This story is sponsored by Total Electric
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Auburndale freshman pitcher Morgan Griesbach was named Player of the Year and was a unanimous first-team selection to the 2024 All-Marawood Conference South Division Softball Team, as voted on by the six conference coaches following the season.
Griesbach and teammate Mya Krings were unanimous first-team picks for Auburndale, which won the Marawood South championship and advanced to the WIAA State Softball Tournament.
Joining the Auburndale duo on the first team were Stratford juniors Laney Pankratz and Emma Roeper, and freshman Carly Pankratz; Wisconsin Rapids Assumption juniors Claire Nelson and Anna Schooley; Marathon senior Lauren Karlen; Edgar senior Morgan Streveler; and Wausau Newman Catholic senior Ava Sukanen.
Laney Pankratz, Nelson, Schooley and Streveler were also unanimous selections.
Griesbach was a force on the mound for the Eagles, finishing the season with a 16-2 record, a 1.42 earned run average, and 188 strikeouts in 118 1/3 innings pitched. She also hit .394 with nine doubles, 14 RBI and 26 runs scored.
Krings, Auburndale’s shortstop, in batting at .446 and runs scored with 38, while adding 11 doubles, two homers and 14 RBI.
Laney Pankratz, Stratford’s top pitcher, finished the year with a 14-3 record, a 1.06 ERA and 148 strikeouts in 112 innings pitched. She also hit .281 with a team-best 26 runs scored and knocked in 17.
Roeper, the Tigers’ catcher, batted .329 with a team-high 34 RBI and 19 runs scored.
Carly Pankratz, an outfielder for Stratford, led the team in batting with a .352 average and scored 23 runs.
Among the second-team picks were Auburndale’s Sammy Stanton, Danika Blomberg and Taylor Anderson, and Stratford’s Kressa Wenzel and Tria Tubbs.
Auburndale’s Mike Schulte was named Marawood South Coach of the Year as the Eagles went 8-2 in the conference and 21-4 overall, making it to the state tournament for the first time in program history.
2024 All-Marawood Conference South Division Softball Team
(*denotes unanimous selection)
First Team: *Claire Nelson, jr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; *Anna Schooley, jr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; *Mya Krings, jr., Auburndale; *Morgan Griesbach, fr., Auburndale; *Morgan Streveler, sr., Edgar; Lauren Karlen, sr., Marathon; Ava Sukanen, sr., Wausau Newman Catholic; *Laney Pankratz, jr., Stratford; Emma Roeper, jr., Stratford; Carly Pankratz, fr., Stratford.
Second Team: Macy Vollert, jr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Arianna Cavanaugh, so., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Lydia Smits, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Sammy Stanton, sr., Auburndale; Danika Blomberg, so., Auburndale; Taylor Anderson, jr., Auburndale; Taylor Lemmer, sr., Edgar; Danica Paszek, jr., Marathon; Allison Podjaski, fr., Marathon; Ashley Jankowski, sr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Kressa Wenzel, sr., Stratford; Tria Tubbs, so., Stratford.
Honorable Mention: Lexie Stoflet, fr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Chesney Nagel, fr., Auburndale; Breleigh Grimm, fr., Auburndale; Macie Yonker, sr., Edgar; Emery Borchardt, jr., Edgar; Bridget Salber, sr., Marathon; Ripley Skrypzchak, fr., Marathon; Madison Keene, fr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Lily Shields, jr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Gracie Schmidt, so., Stratford; Emerson Roy, jr., Stratford.
Player of the Year: Morgan Griesbach, Auburndale.
Coach of the Year: Mike Schulte, Auburndale.