Girls basketball: Martin leads All-Southwest team as Division I Player of the Year

Fairmont’s Finn, Urbana’s Mounce, Waynesville’s Berry also earn top honors
Springboro's Bryn Martin during Saturday's Division I regional championship game vs. Mason at Fairborn High School. Marcus Hartman/STAFF

Springboro's Bryn Martin during Saturday's Division I regional championship game vs. Mason at Fairborn High School. Marcus Hartman/STAFF

Springboro senior guard Bryn Martin leads area girls on the All-Southwest District teams as Player of the Year in Division I for the second straight year.

A Ms. Basketball nominee last year, Martin led the Panthers back to the state tournament this week where they finished as runner-up last year. She averaged 23 points, 5.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals. She shot 52.4% from the field, 37.6% from three-point range and 86.8% from the free-throw line. Martin, who will play at the University of Washington, was also nominated to play in the McDonald’s All-American game.

New Fairmont H.S. girls basketball head coach Jeremey Finn. HANDOUT

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Fairmont coach Jeremey Finn won Coach of the Year honors in Division I. He led the Firebirds to an unbeaten Greater Western Ohio Conference title and district title during a 22-3 season.

In Division IV, Urbana senior Peyton Mounce was named Player of the Year. Mounce, a three-time All-Southwest first-team selection, finished her high school career with more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. As a senior she averaged 26.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.4 steals and 2.7 blocks. She shot 48% from the field and 85% from the free-throw line.

Urbana Hillclimbers girls basketball Peyton Mounce vs. McNicholas in a regional semifinal Tuesday night at Butler High School in Vandalia.

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Amanda Mounce, Peyton’s mother, earned Division IV coach of the year honors. The Hillclimbers won the Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Trail Division title, won a district title and finished 21-5.

Waynesville’s Katie Berrey and Tim Gabbard took top honors in Division V. Berrey, a repeat first-teamer, set the tone for the Spartans in her junior season by averaging 12.4 points, 5.4 assists and 4.1 steals while shooting 43.6% from the field and 88.2% from the line. She made 41.8% of her 3-point attempts and set school records for 3-pointers in a quarter with six and in a game with nine.

Gabbard, who shared Coach of the Year honors last year after an unbeaten regular season, is Coach of the Year again. He retired at the end of the season after 46 years as the Spartans' head coach and one of the state’s winningest coaches. He compiled a record of 721-360 and led the Spartans to a 21-5 mark this year and a district title.

In Division VI, Arcanum senior Alexis Gibbons shared Player of the Year honors with Cincinnati Miami Valley Christian Academy senior Lucy Rosen. Gibbons averaged 15 points a game.

Abbey Moore of Arcanum and Rusty Allen of Anna are co-Coaches of the Year. Both coaches led their teams to the regional tournament. Arcanum shared the Western Ohio Athletic Conference crown with Mississinawa Valley and Tri-Village and finished 16-10. Anna started 4-4 and rallied to finish 19-8 in Allen’s first season.

The Fort Loramie High School girls basketball team defeated Waterford in the Division IV state championship game at UD Arena on March 16, 2024. Michael Cooper/CONTRIBUTED

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In Division VII, Fort Loramie senior Avery Brandewie and Mississinawa Valley senior Taylee Woodbury are the co-Players of the Year. Brandewie led Loramie back to the state tournament and averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds. Woodbury, last year’s Division IV Player of the Year, led the Blackhawks to the regionals and averaged 16.7 points and 8.1 assists.

The Fort Loramie High School girls basketball team defeated Waterford in the Division IV state championship game at UD Arena on March 16, 2024. Michael Cooper/CONTRIBUTED

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Fort Loramie’s Carla Siegel and Legacy Christian’s Mark Combs are the co-Coaches of the Year in Division VII. Siegel’s team won the Shelby County Athletic League, is 24-3 and is pursuing a second straight state title. Combs led Legacy to the Metro Buckeye Conference title, a district title and a 22-3 record.

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