Jenay Faulkner named to Penn Live All Decade Team

 

In keeping with our commitment to remember some of the top Mid-Penn Conference athletes in the last decade, we turn our attention to girls basketball on this final day of 2019.

 

While dozens of terrific players emerged through the years, we tried our best to showcase the Top 15 girls basketball players on our Mid-Penn All-Decade Team.

 

Below are those selections. Please feel free to vote on your favorite player in our fan poll below. We did sneak in one non-MPC player. Players are listed in alphabetical order.

 

Ashley Betz-White, Trinity ‘11

 

Before the speedy Betz-White became the Colonial Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year at Old Dominion, the 5-4 guard was cutting through defenses and lifting the Shamrocks to a ton of wins. The PennLive Big 15 pick posted her 1,000th point during her final season, finishing with 1,105 points and a boatload of assists and steals. Betz-White was a constant problem on the defensive side. Her 11.4 points and 4.2 steals average gained her a spot in the Class 3A All-State Third Team has a junior.

 

Camden Boehner, Gettysburg ‘14

Before embarking on a sizzling career in the PSAC, with one season at Bloomsburg and three at West Chester, Boehner was a star shooting guard for the Warriors, who left the MPC following the 2014 sports season. The 5-7, tough to guard Boehner helped nail down the 2012 conference title and was netted nearly 20 points as a junior. She was named Class 3A All-State Third Team. Also a tough defender, Boehner is currently in her second year as an assistant coach at Goldey-Beacom College in Wilmington, Del.

 

Diamond Bragg, Camp Hill ‘18

PennLive’s 2017 basketball and girls athlete of the year, Bragg’s stay in Camp Hill was a record-setting one. The 5-9 guard earned an honorable mention nod by Street & Smith Magazine after averaging 21.4 points, 11.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists for the Lions as a junior. The current sophomore at Wisconsin bumped her scoring average to 22.7 points as a senior. Bragg was invited to tryout for U.S. U16 National Team in 2016 and led Camp Hill to three straight District 3 Class 2A titles.

 

Dajahnae Brannon, Harrisburg ‘19

Brannon pieced together quite a hoops resume during her time with the Cougars. When the team needed a couple of big buckets, it was Brannon that typically stepped in to provide the spark. Following a breakout sophomore season – the 5-10 Brannon posted 16.3 points and earned Class 5A All-State Third-Team honors – she popped in 17.4 ppg. in each of her last two seasons. Harrisburg’s all-time leading scorer, Brannon added two more All-State bids on her way out.

 

Cecily Carl, Mechanicsburg ‘15

You had to think twice before dropping into the lane against Mechanicsburg’s 6-3 center. Carl patrolled the paint with conviction, and the three-year lettterwinner was difficult to defend on the other end. Leading Mechanicsburg to its first conference title, not to mention a pair of PIAA tournaments, Carl set the program mark with 1,265 career points and a boatload of rebounds. She garnered All-State Second Team honors as a junior, averaging 16.3 ppg., and then earned first-team status by posting 15.8 ppg. as a senior. She finished her final season at American University in March, being named Patriot League Player of the Year.

 

Olivia Fasick, Bishop McDevitt ‘19

Fasick wasn’t just a fierce competitor, the sharpshooter was an offensive force for the Crusaders for three seasons. Very dangerous from the perimeter, Fasick made the All-State Third Team has a junior after pouring in 16.4 points per game. Her 15.5 average a year later granted her a second-team spot. McD bounced to a conference title in ’17 and qualified for the PIAA quarterfinals in three consecutive seasons. The 1,000-point scorer is now a 5-8 freshman guard at Pitt-Johnstown.

 

Jenay Faulkner, Greencastle-Antrim ‘17

By necessity, Faulkner had the play the role of leading scorer in order to push the Blue Devils’ agenda. A tremendous three-sport athlete, Faulkner excelled on the hardwood and was named a first-team All-Stater in Class 3A as a junior and 5A as a senior, when she posted 18.9 ppg. The school’s all-time leading scorer (1,820 points), Faulkner also ended her career with 853 rebounds, 387 assists and 360 steals. Faulkner is currently in the middle of her junior season at Holy Cross.

