By By DAN WEISS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- After four years as the starting point guard on the Buchanan varsity basketball team, Ali Bender finally made the Lakeland All-Conference First Team.
The postseason awards were recently announced and Bender was joined by senior teammate Ashlee Layher on the First Team.
Buchanan was the only team with two players on the First Team.
Jealyn Foston of Cassopolis, Heather Seyfred of Bridgman and Noelle Dryden of River Valley also made the First Team.
River Valley coach Carol Grandholm was named the Coach of the Year.
Brandywine junior Emily Whitney made the Second Team. Also on the Second Team were Jenny Sanders and Megan Koebel of River Valley, Christine Drach of Berrien Springs and Melani Demler of Bridgman.
Two more Buchanan players made the Honorable Mention list, juniors Dee Dee Thompson and Sheena Bradshaw. They were joined by Diane Mitchell of Coloma, Kelsey Gordon of Cassopolis and Jessica Shotwell of Edwardsburg.
Here is the complete list of the Lakeland All-Conference awards.
Lakeland Conference
First Team
Jealyn Foston, Cassopolis
Heather Seyfred, Bridgman
Ashleee Layher, Buchanan
Ali Bender, Buchanan
Noelle Dryden, River Valley
Second Team
Christine Drach, Berrien Springs
Emily Whitney, Brandywine
Jenny Sanders, River Valley
Melani Demler, Bridgman
Megan Koebel, River Valley
Honorable Mention
Diane Mitchell, Coloma
Kelsey Gordon, Cassopolis
Jessica Shotwell, Edwardsburg
D.D. Thompson, Buchanan
Sheena Bradshaw, Buchanan
Coach of the Year
Carol Grandholm, River Valley