KBMW OUTSTANDING WINTER ATHLETE 2024
KBMW is proud to present its list of finalists for the 2024 Outstanding Winter Athlete award. This list features a blend of sports between Breckenridge, Wahpeton and North Dakota State College of Science. Athletes were selected on a variety of criteria, including individual statistics, team impact, marquee moments, leadership and consistency. The Winner will be announced March 31 on the kbmwnews.com Facebook page.
Emily Gowin (So.) – Cowgirls – PG
Gowin sank the Barnesville Trojans with a three at the buzzer, and banked home another clutch triple in Breckenridge’s 74-69 win over West Central Area. She struck again with the game-winning floater to end WCA’s season in the section quarterfinals.
The sophomore’s offensive emergence in the absence of point guard Johnica Bernotas (knee) gave Cowgirls fans a long look at her scoring and facilitating abilities. Gowin possesses a lethal dribble package and a smooth touch around the rim, resulting in averages of 12.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.9 steals. Gowin had 18 double-digit scoring efforts, including a career-high 27 points vs. WCA.
Parker Yaggie (So.) – Cowgirls – G/F
Yaggie defies the odds as a premium rebounder. Standing at just 5-foot-7, the sophomore averaged 8.0 rebounds per game, including an astounding 3.3 offensive rebounds. Yaggie also led Breckenridge in scoring at (19.2 ppg), steals (3.3 spg), shooting percentage (46.8) and three-pointers made (51). Yaggie and the Breckenridge offense has boomed at times, including a school record 98 points at Benson.
Yaggie scored 20 or more points 13 times and recorded six double-doubles. She accomplished a rare triple-double in the steals column at Wheaton, recording 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 steals. Further bolstering her case, Yaggie owns the Cowgirls single-game scoring record of 38 points.
Quinn Neppl (So.) – Wildcats – G/F
Selfless, versatile, disciplined — a laundry list of positive terms can be used to describe Neppl’s game. The sophomore from Maddock, North Dakota, operates as a defensive leader for the 26-6 Lady Wildcats, while scoring 11.2 points per game on 50/38/82 shooting splits.
Neppl’s peripheral averages are solid, checking in at 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a team-high 2.2 steals per contest. The multi-position threat is playing 30 minutes a night with five double-doubles on the season. She’s added some rim protection, too, collecting 17 blocks across 25 appearances.
NDSCS will play for the district title after upsetting No. 1 seed Williston State to claim a third straight region championship.
Shania Nichols-Vannett (Fr.) – Wildcats – PG
Nichols-Vannett is on nightly triple-double watch. Her usage rate is through the roof, but her efficiency continues to shine despite her sizable role with the rock. The freshman from Como Park High School (St. Paul, Minn.) is averaging 16.1 points on 50/35/86 shooting splits, dishing out 4.9 assists and pulling down 7.8 rebounds as a 5-foot-7 floor general. At times, she looks like a vintage Russell Westbrook with sharper shooting. Nichols-Vannett owns nine doubles-doubles and one triple-double in her first collegiate season.
Nichols-Vannett was a first-team Mon-Dak All-Conference selection.
Savanna Jones (Fr.) – Wildcats – C
Jones is a model of consistency. The 6-foot-2 post from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, averages 13.3 points on 59 percent shooting. She’s second on the NDSCS roster in rebounding (7.5) first in blocks per game (1.0) while racking up 10 double-doubles.
Jones has excellent hands for a big, swiping 1.7 steals per game. The imposing post had 22 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and six steals in a dominant 100-47 victory over Bismarck State College. Her ability to finish layups through contact on both sides of the basket causes fits for the defense.
Jones was a second-team Mon-Dak All-Conference selection.
Scout Woods (Jr.) – Huskies – F
The reigning NDHSAA all-state talent returned hungry for more. Woods led the surging Huskies with regular-season averages of 20.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.8 steals. Woods is the strongest, fastest player on the hardwood any given night, proving that girls basketball players can thrive in a weight room setting and elevate their game through strength training. She also won a state championship in the shot put as a sophomore, making her an intriguing two-sport NCAA prospect.
Woods had four 30-point performances on her ledger this season, helping her team achieve home upsets over Northern Cass and Valley City. The mild-mannered superstar scored 38 points to lead Wahpeton past Central Cass, 57-54, moving into second place on the Huskies single-games scoring list behind Tylee Irwin.
She wasn’t done, however, dropping 41 points in a two-point playoff loss to Valley City and breaking Irwin’s scoring record after all. Woods was an All-Region I selection.
