MONROE - Senior Jamie Armstrong was voted a second-team Wisconsin all-state player by the Associated Press, Tuesday.
Armstrong, a George Washington volleyball recruit, was named first-team all-conference in the Badger South a week ago.
Senior teammate Ashley Hermanson, a unanimous Badger South all-conference player, was voted honorable mention, along with Black Hawk's Kim Wellnitz and Pecatonica's Kimee Chandler.
Hermanson will attend Nebraska-Kearney next fall. Chandler will be on scholarship at UW-Milwaukee and Wellnitz will take the court at UW-Platteville.
The entire state bowed to Milwaukee's Vincent's top player.
When Chris Griffin died of a heart attack in 2006, Milwaukee Vincent lost its girls basketball coach.
And Nicole Griffin lost her father.
Griffin and the Vikings haven't lost very often since then.
After three state championships, Griffin emerged as a more vocal leader and elite collegiate prospect this season - and the Vikings fell just short of what would have been an unprecedented fourth straight state title. In recognition of Griffin's accomplishments, a statewide panel of media members selected her as the 2010 Associated Press Wisconsin state girls basketball Player of the Year.
"It's almost like she knew she had a legacy, something she had to accomplish," Vincent coach Marquis Hines said.
The 6-6 Griffin averaged 17.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game, and will play college basketball at Oklahoma next season. While she initially was disappointed about losing in the state tournament, that feeling faded as she considered what her father would have thought about her career.
"I've thought about it," she said. "I think he'd be pretty proud of me."
Hines, a close friend of Chris Griffin's who took over as Vincent's girls coach after his death, couldn't agree more.
"This is exactly - and more - what he wanted for her," Hines said.
The 2010 AP Wisconsin Coach of the Year, Oostburg's Lisa Immel, also provides a case study in overcoming adversity. She found out she had cancer on Feb. 1 but didn't quit coaching.
"There's no way I could just walk away," she said.
She had to deal with the shock of her diagnosis - Hodgkin's lymphoma - and day after day of exhaustion after her every-other-week chemotherapy treatments. But coaching allowed her to focus on something other than cancer.
"I needed that for me, just to keep me going," Immel said.
Before going in for tests, Immel had a meeting with her three team captains and told her that was there something happening in her personal life and it could be serious. The players kept it quiet, and ran the team's next practice themselves while she was away.
Then Immel's diagnosis was confirmed, and she called the team together to tell them.
"It was the first time I said the words, 'I have cancer,"' Immel said.
It was a shock to a team that came into the season with high expectations but got off to a shaky start. But they rallied around their coach.
"You could just tell there was a different mentality, a whole new aura," Immel said.
Immel continued with her treatments, fighting off exhaustion and sometimes coaching with a lollipop in her mouth to cover up the metallic taste that often comes along with chemotherapy.
She even coached one playoff game a few hours after chemo, although she now admits that might not have been the best idea.
"I'm here to talk about it, so it couldn't have been too terrible," she joked.
Oostburg made it all the way to the state tournament last week, losing to Cuba City in the Division 3 final.
Immel says the team is "very proud" of its runner-up finish and excited for next season. Beyond that, her cancer has a 90 percent survival rate, and she looks forward to being officially declared in remission.
"Hopefully next season, this will just be a distant memory," Immel said.
Griffin and Vincent also came up short in the state tournament, losing to eventual state champion Milwaukee Pius XI in the semifinals.
"She wanted it so bad," Hines said.
Griffin's first three years at Vincent were filled with remarkable success, but Hines knew this year's team lacked some of the leadership of his earlier teams. He leaned on Griffin to be more vocal, and she delivered.
Hines, who previously coached boys basketball, said Griffin's on-court skills transcend gender.
"Nicole probably is one of the most skilled players I've ever coached - boys or girls," Hines said.
Hines praises her unselfish style; she can dominate a game from the post, but doesn't always have to.
"She'd prefer to get her teammates involved," Hines said.
Hines and Griffin have been texting back and forth during Oklahoma's run in the NCAA women's basketball tournament, and Hines can't wait to go watch Griffin play for the Sooners next season.
"It's like a dream come true," Hines said.
Griffin drew interest from several top programs, but said she was most drawn to the coaches and atmosphere at Oklahoma.
"I'm excited," she said. "And nervous at the same time."
