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NUIC all-conference boys and girls basketball teams, MVPs and sportsmanship awards named

It was another strong year for NUIC basketball this winter. Four conference teams ended the season ranked in the final Associated Press polls. That included three teams in the top 3, with Galena and Orangeville Nos. 1 and 2 in the girls and Pecatonica No. 3 in the boys. Pecatonica was also ranked 10th in the final girls poll.

Here are the best players who powered many of those strong teams. These are the 2024 NUIC all-conference girls and boys basketball teams, as selected by league coaches, in each of the league’s three divisions. Any player denoted with an * was selected unanimously.

Here are this year’s selections:

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NUIC North boys first team

Cooper Hoffman, jr., Pecatonica *

Austin Stuckey, jr., Dakota *

Jaylen Rakowska, jr., Le-Win *

Jaxon Diedrich, jr., Pecatonica *

Ethan Petta, sr., Pearl City *

Mason Peterson, sr., Pecatonica

Nathan Folk, sr., Durand

NUIC North boys second team

Braxton Niedermeier, jr., Dakota; Cobryn Lynch, jr., Le-Win; Mason Spidahl, sr., Le-Win; Cody Wirth, sr., Orangeville; Brant Carlson, jr., Orangeville; Drew Williams, sr., Pecatonica; Brody Black, jr., Pecatonica; Will Birchen, soph., Pearl City.

More: Balance paces Pecatonica in supersectional overtime rematch with Aurora Christian

NUIC North boys honorable mention

Micah Schrader , jr., Dakota; Solomon Clemen, jr., Dakota; Connor Hughes, sr., Durand; Ethan Rager, jr., Durand; Ben Briggs, sr., Orangeville; Jordan Gassman, jr., Pecatonica.

MVP: Cooper Hoffman, Pecatonica

Sportsmanship: Pearl City

Eastland's Adam Awender (12) shoots the ball during a game against Pecatonica on March 1, 2024 at river Ridge High School.
Eastland's Adam Awender (12) shoots the ball during a game against Pecatonica on March 1, 2024 at river Ridge High School.

NUIC South boys first team

Parker Krogman, soph, Eastland*

Baylen Damhoff, sr., Fulton*

Connor Nye, sr., Milledgeville*

Brock Soltow, sr., Polo*

Adam Awender, jr. Eastland

Landen Leu, soph. Fulton

NUIC South boys second team

Troy Anderson, sr. Amboy; Peyton Spears, jr., Eastland; Brendan Greenfield, jr. Forreston; Kendall Erdmann, soph., Forreston; Dom Kramer, jr., Fulton; Carter Merdian, sr., Polo

NUIC South boys honorable mention

Noah Danielson, sr., AFC; Trevor Janssen, sr., Eastland; Mickey Probst, fresh. Forreston; Trevor Tiesman, sr., Fulton; Jimmy Crimmins, sr., Fulton; Gus Mumford, jr., Polo.

Player of the Year: Baylen Damhoff, Fulton

Sportsmanship: Forreston

Scales Mound's Thomas Hereau (3) shoots the ball while being guarded by Pecatonica's Cooper Hoffman (3) on Dec. 6, 2023 at Pecatonica High School.
Scales Mound's Thomas Hereau (3) shoots the ball while being guarded by Pecatonica's Cooper Hoffman (3) on Dec. 6, 2023 at Pecatonica High School.

NUIC West boys first team

Aidan Colin, jr., East Dubuque *

Carter Widmeier, sr., East Dubuque *

Connor Glasgow , sr., Galena *

Kaden Hauber, jr., Galena

Thomas Hereau, sr., Scales Mound *

Treyton Pafford, jr., Warren *

NUIC West boys second team

Brody Culbertson, jr., East Dubuque; Damon Dittmar, jr., River Ridge; Joe Winter, jr., River Ridge; Evan Cogan, sr., Scales Mound; Bennett Graves, sr., Stockton; Colby Tucker, sr., Stockton; Bryce VanRaalte, soph., Warren

NUIC West boys honorable mention

Bradin Lee, jr., East Dubuque; Myles Schumacher, jr., Galena; Seth Birkett, sr., Scales Mound; Jonah Driscoll, sr., Scales Mound; Caleb Good, sr., West Carroll

Most Valuable Player: Thomas Hereau, sr., Scales Mound

Sportsmanship: River Ridge

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Orangeville's Whitney Sullivan (5) heads to the basket while being guarded by Rockford Lutheran during the regional championship game on Feb. 15, 2024 at Rockford Lutheran School.
Orangeville's Whitney Sullivan (5) heads to the basket while being guarded by Rockford Lutheran during the regional championship game on Feb. 15, 2024 at Rockford Lutheran School.

