This story is sponsored by Victory Apparel
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
A number of former local high school athletes have moved on to the next level and are playing sports collegiately across the country.
This is the first of a three-part series by MarshfieldAreaSports.com highlighting area athletes’ exploits at the collegiate level.
Varsho ends career in NCAA Div. II tournament
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Chili native Taylor Varsho, a 2012 graduate of Marshfield High School, recently wrapped up a stellar three-year career at the University of Sioux Falls (S.D.).
Varsho, the all-time leading scorer in the Marshfield girls basketball program’s history, was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year after scoring a career-high 17.7 points per game and making 113 3-pointers as the Cougars finished the season with a 27-6 record. Her 85 made 3-pointers in conference play this season are an NSIC record.
Varsho also earned NSIC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors as she helped USF to the title, and with that, its first-ever NCAA Division II Tournament berth.
Varsho also earned D2 College Commissioners Association Central Region First Team accolades as she was second on the team in assists (3.3 per game) and steals (1.6 per game), and third in rebounds (4.1 per game).
Sioux Falls lost its first-round tournament game to Pittsburg State (Kan.) 79-39 on March 11.
After transferring from Colorado State following her freshman season, Varsho ended her three-year career at Sioux Falls with 1,369 points, which ranks seventh on the USF all-time scoring list.
Michaelis helps Minnesota-Crookston to record-setting season
Caitlin Michaelis, a 2015 graduate of Marshfield High School, finished her freshman season on the University of Minnesota-Crookston women’s basketball team earlier this month.
Michaelis played in all 28 games for the Golden Eagles, including one start. UMC ended the season with an 18-10 record and a 14-8 mark in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, both program records for victories.
She averaged 17.5 minutes, 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game for Crookston, and made 22 of 62 3-point attempts as the Golden Eagles finished seventh nationally (NCAA Division II) in 3-point shooting percentage at 39 percent.
Michaelis scored three points in Crookston’s final game, a 75-62 loss to the University of Sioux Falls – and former Marshfield teammate Taylor Varsho – in the NSIC tournament quarterfinals.
Oestreich, Zuiker cap sophomores seasons in WIAC
Matt Oestreich and Lucas Zuiker, both 2014 Marshfield High School graduates, recently completed their sophomore seasons with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and UW-Stevens Point, respectively.
Oestreich started all 25 games for Platteville, which finished 11-14 overall and 5-9 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. He averaged 11.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. He also finished with 19 steals and 23 made 3-pointers.
Zuiker played in 25 of UW-Stevens Point’s 26 games, including a pair of starts. He averaged 4.1 points and 1.6 rebounds per game and led the team in free throw percentage at 91.7 percent (11 of 12) and 3-point percent at 37.5 percent (18 of 48). He scored a season-high 15 points against UW-Stout on Feb. 10.
The Pointers finished 14-12 overall and 7-7 in the WIAC.