Lady Indians dominate All-Conference squads
By Trenten Scheidegger

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The Pecatonica varsity girls became Sectional champs on Feb. 27 when they beat Rockford Lutheran 47-38.
The NUIC North is well known for its athletic prowess, especially in girls basketball. Over the last decade, teams like the Lena-Winslow Panthers, Orangeville Broncos, and the Pecatonica Indians have sported some of the most dominant girls’ basketball teams in Illinois 1A basketball.
In recent years, the Indians have gained traction as one of those dominant teams. This season specifically, they reached new heights as they recently claimed the program’s first-ever Sectional championship. They did so with an epic 47-38 victory over Rockford Lutheran.
Pecatonica’s next matchup came in the elite eight, as they took on Abingdon-Avon in Super-Sectional play. Somewhere in the middle of that, and with Pecatonica’s season still alive, the NUIC-North Conference announced this year’s girls basketball All-Conference squads.
To no one’s surprise, the All-Conference teams were loaded with Pecatonica Indians. The 2024-25 NUIC North Most Valuable Player award may have went to Orangeville’s Laney Cahoon, but it was the Indians who had the most All-Conference players out of any other team in the conference.
Pecatonica’s own Elaina Rager is probably the only other player worthy of an MVP selection in the conference this season. While Rager wasn’t the MVP, she was still a unanimous First Team All-Conference selection. Perhaps most importantly, she helped take the Indians further than any other NUIC-North team in the 2024-25 season.
Joining Rager on the First Team All-Conference list is fellow senior Kianna Degner. Over the last two seasons, Degner cemented herself as one of the best point guards in the conference. Degner has played so well for the Indians that at times, she was their most valuable player on the floor. With Degner and Rager on the floor, the Indians have the best back court in the NUIC North, and they were both recognized for that with unanimous First Team All-Conference selections.
Senior Payton Thomas earned herself a Second Team All-Conference selection. Thomas quietly had some epic offensive performances and has been a reliable piece of the Pecatonica puzzle over the last few years. Joining Thomas on the Second Team All-Conference list is freshman Ryliegh Alexander, who broke onto the scene this year. Prior to the season, Pecatonica head coach Daniel Rosenstiel predicted Alexander would be an exceptional newcomer to the squad. Alexander fulfilled those expectations and then some as she earned her second team selection.
The Indians had two breakout freshmen this season, though. Unfortunately there are only so many spots available on the first and second teams, but freshman, Kora Noud earned herself an Honorable Mention for her performance this season.
With that, the Indians had five players earn All-Conference honors for the 2024-25 season. Unsurprising, considering the amount of success three of those players have contributed to over the years. Noud and Alexander are an example of what can happen when you build an exciting, sustainable program like the Indians have.