River Falls Girls Basketball

The Wildcats finished six of seven teams in the Big Rivers Conference with a 3-9 record in conference play. River Falls went 4-15 overall after winning the Big Rivers a season ago and the effects of losing the school’s all-time leading scorer were evident after Kylie Strop graduated a season ago. Strop is now a freshman on the North Dakota State University basketball team.

Senior Rachel Randleman paced the Wildcats in scoring after averaging 10.7 per game according to wissports.net. Freshman Keyah Strop added 7.5 points per contest, while senior Taylor Kasten averaged 6.7 points and led the team in rebounding with an average of nearly six per game. Freshman Jordan Schwantz contributed another 5.2 points on average. Strop also contributed 5.7 boards per contest. Sophomore Ella Peters also averaged over five rebounds per game on the year. Strop and Randleman each averaged over two assists per game, while Peters and fellow classmate Maria Vitt each averaged a steal every game.

Hudson won the Big Rivers Conference after maintaining an undefeated season until they fell to Germantown in the State Championship game, 48-63.

River Falls fell at home to Chippewa Falls in the WIAA Regional game, 45-43.

The Wildcats will graduate seniors Daphnie Wiatr, Rachel Randleman and Taylor Kasten.

Plum City/Elmwood Boys Basketball

In Coach Kyle Webb’s second season with the Wolves, the team made big strides and the progress was evident. After finishing 3-11, good enough for seventh in the Dunn – St. Croix Conference (DSC) a season ago, and 8-16 overall, PCE improved their standing to 10-10 overall and 7-7 in conference play to finish fifth in the DSC.

The Wolves shooting percentages elevated to 45% from last year’s 40% from the floor, while their defensive improvements were easy to see in their opponent’s shooting percentages dropping from nearly 44% to 40%. Webb emphasized smarter decisions with the ball, and the Wolves averaged six less turnovers per game.

According to wissports.net, Junior Luke Webb led the team with averages of over 15 points and 9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. Senior Basil Gilles averaged over 11 points and nearly five rebounds per game. Classmate Tyler Bauer recorded 8.5 points and 7 rebounds per outing, while junior Dayne Whipple recorded an average of 7 points and three rebounds per game.

Whipple led the team in steals, averaging more than two per contest.

The Wolves played unselfish basketball this season, and the statistics prove it. Bauer, Webb, Whipple, Elijah Gansluckner and Austin Bartz all averaged over 1.5 assists per game.

Elmwood/Plum City fell to Blair-Taylor on the road in a WIAA Regional game after defeating Cochrane-Fountain City at home, 50-48.

The Wolves will graduate seniors Zack Hartung, Austin Bartz, Basil Gilles, Elijah Gansluckner, Tyler Bauer and Andrew Solfest.

Plum City/Elmwood Girls Basketball

The Wolves finished 5-9 in the Dunn – St. Croix Conference, good enough for fifth of eight teams for the second consecutive season and 8-12 overall in Coach Adam Sticht’s inaugural season.

According to wissports.net, Junior Maggie Glaus led the conference in scoring and rebounding with averages of 14.6 and 10.2, respectively. Senior Anna Blanford contributed over eight points per contest, while sophomore Hannah Forster averaged 6.7 points. Junior Hailee McDonough scored 5.6 points per game. Forster led the team with 2.2 assists per game and second in rebounding after averaging over seven per game, while her sister Isabella averaged 5.4 boards a game on the year.

PCE demolished Eleva-Strum on the road in their first WIAA Regional game, 57-35. The Wolves fell on the road at Cochrane-Fountain City in the next Regional game, 26-54.

PCE will graduate seniors Anna Blanford and KayLee Krogstad.

Photo by John McLoone.