This story is sponsored by: All Insurance of Marshfield
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield Columbus Catholic girls basketball teams had an up-and-down campaign last season, but the Dons finished strong and second-year coach Rhonda Keding is looking for the Dons to carry that momentum into the 2016-17 season.
Six players return for the Dons, who went 12-13 overall and were 6-10 and in sixth place in the Cloverbelt Conference East Division a year ago. After starting the season 1-4, the Dons had two four-game winning streaks and a pair of three-game losing skids. The final win streak came at the end of the year, which included a pair of playoff wins before losing a WIAA Division 5 regional final to Loyal.
“Hopefully we start where we finished last year, on a good note,” Keding said. “Toward the end last year the girls started coming together and knowing what each teammate could do. Once they got to know each other’s strengths, you could see confidence.”
So far, the Dons are on track. Columbus won its first two games this season, including its Cloverbelt East opener 48-47 at Colby last Friday.
The Dons will have to replace the scoring of guards Abby Baierl and Jessica Trad, who combined for 19.3 points per game.
Junior post player Marissa Immerfall is the team’s leading returning scorer and rebounder after averaging 9.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest as a sophomore.
Guards Morgan Albrecht and Baylie Neider have stepped into starting roles in the backcourt, along with Immerfall, center Kendra Baierl, and wing Natalie Pospyhalla, who averaged 5.4 points per game a year ago.
Sophomore Maren Seefluth also returns and will come off the bench, along with junior Zoe Stratman and sophomore Hailey Roehl.
Pospyhalla, a senior, had 13 points, and Albrecht, a junior, had 11 in Columbus Catholic’s season-opening win Nov. 15 against Rib Lake.
“We lost Abby and Jess, which were shooters, but during the summer I could see everyone picking up that role,” Keding said. “I would love to see teams go against us and not know who to guard.”
Outside of the 6-foot-3 Baierl, who hauled down 15 rebounds in the opener, height is lacking. Keding said the quickness of guards need to offset that.
“We are a small team, so hopefully our quickness can help out since we don’t have the height,” Keding said. “The girls know I’m not about stats, they are just numbers on paper, It’s what they do as a team on the court that shows more than stats.”