High school basketball: Dundee-Crown's Miller to coach Gieseke, Michalski one last time at annual all-star game

Dundee-Crown senior Paige Gieseke recalls her first practice as a freshman when new varsity coach Sarah Miller set about to change the way the players viewed their program.

“She set the bar super-high, and we thought, ‘How are we ever going to reach that?’” Gieseke said. “She led us through every step and through every adversity. She got us up there. She kept us disciplined. She got us to be in the mindset we can reach that.”

D-C went from four wins to 10 in Miller’s first year. Then to 17, 16 and 19, each of those three coming with a Class 4A regional championship. This season, the Chargers tied with Cary-Grove, Hampshire and Huntley for the Fox Valley Conference title, their first since 2005.

“At first it was only her believing it, but then she changed it to everybody believing it, and that’s what made us successful,” said Gieseke, a guard who will play at NAIA St. Francis.

Gieseke and Allison Michalski, two vital parts to D-C’s 19-12 team, will join Miller one more time as they play for the Away team in Sunday’s McHenry County Area All-Star Basketball Extravaganza. Tip-off for the girls game is 2 p.m. at Alden-Hebron’s Tigard Gymnasium, with the boys game scheduled for 5.

There will be 3-point contests for girls and boys, with each winner facing off for an overall champion. There also will be a dunk contest for the boys.

“The first year, we talked about discipline, a winning culture, what that looked like,” Miller said. “This being the fourth year, I felt like everyone really understood what was expected, high standards among each other and teammates. We kind of changed that mindset, building confidence and knowing what it takes to compete.”

Miller graduated from Mundelein in 2005 and played at NCAA Division I Western Illinois. Through her own experiences, she urged her players to work hard and think big.

“She definitely turned the program around for us,” said Michalski, a forward who will play at D-III Benedictine. “She set our expectations high and believed in what we could do and what we could achieve. She never gave up on any of us. She preached how we can’t give up on our team and she showed us how to get where we are.”

The change in attitude showed after the Chargers won their third consecutive regional.

“In past years, we were disappointed at not having winning records, but we were able to finish super-strong and win a regional,” Miller said. “This year, we were disappointed we were unable to get to that sectional final. I really felt like we had the opportunity to do that.”

Gieseke and Michalski are thrilled to have one more game together with Miller.

“I’m so grateful we get to have her,” Michalski said. “She’s been with us so long. It’s great she gets to coach us one last time and other players get to have the experience to have her as a coach for one game.”

All-Star Rosters

Girls Away

Coach: Sarah Miller, Dundee-Crown

Allison Michalski, Dundee-Crown

Paige Gieseke, Dundee-Crown

Carly Sidor, Jacobs

Maggie Grady, Jacobs

Maddie Busch, Woodstock North

Lulu Nicks, Woodstock North

Madison Butler, Woodstock North

Paiton Lawrence, Woodstock North

Lili Garcia, Harvard

Haley Grimm, North Boone

Meagan Heine, Hampshire

Rachel Dumoulin, Hampshire

Maggie Goad, Hampshire

Madi Kaempf, McHenry

Julia Rice, McHenry

Girls Home

Coach: Brad Frey, Johnsburg

Dani McCauley, Johnsburg

Courtland Sommerfeldt, Johnsburg (injured)

Annika Sevcik, Crystal Lake South

Taylor Jozefowicz, Crystal Lake South

Morgan Clausen, Huntley

K.C. Davids, Richmond-Burton

Brooke Legnaioli, Richmond-Burton

Mackenzie Hahn, Richmond-Burton

Anna Vlasak, Richmond-Burton

Gabriella Scolio, Woodstock

Diana Spokas, Woodstock

Katie Demert, Cary-Grove

Becca Kendeigh, Cary-Grove

Tally Lalor, Alden-Hebron

Emily Webber, Alden-Hebron

Boys Away

Coach: Nate Wright, Marengo

Mike Volkening, Marengo

Vic Ortiz, Woodstock North

Zach Ramirez, Woodstock North

Ryan Medina, Woodstock North

Jack Moscinski, Marian Central

Sam Ohlrich, Marian Central

Brian Dorn, Prairie Ridge

Trevor Potter, Prairie Ridge

Matt Mohr, McHenry

Colton Klein, McHenry

Matt Seng, Huntley

Billy Dumoulin, Hampshire

Nathan Gomez, Hampshire

Austin Stauss, Alden-Hebron

Taylor Glenn, Alden-Hebron

Logan Grove, Alden-Hebron

Boys Home

Coach: Jimmy Roberts, Jacobs

Cameron Krutwig, Jacobs

Mason Materna, Jacobs

Cooper Schwartz, Jacobs

Joe Hogle, Jacobs

Blaine Bayer, Richmond-Burton

Zach Beaugureau, Cary-Grove

Matt Shook, Woodstock

Josh Turner, Woodstock

Matt Meyers, Crystal Lake South

Tariq Burns, Dundee-Crown

Jermani Dal Santo, Dundee-Crown

Roy Amaya, Jr., Harvard

Eric McDowell, Harvard

Warren Nusser, Johnsburg

Daniel Kelly, Johnsburg

Bryce Jordan, Johnsburg