Youth Sports Roundup

RBA hosts home girls’ tournament

The Rhinelander Basketball Association hosted a Great Northwest Basketball League tournament for fifth- and sixth-grade girls’ teams at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium Saturday, Jan. 27. The Hodags went undefeated in both brackets.

In sixth-grade play, the Hodags defeated Pacelli 19-13, Wisconsin Rapids Red 20-6 and Wittenberg-Birnamwood 29-16 to take first place in a six-team pool. The Hodag fifth-graders defeated Three Lakes/Phelps 23-8, Wausau East 33-9 and Weyauwega-Fremont 33-8. Rhinelander finished second in that bracket as Pacelli Red also went undefeated and had a better point-differential. 

Meanwhile, in Eagle River, the RBA’s fourth-grade girls’ team went undefeated and took first place in a four-team bracket, defeating Merrill 25-6, Northland Pines 26-16 and Lakeland 26-20.

    The RBA sixth-grade girls’ basketball team poses for a photograph following Saturday’s tournament. Pictured in the front row, from left to right, are Amelia Berghammer, Marina Karwoski, Delaney Ourada and Jade Chiamulera. In the back row are Siiri Weinzatl, Olivia Eades, Rhyan Adams, Aliyah Jordan and Isabelle Gray. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

    Siiri Weinzatl puts up a shot during a sixth-grade game against Wisconsin Rapids. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

    The RBA fifth-grade girls’ basketball team poses for a photograph following Saturday’s tournament. Pictured in the front row, from left to right, are Allison Miller, Avery Clark, Beatles Calhoun, Zianna Beson and Avery Verbist. In the back row are Charlotte MacIntyre, Kiley Walker, Lizzie Eades, Hailey Jackson and Kaylynn Vassar. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

    Charlotte MacIntyre drives inside the 3-point line during a fifth-grade game against Weyauwega-Fremont. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

JWMS girls’ hoops

The James Williams Middle School girls’ basketball team took on Medford Monday, Jan. 29 at the JWMS gymnasium.

    Payton Fritz goes in for an uncontested layup during the eighth-grade game. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

    McKenzie Paulson drives inside the 3-point line during the seventh-grade game. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

JWMS wrestlers compete in Merrill

The James Williams Middle School wrestling team took part in the Central Wisconsin Wrestling Conference meet Friday, Jan. 26 in Merrill. The Hodags had eight wrestlers take part, two of whom won their brackets. Pictured left, Brayden Kreig won the boys’ 125-130 pound weight class. He went 3-0 on the evening with a pair of pins and a decision. Pictured right, Max Miljevich won the boys’ 71-73 pound class in a tiebreaker after all three wrestlers in the bracket went 1-1. Miljevich’s 8-0 major decision over Auburndale’s Garrett Pavlik proved to be the deciding victory. Jacob Roberts (122-124) was the runner up in his bracket. Trevor Denton (102-105), Noah Leisure (127-131), Ahna Zeske (130-132) and Asher Melvin (161-165) all took third and Donovan Low-Grissom (141-145) took fourth.

    Brayden Kreig won the boys’ 125-130 pound weight class.(Submitted photo)
   

   Max Miljevich won the boys’ 71-73 pound class (Submitted photo)

Middle School Nordic competes at conference

The Hodag Nordic middle school team competed Tuesday, Jan. 23 in the WNSL Northern Conference Meet in Cable. The Hodag girls finished fourth in a five-team field while the Hodag boys were fifth out of six teams. 

Pearl Calhoun led the Hodag girls, finishing 15th overall, covering a 3.5-kilometer classic course in 16 minutes, 34.2 seconds. Noelle Mayo was 17th (16:47.5), Kelsie Skubal finished 18th (16:52.9) and Scarlet Hartmann was 24th (18:47.0).

Aaron Calhoun led the middle school boys in 11th place (14:11.8), Douglas Hartmann was 22nd (17:13.7), Sam Loomis finished 23rd (17:14.5), Korbin Skubal was 26th (17:28.2), Jacob McFarland was 27th (17:34.2) and Alexander Rusch was 35th (19:34.3).

A number of middle and high school ski team members also traveled to Iola Sunday, Jan. 28 for the Iola Norseman Challenge. The Hodags did not have enough skiers to earn a team score in any of the divisions. 

Charlie Loomis singes 12th in the 5 1/2-kilometer high school boys’ freestyle race (18:41); Kayla Skubal was 11th (21:16) and Kali Skubal took 23rd (25:33) in the high school girls’ race. Sam Loomis was 15th (12:31) and Korbin Skubal was 17th (12:45) in the 3.3-kilometer middle school boys’ race. Kelsie Skubal took 10th (12:04) and Mayo was 18th (13:23) in the middle school girls’ race.