive defensively with two steals as well. There is a lot to like about this senior's game as she continues to get better the more aggressive each game for the Medina Bees!     Shook is the a strong leader and interior presence for the Bees. She finishes around the basket at a high level and rebounds the ball with purpose. Shook was also aggressive getting to the free throw line converting 3/4 from the charity stripe. She also impacted the defensive end of the floor with two steals and forced a handful of pickups making life difficult for her matchup to score. Shook is an competitive athlete who provides high upside and may just be tapping into her full potential!     Latson is just a flat out interior beast! She uses her large frame to carve out position in the paint scoring with either hand around the basket. Latson is the senior leader that drives the Toledo Start Spartans and without her they wouldn't be having such a successful 2025-26 season! She led her team with a strong 18 points in the win versus Medina and was active as well on the glass with six boards. Latson also controlled the paint sending three shots back and ripping away three steals in the win! There is a reason why she already holds a number of college offers as they are well earned!     Pietras is a point guard who plays with super high energy and makes winning plays for Toledo Start. I am constantly impressed with her finishing ability and speed she possesses around the basket. Pietras finished with a strong 15 points and went 4/4 from behind the arc in the Spartan's win over the Bees. Pietras had a lot to do with it as she made a lot of key plays for the Spartans to carry them over the top against Medina. I've continued to be impressed with her natural defensive instincts and ability to be a pressure defender against her matchup. Pietras is the type of guard that impacts the game in ways that go beyond the box score. She's a true gamechanger when she's on the floor!     Thomas is a smart player who plays the game the right way! She can knock down the three-pointer and attack the basket with purpose and creates for herself and team. Thomas scored 10 points and secured six rebounds in the win versus Mason. She also impacts the defensive end of the floor forcing pickups and causing turnovers with three steals in the game. I really liked the energy and the way this senior combo guard leads her team!     Wichmann is a strong imposing force who can do it all on the basketball court! The Loyola Chicago commit finished with seven points and eight boards in the game versus Milford. Gemma shows she is capable of bringing the ball up the floor at 6 feet and attacking downhill at the rim as a small forward. I've been really impressed with her ability to dominate her matchups in the post, winning them and scoring under control with ease! Wichmann is going to be elite at the college level in due time just as she has been at Magnificat for the Blue Streaks!     Gregory makes a significant impact on both ends of the floor for the Golden Eagles when she is on the floor! At 5'10", she attracts the defensive attention and makes the opponent have to respect her overall scoring game. Gregory is also able to be disruptive defensively with her activity on the glass securing difficult defensive boards. I'm a big fan of this center's game as she continues to improve and have big impacts on a great Bellbrook team!     The #2 ranked combo guard in her class is a sure thing on the basketball court! The Tulsa commit is a flat out baller on both ends of the floor. She is a confident scorer who knows how to get to her spots and make an impact on the floor. Jones also doesn't need much space to get her shot off as she consistently gets her three ball off over defenders due to her size and length. I'm a huge fan of her game and she is a big reason why her team was able to get the win versus Archbishop Hoban in the 2026 Classic In the Country Challenge!     [player_tooltip player_id='1307293' first='Mia' last='Vieth'] is a straight up baller! She demands so much attention from the defense at 5'7" with her ability to handle the ball and create for herself. Vieth is so dynamic with the ball in her hands! In her team's win versus Berea-Midpark she finished with 27 points and attacked the rim all game finishing with fluidity and ease! No one can stop this senior from going on a scoring tear due to her strength, size, and natural measurements she presents on the offensive end of the floor. Defensively, she also collected four steals in the win versus the Titans! I'm a huge fan of Vieth's game!     The Youngstown State commit continues to impress everyone throughout her senior year campaign! Turinsky completely takes over the game when she is on the floor! In the win versus [program_tooltip program_id='712419' first='Berlin' last='Hiland'] she finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Complete domination on both ends of the floor! Of the 16 boards, seven were on the offensive glass which led to immediate putback scores for the Lady Red! At 6'2", she imposes a huge threat offensively and makes it very difficult for teams to matchup with her. The future Penguin has a huge ceiling and shows that she is only getting better!     Allen is a dynamic force at the combo guard position! Standing 5'11", she is a matchup nightmare! In Portsmouth's game versus Granville she secured an impressive double-double with 12 points and rebounds a piece demonstrating why she is #2 at her position in all Ohio! The Ohio University commit gives you a bit of everything on both ends of the floor! Nothing can stop her when she makes up her mind to score the ball! It was fun to watch and evaluate her game during the 2026 Classic In The Country Challenge!     Hall is a star on the basketball court! She can score and rebound at a very high level. In Granville's game versus Portsmouth, she had 15 points knocking down three three-pointers and secured a strong nine defensive rebounds. I was also impressed with her ability to attack the basket and draw fouls. At her height and size, she imposes a threat on both ends of the floor for the Blue Aces. Hall should be in real recruiting considerations as a 6-foot senior!     The #1 ranked point guard in Ohio did not disappoint at the 2026 Classic In the Country Challenge! She finished both games with double-digit scoring and showed why she is headed to play hoops at the next level at Eastern Michigan. I love her attack mindset with the ball in her hands and her ability to get to the basket and finish with ease! No one can stop her when she makes up her mind to score! The senior point guard is a leader on the basketball court and truly shined during both of Mason's games. There is a high ceiling for this point guard and I'm excited to watch her perform at the next level!     The North Carolina A&T commit continues to show everyone why her game is so special! Not only is her measurements impressive at 5'11", but also her versatility to play in the post and on the perimeter. I was impressed in both games with her ball handling and ability secure rebounds and putbacks as well! Davis is a rebounding magnet who goes after the ball if the ball is in her area or not! Davis greatly impressed with her energy and high motor in both games at the 2026 Classic In The Country Challenge!     