April 12, 2023 at 10:48 a.m.
Lamers, Clark to represent Lady Hodags at WBCA All-Star Game
Lamers, Clark to represent Lady Hodags at WBCA All-Star Game
Rhinelander coach Ryan Clark has been named to skipper the squad and will be bringing his star guard, senior Ava Lamers, along.
Lamers is of 11 players of the D2 North squad, which will feature three of the top players from the Great Northern Conference. Lakeland senior Julianna Ouimette and Antigo senior Sophie Schlieve are also scheduled to participate in the event, which will take place June 28 in Wisconsin Dells.
Lamers is the fifth RHS girls' basketball player in the last six years to be chosen for the team. Kaly Kostrova played in the event in 2017 and Rebecca Lawrence played in 2021. Kenedy Van Zile and Cynthia Beavers were both supposed to represent the Hodags in 2020, but the event was canceled that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I think it's good for our program," Clark said. "We've had some good players. It makes coaching easy. You know you have pretty good players when they're getting invited down there."
Lamers said she was told of the honor last month over spring break, though she had a feeling she may be getting a call, because Clark was coaching.
"I knew he'd have a little bit of a say," she said. "It's not only getting that last game, but it's getting that last game with my coach and then Julianna, who I've known for a long time, and just really good players throughout the state."
Lamers was the leading scorer in the GNC this season and averaged 23.5 points per game, setting a program record for most points in a season with 611. She was also tops on the team averaging 6.6 rebounds per game and her 100 assists were the second most in school history.
"For Ava, really deserving," Clark said. "She's just one of those kids that works really, really hard and you want everything to come to fruition for her because she's such a great kid and such a great teammate and she's put in the time. Then to have the year she had and then to be an All-Star and experience this, I think is really great for her."
Both Lamers and Clark said the plan is to have members of the team come to Rhinelander the weekend prior to the All-Star Game for a couple of practices and team bonding. That was what Clark hoped to have done in 2020, when he was supposed to lead the D2 North team.
"There's a girls from Notre Dame, there's a girl from Slinger, La Crosse, River Falls. It's really spaced out. It's always neat," Clark said. "Contacting all these kids, three fourths of them I tell them, 'Hey, we're going to bring you up to Rhinelander,' and I could tell right away they had no idea where we're at. The ones that do have vacationed up here and the other ones have no idea."
The bench will have a decidedly Northwoods flavor as well. Lakeland head coach Melissa Ouimette and RHS activities director Brian Paulson will serve as Clark's assistants for the event. Ouimette was Clark's assistant for a year before getting the head coaching job at Lakeland. Paulson, who is filling in for RHS assistant Terry Nordine, has previous head coaching experience in Antigo.
Lamers said she's excited to be playing with a couple of her conference rivals, noting the collegial atmosphere in the conference this year - especially as Lakeland made its run to the D2 state semifinals.
"The GNC has gotten along really well," she said. "I know when Lakeland made it to the sectional semis in Antigo, we were all there supporting. We had a big GNC picture. It was really fun and I really enjoy Sophie and Julianna. It will be really fun to play with them."
In addition to playing another high school basketball game, players and coaches are tasked with raising money for a good cause. Proceeds from the event go to support the Midwest Athletes against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund.
"The last time we were there they had a speaker, she was maybe 18 or 19 at the time but she had had cancer, Leukemia I think it was when she was 12," Clark said. "She had a really powerful message and talked to the kids. Obviously all of us are affected by cancer with family members, it does hit home for everybody, so a really neat cause."
To support Lamers, Clark or Paulson for the event, visit the D2 North roster page on the WBCA website (https://www.wisbca.org/allstar-game/allstar-girls-teams.php?s=g&d=2&t=North) and click on their name to go to their personal fundraising page.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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