By Kevin Cunningham
Sports Correspondent
The winter sports All-Conference teams were announced, which included First Team, Second Team and Honorable Mention, and at least two players on five different teams for Whitewater High School made those teams. Wrestling led all squads with five.
Jimmy DuVal and Daniel Soto made First Team, while Adrian Casillas made Second Team. Rounding out the Honorable Mention Team was Thomas McManaway and Max Reid.
For girls basketball, four players earned honors, led by Myriama Smith-Traore’s First Team selection and winning Conference Player of the Year in the process. Smith-Traore averaged over 17 points, 15 rebounds, five blocked shots, three steals and two assists per game this past season.
Joining Smith-Traore on the First Team is teammate, Rebekah Schumacher. Both Smith-Traore and Schumacher are juniors and will be with the Whippets next season. Along with the two First Team selections are Allison Heckert and Ali Ketterhagen, who both made Honorable Mention.
On the boys side for basketball, Brodie Runez earned Second Team honors while Bryce Parrish made Honorable Mention. The boys team added two wins to its total from the season before, going 7-15 this past year.
The Whippets’ gymnastics team had three girls making All-Conference Teams, with senior Kelly O’Hara leading the way with a First Team selection and earning the Conference Gymnast of the Year award. Amanda Kraayvanger made Second Team, while Sydney Treder earned Honorable Mention.
O’Hara set numerous records throughout her senior season and finished at the state meet with a sixth-place finish in the all-around. At O’Hara’s final sectionals meet, she earned first-place on the vault, beam and all-around.
The final winter team earning honors was boys swimming, and Benny Liang was the third Whippet to be named as an All-Conference player of the Year. Liang is a senior, like O’Hara, but at the state meet, he repeated as the state’s champion in the 100-breaststroke.
Along with Liang and his First Team Selection alongside winning Conference Swimmer of the Year was Jack Downs, who made the Honorable Mention Team.
