Cedarville seniors (from left) Emily Feldhake-32, Kara Griffin-24, and Lindsay McLeod-30. Experience will be the key word to describe the girl's basketball talent in The St. Ignace News coverage area, as 14 girls will begin their third and fourth varsity season on the hardwood for the 2006 campaign.

Elicia Derusha of Engadine High School (EHS), after playing varsity hoops as an eighth grade athlete, will return for her fifth season for the Eagles, but will have a new coach for her final season at EHS.

Derusha, one of the top players in the Upper Peninsula who earned All-State, U.P. All-Class, Player of the Year in the Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference, and The St. Ignace News All-Area Dream Team, has verbally committed to play at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Shauni Rutledge, another EHS student who played varsity ball as an eighth grade student, will begin her fourth season on the hardwood and her teammate, Nicole Benoit, will begin her third varsity season.

At Cedarville with new coach Sonja Duncan, Emily Feldhake will return for her fourth varsity campaign.

Photo at right: Pickford seniors (from left) Veronica Gough -32, Jessie Ledy 12, Renae Reich 20, Caitlin Mortinsen-22, Chelsey O'Connor-10. Corine Ross is in her third year at Rudyard.

DeTour has four players returning for their fourth varsity season, including Krystal Bosley, Amy Burton, Liz Lehman, and Erin Worden. Pickford has five players, Veronica Gough, Chelsey O'Connor, Renae Reich, Caitlin Mortinsen, and Jessie Ledy, returning for their third varsity season. At Mackinaw City, Katie Smydra is back for her fourth season.

All-Time Basketball Team

During 20 years of covering girl's basketball, the sport has made huge leaps and bounds and has earned more respect over the years.

The top five players since 1986 all have led their teams to the final four during the tournament run, including the trio of Randi Johnson, Mandi Johnson, and Krista Clement ("Miss Basketball") from St. Ignace, and two Class C state championships, Chris Nance of Newberry, Class C state semifinalist, and Elicia Derusha of Engadine, Class D state semifinalist.

Brimley seniors (from left) Marissa Lawson-24 and Carrie Aikens-32. Pre-Season Top 20 in 2006

The St. Ignace News pre-season top five players for the 2006 season are all seniors, and include Elicia Derusha of Engadine, Emily Feldhake of Cedarville, Corine Ross of Rudyard, Veronica Gough of Pickford, and Nicole Benoit of Engadine.

The second five consist of seniors Chelsey O'Connor and Caitlin Mortinsen of Pickford, junior Shauni Rutledge of Engadine, sophomore Jessie Duncan of Cedarville, and senior Krystal Bosley of DeTour.

The third five, consisting of all seniors, includes Jessie Ledy of DeTour, Carrie Aikens of Brimley, Kelsey Cryderman of St. Ignace, Kelley Tomlinson of DeTour, and Lindsay McLeod of Cedarville.

The fourth group consists of seniors Amber Burton of DeTour, Renae Reich of Pickford, Kelli Koivisto of Rudyard, Erin Worden of DeTour, and junior Tristina Browning of Engadine.

Rudyard seniors (from left) Emily McDowell-12, Mandy Hesselink-22, Kelli Koivisto-21, Corine Ross-23, Shantel Sorrell-10, and Tiffany Fashionbauer-30.