View from the cheap seats
A weekly perspective on sports
Casey Krautkramer Reporter The Record-Review
I traveled two hours to both Suring and Three Lakes, two communities in northeastern Wisconsin, for the first time in my life to cover the Athens girls basketball team in sectional play during this past week.
First, I drove to Suring which lies within the traditional homeland of the Menominee Indian tribe. I noticed upon arriving in Suring that its population is only 544 people. I was greeted with a warm reception from the ladies who unlocked the high school gym doors for me. They were excited to see an actual newspaper guy in person. I guess Suring High School sports must not receive much media coverage.
Last, I drove to Three Lakes which I noticed is unincorporated. I discovered from a Three Lakes resident at the girls basketball game the community and high school are located in the town of Three Lakes. I’m not sure how many townships in Wisconsin have high schools in them, so this was interesting to say the least. The town of Three Lakes has fire and police departments, just like a village or city would. The town government structure is the same as local towns in Marathon County, in which there is a town chairman and a few town supervisors.
On my drive home from Three Lakes, I needed to see the outside of the new Hodag Dome in Rhinelander. I learned S.D. Ellenbecker of Athens was one of the contractors that built the Hodag Dome, which is a permanent 128,000 square foot dome Rhinelander residents can use for voting, fundraising events, music concerts, flag football, softball, pickleball, tennis, golf, walking and jogging.
The Hodag Dome is the largest high school dome in the country. It’s also one of the largest air-supported domes in all of North America, and in the top 10 percent in the entire world to include turf for soccer, football, track, pole vaulting, baseball, softball, tennis courts, pickleball courts, basketball, wrestling and seasonal gymnastics.
Other local school districts in central Wisconsin are taking advantage of money they received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to build domes. I recently also saw the outside of the dome built by the Spencer School District that it’ll use for more classroom space, a fitness center and athletics. The Abbotsford School District is also planning to build a dome using FEMA money it received. Abbotsford’s dome will possibly be used for school plays and concerts, extra classroom space and for a basketball court.
Regarding high school boys basketball, Edgar should beat Hurley for the second time this season this Thursday, Feb. 25, in a home sectional semifinal. Edgar is the No. 1 seed in its WIAA Divison 4 sectional and Hurley is No. 4. No. 2 seed Fall Creek plays No. 3 Clear Lake in the other sectional semifinal.
