MONROE - Sisters Emily and Megan Benzschawel have a competitive drive in everything they do from playing one-on-one in basketball to playing cards.
Likewise, Monroe senior Sydney Mathiason and her sister, freshman Grace Mathiason, encourage each other on the court and talk to each other about life lessons as each aspires to pursue a career in the medical field.
It's more than the sibling rivalry on the court that has fueled the Monroe girls basketball team. The two sets of sisters for Monroe are a driving force behind the Cheesemakers' success on the court and the culture they have tried to build off the court.
"Our team is like a family," Sydney Mathiason said. "We do have some sisters on the team. We are all family together. All 12 of us are like sisters."
Both sets of sisters have a younger brother serving as a team manager. Ryan Mathiason and Aaron Benzschawel have had front row seats watching their sisters repeat as Badger South Conference champions, regional champions and sectional champions. After winning a regional title, one of the first to congratulate and hug Emily was her brother Aaron.
"It's really fun having my brother there for us watching and getting us water," Emily said. "He really enjoys being around the team."
Both the Benzschawel and Mathiason sisters started playing basketball around first grade in the Dribbling Dinosaurs program organized by the Green County YMCA. They honed their dribbling skills and developed their jump shots. It's no surprise they are on the brink of winning Monroe's first WIAA Division 2 state championship since 2008.
The one-on-one basketball games the Benzschawels would play against each other growing up could get intense.
"We are very competitive," Emily said. "Usually when we play, I come out on top. She (Megan) may think that is false. Whether it's playing cards or board games, we are always seeing who can win."
Megan is still confident she can top Emily in one-on-one.
"I still think I can beat Emily," Megan said. "I know she's a more experienced player. Growing up we always played against each other. Now that we are on the same team, we have learned to play together."
Megan was in the stands last year rooting on her older sister and the Cheesemakers at state in Green Bay. This time she will get a chance to make an impact on the court.
"Watching them at state last year really got me excited to make it back the following year," she said. "I really love playing with my sister. She's a great player. We push each other to be the best we can be."
Megan suffered a torn ACL that wiped out her entire eighth-grade basketball season. She has worn a brace on her knee all year. The brace doesn't hinder her movement on the court too much, and she has shown a knack to pick up big rebounds and score inside.
"I have tried not to think about that," Megan said of her injury. "I think it has got a lot stronger over the season."
Megan has taken advantage of her opportunities and is averaging 10 points per game over the second half of the season.
"I just feel like I got more comfortable playing with the girls," she said. "After a year off, the more games I play, I feel more like myself."
Although the Mathiason sisters haven't had to overcome an injury like Megan Benzschawel, they are part of a family with a strong tradition in Monroe basketball. Ellen Mathiason, Sydney and Grace's mother, is a 1989 Monroe High School graduate. As Ellen Sathoff, she was a star player for Monroe and helped lead the Cheesemakers to a WIAA Class A state runner-up finish in 1988 and a Class A state championship in 1989.
Monroe coach Sam Mathiason has served as Monroe's head coach for eight years and he's 90-104 and has 148 career wins in 15 years of coaching.
The state tournament will be the culmination of Sydney's career for Monroe. She was a four-year starter and she will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison to study biochemical engineering. She plans to go to medical school to become a surgeon.
"I'm really excited to end my basketball career at the state tournament with my family there as well," she said. "I'm just excited to be a part of it. It really hasn't sunk in."
Sydney said she has enjoyed playing her final season with her younger sister on the team.
"We always try to encourage each other," Sydney said.
Grace Mathiason savors the opportunity of playing with her older sister one year before Sydney graduates.
"It's really exciting," Grace said. "It's fun to have my sister on the team. It's going to be fun having my whole family there."
Grace was at the Resch Center in Green Bay to watch the Cheesemakers at state last year. She knew before the season tipped off this could be a special season.
"I thought it was a special team, because they did very well last year and most of the team was back and they continued to grow," Grace said.
Likewise, Monroe senior Sydney Mathiason and her sister, freshman Grace Mathiason, encourage each other on the court and talk to each other about life lessons as each aspires to pursue a career in the medical field.
It's more than the sibling rivalry on the court that has fueled the Monroe girls basketball team. The two sets of sisters for Monroe are a driving force behind the Cheesemakers' success on the court and the culture they have tried to build off the court.
"Our team is like a family," Sydney Mathiason said. "We do have some sisters on the team. We are all family together. All 12 of us are like sisters."
Both sets of sisters have a younger brother serving as a team manager. Ryan Mathiason and Aaron Benzschawel have had front row seats watching their sisters repeat as Badger South Conference champions, regional champions and sectional champions. After winning a regional title, one of the first to congratulate and hug Emily was her brother Aaron.
"It's really fun having my brother there for us watching and getting us water," Emily said. "He really enjoys being around the team."
Both the Benzschawel and Mathiason sisters started playing basketball around first grade in the Dribbling Dinosaurs program organized by the Green County YMCA. They honed their dribbling skills and developed their jump shots. It's no surprise they are on the brink of winning Monroe's first WIAA Division 2 state championship since 2008.
The one-on-one basketball games the Benzschawels would play against each other growing up could get intense.
"We are very competitive," Emily said. "Usually when we play, I come out on top. She (Megan) may think that is false. Whether it's playing cards or board games, we are always seeing who can win."
Megan is still confident she can top Emily in one-on-one.
"I still think I can beat Emily," Megan said. "I know she's a more experienced player. Growing up we always played against each other. Now that we are on the same team, we have learned to play together."
Megan was in the stands last year rooting on her older sister and the Cheesemakers at state in Green Bay. This time she will get a chance to make an impact on the court.
"Watching them at state last year really got me excited to make it back the following year," she said. "I really love playing with my sister. She's a great player. We push each other to be the best we can be."
Megan suffered a torn ACL that wiped out her entire eighth-grade basketball season. She has worn a brace on her knee all year. The brace doesn't hinder her movement on the court too much, and she has shown a knack to pick up big rebounds and score inside.
"I have tried not to think about that," Megan said of her injury. "I think it has got a lot stronger over the season."
Megan has taken advantage of her opportunities and is averaging 10 points per game over the second half of the season.
"I just feel like I got more comfortable playing with the girls," she said. "After a year off, the more games I play, I feel more like myself."
Although the Mathiason sisters haven't had to overcome an injury like Megan Benzschawel, they are part of a family with a strong tradition in Monroe basketball. Ellen Mathiason, Sydney and Grace's mother, is a 1989 Monroe High School graduate. As Ellen Sathoff, she was a star player for Monroe and helped lead the Cheesemakers to a WIAA Class A state runner-up finish in 1988 and a Class A state championship in 1989.
Monroe coach Sam Mathiason has served as Monroe's head coach for eight years and he's 90-104 and has 148 career wins in 15 years of coaching.
The state tournament will be the culmination of Sydney's career for Monroe. She was a four-year starter and she will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison to study biochemical engineering. She plans to go to medical school to become a surgeon.
"I'm really excited to end my basketball career at the state tournament with my family there as well," she said. "I'm just excited to be a part of it. It really hasn't sunk in."
Sydney said she has enjoyed playing her final season with her younger sister on the team.
"We always try to encourage each other," Sydney said.
Grace Mathiason savors the opportunity of playing with her older sister one year before Sydney graduates.
"It's really exciting," Grace said. "It's fun to have my sister on the team. It's going to be fun having my whole family there."
Grace was at the Resch Center in Green Bay to watch the Cheesemakers at state last year. She knew before the season tipped off this could be a special season.
"I thought it was a special team, because they did very well last year and most of the team was back and they continued to grow," Grace said.
