Morgan Rode sports@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader file photo Tigerton’s Conner Harris was a co-player of the year in the CWC-North Division.
Leader file photo Gresham’s Drew Haffner was named the co-player of the year in the CWC-North to follow up his player of the year honor in basketball.
The Central Wisconsin Conference underwent a major realignment prior to the 2017-18 school year, creating seven-team divisions for multiple sports.
Regardless of whether teams stayed in a division with primarily the same teams or moved to a new division against different teams, plenty of talent was on display around the area this spring season.
Here are the local athletes that were recognized with spots on the Central Wisconsin all-conference teams for spring sports:
Baseball
East Division
The CWC-East Division featured one of the tightest races in the entire state, with the top-four teams finishing within three games of each other.
Bonduel won its final six conference matchups to earn first-place with a 10-2 record. The Bears placed a total of eight athletes on the all-conference teams.
Senior Wyatt Erb was determined the division’s player of the year after a stellar year at the plate and on the mound for Bonduel. He and Jordan Boldt, who also played in the outfield and pitched, were each unanimous selections to the first team.
Shortstop Bryce Weier and Cole Letter, the Bears’ primary catcher and occasional outfielder, each were selected to the all-conference second team. Noah Beilfuss, Bryce Maule, Isaac Boldt and Parker Bohm were all named to the honorable mention team.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood took fourth in the division with a 7-4 record. The Chargers had five players honored for their strong play this spring.
Kody Szews and Casey Kerstner were each first team selections for Witt-Birn. Szews, a junior, was a unanimous selection.
Ian Zeinert was the only Charger to be named to the second team. Seniors Dalton Zeinert and Matt Kapitz each made the all-conference honorable mention team.
Menominee Indian could not find its rhythm during the season and failed to earn a division win. Junior Richard Wayka and senior Warren Wilber each were selected to the second team all-conference.
North Division
The North Division was dominated by the Northland Lutheran/Wisconsin Valley Lutheran co-op, which won the title with a perfect 10-0 record.
Despite the co-op’s dominance, it was Tigerton’s Conner Harris and Gresham’s Drew Haffner that were honored as the co-players of the year in the division. Along with turning in strong springs at the plate, the seniors also played the infield while providing plenty of work on the hill.
Todd Otradovec joined Haffner as Gresham players named to the all-conference first team. Marion’s Cayden Schoen and Bowler’s Landan Kroening also nabbed spots on the first team.
Bowler placed Ezra Spencer, Nathan Montez and Lane Schultz on the second team. Tigerton’s Gaven Ferg and Izaiah Hidde along with Gresham’s Justice Paiser also were selected to the second team. Marion’s Conner Thoma was the lone local player named to the all-conference honorable mention team.
Softball
East Division
The CWC-East Division title for softball was a race between Weyauwega-Fremont and Shiocton. Weyauwega-Fremont posted an 11-1 record to finish a game ahead of Shiocton. W-F also rostered the division’s player of the year in senior Kiley Akey.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood settled for a 6-6 conference record, tying for fourth-place. The Chargers saw five of their players honored with all-conference selections.
Senior Vicki Dombeck and freshman Abi Fraaza each were named to the first team. Freshman Emma Herb finished on the second team while senior Alexis Schaupp and sophomore Megan Konkol were placed on the all-conference honorable mention team.
Bonduel picked up two conference wins and had three players recognized with spots on all-conference teams. Senior Brynn Reinke made the second team while senior Althea Berry and junior McKenzie Wollenberg were honorable mentions.
Menominee Indian, which did not earn a division win, had senior Faith Munson snag a spot on the honorable mention team.
North Division
The Manawa softball team pulled away for a CWC-North Division title. The Wolves earned a 10-0 record, led by player of the year Morgyn Zielke.
Gresham posted a 7-3 record to claim second-place. Seniors Mackenzie Hoffman and Hailey Hoffman joined freshman Destiny Reindl on the all-conference first team for the Wildcats.
