Here is your choice for 2023-24 preseason girls basketball player of the year in Peoria area

Fans of small-school basketball rocked the vote.

Peoria Heights senior guard Emily Dana was voted the preseason player of the year, according to fans who took part in the online poll over the weekend.

Dana was a breakout star for the Heights last season, helping the Patriots win 16 games as a Class 2A team. This year, however, Heights is back in Class 1A and looks to win their first regional since 1992.

The 5-foot-6 senior guard averaged 14.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals, while handing out 55 assists in 30 games. She was selected as an all-Prairieland Conference-North Division first-team player.

According to her social media, Dana has offers from NCAA Division III schools Eureka College, Concordia University in Chicago and Aurora University; NAIA school Culver-Stockton; and local NJCAA program Illinois Central College.

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The voting was spread out. Dana got 246 of 1,601 votes, or about 15.4 percent. Next in line were Kiarra Kilgore of Galesburg (11.4%), Kamryn Heider of Richwoods (11.1%), Ava Heinz of Brimfield (10.1%) and Julia Sollberger of Dunlap (9.8%).

There were 15 players listed on the inaugural ballot of the 2023-24 Journal Star fan's choice preseason player of the year. The list of players nominated were athletes listed on the Journal Star's players to watch list for the upcoming season.

Voting began Friday, Nov. 10, and ended at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12. Full results and nominees are below.

2023 fans preseason girls basketball player of the year

• Kaitlin White, Fieldcrest

• Allison Wheeler, Canton

• Mya Wardle, Peoria Notre Dame

• Avery Tibbs, Washington

• Julia Sollberger, Dunlap

• Danielle Ruffin, Peoria High

• Lily Luczkowiak, Illini Bluffs

• Kiarra Kilgore, Galesburg

• Lexi Baer, Peoria Notre Dame

• Kamryn Heider, Richwoods

• Ava Heinz, Brimfield

• Aaliyah Guyton, Peoria High

• Dalia Dejesus, Deer Creek-Mackinaw

• Emily Dana, Peoria Heights

• Kaitlin Cassidy, Peoria Notre Dame

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Poll results for preseason player of the year in Peoria girls basketball