Prep Athletes of the Week: Just call Chaska's Kennedy Sanders 'dynamic'

That's how her coach sums up the standout girls basketball player.

January 2, 2023 at 10:41PM
Kennedy Sanders took on Eden Prairie’s Vanessa Jordan (34) during Chaska’s victory in the Park Center Holiday Tournament. Sanders scored 22 points in the game. (Korey McDermott, Special to the Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

KENNEDY SANDERS

Chaska • basketball

Sanders leads the Hawks in scoring at 22.7 points per game and has been held to fewer than 22 points just once this season.

But the 5-8 guard, who is in her fifth season on the Chaska varsity, is not just a scorer.

"She's picked up her scoring," Chaska coach Tara Seifert said. "We knew we were going to need that from her. But she's also creating for the other kids. She's just a very dynamic player who also defends."

Last week, Sanders paced the Hawks (8-1), ranked No. 4 in Class 4A, to victories over Owatonna and Eden Prairie in the Park Center Holiday Tournament.

She scored 23 points in the Hawks' 73-34 victory over Owatonna and had 22 points in a 72-63 victory over No. 3 Eden Prairie.

Against Eden Prairie, she also became the program's leader in career assists.

"She's a really humble player," Seifert said. "She's had a huge impact on our program. She's going to finish and break a lot of records here."

CHLOE BOREEN

Hill-Murray • hockey

The junior forward scored eight goals to lead the Pioneers to three victories and the championship of the Eden Prairie Tournament. She had four goals in a 6-1 victory over Benilde-St. Margaret's and three in a 6-1 victory over Shakopee in the final. She has 18 goals in 13 games.

KAM HENDRICKSON

Chanhassen • hockey

The junior goaltender paced the Storm, ranked No. 3 in Class 2A, to three victories last week. He made 22 saves in a 6-2 victory over Rosemount and had back-to-back shutouts in victories over Lakeville South and St. Louis Park. He is 8-1 this season with five shutouts and a 1.11 goals-against average.

JAYDEN MOORE

Hopkins • basketball

The freshman guard scored 82 points to lead the Royals, ranked No. 5 in Class 4A, to three victories. He scored 31 points in an 83-55 victory over Cambridge-Isanti, 17 in an 82-69 victory over Andover and 34, his season high, in an 83-62 victory over Osseo.

SARAH PETERSON

Breck • hockey

The senior goaltender stopped 132 of 137 shots in three games. Peterson, who is nearing 2,000 saves for her career and approaching the school record for career saves, had 46 saves in Breck's 2-0 loss to Stillwater, ranked No. 9 in Class 2A, on Dec. 27.

LANDON ROBIDEAU

St. Michael-Albertville • wrestling

The sophomore went 4-0 — with three victories by technical fall and one by pin — to help the Knights win the team title at the Rogers Tournament. Robideau, the top-ranked wrestler at 132 pounds in Class 3A, improved to 16-0 this season.

JORDAN RONN

Champlin Park • hockey

The senior had eight points (five goals and three assists) as the Rebels went 3-0 at the Premier Holiday Classic in St. Louis Park. In the Rebels' 7-4 victory over Rosemount, he had three goals and an assist. He leads the Rebels with 13 goals and eight assists in nine games.

Nominate an athlete: Send an e-mail with supporting information to preps@startribune.com. Include a photo and a link, if available, to video.

Kennedy Sanders of Chaska
Kennedy Sanders of Chaska
Chloe Boreen of Hill-Murray (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Kam Hendrickson of Chanhassen
Kam Hendrickson of Chanhassen (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Jayden Moore of Hopkins
Jayden Moore of Hopkins (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Sarah Peterson of Breck
Sarah Peterson of Breck (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Landon Robideau of St. Michael-Albertville
Landon Robideau of St. Michael-Albertville (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Jordan Ronn of Champlin Park
Jordan Ronn of Champlin Park (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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about the writer

Joel Rippel

News Assistant

Joel Rippel writes about sports for the Star Tribune.

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