Shawano Leader Sports Headlines

SOFTBALL

Menominee Indian 12

Gresham 0

The Central Wisconsin Conference-10 game was decided quickly as Menominee Indian scored 12 runs in the first three innings Tuesday at Keshena.

Kelsey Corn and Shaunte Sackatook each had two-run doubles in the first inning. The Eagles scored in the second on a sacrifice fly by Joan Waukau, an RBI double by Khyla Grignon, an RBI double by Faith Munson and an RBI single by Sackatook. In the third inning, a single by Waukau drove in Merissa Lyons, and Grignon’s double plated Taylor Mahkimetas and Waukau.

Mahkimetas was perfect at the dish, going 3 for 3. She singled in the first inning, doubled in the second inning and tripled in the fourth inning.

Corn pitched the shutout, giving up three hits while striking out nine for the Eagles (1-1, 1-1 CWC-10).

Taylor Hoffman took the loss for Gresham (0-1, 0-1 CWC-10). She allowed 12 runs in three innings, walked four and struck out three.

Almond-Bancroft 11

Tigerton 1

Tigerton suffered its first Central Wisconsin Conference-10 loss of the young season Tuesday at Almond-Bancroft.

Sarah Gauthier was 2 for 3 for the Tigers (1-1, 1-1 CWC-10). Abby Knaup, Ashley Knaup and Summer Kopitzke each contributed singles.

Summer Kopitzke took the loss. She struck out five, but surrendered 11 hits and 10 walks.

Cami Newby was the winning pitcher. She struck out seven, walked two and gave up five hits in five innings.

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Four returning starters key Hawks’ bid for Bay crownBy: 

Leader Staff

A first-division finish in the Bay Conference is a laudable and achievable goal for the Shawano Community High School baseball team, although with the solid nucleus of senior talent on board, don’t be surprised if it’s mid-May and the Hawks are still in the race for the league title.

Shawano returns four starters from last season’s 7-16 club, all of whom are seniors: pitcher Grant Wainio, center fielder Chase Henning, shortstop Zach Sousek and second baseman Ky Schmidt.

Wainio has already announced his arrival by posting a 10-strikeout, two-hit shutout against Oconto in the Hawks’ 6-0 season-opening victory. The same goes for Henning, a second-team all-Bay Conference selection a year ago. Henning socked a pair of doubles and drove in three runs for Shawano in the opener.

Sousek is a polished all-around athlete who along with Schmidt give the Hawks a solid middle infield defense that will make life easier for Wainio, Jack Lacy, a senior pitcher who also lettered last year, and the rest of the pitching staff.

Lacy, like another returning senior letter-winning pitcher, Tommy Stueck, also plays first base. Senior Brendan Cummings is another pitcher who coach Rob Wolff will count on to repel the likes of conference favorites Denmark, West De Pere and Menasha. Junior third baseman Tasa Grignon rounds out the returning letter-winners for Shawano.

“We should be strong in all areas of the game — pitching, strong defense and a good offense,” Wolff said. “I really think we can contend with the best teams in our league. I am really counting on the senior class to step up and get us back to one of the top teams in the conference.”

Three other seniors figure to see considerable playing time — pitcher/left fielder Mason Boogren, first baseman Brandon Warrington and outfielder Adam Bartz. Junior pitcher/infielder Nate Laude, junior outfielder Brady Belongia and sophomore catcher Jack Hanuer likewise can figure on significant turns in the field and at the plate. Laude made his presence felt on opening day, rapping out two hits against Oconto.

The season-opening win was a good omen for the Hawks, who last year got off to a sluggish 1-6 start that put them in a hole out from which they were unable to climb. This season’s schedule shakes out such that the showdowns with West De Pere, Menasha and Denmark all take place in May, by which time the Hawks will have any early-season kinks worked out in time to find out where they stand in the league.

“I’m really excited about the potential that this team has, and how they might jell as a unit,” Wolff said. “It could be a really successful season.”

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Young Wildcats already top last year’s win totalBy: 

Leader Staff

There was guarded optimism at Gresham Community High School over the prospects of the softball team enjoying an improved season from a year ago.

It took all of one game for the Wildcats to make that goal a reality and to validate coach Amanda Reindl’s belief that, while conference and postseason titles may not be in the immediate offing for Gresham, this will be a decidedly more fun year.

Winning has that effect. The Wildcats, hampered by low turnout last season that rendered them inexperienced and gossamer-thin, knocked off Marion 12-4 in their season-opener. It was a seminal victory for Gresham and for Reindl, whose Wildcats had gone winless in her two previous seasons coaching at the school.

“We have a very young team this year,” Reindl said, “but the younger girls have been playing just as long as the older girls. They are all very willing and eager to keep learning.”

Reindl, who described her first victory as “a refreshing change,” is enjoying the luxury of coaching a team of girls who have all played softball at some level prior to this year’s tryouts. That hasn’t always been the case at Gresham.

“It’s the first season we’ve had that,” Reindl said. “Last year we had to ask girls who’d never played the sport to come out for the team, just to fill nine position spots. We had to make a pitcher out of someone who’d never played before, just to give our one pitcher some relief.”

Junior pitcher Taylor Hoffman, a three-year starter, was the Lone Ranger on the mound last year for the Wildcats, getting the ball from Reindl to start each of Gresham’s 19 games in 2014. Senior shortstop Brianna Stehberger, a four-year starter and second-team all-CWC-10 pick last year, provides strength up the middle defensively and firepower at the plate.

Junior third baseman River Otradovec, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, is back, as are a couple of other junior two-year starters, outfielders Alison Reyes and Erika Jonsson, who can also play first base. Sophomore catcher and infielder Makena Arndt is the other two-year starter.

Six freshmen — pitcher/infielder Kamille Davids, catcher/infielder Mackenzie Hoffman, second baseman/outfielder Dani Huntington, pitcher/infielder Hailey Hoffman, first baseman Kiersten Fischer and second baseman Leslie Verstoppen — are all bidding for starting spots, as is junior outfielder Destiny Jung.

The outlook is brighter, and with the season-opening win under their belts, this year holds greater promise for Gresham. Numbers in the program are still low, however, compared with other schools in the conference, and the season’s goals are of a more modest variety.

“We have three pitchers this year, so we’re hoping we can rest some of our arms and have some of the younger pitchers step up,” Reindl said. “Our goals are to not get 10-run ruled, to go a full seven innings in the games we play, and to improve against everyone we play.

“Half of the team is used to losing all of the time, and the other half — the younger kids who had a lot of success on the lower levels, in summer ball — are used to winning all of the time. It’s a good mesh of the two. Both halves seem to complement each other pretty well.”

