Area players selected for all-state hoop squads

Staff Report
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
March 28, 2008

Print Email

Area basketball players Sharaya Selsor, Matthias Weissl, Tyler Jensen and Kendall Babler topped off their high school careers by earning spots on RockyPreps All-state first team squads.

Selsor, who was named to the Class 4A first team, was the leading scorer for the Glenwood Springs girls basketball team with over 22 points per game (which was also second best in Class 4A in the state) and will be extending her basketball playing days with Metro State College in Denver next year.

Weissl, who transferred from Austria to play for the Roaring Fork boy basketball team, made the five-player Class 3A boys first team after leading the Rams with over 21 points per game.

Tyler Jensen, the point guard for the Grand Valley boys squad, was voted onto the Class 2A first team. Jensen averaged over 12 points per game while helping the Cardinals get back into the state tournament this season.

Grand Valley girls point guard Kendall Babler made the 2A girls second team, averaging 16 points per game. Babler finished as the top disher in 2A in the state, averaging 7.76 assists per game. Her 5.1 steals average also ranked high in the state.

In addition to the foursome, many other area players received honorable mention from RockyPreps. Glenwood junior point guard Katrina Selsor and Rifle senior center Megan McWilliams made the 4A girls list, while Rifle senior Scott Rust was included in the 4A boys group.

In 3A, Roaring Fork senior center Torrey Udall was the only other area player to receive honorable mention.

In 2A, the Cardinals gathered four more honorable-mention selections in junior Colton Cowan for the boys team and seniors Whitney Ashcraft and Lauren Schubert, as well as sophomore Erin Vanderpool on the girls squad.

Basalt senior Kathryne Fitzpatrick landed on the 3A girls second team, while her teammate, fellow senior Dayne Toney, was given honorable mention.

Grand Valley’s Johnson named 2A Coach of the Year
After his team’s lackluster showing at the state tournament, Grand Valley boys basketball coach Scott Kiburis never imagined he would win RockyPreps’ Class 2A Coach of the Year honors for a second straight year.

And he didn’t, but a typo in Thursday’s RockyPreps might have duped readers into thinking it happened.

It was Kiburis’ name, not the actual Cardinals’ girls hoops coach, Mike Johnson, that ended up in print as the 2A girls Coach of the Year.

Alerted to the misprint, Kiburis enjoyed a hearty laugh.

“(Mike Johnson’s) gonna be ticked,” he joked before doling out a little praise. “He deserves it. I’m happy for him.”

Kiburis and his male Cardinals won the state title last year, helping the frontman to the RockyPreps’ boys coaching honor last year.

This year, Johnson nearly matched Kiburis’ feat, with his Grand Valley girls finishing as state runner-ups after a 48-47 loss to Wray in the state title game.

Johnson’s Cardinals, who advanced deeper into the playoffs than any girls hoops team in school history, finished the season with a 19-5 record.

While flattered by the recognition, Johnson deflected all praise to his players.

“You know, it really comes down to having good kids and good people around you,” he said. “You don’t win awards without having great year and I didn’t make any baskets this year. I didn’t win any games. They’re just great kids.”