ALTON - The Alton Community Unit School District #11 Board of Education honored the Alton High School girls’ basketball team for a successful season during the Board’s regular meeting on April 16, 2024.
The girls’ basketball team competed in three tournaments and went undefeated this year in those events. Coach Deserea Howard commended the athletes on their hard work and dedication.
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“They came out champions,” Howard said. “Our freshmen won the Southwestern Conference tournament for the first time in history, and varsity went undefeated 12–0 in the Southwestern Conference for our first back-to-back Southwestern Championship.”
The team also dominated at the IHSA 4A Regional & Sectional championships. They made a name for themselves as fierce competitors throughout the region.
However, Howard said she is most proud of the players’ academic excellence. While they are powerful athletes, they also excel as students.
“The one I’m most proud of is we kept 14 girls on the varsity roster this year, and all of those ladies finished on the high honor roll at the end of the season,” Howard said. “They were IHSA All-Academic with a 3.39 cumulative GPA as a team.”
The Board recognized these accomplishments and congratulated the students for their hard work. Alton High School Principal Mike Bellm pointed out that their success is “a huge reflection of their coach.” Howard was named an IBCA Coach of the Year, and she has a record of 63–5 over the past few years.
“I get to see them play a lot, and I think that other teams throw everything they have at them,” Bellm added. “I think that they try some things that are different, that they haven't seen before to get under their skin and things like that, and it never works with this team. They just stay steady as can be. They’re completely focused. They’re great teammates to each other.”
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