Linn-Mar Girls Basketball

Kiah Stokes is Iowa Miss Basketball

The awards from a great high school basketball career continue to be reaped by Linn-Mar's Kiah Stokes.  The latest is the ultimate honor a senior girls basketball player in Iowa can receive.

Stokes has been named Miss Iowa Basketball by the Iowa Newspaper Association, the INA announced Tuesday. She was voted the honor by a panel of sportswriters from newspapers across the state.

Stokes is the first player from Linn-Mar and the fifth from a Metro high school to win the award, which has been presented annually since 1981.  She is only the second Metro athlete to win the award since the entire state switched to playing five-player basketball in 1994. Kennedy's Anne O'Neil won in 2000. The other three Metro winners all came from Jefferson -- Karen Schulte in 1993, Kate Galligan in 1992 and Lisa Becker in 1982.

Stokes led the state in scoring with a 25.0 average and was second in rebounding, averaging 14.9. She also was second in blocked shots with 141. She holds the state record for career blocked shots with 515 and finished No. 4 on the career rebound list with 1,239. She also scored 1,704 points.

Stokes also was named to the INA Class 4A all-state first team, her third such honor is as many days. She was named to the Des Moines Register all-state team Sunday and to the Iowa Girls Coaches Association (IGCA) first team Monday.

Last month Stokes was named a McDonald's All-American. 

Joining Stokes on the INA Class 4A first team are Washington's Tia Dawson, Virginia Johnson from Iowa City High, Ally Disterhoft of Iowa City West, Markisha Wright and Shronda Butts from state champion Des Moines East, Brittni Donaldson of Sioux City North and Maddie Manning from Ankeny.

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Coaches name Stokes, Dawson all-state

Kiah Stokes from Linn-Mar and Tia Dawson from Washington have been named to the Class 4A first team all-state girls basketball team announced Monday by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association (IGCA).

Stokes and Dawson led their respective teams to the state tournament. Stokes' team lost in the semifinals, Dawson's in the first round.

Stokes led the state in scoring with a 25.0 average, and was second in rebounding (14.9) and blocked shots (141). She set the career state record for blocked shots with 515. Stokes is a top candidate for the Miss Basketball Award that will be announced Tuesday.  She also has signed to play college basketball at two-time defending NCAA champion Connecticut.

Dawson saved her best game for last. She scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Warriors' 67-58 first round tournament loss to Iowa City West. She averaged 12 points, 10 rebounds and blocked 91 shots. Dawson is bound for Dartmouth.

State champion Des Moines East had two members of the first team -- Markisha Wright and Shronda Butts.  Virginia Johnson of Iowa City High and Ally Disterhoft of Iowa City West, Sioux City North's Brittni Donaldson and Southeast Polk's Caitlin Ingle also were named to the first team.

Des Moines East's Sam Powell was named coach of the Year. The Scarlets finished 26-0.

IGCA ALL-STATE TEAMS

Class 4A

First Team

Kiah Stokes, Linn-Mar
Shronda Butts, Des Moines East
Virginia Johnson, Iowa City High
Markisha Wright, Des Moines East
Brittni Donaldson, Sioux City North
Caitlin Ingle, Southeast Polk
Ally Disterhoft, Iowa City West
Tia Dawson, Cedar Rapids Washington
 
Second Team
Maddie Manning, Ankeny
Jayden Spencer, Waterloo West
Jadda Buckley, Mason City
Kyley Simmons, Lewis Central, Council Bluffs
Stacy Clark, Pleasant Valley
Nijay Gaines, Des Moines East
Whitney Van Wyk, Southeast Polk
Mckenzie Piper, Iowa City West
 
Third Team
Maggie McCelland, Valley, West Des Moines
Jordan Johnston, Waterloo West
Laura Brewer, Waukee
Lizzy Stachon, Dowling Catholic, West Des Moines
Sharnae Lamar, Des Moines East
Jordan Gillenwater, Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln
Summer Gordon, Sioux City North
Megan Hayes, Bettendorf
 
4A Coach of the Year – Sam Powell, Des Moines East

Class 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A teams in pdf>>

Stokes named to D.M. Register all-state team

Linn-Mar senior Kiah Stokes was named to the Des Moines Register Class 4A all-state basketball team Sunday.

Stokes, a 6-foot-3 center, helped the Lions reach the semifinals of the 4A state tournament this season. She averaged 25 points, 14.5 rebounds and 5.6 blocked shots.

Stokes scored 1,704 points, grabbed 1,239 rebounds and blocked a state-record 515 shots during her four-year career and set school records in all three categories.

Stokes was joined on the Class 4A first team by Virginia Johnson of Iowa City High, Markisha Wright of Des Moines East, Brittni Donaldson of Sioux City North and Shronda Butts of Des Moines East. Wright and Butts led Des Moines East to the 4A state title Saturday night with a victory over Iowa City West.

The second-team Class 4A selections were Maddie Manning of Ankeny, Jayden Spencer of Waterloo West, Megan Hayes of Bettendorf, Caitlin Ingle of Southeast Polk and Ally Disterhoft of Iowa City West.

The third-team Class 4A picks were Stacy Clark of Pleasant Valley, Jordan Gillenwater of Council Bluffs Lincoln, Emily Parker of Johnston, Jadda Buckley of Mason City and Laura Brewer of Waukee.

The Iowa Newspaper Association (INA) all-state teams and Miss Basketball will be anounced Tuesday.

Stokes was named to the Class 4A all-tournament team Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Stokes ends career on the bench, in tears

DES MOINES -- Kiah Stokes ended her remarkable high school career in tears Friday afternoon.

She fouled out, Linn-Mar lost in overtime and her dream of winning back-to-back state titles evaporated.

Iowa City West rallied from a 14-point deficit and trimmed the second-ranked Lions, 65-58, in the semifinals of the Class 4A tournament at Wells Fargo Arena.

Stokes saved Linn-Mar with a 3-pointer with five seconds left in regulation -- just the second 3-pointer of her All-American career -- but she fouled out with 2:19 left in overtime and the Lions did not score a single point in her absence.

Stokes sat on the bench after the game ended, wiping away the tears, and was still sobbing more than 15 minutes later.

"I love my teammates," she said between sobs.

Stokes ended her prep career with incredible numbers. She scored 1,704 points, grabbed 1,239 rebounds and blocked 515 shots. She set school records in all three categories, set a state mark for blocked shots and finished fourth in state history in rebounds.

"Quite a ride," said Linn-Mar Coach Mike Brandt.

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