NUIC North girls first team

Whitney Sullivan, sr., Orangeville *

Paityn London, sr., Freeport Aquin *

Grace Groezinger, sr., Lena-Winslow *

Laney Cahoon, jr., Orangeville *

Elaina Rager, jr., Pecatonica *

Nadalee Doyle, soph., Orangeville *

Kianna Degner, jr., Pecatonica

NUIC North girls second team

Hanna Broge, sr., Freeport Aquin; Megan Holder, sr., Freeport Aquin; Rachael Setterstrom, jr., Lena-Winslow; Allyssa Daughenbaugh, jr., Lena-Winslow Fallyn Endress, jr., Pearl City; Lauren Mellentine, sr., Pecatonica

NUIC North girls honorable mention

Meghan Carlisle, sr., Freeport Aquin; Jasmyn London sr., Freeport Aquin; Finley Banks, soph., Dakota; Cora Ingram, jr., Dakota; Reagan McCallips, sr., Durand; Molly Amendt, sr., Lena-Winslow; Ava Vlasin, jr., Lena-Winslow; Payton Thomas, jr., Pecatonica

MVP: Whitney Sullivan. Orangeville

Sportsmanship: Durand

Eastland's Trixie Carroll shoots against River Ridge/Scales Mound on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, at Eastland High School in Lanark.
Eastland's Trixie Carroll shoots against River Ridge/Scales Mound on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, at Eastland High School in Lanark.

NUIC South girls first team

Taylor Jahn, sr., AFC *

Brianna Gonnerman, sr., AFC

Maeve Larson, sr., Amboy

Lily Mullen, sr., Eastland

Olivia Klinefelter, jr., Eastland

Trixie Carroll, soph., Eastland

Camrynn Jones, soph., Polo *

NUIC South girls second team

Alexis Schwarz, sr., AFC; Elly Jones, sr., Amboy; Addison Pertell, jr., Amboy; Jenica Stoner, jr., Eastland; Jenna Greenfield, sr., Forreston; Courtney Grobe, sr., Polo

NUIC South girls honorable mention

Cameryn Winterland, jr., AFC; Tyrah Vaessen, jr., Amboy; Kennedy Burkholder, sr., Eastland; Ericka Alexander, jr., Forreston; Belle Curley, soph., Fulton; Haley Smither, soph., Fulton.

MVP: Taylor Jahn, AFC

Sportsmanship: Polo

Galena's Gracie Furlong (4) drives towards the basket while being guarded by Rockford Lutheran's Kaylee Bankes (3) during the sectional final on Feb. 22, 2024 at Lena-Winslow High School.
Galena's Gracie Furlong (4) drives towards the basket while being guarded by Rockford Lutheran's Kaylee Bankes (3) during the sectional final on Feb. 22, 2024 at Lena-Winslow High School.

NUIC West girls first team

Gracie Furlong, jr., Galena *

Addie Hefel, sr., Galena *

Madalyn Mammoser, jr., Stockton *

Addison Albrecht, sr., RR/SM *

Taylor Burcham, sr., Galena

Erika Dolan, sr., East Dubuque

Laiken Haas, jr., RR/SM

Addie Bohnsack, sr., Warren

NUIC West girls second team

Gwen Miller, sr., RR/SM; Leah Heller, fresh., Galena; Sydney Schoenhard, soph., East Dubuque; Mia Wilwert, sr., East Dubuque; Emily Wiederholt, sr., RR/SM; Katleyn Winters, jr., Stockton; Eve Moore, sr., Stockton

NUIC West girls honorable mention

Nevaeh Hauber, fresh., Galena; Karissa Andrews, sr., West Carroll; Emma Randecker, jr., West Carroll; Caitlyn Stingley, jr., West Carroll; Dylan Broshous, jr., Stockton; Sydney Mulgrew, sr., East Dubuque; Lauren Williams, sr., Warren.

Co-Players of the Year: Gracie Furlong and Addie Hefel of Galena

Sportsmanship: River Ridge/Scales Mound.

Contact: mtrowbridge@rrstar.com, @matttrowbridge or 815-987-1383. Matt Trowbridge has covered sports for the Rockford Register Star for over 30 years, after previous stints in North Dakota, Delaware, Vermont and Iowa City.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: NUIC all-conference boys and girls basketball teams for 2024 season