As the winter sports season ends, it’s time to look back and reflect. Here’s a recap of what the coaches thought of their seasons and which players were vital to their teams.
Chase Millam and Austin Ayers, co-head coaches for Boys Swim, expressed how their goal for their season was to get to state and they have hopes some of their swimmers will break the records for relays while there. Milliam talked about how he is proud of his team because of their consistent times and teamwork. Milliam also expressed how the underclassmen have been doing great because “they’ve been improving a lot and I’ve seen a lot of improvement from the whole team.” When asked, the coaches named the swim season’s MVP, Gavin Reiser.
With five games going into overtime this year, Girls Hockey is beating their stats from last year. Their new coach, Rachel Behl, says she “wants [Stoughton] to be a name that scares people.” She went on to say that she is “so proud of the girls and how far they have come” and that the freshmen team has really “stepped up.” Although girls hockey is a small team, she’d liked to see more fans in the stands cheering them on.
Head Coach Quale expressed how proud he is of the Boys Hockey team because they manage to put up a good fight while only having nine players compared to other teams who have twenty. After playing a 51-minute game with the other team switching out while they didn’t have enough players to do the same, Quale concluded, “These kids could have easily just thrown in the towel but they showed up and competed their best, which really shows a lot of these kids.” The MVP of this hockey season is freshman Colin McClure. While this is his only experience playing hockey, he is still doing a great job and keeps improving daily. The fortitude of this hockey team can’t help but make you want to root for them.
Head Coach for Boys Wrestling Dan Splide talked about how their season might have its ups and downs but they also had some great victories. The wrestlers worked really hard and had a fun season. A few of their great players this year included Gage Nelson (in the finals at Badger State), Gatlin Empey (ranked top 5 in the state), and Harrison Chavez; their most valued player will be announced at their end-of-year banquet. Girls Wrestling has not yet been fully registered as a sport, but head coach Erik Soderbloom exclaimed that his goal for the season was to “get better from week to week, have fun, and wrestle hard while scoring points.” Just like the boys team, the most valued player will be announced at the end-of-the-year banquet.
Girls Basketball has been doing a good job with 15 wins and six losses this season. The girls have shown up to every practice and worked extremely hard. Coach Brad Pickett talked about how the most valuable players are definitely the seniors, “They are the most valuable just because of the leadership they bring: Ella Hamacher, Elizabeth Stokes, Gracie Schmidt, Gretchen Tangeman, Samantha Opitzs, Kiley Widish, and Kiera Vesterdahl.” Talking with Maren Hasen, an SHS freshman playing on JV, really highlighted how much bonding is going on within her team: “I am so grateful for my teammates and my coaches who pushed me to perform my best. We have so much fun on and off the court; I’m looking forward to next year.”
The challenges they faced in their “up and down” season caused the Boys Basketball team to come together and play stronger. Coach Nolan Weber said they have a winning streak these last five games, “and [his] players are playing their best basketball of the season.” Coach Weber explained how he has a lot of valuable players: “Carter Sullivan is a tough matchup with his ability to play inside and out. Jacob Hibner is not only our leading scorer but also our best defender. Mason Richter and Jaren Vale have both stepped into big roles as dependable players and improved greatly within the season.” Although they lost to Oregon early in the season, they avenged themselves by winning the next time they met, 67-48. They have won against Fort Atkinson, Cedarburg, Lake Country Lutheran, Lakeside Lutheran and Waupun so far this season.
Coach Audra Jensen reports that the Dance Team had a great season. She said the competition this year was “insane” and they were “challenged to raise the bar every time they took the floor.” Coach Jensen states that building mental toughness was the most important accomplishment of the season. Her goal for the season was to get the players to ask themselves, “was that our best? Or could we do better?” The most improved dancer was McKenzie O’Neil; after suffering a season-ending injury, she came back ready for a reset. Not only does McKenzie know her own choreography, but her teammates as well, so she’s always ready to fill in any missing role. Coach Jensen brought up “I am so proud of all she has accomplished this year and I am excited to see where her dance journey takes her.”
Boys Hockey Head Coach Quale expressed tremendous pride in his team, highlighting their resilience and determination despite being at a numerical disadvantage. With only nine players compared to opposing teams with twenty, they managed to put up a strong fight. After enduring a grueling 51-minute game—while their opponents had the advantage of frequent substitutions—Quale reflected on his team’s perseverance, stating, “These kids could have easily just thrown in the towel, but they show up and compete the best they can which shows a lot about these kids. It takes a special group to do what these kids have done this season despite their record.” The MVP of this hockey season is freshman Colin McClure.