AT A GLANCE

Gresham Community High School

Softball Schedule

April 9 vs. Wild Rose

April 13 at Rosholt

April 14 vs. Prentice

April 16 at Tri-County

April 20 vs. Port Edwards

April 23 vs. Bowler

April 27 at Almond-Bancroft

April 30 vs. Marion

May 1 at Tigerton

May 4 vs. Menominee Indian

May 7 at Wild Rose

May 8 vs. Rosholt

May 11 vs. Tri-County

May 14 at Port Edwards

May 18 at Bowler

May 21 vs. Almond-Bancroft

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SOFTBALL

Shawano 13

Seymour 3

Courtney Ainsworth went 4 for 4 and Sarah Petry drove in four runs as the Hawks defeated Seymour 13-3 in the Bay Conference opener for both squads Monday.

Sydney Schreiber earned the victory, scattering six hits over the game’s five innings. She walked one and struck out one for Shawano (1-1, 1-0 Bay).

Anna Schenk had two hits and scored two runs for Seymour (0-2, 0-1 Bay).

Bowler 22

Marion 10

Christina Koenig got the win on the mound in this five-inning Central Wisconsin Conference-10 game.

Koenig also had three hits, as did Reanne Kietlinski and Ashlynn Brisk. Erica Wolf had five RBIs for Bowler (1-1, 1-1 CWC-10).

BASEBALL

Hortonville 10

Shawano 0

Hortonville remained undefeated in this young season with its nonconference home win Tuesday.

Tommy Stueck took the loss for Shawano (1-1, 0-0 Bay Conference), giving up four earned runs on five walks and two hits.

Chase Henning was 1 for 2 with a double. Ky Schmidt also was 1 for 2 for the Hawks.

Josh Toonen was the winning pitcher. He struck out nine, gave up two hits and did not issue a walk in five innings. Miles Gross led Hortonville (3-0, 0-0 Fox Valley Association) with two doubles and three RBIs.

Gresham 8

Menominee Indian 6

Gresham collected 16 hits and surrendered nine in its win Tuesday at Menominee Indian in a Central Wisconsin Conference-10 matchup.

Ray Creapeau was a perfect 3 for 3 for Gresham, and Ray Creapeau and Christian Haffner were both 3 for 4 with two RBIs. Kevin Ile and Neal Cervey added two hits each for Gresham.

Gresham (2-0, 2-0 CWC-10) scored two runs in the first inning and one in the second before the Eagles got on the board in the fourth. Both teams rallied for four runs in the fifth, and Menominee Indian cut the Gresham lead to 7-6 with a run in the bottom of the sixth. But the Wildcats added an insurance run in the seventh and held the Eagles scoreless in their final at-bat.

Michael Pecore, Bryan Madosh and D Caldwell each had two hits for MIHS (1-1, 1-1 CWC-10). Ty Latender provided a RBI double, and Waylon Penuss brought in two runs.

Haffner recorded the win for the Wildcats. He allowed three runs over four innings. He struck out four, walked three and surrendered four hits. Wildcats closer Derek Bowman put away the final six outs to record the save.

Nick Corn was charged with the loss. He allowed seven runs in six innings, walked one and struck out two.

SOCCER

Pulaski 9

Shawano 1

Shawano opened its nonconference season with a home loss Tuesday.

Pulaski jumped out ahead 2-0 before Sarah Dickmann’s unassisted goal cut the lead to 2-1 about five minutes left in first half. Pulaski, however, scored two more goals before half and cruised through the second half.

Carlie Hinnefeld had nine saves in goal for Shawano.

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BASEBALL

Bonduel 6

Crivitz 5

Jordan Richter singled in what turned out to be the winning run as Bonduel opened its season Thursday with a road victory.

Hunter VanDerLinden was 2 for 4 with a home run and 4 RBIs for the Bears. Colton Dobratz also went 2 for 4, with two doubles and two runs scored.

Crivitz scored two runs in the first inning on a double by Colton Lange off starter Connor Rosin. Bonduel countered with two in the third on a hit by Hunter VanDerLinden, who followed that with a three-run home run in the fifth inning, giving the Bears a 5-2 lead. Crivitz tied the game with four consecutive hits. Bonduel got two runners on in the seventh and Richter singled with one out.

Trevor Pedersen pitched a scoreless two innings to notch the win for the Bears. He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three. Tommy Sawinski took the loss, pitching three innings and giving up four runs on four hits, walking two and striking out four.

Menominee Indian 9

Port Edwards 7

Nick Corn scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the sixth inning, and the Eagles hung on Thursday to open their Central Wisconsin Conference-10 season with a win.

Corn also got the win for the Eagles. He allowed one run over 2 1/3 innings, struck out five, walked none and gave up three hits. Jake Schraeder took the loss.

Menominee Indian took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when a double by Michael Pecore drove in Ty Latender. Pecore finished with two RBIs and one run. Port Edwards struggled early but erupted for six runs in the fifth inning to tie the game. Menominee Indian responded with three runs in the sixth.

Austin Moen stole home in the bottom of the seventh to give Port Edwards hope, but Corn got Collin Mccarrille to strike out to end the game.

Gresham 14

Tigerton 4

Tigerton had seven hits in its season-opening loss in Central Wisconsin Conference-10 play Thursday.

Patrick Bailey and Alan Parrott both went 2 for 3 for the Tigers. Hayden Harris, Jasper Block and Robert Graham also hit safely.

Gresham was led by Beau Hoffman, who had three hits, two RBIs and scored one run. Neal Cerveny, Kevin Ile, Derek Bowman and Riley Neitzer each had two hits. Neitzer had a home run and two RBIs. Ray Creapeau drove in three runs.

Derek Bowman was the winning pitcher. He gave up seven hits, struck out four and walked two. Logan Moderson took the loss.

SOFTBALL

Tigerton 9

Gresham 5

Sarah Gauthier went 3 for 5 with two triples and home run to help Tigerton to its season-opening win Thursday.

Also for Tigerton, Erin Buch went 2 for 4 and Amber Brown 2 for 3. McKenna Marquardt added a two-RBI double.

Summer Kopitzke got the win. She gave up seven hits, walked five and struck out three. Taylor Hoffman took the loss.

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Baseball team includes 4 all-conference picksBy: 

Gary Seymour, [email protected]

Repeating the fast start in last year’s Central Wisconsin Conference-8 race would be a great way to kick off the baseball season at Bonduel High School.

Bonduel went 4-1 to open the 2014 conference season before running into eventual league co-champs Pacelli and Shiocton, whose sweeps of their home-and-home series sent the Bears on a five-game losing streak and quashed their bid to defend the conference crown they won in 2013.

There is no waiting for the big games this time; Bonduel plays its second game of the season against Shiocton and travels to Pacelli for its fourth.

With four returning all-conference players, the Bears will be fielding an experienced group that coach Don Gruenewald called “a very talented team.”

Senior outfielder Colton Dobratz was a unanimous all-conference pick last year, one of two returning Bears first-team selections. The other was pitcher/outfielder/infielder Connor Rosin, who joins Dobratz, shortstop Hunter Vanderlinden and third baseman Travis Wollenberg in a nucleus of seniors upon whom Gruenewald is counting.

