Athens ‘Powered by passion’
By Casey Krautkramer
The Athens varsity girls basketball team shared the Marawood North Conference championship with Phillips last season, but this year the Bluejays would like to win it outright. Bluejays head coach Kyncaide Keefe, currently in the midst of her fifth season at the helm, admits it’s not going to be an easy task to accomplish but she wouldn’t put anything past her players this season.
“The Marawood is tough because our south games count toward our conference record,” Keefe said. “Those south games are always a dog fight and you can never let up if you want to accomplish your goal of being conference champs again. We plan to compete with Phillips again, and compete every single night against any conference opponent. Our motto this season is ‘Powered by Passion’ and I couldn’t agree more with the passionate bunch we have. We plan to let that passion drive us through a tough schedule, and hopefully a deep playoff run.”
Athens’ top returning players this season are senior point guard Addison Lavicka who is currently injured, senior guard Jazelle Hartwig, senior forward Sophia Coker, senior center Sydney Coker and junior point guard Danica Diethelm.
See ATHENS GIRLS HOOPS/ page 9
ATHENS VARSITY GIRLS BASKETBALL- Introducing the 2023-24 Bluejays varsity girls basketball team. Team members pictured, from left to right, front row are: Ellis Baer, Ava Ford, Vanessa Espinoza and Sy’Rih Hartwig; middle row: assistant coach Angela Totzke, Bailey Hanke, Brianna Sheahan, Danica Diethelm and assistant coach Briana Handschke; back row: assistant coach Sami Braun, Jazelle Hartwig, Sophia Coker, Sydney Coker, Addison Lavicka and head coach Kyncaide Keefe.
PHOTO BY TANILLE HARTWIG Athens girls basketball
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Lavicka injured her knee at the wissports. net girls basketball tournament in July and she wasn’t able to play volleyball for the Bluejays this fall. She’s hoping to make a return to the basketball court toward the end of this season if she is healthy enough.
“Addison’s health is most important,” Keefe said. “Her recovery is going really well, which is great to see! We may see Addison come back toward the end of the season if it was up to her, but all in all, her doctor knows best and we trust his timing. Addison ended her junior year with 934 career points.”
Lavicka helped Athens to a 23-4 overall record last season before the team lost to Edgar in the WIAA Division 5 regional championship. She was awarded to the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division 5 All-State teams last season after averaging 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.2 steals per game. Sophia Coker received all-state honorable mention in Division 5 last season.
Athens’ top newcomers to the varsity team this season are junior guard Brianna Sheahan, sophomore guards Vanessa Espinoza and Ava Ford and sophomore forward Sy’Rih Hartwig.
Jazelle Hartwig achieved 1,000 career points against Crandon in the Top Kislow tournament during Thanksgiving break at D.C. Everest.
“She went into the game needing 16 points and she ended the game with 17 points,” Keefe said. “Jazelle is the type of kid who doesn’t like solo recognition, especially after an ugly loss like we had that day. She would much rather have team success. Obviously she is honored to accomplish this goal, but she has higher goals for the season to accomplish as a team.”
Athens only has a 2-3 record thus far this season but its three losses are against good teams in Neillsville, Crandon and Rhinelander. Keefe believes her team’s tough early schedule will help it keep improving during the course of the long season.
“I think playing tougher teams in general is a way to prepare us for the playoffs,” she said. “We need to be tested early in the season to see what we need See ATHENS GIRLS HOOPS/ page 16 Athens girls basketball
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to work on before the playoffs. Back-toback game days is for sure a test to see how we handle it, and prepare for the playoff run. We learned a lot playing in this tournament, despite two losses to Crandon and Rhinelander. I think mentally we can grow a lot from this and I am excited to see us come together through some early season losses.”
Sophia Coker also has a chance to achieve 1,000 career points this season. She is averaging 20 points per game thus far in the team’s first five games this season and she now has 882 career points scored.
BATTLE FOR THE BALL- Athens senior center Sydney Coker attempts to rip the basketball out of an Abbotsford defender’s hands for a defensive rebound in a game early this season.
TP PHOTO/NATHANIELUNDERWOOD
