WARREN, Pa. – A historic shooting effort during Kennedy Catholic’s run to the PIAA Class 2A state title earned Golden Eagle’s sophomore Layke Fields the YDL Sports Network/D9and10Sports.com District 10 girls’ basketball Player of the Year Award powered by All American Awards and Engraving.
After falling in the state finals a year ago, Fields led the Golden Eagles to their second-ever state championship, with the first coming in 2001.
Joining Fields as major award winners are her coach, Justin Magestro (Chuck Daly Coach of the Year), and Norhwestern’s Makayla Presser-Palmer (Rookie of the Year).
Three All-District 10 teams were also named.
The first team includes Fields, Fairview’s Hope Garrity, Mercyhurst Prep’s Olivia Kulyk, Wilmington’s Lia Krarup and Cathedral Prep’s Jayden McBride and Lena Walz.
The second team consists of Presser-Palmer, Lakeview’s Emma Marsteller, Cambridge Springs’ Makenzie Yanc, Maplewood’s Sadie Thomas, and Kennedy Catholic’s Bella Magestro and Monique Vincent.
On the third team are McDowell’s Amaiya Nelson, Eisenhower’s Clara Steinberg, Fairview’s Bre Heidt, Kennedy Catholic’s Isabella Bianco, Sharpsville’s Chasie Fry, General McLane’s Libby Opp and Harbor Creek’s Brooke Przybylski.
Award Winners and teams were chosen by the staff of the YDL Sports Network.
All American Awards and Engraving specializes in all kinds of awards, trophies, and engraving products as well as screen printing and embroidery. As the company likes to say, they will put almost anything on almost everything. The 2012 Clarion Area Chamber of Business and Industry Business of the Year in Economic Development is located on Route 322 in Shippenville. It can be found on the web at www.allamericanhq.com and can be reached at 1-877-402-9273.
2023 D9AND10SPORTS.COM GIRLS’ DISTRICT 10 BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR POWERED BY ALL AMERICAN AWARDS AND ENGRAVING
Layke Fields, Soph. Kennedy Catholic – Fields led Kennedy Catholic to its second-ever PIAA championship, this coming despite a 2-4 start to the regular season before rattling off 24 straight wins, culminating with hoisting the trophy in Hershey with a win over Homer-Center.
Fields’ numbers tell a big part of the story. She averaged 19.3 points per game, 10.9 rebounds per game, and 2.5 blocks per game. She saved her best for down the stretch, shooting a combined 35-of-43 over the Golden Eagles’ final three PIAA playoff games, including a perfect 15-of-15 effort for 30 points in a quarterfinal win over Bishop McCort, 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting in the semifinal win over Greensburg Central Catholic and 10-of-14 for 23 points in the title game win
Her shooting percentage for the season was an astounding 66% (252-of-379).
Kennedy Catholic’s Layke Fields. File photo by Andy Close.
2023 D9AND10SPORTS.COM GIRLS’ BASKETBALL DISTRICT 10 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR POWERED by ALL AMERICAN AWARDS AND ENGRAVING
Makayla Presser-Palmer, Fr., Northwestern: Presser-Palmer burst onto the scene, averaging 17.8 points per game to go along with 11.8 rebounds game, 3.6 steals per game, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 49% from the floor. She lead the Wildcats to a 16-7 record and a D10 Class 3A playoff appearance.
Northwestern’s Mckayla Presser-Palmer. File photo by Brian Hagberg.
2023 D9AND10SPORTS.COM GIRLS’ BASKETBALL DISTRICT 10 COACH OF THE YEAR AS PRESENTED BY THE CHUCK DALY FOUNDATION POWERED BY ALL AMERICAN AWARDS AND ENGRAVING
Justin Magestro, Kennedy Catholic: Magestro guided the Eagles to the state title, doing so with some adversity, especially at the start of the season to claim Coach of the Year for the second straight season. That included being 0-3 and 2-4 early on, albeit against a very tough schedule. But Kennedy and Magestro adjusted. During their run of 24 consecutive wins, all but two of those wins were by double digits. One of them that wasn’t a was a double-overtime thriller against PIAA 4A runner-up Blackhawk. Region champion, District 10 champions for the 13th time in a row, and now state champions for the first time since 2001.
Kennedy Catholic coach Justin Magestro (right) with Layke Fields. File photo by Chris Rossetti.
About the Chuck Daly Foundation: The Chuck Daly Foundation was formed in Punxsutawney in 2016 by 1960 PAHS graduate George “Butch” White, who played basketball under Daly. The foundation was formed primarily to create scholarships for both male and female student-athletes in both basketball and golf.
2023 D9AND10SPORTS.COM GIRLS’ FIRST-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT 10 POWERED BY ALL AMERICAN AWARDS AND ENGRAVING
Jayden McBride, Jr., Cathedral Prep: 16.8 ppg., 9.7 rpg., shot 49% from the floor
Lena Walz, Jr., Cathedral Prep: 12.6 ppg., 4.1 apg., 4.0 spg., 3.7 rpg., shot 40 from 3-point range
Hope Garrity, Sr., Fairview: 14.9 ppg., made 67 3-pointers and was 78% (82-of-105) in leading Fairview to first two PIAA playoffs wins in program history. Departs as only 1,000-point scorer in program history
Layke Fields, So., Kennedy Catholic: 19.3 ppg., 10.3 rpg., 2.5 bpg, 66% shooting
Olivia Kulyk, Jr., Mercyhurst Prep: 19.4 points per game, 9.8 rpg. and surpassed the 1,000-point milestone in Lakers’ regular-season finale.
Lia Krarup, So., Wilmington: 20.6 points per game, 40% 3-point shooter, 4.1 spg.
2023 D9AND10SPORTS.COM GIRLS’ SECOND-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT 10 POWERED BY ALL AMERICAN AWARDS AND ENGRAVING
Makenzie Yanc, Sr., Cambridge Springs: 12.5 points per game, 8.7 rpg., 6.1 apg., Multiple triple-doubles
Bella Magestro, Fr., Kennedy Catholic: 12.3 ppg., 4.0 rpg., 3.9 apg., 2.1 spg., made 52 three-pointers
Monique Vincent, So., Kennedy Catholic: 8.9 ppg., 4.8 apg., 2.6 rpg., 2.6 spg., made 44 3-pointers
Emma Marsteller, Jr., Lakeview: 12.2 ppg., 7.7 rpg., 47% from the floor
Sadie Thomas, Sr., Maplewood: 12.8 ppg., 10.2 rpg., shot 50% from the floor
Makayla Presser-Palmer, Fr., Northwestern: 17.8 ppg., 11.8 rpg., 3.6 spg., 2.1 apg. Shot 49% from the floor
2023 D9AND10SPORTS.COM GIRLS’ THIRD-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT 10 POWERED BY ALL AMERICAN AWARDS AND ENGRAVING
Clara Steinberg, Fr., Eisenhower: 15.0 ppg., 6.5 rpg., 4.3 apg., 4.1 spg.
Bre Heidt, So., Fairview: 11.0 ppg., 9.5 rpg., 308 total points
Libby Opp, So., General McLane: 15.3 points per game, 66 3-pointers made
Brooke Przybylski, So., Harbor Creek: 12.2 ppg., 7.8 rpg.
Isabella Bianco, Sr., Kennedy Catholic: 9.4 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 2.1 apg., 1.9 spg., shot 58% from the floor
Amaiya Nelson, Jr., McDowell: 12.3 ppg. 9.7 rpg.
Chasie Fry, Sr., Sharpsville: 13.4 ppg., 9.4 rpg.
