Prep Athlete of the Week: Katy Wessels

There are few high school sporting events in the valley so anticipated as the annual Golden Throne doubleheader pitting the two cities' boys and girls basketball teams against one another.

It might be seen as fittin that Tribune Prep Athlete of the Week honors have been conferred upon a player who starred in one of those games: Lewiston girls basketball post Katy Wessels, who scored 19 points to help the Bengals defeat Clarkston 53-42.

A 6-foot-2 junior, Wessels has been a stalwart all season, averaging 16.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. She feels she has "definitely gotten better" this season, having sat out much of the 2020-21 season with an injury. Coach Karlee Stefanchik cites free-throw shooting as a major area of improvement for Wessels, who draws many fouls around the basket.

"Katy's all over the floor for us," Stefanchik said. "She's a great contributor, great rebounder, comes up with a lot of rebounds and plays that really get our team going. Our guards have gotten good at passing to her."

A three-sport athlete, Wessels also is a leader for the volleyball team, regularly recording double-digit kill totals as a middle blocker, and for the track and field team, in which she won the district long jump title and went to the state meet in spring 2021. With one season of basketball remaining, she aspires to spearhead a district title and state berth in that sport as well.