June 4, 2018 at 1:45 p.m.
Hodags garner 17 first-team selections on all-conference lists
Hodags garner 17 first-team selections on all-conference lists
Among the honorees were 17 first-team selections. Rhinelander had five unanimous first-team selections in the team sports of baseball, softball and girls' soccer, whose all-conference teams were voted on last week in Tomahawk. Jacob DeMeyer was a unanimous choice in baseball. Sisters Stephanie and Makayla Kuester were consensus first-teamers in softball. Seniors Anna Sturzl and Alayna Franson were unanimous first-team choices in girls' soccer.
Baseball
DeMeyer did a little of everything for the Hodags this spring. He pitched, he played centerfield and, occasionally, he played shortstop. Above all else, DeMeyer hit the ball hard.
DeMeyer was named to the all-conference team in three different positions. He was a unanimous first-team choice as an outfielder, a second-team utility player and an honorable mention pitcher.
DeMeyer had the third-best batting average in the GNC at .475, while driving in 13 RBIs. On the mound, DeMeyer went 1-2 with a 3.91 ERA. His two losses came in starts against Antigo and Mosinee, the top two teams in the conference standings.
DeMeyer was joined on the first team by Hodag teammate Brad Comer, who tied for first in the GNC with 15 RBIs while hitting .441.
"Both of those guys had outstanding senior seasons for us here, both hitting well over .400 in conference play, amongst the league leaders in RBIs," coach Joe Waksmonski said. "JD, if he wasn't the tops in slugging in the conference, he was two or three. Both had outstanding on-base percentages and both were the engine to our offense, so to speak."
Owen White was a second-team choice as an outfielder. He hit .336 in conference play with a home run and 14 RBIs.
Pitcher Bryce Schickert, infielder Cole Spaulding and outfielder Brad Quade all received honorable mention. Schickert had the fourth-best ERA in the conference at 2.49 and his 20 strikeouts were tied for second-best in the league.
Softball
The Kuester twins lead a list of six overall honorees for the Hodag softball team.
Stephanie Kuester had the seventh-best batting average in the GNC at .439. She was also 6-3 in the pitching circle with a 2.83 ERA and her 41 strikeouts were third-best among conference pitchers.
Makayla Kuester's numbers weren't as strong as last year when she won the conference's triple crown. She hit only .287 this year with four RBIs, but that was mainly because many teams pitched around the Hodags' No. 3 hitter. Makayla Kuester's 10 drawn walks in league play were second only behind Alicia Turunen's 11 for Antigo.
"First team, I think that's a no-brainer," Hodag coach D.J. DeMeyer said of the Kuester twins' inclusion. "I think everybody in the conference knows. They pitched around Makayla. I think she had 12 intentional walks for the season. You know they respect her hitting ability. Stephanie, she batted .439 or something like that. She's earned everything she's got. In fact, I think she had a better season because they were pitching around Makayla."
Cami Buchmann received second-team honors after hitting .269 with three RBIs in league player.
Catcher Ella Mullikin, first baseperson Hope Wissbroecker and utility player Molly Wagler all received honorable mention.
Girls' soccer
They may not have had the same eye-popping stats as in years past, but Rhinelander's senior duo of Franson and Sturzl were both unanimous first-team All-GNC picks from the conference girls' soccer coaches.
Franson finished behind only conference offensive player of the year Kaylee McPeak of Ashland in total points. Franson had nine goals and seven assists in conference play. Meanwhile, Sturzl finished with eight goals and 18 total points.
"They're deserving," Hodag coach Dan Millot said. "They've been on the varsity for four years. Every year they've received all-conference recognition. They are basically right now the anchor to this team."
Two key cogs in a Hodag defensive unit that conceded only one goal in Great Northern Conference play - Gwyneth Lowry and Brooke Mork - were named to the conference's second team while keeper Jada Appling and outside defender Payton Van Zile received honorable mention.
Midfielder Kenedy Van Zile received second team honors and midfielder Ella Schiek received honorable mention.
Other sports
The remainder of the all-conference teams were determined by the results of each sport's respective conference tournament.
The RHS boys' tennis team had all 10 of its players earn either first- or second-team honors with their strong play at the GNC tournament May 18 in Antigo.
By winning the No. 1 singles championship, Markus Johnson received first-team all-conference honors and singles player of the year honors from the conference. Jacob Weddle (No. 3 singles), Freddy Wisner (No. 4 singles), Grant Gilbert/Jared Fabich (No. 2 doubles) and Cade Aschenbrenner/
Logan Oestreich (No. 3 doubles) rounded out the list of first-team honorees for the Hodags netters.
Russell Benoy (No. 2 singles) and the No. 1 doubles tandem of Jared Haug and Connor Young were runners-up at the conference meet and received second-team honors.
The same format held true in track and field, which conducted its conference championship meet May 15 in Medford.
The Hodag boys won the 4x100-meter relay, making first-team honorees out of Nick Kriesel, Josh Francisco, AJ Kopplin and Anthony Kowalski. Sophomore Peyton Erikson also made the first team with his conference-championship performance in the triple jump.
Another sophomore, Drake Martin, earned second-team honors with a runner-up finish in shot put and received honorable mention in triple jump with a third-place finish. Lexie Rick was Rhinelander's lone girls' track all-conference honoree. She received honorable mention by virtue of a third-place finish at the GNC meet in shot put.
The All-GNC golf team was determined by a season-long points system in which players earned points each time they placed in the top 10 in a conference golf match. Rhinelander's Zach Olds, by virtue of finishing eighth in the standings, received second-team All-GNC honors. Nick Twite finished 13th and received honorable mention.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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