Girls basketball: Chaminade’s Whitfield named D-1’s top player

Alexis Whitfield, Chaminade’s junior center who helped the Eagles claim the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 girls’ basketball title, was named D-1 Player of the Year for 2019.

It’s the fourth time in the last seven seasons that a Chaminade player has earned the top honor, with Whitfield joining Mi'Cheal Wright (Division 3-A in 2013) and Valerie Higgins (Open in 2015 and 2016) as Players of the Year from the West Hills high school.

In the Eagles’ 52-49 championship game victory over M.L. King on Feb. 23, Whitfield scored 24 points (including the go-ahead basket with 19 second remaining) and grabbed 25 rebounds.

The post-season honors announced this week also named Chaminade’s Kelli Di Muro, now a four-time CIF-SS champion as coach, as Coach of the Year in D-1. Eagles’ senior Leslie Hunter was named to the All-CIF D-1 first team, as was senior Alexis Tucker of Serra/Gardena; both were first team Open Division choices in 2018.

In Division 5AA, coach Victor Tuberosi, who led Mary Star of the Sea to a series of upset wins in the CIF-SS tournament, was named Coach of the Year. Mary Star sophomore Isabella Serrano and Sacred Heart junior Angelica Matute were named to the D-5AA first team.

Local Catholic schools were well-represented on the All-CIF teams, as presented by the LA84 Foundation. Selections included:

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• Open: Junior Asia Avinger of state champion Rosary, senior Cailyn Crocker and sophomore Brooke Demetre of Mater Dei, and seniors Kayla Padilla and Kayla Williams of Bishop Montgomery (Padilla is a repeat selection).

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• D-2A: Sophomores Elizabeth Elliott of St. Mary’s Academy and Helena Friend of Santa Margarita.

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• D-3A: Senior Dominique Hernandez of St. Bonaventure.

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• D-4AA: Freshman Jyah LoVett of Providence/Burbank.

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• D-4A: Senior Dalila Rincan of St. Genevieve.

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• D-5A: Sophomore Amanda Diaz of Bishop Conaty-Loretto, and senior Madison Fabbian of Villanova Prep.

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Mike Nelson is the former editor of The Tidings (predecessor of Angelus News).

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