Kaneland's Martens earns MVP acclaim

Kaneland junior guard Jamie Martens has earned Daily Herald MVP distinction for her recent high school girls basketball performances.

Jamie Martens, Kaneland: Kaneland won the Class 3A IMSA regional championship last week, and this 5-foot-6 junior point guard led the way. She started with an all-around gem - 6 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 5 assists - in a win over IMSA, then scored a game-high 21 points with 5 rebounds and 4 assists as Kaneland (23-6) defeated Rosary 51-33 to win the 13th regional championship in its program history.

Myia Clark, St. Viator: The junior guard scored a game-high 19 points with 12 rebounds and 3 steals as the No. 4-seeded Lions won a second straight regional crown for the first time in school history with a 38-34 win over No. 5 Vernon Hills. Clark came back with a game-high 23 points in a 51-39 loss to Antioch in the Johnsburg sectional.

Jayla Johnson, WW South: The junior post player led the Tigers to a regional championship with wins against Addison Trail and host school St. Charles East. She scored 21 points against Addison Trail, then followed that with 14 points and 10 rebounds against St. Charles East.

Riley Weis, Libertyville: An underrated defender, the 5-foot-7 senior guard can also knock down long-range shots. She scored a team-high 14 points, sinking four 3-pointers, as the Wildcats beat Grayslake North 47-30 in their Class 4A regional opener. The three-year varsity player then had 9 points on a trio of 3 and shined on defense, as the sixth seed edged No. 3 Stevenson 35-33 in the regional final.