Fresno Bee girls basketball All-Stars: Athena Tomlinson carries Clovis West torch
Things were moving fast when Athena Tomlinson arrived at Clovis West as a freshman playing in coach Craig Campbell’s dynamic offense.
Fast forward and the junior guard got it under control, helping the Golden Eagles to a co-Tri-River Athletic Conference championship and a Central Section Division I championship.
Tomlinson is The Fresno Bee’s Player of the Year.
“The game slowed down a lot for me,” she said. “A lot of wrinkles that we call. You just need to be aware of everything, and being a freshman, it honestly was really fast and sophomore and junior years really slowed down a lot. Being able to see the windows that are open and being able to see what’s going to work really helped me this year.”
She averaged 14.6 points, 2.7 assists and 2.5 steals per game and made 71 3-pointers. She has scored 1,090 career points, according to Central Section historian Bob Barnett. She finished with 450 points this past season.
In the section championship game she finished with a team-high 14 points.
Tomlinson cited Long Beach State-bound Etoyah Montgomery, last year’s Player of the Year, and senior Trinity Tolbert for pushing her to be the player that she was.
“The biggest word that describes our season is togetherness and sisterhood,” Tomlinson said. “I feel like this is one of the closest teams I’ve been on. Just to be able to come together and be able to correct each other and make sure we’re on our P’s and Q’s at practice and to eventually come out on top, that means a lot to me.”
Tomlinson hopes to continue to lead by example when she takes the court at Clovis West for one final season.
“What I really want to do differently is just bring every aspect of my game together.,” she said. “Sharpen up my shooting, passing and be a floor general and most importantly be a leader on the court, just be the ultimate team player and help my team be the best.”
Coach of the Year: Craig Campbell, Clovis West
Campbell and success have become synonymous: Clovis West has won 18 consecutive league championships and 11 straight section championships (14 overall), according to Barnett.
This year, Campbell became the winningest girls basketball coach in section histor after the Golden Eagles’ section title over Clovis. Campbell has 425 wins, passing former Corcoran coach Doug White.
Campbell is The Bee’s Coach of the Year.
It’s always an honor,” he said. “It’s really a reflection of the great kids we have. The amazing staff that we have. The thing we have going on for so many years is way bigger than myself.
“Every journey is its own and special. Someday when I hang it all up I’ll look and say we had a pretty crazy run.”
Campbell is not going anywhere anytime soon. That’s good news for the Golden Eagles and for college coaches who seek to emulate his system — Ohio State, for example, which knocked off UConn in the NCAA Tournament.
The X’s and O’s are impressive, but there’s something simpler that’s a key to success.
“I have to model what I ask of them, and I demand a lot from them,” Campbell said. “Nobody in the stands could ever judge me harsher than I judge myself. Even after big wins I say I should’ve done this better or call that set, probably should’ve done this defensively. I’m always very self-reflective.”
Large School Player of the Year: Devin Miller, Clovis
The senior guard was instrumental in rallying her team to pull off a co-TRAC title after a win over Clovis West in the first half of the TRAC season.
Miller was named the TRAC’s co-MVP.
Medium School Player of the Year: Morgan Trigueiro, Caruthers
The senior guard-forward, a four-year star, helped lead the Blue Raiders to a 27-8 overall record and 14-0 in the Northwest Sequoia League.
Trigueiro finished the season averaging 25.2 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game.
Small School Player of the Year: Riley Roux, Corcoran
The sophomore guard/forward led the Panthers to an East Sequoia League title after the team finished 8-0 in the league.
Roux finished the season with 12.9 points per game.
She was named the league’s MVP.
Bee All-Stars
Kylee Barnes, Sr., G, Buchanan
Kyah Bartlett, Fr., G, Monache
Chloe Benham, Sr., G/W, Dinuba
Jaelyn Bourdeau, Soph., F, Coalinga
Sadie Carpenter, Sr., G/F, Immanuel
Makayla Carre, Sr., C/F, Sierra Pacific
Jailynn Clayton, Jr., G, San Joaquin Memorial
Raquel Cortez, Jr., G, Reedley
Kiley Esajian, Sr., G, Sierra
Allison Friesen, Sr., G, Immanuel
Natalie Limon, Jr., G, Kerman
Briannah Lorta, Jr., G, Madera South
Leyocha Marigney, Sr., C/F, Roosevelt
Talia Maxwell, Sr., F, Central
Birdie McDonald, Sr., G/F, Sierra
Etoyah Montgomery, Sr., G, Clovis West
Aloni Oliver, Jr., G, Buchanan
Bethany Oliva, Jr., G, Mendota
Emily Pallesi, Jr., G, Reedley
Andrea Perez, Sr., G/F, Porterville
Riley Roux, Soph, G/F, Corcoran
Ariyah Smith, Jr., G, Clovis West
Krista Shaeffer, Jr., C/F, Sanger
Jazmaine Stewart, Fr., G, Farmersville
Kenyah Stubbs, Jr., G, Hanford
Tianna Sutherland, Sr., G, Roosevelt
Taylor Sutherland, Jr., G, Roosevelt
Alexis Swillis, Soph., F, San Joaquin Memorial
Jezzamay Tamayo, Sr., G, Lemoore
Tori Tarlton, Sr., G, Fresno Christian
Trinity Tolbert, Sr., G, Clovis West
Anisa Torres, Sr., G, Caruthers
Mia Va’asili, Soph., G, Sierra Pacific
Alisha Verdejo, Jr., G, Monache
Remni White, Sr., G, Fresno
Isabella Zepeda, Jr., F, Mission Oak
