This story is sponsored by Forward Financial Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Stratford seniors Sammy Griesbach and Andie Zuelke were among the four unanimous first-team selections to the 2016-17 All-Marawood Conference South Division Girls Basketball Team.
Zuelke led the Marawood South in rebounding at 8.3 per game, and was fourth in scoring at 12.4 points per game for the Tigers, who finished 8-4 (17-8 overall) and in third place in the conference standings.
Griesbach led the conference in assists (4.8 per game), was second in steals (3.1 per game), third in free throw percentage (63.3 percent), and ninth in scoring (8.9 ppg) for Stratford.
Wausau Newman Catholic senior Lauren Fech, a repeat first-team all-conference performer, was named Marawood South Player of the Year, as she scored 13 points and grabbed 6.3 rebounds per game to also earn unanimous first-team honors.
Marathon’s Amanda Kind was the fourth unanimous first-team pick and Newman Catholic’s Signe Fronek rounded out the first team. Fronek led the conference in scoring at 13.8 points per game and in 3-pointers made with 21 in conference play.
Auburndale sophomore Mackenzie Raab was a second-team pick after scoring 6.4 points per game for the Apaches, who finished in fifth place at 5-7 in the conference (12-12 overall).
“Mackenzie is our best ball handler and is always guarding the other team’s best perimeter player,” Auburndale coach Mike Gehrke said. “It took a while, but by season’s end, she had become more aggressive on offense and started looking for her shot more.”
Fellow sophomore Marissa Ponshock and junior Hannah Bolder were honorable mention choices for Auburndale. Ponshock averaged 5.8 points per game and was second in the conference in field goal percentage (57.4 percent). Bolder scored 6.6 points per game and was the team’s top rebounder at 5.4 per contest.
“Marissa started half of our games and was our best post player until she was slowed by injury,” Gehrke said. “When Marissa was slowed by injury, Hannah was there to pick up the slack on the inside both offensively and defensively.”
Stratford also had a pair of honorable mention selections in juniors Kaylee Hollatz and Taya Nett. Hollatz averaged 5.8 points and 5.3 rebounds a game, while Nett scored 7.6 points per game and had a team-best 12 3-pointers in conference play.
2016-17 All-Marawood Conference South Division Girls Basketball Team
First team: *Lauren Fech, sr., Wausau Newman Catholic; *Amanda Kind, sr., Marathon; *Andie Zuelke, sr., Stratford; *Sammy Griesbach, sr., Stratford; Signe Fronek, jr., Wausau Newman Catholic. (* denotes unanimous selection
Second team: Stephanie Draeger, jr., Marathon; Gracie Wendels, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Alysha Stieber, jr., Marathon; Kari Kreklau, fr., Northland Lutheran; Mackenzie Raab, so., Auburndale.
Honorable mention: Chrysten Linzmeier, jr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Erin Sullivan, jr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Hannah Bolder, jr., Auburndale; Marissa Ponshock, so., Auburndale; Brooke Balz, jr., Marathon; Karley Fischer, jr., Marathon; Julia Seidel, fr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Makayla Slaby, sr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Sidney Moore, jr., Northland Lutheran; Erin Gast, sr., Northland Lutheran; Skye Klein, sr., Pittsville; Anastasia Klein, so., Pittsville; Kaylee Hollatz, jr., Stratford; Taya Nett, jr., Stratford.
Player of the Year: Lauren Fech, Wausau Newman Catholic
Coach of the Year: Jason Vanden Elzen, Wausau Newman Catholic.