GIRLS BASKETBALL: Three Columbia Falls juniors named Class A all-state

Columbia Falls juniors Kiara Burlage, Cydney Finberg and Peyton Kehr have all been named to the Class A all-state team after leading the Wildkats to a second place finish at last weekend’s state tournament.

The Wildkats were edged in the championship game by Butte Central, but after making it to the finals for the first time in 30 years, Columbia Falls cleaned up when postseason conference and state awards were announced on Tuesday.

Finberg, Burlage and Kehr were joined by senior Ellie Johnson on the Northwest A all-conference first team, and Wildkats head coach Cary Finberg was named the league’s coach of the year.

Cydney Finberg returns to the all-state team for a second time. The daughter of the Columbia Falls head coach, she was an all-state pick as a freshman before being left off the team a year ago. Cydney led the conference in assists (3.7 per game) and added 5.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 steals each time out.

Burlage led the conference in scoring (13.9 points) and blocks (1.5) per game, and ranked second in the league in rebounding (7.7 per game). She shot 58.6 percent from the field en route to the first all-state selection of her career. Burlage was a second team all-conference pick the previous two seasons.

Kehr was also a second team all-conference honoree a year ago and make the leap to all-state by becoming the Wildkats’ most dangerous shooter. Kehr made 38.6 percent of her shots from 3-point range and was second in the league in field goal percentage (48.7), trailing only Burlage.

Whitefish’s Dani Douglas and Coral Schulz earned second team all-conference accolades, along with Polson’s Nichole Lake.

2015-16 Class A Awards

All-State

Kiara Burlage, Jr., Columbia Falls

Cydney Finberg, Jr., Columbia Falls

Peyton Kehr, Jr., Columbia Falls

Alli Moe, Sr., Frenchtown

Mollie Peoples, Jr., Butte Central

Emily St. John, Jr., Butte Central

Alex Rouse, Sr., Dillon

Kloie Thatcher, So., Butte Central

Sierra Pica, Sr., Butte Central

Dani Wagner, Sr., Havre

Naomi Terry, Jr., Havre

Tiara Gilham, Sr., Browning

Taylor CalfBossribs, Sr., Browning

Abbie Lohof, Sr., Laurel

Ashlie Larson, Sr., Miles City

Mariah Wittman, Sr., Billings Central

Northwest A Conference

First Team

Kiara Burlage, Jr., Columbia Falls

Cydney Finberg, Jr., Columbia Falls

Peyton Kehr, Jr., Columbia Falls

Alli Moe, Sr., Frenchtown

Ellie Johnson., Sr., Columbia Falls

Second Team

Dani Douglas, So., Whitefish

Nichole Lake, Sr., Polson

Kylie Willet, So., Frenchtown

Coral Schulz, Sr., Whitefish

Megan Delaney, So., Frenchtown

Coach of the Year

Cary Finberg, Columbia Falls