Vanderlinden and Wollenberg were honorable mention all-conference last season.

“We have three guys who are three-year starters, and we need them to provide leadership as we head into the season,” Gruenewald said.

A pair of second-team all-conference players — catcher Jacob Wudtke and pitcher/infielder Jake Luepke — are gone from last year’s group, as are outfielder Lloyd Allen and second baseman Kyle Fischer.

Three other letter-winners are back in the fold: senior outfielder Steven Olson, senior first baseman Jordan Richter and junior pitcher/catcher/infielder Trevor Pedersen.

“The team has a good overall attitude,” Gruenewald said. “Competition for playing time will be a year-round thing.”

Pushing the regulars and vying for spots will be senior catcher/outfielder Tanner Mews, senior infielder Austin Siolka, senior infielder Patrick Thiel and junior outfielder/infielder Bailey Dingeldein.

Bonduel will not see Shiocton a second time until April 28, unlike last year’s back-to-back games, and Pacelli not again until May 7. The Bears close out the regular season at home against Shawano.

“This will be a fun group to watch as the season unfolds,” Gruenewald said, “and hopefully doesn’t end until mid-June.”

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By: 

Gary Seymour, [email protected]

In the spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.

So we are told, anyway. Obviously, the great Alfred, Lord Tennyson never filled out an NCAA bracket sheet.

Most often in this locale, the arrival of spring means that ice fishers have to wait til next year before cooling their bones again and waiting for that momentous nibble, and that the Green Bay Packers report to camp in a couple of months.

The summer and spring typically do not engender a lot of excitement in the pro sports realm, largely because the last time Milwaukee won an NBA title, Richard Nixon was president, and the last time Milwaukee won a World Series, Nixon was making coffee runs for President Eisenhower.

With the University of Wisconsin piledriving through the West Regional en route to a second straight Final Four appearance, it is virtually impossible for a basketball fan — for a Wisconsin fan of any sport — not to be jacked up for Saturday’s semifinal showdown with undefeated Kentucky.

Can Wisconsin upend mighty Kentucky?

If you watched Kentucky’s regional final game, you know that the question being asked today could very easily have been one of whether Wisconsin could knock off Notre Dame. The Irish outplayed the Wildcats for about 39 minutes before falling by two points.

The cause for high optimism around Wisconsin is fueled by the idea that Notre Dame got rattled down the stretch with the upset in its grasp, and that in a like scenario the Badgers might better keep their act together. So far, Wisconsin has been unshakable. In their two most recent wins, the Badgers were able to turn up the wick when their backs were to the wall, storming back to knock off North Carolina and then sinking Arizona in a hail of second-half 3-pointers.

Wisconsin is a very well-coached team with one great player, 7-foot center Frank Kaminsky, another teetering on the brink of greatness, Sam Dekker, and a cast of role players who execute with precision and play with no fear. The Badgers’ seamless meld of team play makes them a joy to watch.

Kentucky’s glut of talent is legendary, although throughout the seasonlong hype of Kentucky’s greatness, there has been no breathless, premature coronation that has accompanied a few other undefeated regular seasons. No one, as far as I have read, has declared the undefeated Wildcats the Best College Basketball Team of All Time.

No fewer than three football teams had been annointed the Best-Ever before the season was finished: Florida State in 1993, Southern California in 2005 and the New England Patriots in 2007. All three of those teams were crowned by one media outlet or another as the best college/pro team ever to put on their pants one leg at a time — and all three of those teams were beaten in their last or next-to-last games.

Precedent in the massive-upset category isn’t limited to football. Houston was a lock to rout North Carolina State in the 1983 NCAA basketball final, and Georgetown was a sure thing to shut down Villanova’s improbable playoff run in ‘85. Both of those big favorites fell hard.

Speaking of upsets, one of Wisconsin’s three losses this season was to Rutgers. Yes, that Rutgers — 2-and-16, last place in the Big Ten Rutgers. In the case of basketball oddities, this is Exhibit A.

Another oddity is this: The last time a team went undefeated in Division I basketball was 1976, which was also the last time two Big Ten teams played in the title game. The Badgers will have a lot to say about a ‘76 redux, one way or another.

Veteran sportswriter Gary Seymour’s column appears weekly in the Leader. To contact him, send email to [email protected] this article:  Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 No votes yet

BASEBALL

Shawano 6

Oconto 0

Grant Waino pitched Shawano to a season-opening win Thursday on the Hawks’ home field.

Waino gave up only two hits in five innings of work, striking out 10 and issuing two walks.

Chase Henning provided the offensive spark, with two hits — both doubles — and three RBIs in three trips to the plate. Nate Laude went 2 for 3.

Seth Reed took the loss for Oconto.

Gresham 14

Tigerton 4

Tigerton had seven hits in its season-opening loss in Central Wisconsin Conference-10 play Thursday.

Patrick Bailey and Alan Parrott both went 2 for 3 for the Tigers. Hayden Harris, Jasper Block and Robert Graham also hit safely.

No Gresham statistics were available.

SOFTBALL

Port Edwards 7

Menominee Indian 6

Port Edwards rallied for the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning of both teams’ Central Wisconsin Conference-10 season opener Thursday.

Menominee Indian opened the scoring with two runs in the second inning and added two more in the fourth, but Port Edwards tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Eagles regained the lead with a run in the fifth, but Port Edwards again responded with to runs to take a 6-5 lead. Menominee Indian tied it in the top of the sixth, only to see the lead slip away again in the bottom half of the inning.

Kelsey Corn had four hits for the Eagles. Taylor Mahkimetas had four quality-at-bats, including two walks. She and Aaliyah Pecore each had two RBIs. Corn pitched for five innings and record five strikeouts before giving way to Mahkimetas, who fanned three.

Megan Burgeson went the distance to get the win for Port Edwards, which collected 15 hits; Menominee Indian had 13 hits.

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The Shawano Community High School boys track team finished sixth and the girls seventh Saturday at the Watertown Indoor Relays.

Watertown won the boys meet, and Slinger captured the girls title.

Daniel Boivin had the best individual performance for the Hawks boys, finishing first in the pole vault at 13 feet, 6 inches. He was also sixth in the high jump.

Two Hawks shared first place in the girls pole vault, with Onalee Siegfried and and Kristina Kurtz both clearing 9 feet.

Also finishing in the top 10 individually for the Shawano boys were Tyrell Hesse, second in the high jump at 5-8, eighth in the 200-meter hurdles and 10th in the pole vault; Kain Hill, sixth in the triple jump; Michael Mault, sixth in the long jump; Zeke Gueths, sixth in the shot put.

Two Hawks relay teams — the 4x800 and the distance medley relay (1,200-400-800-1,600) — each placed fifth. Chase Lhotka, Andrew Cardish, Brandon Pagel, Austin Lhotka comprised the DMR team. Austin Lhotka, Garrison Frechette, Brandon Pagel and Cardish ran the 4x800.