- The Associated Press
contributed to this story
Armstrong, a George Washington volleyball recruit, was named first-team all-conference in the Badger South a week ago.
Senior teammate Ashley Hermanson, a unanimous Badger South all-conference player, was voted honorable mention, along with Black Hawk's Kim Wellnitz and Pecatonica's Kimee Chandler.
Hermanson will attend Nebraska-Kearney next fall. Chandler will be on scholarship at UW-Milwaukee and Wellnitz will take the court at UW-Platteville.
The entire state bowed to Milwaukee's Vincent's top player.
When Chris Griffin died of a heart attack in 2006, Milwaukee Vincent lost its girls basketball coach.
And Nicole Griffin lost her father.
Griffin and the Vikings haven't lost very often since then.
After three state championships, Griffin emerged as a more vocal leader and elite collegiate prospect this season - and the Vikings fell just short of what would have been an unprecedented fourth straight state title. In recognition of Griffin's accomplishments, a statewide panel of media members selected her as the 2010 Associated Press Wisconsin state girls basketball Player of the Year.
"It's almost like she knew she had a legacy, something she had to accomplish," Vincent coach Marquis Hines said.
The 6-6 Griffin averaged 17.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game, and will play college basketball at Oklahoma next season. While she initially was disappointed about losing in the state tournament, that feeling faded as she considered what her father would have thought about her career.
"I've thought about it," she said. "I think he'd be pretty proud of me."
Hines, a close friend of Chris Griffin's who took over as Vincent's girls coach after his death, couldn't agree more.
"This is exactly - and more - what he wanted for her," Hines said.
The 2010 AP Wisconsin Coach of the Year, Oostburg's Lisa Immel, also provides a case study in overcoming adversity. She found out she had cancer on Feb. 1 but didn't quit coaching.
"There's no way I could just walk away," she said.
She had to deal with the shock of her diagnosis - Hodgkin's lymphoma - and day after day of exhaustion after her every-other-week chemotherapy treatments. But coaching allowed her to focus on something other than cancer.
"I needed that for me, just to keep me going," Immel said.
Before going in for tests, Immel had a meeting with her three team captains and told her that was there something happening in her personal life and it could be serious. The players kept it quiet, and ran the team's next practice themselves while she was away.
Then Immel's diagnosis was confirmed, and she called the team together to tell them.
"It was the first time I said the words, 'I have cancer,"' Immel said.
It was a shock to a team that came into the season with high expectations but got off to a shaky start. But they rallied around their coach.
"You could just tell there was a different mentality, a whole new aura," Immel said.
Immel continued with her treatments, fighting off exhaustion and sometimes coaching with a lollipop in her mouth to cover up the metallic taste that often comes along with chemotherapy.
She even coached one playoff game a few hours after chemo, although she now admits that might not have been the best idea.
"I'm here to talk about it, so it couldn't have been too terrible," she joked.
Oostburg made it all the way to the state tournament last week, losing to Cuba City in the Division 3 final.
Immel says the team is "very proud" of its runner-up finish and excited for next season. Beyond that, her cancer has a 90 percent survival rate, and she looks forward to being officially declared in remission.
"Hopefully next season, this will just be a distant memory," Immel said.
Griffin and Vincent also came up short in the state tournament, losing to eventual state champion Milwaukee Pius XI in the semifinals.
"She wanted it so bad," Hines said.
Griffin's first three years at Vincent were filled with remarkable success, but Hines knew this year's team lacked some of the leadership of his earlier teams. He leaned on Griffin to be more vocal, and she delivered.
Hines, who previously coached boys basketball, said Griffin's on-court skills transcend gender.
"Nicole probably is one of the most skilled players I've ever coached - boys or girls," Hines said.
Hines praises her unselfish style; she can dominate a game from the post, but doesn't always have to.
"She'd prefer to get her teammates involved," Hines said.
Hines and Griffin have been texting back and forth during Oklahoma's run in the NCAA women's basketball tournament, and Hines can't wait to go watch Griffin play for the Sooners next season.
"It's like a dream come true," Hines said.
Griffin drew interest from several top programs, but said she was most drawn to the coaches and atmosphere at Oklahoma.
"I'm excited," she said. "And nervous at the same time."
- The Associated Press
contributed to this story
