PAGE 16 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 21, 2012
All!Leader Girls INTER! COUNTY LEADER • INTER! COUNTY LEADER • INTER! COUNTY LEADER
F R E D E R I C • G R A N T S B U R G • L U C K • S T. C R O I X F A L L S • S I R E N • U N I T Y • W E B S T E R
Eighth-Annual All-Leader Girls Basketball Team by Marty Seeger and Greg Marsten Leader staff writers FREDERIC – Area girls basketball team’s suffered difficult endings to their seasons yet none of them went quietly in 2012. After an amazing undefeated conference championship finish, the Saints were the only West Lakeland team to play for a regional title, yet fell to Bloomer in a heartbreaker that they nearly won after being shut down in the first half, while trailing by 10 or more points until the fourth quarter. St. Croix Falls will be back strong
again next season despite losing some leadership and will again compete for the conference crown, along with Siren, Frederic, Luck, Unity and Webster. Of the 16 athletes chosen for first and second team, 10 of girls will be back next season, making the competition even better, and it should make for even stronger teams. There are also 10 athletes on the list of honorable mentions who will be back next season as well. Gratitude is extended to all of the athletes, and coaches for making 2011-12 another exciting year of basketball.
Honorable Mentions Frederic Emily Byerly, Kendra Mossey
Siren Carly Good, Kyaisha Kettula
Grantsburg Nicole McKenzie, Kylie Pewe
Unity Sarah Bader, Shay Nelson
Luck Maia Lehmann, Taylor Joy
Webster Chelsea Larson, Stefani Wamboldt
St. Croix Falls Natalie Sempf, Alexis Erickson
First Team All-Leader selections
Avery Steen Luck
Corissa Schmidt Frederic
Name: Avery Steen School: Luck Comments: Steen is the best female basketball player in the region, and while she was keyed upon all season, she still managed over 22 points per game and made the rest of her Cardinals better in so many ways, not the least of which by opening the court. Nobody is deadlier on a breakaway, and she can shoot from seemingly everywhere on the court, maybe even from the locker room.
Name: Corissa Schmidt School: Frederic Comments: One of the only times you saw Schmidt on the bench this season was during a time-out or if she was in foul trouble, and that was rare. Schmidt is one of the top three guards in the West Lakeland Conference and finished her career with over 400 rebounds and 771 points. She averaged 16 points per game, led the team in rebounds, was team captain and a true leader on and off the court.
Maria Miller Frederic
Sarah Petznick St. Croix Falls
Name: Maria Miller School: Frederic Comments: With over 500 career rebounds to her credit, 714 points scored and doing all of it in just three varsity basketball seasons, there’s no denying that Miller left a lasting mark on the Frederic Vikings basketball team. As a true post player, Miller dominated the inside game and was one of the team’s leading scorers most nights. She had several double-doubles in her career as well.
Name: Sarah Petznick School: St. Croix Falls Comments: As a four-year starter, Petznick only got better throughout her career with the Saints. The scoring guard will continue her basketball career at UW-Superior and helped lead the Saints to an undefeated conference championship season. She averaged over 12 points per game, had the second most rebounds with 119, and could play a mean defense while still being able to run the offense when needed.
Carly Larson Grantsburg
Brittany Thomfohrda Unity
Name: Carly Larson School: Grantsburg Comments: Larson was a fierce competitor who didn’t take kindly to losing. She was the all-around player that coaches love to coach. She was smart on offense and defense and came through with several clutch performances. She averaged over 15 points per game and could be counted on to do anything on the court, whether it was shooting free throws, rebounding or leading by example.
Name: Brittany Thomfohrda School: Unity Comments: Unity was as competitive as they’ve been in years, and a big part of that was because of lone Eagle senior Thomfohrda. Few players do everything as capably on both ends of the court. A presence and steady leader all season, she averaged over 16 PPG with solid numbers across the board. She represented the Class of 2012 well and was the obvious Unity MVP.