Erika Dunnam finished second in the girls shot put, with a toss of 33 feet, 2 inches.

Other Hawks in the top 10 individually were Averi Vomastic, eighth in the long jump; Christa Cummings, eighth in the triple jump; and Hannah Wendorff, 10th in the shot put.

The SCHS girls 4x160 relay team of Sara Hokenstad, Siegfried, Vomastic and Kurtz finished third, in 1:36:08. Hokenstad, Kennedy Erdman, Cummings and Kurtz were fifth in the 4x400 relay.

Watertown Indoor Relays

Team results

Boys: 1. Watertown 111, 2. Middleton 92, 3. Slinger 87.5, 4. Arrowhead 73, 5. Burlington 49, 6. Shawano 43, 7. Mayville 41, 8. Lake Mills 27.5

Girls: 1. Slinger 132, 2. Mayville 80, 3. Watertown 77, 4. Middleton 50, 5. Kettle Moraine 49, 6. Burlington 36, 7. Shawano 35, 8. Lake Mills 26

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SOFTBALL

Gresham 12

Marion 4

Gresham Community School notched its first victory in two years after defeating host Marion (0-1, 0-1 Central Wisconsin Conference-10) Monday.

Taylor Hoffman earned the victory for Gresham (1-0, 1-0 CWC-10).

The Wildcats were led by Kamille Davids and Mackenzie Hoffman, who both batted 3 for 5.

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Returning forwards accounted for nearly half of Hawks’ goals in 2014By: 

Gary Seymour, [email protected]

A good indicator of the resiliency of the Shawano Community High School girls soccer team last season was in evidence during a two-week stretch that began with the Hawks on the business end of a 10-0 pasting, compliments of Neenah in their April 17 season opener.

How does a team bounce back from a loss like that? How about with a 10-0 victory of its own, as was the case when Shawano regrouped and pounded Iron Mountain on May 2.

That the Hawks pulled it together in time to make a run at a Bay Conference championship is a matter of record. Shawano’s 13-7-1 mark of a year ago included 7-2-1 in the conference, where they finished third in the regular season, three points behind first-place West De Pere, and then second in the conference tournament.

With the prolific scoring duo of junior forwards Morgan Klitzke and Megan Klitzke back on the pitch, there are high hopes that this year could yield even more excitement than last.

Morgan Klitzke had 14 goals and 10 assists, and Megan Klitzke had 13 goals. Their combined 27 goals scored accounted for almost half of the 64 tallies that Shawano put on the board last year.

Beginning with a 5-0 win over Green Bay West at the Wausau West Tournament early last May, the Hawks began a hot streak where they lost only two of their next 15 games. Included in that run was a 2-1 win over powerful New London and a scoreless tie with West De Pere.

“We’ve got quite a few back from last year when we finished second, so we should compete for a conference title again this year,” Shawano coach Bob Croschere said.

The Hawks’ losses to graduation were considerable. Midfielders Lindsey McFarlane and Shania O’Kimosh and defenders Haley Going, Peyton Going, Kaitlin Phillips-Grassi, Mercedes Bayless and Libby Buettner all played their last game in the 2-1 regional loss to Marshfieldin June.

With the Klitzke sisters back, though, the Hawks have their guns poised for action. Sophomore goalkeeper Carlie Hinnefeld is back in net for Shawano, and senior midfielder Louisa Keenan, junior midfielder Sarah Dickmann and sophomore defenseman Colleen McFarlane also return.

AT A GLANCE

Shawano Community High School

Soccer Schedule

April 7 vs. Pulaski

April 9 at Manitowoc Lincoln

April 14 vs. Green Bay Southwest

April 17 at Waupaca

April 20 vs. Clintonville

April 23 vs. Luxemburg-Casco

April 28 at Menasha

April 30 vs. Marinette

May 2 at Wausau West (invitational)

May 5 at West De Pere

May 7 vs. Seymour

May 9 at Green Bay East (invitational)

May 11 vs. Denmark

May 14 at New London

May 19 vs. Fox Valley Lutheran

May 21 Bay Conference Tournament

May 26 Bay Conference Tournament

May 28 Bay Conference Tournament

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Bears return seven regulars from 2014 seasonBy: 

Gary Seymour, [email protected]

The race for the Central Wisconsin Conference-8 softball title won’t be settled in the first two weeks of the season, but for Bonduel High School, those games could go a long way toward finding its place in the league food chain.

The Bears will play four of their first six games against Shiocton, Oconto and Pacelli. Shiocton and Pacelli shared the conference title last year and handed the Bears back-to-back defeats that began a five-game losing skein for the Bears after a 4-2 start.

The April 11 doubleheader against nonconference foe Oconto gives Bonduel a chance to avenge last year’s regional-final defeat. Oconto eliminated Bonduel from the postseason with a 4-2 win.

Strong pitching is the panacea to all ailments on a softball diamond, and with senior Jen Dowden back on the mound, the Bears are already ahead of the game. Dowden, who also plays infield, was a first-team all-conference pick from a year ago.

Senior first baseman Lexi Reinke, a second-team all-CWC-8 choice in 2014, is an excellent defensive player and a reliable stick in coach Chris Reinke’s arsenal. Junior catcher Kaylee Rynish was an honorable mention all-conference player whose return gives the Bears a veteran battery, and sophomore shortstop Kaylee Pedersen is back to shore up the middle infield defense.

Dowden, Lexi Reinke, Rynish and Pedersen are hard-swinging veterans who represent the nucleus of what could prove to be a potent offense for Chris Reinke, whose previous teams include the 2012 group that went 13-11 and advanced to the sectional final.

A wild card in coach Reinke’s armory is the return of senior Dea Zernicke, who missed all of last season due to a shoulder injury sustained during basketball season. One of the best base-runners on the team, Zernicke is a letter-winner who can play a number of positions.

Other returning letter-winners include junior left fielder Taylor Weier, who will step in for the graduated Morgan Sorenson, and sophomore pitcher Cameri Gehm, who can play second base in place of the Bears’ other graduated starter, Courtney Schmidt.

A pair of sophomores, Brittany Wudtke and Kelsey Krueger, round out the returning letter-winners for Bonduel, which will seek to improve on a 9-9 record that included 6-7 in the CWC-8.

“It’s going to be interesting,” Chris Reinke said. “(Dowden) has looked good in practice so far. It’s huge that we have a good pitcher coming back. But ours is such a tough conference. Shiocton and Pacelli are going to be tough again. Both of them have good pitching. And Iola-Scandinavia has a lot of really good hitters. I don’t know if I’d feel very safe in the third base coach’s box with that lineup hitting.

“We’ve got a lot of talented underclassmen who will compete for a couple of spots. We could be right in the thick of the race, but we have to perform early in order to challenge for any conference honors.”

