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Red Raiders trying to build on last season’s successful season

Red Raiders trying to build on last season’s successful season Red Raiders trying to build on last season’s successful season

Team wins its opener

By Casey Krautkramer

Marathon’s varsity girls basketball team rebounded from an atypical losing season two seasons ago to playing in the sectional championship last season.

It was a renaissance for the Red Raiders, who finished last season with an 18-8 record after only going 4-18 in the previous season. Marathon head coach Jeff Schneider is confident this year’s team can build off the success it experienced last season.

“The successful playoff run last year was an invaluable experience for our returning players; they learned how coming together can really raise the level of the team’s play,” Schneider said. “Our basketball program is based on playing with your best effort and competing every day in practices and games. This year’s team will play hard together, which will allow our team to play its best basketball at the end of the season. Where that takes us, we will see.”

Marathon’s top returning players are seniors Hope Krautkramer and Anna Cleven and junior Allison Wokatsch. The team’s top newcomers this season are seniors Kaitlyn Rusch and Chen Phakitthong, juniors Jenna Ashbrenner, Laci Hoeksema, Alyssa Hall, Jada Prihoda and Camryn Sapinski and sophomores Ashley Phakitthong, Kali Prihoda and Hannah Baldeshwiler.

Coach Schneider likes what he’s seen thus far from his team during practices.

“I’m really impressed with our senior leadership this year,” he said. “Hope and Anna are talented players who work so hard on the court every day. Kaitlyn Rusch and Chen Phakitthong bring some of the same work ethic and they’ll be keys to this year’s team. Allison Wokatsch has much experience already coming into her junior year and she keeps getting better. We have a group of nice juniors and sophomores that will also compete for playing time this season.”

Marathon’s assistant coaches this year are Beth Geier, Hannah Franke, Hayley Cramer, Nicole Myszka and Chuck Baldeshwiler.

Red Raiders down Cards

Marathon’s varsity girls basketball squad won its away game against Wausau Newman, 32-27, on Tuesday.

The Red Raiders only shot 30 percent overall from the floor in their seasonopening game. Allison Wokatsch was the lone Marathon player to score in double figures with 13 points. Annna Cleven and Hope Krautkramer added eight points apiece.

Marathon rallied from a 17-13 halftime deficit against Newman, 0-2, to get the victory.

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