Aquinas’ Donarski named 1st team all-state, G-E-T’s Wagner makes 4th team

After helping her team win back-to-back state championships, Aquinas High School’s Lexi Donarski has earned AP all-state honors.

The junior, who averaged 23.2 points, 5.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds, was named first team all-state for the Blugolds, who finished 27-1 this season. Donarski is committed to play at Iowa State University.

Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau senior Lexi Wagner wrapped up her illustrious high school career with fourth team honors.

Wagner, who averaged 21.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists, led the Red Hawks (24-3) to the state semifinals. Wagner finished her career with 1,925 points. She is headed to Youngstown State next season.

Aquinas junior Courtney Becker was also named honorable mention, as was Tomah senior Madison Lindauer.

Melrose-Mindoro (26-2), which lost to Aquinas in the state championship for the second consecutive season, had three players named honorable mention — senior Erick Simmons and juniors Emily Herzberg and Mesa Byom.

The AP Player of the Year was 5-foot-9 senior Shemera Williams of Milwaukee Academy of Science (19-6), which lost to Aquinas in the state semifinals 77-59.

Williams had 18 points, going 7-for-23 from the field, 0 of 5 from deep and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the loss. She added 10 rebounds, three steals, two assists and three turnovers.

Donarski, who was nominated for player of the year, scored 28 in the semifinal, going 8-for-12 from the field, 2-for-2 from deep and 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. She also had five assists, three rebounds, a steal, a block and two turnovers.

If it’s a one-game sample, Donarski had the advantage, but over the course of the season and career, Williams was tough to beat for Milwaukee Academy of Science, which is an independent school that doesn’t play in a conference.

For the season, Williams led the state in scoring for the third consecutive year, averaging 32.5 points to go along with 10.3 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 4.5 steals per game.

The senior set eight WIAA state tournament records, led the nation in scoring last season (39.9) and become the No. 2 scorer in state history with 3,120 points and a career scoring average of 32.8.

2019 AP GIRLS BASKETBALL ALL-STATE TEAM

Player of the Year: Shemera Williams, 5-9, sr., Milwaukee Academy of Science
Coach of the Year: Tim Chase, Beaver Dam

FIRST TEAM
Lexi Donarski, 5-10, jr., La Crosse Aquinas
Sydney Hilliard, 6-0, sr., Monroe
Sydnee Roby, 6-3, sr., Milwaukee King
Shemera Williams, 5-9, sr., Milwaukee Academy of Science (unanimous)
McKenna Warnock, 6-2, sr., Monona Grove (unanimous)

SECOND TEAM
Natalie Andersen, 5-11, sr., Mukwonago:
Chelby Koker, 5-6, sr., Shoreland Lutheran
Emma Nagel, 6-0, jr., Bay Port
Tara Stauffacher, 5-11, sr., Beaver Dam
Maty Wilke, 5-10, soph., Beaver Dam

THIRD TEAM
Anna Lutz, 6-1, soph., Marshall
Shea Dechant, 5-7, sr., Kimberly
Kiarra Otto, 5-9, sr., Laconia
Jaddan Simmons, jr., 5-9, Green Bay Southwest
Caroline Strande, 5-11, jr., Racine Lutheran

FOURTH TEAM
Ellie Clements, 6-1, sr., Whitefish Bay
Teryn Karlstad, 6-0, sr., Eau Claire Regis
Mia Morel, 5-7, sr., Marshall
Cassie Schiltz, 5-11, sr., Luxemburg-Casco
Lexi Wagner, 5-9, sr., Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau

HONORABLE MENTION
Abbie Aalsma, fr., Waupun; Emily Annis, sr., Durand; Maddison Baker, jr., West Bend West; Emily Behnke, sr., Manitowoc Lutheran; Hannah Belanger, sr., Grafton; Grace Beyer, sr., Mukwonago; Bailey Butler, soph., Black Hawk; Courtney Becker, jr., La Crosse Aquinas; Mesa Byom, jr., Melrose-Mindoro; Sara Dax, sr., Kewaunee; Kadie Deaton, sr., Wausau West; Alissa Dins, sr., Laconia; Ella Diny, jr., Wrightstown; Jada Donaldson, jr., Beaver Dam; Leah Earnest, jr., Stevens Point; Katie Gard, sr., Oak Creek; Maddie Gard, sr., Oak Creek; Callie Genke, soph., Freedom; Caelan Givens, jr., Chippewa Falls; Madelyn Granica, sr., Amery; Aleah Grundahl, sr., DeForest; Emily Herzberg, jr., Melrose-Mindoro; Grace Hilber, sr., Sun Prairie; Julia Hintz, sr., New Berlin Eisenhower, Ariel Kirkwood, sr., Milwaukee Vincent; Makaylee Kuhn, sr., Hilbert; Alison Leslie, sr., Clayton; Natalie Leuzinger, jr., Black Hawk; Madison Lindauer, sr., Tomah; Sami Martin, jr., Platteville; Natalie McNeal, jr., Germantown; Brianna Nelson, jr., Eleva-Strum; Macy McGlone, Jr., Hortonville; Katelyn Meister, sr., Wisconsin Dells; Ashala Moseberry, sr., Madison East; Olivia Pitrof, jr., Racine Horlick; McKenna Reichling, sr., Mineral Point; Alexis Rolph, sr., Oshkosh Lourdes; Erika Simmons, sr., Melrose-Mindoro; Maddie Schires, sr., Wausau West; Lauren Schill, jr., Pewaukee; Paige Schumann, sr., Beaver Dam; Sitori Tanin, jr., Middleton; Savannah Walsdorf, sr., Kiel; Jennifer Wendler, sr., Owen-Withee.