AT A GLANCE

Bonduel High School

Softball Schedule

April 2 vs. Crivitz

April 7 vs. Shiocton

April 9 vs. Amherst

April 11 vs. Oconto (doubleheader)

April 13 at Pacelli

April 16 vs. Wittenberg-Birnamwood

April 20 vs. Iola-Scandinavia

April 23 at Weyauwega-Fremont

April 27 vs. Manawa

April 28 at Shiocton

May 4 at Amherst

May 7 vs. Pacelli

May 11 at Wittenberg-Birnamwood

May 14 at Iola-Scandinavia

May 18 vs. Weyauwega-Fremont

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Wildcats return seven starters from 2014By: 

Gary Seymour, [email protected]

If you subscribe to the time-worn postulate about pitching being 90 percent of baseball, then you can appreciate the level of optimism at Gresham Community School this spring.

The Wildcats, who return seven starters from last year’s squad, have a glut of talented arms at the ready, and a serious run at a Central Wisconsin Conference-10 title is anticipated.

“We’re looking forward to a great season,” Gresham coach Scott Cerveny said. “We’re set in the pitching position.”

Gone from the 9-12 club of a year ago is Scott Cerveny Jr., who as a pitcher, catcher and shortstop was a unanimous all-conference pick.

Back for another go are senior second baseman Kevin Ile, senior pitcher-catcher Christian Haffner, senior left fielder and third baseman Riley Neitzer, junior infielder-outfielder Beau Hoffman, sophomore pitcher and shortstop Neal Cerveny, sophomore pitcher and center fielder Derek Bowman, and sophomore pitcher and first baseman Ray Creapeau.

The road to the conference championship figures to run through Rosholt, which last year went 18-0 in league play, winning the title by a cozy six games over second-place Menominee Indian.

Nobody in the league knocked off Rosholt, but Gresham was the only team in conference to play the Hornets to a one-run game, an 8-7 setback last May 9.

The already formidable roster was strengthened with the addition of freshman pitcher-center fielder Drew Haffner, sophomore outfielder Legacy Skenadore and junior outfielder Dustin Thomas.

“I am excited to work with these athletes,” Scott Cerveny Sr. said. “I have worked with most of them in the youth baseball program and know the talent these players have.”

The Wildcats probably won’t have to wait long to see which way the winds are blowing in the CWC-10. They open with Tigerton, which swept them in last year’s season series and knocked them out of the playoffs, then take on Menominee Indian and Wild Rose before traveling to Rosholt for their fourth game.

Whether the young arms will all fulfill the potential that the Gresham coaching staff believes they have remains to be seen. Every baseball fan in the town will second the notion put forth by Scott Cerveny Sr. when he said, “I am excited to see what this year will bring.”

AT A GLANCE

Gresham Community School

Baseball Schedule

April 2 vs. Tigerton

April 7 at Menominee Indian

April 9 vs. Wild Rose

April 13 at Rosholt

April 16 at Tri-County

April 20 vs. Port Edwards

April 23 vs. Bowler

April 27 at Almond-Bancroft

April 30 vs. Marion

May 1 at Tigerton

May 4 vs. Menominee Indian

May 7 at Wild Rose

May 8 vs. Rosholt

May 11 vs. Tri-County

May 14 at Port Edwards

May 18 at Bowler

May 21 vs. Almond-Bancroft

May 26 at Marion

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All-state catcher Ainsworth among seven returning letter-winnersBy: 

Gary Seymour, [email protected]

It will be one of the youngest softball teams that Shawano Community High School has ever fielded, and the Hawks will be looking to reverse the fortunes of a 2014 season that saw them start 5-4 and then go 3-10 the rest of the way.

It doesn’t take too long a look to find encouraging signs that this could be a breakthrough year.

For one thing, having an all-state catcher back in the fold is not a bad start.

Senior Courtney Ainsworth is back behind the plate for Shawano, and six other letter-winners return to coach Kevin Isaacson’s lineup. In addition to solid defense, Ainsworth provided clutch hitting last season. Her 25 RBIs gave her an average of better than one every game.

“It’s one of the youngest varsity teams in Shawano softball history,” Isaacson said, “but this group has significant varsity experience.”

Junior Alli Raddant, a second-team all-Bay Conference selection a year ago, is back at second base. Raddant hit .357 in league games last season, and will anchor the middle of an infield that also includes another second-team all-conference pick from a year ago, sophomore third baseman Saige Henning.

Senior first baseman Nicki Ainsworth and senior left fielder Briana Boda round out the returning starters for Shawano, which last year scored 10 or more runs in six games, including 22 against Marinette in the sixth game of the season.

A challenge for the Hawks will be holding down their opponents, who last year also scored 10 or more runs in six games, including the aforementioned tilt with Marinette, which the Marines won 24-22.

Junior Julia Beck and sophomore Sarah Petry are the other returning letter-winners for Shawano, which is counting on junior pitchers Sydney Schreiber and Hannah Hein for productive innings. Hein, who hit a haughty .500 in conference games last year, also plays outfield.

The Hawks swept the season series last year with Oconto Falls, taking both ends of a Saturday doubleheader, 7-0 and 12-1, and they also took the measure of Seymour, winning both regular-season matchups and then eliminating the Thunder 11-1 in the regional opener.

Shawano’s season ended with a 4-3 regional loss to Notre Dame.

“In addition to our seven letter-winners, we have several players who played varsity innings last year,” Isaacson said. “We anticipate a very fun, competitive season.”

AT A GLANCE

Shawano Community High School

Softball Schedule

April 6 vs. Shiocton

April 7 vs. Seymour

April 9 at West De Pere

April 10 at Green Bay Preble

April 14 vs. Denmark

April 17 at Ashwaubenon (invitational)

April 21 at Luxemburg-Casco

April 23 vs. Oconto Falls

April 24 at Menasha (doubleheader)

April 30 at Seymour

May 2 at Poynette

May 4 at New London

May 5 vs. West De Pere

May 7 at Denmark

May 9 vs. Marinette (doubleheader)

May 14 vs. Luxemburg-Casco

May 15 vs. Clintonville

May 19 at Oconto Falls

May 21 vs. New London

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Girls basketball team went 22-2, won league titleBy: 

Gary Seymour, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Gary Seymour Bonduel High School senior basketball players Lexi Reinke, left, and Jen Dowden, who led the Bears to a 22-2 season, were unanimous all-CWC-8 selections and will play for the North squad in an all-star game June 19 in Wisconsin Dells. They were among the student athletes honored Monday at the school’s winter sports awards banquet.
Leader Photo by Gary Seymour Bonduel High School wrestlers, from left, Dan Tauchen, Austin Siolka and Travis Wollenberg were among the main components of a team that went 15-4 in dual meets and sent five competitors to the WIAA Division 3 state finals. They were among the student athletes honored Monday at the school’s winter sports awards banquet.

Awards, laurels and well-wishes were in surplus Monday night at Bonduel High School, in recognition of the achievements of the Bears’ winter sports programs.

And a cursory peek at the registry of feats authored by the girls and boys basketball teams, the wrestlers and the hockey team revealed what an exceptional season it was across the board at Bonduel.

