Advertisement

But finishing second in what is arguably the one of the toughest conferences in any sport certainly was no disgrace, and it earned the Blazers a more prized spot in the All-Conference voting.

With their high finish, the Blazers were able to land three players on the All-Conference Team. No one could dispute their credentials.

All three ended the season with some impressive numbers, but their worth to the team couldn't be measured simply in cold, hard statistics.

Their leadership qualities on and off the floor also served the Blazers well as they completed a third consecutive year with at least 15 victories.

Katie Krause, Kara Ponstein and Marissa Taylor were instrumental in the Blazers' success this season and earned All-Conference honors.

While numbers don't tell the complete story, they added to the luster of the Blazers' individual achievements which directly contributed to the team's success.

Given her career achievements, Krause has to be placed at the head of the list.

The fourth-year senior became the fourth player in school history to score over 1,000 points, and also owns the rebounding title as she prepares to consider the possibilities following graduation.

Krause has been chosen to play in an All-Star game this summer in Brighton, and she is certain to receive some recognition from the Detroit Free Press All-State poll.

Taylor is also a fourth-year starter on varsity, and she seldom took a breather this season. Ponstein started on the varsity the last three years.

It was difficult for veteran head coach Dave Dalton to single either of them out for special praise, because they were all solid players in every phase of the game.

"All three of them pass the ball real well, all of them can shoot it and they are all three excellent defensive players," Dalton said in announcing the All-League selections.

Taylor has improved every year.

"You look at Marissa, and the thing about her is she scores 3-pointers, she's an outstanding free throw shooter ... but they all are," Dalton said.

"She was our second leading rebounder. She's a great help side defender. One of the best I've ever coached. Also the last couple of years she's been second on our team in assists."

Ponstein has been one of the best point guards in northern Michigan the last couple of years, in Dalton's opinion, with over 90 assists each of the last two years.

Another excellent shooter from behind the 3-point arc, Ponstein has made 74 3-point baskets in her career so far with one season remaining.

She's done this while playing arguably the most difficult position on the team. As the point guard, she has to bring the ball up the floor against pressure, set up the offense and play all-out on defense.

"We wouldn't have won 45 games the last three years without them," Dalton said of the trio. "Not a whole lot of teams in northern Michigan have done what we have.

"I'm tremendously proud of all of them, and I know that they're leaving behind a great legacy at Kalkaska." Ê