Reece Held, a sophomore from Murray, received af irst team selection as Bluegrass all-conference. Held was a unanimous selection, posting 12.2 points per game and six rebounds per game for the Mustangs. Held also led the team in assists with 98 (4.5 per game) and steals with 53.
Murray senior Payton Flaherty found his name on the all-conference second team list. Flaherty averaged 7.9 points per game for the Mustangs and hit 50 3-pointers on the year, tied for the most of any player in the conference. The senior guard shot 37 percent from the field and from the 3-point line.
Murray’s junior guard, Slaughter, posted an 8.6 points per game average while grabbing 57 rebounds on the year. Slaughter also dished out 53 assists, swiped 34 steals and recorded a team-high 18 blocks.
All-Conference teams
First team – **Caleb Grizzle, Jr., Ankeny Christian Academy; **Drew Wilken, Sr., Ankeny Christian Academy; **Stephen Armstrong, So., Lamoni; **Parker Hitt, Jr., Mormon Trail; **Reece Held, So., Murray; Blake Alden, Sr., Diagonal; Keaton Gwinn, Jr. Mormon Trail; Jayce Goergen, Jr., Ankeny Christian Academy; Mateo Varese, Sr., Moravia; Ethan Harington, Jr., Melcher-Dallas.
Second team – Nick Haselhuhn, Sr., Twin Cedars; Nicholas Patience, Jr., Lamoni; Kade Klommhaus, So., Diagonal; Clay Ramseyer, Sr., Ankeny Christian Academy; Noah Wells, So., Seymour; Payton Flaherty, Sr., Murray; Blaise Cooper, Jr., Melcher-Dallas; Travis Pollock, Sr., Mormon Trail; Brendan Gray, Jr., Moravia.
Honorable mention – Chad Elrod, Jr, Ankeny Christian Academy; Ty Taylor, Sr., Diagonal; Peter Joy, Sr., Iowa Christian Academy; Riley Stevenson, Sr., Lamoni; Isaac Sage, Sr., Melcher-Dallas; Tyler Fowler, Sr., Moravia; Kase Hitt, Sr., Moravia; John Houser, Sr., Moulton-Udell; Devin Slaughter, Jr., Murray; Blake Thompson, Fr., Orient-Macksburg, Preston Lawson, So., Seymour; Brock DenBurger, Jr., Twin Cedars.
**denotes unanimous selection
Five Murray Lady Mustangs made all-Bluegrass Conference
Bre Klein, a junior forward, amde first team all-Bluegrass and was third in the conference at 13.8 points per game, shot 70.2 percent from the free throw line, grabbed six rebounds per game, recorded 44 steals and 40 assists.
The Lady Mustangs’ Zadie Hatfield and Ally Waske also both made the first team.
Hatfield, a senior, was among the Class 1A leaders in steals all season and finished with 125, which was third in the state. Hatfield scored 7.7 points per game, had 67 assists and grabbed 4.5 rebounds per game.
Waske scored 10.7 points per game, grabbed 6.8 rebounds per game, and
recorded 54 blocks, which was the second top total in the conference.
Murray junior Kendra Boles grabbed second team honors as she scored 5.6 points per game, grabbed five rebounds per contest and assisted on 20 buckets.
Kayla Wookey earned honorable mention.
All-conference teams
First team – **Katie Sobotka, Sr., Diagonal; Emily Newton, Jr., Diagonal; Grace Martin, Sr., Lamoni; Payton Gwinn, Sr., Mormon Trail; **Bre Klein, Jr., Murray; Ally Waske, Jr., Murray; Zadie Hatfield, Sr., Murray; Riley Jewett, Jr., Seymour; **Acey Jellison, Jr., Seymour; Hannah Hinners, Jr., Seymour.
Second team – Erin Sobotka, So., Diagonal; Bailey Talor, Jr., Diagonal; Emilie Krpan, Jr., Melcher-Dallas; Kim Chandanais, Fr., Mormon Trail; Alexis Roberts, Jr., Mormon Trail; Chelsey Boettcher, So., Moulton-Udell; Kendra Boles, Jr., Murray; Kaela Eslinger, So., Orient-Macksburg; Katie George, Jr., Seymour; Payton Jellison, Sr., Seymour.
Honorable mention – Ali Enright, Sr., Seymour; Kayla Wookey, Jr., Murray; Cassie Lohmann, Sr., Diagonal; Maddy Maedel, So., Lamoni; Payton Maddy, Sr., Moravia; Anndee Clark, Sr., Melcher-Dallas; Olivia Halferty, Jr., Mormon Trail; Malorie Probasco, So., Moulton-Udell; Brooklyn Sammons, Sr., Orient-Macksburg; Cambri Mason, Jr., Ankeny Christian; Grace Grob, Sr., Iowa Christian Academy; Hannah Bonnett, Sr., Twin Cedars.
**denotes unanimous selection