Name: Sydney Geisness School: St. Croix Falls Comments: Geisness led the Saints in nearly every category this season, with nearly 13 points per game and 162 rebounds. She shot 53 percent from the field and was a key cog in the Saints undefeated conference championship season. The best part is that Geisness has yet another year to improve on her career best season, as she’s only a junior.
Sydney Geisness St. Croix Falls Name: Liz Brown School: Siren Comments: The 5-foot-9inch junior used her size, timing and eye for the ball well, and seemed to be a part of every Dragon play in the paint this season. A true force inside, she averaged over 11 points per game and has a knack for collecting rebounds, with solid defense and unselfish play all around.
Liz Brown Siren
All-Leader Second Team
Jaimee Buck Luck
Jessica Rademacher St. Croix Falls
Name: Jaimee Buck School: Luck Comments: The junior Buck became another strong Cardinal force as the season progressed. She was a true spark plug and leader, who always kept her teammates chins up and her head down in the paint. While she didn’t always have the big numbers, she earned the respect of all opponents and is a strong, unselfish all-around player who also benefited from defensive keying on Avery Steen.
Name: Jessica Rademacher School: St. Croix Falls Comments: She has the athleticism, tenacity and drive of a senior, but is only a sophomore. Rademacher is a strong forward who isn’t afraid of contact, and could be one of the area’s best in the next two years. She averaged over eight points per game and had 155 rebounds; seven boards shy of teammate Sydney Geisness. Both will bring a lot of talent and experience to the Saints next season.
Shauna Jorgenson Unity
Sam Schwieger Grantsburg
Name: Shauna Jorgenson School: Unity Comments: Jorgenson showed her strength and focus to Unity fans at every opportunity. Averaging over 14 PPG, she often kept her team in games with her defense and quick capitalizing on turnovers. She’s a speedy, capable and focused wild card. Her defense and ability to score quickly kept Eagle opponents on their heels. The talented junior is sure to be a solid force again next season.
Name: Sam Schwieger School: Grantsburg Comments: The junior guard was a serious outside threat and could bury a 3-pointer with the best this area had to offer. Left unguarded, Schwieger could make a team pay in a hurry, as she could blow a game wide open with her shooting accuracy. She handled the ball well, was second on the team in scoring, averaging over 12 points per game yet scored more than 20 on several occasions this season.
Name: Caitlyn Olson School: St. Croix Falls Comments: Olson was a true point guard who could control the tempo of the game, and was a threat from 3-point range. When she wasn’t running the Saints offense she was creating it, and was a key component to the Saints starting core this season, and the previous three seasons. Olson averaged over seven points per game and played solid defense.
Caitlyn Olson St. Croix Falls
Name: Jenni Holdt School: Luck Comments: The freshman Holdt blossomed with Avery Steen’s double coverage, and her rebounding helped keep the Cards in the action longer than they deserved, at times. She is a capable player in every situation, and plays older than her ninth-grade experience. She not only collected plenty of boards, she racked up almost eight PPG in the process.
Jenni Holdt Luck Name: Macy Hanson School: Grantsburg Comments: Hanson is a tough competitor who averaged over eight points per game and was third on the list of leading scorers on the Pirates basketball team. She wasn’t afraid to take control of the offense or scrap for a rebound, and will likely help lead the team to success in years to come as she’s only a sophomore.
Macy Hanson Grantsburg
Name: Brittany Coulter School: Siren Comments: Her defense and never-give-up play outshined her long-distance prowess this season, as opponents learned their lesson from the past and keyed on her at the perimeter, making her rush her shot at times. But the speedy Coulter remains as one of the better all-around athletes in the West Lakeland and promises to be a strong Siren senior next year.
Brittany Coulter Siren
SPORTS RESULTS DEADLINES: WEDNESDAY - MONDAY: 1 p.m. the following business day. TUESDAY: 7 a.m. on Wednesday. Missed deadlines mean no coverage that week! S P O R T S N E W S O R S C O R E S T O R E P O R T ? • P H O N E : 7 1 5 - 3 2 7 - 4 2 3 6 • FA X : 7 1 5 - 3 2 7 - 4 1 1 7 • E - M A I L : m s e e g e r @ c e n t u r y t e l . n e t