Leader Staff
Photo by T’xer Zhon Kha/Daily Herald Media Bonduel High School senior center Jen Dowden (10) was an inside and outside scoring threat who led the Bears to a 22-3 season and a CWC-8 championship. Dowden, who is Bonduel’s all-time girls basketball leading scorer, averaged 13.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in conference action and was named CWC-8 Player of the Year.
Bonduel High School senior center Jen Dowden, who led the Bears to the Central Wisconsin Conference-8 championship and one of the best girls basketball seasons in school history, this week was named the conference’s Player of the Year.
Dowden averaged 13.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in conference, where Bonduel finished the season 13-1. She was also a Division 4 honorable mention all-state selection for the Bears, who went 22-2 overall.
“It’s a nice honor for her,” Bonduel coach Missy Dowden said. “We had a couple of players who were effective scoring both inside and outside. Jen’s best asset as a player is her vision on the court. On defense, she’s able to understand the coverage and help out where it’s needed, and on offense she’s a good shooter who can go inside, and recognize when a double or triple team is coming and work the ball back outside.”
Bonduel senior guard Lexi Reinke was also a first-team All-CWC-8 pick, as the 5-10 senior guard scored 7.5 points per game in conference and kept defenses honest with her 3-point shooting.
“Lexi could take care of the ball and lead the girls up the court if anybody was pressing against us,” Missy Dowden said. “She was good going to the basket and her shooting gave us a lot of offense. She was a big part of our success.”
Senior point guard Deanna Zernicke was a second-team All-CWC-8 choice for the Bears and junior center Taylor Weier made honorable mention.
Jen Dowden and Reinke will play together one more time, as members of the North team all-stars in the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association all-star game June 19 in Wisconsin Dells.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood junior Siri Zeinert was also a first-team all-conference pick, as her 11.3 points and 3.9 assists per game led Witt-Birn to a 12-2 mark in conference and 22-3 record overall.
Senior Micah Nier of Wittenberg-Birnamwood was a second-team all-conference pick, averaging 14.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in conference, and her senior teammate Erica White Eagle made honorable mention.
CENTRAL WISCONSIN-8
ALL-CONFERENCE
GIRLS BASKETBALL
First team: Kendra Dombrowski, Amherst, sophomore; Jen Dowden, Bonduel, senior; Lexi Reinke, Bonduel, senior; Karissa Akey, Weyauwega-Fremont, junior; Siri Zeinert, Wittenberg-Birnamwood, junior; Brooke Phillips, Iola-Scandinavia, senior.
Second team: Deanna Zernicke, Bonduel, senior; Tina Ubl, Shiocton, freshman; Carmen McCarthy, Shiocton, senior; Alyssa Goode, Weyauwega-Fremont, junior; Micah Nier, Wittenberg-Birnamwood, senior; Kylie Johnson, Iola-Scandinavia, senior.
Honorable mention: Taylor Weier, Bonduel, junior; Sami Kay Shafranski, Pacelli, senior; Chrstonna Shafranski, Pacelli, sophomore; Madi Morack, Shiocton, sophomore; Erica White Eagle, Wittenberg-Birnamwood, senior; Ashlee Strebe, Manawa, senior.