Two First Team and four total Raiderettes named to POI All-Conference Team
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By Ryan Stonebraker
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — It was a banner year for the Mount Ayr girls basketball team. A 20-win season, a share of the Pride of Iowa Conference title and a state ranking more weeks than not. Those accomplishments were rewarded recently as the POI released its annual honors list last week. On the three-team honors list, Mount Ayr landed a pair of first team selections, two of four selections. The four picks were tied for the most among any of the nine POI teams, with Southwest Valley.
Named to the first team were juniors Izzy Gilbertson and Dannie Stewart. Fellow junior Jaylee Shaffer was a second team pick and sophomore Emma Reynolds was tabbed for the honorable mention team.
Gilbertson was one of three unanimous picks on the first team. They were Izzy Eisbach from Nodaway Valley, Gilbertson from Mount Ayr and Hailey Randall from SW Valley. There was a tie for the POI conference title this year with Nodaway Valley and Mount Ayr each going 15-1 claiming a share of the POI championship.
The Raiderettes were second in the POI in offensive scoring, averaging 62.7 points a game. Mount Ayr was the top defense in the conference this season giving up a stingy 33.9 points per game. Mount Ayr also has won at least 20 games in each of the past two seasons for the first time in nearly 10 years.
Gilbertson collected career point No. 1,000 this season and led Mount Ayr in scoring with a 20.8-point scoring average. She scored 457 points this season. She scored 337 points her sophomore season and 343 her freshman year for a total of 1,137 points and counting.
Gilbertson also collected career rebound No. 500 this season and after three straight seasons of at least 200 rebounds, has a career total of 638. Gilbertson flirted with 100 blocked shots this season, with 87, made 12 three pointers, and shot 75-percent from the free throw line in 132 tries.
Stewart averaged 12.2 points per game, second on the team. Stewart was second on the team in made three pointers with 17 and second on the team in rebounding with 84 for a 3.8-per game average. Stewart had 74 assists and 74 steals.
Shaffer averaged 9.6 points, 5.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds a game. Shaffer led Mount Ayr in making three pointers with 50, shooting at a 44.6-percent clip from the three-point line. Reynolds had a solid season with a scoring average of 9.9 points to go with 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.5 assists per game.
Pride of Iowa
Conference Girls All-Conference Team
First Team
Izzy Eisbach* (Nodaway Valley) sr.; Izzy Gilbertson* (Mount Ayr) jr.; Hailey Randall* (SW Valley) sr.; Emma Boswell (Nodaway Valley sr.; Dannie Stewart (Mount Ayr) jr.; Rylie Fugate (Martensdale-St. Marys) sr.
* – Denotes Unanimous selection
Second Team
Breegan Lindsey (Central Decatur) sr.; Jessica Lillig (SE Warren) sr.; Jaylee Shaffer (Mount Ayr) jr.; Mackenzie Fast (SW Valley) sr.; Ada Lund (SW Valley) sr.; Brystal Peck (Wayne) jr.
Honorable Mention
Central Decatur – Soiyer Smith jr.; East Union – Gwen Nixon sr.; Lenox – Reese Reed so.; Martensdale-St. Marys – Carly Franey sr.; Mount Ayr – Emma Reynolds so.; Nodaway Valley – Abby Nelson fr.; SE Warren – Madison Olsasky – jr.; Southwest Valley – Lydia Forsythe 0- jr.; Wayne – Ella Whitney – jr.
2026 Pride of Iowa Conference Standings
Team POI
Mount Ayr* 15-1
Nodaway Valley* 15-1
SW Valley 11-5
Central Decatur 10-6
Martensdale-St. Marys 9-7
Wayne 5-11
SE Warren 4-12
Lenox 3-13
East Union 0-16