Ontonagon's Turin named All-UP

MARQUETTE — Like her sister, Ontonagon senior Brooke Turin can now be called an All-U.P. girls basketball player.

Turin was named to the Class D First Team in voting at the 39th annual Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscaster Association meeting Wednesday. Her sister, Brittany, was a Second Team selection in 2009.

Both U.P. Players of the Year led their teams to the state final. Crystal Falls Forest Park’s Lexi Gussert was selected — with zero debate or vote — as the Class D Player of the Year. St. Ignace’s Kelley Wright beat out last year’s Player of the Year, Houghton senior Elisa Jurmu and Marquette’s Hunter Viitala.

Brooke Turin averaged about 19 points, 3.5 steals and 2.5 assists per game for the Gladiators. She is a good passer and ballhandler, Ontonagon coach Dick Franti said.

“We rely on her to do a lot of things,” Franti said. “She is a captain and a great kid.”

Two future Division I players made the all-class Dream Team.

Gussert is headed to Michigan State with Wright on her way to Youngstown State. Gussert was previously named Michigan’s Miss Basketball and Wright was Player of the Year in Class C in Michigan. Gussert is the U.P.’s all-time leading scorer, topping any boy or girl with 2,625 points. Wright is the state’s all-time career wins leader at 102 with just five losses. She finished with 1,542 career points and 560 steals, good for second in state history.

Jurmu, Viitala and L’Anse’s Madi Swanson were also named to the Dream Team.

Swanson finished with a school-record 1,368 points. Jurmu totaled 1,045. Viitala, a junior, is the only non-senior on the Dream Team.

Six players were honored from the West-PAC, considered the toughest conference in the Upper Peninsula this year. Besides Jurmu and Swanson, Calumet’s Lexi Rowe was selected to the Class ABC First Team while L’Anse’s Kelsey Ross and Valerie Rajala and Houghton’s Kelsie Richards were Second Team selections.

Joining Turin on the Class D First Team were Stephenson’s Tiffany Wangerin, Superior Central’s Vanessa Freberg, Brimley’s Hana Vesela and Forest Park’s Kendra Campbell. All five are seniors.

Freberg finished with 1,399 points and Wangerin totaled 1,276 in her career. Campbell was Forest Park’s No. 2 option behind Gussert.

Vesela, a foreign exchange student from Czech Republic, is the sister of Jan Vesely, who was traded from Washington to the Denver Nuggets last month.

Gaining honorable mention were: Ironwood sophomore Emily DiGiorgio and Bessemer senior Sarah Trudgeon, while Ewen-Trout Creek senior Taylor Niemi and Watersmeet senior Michaela Burke were special mention.

DiGiorgio, who showed great potential as a sophomore, averaged 11.6 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks per Indianhead Conference contest. Trudgeon averaged about 12 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Speedgirls. Trudgeon shined in her senior season after suffering an Achilles tendon injury the year before.

Watersmeet counted on Burke when it needed a basket and Niemi averaged 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals per game.