This story is sponsored by: The University of Wisconsin-Marshfield/Wood County
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Auburndale senior guard Matt Nikolay was selected as the 2014-15 Marawood Conference South Division boys basketball player of the year, as voted on by the conference coaches.
Nikolay led the conference in steals (34) and 3-pointers made (23), was third in scoring (14.9 points per game), fourth in assists (35), and 11th in rebounding (5.2 per game) for the Apaches, who finished third in the conference behind Marathon and Wausau Newman Catholic.
Nikolay was joined on the all-conference first team by Chase Lamp of Wisconsin Rapids Assumption, Ethan Seubert of Marathon, Jake Gajewski of Wausau Newman Catholic and Jake Reif of Stratford. All five were unanimous first-team selections.
Reif ended up fifth in scoring average (12.8), second in 3-pointers made (22) and topped the conference with 49 assists.
Auburndale senior forward Alex Marth was a second-team selection, and teammates Jake Lewis and Josh VanSchoick, both seniors, were honorable mention choices.
Stratford seniors Michael Bargender and Dawson Gebelein also earned honorable mention accolades.
2014-15 All-Marawood Conference South Division Boys Basketball Team
First team: *Matt Nikolay, sr., Auburndale; *Chase Lamp, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; *Ethan Seubert, sr., Marathon; *Jake Gajewski, jr., Wausau Newman Catholic; *Jake Reif, sr., Stratford. (* denotes unanimous selection)
Second team: Preston Wirkus, jr., Marathon; Dane Fronek, jr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Alex Marth, sr., Auburndale; Zac Rihn, sr., Marathon; Jake Allind, jr., Pittsville.
Honorable mention: Colt Linzmeier, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Jared Haas, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Jake Lewis, sr., Auburndale; Josh VanSchoick, sr., Auburndale; Isaac Barber, sr., Marathon; Xavier Lechleitner, jr., Marathon; Jeff Ford, sr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Nick Thoreson, sr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Jacob Price, so., Northland Lutheran; Luke Thums, sr., Northland Lutheran; Aidan Masanz, so., Pittsville; Matthew Carlson, so., Pittsville; Dawson Gebelein, sr., Stratford; Michael Bargender, sr., Stratford.
Player of the Year: Matt Nikolay, Auburndale.
Coach of the Year: Adam Jacobson, Marathon.