Athletic Director Roger Toole presided over the ceremony, thanking the booster club, the coaches, parents and fans of the Bears for their unwavering support, and finally “to recognize the athletes. … You are the pride of Bonduel.”

Girls basketball

The sting of a premature exit from the postseason was mitigated by the overwhelming success of the senior-led group that went 22-2 and won an outright Central Wisconsin Conference-8 championship.

Also making the job of coaching special for Missy Dowden was overseeing the improvement of her daughter, Jen Dowden, who en route to being named conference Player of the Year also garnered honorable mention all-state honors.

Jen Dowden, a 6-foot center, demolished numerous school records in leading the Bears to a 75-22 mark over the past four seasons. She became the school’s all-time leading scorer when she surpassed Bill Uelmen’s old mark of 1,322 career points, finishing with 1,397.

She also broke three other girls career records: rebounding — her 789 eclipsed the previous standard of 663, blocked shots (180) and two-point field goals (469, bettering the old record of 302).

Jen Dowden and guard Lexi Reinke were unanimous first-team all-CWC-8 selections and will represent the North team in a Division 4 all-star game June 19 in Wisconsin Dells. Missy Dowden will coach the North all-stars.

“I’ve spent so much time with this group since 2007 that when the season ended and the practices stopped, it felt like we got a divorce,” Missy Dowden joked. “This group got their first first-place finish when they were in fourth grade. You could see back then the impression that it made on them and how they wanted to do it again, to keep winning. This was a very special group who had an extremely successful season.”

The coach also noted the play of senior point guard Deanna Zernicke, a second-team all-conference pick, and junior forward Taylor Weier, who was honorable mention all-conference.

The senior group was special, and despite their having played their last game in a Bonduel uniform, the future looks promising. In addition to Weier returning next year, sophomores Emily Sorenson, Hayley Sorenson and Kailee Pedersen will be back. Emily Sorenson was named the team’s most improved player and shared the team’s strongest defensive player award with Pedersen.

Wrestling

Five wrestlers qualified for the state finals, with 160-pound Dan Tauchen and 170-pound Mitch Sokolski both bringing home fourth-place hardware. Travis Wollenberg (138 pounds) and Garrett Siolka (126) also qualified and broke the career 100-win mark along the way. Freshman 106-pounder Jason Boldt was the other state qualifier.

Sokolski ended his career at Bonduel with 99 victories, prompting coach Chris Rank to quip, “When he found out he finished with 99, he wanted to wrestle me to get his 100th.”

Rank’s Bears went 15-4 overall and 7-2 in conference, where Tauchen was named the CWC-8 Wrestler of the Year. Tauchen’s bid for a state title suffered a major setback when he broke his right index finger at the sectional meet. Bonduel, which ended the season ranked No. 5 in Division 3, finished second in conference, third at regionals, sixth at the 64-team Oshkosh on the Water tournament, 5-0 at the Seymour Multi-Dual Tournament and third at both the Shawano and Oconto Falls tournaments.

Tauchen, one of the team captains along with Sokolski, and Siolka were named the team’s most valuable wrestlers. Isaiah Griesbach and Brandon Novitsky were most improved wrestlers, and Wollenberg and Austin Siolka, whose 23-5 season was drawn to an early close due to an illness, won the coach’s award.

“Travis pulled some heroics to get to state,” Rank noted. “Winning by one point with a takedown almost at the buzzer … and Dan had just an amazing career — a 44-4 record, he wanted to be the best wrestler he could be. He’s just like his brothers, who had great wrestling careers here. It’s been an incredible journey and a lot of fun coaching all of these guys this year. There’s no place in the world I’d rather be than watching these guys participate.”

Boys basketball

The visceral satisfaction in proving your critics wrong came to Bonduel in the fourth game of the season and continued on throughout the 2014-15 campaign, where the Bears went 17-7 and finished third in the CWC-8.

Bonduel was picked to finish fifth in the league — a prognostication that went by the wayside on Dec. 12 when the Bears traveled to eventual conference champions Amherst and won, 56-52.

The Bears, led by junior all-CWC-8 center Peyton Czarapata and seniors Connor Rosin, Colton Dobratz and Hunter Vanderlinden, played their best game of the year Feb. 20 when they drummed a very good Pacelli team 55-44.

“It was a huge motivator for us, getting picked to finish fifth,” coach Duke Copp said. “I’m proud of the way this team played hard all year. It was an outstanding group. I’ll remember them as people, and not just basketball players. That’s as important as any wins and losses.”

Rosin was named the team’s most valuable player. Vanderlinden was Mr. Defense, Czarapata was Mr. Rebounder and senior guard Hunter Berry won the Sixth Man award. Rosin and Dobratz were second-team all-conference choices, and senior reserve guard Garret Riemer finished the season with the distinction of having made every field goal and free throw he attempted.

Hockey

Coach Bryon Lammers lauded the effort and the play of center Blake Stoss, who he called the most dedicated player on the Bonduel/Shawano co-op team. The hockey team’s main problem has not been a dearth of talent, but the scant number of players on its roster. Lammers noted that during a game against a deep, talented Rhinelander club, Rhinelander had more players ineligible than Bonduel/Shawano had on its entire team.

He drew one of the bigger laughs of the night when he observed, “Blake Stoss and Nick Bordman are the two best centers in Shawano County … they’re the only two centers in Shawano County.”

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Broomball tournament will be annual fundraiserBy: 

Jason Arndt, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Goalie Brenda Laehn, of the ModTech team, prepares to put a ball into play after successfully defending a shot Saturday during the inaugural Shawano Hockey Broomball Tournament at the Crawford Center. The event was a fundraiser for the Shawano youth and high school hockey programs.
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Hunter Ludvigsen, of the Knope Roofing and Furnace Co. team, takes a shot Saturday against Andrew Fehlaber at the inaugural Shawano Hockey Broomball Tournament at the Crawford Center.

Fewer teams than anticipated turned out for its inaugural broomball tournament Saturday, but that won’t deter the Shawano Hockey League from making it an annual event.

The event, which attracted six teams and raised $600, was a fundraiser for the Shawano Hockey League youth teams and the hockey program at Shawano Community High School.

“We were hoping to get 10 (teams), at least,” said Noelle Lammers, co-organizer of the event. “But we decided to give it a shot with the six and get it started. Maybe more teams will find out about it next year.”

As in hockey, each broomball team consisted of six players, including a goalie. Hockey sticks were replaced by aluminum broomball sticks, about 46 inches long, and the puck by a orange rubber ball about 5.5 inches in diameter. Participants wore rubber-soled shoes instead of skates, and the ice was prepared to improve traction. As in hockey, the goal is to outscore your opponent.

The “broom” at the end of each stick is molded rubber, about 8 inches high and 5 inches wide, with enough of a curve to enable a skilled player to add some lift to shots and passes.

