Wisconsin Valley all-conference spring athletes named

Tim Johnson
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Payton Nelson, left, was recently named the Wisconsin Valley Conference baseball player of the year in a senior season in which the Warriors won the conference title

WAUSAU - The Wausau West baseball team won the Wisconsin Valley Conference championship for the first time in six years this spring and Payton Nelson was a reason why the Warriors were able to end that drought. 

The outfielder finished third in the WVC with a .477 batting average and 11 of his 21 hits in conference play went for extra bases. Nelson was part of a West lineup that led the WVC with 119 runs and his performance earned him the conference player of the year honors as well.

The senior was one of three unanimous selections to the all-WVC baseball team which was recently announced. 

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West infielder Logan Grunenwald and Stevens Point Area Senior High outfielder Gus Turner-Zick were unanimous selections as well. 

Nelson and Grunenwald were part of six Warriors players named to the first team. The two are joined by teammates Zach Raeder, Jacob Wokatsch, Chandler Fochs and Zach Pearson.

The 11-player first team is rounded out by SPASH's Brett Ehr, Wisconsin Rapids' Nate Jackan and Shawn O'Connell and D.C. Everest's John Breske. 

SOFTBALL

D.C. Everest senior Miranda Gajewski earned player of the year honors in a season in which she posted a 9-3 record and a 1.84 earned run average as the Evergreens No. 1 pitcher. Gajewski also had a .455 batting average and drove in 14 runs. 

D.C Everest's Miranda Gajewski capped her prep softball career by being named the Wisconsin Valley Conference player of the year this spring.

Gajewski is one of eight unanimous selections to the all-WVC first team, including Evergreens teammate Maggie Plaza.

Stevens Point Area Senior High won the conference championship and leads the way with three unanimous selections to the first team — Brittney Flugaur, Ally Miklesh and Aubrey Drohner.

Miklesh and Plaza led the conference with a .537 batting average, and Drohner had a WVC-best 1.27 ERA 

Marshfield's Megan Donahue and Emily Draeger were also unanimous all-conference selections as was Merrill junior Maddix Bonnell. 

Merrill teammates Patience Pyan and Kelsie Belfiori were first team selections as well along with Marshfield's Jenna Jakobi to round out the 11-player honorees. 

SPASH's Tom Drohner was selected as the coach of the year. 

D.C. Everest's Dorene Sanchez, center, was named the Wisconsin Valley Conference girls soccer player of the year this spring.

GIRLS SOCCER

D.C. Everest defender Dorene Sanchez was named the player of the year, the third straight season in which she was a unanimous selection to the all-conference team 

Sanchez was one of six unanimous selections to the first team, which includes Evergreens teammates , midfielder McKenna Gilmore and forward Maddie Simpson.

Wisconsin Rapids had two unanimous selections in goalkeeper Chani Pulchinski and midfielder Kaitlyn Hess. Stevens Point Area Senior High midfielder Anna Zajakowski was a unanimous selection as well. 

Everest, the WVC champions, had four selections on the first team overall as midfielder Kendra Wolfgram also received the honor.

The first team is rounded out with Marshfield forward Nina Hashimoto, SPAS defender Julia Moder and Wausau West forward Natalie Lucht.

SPASH's Don Peel was named the coach of the year.

BOYS TENNIS

Marshfield, the WVC champions had two unanimous selections to the all-conference team in singles player Evan Fait and the Tigers doubles team of Jared Cordova and Derek Reckner. 

Fait was one of four singles players who were unanimous selections and joined by Stevens Point Area Senior High's Jon Peck, Wausau East's Sawyer Schlindwein and Wausau West's Luke Bailey.

The Wisconsin Rapids doubles team of Shane Glinski and Josh Beyer was a unanimous selection, The SPASH doubles team of Patrick Hefferan and Garrek Wierzba were selected to the first team as well. 

Tim Johnson: 715-845-0731, or twjohnson@gannett.com; on Twitter @timmyjo11

 

ALL-WVC BASEBALL

FIRST TEAM

IF-Brett Ehr, sr., SPASH; *Logan Grunenwald, sr., Wauau West; Zach Raeder, sr., Wausau West; Nate Jackan, jr, Wisconsin Rapids. OF-*Gus Turner-Zick, sr., SPASH; *Payton Nelson, Wausau West; Jacob Wokatsch, sr., Wausau West. P-John Breske, jr., D.C. Everest; Chandler Fochs, jr. Wausau West. C-Shawn O’Connell, sr., Wisconsin Rapids. U-Zach Pearson, sr., Wausau West.

*-unanimous selection

Player of the year: Payton Nelson, Wausau West

SECOND TEAM

IF-Connor Langbehn, jr., D.C. Everest; J.J. Berdal, jr., D.C. Everest; Joe Strigel, sr., SPASH; Carter Prey, jr., Wausau East. OF-Nathan Jagodzinski, jr., D.C. Everest; Braden Bohman, sr., Marshfield; Caleb Krommenakker, jr. Wisconsin Rapids. P-Jake Brueggen, sr., Marshfield; Donovan Brandl, so., Wisconsin Rapids. C-Paul Maguire, sr., Marshfield. U-Ryan Brock, sr., Wisconsin Rapids.

HONORABLE MENTION

IF-Sam Nielsen, jr., D.C. Everest; Jared Klein, sr., Marshfield; Ryan Golisch, sr., Merrill; Cole Wright, jr., SPASH; Forrest Kronberger, so., Wausau East; Grant Hill, jr., Wausau West. OF-Ty Belfiori, sr., Merrill; Dan Duginski, sr., Merrill; Wyatt Rottier, jr., Wausau East; Josh Zwicke, so., Wisconsin Rapids. P-Legend Kieliszewski, jr., SPASH; Dylan Trigg, so., SPASH; Logan Grunenwald, sr., Wausau West. C-Andrew Baranowski, jr., D.C. Everest; Trevor Cunningham, sr., Wausau West.

