By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
With the loss of All-State guard Brook Simpson to graduation, Saugatuck girls basketball coach Kevin Tringali knew he had some big shoes to fill heading into the 2024-25 season.
Enter Tali Laskowski.
A junior who had previously been home-schooled, Laskowski transferred into Saugatuck for the start of the school year.
She quickly meshed with sophomore guard Mylah Simpson, junior guard Penny Grob and senior forward Kennedy Gustafson to form the core of a Trailblazers team that won SAC Central and district championships.
And for her performance during the season, Laskowski was named First Team All-State by the Michigan Sports Writers/AP.
Tringali praised Laskowski’s athleticism and basketball IQ, which he said is off the charts.
“Tali is one of the more athletic kids we have ever had here at Saugatuck,” Tringali said. “She also has tremendous instincts and has a great feel for the game as a point guard.
“She always did what that particular game needed her to do offensively, but also was precise, particularly when it came to stealing the ball on the defensive end.”
Laskowski started all 25 games for Saugatuck, scoring 428 points for an average of 17.1 points per game. That was second on the team to Mylah Simpson, who went for 17.4 points per game in her 23 games played.
Laskowski shot 47.5 percent from inside the 3-point arc and 30 percent behind it, knocking down 35 triples.
She also led the Trailblazers in assists (5.1 per game) and steals (7.0 per game) and was second to Gustafson in rebounds (4.7 per game).
“Although she was new to our program, Tali instantly fit right in,” Tringali said. “She possesses great leadership skills and made us a better team.”