Blue Pony spikers earn Central A honors

The Havre High volleyball team put together one of its best seasons in almost a decade in 2015 and when the Central A All-Conference team was revealed it was littered with Blue Ponies.

Havre finished the season 14-8 and qualified for the Class A state tournament for the first time since 2007 and even though the Ponies failed to win a match at state it was still a memorable season. Leading the way for the Ponies this past season was Dani Wagner, who finished among the leaders in the Central A in kills, aces and assists. And for the second straight year, Wagner earned First-Team All-Conference honors for her efforts.

Joining Wagner on the First-Team is fellow Havre senior Reggie Bernard. Bernard led the Central A in blocks this season and worked her way onto the First-Team after receiving Second-Team honors a season ago.

Wagner, who saw time as an outside hitter as well as a setter, along with Bernard, who was also an outside hitter, led Havre to a dramatic turnaround in 2015 after the team won just a handful of games in 2014.

The culmination of Havre's great season came in the Eastern A Divisional tournament, when the Ponies knocked off Billings Central to earn their way into the state tournament. Havre lost to Butte Central and Whitefish at the state tournament in Bozeman.

The rest of the Central A First-Team All-Conference squad features Baily Christensen, Shania Neubaurer and Skyla Neubauer of Belgrade. Sierra Higgs of Livingston also made the team as did Carly Carpenter of Lewistown. In addition to earning First-Team All-Central A honors, both Wagner and Bernard, along with the rest of the First-Team, were named to the 2015 Class A All-State team.

While the Ponies got just two players onto the First-Team, the players honored as Second-Team All-Conference consisted of two more HHS players as seniors Madison Huebsch and Megan Erickson were both recognized for outstanding seasons, especially on the defensive end.

Kyra Fleharty, Mikayla Comes and Kodi Myhre of Lewistown, Kinsey Whiting of Livingston and Madi Shott of Belgrade made up the remainder of the team.

In all there were 14 spots awarded, with four each going to Belgrade, Lewistown and Havre. Livingston also finished with two.

Central A

All-State: Baily Christensen, Belgrade; Sierra Higgs, Livingston; Shania Neubaurer, Belgrade; Dani Wagner, Havre.

All-Conference

First team: Baily Christensen, Belgrade; Sierra Higgs, Livingston; Shania Neubaurer, Belgrade; Dani Wagner, Havre; Skyla Neubauer, Belgrade; Reggie Bernard, Havre; Carly Carpenter, Lewistown.

Second team: Kyra Fleharty, Lewistown; Megan Erickson, Havre; Madison Huebsh, Havre; Kinsey Whiting, Livingston; Kodi Myhre, Lewistown; Mikayla Comes, Lewistown; Madi Shott, Belgrade.