BASEBALL

KOHLER/CHRISTIAN

AT A GLANCE

Last year: 2-10 in BEC (4-14)

LOWDOWN

n Junior Hunter Fihn is the returning top hitter as a result of a .286 batting average last season.

n Sophomore Meier Schick shared the team lead with Fihn with nine runs.

n Parker Vierkant, another sophomore, was 2-0 on the mound with a 1.57 ERA.

n Kyle Fowler was the one player to make all-conference (second team) last year, but he graduated after four varsity seasons.

LUTHERAN AT A GLANCE

Last year: 0-11 in BEC (0-19)

LOWDOWN

n The Crusaders do not have any seniors and the roster is mostly made up of sophomores and freshmen.

n Junior Jonah Jurss made all-conference honorable mention in 2019 after leading the Crusaders with a .318 batting average, but he rejoined the track team this season.

NORTH AT A GLANCE

Last year: 3-13 in FRCC (8-16)

LOWDOWN

n Despite being seeded 10th in the Division 1 playoffs, the team needed one more win to reach state for the first time since 2001. The last time North won a regional title was in 2003.

n Three starters return in senior Bennett Becker and juniors Ryan Traas and Hunter Steger.

n Infielders Brent Widder (Evansville) and Jacob Neese (Parkland CC) have to be replaced. They each made second-team all-conference after their third year on varsity.

SOUTH AT A GLANCE

Last year: 0-14 in FRCC (0-15)

LOWDOWN

n The Redwings’ new coach is Tyler Zietz, a 2014 South graduate who played four years on the varsity and was a junior varsity coach at North last year.

n Seniors Colin Brennan (catcher) and Elliot Pethan (outfielder), and junior Dylan Timm (infielder) have varsity experience.

TRACK AND FIELD

KOHLER/CHRISTIAN

AT A GLANCE

Last year: Big East Meet –

1st (boys), 10th (girls).

LOWDOWN

n The boys are the two-time defending conference champion.

n Three Big East champs – all from Kohler; two boys, one girl – are back.

n Ellie Steenwyk competed in the 1,600 and ended third at the conference championship to go with a fifth-place showing in the 3,200.

n Grace VanEss (discus, shot put) and Paige Warmus (400 dash, 800 run) also return.

n Megan Moeller, who was a top-10 finisher in three events at the BEC meet last year, is now playing soccer.

LUTHERAN AT A GLANCE

Last year: Big East Meet –

3rd (girls), 11th (boys).

LOWDOWN

n The third-place finish by the girls was their best showing since the Big East was formed.

n Senior Carly Schreurs finished seventh in the triple jump at Division 3 state and is the two-time defending conference champion. In the long jump, she placed 14th at state after winning the Big East title.

n Seniors Kirsten Solle, Emma Schmideler, Schreurs and sophomore Rose Hahn set a school record with a 1:53.53 in the 800 relay a year ago to erase the previous mark that stood since 2005.

n Schmideler also took third in the conference in the 300 hurdles and triple jump.

n The 3,200 relay that took 13th at state and the 1,600 relay that placed 17th consisted of Matthew Witte, Hans Gruben, Logan Zak and Aidan Diener – and they all return.

NORTH AT A GLANCE

Last year: Fox River Classic –

8th (girls), 10th (boys).

LOWDOWN

n Senior Cassius Rohadfox finished eighth in the state shot put and third at conference last year.

n Madeline Green, another senior, came in 17th in the pole vault at state and was third at the FRCC.

n Sophomore Nyla Spicer, a defending conference champion in the long jump, is also back. She was fourth in the FRCC meet in the 100 and 200 dash.

n Several Golden Raiders who finished fourth at the league meet are back, too: junior Jeremy Rusch (400), senior Nadia Versey (pole vault) and senior Joshua Walter (triple jump).

SOUTH AT A GLANCE

Last year: Fox River Classic – 9th (boys), 10th (girls).

LOWDOWN

n Junior Stephan Ellis competed in the pole vault at the conference championship and took fourth last year.

n Another junior, Nolan BlomWillis (110 hurdles) and sophomore Maddie Ognacevic (triple jump) are back after reaching the sectionals a year ago.

n The team has to replace two third-place finishers from state who are now competing in college: Austin Boeldt (800, UW-Oshkosh) and Brock Kovacic (pole vault, Wisconsin).

n Ellis Savannah also graduated after finishing third in the pole vault and fifth in the 300 hurdles at conference.

SOFTBALL

NORTH AT A GLANCE

Last year: 9-9 in FRCC (10-13)

LOWDOWN

n The squad had its best league record last year since going 12-4 in 2012.

n Two of the four girls who made all-conference return, including sophomore infielder Ally Wagner, who made the second team thanks to a team-high .424 batting average.

n Junior catcher Ashley Thaves and senior outfielder Natalie Dulmes received honorable mention. Dulmes, however, is not on the team this season.

n Pitcher Talia Lackershire, who also earned second-team recognition after getting honorable mention the previous two seasons, graduated.

SOUTH AT A GLANCE

Last year: 3-15 in FRCC (3-22)

LOWDOWN

n Junior Brianna Schaefer is moving back to the circle after playing third base last year. She also pitched as a freshman.

n Senior first baseman Jade Keil is another key returner.

n Sophomore infielder Ashleigh Niehaus and her family now live in Mississippi. She earned all-conference second team in 2019.

n Catcher Helen Flynn graduated after she made all-conference (honorable mention).