Indianola girls all smiles after earning state tourney trip

Haley Vesey's cheeks hurt from smiling Tuesday. But she'll gladly bear the pain.

Vesey scored 12 points to help lead Indianola to a 56-35 win over Winterset in a Class 4-A girls' basketball regional final at Valley.

The win sent the Indians (19-4) on to next week's state tournament. The players posed for so many photographs —with each one taking turns posing with the state qualifying pennant — that it didn't take long for pain to take hold.

"Honestly, my cheeks are sore from smiling so much," said Vesey, one of four players to score 10 or more points.

Grace Berg led the Indians with 13 points. Kristina Quijano and Paige Nicholson both added 10.

Winterset finished 14-10. All-state guard Mariah Criswell, a Northern Iowa recruit, led her team with 17 points.

"She's one of the top two or three guards in the state," Indianola coach Bert Hanson said. "She's a wonderful player."

Hanson has now led Iowa high school basketball teams to state tournaments in five decades. He guided Lake Mills to the state boys' tournament in 1973 and led Indianola's boys to the tournament in the '80s, '90s and 2000s. His 2001 Indianola boys' team won a state championship.

The Indianola girls also went to state in 2009 under Hanson.

Indianola has three seniors on the team this season.

"This team has youth and exuberance and togetherness," Hanson said.

INDIANOLA (56)— Ka.Quijano 2, Kr.Quijano 10, Kuehl 3, Nicholson 10, Glascock 6, Vesey 12, Berg 13. Also played: Lester, Coghlan, Hanna, Jensen, Bishop. Totals 19 10-12.

WINTERSET (35)— Johnson 2, Mar.Criswell 17, Shahan 3, Mac.Criswell 2, Pickering 4, Barker 1, Eyerly 6. Totals 11 7-11.

Indianola…12 18 8 18—56

Winterset…13 11 6 5—35

3-point goals—Indianola 8 (Nicholson 3, Vesey 3, Kuehl, Kr.Quijano), Winterset 6 (Mar.Criswell 4, Shahan, Pickering). Fouls—Indianola 15, Winterset 11.

AT W.D.M. Valley