Tigerton and Marion tied for fourth-place with 3-7 records. Tigerton’ Leah Jobe and Marion’s Abby Polzin led their teams and were honored as first team selections. Tigerton’s Raven Dewhurst made the second team while McKenna Marquardt was an honorable mention. Marion placed Kendra Barrow on the second team and Amiya Peterson and Tessa Brei on the honorable mention team.
Bowler picked up two conference wins. Senior Maranda Brei made the first team while Reanne Kietlinski snagged a spot on the second team. Jada Waters and Jodi Wolf each were selected as honorable mentions.
Track
Large Division
For track all-conference teams, the results are determined during the conference meets. First-place finishers are first team all-conference selections, second-place finishes earn individuals and relays spots on the second team all-conference while third-place finishes earn spots on the honorable mention team.
The CWC-Large Division meet took place at Rosholt High School back on May 12. The Wittenberg-Birnamwood girls won the conference title by earning 143.5 team points. On the boys side, the Chargers earned 54 points to place fifth.
Maddy Pietz won the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes while also taking first in the long jump. Paige Norrbom made the first team all-conference after first-place finishes in the high jump, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles. Witt-Birn’s 4x400 relay team of Chloe King, Alyssa Meverden, Kylie Linke and Paige Norrbom and the 4x800 relay team of Meverden, Lauren Dombeck, King and Emily Norrbom each took first. Kobe Miller took first in the boys 400 dash.
Linke (200) and Emily Norrbom (400 and triple jump) each made the second team all-conference after second-place finishes in their respective events. Keegan DelForge (discus) made the second team on the boys side.
Linke (100), King (long jump) and the girls 4x200 relay team of Dombeck, Emma Herb, Meverden and King each took third in their events to make the honorable mention team. Miller took third in the boys long jump.
The Bonduel boys took third with 98 team points while the girls team scored 52 points to place seventh.
Canaan Szoszorek paced the boys team with first-place finishes in the shot put and discus. Lucas Nolan won the 300 hurdles.
The boys 4x800 relay of Carter Kurey, William Beaumier, Colen Klosterman and Colin Ewing came in second. On the girls side, Christine Sell placed second in discus while the 4x800 relay team of Madison Kurey, Breanna Schnell, Kara Troxel and Ashlyn Schnell also took second.
Nolan came in third in the boys 110 hurdles while Alex Schill placed third in the 300 hurdles. The 4x200 relay team of Isaac Garside, Craig Rusch, Isaac Banker and Jacob Moede and the 4x400 team of Jared Wondra, Rusch, Banker and Beaumier also claimed third-place finishes. The girls 4x400 relay quartet of Allyssa Moser, Breanna Schnell, Troxel and Ashlyn Schnell took third. Jessica Laberge was third in the 100 hurdles.
Small Division
The CWC-Small Division meet was hosted by Marion High School on May 11. The Gresham/Bowler girls co-op came in fourth with 57 points while the boys co-op tied for fifth with 42 points.
Reanne Kietlinski led the girls team with a first-place finish in the high jump while finishing second in the triple jump and long jump. The girls 4x100 relay team of Makayla Belongia, Karisa Nietzer, Kayla Vetter and Jayden Jensen and the boys 4x100 team of Bryce Bohl, David Hahn, Dakotah Taylor and Zachary Young each took second. Bohl took third in the 200.
The Tigerton girls took seventh-place with 38.5 points while the boys team scored five points to tie for eighth. Ladia Block took second in the girls 800 while Bethany Kreklow (3,200) and Monika Minniecheske (300 hurdles, long jump) each took third-place in their respective events.
The Marion girls scored eight points to place eighth while the boys team scored five points to tie for eighth. The team did not have any top-three finishers.
Boys golf
Both the Bonduel and Wittenberg-Birnamwood golf teams placed an athlete on the all-conference second team.
Austin Acker represented Bonduel on the second team after helping the Bears to a fourth-place finish in the conference standings. Witt-Birn’s Justin Keeney also made the second team after leading the Chargers to a fifth-place finish.
The Menominee Indian/Gresham co-op came in seventh-place as a team while Marion finished ninth.