CLOQUET — The inaugural 2023 Cloquet Pine Journal All-Area Girls Basketball Team can be best described in one word: experience.
The team is built entirely of veteran upperclassmen with six seniors leading way, including Avery Kuklinski (Esko), Rayna Klejeski (Barnum), Allison Marine (Barnum), Janae Sjodin (Wrenshall), Sascha Korpela (Cromwell-Wright) and All-Area Player of the Year, Alexa Snesrud (Cloquet).
Rounding out the nine-player list are juniors Hannah Swanson and Kyra Johnson of Esko, along with Cloquet's Ava Carlson.
Alexa Snesrud 
Amy Arntson / Cloquet Pine Journal - Averaged 16.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game in her final season with the Lumberjacks. - Five-year varsity member who became the eighth player in program history to eclipse the 1,000-point mark for her career (finished with 1,278 points). - Class AAA all-state honorable mention, first team all-Lake Superior Conference - "She’s that silent leader who just goes out and performs ... at her peak-level," coach Heather Young said. "(She's) also that kid that’s just happy for the next teammate who had a great game or did something awesome." |
Ava Carlson 
Amy Arntson / Cloquet Pine Journal - Posted season averages of 16.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Shot an ultra-efficient 49.5% from the field. - Second team all-Lake Superior Conference - "Ava is a player that has displayed tremendous growth this past season. She creates a presence on both ends of the court, and we can rarely pull her off the floor because of how much presence she creates," coach Heather Young said. "She is a fighter, determined, hard working and someone who is a great example of what we want our players to be in this program." |
Sascha Korpela 
Jake Przytarski / Cloquet Pine Journal - Powered the Cardinals to another Polar League (Small) Conference title with season averages of 14 points, seven rebounds, four steals and four assists per game. - Two-time Polar League Conference (Small) MVP, Class A all-state honorable mention - "One of the best defensive players I've coached," said coach Jeff Gronner. |
Avery Kuklinski 
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram - Finished with season averages of seven points and four assists per game - First team all-Polar League Conference (Large) - "The little engine that could," coach Sue Northey said of Kuklinski. "Her greatest contribution was her ability to defend the other teams' best players—regardless of size. At 5-feet tall, Avery plays bigger due to her skill set, knowledge of the game and her giant heart to compete. (She'll be) attending Valley City State University next year to play basketball and softball and continue her education." |
Kyra Johnson 
Jake Przytarski / 2022 File / Cloquet Pine Journal - Averaged 12 points and eight rebounds per game for the Eskomos - First team all-Polar League Conference (Large) - "Typically out sized at the five spot, but her athleticism allows her to compete and thrive," coach Sue Northey said. "As her outside game improves, so will her impact on the game." |
Hannah Swanson 
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram - Shot 46% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc en route to averaging 13 points per game for the Eskomos. - Second team all-Polar League Conference (Large) - "A crafty left-hander who continued to get better as the season progressed," coach Sue Northey said. "(Swanson) could score inside and from beyond the arc. A big summer of improvement could lead to a nice senior year campaign." |
Allison Marine 
Amy Arntson / Cloquet Pine Journal - Shot 63.9% from the field en route to averaging 19 points per game, 10 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. - Second team all-Polar League Conference (Large) - "Allison is a great player who brought a lot of positive energy to our team," coach Mariah Minkkinen said. "Her strong presence in the post will be missed next year." |
Rayna Klejeski 
Amy Arntson / Cloquet Pine Journal - Averaged a double-double for the Bombers with a team-high 20 points per game and 10 rebounds. Added 2.6 steals per game and 1.33 blocks on the defensive end of the floor. - Polar League Conference (Large) MVP - "On defense we relied on her to take away other teams' best scorers," coach Mariah Minkkinen said. "Her work ethic and passion for the game have helped her become a great player, and we will miss having her on both ends of the floor." |
Janae Sjodin 
Jake Przytarski / 2021 File / Cloquet Pine Journal - Led the Wrens with averages of 18 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals per game as team captain. - First team all-Polar League Conference (Small) - "Janae is an extremely hard working student athlete," coach Emma Grover said. "She has been a force on the court this last season and our previous seasons. She has quality basketball intuition and knows how to read the court and players well." |
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