All-state girls basketball: 8 WPIAL players, coach Tim McConnell earn statewide honors in 5A
By:
Monday, April 20, 2020 | 1:00 PM
Chartiers Valley’s Megan McConnell presents her dad, coach Tim McConnell, with his gold medal after the Lady Colts defeated Trinity in the WPIAL Class 5A championship game Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, at Petersen Events Center.
Gateway’s Lexi Jackson scores over Armstrong’s Sophia Dobransky during their game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020, at Gateway High School.
Chartiers Valley’s Megan McConnell (left) Aislin Malcolm and Amaleen Malcolm hoist the championship trophy after defeating Trinity in the WPIAL Class 5A championship game Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, at Petersen Events Center.
Chartiers Valley teammates Aislin Malcolm and Megan McConnell earned first-team all-state honors along with Gateway’s Lexi Jackson as WPIAL girls basketball players dominated the statewide Class 5A vote Monday.
In all, eight of the 18 all-state roster spots went to WPIAL players, and Chartiers Valley’s Tim McConnell was named Coach of the Year in 5A in a vote of Pennsylvania sportswriters.
Plum’s Kennedie Montue, Uniontown’s Mya Murray and Woodland Hills’ Peyton Pinkney earned second-team honors. Trinity’s Riley DeRubbo and Moon’s Reilly Sunday drew third-team spots.
Chartiers Valley was the defending state champion, but its hopes for an undefeated repeat were dashed by the coronavirus outbreak. The Colts went 27-0 this season and had reached the state quarterfinals before the PIAA tournament was suspended and later canceled.
The Class 5A and 6A all-state teams were announced Monday. Class 4A and 3A will be revealed Tuesday, with Class 2A and A on Wednesday.
CLASS 5A
First team
Lexi Jackson, Gateway, 6-4, Sr., 15.1
Aislin Malcolm, Chartiers Valley, 5-10, So., 16.7
Megan McConnell, Chartiers Valley, 5-7, Sr., 14.3
Peyton McDaniel, Twin Valley, 6-0, Sr., 23.0
Kaitlyn Orihel, Archbishop Wood, 5-9, Jr., 15.1
Erin Sweeney, Archbishop Carroll, 5-10, Sr., 15.4
Second team
Ryanne Allen, Archbishop Wood, 6-1, So., 15.3
Kiera Baughman, Donegal, 5-6, Sr., 23.7
Talia Gilliard, Mechanicsburg, 5-8, Jr., 19.0
Kennedie Montue, Plum, 5-11, Jr., 22.1
Mya Murray, Uniontown, 6-3, Sr., 23.4
Peyton Pinkney, Woodland Hills, 6-0, Jr., 13.7
Third team
Anne Bair, Gettysburg, 5-6, So., 10.1
Riley DeRubbo, Trinity, 5-9, Sr., 16.7
Tamaiah Glover, Nueva Esperanza, 6-3, Sr., 28.3
Grace Niekelski, Mount St. Joseph, 6-0, Jr., 15.6
Emma Ruhlman, Warren, 5-8, So., 14.9
Reilly Sunday, Moon, 5-10, So., 21.5
Player of the Year: Kaitlyn Orihel, Archbishop Wood
Coach of the Year: Tim McConnell, Chartiers Valley
_ _ _
2020 Pa. Sportswriters All-State Girls Basketball
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Chartiers Valley, Gateway, Moon, Plum, Uniontown, Woodland Hills
More Basketball
• Westmoreland high school notebook: Puck drops for area’s PIHL teams• Penn Hills notebook: Basketball grad to play professionally in Ireland
• New coach Gabby Baldasare excited to fill big shoes with North Allegheny girls basketball
• Woodland Hills provides ‘right situation’ for Steve Scorpion’s 2nd chance as head coach
• Gene Brisbane resigns as Derry girls basketball coach
