Submitted photo: Team members for state qualifier Bishop Garrigan are, front row, left to right: Rikiya Nielson, Sacha Alesch, Emmi Bartolo, Graclyn Eastman, Carley Nielson, Alyssa Haugland and Ava Roethler; Middle: Lucy Eisenbarth, Addison Faris, Shiloh Trainer, Bree Ludwig, Lilly Erpelding-Wickman, Madelyn Tigges, Brooklyn Berte, Jenna Peterson and Gabriella Buscher; Back: Joe Bartolo, Brandon Schwab, Merle Tigges and Mick Elbert.

DES MOINES — The Bishop Garrigan girls do not take qualifying for the state tournament for granted.

The top-ranked (Class 1A) Golden Bears punched their seventh consecutive trip to the elite eight with a defensive-minded approach vs. Lake Mills in the regional championship.

Now, they look to add to a legacy that started with Audi Crooks and Molly Joyce, and has been extended through this current senior group.

Bishop Garrigan (22-2 overall) opens play here on Wednesday vs. No. 15 Kee (17-7) in a 1A quarterfinal from the Casey’s Center. Tip is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Golden Bear seniors Emmi Bartolo, Sacha Alesch and Carley Nielson are starters while classmates Alyssa Haugland and Ava Roethler are key players off the bench for BGHS head coach Brandon Schwab. Bartolo, Alesch, Haugland and Roethler were on the court when Crooks and Joyce led the Golden Bears to their second straight title at the end of the 2022-23 season.

“It’s just so fun (qualifying for state),” Bartolo said. “You have to put it into perspective because a lot of girls don’t get to experience the state tournament. It is such a special thing, and the fact that we’ve gotten to do it three times and now four, we are just grateful.

“We work hard, focus on winning games and love having the opportunity to play at state.”

Junior Graclyn Eastman is the leading scorer for Bishop Garrigan, averaging 17 points and nine rebounds per game. Alesch adds 14 points, Bartolo 10 and sophomore Madelyn Tigges nine.

As a team, the Golden Bears score 72 points per game and average 19 steals against nine turnovers. Bartolo leads at 5.2 assists per game while recording three steals a night like Eastman and Alesch.

“It is such a surreal experience and really special (qualifying for state),” Alesch said. “When the buzzer went off, I was just soaking in the moment, but it was quickly back to reality because we have a job to finish; we want to win it all.”

Over the past four years, Bishop Garrigan has gone 94-10, including a 45-6 mark the past two seasons. They have had at least 10 wins every year since the 2009-10 season, including 12 consecutive winning records.

“The seniors are just a great group of kids both on and off the court,” Schwab said. “They are quality kids who play hard for each other. We don’t have any selfish players because they all just want to win.

“The seniors have been through a lot of big moments.”

Kee finished second in the small school division of the Upper Iowa Conference behind Turkey Valley. The have had three consecutives winning seasons and are led by junior Rylee Mudderman and senior Addison Winters.

The Golden Bears would face either fifth-ranked Lynnville-Sully (24-0) or No. 6 Dunkerton (22-2) in the semifinals, as the bottom half of the bracket includes defending state champion Council Bluffs St. Albert (21-3) and long-time rival Newell-Fonda (22-2).