MADISON - The Cheesemakers' remarkable season may be over, but for a team struck with strong age gaps, experience levels and future endeavors, reaching the state tournament will always have a special place in their heart.
Sure Monroe played its worst game of the postseason against a highly talented - and young - Baldwin-Woodville squad, but the moments that played out on the road to state is what defines this squad.
After facing one of the most laboring schedules in all of Wisconsin, the Cheesemakers were more than prepared to make a tournament run. Monroe had four seniors with state softball experience, plus a pitcher who has grown with each game of her career and a pair of freshmen outfielders batting 1-2 in the order. With Fort Atkinson and Brodhead both moving to Divisions 1 and 3, respectively, Monroe knew before the season started that there was a great chance they would have a chance to play at Goodman Diamond in Madison one more time.
And that they did.
"Playing on this field is so much fun," said senior Kelsey Erickson. "Just the atmosphere and seeing all the fans come and support you, it's really cool."
The Cheesemakers started two freshmen, two sophomores, and had a variety of first-year starters make big contributions down the stretch. With Dale Buvid and his coaching staff, which now has five state appearances in the last nine years, Monroe comes in not only with mental skills to make the right decisions, but the mental toughness to grind out a win - or a season - without complaining.
"Mental toughness is a Buvid quote. A lot of times we could have been like, 'we're down, we're losing.' But as a bench player, you try to stay enthusiastic and keep everybody positive. It is a set of mind - if you think you can do it, there really is a chance to do it," said Tasha Frie, a graduated senior who will get a chance to test her own mental toughness very shortly.
Frie joins the Marines boot camp on Sunday.
"My mother and dad were both Marines. I just didn't want to go to school anymore. And the whole pride of being a Marine, I want that," said Frie, who added that it will be tough leaving all of her friends right away, instead of in August when her peers all head off to college.
"It's going to be tough. I'm really nervous, but, I will just do my best," Frie said. "I just wanted one more summer - one more Fourth of July. It's so sad. I'm going to miss everyone - especially the softball team because we've grown so close."
Frie resembles what Monroe teaches in its softball program - hard work, determination, and the eagerness to take advantage of a situation after experiencing falter.
In a regional final game against River Valley, Frie had two misplays in center field that had her benched for the remainder of the playoffs. Junior Kasey Gutzmer took over midway through that game, delivering clutch hits and catches, one after another the rest of the way. But Frie didn't turn away. When asked to pinch hit in the fifth inning, her team down 10-0 and just three outs from having it's season end, Frie came up with a hit up the middle.
"She was good," emphasized Frie, who had one of just three hits against Blackhawks fireballer Abby Klopp.
But Frie wasn't the only senior whose found a way to contribute. After three years of being the varsity's backup catcher, Kaylee Craigo was the team's top backstop all year.
"It was really great just to get here (state) and to get to play," Craigo said.
Erickson, the team's shortstop, third baseman Kristin McArdle and first baseman Kendra Clark were all apart of the 2009 state runner-up squad. Seniors Sarah Kloepping and Rebecca Flannery also saw plenty of action - and each had unlikely clutch RBI hits in the sectional final.
With a young crop of players coming up through the ranks, Buvid will have a very young team in 2012. But that doesn't mean they won't be ready for another run. With the experience Chandra McGuire, Ellie Grossen, Gutzmer and sophomore pitcher Becca Armstrong made, state may be just another year away (or not).
"(Becca) has to take that next step, and that's up to her now," said Buvid, whose players have come to figure out that every year has higher person self-expectations. "She had a good year and she's a better pitcher than she was a year ago. But she does have to take the next step. It's going to be a wait-and-see to see how determined and tough and to see how bad she wants to be elite. She's good. She's very good. But the next step is to be elite."
Sure Monroe played its worst game of the postseason against a highly talented - and young - Baldwin-Woodville squad, but the moments that played out on the road to state is what defines this squad.
After facing one of the most laboring schedules in all of Wisconsin, the Cheesemakers were more than prepared to make a tournament run. Monroe had four seniors with state softball experience, plus a pitcher who has grown with each game of her career and a pair of freshmen outfielders batting 1-2 in the order. With Fort Atkinson and Brodhead both moving to Divisions 1 and 3, respectively, Monroe knew before the season started that there was a great chance they would have a chance to play at Goodman Diamond in Madison one more time.
And that they did.
"Playing on this field is so much fun," said senior Kelsey Erickson. "Just the atmosphere and seeing all the fans come and support you, it's really cool."
The Cheesemakers started two freshmen, two sophomores, and had a variety of first-year starters make big contributions down the stretch. With Dale Buvid and his coaching staff, which now has five state appearances in the last nine years, Monroe comes in not only with mental skills to make the right decisions, but the mental toughness to grind out a win - or a season - without complaining.
"Mental toughness is a Buvid quote. A lot of times we could have been like, 'we're down, we're losing.' But as a bench player, you try to stay enthusiastic and keep everybody positive. It is a set of mind - if you think you can do it, there really is a chance to do it," said Tasha Frie, a graduated senior who will get a chance to test her own mental toughness very shortly.
Frie joins the Marines boot camp on Sunday.
"My mother and dad were both Marines. I just didn't want to go to school anymore. And the whole pride of being a Marine, I want that," said Frie, who added that it will be tough leaving all of her friends right away, instead of in August when her peers all head off to college.
"It's going to be tough. I'm really nervous, but, I will just do my best," Frie said. "I just wanted one more summer - one more Fourth of July. It's so sad. I'm going to miss everyone - especially the softball team because we've grown so close."
Frie resembles what Monroe teaches in its softball program - hard work, determination, and the eagerness to take advantage of a situation after experiencing falter.
In a regional final game against River Valley, Frie had two misplays in center field that had her benched for the remainder of the playoffs. Junior Kasey Gutzmer took over midway through that game, delivering clutch hits and catches, one after another the rest of the way. But Frie didn't turn away. When asked to pinch hit in the fifth inning, her team down 10-0 and just three outs from having it's season end, Frie came up with a hit up the middle.
"She was good," emphasized Frie, who had one of just three hits against Blackhawks fireballer Abby Klopp.
But Frie wasn't the only senior whose found a way to contribute. After three years of being the varsity's backup catcher, Kaylee Craigo was the team's top backstop all year.
"It was really great just to get here (state) and to get to play," Craigo said.
Erickson, the team's shortstop, third baseman Kristin McArdle and first baseman Kendra Clark were all apart of the 2009 state runner-up squad. Seniors Sarah Kloepping and Rebecca Flannery also saw plenty of action - and each had unlikely clutch RBI hits in the sectional final.
With a young crop of players coming up through the ranks, Buvid will have a very young team in 2012. But that doesn't mean they won't be ready for another run. With the experience Chandra McGuire, Ellie Grossen, Gutzmer and sophomore pitcher Becca Armstrong made, state may be just another year away (or not).
"(Becca) has to take that next step, and that's up to her now," said Buvid, whose players have come to figure out that every year has higher person self-expectations. "She had a good year and she's a better pitcher than she was a year ago. But she does have to take the next step. It's going to be a wait-and-see to see how determined and tough and to see how bad she wants to be elite. She's good. She's very good. But the next step is to be elite."
