MONTICELLO — After a 4-18 record a season ago, Ponies head coach Mark Gustafson has an idea of how to improve his squad.

“Last year we struggled to handle ball pressure,” Gustafson said. “We need to cut down on our turnovers and value possessions more than we did last year.”

Monticello returned to varsity basketball last season after multiple years of not having a program based on roster size. Having a core of sophomores and juniors, the Ponies saw mixed results.

This year those players are now juniors and seniors. Guard Alyssen Noriega was an all-conference honorable mention player last year as a junior, averaging 10 points per game. She’ll be joined in the lineup by seniors Abby Wicker (forward, 3 ppg, 2.2 blocks per game), Lindsey Pence (guard, 2 steals per game) and Clair Klossner. Juniors Miah Brokopp and Alexa Siegenthaler will add experience to the list, and sophomores Harley Disch and Mackie Errthum (3 blocks per game) will add depth.

“We want to establish a solid rotation that is based on tough defense and an increased tempo. We would like to be competitive in more of our games this year,” Gustafson said. 

Two newcomers that the coaching staff is looking to boost the lineup will be quick guard Sarah Blumer and shot-blocking forward Maggie Bak.

“We have a little bit of height to work with. Our guard play should be better than in the past,” Gustafson said. “Our senior leadership and team chemistry are in a good place right now.”

Gustafson knows that contending for a conference championship is probably out of range, expecting Black Hawk, Argyle and Albany to sit at the top when all the chips are on the table.

“Being able to compete with the top teams is a major challenge that we face. (There) is a tremendous amount of talent in our league this year,” Gustafson said.