Hailee Hanson (Sr.) – Storm – Gymnast
Hanson topped the 9.000 benchmark in two events at the Mandan Braves Invite, and consistently landed inside the top five at meets throughout North Dakota. The senior gymnast is a top-25 talent statewide in the vault, pacing the Breckenridge-Wahpeton roster in that event and posting solid supporting stats to earn formidable all-around finishes. Hanson was named to the Eastern Dakota All-Conference Team after posting a top-five score in the vault.
David Erlandson (So.) – Storm – Wrestler
Every year that we see David Erlandson on the mat — he’s been active in wrestling since seventh grade — he looks like he ate the old version of himself. The Breckenridge High School sophomore just keeps getting stronger, carving out a muscular build as he runs through the 172-pound division. Erlandson amassed a 41-11 record with 17 pins, and finished fourth at the NDHSAA State Tournament.
Weston Jensen (Sr.) – Storm – Wrestler
Jensen was neck-and-neck with Erlandson in the wins column, piling up a 34-14 record. The Wahpeton High School senior led the Storm program with 18 pins, bringing a highlight flair to the arena. Jensen was unable to secure a top-five placing at last year’s state tournament, but he flipped the narrative this winter by finishing third at 152 pounds. Jensen’s finishing rate and strong performance at that Fargodome was the curtain call on a fine career.
Brayden Steffens (So.) – Huskies – PG/SG
Steffens is a stop-and-pop maestro with a mid-range jump shot that mirrors Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan. He can finish from both elbows and slip back behind the arc to deliver three-point shooting. Steffens averages 15.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals. For the second straight year, Steffens captivated a packed Ed Werre Arena, leading all scorers with 22 points in the annual Border Battle vs. Breckenridge.
Steffens scored 10 on Oak Grove to open region playoffs. He torched Valley City off the dribble for 15 points in the semifinal round and followed that up with 15 more against No. 1-ranked, undefeated Kindred. The Huskies finished second in the region and Steffens earned All-Region I honors.
Jayden King (Sr.) – Huskies – F
King has grown into his role of being the big man on campus. He entered the 2023-24 season looking noticeably stronger, and his inside scoring tells exactly that tale. King averages 14.8 points on 56.8 percent shooting. His 6.8 rebounds lead the Huskies, while his 1.7 steals are tied with Steffens for the second on the roster behind Treyton Mauch (2.1).
King is playing a grittier brand of basketball, a big reason for the Huskies 16-8 record en route to the region qualifier round. King has scored double digits in every region tourney game. He was named to the All-Region I Team.
Jaxson Lopez (Fr.) – Blades – F
Lopez instantly acclimated himself to the varsity hockey scene as a freshman. The shifty skater led Breckenridge-Wahpeton with 22 points, eighth more than the next Blades player (Isaiah Bruechert). Lopez scored nine goals and compiled 13 assists, making him the only Blade with double-digit dimes. Lopez kept his torrid pace rolling with a hat trick and two additional assists when the Blades routed Kittson County Central, 8-1. The victory was No. 5 on the season after the team mustered just one win last year. They finished 5-20 and made plenty of strides after a few stagnant seasons.
Peyton Newbern (So.) – Wildcats – PG
It all starts with the point guard. Peyton Newbern is back for a second season with the 31-1 Wildcats, leading NDSCS in points (14.7), assists (5.2) and steals (2.7) per game, while contributing 4.5 rebounds. Newbern is shooting 56 percent overall. He’s up to 800 career points over the past two seasons, serving as a veteran leader in the junior college ranks.
Newbern earned the prestigious honor of Mon-Dak Conference Most Valuable Player after leading the Wildcats to their second straight Region XIII Championship and helping orchestrate three victories over conference rival Dawson.
Calvin Sisk (So.) – Wildcats – C
It’s not often that a seven-footer steps onto campus at NDSCS. Sisk is the exception, standing at a towering 7-foot-2. The sophomore center transferred from Minot State University by way of Buffalo, Minnesota, immediately bolstering a Wildcat interior that graduated 6-foot-10 center Noah Christensen following last season’s region title run. Sisk averages 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.0 blocks on 62 percent shooting, doing the bulk of his scoring damage via the hook shot.
The big man has started 31 games this season, blocking at least four shots on eight separate occasions, including a season-high six swats in the region final vs. Dawson.
Kaleb Larson (So.) – NDSCS – SG
Larson was a second-team all-conference pick in the Mon-Dak Conference, shooting the basketball from the parking lot and holding opposing players to low point totals as a defender. The sophomore from West Fargo Sheyenne averaged 11.5 points on 46 percent shooting and a pinpoint 42 percent from beyond the arc.
Larson, who wasn’t initially recruited by NDSCS, impressed the coaching staff in 2022 when he showed up to an open gym and shot the lights out. The sophomore grew into a tremendous two-way talent, adding 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals to his line this season.