Shalhevet sophomore Yalee Schwartz is the National Player of the Year and the Firehawks’ Ryan Coleman is Coach of the Year in the first-ever Jewish Hoops America awards in girls basketball.
Mia Meldung, a high scoring sophomore from Donna Klein Jewish Academy, is the Underclassman of the Year.
Schwartz and Coleman led the Firehawks to the CIF Division 5 championship game, the first time a Jewish school ever played for a California state title. There was no team rankings during this inagural season of girls coverage but JHA has picked a Top 10 (see below) with Shalhevet finishing at #1.
Schwartz, who averaged 16 points and 7 rebounds per game, anchors a 1st Team Jewish Hoops America that includes her teammate, senior Talia Tizabi, HAFTR senior Ruthee Rosner, Berman Hebrew Academy junior Jenny Kagan and Meldung.
The 2nd Team includes seniors Tali Cohen of Berman HA, Dayna Felger of Barrack Hebrew Academy, Megan Spivak of HAFTR and Jasmine Maly-Danker of Milken and sophomore Arielle Grossman of Shalhevet.
Making the 3rd Team are seniors Avital Friedman of Jewish Day School and Yakira Wolfson of Hebrew Academy Miami, junior Dalia Leibowitz of Beth Tfiloh and freshmen Leila Sakhai of Ramaz and Daphna Steinmetz of SKA.
Coleman, who was Boys’ Coach of the Year in 2018, led the Firehawks to a 28-7 record. Other coaches considered were Joey Hoenig of HAFTR, Danilo Pinnock of Berman HA, Sean Rochester of Barrack HA, Joe Campodonico of HA Miami, Becky Silberman of Jewish Day School and Kevin Scholla of Kohelet.
Meldung averaged more than 26 points per game for the Eagles. She topped a deep, talented group of underclassmen that included Grossman and fellow sophomores Ayeket Ostrin of Maayanot, Ilana Schwartz of Ida Crown and Shani Schwartz of Jewish Day School and freshmen Sakai, Steinmetz, Kira Heumann of YULA and Lilly Yalovsky of Yavneh Dallas.
1st Team All Jewish Hoops America
Yalee Schwartz, So., Shalhevet/Los Angeles,CA
Jenny Kagan, Jr., Berman Hebrew Academy/Rockville,MD
Mia Meldung, So., Donna Klein Jewish Academy/Boca Raton,FL
Ruthee Rosner, Sr., HAFTR/Cedarhurst,NY
Talia Tizabi, Sr., Shalhevet/Los Angeles,CA
2nd Team All Jewish Hoops America
Tali Cohen, Sr., Berman Hebrew Academy/Rockville,MD
Dayna Felger, Sr., Barrack Hebrew Academy/Bryn Mawr,PA
Arielle Grossman, So., Shalhevet/Los Angeles,CA
Jasmine Maly-Danker, Sr., Milken/Los Angeles,CA
Megan Spivak, Sr., HAFTR/Cedarhurst,NY
3rd Team All Jewish Hoops America
Avital Friedman, Sr., Jewish Day School/Rockville,MD
Dalia Leibowitz, Jr., Beth Tfiloh/Baltimore,MD
Leila Sakhai, Fr., Ramaz/New York,NY
Daphna Steinmetz, Fr., SKA/Hewlett Bay Park,NY
Yakira Wolfson, Sr., Hebrew Academy/Miami Beach,FL
Honorable Mention All Jewish Hoops America
Simone Amkraut, Jr., Flatbush/Brooklyn,NY
Aviva Clauer, Jr., Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy/Overland Park,KS
Alexa Heumann, Jr., YULA/Los Angeles,CA
Kira Heumann, Fr., YULA/Los Angeles,CA
Megan Horowitz, Jr., SAR/Bronx,NY
Shiri Kolom, Sr., Ida Crown/Skokie,IL
Natalie Neusner, Jr., Maimonides/Brookline,MA
Shir-el Rudnick, Sr., Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy/Overland Park,KS
Barbara Sasson, Jr., Kohelet/Merion Station,PA
Ilana Schwartz, So., Ida Crown/Skokie,IL
Shani Schwartz, So., Jewish Day School/Rockville,MD
Eden Singer, Jr., Barrack Hebrew Academy/Bryn Mawr,PA
Leah Weiss, Sr. Maayanot/Teaneck,NJ
Lilly Yalovsky, Fr., Yavneh Academy/Dallas,TX
Ma’ayan Zakheim, Jr., Berman Hebrew Academy/Rockville,MD
2021-22 National JHA Top 10
1.Shalhevet/Los Angeles,CA………..…28-7
2.HAFTR/Cedarhurst,NY…………..……..18-3
3.Berman HA/Rockville,MD………..…..17-5
4.SKA/Hewlett Bay Park,NY…………..…13-2
5.Milken/Los Angeles,CA………………..15-9
6.Barrack HA/Bala Cynwyd,PA……..…16-4
7.Jewish Day School/Rockville,MD…12-5
8.Ramaz/New York,NY……………………..14-8
9.Frisch/Paramus,NJ………………………..13-5
10.YULA/Los Angeles,CA…………………18-14