All-state girls basketball: NA’s Lizzy Groetsch, Spencer Stefko lead WPIAL’s 6A selections

By: Chris Harlan
Monday, April 20, 2020 | 1:00 PM

Purchase Photo Options

North Allegheny junior Lizzy Groetsch and coach Spencer Stefko saw their PIAA girls basketball title hopes dashed by the coronavirus outbreak, but both earned statewide recognition Monday.

Groetsch, a Penn commit, earned first-team all-state honors in Class 6A, and Stefko was named Coach of the Year in Pennsylvania’s largest classification. North Allegheny went 24-3 this winter, won the WPIAL title and had reached the state quarterfinals when the PIAA tournament was suspended and eventually canceled.

In all, five WPIAL players earned all-state honors in 6A in a vote of Pennsylvania sportswriters.

Bethel Park teammates Maddie Dziezgowski and Olivia Westphal were named to the second team. Like North Allegheny, WPIAL runner-up Bethel Park (23-3) also had reached the PIAA quarterfinals.

Mt. Lebanon’s Ashleigh Connor and Norwin’s Olivia Gribble earned third-team honors.

Central Bucks West’s Maddie Burke, a Penn State recruit, was voted player of the year in Class 6A.

The Class 5A and 6A all-state teams were announced Monday. Class 4A and 3A will be revealed Tuesday, with Class 2A and A on Wednesday.

Class 6A

First team

Maya Bokunewicz, State College, 6-1, Sr., 20.8

Lizzy Groetsch, North Allegheny, 5-8, Jr., 17.3

Maddie Burke, Central Bucks West, 6-0, Sr., 12.4

Lucy Olsen, Spring-Ford, 5-9, Jr., 19.3

Bella Smuda, Downingtown East, 6-5, Sr., 18.9

Jackie Vargas, Upper Dublin, 6-3, Sr., 12.7

Second team

Talya Brugler, Nazareth, 6-0, Jr., 19.1

Emily Chmiel, Central Bucks East, 6-0, Jr., 18.0

Maddie Dziezgowski, Bethel Park, 5-11, Sr., 15.9

Caranda Perea, Altoona, 6-2, Sr., 15.1

Olivia Westphal, Bethel Park, 5-9, Jr., 14.8

Third team

Ashleigh Connor, Mt. Lebanon, 5-10, So., 22.0

Olivia Gribble, Norwin, 5-8, Sr., 16.1

Julie Jekot, Cumberland Valley, 5-10, Jr., 12.0

Colette Mulderig, Scranton, 6-3, Sr., 16.7

Ava Sciolla, Pennsbury, 5-11, So., 14.5

Sydni Scott, Cardinal O’Hara, 5-7, So., 12.0

Makiah Shaw, Red Lion, 6-0, Jr., 16.0

Player of the Year: Maddie Burke, Central Bucks West

Coach of the Year: Spencer Stefko, North Allegheny

_ _ _

2020 Pa. Sportswriters All-State Girls Basketball

Class 6A

Class 5A

Class 4A

Class 3A

Class 2A

Class A

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Bethel Park, Mt. lebanon, North Allegheny, Norwin