Participants seemed to enjoy their time on the Crawford Center ice in the roundrobin tourney Saturday.

“It was a pretty good time, and a good time with my buddies,” said Cody Brandt, who played for Knope Roofing and Furnace Co Inc. “It is for a good cause. … The money goes to the teams, and hopefully we get more teams next year.”

Risk Rosenow, whose 5-year-old daughter, Roselynn, participates in the youth hockey league, played on the winning TimberPro team.

“I grew up playing Shawano hockey,” Risk Rosenow said. “I started when we were outdoors on the Wolf River, and I played roughly 10 years. And just this year, my daughter became old enough to start playing hockey.”

Rosenow said about 30 children played in the mini-mite division, the youngest of the club’s five age groups. He and the other volunteers did whatever they could to help.

“We were here three days a week, every week, for almost five months and we loved it — and miss it, and it’s only been two weeks since the end of the season,” Rosenow said. “It basically was our life all winter long.”

The tournament was organized by Lammers, hockey league vice president Greg Rusch, and parents Sarah Gagnow and Sandy Chapman.

While Lammers would like to have more teams participate next year, she was pleased with the reception of the participants and the families in Shawano “who made it happen.”

Raffle baskets were donated by Ho-Chunk Casino, North Star Casino, Seagrave and Bay Tek Games, which made an additional financial contribution. Rosin Woodwork Co. of Bonduel also made a cash contribution.

TimberPro, Modtech, Knope Roofing and Furnace Co. and Gary’s Doors and Services sponsored teams. Teams named Dillinger’s Fusion and Old Men Running also participated.

First-place TimberPro and runnerup Dillinger’s Fusion each donated its cash prize of $200 and $100, respectively, back to the hockey program.

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Program reduced to varsity-reserve statusBy: 

Gary Seymour, [email protected]

Hockey teams able to cope with the occasional minutes when they’re playing shorthanded are known as good penalty killers.

When shorthanded gets measured in weeks and months, however, coping becomes a little more tricky.

Attrition has been a greater concern than high sticking or slashing at Shawano Community High School, where the hockey team endured the 2014-15 season with a threadbare roster.

“We have the talent on our team; we just don’t have the numbers,” said coach Bryon Lammers, who became the Hawks’ de facto head coach in December after the passing of coach Tommie Carlin-Schauer.

Shawano, which co-ops with Bonduel, went 2-14-1 as a varsity-reserve club in the recently completed season. A varsity-reserve club is not eligible for the postseason state tournament.

“We’ve got 13 skaters,” Lammers said. “That’s about the bare minimum to get by.”

Anyone who has ever laced up a pair of hockey skates knows the exhaustive, frenetic nature of a single, one-minute shift on the ice. Those shifts add up over the course of a game, and a season. A player can have the heart of a lion, but when the energy store is depleted, performance suffers.

As Lammers noted, the issue with the players is strictly one of quantity, not quality.

Junior captain and center Blake Stoss played productive shifts with wings Brendan Cummings, a senior, and sophomore Aaron Lammers. Sophomore defenseman Chris Hass was an assistant captain, and sophomore goalie Brendan Chapman won the team’s most valuable player award. Freshman defenseman Bryce Gagnow was having a good year until a broken hand suffered in January brought a premature end to his season.

“A couple of our better games were actually losses,” Lammers said. “We played Rhinelander, which has a good team and a lot of players. It figured that we were going to get blown out, but we lost that game only 3-1.”

Another well-played game that ended in defeat was the 7-3 loss to Merrill’s varsity. Three of Merrill’s goals came on the same major-penalty power play.

Quality opponents and a thin bench are legitimate challenges for a high school hockey program. Another is the depth to which one must reach into his own pocket in order to play.

“Instead of the $30 athletic fee that you pay to play in other sports, it costs about $500 per skater for the season,” Lammers said. “We try to keep the cost down as much as possible for the kids. We have a fundraiser in the spring, and we have a couple of others we do in the fall.”

Fundraisers would not be as essential to the program’s survival if the overall numbers improved. The program was stronger when Pulaski was part of the co-op, but it has since joined a co-op involving Ashwaubenon, Seymour and Wrightstown.

“We have a lot of Pulaski kids in our (youth) league,” said Lammers, who has indicated his day job could preclude his continuing as head coach. “Projecting it two years from now, we’ll have about 16 players from the Shawano/Bonduel area, and there would be another 16 to 18 from Pulaski. If the Pulaski kids would come back to our co-op, we’d have enough for a varsity team and a varsity-reserve team.”

There are numbers, and talent, in the younger levels of the Shawano Hockey League, too. Two years ago, the bantam team (ages 13-14) took eighth place in their division of the state tournament. The year before that, a Shawano team of sophomores and juniors finished fifth at state in their division. The squirt team (ages 9-10) took second place recently in its division of the state tournament.

“We have about 65 players in the mites and mini-mites divisions,” Lammers said. “Those are kids ages 4 through 8. If we can keep that kind of number as they come through the ranks, then our future looks good. We’ll do really well.”

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: Broomball Tournament fundraiser for Shawano-Bonduel high school co-op hockey program

WHEN: 10 a.m. Saturday

WHERE: Crawford Center, 255 S. Waukechon St., Shawano

FYI: Concessions, beer, music, raffle baskets, 50/50 raffle and more.

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Senior guard 1 of 3 unanimous selectionsBy: 

Leader Staff

The boys high school basketball season is over at Gresham, but the awards continue to mount for senior guard Christian Haffner.

Haffner, who was recently named Central Wisconsin Conference-10 Player of the Year, was a unanimous choice for the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association’s Division 5 all-state team.

Haffner averaged 26.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game for the Wildcats, who finished the season 21-4, including a 15-3 mark in the CWC-10, good for second place.

Haffner was one of three unanimous all-state selections. The others were Sheboygan Lutheran senior Jacob Jurss and Bangor senior Canon O’Heron.

Haffner also will compete in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association’s 3-Point Challenge as part of the 100th anniversary celebration of the boys state basketball tournament Saturday.

The 3-point contest will be held at 9 a.m. at the Kohl Center in Madison.

Participants were selected on the basis of 3-point field goal shooting during the course of the season, with a minimum of 75 attempts. The top two shooters in each of the five divisions will compete.

Haffner led all Division 5 players with a .486 percentage (87 of 179).

Shawano’s Eric Carl was the fifth-most accurate 3-point shooter in Division 2 with a .466 percentage (54 of 116).

WBCA ALL-STATE

DIVISION 5

Christian Haffner, senior, Gresham Community; Ryan Dachel, senior, New Auburn; Noah Gosse, senior, Green Bay NEW Lutheran; Tiwon Jones, senior, Young Coggs Prep; Jacob Jurss, senior, Sheboygan Lutheran; Canon O’Heron, senior, Bangor; Zach Orlando, senior, Wausaukee; Aaron Schlies, senior, Wausaukee; Max Stockwell, junior, Hillsboro; Cody Tomlinson, senior, Washburn; Duke Vander Galien, senior, Randolph.

