Wisconsin Valley Conference names top athletes for spring sports
WAUSAU - Cole Wright was one of the top offensive performers in the Wisconsin Valley Conference baseball season, and for that he earned the league's player of the year honors.
The Stevens Point Area Senior High senior led the WVC with eight doubles and 20 RBI and was second in the conference with a .452 batting average. He helped the Panthers to the WVC championship and leads the 11-member all-conference first team. He also is among the top athletes who were recently recognized in all-WVC teams in baseball, softball and girls soccer.
Wright is one of four Panthers players to be named to the first team in baseball. His teammate, junior infielder Jack Kelly, was a unanimous selection, and Brady Franz and junior pitcher J.D. Schultz were first-team picks as well.
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Kelly was third in the WVC with a .421 batting average and Schultz was second in the league with a 1.35 ERA.
Wausau West finished tied with D.C. Everest for second in the WVC and had three first-team selections. Chandler Fochs, who led the conference with a 0.86 ERA, and Grant Hill were both unanimous selections. Sam Sippel, who won the WVC batting title with a .477 batting average, was a first-team pick as well.
D.C. Everest had two first-team picks in senior infielder Connor Langbehn and outfielder John Breske. Wisconsin Rapids senior infielder Frank Hartman and Wausau East senior outfielder Cordell Myles round out the first team.
SOFTBALL
SPASH's Ally Milklesh and Marshfield's Megan Donahue shared the player of the year honors. It was the third straight year in which Miklesh was a unanimous all-conference selection and second for Donahue.
Miklesh led the WVC with a .628 batting average and a .686 on-base percentage. Donahue finished first with 29 hits in league play and was second with a .592 batting average. She also led the WVC in pitching wins with 12 and was second with a 3.11 ERA.
The two highlight the 12 players who were named first team all-WVC.
Miklesh was one of five first-team picks for a Panthers team that won the league title with a 12-0 mark. Junior infielders Kayla Lass and Megan Miklesh were first-team selections, along with seniors Halle Pavelski and Andrea Cherney at outfield and pitcher, respectively.
Cherney led the WVC with a 1.91 ERA.
Donahue was one of four first-team selections for Marshfield. Senior Emily Draeger and junior outfielder Jenna Jakobi were both unanimous selections at outfielder and catcher, respectively, and senior infielder Morgan Nordbeck was a first-team selection as well.
D.C. Everest senior Lexie Higgins was a unanimous selection as a utility player, and Merrill had two first-team selections in senior infielders Patience Pyan and Maddix Bonnell.
GIRLS SOCCER
Maddie Simpson was named the player of the year, the fifth straight year in which member of the D.C. Everest girls soccer team has received that honor. Simpson, who was a unanimous all-WVC pick as a freshman, led the conference with 10 goals and 22 points.
Simpson was one of three Evergreens players selected to the first team. Seniors Sarah Lehrke and Krista Koenig were unanimous picks as a defender and midfielder, respectively.
SPASH won the WVC title and had a conference-high four players on the first team. Juniors Lauren Johnson and Abby Gemza were unanimous selections at forward and midfielder, respectively, for a team that reached the WIAA Division 1 sectional semfiinals.
The Panthers' junior defenders Madisyn Rogan and Julia Moder were first-team selections as well.
Wausau East freshman forward was the only unanimous selection pick. Marshfield had two first-team selections in sophomore defender Anna Paape and sophomore forward Nina Hashimoto.
Wisconsin Rapids junior goalkeeper Miranda Nieman, who had a 1.20 goals against average and a .800 saves percentage was a first-team selection as well, along with Merrill senior midfielder Mae Litschauer.
ALL-WVC BASEBALL
FIRST TEAM
INF-*Cole Wright, sr, SPASH; *Grant Hill, sr., Wausau West; Connor Langbehn, sr., D.C. Everest; Frank Hartman, sr., Wisconsin Rapids. OF-Sam Sippel, sr., Wausau West; Brady Franz, jr., SPASH; Cordell Myles, sr., Wausau East; John Breske, sr., D.C. Everest. Util-*Jack Kelly, jr., SPASH. P-*Chandler Fochs, sr., Wausau West; J.D. Schultz, jr., SPASH.
* — unanimous selection.
Player of the year: Cole Wright, SPASH
SECOND TEAM
INF-Sam Nielsen, sr., D.C. Everest; Ryan Kruger, jr., Marshfield; Donovan Brandl, jr., Wisconsin Rapids; Nate Jackson, sr., Wisconsin Rapids. OF-Brady Sendelbach, jr., D.C. Everest; Forrest Kronberger, jr., Wausau East. C-Mason Smith, sr., Merrill. OF-Piersen Pyan, so., Merrill; Sam Lawrynk, sr., SPASH. P-Trevor Samuelson, jr., D.C. Everest; Donovan Brandl, jr., Wisconsin Rapids.
