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WBCA All-Star games start today at Wis. Dells
Monroe’s Sydney, Sam Mathiason to take part in D2 tilt
basketball net swish

MONROE — Six area girls basketball players and five coaches will participate in the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association All-Star game today at JustAgame Fieldhouse in the Wisconsin Dells.

The Division 5 game will be played at 9 a.m.; Division 4 at 10:45 a.m., Division 3 at 12:30 p.m., Division 2 at 2:15 p.m. and Division 1 caps the day at 4 p.m.

The players include Monroe senior Sydney Mathiason (Division 2 South), Brodhead senior Erin Nyhus (Division 3 South), Darlington senior Kennedy Rankin (Division 4 South), Black Hawk senior Hannah Herbst (Division 5 South), Shullsburg’s Brianna Leahy (Division 5 South) and Barneveld’s Taryn Pickarts (Division 5 South). 

The coaches selected include Monroe head coach Sam Mathiason (Division 2 South), Monroe’s Bill Dehn (Division 2 South), Brodhead head coach Brian Kammerer (Division 3 South), Brodhead’s Jim Mohns (Division 3 South) and Albany head coach Derik Doescher (Division 3 South).

Each of the players and coaches are raising money to participate in the WBCA All-Star game.

Sydney Mathiason, who averaged 10.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game, helped the Cheesemakers reach the WIAA Division 2 state tournament for the second straight year. New Berlin Eisenhower edged Monroe 67-63 in a Division 2 state semifinal game. Monroe finished the season 24-3.

Nyhus averaged 20.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 1.8 steals per game in leading the Cardinals to a 10-13 record and a seventh-place finish in the 10-team Rock Valley Conference this year.

Rankin was a driving force in helping Darlington get back to the WIAA Division 4 sectional for the second consecutive year. Rankin was the Redbirds’ third leading scorer (9.4 ppg) and was key in the Redbirds winning the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League. Eventual state champion La Crosse Aquinas topped Darlington in a sectional semifinal 73-36. The Redbirds finished the season 19-5 overall.

Herbst was one of two veteran senior starters for Black Hawk this season. Herbst helped guide the Warriors to a WIAA Division 5 state runner-up finish. Herbst averaged 4 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 2.4 steals for a Black Hawk team that finished the season 28-1. Bangor knocked off Black Hawk in the Division 5 state championship game 39-29.

The boys WBCA games are Saturday, with divisions and times of games remaining the same. Cullen Brooks of New Glarus is playing in the Division 4 game, and New Glarus head coach Travis Sysko will be coaching in the Division 3 matchup.