Young Tigers showing promise

By Casey Krautkramer

Stratford’s varsity girls basketball team could experience some highs and lows throughout this 2023-24 season, considering the team lost all five of its starting players and a total of eight seniors from last year’s team to graduation.

Tammie Christopherson is in the midst of her 11th season as Stratford’s varsity head girls basketball coach. Her former player, Tianna (Hughes) Voda, is her varsity assistant coach. Another of Christopherson’s former players, Olivia Burrows, is the school’s co-head JV coach with Troy Bargender this season.

Stratford’s top returning varsity players this season are senior guards/forwards Ashley Hollatz and Sailor Kauffman. Sophomore guard MyKayla Stueber is another returning varsity player from last season.

Top newcomers to the varsity squad this season who’ll make contributions on the basketball court are junior point guard Kayla Casperson, junior guard Laney Pankratz, junior forward Kassedey Downey, sophomore forward Tria Tubbs, sophomore strong forward Gracie Schmidt, sophomore center Emily Zuelke and freshman guard Carly Pankratz.

“We have a good mix of size and speed on our team,” Christopherson said. “We are a young team with very little returning varsity experience. This year’s team is hard working and very determined to succeed.”

Stratford won three of its first four games this season. Stratford won its season opener, 42-21, at Marathon before suffering a 72-51 loss at Division 4 Poynette which has a 6-2 overall record thus far this season. Stratford then posted nice home victories against Prentice and Edgar.

“Early in the season it is great to see our young players really develop,” Christopherson said. “We have received contributions on the offensive and defensive ends from a variety of players. Kayla Casperson, Sailor Kaufmann and Tria Tubbs led us in scoring during our first two games. I have been very happy with our defensive effort and we need to continually improve on our offensive skills and get to a place where we score consistently.”

The Tigers currently have a 3-1 record in the Marawood South Conference and are 4-2 overall this year. Christopherson enjoys seeing her young team continue to improve through the remainder of this season.

“I am super excited to watch this group of young ladies grow and improve their skills throughout the season,” she said. “They are hard working in the classroom and on the court and I am confident they will put together a very competitive season.”

STRATFORD VARSITY GIRLS BASKETBALL- Introducing the 2023-24 Stratford varsity girls basketball squad. Players pictured, from left to right, in the front row are: Abbi Lewerenz, MyKayla Stueber, Laney Pankratz, Kayla Casperson, Carly Pankratz and Lucy Zaleski; back row: Sailor Kauffman, Kassedey Downey, Tria Tubbs, Emily Zuelke, Daisy Yoder, Gracie Schmidt and Ashley Hollatz.

STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER