Larson, Taiclet earn 4A state basketball honors – Seven area prep players receive state recognition

Iola High juniors Kelsey Larson and Kendra Taiclet received state recognition for their efforts in leading the Fillies to an 11-10 mark in 2010-2011.
Taiclet and Larson were named to the Class 4A honorable mention squads of both the Wichita Eagle  and The Topeka Capital Journal. The two newspapers released their respective state all-class basketball teams Sunday.
Seven area high school players also earned state postseason honors.
In Class 3A, Uniontown High senior Breanna Esslinger was selected to both newspapers’ honorable mention lists. It was the first year for the Eagles playing at the 3A level.
Yates Center High seniors Dalton Smith and Paul Stockebrand earned Class 2A honorable mention. Their names appeared on the lists in both the Eagle and the Capital-Journal.
Crest High sophomore Kyle Hammond was named to the boys’ Class 1A second-team by the Eagle. Hammond earned Class 1A third-team honors from the Topeka newspaper.
Also in Class 1A, Southern Coffey County High had three athletes earn honorable mention from both newspapers. They were senior Aaron Ludolph for the Titans and senior Kristen Stephens and junior Ashton Isch for the Lady Titans.
Iola’s junior pair were instrumental in the Fillies’ late season run to a 5-3 mark in the Southeast Kansas League. Iola had been picked seventh in the league’s preseason poll but ended up tied for third.
Larson, a 5-8 point guard, led the Fillies in assists with 53 and steals with 69. She scored 141 points as she shot 43.5 percent, 37 of 85, from the field. Larson was 10 of 38 from three-point range, 26 percent.
From the free-throw line, Larson sank 38 of 68 attempts for 56 percent. She grabbed 83 rebounds.
Leading the Fillies in points and rebounds was Taiclet, a 5-10 forward, with 226 points and 114 rebounds. Taiclet also nailed 18 of 37 three-point field goal attempts, a 49 percent clip.
Taiclet was 65 of 171 overall from the field for 38 percent. She hit at a 52-percent clip, 44 of 85, from the free throw line. She handed out 31 assists and made 32 steals.