Montezuma’s Dylan Holland, Elise Boulton wrap up prep careers in Larry Niemeyer Senior All-Star Game

Montezuma’s Elise Boulton and Dylan Holland wrapped up their high school prep careers with one last game at the IGCA Larry Niemeyer Senior Girls’ Basketball All-Star Game on Sunday, April 11. Also playing in the all-star games was Kailey Jones, a former Bravette who finished her prep career at AHSTW High School. The Boulton and Jones family took the opportunity to pose for a photo together. Pictured are, from left, front row: Buddy Boulton, Elise Boulton, Brent Holland, Dylan Holland, Darin Jones, Kailey Jones. Back row: Marie Boulton, Natalie Holland and Chris Jones.     Submitted photo.

by ​J.O. Parker
 
   It was sort of a homecoming for two Montezuma Bravettes as they suited up and played one last game of their high school prep careers.
   Elise Boulton and Dylan Holland played some of the top talent in the state, including players from the SICL, in the IGCA Larry Niemeyer Senior Girls’ Basketball All-Star Game, April 11 at Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School.
   The all-star games, which are named in honor of the legendary Cedar Rapids coach Larry Niemeyer, who in 1989 started a senior all-star game in Cedar Rapids for schools of five-player basketball. The games were held at Mount Mercy College for around 20 years until moving to Kirkwood Community College. Once the entire state began to play five-player, the game grew to host 120 senior basketball players with six games over two days. The all-star series was sponsored by Gatorade and called the Gatorade Games until March of 2012, when the games were renamed the IGCA Larry Niemeyer All-Star Games.
    Teams in classes 5A, 4A and 3A play on Saturday while teams in class 1A and 2A play on Sunday. For each class, there are three different teams, a white team, a gray team and an elite team. This year’s game was played at CR Jefferson High School due to a conflict with Kirkwood.
Dylan played on the 1A gray team, which took on the 1A white team. She shared court duties with Lynnville-Sully’s Cally Gibbs and Iowa Valley’s Cassity Havens. 
     Elise was chosen to play on the Select 1A team and played against the 2A Select team. Kailey Jones, a former Bravette who played her senior campaign at AHSTW High School, was on Elise’s team along with Kaylee Weber from Sigourney.
    The teams practiced with each other the morning before playing in the afternoon. Each player wore her high school home or away uniform during the game. During introduction, each player’s stats, accomplishment and future plans were shared with those in attendance. 
Long-time Montezuma score keepers, Rex and Barb Baker, assisted on the clock/scorebook for the games.
     “It was a blast and I got to play with some very talented and fun girls,” said Dylan, who will play for the Simpson Storm in the fall. “I also got to see and play against some girls in the SICL. It was fun to play against them again, especially for my last time playing high school basketball. It was so much fun and definitely something I won’t forget.”
      Elise said she was very thankful for one last opportunity to play in the Bravette uniform.
     “I was able to make new friends that I will play against in college, which was very fun,” said Elise, who is also headed to Simpson College to play basketball in the fall. “I was also able to play against Kailey Jones and spend part of the day with her and her family. Although we wish she would have finished her career in a Bravette jersey, we are proud of her and it was awesome to play against her and be on the court together. I was blessed to share another all-star experience with Dylan as well in our last time representing Bravette basketball. Being invited to play among the elite girls in Iowa was such an honor and the girls on my team were so fun to play with and form friendships with.”