HONORABLE MENTION
INF-Isaac Perner, sr., SPASH; Brett Her, jr., SPASH; Austin Gilge, sr., D.C. Everest; Brandon Clausen, sr., Wausau West; Isaiah Baierl, jr., Marshfield . OF-Tristan Aldrich, jr., SPASH; Caleb Krommenakker, sr. Wisconsin Rapids. P-Grant Hill, sr., Wausau West; John Breske, sr., D.C. Everest; Dylan Trigg, jr., SPASH.
ALL-WVC SOFTBALL
FIRST TEAM
INF-Kayla Lass, jr., SPASH; Morgan Nordbeck, sr., Marshfield; Patience Pyan, sr., Merrill; Maddix Bonnell, sr., Merrill; Megan Miklesh, jr., SPASH. OF-*Jenna Jakobi, jr., Marshfield; *Ally Miklesh, sr., SPASH; Halle Pavelski, sr., SPASH. P-*Megan Donahue, sr., Marshfield; Andrea Cherney, sr., SPASH. C-*Emily Draeger, sr., Marshfield. Util-Lexie Higgins, sr., D.C. Everest
* — unanimous selection
Player of the year: Ally Miklesh, SPASH, and Megan Donahue, Marshfeild.
Coach of the year: Tom Drohner, SPASH
SECOND TEAM
INF-Rhiannon Corozolla, jr., Marshfield; Chaela West, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Haley Larson, so., D.C. Everest; Katie Konardy, sr., Marshfield; Haley Wilhonr, jr., Wisconsin Rapids. OF-Kelsie Belfiori, jr., Merrill; Emily Marquardt, sr., D.C. Everest; Alicia Pfiffner, sr., Wausau West. P-Taylor Krueger, sr., Merrill; Miranda Ostrowski, sr., D.C. Everest. C-Sammy Saloun, so., SPASH. Util-Maddie Fink, sr., SPASH.
HONORABLE MENTION
INF-Kit Kronberger, fr., Wausau East; Jordan Pretsch, so., Marshfield; Carly Fix, sr., SPASH; Anna Radtke, sr., Wisconsin Rapids. OF-Brianna Mancl, sr., Wisconsini Rapids; Megan Schroder, jr., Merrill; Jenna Ellers, fr., SPASH. P-Shaelyn Talley, jr., Wausau West. C-Rachel Plautz, sr., D.C. Everest; Calli Oberg, sr., Merrill. Util-Elise Brown, jr., Wausau West; Gabby Braatz, so., Wausau East.
ALL-WVC GIRLS SOCCER
FIRST TEAM
GK-Miranda Nieman, jr., Wisconsin Rapids. D-*Sarah Lehrke, sr., D.C. Everest; Ana Paape, so., Marsfhield; Madisyn Rogan, jr., SPASH; Julia Moder, jr., SPASH. F-*Maddie Simpson, so., D.C. Everest; Nina Hashimoto, so., Marshfield; *Lauren Johnson, jr., SPASH; *Abby Thompson, fr., Wausau East. M-*Krista Koenig, sr., D.C. Everest; Mae Litschauer, sr., Merrill; *Abby Gemza, jr., SPASH.
* — unanimous selection.
Player of the year: Maddie Simpson, D.C. Everest.
SECOND TEAM
GK-Kayla Kovach, sr., Wausau West. D-Keta Oettinger, jr., D.C. Everest; Courtney Milkowski, sr., SPASH; Malena Tonelli, jr., Wausau West; Kailea Ott, jr., Wisconsin Rapids. M-Madisyn Irwin, sr., D.C. Everest; Meghan Heil, jr., D.C. Everest; Sierra Hefferan, jr., SPASH; Emma Dehnel, so., Wausau East; Natalie Lucht, sr., Wausau West; Mia Iwinski, sr., Wisconsin Rapids.
HONORABLE MENTION
GK-Kaylee Bowe, jr, Merrill; Alexis Pickard, sr., Wausau East. D-Claire Burns, sr, D.C. Everest; Mackenna Hart, sr., Marshfield; Olivia Clemens, sr., SPASH; Kelsie Kostuchowski, so., SPASH; Caroline Narel, so., Wisconsin Rapids. F-Sarah Lorge, so., D.C. Everest; Kate Schilling, fr., Marshfield; Renee Moonen, sr., Merrill; Mallory Names, so., Wausau West. M-Nicole Simon, jr., Marshfield; Kate Peterson, sr., Merrill; Tigist Ficken, jr., SPASH.