By Scott Taylor | @Taylor_Sports
Many wondered what Downers Grove North star athlete Jaida Green would do for an encore her senior year.
The Penn State-bound basketball player and 2015 Voyager Media Female Multisport Athlete of the Year had one more basketball season to showcase her talent and was competing in the high jump for the second year.
All she did was improve upon her previous year in both sports, averaging 17.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game and won a state high jump title.
For her accomplishments, Green is the repeat winner of the Voyager Media Female Multisport Athlete of the Year.
In basketball, not only did Green showcase herself on offense or on the boards, she was a dominant defensive player as well with her length. She finished the year with 54 steals and 63 blocks, a rare feat to be dominant in both defensive statistics.
She then proved her athletic prowess by high jumping her way to a state title, jumping 5-feet, 7-inches, after placing third last year with a jump of 5-6.
It is only the second year she came out for track and field.
Some may say there are many similarities between the two sports, but the technicality of the high jump makes it quite different.
Her success in the sport will only help her when playing for Penn State in the fall.
“I think the high jump is so different from basketball,” Green said. “In basketball, you are just refining your skills. In high jump, I really knew nothing so it was fun to come out and learn a new sport. Being able to calm your nerves in the high jump can help me transfer it to basketball, too.”
The rest of the top multisport athletes, by zone, are:
BROOKLYN BACHMANN, JOLIET/SHOREWOOD
Minooka junior was a rare three-sport athlete and excelled in all three of them.
In the spring, she was a state qualifier in the pole vault, clearing 10-feet in the Friday preliminaries.
In the winter, Bachmann was the floor leader of the Indians from the point guard position and led the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game. She also shot 73 percent from the foul and had 83 assists.
“Brooklyn’s ability to score in so many ways makes her such a dangerous offensive weapon,” Minooka basketball coach Ray Liberatore said after her all-area selection. “We have won 60 games the past three seasons with Brooklyn as our starting point guard and her quickness makes her attractive to college basketball coaches.”
In the fall, Bachmann was the setter on the Indians’ volleyball squad where she posted 848 assists, an average of 9.7 assists per game. She also tallied 165 digs, 22 kills and 10 service aces.
RILEY ECKHART, NILES
Maine South senior and Voyager Media All-Star Game selection competed this year in basketball and track.
On the hardwood she was an all-area selection, averaging 9.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 assists per game for the Hawks, leading the team in scoring and steals.
“Throughout her four years in our program, no one worked harder on her game than Riley Eckhart,” Maine South coach Mark Smith said. “Her tireless efforts helped her become one of the premier shooters in the area and certainly the best three-point shooter in our program. Her consistent performances meant a great deal to our team as everyone knew exactly what they were going to get from Riley on a daily basis.”
She also competed in the throwing events for the track and field team, finishing in fourth place in both events at the CSL South meet.
LOTA ONUA, PLAINFIELD
The junior from Plainfield East was a third team all-area basketball selection, averaging 11.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and had 84 steals.
“I could count on her every game to give maximum effort and score in double digits and get close to double digit rebounds, despite teams keying on her,” East basketball coach Anthony Wazonis said. “Not only did she lead the team in scoring and rebounding, but also had our most steals (by 22). Helped lead a turnaround from a 10-win season to an 18-win season and making a regional final. In games where teams keyed on her as well she would be the first to share the ball and often have five assists in those games.”
In track, Onua advanced to the finals of the triple jump in ninth place with a distance of 37-9. Her distance was passed in an opponent’s final jump, leaving her one place out of the medal stand in 10th.
SKYE OSBORNE,
VALLEY VIEW
Basketball and softball standout from Romeoville, the senior was a staple in both sports all four years as a Spartan.
This season, she was named to the Voyager Media All-Area softball team, as she posted a .436 batting average to go with four home runs, eight doubles, five triples and 22 RBI.
On the basketball court, she was the Spartans’ court leader and averaged 5.76 points per game to go along with 2.55 assists and 1.95 assists per contest.
