Loyal duo highlight girls All-State team

WAUSAU – The Loyal girls basketball team celebrated the program’s first WIAA state title after the Greyhounds rallied from a 13-point deficit with roughly 10 minutes left in the Division 5 championship game.

Two key seniors from that team, Morgan Reinwand and Karsyn Rueth, were named all-state players in Division 5 by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association on Monday. Rueth averaged 15.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists this season for the Greyhounds, while Reinwand averaged a team-high 17.2 points per game.

The two were among five local players named all-state across all five divisions. Three other players were honorable mention selections.

It’s the second straight year that Rueth has been an all-state selection. Rueth and Reinwand are among four local players who were first-team selections in Division 5.

Tri-County junior Amber Baehman was selected for a season in which she led the Penguins to a 24-2 record and the sectional semifinals. Baehman averaged 21 points, 12.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.6 steals this winter.

Owen-Withee sophomore Jennifer Wendler was also named all-state in a season in which she averaged 23.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game for the Blackhawks. Wendler had a season-high 47-point performance against Greenwood on Feb. 9. The performance was the second-highest single-game output in the state, ranking just behind Northland Pines' Lexi Smith, who had 48 points in early January against West Iron, Mich.

Smith made first-team all-state in Division 3 as did Wittenberg-Birnamwood's Taylor Nier in Division 4. The Chargers senior averaged 15.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game for the Chargers this winter. Wittenberg-Birnamwood finished with a 24-2 record and reached the state semifinal.

Marathon's Amanda Kind was a honorable mention selection in Division 4 in a season in which she helped the Raiders win the Marawood Conference south Division title and reach a regional final. Marshfield senior Ema Fehrenbach and Newman Catholic senior Lauren Fech were honroable mention picks in Division 1 and 5, respectively, as well. .

Fehrenbach was selected the Wisconsin Valley Conference player of the year as she averaged 17.7 points per game this winter.

Fech averaged 13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this season for the Cardinals, who finished second in the Marawood Conference South.

WBCA ALL-STATE TEAM

DIVISION 1

Grace Beyer, so., Mukwonago*; Erin Howard, jr., Madison East; Jayda Jensen, jr., Sun Prairie; Bria Lemirande, sr., Middleton; Sydney Levy, jr., Appleton North; Alex Luehring, sr., Verona; Chloe Marotta, jr., Homestead; Lizzie Miller, sr., De Pere; Sydnee Roby, so,., Milwaukee King*; Kenzie Schmitz, sr., Germantown.

*-unanimous selection.

Honorable mention

Kari Brekke, jr., Appleton North; Caroline Busch, sr., Brookfield Central; Ema Fehrenbach, sr., Marshfield; Grace Gilmore sr., Arrowhead; Abby Guidinger, sr., Kettle Moraine; Lexi Hanley, sr., Chippewa falls; Caitlyn Harper, jr., Arrowhead; Maddie Re, sr., Bay Port.

DIVISION 2

Elizabeth Edinger, sr., West De Pere; Shay Frederick, jr., Hortonville; Sydney Hilliard, so., Monroe*; Leah Porath, sr., New London; Marissa Robson, sr., Stoughton; MacKenzie Schill, sr., Pewaukee*; Janelle Shiffler, sr., Union Grove; Taylor Stuttley, sr., Onalaska*; Cassidy Trotter, sr., Beaver Dam*; McKenna Warnock, so., Monona Grove*

Honorable  mention                                                              

Morgan Allen, sr., Hortonville; Bailey Eichner, sr., Cudahy; Brehna Evans, jr., West De Pere; Emily Higgins, jr., Pulaski; Julia Hintz, so., New Berlin Eisenhower; Brooke Olson, jr., Rice Lake; Hailey Oskey, jr., Seymour.

DIVISION 3

Brooke Geier, sr., Kewaunee; Makeena Haase, sr., Freedom; Brooklyn Liegel, sr., Richland Center; Elizabeth Lutz, sr., Marshall; Tori Martell, sr., Somerset; Katie Meriggioli, sr., Madison Edgewood; Estella Moschkau, sr., Madison Edgewood*; Madelyn Neff, jr., Hayward; Lexi Smith, sr., Northland Pines; Myriama Smith-Traore, sr., Whitewater.

Honorable mention

Breanna Butler, sr., Milwaukee School of Languages; Sydney Flier, jr., Waupun; Emily Hafemann, sr., Martin Luther; Danielle Nennig, sr., Wrightstown; Chelsea Olson, sr., Westby; Rebekah Schumacher, sr., Whitewater; Jazmine Young, jr., Dominican; Chandler Zwiefelhofer, sr., Bloomer.

DIVISION 4

Hannah Anderson, sr., Regis; Mikayla Brouette, sr., Pardeeville; Sidney Cooks, sr., Kenosha St. Joseph*; Lexi Donarski, fr., Aquinas; Taylor Nier, sr., Wittenberg-Birnamwood; Ambree Schlooser, sr., Durand; Sydney Staver, sr., Mineral Point; Caitlin Tipton, sr., Laconia; Katie Van Scyoc, sr., Lourdes Academy*; Sam Yancy, sr., Howards Grove.

Honorable mention

Emily Annis, so., Durand; Katie Christopherson, so., Melrose-Mindoro; Amanda Kind, sr., Marathon; Chelby Koker, so., Shoreland Lutheran; Alexis Rolph, jr., Loudes Academy; Brittany Schalleer, sr., Howards Grove; Erika Simmons, so., Melrose-Mindoro; Anja Smith, sr., St. Mary’s Springs; Tina Ubl, jr., Shiocton

DIVISION 5

Amber Baehman, jr., Tri-County; Kailey Ketz, so., Clayton; Brianna Leahy, jr., Shullsburg; Alison Leslie, so., Clayton; Natalie Luezinger, fr., Black Hawk; Morgan Reinwand, sr., Loyal; Karsyn Rueth, sr., Loyal; Jennifer Wendler, so., Owen-Withee; Shemera Williams, so., Milwaukee Academy of Science; Emma Wittmershaus, jr., Bangor.

Honorable mention

Lauren Fech, sr., Newman Catholic; Caitlyn Hiller, sr., Mercer; Dakota Hutzler, sr.,. Rio; Makaylee Kuhn, so., Hilbert; Jordan Ludescher, jr., Flambeau; Julia Peplinski, jr., Hutisford; Hattie Rennert, sr., Shullsburg; Abby Shane, sr., Heritage Christian; Jessica Slowik, jr., Elcho; Josie Verbick, sr., McDonell Central.