HONORABLE MENTION

Hunter Bolger, junior, University Lake School; Tyler DeYoung, senior, Central Wisconsin Christian; Caleb Kelley, senior, Sheboygan Christian; Austin Kurkowski, senior, Frederic; Chris Montag, senior, Port Edwards; Devin Oesau, senior, Gilmanton; Carver Phillips, senior, LaFarge.

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Bears center also all-state honorable mentionBy: 

Leader Staff

Photo by T’xer Zhon Kha/Daily Herald Media Bonduel High School senior center Jen Dowden (10) was an inside and outside scoring threat who led the Bears to a 22-3 season and a CWC-8 championship. Dowden, who is Bonduel’s all-time girls basketball leading scorer, averaged 13.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in conference action and was named CWC-8 Player of the Year.

Bonduel High School senior center Jen Dowden, who led the Bears to the Central Wisconsin Conference-8 championship and one of the best girls basketball seasons in school history, this week was named the conference’s Player of the Year.

Dowden averaged 13.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in conference, where Bonduel finished the season 13-1. She was also a Division 4 honorable mention all-state selection for the Bears, who went 22-2 overall.

“It’s a nice honor for her,” Bonduel coach Missy Dowden said. “We had a couple of players who were effective scoring both inside and outside. Jen’s best asset as a player is her vision on the court. On defense, she’s able to understand the coverage and help out where it’s needed, and on offense she’s a good shooter who can go inside, and recognize when a double or triple team is coming and work the ball back outside.”

Bonduel senior guard Lexi Reinke was also a first-team All-CWC-8 pick, as the 5-10 senior guard scored 7.5 points per game in conference and kept defenses honest with her 3-point shooting.

“Lexi could take care of the ball and lead the girls up the court if anybody was pressing against us,” Missy Dowden said. “She was good going to the basket and her shooting gave us a lot of offense. She was a big part of our success.”

Senior point guard Deanna Zernicke was a second-team All-CWC-8 choice for the Bears and junior center Taylor Weier made honorable mention.

Jen Dowden and Reinke will play together one more time, as members of the North team all-stars in the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association all-star game June 19 in Wisconsin Dells.

Wittenberg-Birnamwood junior Siri Zeinert was also a first-team all-conference pick, as her 11.3 points and 3.9 assists per game led Witt-Birn to a 12-2 mark in conference and 22-3 record overall.

Senior Micah Nier of Wittenberg-Birnamwood was a second-team all-conference pick, averaging 14.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in conference, and her senior teammate Erica White Eagle made honorable mention.

CENTRAL WISCONSIN-8

ALL-CONFERENCE

GIRLS BASKETBALL

First team: Kendra Dombrowski, Amherst, sophomore; Jen Dowden, Bonduel, senior; Lexi Reinke, Bonduel, senior; Karissa Akey, Weyauwega-Fremont, junior; Siri Zeinert, Wittenberg-Birnamwood, junior; Brooke Phillips, Iola-Scandinavia, senior.

Second team: Deanna Zernicke, Bonduel, senior; Tina Ubl, Shiocton, freshman; Carmen McCarthy, Shiocton, senior; Alyssa Goode, Weyauwega-Fremont, junior; Micah Nier, Wittenberg-Birnamwood, senior; Kylie Johnson, Iola-Scandinavia, senior.

Honorable mention: Taylor Weier, Bonduel, junior; Sami Kay Shafranski, Pacelli, senior; Chrstonna Shafranski, Pacelli, sophomore; Madi Morack, Shiocton, sophomore; Erica White Eagle, Wittenberg-Birnamwood, senior; Ashlee Strebe, Manawa, senior.

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Bowler’s Brisk also on first teamBy: 

Leader Staff

Photo by Jen Kuhn Menominee Indian High School junior Ania Smith (52) was a top defender and the Eagles’ go-to player on offense. She averaged 17.5 points and 11 rebounds a game en route to being named CWC-10 girls basketball Player of the Year.

Menominee Indian High School junior Ania Smith, who led the Eagles to a 16-2 mark and first place in the Central Wisconsin Conference-10, has been selected the conference’s Player of the Year in girls basketball.

The Menominee Indian girls team won its first 18 games of the season behind Smith, who averaged 16.8 points a game in conference play.

“We absolutely put the team on her back at crunch time,” coach Chris Rice said. “Ania works very hard. She’s very strong in the post, stronger than most girls her height, and she uses that strength to her advantage.”

Smith averaged a double-double for the overall season, with 17.5 points and 11 boards a game.

“She’s also a very good passer,” Rice said. “Having her back next year makes it a lot easier to be excited about the future.”

For her part, Smith sees the Player of the Year Award as a personal challenge.

“It’s an honor to win it, and I want to prove myself again and win it next year, too,” she said.

Bowler, which had one of the most breathtaking backcourts in the area, landed senior guard Ashlynn Brisk on the all-conference first team along with Smith, and freshman guard Reanne Kietlinski on the second team.

Brisk scored 16.4 points a game in conference and dished out 2.3 assists, while Kietlinski went for 14.5 points and 3.0 assists per game. Brisk and Kietlinski spearheaded a relentless Bowler fast break in a road win over Menominee Indian, which was the Eagles’ first conference loss.

Menominee Indian had a couple of second-team selections — senior forward Sasha Peters and senior guard Erin Wynos. Wynos, who scored just under 14 points per game, once hit seven 3-pointers in a game, while Peters’ 10-point average included a high game of 26.

Tigerton senior Katie Watters scored 9.8 points a game to garner second-team all-conference honors.

Honorable mentions in the CWC-10 included Marion junior Paige Polzin (8.8 points per game) and senior Cassidy Detert (7.4 points per game), and Gresham sophomore guard Sydney Jensen (12.0 points per game).

CENTRAL WISCONSIN CONFERENCE-10

ALL-CONFERENCE

GIRLS BASKETBALL

First team: Ashlynn Brisk, Bowler, senior; Ania Smith, Menominee Indian, junior; Bre Richter, Rosholt, junior; Amber Baehman, Tri-County, freshman; Jordyn Schrader, Port Edwards, senior; Johanna Shepard, Wild Rose, senior.

Second team: Reanne Kietlinski, Bowler, freshman; Sasha Peters, Menominee Indian, senior; Erin Wynos, Menominee Indian, senior; Isabella Weekly, Tri-County, senior; Katie Watters, Tigerton, senior; Alexa Gravunder, Wild Rose, sophomore.

Honorable mention: Paige Polzin, Marion, junior; Cassidy Detert, Marion, senior; Shantel Cordova, Rosholt, senior; Sarah Lauer, Tri-County, junior; Sydney Jensen, Gresham, sophomore; Marissa Ziegler, Port Edwards, senior; Catie Schmidt, Almond-Bancroft, sophomore; Ashley Mendoza, Wild Rose, sophomore.

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