AURORA | Michaela Onyenwere continues to pull down accolades like she snatches down rebounds, as the Grandview junior star received her second straight Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year for girls basketball.
The 6-foot forward captured the award for the 2015-16 season Gatorade announced Thursday, just hours before Onyenwere leads the undefeated Wolves into a 7 p.m. Class 5A semifinal matchup against ThunderRidge at the Coors Events Center in Boulder.
Onyenwere carries averages of 24.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
“Michaela Onyenwere is an exceptional athlete that possesses great energy,” Grandview coach Josh Ulitzky in a statement. “She is a player that gives her best effort every time she is on the floor.
“She is a great teammate who does whatever is required to help her team win. Her leadership has been more evident as she has become more vocal and continues to lead by example in practice and in games.”
Onyenwere — who won her first Gatorade POY award last season when she averaged 23.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.9 steals and 1.3 blocked shots — is ranked as the No. 28 player in the Class of 2017 by ESPN HoopGurlz, which gives her a four-star rating.
Onyenwere is Aurora’s first repeat winner of the girls basketball Gatorade award and is the third individual for Aurora schools, as she has won twice following the Regis Jesuit duo of Justine Hall (2013-14) and Diani Akigbogun (2012-13). Onyenwere is now eligible for Gatorade’s national player of the year award, which is announced later in March.
Grandview has also had Gatorade Player of the Year award winners in volleyball (Lauren VanOrden, 2008) and baseball (Greg Bird, 2011). Aurora’s all-time list of Gatorade Award winners, here.
In its press release, Gatorade noted that in addition to her play, Onyenwere maintains a B average in the classroom serves in her church community as well as working with Special Olympics and as a youth basketball coach.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel