Leader Staff
Photo by Jen Kuhn Menominee Indian High School junior Ania Smith (52) was a top defender and the Eagles’ go-to player on offense. She averaged 17.5 points and 11 rebounds a game en route to being named CWC-10 girls basketball Player of the Year.
Menominee Indian High School junior Ania Smith, who led the Eagles to a 16-2 mark and first place in the Central Wisconsin Conference-10, has been selected the conference’s Player of the Year in girls basketball.
The Menominee Indian girls team won its first 18 games of the season behind Smith, who averaged 16.8 points a game in conference play.
“We absolutely put the team on her back at crunch time,” coach Chris Rice said. “Ania works very hard. She’s very strong in the post, stronger than most girls her height, and she uses that strength to her advantage.”
Smith averaged a double-double for the overall season, with 17.5 points and 11 boards a game.
“She’s also a very good passer,” Rice said. “Having her back next year makes it a lot easier to be excited about the future.”
For her part, Smith sees the Player of the Year Award as a personal challenge.
“It’s an honor to win it, and I want to prove myself again and win it next year, too,” she said.
Bowler, which had one of the most breathtaking backcourts in the area, landed senior guard Ashlynn Brisk on the all-conference first team along with Smith, and freshman guard Reanne Kietlinski on the second team.
Brisk scored 16.4 points a game in conference and dished out 2.3 assists, while Kietlinski went for 14.5 points and 3.0 assists per game. Brisk and Kietlinski spearheaded a relentless Bowler fast break in a road win over Menominee Indian, which was the Eagles’ first conference loss.
Menominee Indian had a couple of second-team selections — senior forward Sasha Peters and senior guard Erin Wynos. Wynos, who scored just under 14 points per game, once hit seven 3-pointers in a game, while Peters’ 10-point average included a high game of 26.
Tigerton senior Katie Watters scored 9.8 points a game to garner second-team all-conference honors.
Honorable mentions in the CWC-10 included Marion junior Paige Polzin (8.8 points per game) and senior Cassidy Detert (7.4 points per game), and Gresham sophomore guard Sydney Jensen (12.0 points per game).
CENTRAL WISCONSIN CONFERENCE-10
ALL-CONFERENCE
GIRLS BASKETBALL
First team: Ashlynn Brisk, Bowler, senior; Ania Smith, Menominee Indian, junior; Bre Richter, Rosholt, junior; Amber Baehman, Tri-County, freshman; Jordyn Schrader, Port Edwards, senior; Johanna Shepard, Wild Rose, senior.
Second team: Reanne Kietlinski, Bowler, freshman; Sasha Peters, Menominee Indian, senior; Erin Wynos, Menominee Indian, senior; Isabella Weekly, Tri-County, senior; Katie Watters, Tigerton, senior; Alexa Gravunder, Wild Rose, sophomore.
Honorable mention: Paige Polzin, Marion, junior; Cassidy Detert, Marion, senior; Shantel Cordova, Rosholt, senior; Sarah Lauer, Tri-County, junior; Sydney Jensen, Gresham, sophomore; Marissa Ziegler, Port Edwards, senior; Catie Schmidt, Almond-Bancroft, sophomore; Ashley Mendoza, Wild Rose, sophomore.