 

ALL-WVC SOFTBALL

FIRST TEAM

IF-*Maggie Plaza, sr., D.C. Everest; Patience Pyan, jr., Merrill; *Maddix Bonnell, jr., Merrill; Brittney Flugaur, sr., SPASH. OF-Jenna Jakobi, so.,, Marshfield; Kelsi Belfiori, so., Merrill; *Ally Miklesh, jr., SPASH. P-*Miranda Gajewski, sr., D.C. Everest; *Megan Donahue, jr., Marshfield. C-*Emily Draeger, jr., Marshfield. Util-Aubrey Drohner, sr., SPASH.

*-unanimous selection

Player of the year: Miranda Gajewski, D.C. Everest

Coach of the year: Tom Drohner, SPASH

SECOND TEAM

IF-Morgan Nordbeck, jr., Marshfield; Kayla Lass, so., SPASH; Brooke Tuszka, sr., SPASH; Chaela West, jr., Wisconsin Rapids. OF-Rhiannon Corozolla, so., Marshfield; Halle Pavelski, jr., SPASH; Alicia Pfiffner, jr., Wausau West. P-Taylor Krueger, jr., Merrill; Andrea Cherney, jr., SPASH. C-Rachel Plautz, jr., D.C. Everest. Util-Sydney Schwantes, jr., D.C. Everest.

HONORABLE MENTION

IF-Madalyn Peterson, jr., D.C. Everest; Sami Brown, sr., Wausau West; Taylor Mancl, fr., Wisconsin Rapids. OF-Lauren Witucki, so., D.C. Everest; Lexie Higgins, jr., D.C. Everest;  Brianna Mancl, jr., Wisconsin Rapids. P-Emily Gwidt, sr., Wausau West. C-Calli Oberg, jr., Merrill; Rachel Sullivan, jr., SPASH; Taylor Treu, sr., Wausau West. Util-Melissa Roberts, sr., Marshfield; Gabby Braatz, fr., Wausau East; Shaelyn Tailey, so., Wausau West.

 

ALL-WVC GIRLS SOCCER

FIRST TEAM

GK-*Chani Pulchinski, sr., ,Wisconsin Rapids. D-*Dorene Sanchez, sr, D.C. Everest; Julia Moder, so., SPASH; Libby Schuerman, sr., Wisconsin Rapids. M-*McKenna Gilmore, sr., D.C. Everest; Kendra Wolfgram, sr., D.C. Everest; *Anna Zajakowski, sr., SPASH. . F-*Maddie Simpson, fr., D.C. Everest; Nina Hashimoto, fr., Marshfield; *Kaitly Hess, sr., Wisconsin Rapids.

*-unanimous selection

Player of the year-Dorene Sanchez, D.C. Everest

Coach of the year: Don Peel, SPASH

SECOND TEAM

GK-Madisyn Rogan, so., SPASH. D-Lauren Rohr, sr., D.C. Everest; Sarah Lehrke, jr., D.C. Everest; Courtney Milkowski, jr., SPASH; Alexa Sheehan, sr., Wausau West; Miranda Nieman, so., Wisconsin Rapids. F-Maddie Haessly, sr., Marshfield; Abby Gemza, so., SPASH; Kadie Deaton, so, Wausau West. M-Sami Miles, jr, Wausau East; Mariah Matthews, sr., Wisconsin Rapids.

HONORABLE MENTION
GK-Kaylee Bowe, so., Merrill; Kayla Kovach, jr., Wausau West. F-Krista Koenig, jr., D.C. Everest; Mia Iwinski, jr., Wisconsin Rapids. M-Mae Litschauer, jr., Merrill; Olivia Clemens, jr., SPASH; Emma Dehnel, fr., Wausau East; Leah Blaskowski, jr., Wausau East. D-Emily Critelli, sr., Marshfield; Ana Paape, fr., Marshfield; Renee Moonen, jr., Merrill; Rouhan Richardt, so., Wausau West.

 

ALL-WVC BOYS TENNIS

FIRST TEAM

Singles

*Evan Fait, so., Marshfield; *Jon Peck, sr., SPASH; *Sawyer Schlindwein, sr., Wausau East; *Luke Bailey, so., Wausau West.

Doubles

*Jared Cordova, fr/Derek Reckner, sr.,  Marshfield; *Shane Glinski, sr./Josh Beyer, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Patrick Hefferan, sr./Garrek Wierzba, sr., SPASH

*-unanimous selections

SECOND TEAM

Singles

Sam Haessly, so., Marshfield; Mario Duwe, so, Wausau East; Grant Seils, jr., Wausau East; Harrison Sullivan, fr., Wisconsin Rapids.

Doubles

John Fay, sr./Will Fay, so., Marshfield; Steven Martell, sr./Lucas Ratanawang, sr., Wausau East; Feuchi Yang, sr./Luke Halvorsen, sr., Wausau West.

HONORABLE MENTION

Singles

Braedon Corteen, jr., Marshfield; Siam Rezwan, jr., Wausau East.

Doubles

Preston Pagel, jr./James Radloff, so., D.C. Everest; Ayush Shukla, jr./Luke Kaiser, jr., Marshfield; Carter Smigaj, jr./Angus Blakeman, sr., SPASH; Eli Haas, jr./Ryan Martin, sr., SPASH; Elkin Thao, jr./Neil Biswas, jr., Wausau East; Edward Xiong, sr./Ben Brown, jr., Wausau West