YOUR AD HERE »

A grand award for Grand Valley senior

Jon Mitchell
jmitchell@postindependent.com
Grand Valley High School senior Haley Johnson drives to the basket during a game againt Basalt in Parachute this past season. Johnson was named the Class 3A Western Slope League Player of the Year for the 2013-14 season.
Jon Mitchell / jmitchell@postindependent.com |

Class 3A All-Western Slope League

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Player of the Year: Haley Johnson, Sr., Grand Valley.

Coach of the Year: Mike Johnson, Grand Valley.

FIRST TEAM

Haley Johnson, Sr., Grand Valley; Theresa Tafoya, Jr., Olathe; Alyssa Isamen, Sr., Cedaredge; Allie Ehlers, Sr., Moffat County; Britni Allen, Jr., Coal Ridge; Jordan Wallin, Sr., Gunnison; Maddie Nieslanik, Sr., Roaring Fork; Ashlynn Speakman, Sr., Grand Valley; Amanda Kinterknecht, Jr., Olathe; Nellie Freeman, Soph., Cedaredge; Cheianne Pint, Sr., Moffat County; Autumn Grandberry, Sr., Roaring Fork; Kyra Chenoweth, Jr., Grand Valley; Payton Grett, Jr., Olathe; Jasmine Swindler, Sr., Moffat County.

HONORABLE MENTION

Grand Valley: Jordan Scott, Jr., Lauren Paskett, Sr., Ashley Radel, Sr.; Olathe: Taylor Gibson, Jr., Temry Rodriguez, Sr.; Cedaredge: Kristin Gardner, Jr., Dakota Baldozier, Sr.; Moffat County: Leah Camilleti, Soph., Morgan Lawton, Soph.; Coal Ridge: Mariela Martinez, Jr., Brittany Young, Sr.; Gunnison: Sara Shamblin, Sr., Leah Huizenga, Sr.; Aspen: Mary Landis, Sr., Sadie Alpren, Sr.; Basalt: Savy Cheatham, Soph.

PARACHUTE — The kind of basketball player Haley Johnson has turned into made a big difference in the kind of team the Grand Valley High School girls basketball team became this past season.

“She’s become one of the main leaders on the team,” Grand Valley coach Mike Johnson said. “She’s definitely more of a complete player.”

That kind of presence on the court not only helped the Cardinals reach the second round of the Class 3A state tournament, but it earned the Grand Valley senior the honor of the Class 3A Western Slope League Player of the Year in a vote done by the league’s coaches following the regular season.



Johnson was named to the all-league team for the third time and was one of six Grand Valley players who received recognition either on the first team or as an honorable mention. The Cardinals, who won the league championship, earned more player nominations than any other team in the league because of that title, per league bylaws.

Haley Johnson finished the season scoring 11 points per game — shooting 43 percent from the field — with 34 3-pointers. The 5-foot-8 forward also averaged 6.8 rebounds per game and shot 79 percent from the free throw line, which ranked her fourth among Class 3A players in Colorado.



Johnson has also committed to play basketball at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, a Division II school that plays in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, where she’ll walk on.

“She’s become a better passer and a better all-around player,” coach Johnson said of Haley Johnson, who was an all-state honorable mention as a junior. “She’ll have to get faster and quicker and become a better ball handler when she gets to college.”

Also earning a first-team nod from Grand Valley was senior point guard Ashlynn Speakman and junior wing player Kyra Chenoweth. Mike Johnson, who just finished his 14th season as the Cardinals’ coach, was named the league’s coach of the year.

Earning first-team recognition from Roaring Fork were two players: senior guard Autumn Grandberry and senior forward Maddie Nieslanik. One Coal Ridge player, junior post player Britni Allen, was also named to the first team.

Plenty of area athletes were given honorable-mention recognition, also. Among them were Grand Valley junior Jordan Scott, senior Lauren Paskett and senior Ashley Radel. For Coal Ridge, senior Brittany Young and junior Mariela Martinez were given honorable mentions.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Glenwood Springs and Garfield County make the Post Independent’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.