Girls Basketball All-Area: Bonita’s Nikki Wheatley and Covina’s Nick Masi earn top honors

PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND FIRST TEAM STORY: Night in and night out, all eyes were on Nikki Wheatley. Sometimes, all hands and hips were, too.

The focus of several double teams and various defensive strategies, Wheatley never wilted. Instead, the Bonita High School sophomore delivered the type of season so many expected after she burst on the scene in the 2010-11 season as an electric freshman point guard.

After leading Bonita to 27 wins, a second consecutive sweep of the Hacienda League and trips to both the CIF-Southern Section and state playoffs, Wheatley is the 2011-12 Tribune Player of the Year.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Fresh off a 13-15 season the year before, nobody was expecting much from the Covina High School girls basketball team this past winter.

The Colts returned just one player who had averaged double figures in points a season prior and had a new coach in Nick Masi. It was not exactly the recipe for a record-setting season.

TRIBUNE GIRLS BASKETBALL ALL AREA
Player of the year: Nikki Wheatley, Bonita, So.
Coach of the year: Nick Masi, Covina
FIRST TEAM
Guard: Evelyn Herrera, Workman, Sr.
Guard: Ashli Baddorf, Covina, Sr.
Forward: Chelsea Barnes, Diamond Ranch, Sr.
Forward: Imari Brown, Duarte, Jr.
Forward: Leeah Powell, Bishop Amat, Jr.

SECOND TEAM
Forward: Taylor Jackson, San Dimas, Sr.
Forward: Merrissa Suarez, Charter Oak, Sr.
Guard: Paulina Santana, Bishop Amat, So.
Guard: Savannah Selby, St. Lucy’s, Sr.
Guard: Melody Gauthier, Rosemead, Jr.

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