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McLeod, Wegner honored in SOC MT file photo Senior post player Jody McLeod,who averaged a double-double in points and rebounds for the season, represents the first SOC player of the year from Crater in girls basketball. By Greg Stiles The weapons were many, too many for Crater High opponents this season. One night it would be Amy Denson, another night Janell Sapienza, Sarah Pool or Whitney Black. But no matter who else carried the statistical torch on a given night, Jody McLeod was a constant, steady sidekick. The 6-foot senior�s strength and quickness on the backboards were more than opponents could handle as the Comets charged through their first unbeaten season. Girls basketball All-Stars First Team Jody McLeod, Crater 6-0 Sr. Jackie Woods, Ashland 6-0 Sr. Sam Giilbert, Klamath Union 5-7 Sr. Amy Denson, Crater 6-1 Jr. Sarah Pool, Crater 5-6 Jr. Hanna Seltzer, Ashland 5-8 Sr. Second Team Lindsey Heard, Roseburg 6-1 Jr. Kellie Thomas, South Medford 5-11 Sr. Megan Moon, Grants Pass 5-7 Jr. Emily Perttu, South Medford 5-9 Sr. Whitney Grant, South Medford 5-6 Jr. Third Team Ashley Nelson, North Medford 6-1 Sr. Megan Leppert, Klamath Union 6-0 Jr. Janell Sapienza, Crater 5-7 Sr. Shannon Burmeister, Roseburg 6-1 Jr. Kara Hwang, North Medford 5-10 Sr. Honorable Mention Sarah Davison, Klamath Union, 5-6, Sr.; Alison Klingel, Grants Pass, 5-8 Jr.; Danielle Rouhier, Eagle Point, 5-8, Jr.; Sarah Gilding, Roseburg, 6-1, Sr.; Casey Higgins, Grants Pass, Sr., 5-10; Bre Johnson, Crater, 6-2, Sr.; Danea Thomason, Grants Pass, 5-7, Sr.; Lindsay Huyett, Ashland, 5-7, Sr.; Karla Zenz, South Medford, 6-0. Sr.; Cassie Sharp, Klamath Union,5-9, Sr. Past Players of the Year 2000 � Jackie Woods, Ashland 1999 � Ashlee Giles, North Medford 1998 � Becky Gregory, Eagle Point 1997 � Sarajh Petersen, Ashland 1996 � Brooke Carrigan, North Medford Shauna Winn, Grants Pass 1995 � Wendy Olson, Mazama 1994 � Lydia Ledgerwood, Klamath Union 1993 � Tara Harrington, Mazama 1992 � Tara Harrington, Mazama 1991 � Tara Harrington, Mazama 1990 � Jenny Bjerke, Klamath Union 1989 � Allison Brite, Klamath Union 1988 � Laurie Northrop, Mazama 1987 � Martha Sheldon, North Medford 1986 � Martha Sheldon, Medford 1985 � Sabrina Petersen, Mazama The veteran of two Class 4A state championship games consistently worked up a storm on the inside and was voted Southern Oregon Conference player of the year in balloting of the league�s coaches. McLeod wound up the season averaging a shade over 15 points and 10.1 rebounds. She also shot 60 percent as the second-ranked Comets went 14-0 in the SOC and 22-1 overall. "The biggest stat for me," says seventh-year Crater coach David Heard, "is that she averaged less than one turnover a game. She had 20 turnovers for the season. She takes the ball out on the press. That�s a big part of what people overlook besides all the other things she does well." McLeod will finish her career as Crater�s No. 2 all-time scorer and rebounder despite missing 10 games her sophomore season because of an ankle injury. She�s also the first Crater player to earn SOC player of the year honors. McLeod was joined on the first team by teammates Denson and Pool, Ashland�s Jackie Woods � last year�s player of the year � and Hanna Seltzer and Sam Gilbert of Klamath Union. South Medford�s Andrea Wegner was named coach of the year. "It always helps when you have two great players on your team and people pay attention to them," McLeod says. "That opens things up. Teams can look at all three of us, but they can�t defend everybody." A role player as a freshman, McLeod was the future in the middle as a sophomore, but missed the first half of the season because of her left ankle. As a junior on a team without a senior last year, McLeod began asserting herself as a team leader. This year, she was omnipresent on the offensive backboards and fouled out once � in a 20-point win over nationally-ranked Berkeley, Calif. "Physically and mentally, she�s very strong," says South�s Wegner. "You know you have to box out against her, but it�s very tough. She�s a very active post. She�s a force inside and finishes well. Somebody is going get a good post next year." UCLA, Utah, Cal and Oregon State have actively recruited McLeod, along with Cal State Bakersfield and Sonoma State. "Her determination to be around people with high standards has made her step up a notch," Heard says. "She was fortunate to come through with great role models and came into a successful situation her freshman year." McLeod trails only Caryn Ross on Crater�s career scoring chart and Shawnti Moore on the career rebounding list. "Those girls really had a great passion for the game when I was a freshman," McLeod says. "You could really tell they wanted it. I really looked up to Caryn Ross as a freshman. She had a really good work ethic, and Amy and Janell are the same way." Heard points out that McLeod has learned to handle the pounding she takes. "She used to get down on herself and I�d have to pull her out of games," he says. "But I haven�t seen any sign of that this year." McLeod says the best part of the season was running the table against SOC competition. "Nobody had done that in 10 years and no one at Crater at all," McLeod says. "That�s amazing. We constantly step up. We are a team people like to watch. I like it when Sarah does alley-oop passes to Janell and Amy. It gets everyone pumped up." Wegner had to do some pumping up herself. There was a point early in January when South had dropped six of 10 games. But three straight wins over Eagle Point, Grants Pass and North Medford followed by a confidence-building outing against Crater got the Panthers back on track. South lost sparkplug Heather Fossen to a knee injury in the summer and didn�t quite find its stride until that stretch. "We were up and down, trying to find consistency," Wegner says. "Then the girls stepped up and decided they had some goals they wanted to attain. That brought them all together." The Panthers finished second, a step ahead of where they were predicted to finish. "It�s not one of those things I was thinking about," Wegner said of the award. "But I�m flattered." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4483, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.