20-year reunion of state teams set for Feb. 4

A reunion of Medford’s WIAA Division 2 state-qualifying girls basketball teams from the 2001-02 and 2002-03 season is planned around the current team’s home game with La Crosse Central on Saturday, Feb. 4.

The day features a varsity doubleheader at Raider Hall against Central, starting with the boys game at 4:15 p.m. and followed by the girls game at about 5:45 p.m. The boys game features a rematch of last March’s Division 2 sectional final, won by Central 56-47.

In between games, members of those girls state teams will be recognized as part of their day together.

Medford’s 2001-02 girls team went 23-2, losing its first game in overtime to Chippewa Falls and then rattling off 23 straight wins before falling 75-55 to Columbus in a state semifinal at the UW Fieldhouse in Madison. That team knocked off nemesis Mosinee 48-34 in a regional final, rallied from a double-digit deficit to beat West Salem 58-50 in a sectional semifinal and edged Altoona in a 38-36 thriller in the sectional final.

The 2002-03 team went 22-3 and completed Medford’s second straight 12-0 season in the Lumberjack Conference. The team beat Mosinee and Tomahawk in regional play, beat West Salem 42-41 on a free throw by Kayla (Sarver) Laher with no time left in the sectional semifinal and took down Altoona again in the sectional final 47-40. Unfortunately those Raiders again lost to Columbus in a state semifinal, this time 50-39 in a game played at the Kohl Center.

Both teams were led by head coach Paul Woletz, who is among the coaches and players planning to attend the celebration.