Simon is a 5-11 senior forward who shows great versatility at the four position. She is able to step out and hit the three-pointer as well as score under control in the paint. Simon contributed with five rebounds and showed a high level of senior leadership on both ends of the floor. Her ability to crash the offensive glass also forced the defenses to respect her on the interior to score. There is a lot to like about this senior forward as she continues to make the case to be ranked in her 2026 class!     Lane is a beast for the Polar Bears in the paint! The Gardner-Webb commit is a strong interior scorer who can finish with ease inside the paint. In Margaretta's narrow win versus Newark, Lane finished with a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Along with Lane's interior scoring, she can lockdown and secure the paint defensively for Margaretta. I was impressed with her ability to run the floor in transition for her position and size. Lane is the engine that drives this dangerous Margaretta Polar Bears squad!     Schaefer for three! Schaefer for three! We heard that multiple times as she hit four threes in Margaretta's narrow win over Newark! She has intriguing measurements for a point guard at 5-8 and uses her height to get her shot off at a high release point. Schaefer is also a willing defender who can lockdown the opponent with her ability to be a pressure defender. Ellyse's best play of the 2026 Classic In The Country was being able to hit a three-pointer late in the game to give Margaretta the lead! She has ice in her veins as a shooter!     Thornton is a pure scorer who demands great amounts of attention from the defense! The future Akron Zip is a sniper from deep and has the unwavering ability to attack the basket and score with ease! Thornton finished with 20 points and has continued to be the consistent threat that the Firebirds have needed in order to stay near the top of teams in the Ohio rankings! It's no surprise that one of the best teams in the state has one of the top players in the state! Thornton should continue to shine and show why she is at the very top of her senior class!     Randall is an active inside presence for the Firebirds who finds ways to impact the game. I love that she plays with high energy and makes the smart high basketball IQ plays for her team. Along with Randall's scoring, she loves to rebounds and attack the glass with intensity and purpose! Randall showed positive signs of being a strong interior defender who greatly contributes to her team's winning!     Stafford can do it all on the basketball court! The Kent State commit can score at a high clip and be the consistent threat on both ends of the floor! Defensively, she can also force pickups causing turnovers forcing four steals in Olentangy's win versus Mason. I see a great deal of positives in Stafford's game. From her scoring to her passing, Olentangy has a capable combo guard who can flat out dominate the offensive end of the floor for the Braves!     Lofton had a stellar game for the Pioneers in their lose to Kettering Fairmount scoring 30 points and shooting 10/19 from the field! The Mercer commit hit a total of seven threes...yes...seven threes in the lose! Lofton is a pure gamer! She also got to the free throw line and made her attempts at the stripe. Lofton has a very loud game that was on full display during Western Reserve Academy's game versus Kettering Fairmont in the 2026 Classic In The Country!     Brown continues to shine in her role for the Brush Lady Arcs! She is asked to be a lockdown interior defender and does a stellar job at that role. I like her ability to finish around the rim in the paint despite facing heavy resistance! Brown finished with a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds in the game versus Mount Notre Dame. She also shines on the defensive end by being a rim protector tallying five total blocks in the game! Rim protection and strong interior scoring is what you get each time out with Jakalyn Brown!     Quist is a 6-3 power forward who poses a great threat for opponents with her ability to score at an efficient clip around the basket! In Spire's win versus Winton Woods she finished with 14 points and only missed one shot from the field! Quist also a solid rebounder who loves to convert putback layups! The VCU commit offers a ton of upside her ability to score in the paint! She also held down the inside by being a pressure defender finishing with one steal in the game. Quist knows her game and role and excels at it when she is on the basketball court!     What can I say about the #1 nationally-ranked player in the state of Ohio and entire country? Hall is the complete package as a basketball player! She has the size and ball handling to match an electric shooting touch from deep. She plays under complete control despite playing at a very high level at Spire. Hall is a selfless teammate who also gets others involves when she sees there is a play to be made. She understandings that she is the engine that drives Spire Academy and delivers on the defensive end when she is asked to. From her size to her shooting touch, it's all there for [player_tooltip player_id='537667' first='Saniyah' last='Hall']! USC is getting the most complete player in the country and class of 2026!     Schlorf is a dynamic point guard who showed at the 2026 Classic In The Country Challenge that she can get the job done in multiple ways on the basketball court! The senior guard can score at a high clip as well as distribute the ball at an elite level. Schlorf was able to show off her extended range knocking down three three-pointers in the game demonstrating how defenses have to respect her from deep! I'm a big fan of this small guard's game as she brings the winning energy and effort required to compete at a very high level!     This near 6-foot small forward is a beast on the offensive end! The senior wing went for 15 points in her team's win versus the Tecumseh Indians. I'm greatly impressed with her ability to stretch the floor with her three-pointer as well as get after it defensively causing pickups and steals! Hale's energy is a hug difference maker on the floor for the West Clermont Wolves. The scoring and defensive impact that she provides is a large reason why the Wolves are such a dangerous team to face!

Prep Girls Hoops covered the 23rd Annual Classic In the Country Challenge that took place inside the Perry Reese JR Community Center at Berlin Hiland High School. This was a three day event that took place over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday that celebrated Dr. King's social impact on society and the great hospitality of the wonderful Amish Country community. These three days featured 22 games that highlighted many of the top high school programs in the state of Ohio across all divisions. Here is our list of the 2026s who shined during this three day hoops challenge!!