Campbell adds Gatorade Player of the Year to list of accolades

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Jake Miller

Alli Campbell was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Pennsylvania.

Kaelynn Behrens, Multimedia Editer

Bellwood-Antis sophomore Alli Campbell is no stranger to national honors, and she has received yet another one just a few days ago.

Alli was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Pennsylvania.

“It was an honor,” Alli said. “I was tagged in (the announcement) on Twitter by HUDL, and I got on my phone and saw it. I was pretty excited. I knew I was in the running because I filled out all of the paperwork and Coach (Jim) Swaney filled out the paperwork, but usually it would go to a senior, so I wasn’t expecting to get it.”

This award recognizes athletes for their all-around success, on the playing field, in extra-curricular activities, in the classroom, and in the community.

Usually it would go to a senior, so I wasn’t expecting to get it.

— Alli Campbell

“It means a lot because it’s not just basketball,” said Alli. “It was academics and community service and clubs. All sorts of things went to the decision, so it was pretty cool.”

It’s just one more accolade that Alli has achieved: she  is the fastest B-A player to score one-thousand points, and she is rated the eighth-best point guard for her class in the nation by ESPN. She was named to the Pennsylvania All-State second team as a freshman.

In addition to these major accomplishments, Alli has earned her place, along with the rest of the Lady Blue Devils, in the PIAA 2A championship basketball game Monday at the Giant Center in Hershey. It is the first trip tot he state title game for B-A since 1990.

This year alone, Allli, who recently joined the national AAU powerhouse Philadelphia Belles, has been a force to watch out for. In 30 games she is averaging 26.1 points per game and 5.2 assists per game. Alli has over 8 rebounds per game, 4.2 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game.

In her career, she has played 60 games for B-A. She averages about 21.9 points per game and 4.0 assist per game. Alli averages 7.3 rebounds per game, 3.7 steals per game, and 1.5 blocks per game.

In Alli’s two seasons of playing varsity basketball at B-A, the girls team has a record of 51-8. Just this season the Lady Blue Devils stand with a record of 27-3.

But despite all of the individual honors and accomplishments, one goal is on Alli’s mind as a trip to Hershey looms next week.

“A state championship would top this,” she said. “It would be close, but the team award would definitely be better, especially with this group of girls.”