Iowa Class 4A Girls Basketball Player of the Year: How Voting Works & How to Win

Iowa Class 4A Girls Basketball Player of the Year: Award Overview

The Iowa Class 4A Girls Basketball Player of the Year is an annual fan-vote award presented by High School on SI (Sports Illustrated / formerly SBLive Sports) through its Iowa prep coverage hub at si.com/high-school/iowa. It is one of five girls' class awards in Iowa — reflecting the IGHSAU's five-classification structure (1A through 5A) — and runs as a standalone ballot that only considers players from IGHSAU Class 4A programmes.

Class 4A sits one tier below the largest IGHSAU classification (5A) and encompasses Iowa's mid-to-large schools. Historically this has included prominent Catholic programmes like Cedar Rapids Xavier alongside large suburban public schools. Two consecutive cycles have produced exceptional winners: a 2024-25 season that generated one of Iowa girls basketball's most decorated individual performances in recent memory, and a 2025-26 cycle that recognised an emerging programme in Clear Creek-Amana.

Confirmed Winners: 2024-25 and 2025-26

Two complete award cycles have been documented for this poll. The table below captures every confirmed result from the available facts record.

Libby Fandel's 2024-25 performance stands out as one of the most statistically dominant seasons in confirmed Iowa 4A girls basketball history. Her 94-point state tournament total (31.3-point average) and single-game 25-rebound performance set 4A postseason records. The fact that she also earned the Gatorade Iowa Girls Player of the Year and Miss Iowa Basketball (IPSWA) in the same season underscores how thoroughly she dominated the state's individual-award landscape.

Quick Facts: How the Class 4A Girls Poll Works

The mechanics of this poll mirror the broader High School on SI platform, with class-specific details that affect how supporters should organise a campaign.

Iowa Girls Basketball Season and Voting Calendar

Iowa's winter prep basketball season follows a consistent annual calendar. Aligning a fan-vote campaign with the correct voting window — especially distinguishing the preseason and finalist ballots — is essential for efficient outreach.

The preseason and finalist polls are published as separate articles on si.com/high-school/iowa. Supporters should navigate to the site at the start of each phase to locate the current active article, rather than relying on a saved link from a previous ballot window.

Class 4A Programmes and the Award's Programme Geography

Cedar Rapids Xavier — Confirmed 4A Powerhouse

Cedar Rapids Xavier is the most documented programme in the available facts for this award. The school is a Catholic institution in Cedar Rapids and won the 4A state championship in 2024-25 with a 28-4 record. Libby Fandel's season was the defining individual performance of that cycle, and Xavier has established itself as a programme capable of producing state-level individual recognition in the IGHSAU 4A tier.

Clear Creek-Amana: 2025-26's Recognised Programme

Clear Creek-Amana, located in the Oxford and North Liberty area of Johnson County, produced the 2025-26 Class 4A Girls Basketball Player of the Year in Averie Lower. The school sits in a growing suburban corridor east of Iowa City, and its appearance in the award record signals that Class 4A recognition is not concentrated in the Cedar Rapids urban area alone.

The Broader Class 4A Field

Iowa's IGHSAU Class 4A encompasses a range of schools from the state's larger districts and suburban communities. While only Cedar Rapids Xavier and Clear Creek-Amana are confirmed in the available facts for this specific award cycle, the classification draws eligible nominees from schools across eastern, central, and suburban-metro Iowa. For current programme listings, the IGHSAU publishes updated enrolment classifications through its official channels.

For broader Iowa prep sports context, explore the Iowa high school sports hub or the national USA contests directory.

Running a Campaign for an Iowa Class 4A Girls Basketball Nominee

How Class 4A Community Size Shapes Campaign Strategy

Class 4A includes some of Iowa's largest non-5A schools, meaning supporter networks are typically broader than in Classes 1A or 2A. A single Cedar Rapids Xavier booster email to several hundred families — combined with the school's social media reach — can generate meaningful vote volume quickly. Programmes in growing suburban areas like Clear Creek-Amana can also leverage expanding community networks as those communities grow.

The most effective Class 4A campaigns typically combine:

• Athletic department social media posts with direct links to the active poll
• Parent booster group emails or app messages (Remind, Band, etc.) covering several hundred contacts
• Student section mobilisation — student-age voters are highly active on mobile
• Local media coverage of the nomination (regional outlets often cover prep basketball POY races)

When to Use Supplemental Vote Services

In a classification with large school fanbases and the possibility of well-organised rival campaigns, the margin between finalists can be significant. When organic community mobilisation has been fully deployed and a candidate still trails, supplemental sports fan poll vote packages provide a practical path to closing the gap. For unlimited-vote polls on si.com, bulk vote delivery is compatible with the platform's open-submission format. Full timing and sequencing advice is available at our how-to voting guide.

How This Award Relates to Iowa's Broader Girls Basketball Honours

The High School on SI Class 4A Girls Basketball Player of the Year is one piece of a multi-tier recognition landscape for Iowa girls basketball. Understanding how it fits alongside other awards helps supporters set expectations about what winning this fan vote actually signifies.

Gatorade Iowa Girls Basketball Player of the Year — an independently adjudicated honour given to a single player statewide, regardless of class. Libby Fandel won both the 4A High School on SI award and the Gatorade honour in 2024-25, demonstrating that the two awards can align but are independently judged.

Miss Iowa Basketball (IPSWA) — awarded by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association to the state's top girls basketball player across all classes. Fandel also won this in 2024-25, completing an exceptional individual sweep.

Iowa Girls High School on SI overall POY — a broader award covering all IGHSAU classes together, which in 2025-26 went to Jenica Lewis of Johnston (the 5A class winner). A Class 4A winner does not automatically win the overall designation — they are separate editorial decisions.

IGHSAU all-state teams — administered directly by the governing body; entirely separate from the High School on SI fan-vote process. A player can earn all-state recognition without winning this fan award, and vice versa.