Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Hunter Horn of St. Edmond drives to the basket during the state semifinals in Des Moines.

Award season has started and the honors are coming in for the St. Edmond boys.

A trio of Gaels were named to the all-North Central Conference teams, the league announced recently.

Juniors Hunter Horn, Jakob Koopman and Jack McElroy were all named, with Horn being a unanimous first team selection. Koopman was placed on the second team while McElroy earned third team status.

Humboldt’s Elliot Carlson and Clear Lake’s Thomas Meyer were also unanimous choices for the first team with Algona’s Ben Helmers, Meyer’s teammate Titan Schmitt and Brady Harr from Hampton-Dumont/CAL completing the squad.

Horn, Koopman and McElroy helped the Gaels to a second-place finish in the league standings with Humboldt. St. Edmond advanced to the semifinals of the Class 1A state tournament.

“It’s a pretty special honor, being named all-conference in this league,” SEHS head coach Adolph Kochendorfer said. “We are the smallest school that plays in the NCC, going up against some big, talented teams on a nightly basis.

“Hunter, Jakob and Jack all had exceptional seasons. It was great to see them recognized.”

Clear Lake, which went unbeaten during the regular season and was 14-0 in the NCC, finished as the 3A state runner-up. The Gaels and Wildcats both went 11-3 in the league, splitting their season series.

Horn averaged an NCC-leading 26.2 points per game against league competition, shooting 61 percent from the field and 75 percent at the free throw line. He also averaged 9.1 rebounds per game while adding 20 assists, 19 steals and 11 blocked shots.

Along with the league honor, Horn also made the Iowa Basketball Coaches Association’s all-substate team.

Koopman tallied 144 points on 66 percent shooting from the field in league games, adding 102 rebounds with 43 assists, 28 steals and seven blocked shots. He was in the Top-12 in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks.

McElroy produced 98 assists with 71 rebounds, 67 points and 24 steals in NCC play. His assist average of seven per game led all conference players.

Second-team NCC selections included Humboldt’s Coen Matson and Chaz Lane from Clarion-Goldfield/Dows. Matson’s Humboldt teammate, Mason Van Pelt, and Algona’s Nathan Manske were on the third squad.

BOYS ALL-NORTH CENTRAL CONFERENCE

First Team

*Elliot Carlson, Humboldt, sr.; *Thomas Meyer, Clear Lake, sr.; *Hunter Horn, St. Edmond, jr.; Ben Helmers, Algona, sr.; Titan Schmitt, Clear Lake, sr.; Brady Harr, Hampton-Dumont/CAL, jr.

*Denotes unanimous selection

Second Team

Kale Kalous, Iowa Falls-Alden, sr.; Coen Matson, Humboldt, sr.; Jakob Koopman, St. Edmond, jr.; Chaz Lane, Clarion-Goldfield/Dows, soph.; Jaxson McIntire, Clear Lake, soph.; Carson Riser, Clear Lake, soph.

Third Team

Sam Howland, Clear Lake, sr.; Calvin Hutchinson, Iowa Falls-Alden, sr.; Mason Van Pelt, Humboldt, sr.; Max Larson, Clear Lake, jr.; Jack McElroy, St. Edmond, jr.; Nathan Manske, Algona, soph.