By FRED KRONER
When the decision was made not to choose one top player to headline the Mahomet-Seymour Quarter-Century teams, it was intentional.
The multiple athletes named to these elite teams are, in fact, already the best of the best. They don’t need to be ranked further.
Throughout this 20-part series, however, several individuals will be highlighted due to the compelling nature of their stories.
One of those M-S players is Cayla Koerner, a multi-sport star in both girls’ basketball and soccer.
From my experience selecting All-Area and All-State teams for decades at The News-Gazette, I can recall different times when someone was picked for the first team in more than one sport.
Several times, an individual was chosen for the All-Area first team in three different sports during the same school year.
However, for a person to wind up as the newspaper’s choice for Player of the Year on two different girls’ All-Area teams in the same year can be counted on one hand.
It is as rare as snow in Miami.
M-S’ Kayla Koerner is one of those few honorees. The News-Gazette selected her as the Player of the Year as a senior in both basketball and soccer.
Koerner was a true no-brainer pick in soccer. To say that she set school records for goals (60) and assists (37) in her final year with the Bulldogs does little to put the performance into the proper perspective.
Her goal total also places her in a tie for ninth on the all-time IHSA leaders’ list. Her assist total places her third on that IHSA list.
Girls’ soccer in Illinois has been sanctioned by the IHSA for 38 years. Koerner is in a group with few peers.
Before she set foot on the pitch in the spring of 2022 to start her senior season, Koerner had an outstanding warmup during the basketball season.
Entering the basketball season, she wouldn’t have been the preseason choice as the top player. As a junior, Koerner was regarded as the Bulldogs’ second-best player, behind another underclassman, Savannah Orgeron.
And yet, she emerged as the leader on the first M-S girls’ basketball team to win 30 game in a season as well as the first team to win a sectional championship.
She tallied a school-record 523 points and shattered the single-season mark for steals with 124.
Despite her point-making ability, Koerner demonstrated her commitment to teamwork, and was second on the Bulldogs in assists.
Without further ado, the M-S Quarter-Century girls’ basketball team.
KRISTEN BELYEA, Class of 2013, 5-5, G. Fourth in career scoring with 1,198 career points to go with 133 three-pointers. As a senior, averaged 10.2 points per game (second on team) and hit a team-high 47 three-pointers. As a junior, averaged team-best totals of 13.5 points per game and hit 45 three-pointers. As a sophomore, averaged a team-high total of 10.8 points per game and had 30 three-pointers. As a freshman, averaged team-high totals of 6.3 points per game and had 11 three-pointers.
DANI BUNCH, 2009, 6-0, C. News-Gazette All-Area second-teamer as a senior. Holds season record for rebounds (363), an average of 13.0 per game as a senior, plus a record 23-rebound game. Averaged team-high 13.1 points per game as a senior and blocked 60 shots. Averaged 13.4 points and 12.1 rebounds per game as a junior and blocked 51 shots.
KENDRA DONLEY, 2005, 5-7, G. Three-time All-Area first-teamer, and Player of the Year as a senior. Ranks first at M-S with 1,577 career points, second with 272 career steals. Grabbed a career total of 688 rebounds. Averaged 17.2 points, 5.5 rebounds per game and hit 45 three-pointers as a senior. As a junior, averaged 15.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, averaged 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. As a freshman, averaged 9.8 and 6.3 rebounds per game.
LAURA ENGSTROM, 2005, 5-10, F. All-Area second-teamer as a senior, holds season record with 149 assists (a per-game average of 5.1). Pulled down a career total of 842 rebounds. As a senior, averaged 11.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, and blocked 80 shots. As a junior, averaged 7.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, averaged 7.4 points, 7.9 rebounds per game and blocked 70 shots. As a freshman, averaged 5.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
REESE GALLIER, 2025, 5-10, G/F. All-Area first-teamer as a senior. Hit season-record 81 three-pointers as a senior, averaging 14.1 points per game. Made 153 career three-pointers, third on the school’s all-time career list. As a junior, averaged 11.5 points per game and made 72 three-pointers.
IVIE JUAREZ, 2022, 5-9, F. All-Area first-teamer as a senior. Normal Community transfer averaged 10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals as a senior on M-S’ winningest team (30-5).
ANNA KESLER, 2002, 5-4, G. School’s top scorer and three-point shooter as both a senior and a junior, averaging 10.6 points with 28 three-pointers as a senior, and 13.2 points with 34 three-pointers as a junior. Ranked second on the team in scoring (9.0 average) and three-pointers (11) as a sophomore and never missed a game out of 76 the team played in three years. A career 71.7 shooter from the free throw line (170 of 237), including 75.3 percent as a junior (73 of 97).
CAYLA KOERNER, 2022, 5-6, G. All-Area first-teamer and Area Player of the Year as a senior. All-Area second-teamer as a junior. Second for points in a season (523), first in season steals (124), first in career steals (280), first in game steals (13). Averaged 14.9 points as a senior. Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-state second-teamer as a senior.
ERIN LENSCHOW, 2018, 5-8, G. Four-year varsity regular nailed 127 three-pointers in her final three seasons. Averaged 10.8 points per game as a senior along with 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds as a junior.
LAURA MORRIS, 2007, 5-11, F. Two-time all-Area first-teamer finished sixth in career scoring with 1,071 points, hit a record-setting 32 points in a game. Three-year varsity starter totaled 653 career rebounds. As a senior, averaged 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and blocked 55 shots. As a junior, averaged 13.5 points, 8.6 rebounds per game and blocked 77 shots. As a sophomore, averaged 8.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and blocked 42 shots.
SAVANNAH ORGERON, 2023, 5-11, F. Two-time All-Area first-teamer. Third in career scoring with 1,308 points. Two-time All-Area first-teamer hit 157 career three-pointers, second all-time at M-S. Averaged 17.3 points and 3.8 rebounds as a senior. Averaged 14.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a junior. Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-state third-teamer as a senior.
MAGGIE SCHMIDT, 2014, 5-10, G. All-Area first-teamer as a senior and All-Area second-teamer as a junior. Second in career scoring with 1,453 points, made a record 127 career free throws and collected 683 career rebounds. As a senior, averaged 15.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists. As a junior, averaged 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists. As a sophomore, averaged 11.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. As a freshman, averaged 10.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
KYLIE WALDINGER, 2025, 5-8, G. All-Area first-teamer as a senior. Fifth in career scoring with 1,165 points, but first for points in a season (547) as a senior. Averaged 16.1 points and 4.1 rebounds as a senior with 62 three-pointers. As a junior, averaged 11.0 points per game. Averaged 11.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-state third-teamer as a senior.
