Park Hill South sophomore Addison Bjorn claimed the Kansas City Suburban Conference Silver Division Player of the Year for the second straight season.
PARKVILLE – Winning conference player of the year at the high school level is difficult, but for Park Hill South sophomore point guard Addison Bjorn, it’s become an anomaly.
The Kansas City Suburban Conference Silver Division teams – which is the conference Park Hill and Park Hill South are in – have been announced and Bjorn was named the conference player of the year for the second straight time. The 6’2 phenom has taken the KC metro area by storm and has a bright future beyond her time at Park Hill South.
Bjorn stuffed the stat sheet this year, averaging 18.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.5 blocks per game, while scoring the ball at a 40.3-percent rate from the field. She was a rebounding machine, grabbing nearly one-third of the boards for her team and recording a double-double in 16 out of her 24 games.
Bjorn missed three games early on – which Park Hill South went 1-2 during – and was on minutes’ restrictions for her sophomore debut, taking some time to get going into the flow of things. The 2023 USA Women’s U16 National team member started tearing it up in the middle of the season as she scored 20 or more points in 10 of her last 13 games, which included a program-setting 35-point performance in the regular season finale.
Bjorn and senior teammate Avery Simmons were two of six girls selected on the Silver Division First Team. Simmons has had a lucrative career at Park Hill South and ended her senior campaign with her best statistical season.
The Loyola Maryland women’s basketball commit scored in double figures in all 24 contests she suited out for – 28 straight dating back to her junior year – scoring 17.2 points on an efficient 47.4-percent rate. She had career highs of 27 points and 15 rebounds throughout the season and joined the 1,000-point club late in the year.
Park Hill South junior post Ava Kells made the second team in the Silver Division in her first year as a starter. Kells averaged 9.9 points and 6.2 rebounds, while finishing with five double-doubles on the year and leading the Lady Panthers with 20 blocks.
Park Hill had three girls make the Kansas City Suburban Conference Silver Division teams, led by senior point guard McKenna Sosna. She made the second team after being third in the conference in total made 3-pointers, with 40.
Sosna led Park Hill in scoring with 11 points, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game. She ended her varsity career with 625 points over the last four years.
Park Hill juniors Lydia Keller and Boston Wand were Silver Division Honorable Mentions. Keller was behind Sosna in scoring – totaling 199 points and averaging 10 a game – but led the conference in outside shooting, converting 44 of her 128 attempts, which is 34.4 percent.
Wand scored 6.2 points, grabbed 7.8 rebounds, forced one steal and blocked 0.83 shots a game as the starting post for the Lady Trojans. In the conference, she averaged the fifth most rebounds and fourth most blocks.
The Kansas City Suburban Conference Silver Division boys’ teams were released as well. From Park Hill and Park Hill South, there were three players who made the first two teams and four who were honorable mentions.
Park Hill junior Cameron Jones went from leading the second unit a year ago to leading his team in scoring as a starter en route to a Silver Division First Team selection. The coach’s son averaged 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.9 steals while shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from behind the arc.
Senior post Desire Tonye-Nyemeck was on the Silver Division Second Team. He was third in the conference in shot percentage, converting at an impressive 52.5-percent rate.
Park Hill guards Isaiah Caston and Gavin Schaag were Silver Division Honorable Mentions. Caston was the starting sophomore point guard who took on a larger role this year and Schaag was a senior shooting guard who has been a crucial offensive piece for the Trojans in his high school career.
Park Hill South senior point guard Colby Kiedrowski played the most minutes for his team, earning a first-team selection. Senior guard Michael Good and sophomore Carson Bjorn were Silver Division Honorable Mentions.