This story is sponsored by: Randy LeMoine Agency, LLC – American Family Insurance
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Columbus, Spencer has three on Cloverbelt East boys first team
Cloverbelt Conference East Division champion Marshfield Columbus Catholic had all five of its starters earn all-conference honors for the 2015-16 season as voted on by the conference coaches.
Senior Evan Nikolai and junior Tyler Fuerlinger were first-team selections, junior Hunter Schultz earned second-team honors, and senior Matthias Gouin and sophomore Nick Malovrh were honorable mention choices for the Dons, who finished the Cloverbelt East season with a perfect 16-0 record.
Fuerlinger led the Dons in scoring at 18.2 points per game, while Schultz totaled 18.0 and Nikolai 13.7 per contest. Malovrh added another 11.5 points per game, making 62 3-pointers overall this season.
Spencer senior guard Bobby Pilz, the Player of the Year in the conference last year, joins Fuerlinger, Nikolai, Loyal junior Cameron Brussow, Neillsville senior Michael Dux, and Owen-Withee junior Josiah Goerlitz on the first team.
Brussow and Pilz were repeat first-team performers, while Dux and Nikolai moved up after earning second-team honors a year ago.
Goerliz was named Player of the Year.
Pilz scored 22 points per game this season for the Rockets, who ended up 10-6 in the Cloverbelt East. He finished his career with more than 1,300 points and in second place on Spencer’s all-time scoring list.
“Bobby is probably the most unselfish payer I have ever coached,” Spencer coach Randy Reckner said. “He made tremendous strides all four years on varsity. He has always put the team ahead of himself and the numbers he has put up ranks him as one of the best players ever at Spencer.”
Spencer senior Calvin Lenz was a second-team pick and teammate Ryan Busse, also a senior, was an honorable mention choice.
Lenz chipped in 9.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and a team-high 3.3 assists per game, while Busse averaged 9.6 points and 7.5 rebounds a game for Spencer.
“Like in football, Calvin is a tremendous leader on the floor,” Reckner said. “He has a great sense for the game and his leadership will be hard to replace. Ryan was a three-year starter and improved every year. He has a very good work ethic and gives it his best effort all of the time.”
2015-16 All-Cloverbelt Conference East Division Boys Basketball Team
First team: Evan Nikolai, sr., Marshfield Columbus Catholic; Tyler Fuerlinger, jr., Marshfield Columbus Catholic; Cameron Brussow, jr., Loyal; Michael Dux, sr., Neillsville; Josiah Goerlitz, jr., Owen-Withee; Bobby Pilz, sr., Spencer.
Second team: Hunter Schultz, jr., Marshfield Columbus Catholic; Mike Meddaugh, sr., Granton; Riley Geiger, jr., Loyal; Jake Kunze, sr., Neillsville; Kole Karaba, jr., Owen-Withee; Calvin Lenz, sr., Spencer.
Honorable mention: Eric Jorgenson, sr., Colby; Nick Malovrh, so., Marshfield Columbus Catholic; Matthias Gouin, sr., Marshfield Columbus Catholic; Derrick Howard, sr., Loyal; Luke Bogdnoovich, so., Loyal; Ryan Busse, sr., Spencer.
Player of the Year: Josiah Goerlitz, Owen-Withee.
Spencer’s Kind named to girls first team
Spencer senior Sydney Kind was one of the six players named to the 2015-16 All-Cloverbelt Conference East Division Girls Basketball Team.
Conference champion Loyal had three first-team picks – juniors Karsyn Rueth and Morgan Reinwand, and senior Devyn Schoonover, who was named Player of the Year. Joining the three Greyhounds and Kind on the first team were Neillsville senior Danielle Pfeiffer and Owen-Withee senior Whitney Baehr.
Rueth, Pfeiffer and Baehr are all repeat first-team honorees, while Schoonover was a second-team pick and Reinwand was an honorable mention choice last year.
Kind ranked third in the Cloverbelt East averaging 15.1 points per game for Spencer. The Rockets finished 9-7 and in fifth place in the standings.
“Sydney was a key component to our offense this year,” Spencer coach Brian Abel said. “She was a headache for other teams to defend as she could play in the post as well as shoot the 3.”
Columbus Catholic junior Abby Baierl was a second-team selection and teammate Jess Trad, a senior, was an honorable mention choice. Baierl was a second-team pick for the second year in a row. Trad was a first-team selection last year.
Baierl topped the Dons (12-13 overall, 6-10 Cloverbelt East) at 10.1 points and 2.9 assists per game. She also made a team-high 36 3-pointers. Trad averaged 9.2 points per game and made 22 3-pointers while also shooting 77 percent at the free throw line.
“Abby was the leader on the court, our quarterback,” Columbus Catholic coach Rhonda Keding said. “When we needed someone to get the ball, she would be the one. When it came to down-to-the-wire game situations, we looked for her on the court.
“Jess wasn’t afraid to put a game in her hands. We looked for her in key moments on the offensive end.”
Spencer’s Macie Weber also earned honorable mention accolades.
“Macie was very instrumental in our defense being as good as it was,” Abel said. “With her being in the middle it allowed our team to play a lot of zone defense and know the middle of the lane was secure.”
2015-16 All-Cloverbelt Conference East Division Girls Basketball Team
First team: Karsyn Rueth, jr., Loyal; Morgan Reinwand, jr., Loyal; Devyn Schoonover, sr., Loyal; Danielle Pfeiffer, sr., Neillsville; Whitney Baehr, sr., Owen-Withee; Sydney Kind, sr., Spencer.
Second team: Samantha Hayes, sr., Colby; Abby Baierl, jr., Marshfield Columbus Catholic; Kassidy Lamovec, jr., Greenwood; Ryleigh Wilke, sr., Loyal; Kayla Lis, jr., Neillsville; Jennifer Wendler, fr., Owen-Withee.
Honorable mention: Ashley Streveler, fr., Colby; Jess Trad, sr., Marshfield Columbus Catholic; Kyla Schoene, sr., Gilman; Dani Anding, sr., Granton; Jaedyn Pieper, sr., Loyal; Mindy Schoengarth, jr., Neillsville; Lauren Mesar, so., Neillsville; Holly Hatlestad, jr., Owen-Withee; Macie Weber, sr., Spencer.
Player of the Year: Devyn Schoonover, Loyal.