Area’s top basketball players recognized by district

• Five county players received the top honor from the Central District.
• Newark stars Jordan Dartis and Kym Royster each were named Division I Player of the Year.

COLUMBUS – Licking County boasts some of the best talent in central Ohio, and it was recognized as such on Tuesday.

Five players were named Player of the Year for their respective divisions when the Associated Press released its Central District teams. Newark stars Jordan Dartis and Kym Royster were named the top players in Division I as were Johnstown’s Jason Carter and Paige Cannon in Division II and Newark Catholic’s Jill Blacksten in Division IV.

Dartis, a senior guard, shared the honor in Division I with Northland junior forward Seth Towns. He has led the Wildcats to three consecutive Ohio Capital Conference-Ohio Division titles, and he averages 19 points, five rebounds and three assists per game and is shooting better than 40 percent from 3-point range.

Royster, a senior forward, led the Wildcats to their first league title since 1994. She is averaging 19 points and eight rebounds per game and shooting 64 percent from the field.

Carter, a junior forward, led the Johnnies to the Licking County League title. He averages a county-best 20 points and 10 rebounds per game while shooting 52 percent from the field.

Also named to the first team in Division II was Lakewood senior Reece Dupler, who scored more than 1,600 points in his career, and Granville senior forward Austin Rush was named to the third team.

Cannon, a senior forward, has rewritten the Johnstown record books in several categories, including single-game, single-season and career scoring. She averages 22 points, 13 rebounds and six assists per game.

Lakewood sophomore Courtney Vierstra also was named to the first team, and Licking Valley senior Sierra McConnell was named to the third team in Division II.

Blacksten, a senior forward, led the Green Wave to their fourth consecutive league title. She averages 19 points and 11 rebounds per game while shooting 57 percent from the field.

NC teammates seniors Ashleigh Parkinson and Kelly Clapper were named to the first and third teams, respectively. Granville Christian senior guard Haleigh Hartshorn was named to the second team, and junior guard Abi Rose was named to the third team.

NC junior guard Max Hogue was named to the boys second team.

In Division III, Utica senior forward Rachel Londot was named to the girls second team.