 

Kyla Irwin, State College ‘16

Irwin ended her prep career ranked among the Top 50 player in her class by Blue Star Report. A three-time Class 4A All-State selection, Irwin turned in a sensational 26.5 points per game average and snared 12.2 rebounds per game as a senior. Just the second player, male or female, to eclipse the 2,000-point plateau, the versatile 6-2 forward ended with 2,032 points and 1,188 boards. The Little Lions won multiple District 6 titles under Irwin’s watch and two made the state quarterfinals.

 

Kiki Jefferson, Lancaster Catholic ‘19

What would an all-decade team without Jefferson, one of those rare all-around talents that surface every 10-20 years? Certainly a gifted athlete, Jefferson simply took over games with her ability to run the floor and create her own shot. After the 6-0 forward averaged 20.1 ppg. as a freshman, picking up her first All-State honor on the Class 3A second team, Jefferson became a two-time Class 4A Player of the Year by posting 18.0 and 20.6 points as a junior and senior. Jefferson was a USA Today Pa. Player of the Year and capped her career with 2,510 points, second all-time in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Jefferson is now toiling at James Madison.

 

Katie Jekot, Cumberland Valley ‘17

Like her big sister, Katie helped fuel the successful Cumberland Valley franchise with the right amount of grit and attitude. No one wanted to win more, and Katie brought that style of basketball to the court every game. The 5-9 guard had no trouble creating scoring opportunities for her and her teammates. Jekot posted 10.5 ppg. as a junior, which landed a first All-State bid. A year later, Jekot went for 14.5 ppg. and was tagged as a Class 6A first-team selection. Part of CV’s PIAA threepeat, Jekot finished with 1,233 points. Debuting for St. Joseph’s in 2018, Jekot was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team.

 

Kelly Jekot, Cumberland Valley ‘16

Not only did Jekot earn three straight appointments to the Class 4A All-State team, the 5-11 scoring machine was tabbed player of the year in her junior and senior seasons with the Eagles, who banked three straight PIAA titles. A two-time Pa. Gatorade Player of the Year, Jekot posted 21.3 ppg. as a senior before embarking on a successful three-year run at Villanova. Currently recovering from a knee injury, Jekot will play a graduate season for Penn State in 2020-21.

 

Stasia King, Harrisburg ’11

King has the height and reach to alter plenty of shots during a typical game. King, however, was no typical 6-1 forward. Harrisburg’s leader as a senior, King would routinely work in transition and had no problem setting up her teammates for open looks. King would register 14.2 points per game in her finale, landing on the Class 4A All-State First Team. The Cougars wouldn’t stop as the Commonwealth Division runner-up, stretching all the way to the PIAA tournament. King would play her college ball at Duquesne.

 

Carly Richardson, Palmyra ‘13

Richardson is the kind of player that all coaches covet. Making defense a top priority, the Cougars lost a single Mid-Penn Keystone Division match, going 29-1 in Richardson’s final three seasons. And the four-year starter and two-year captain set the tone. Richardson, a 5-11 forward, also worked up a 15.4 scoring average as a senior, earning a spot on the Class 3A All-State Second Team. She made third team as a junior. Before heading off to Bucknell, Richardson, a two-time Big 15 pick, finished with 1,321 points and 821 rebounds.

 

Megan Smith, West Perry ‘14

The 6-0 Smith is best remembered for leading West Perry on a majestic ride during her senior campaign. Winning the District 3 Class 3A title over top-seeded Susquehannock was the highlight, but the Mustangs also carried a 17-game winning streak into the PIAA tournament, where the squad reached the quarterfinals. Smith, who averaged 20.7 points per game, bumped that total to 24 per outing in the postseason. The 3A All-State First Team pick finished with 1,445 points. She would go on to establish all-time marks in single-season points (625), 3-pointers (89), and 3-point percentage (40.2) at Indiana, Pa.

 

Malia Tate-DeFreitas, Steel-High ‘13

Before Tate-DeFreitas won multiple MEAC player of the year honors at Hampton University in Virginia, the streaking 5-8 guard was busy becoming Steel-High’s all-time scoring leader. A four-time All-State pick, Tate-DeFreitas averaged 36 points as a junior and 29 points as a senior. The Parade Magazine All-American also became just the ninth player in Pa. history to surpass 3,000 points (3,366) and led the Rollers to three District 3 and two PIAA titles.