Serena’s Baker, Fieldcrest’s May named AP all-state

Serena’s Katie Baker was named Wednesday to the Associated Press Class 1A All-State first team and Fieldcrest’s Ashlyn May was tabbed to the 2A second team.

Baker, who will be leading the Huskers into the 1A state semifinals against Galena at 11 a.m. Thursday, received 80 votes to join Brimfield’s Ella Lune (106), Christopher’s Amiah Hardgrove (98), Altamont’s Grace Johnson (97) and Okawville’s Alayna Krause (57) on the first team.

The 5-6 senior, an AP honorable mention All-Stater and an IBCA first-team choice a year ago, posted 18.1 points, 5.1 assists and 5.8 steals for the 32-2 Final Four team. She led her team to the Little Ten Conference championship, its first sectional and supersectional crowns, was all-tournament at the Seneca Thanksgiving and Amboy Christmas tournements and was cited as an LTC all-conference player for the fourth year in a row. She became the school’s all-time leading scorer and now has 1,643 career points heading into Thursday’s 11:45 a.m. 1A semifinal against Galena.

Amboy senior Olivia Dinges was named to the 1A 20-player honorable mention list.

May, who collected 36 votes in 2A, was an All-State honorable mention pick and an IBCA All-Stater last year, and this year averaged 12.7 points, 5.2 assists, 3.7 steals and 3.5 rebounds for the school-record 32-2 Knights that reached as high as No. 6 in the AP 2A poll. They will play Winnebago at 4:15 Thursday in the 2A semifinals.

The school’s all-time single-season leader in assists (175) and steals (126), the 5-9 junior is a three-time Heart of Illinois all-conference choice and a repeat on the first team, while also being named all-tourney at the St. Bede Holiday and Integrated Stone Seed events. The Knights are 71-9 with three regional titles during her career at FHS.