Mounder girls win first D-SC Conference title since 2000

The Elk Mound girls made sure from the get go they would not be sharing a conference title with Glenwood City when they walloped the Wolves from Elmwood-Plum City 73-27 Feb. 18 in Elmwood. The win gives the Mounders a 13-1 record with their only conference loss coming by way of Glenwood City, while the Hilltoppers finished a game behind at 12-2.

 16 years ago, the Dunn St. Croix was divided into a Small and Large Conference and the Elk Mound girls won the Small with a 13-3 record and were 16-4 overall. Teams in their grouping were Spring Valley, Glenwood City, Plum City, Pepin and Elmwood. After clinching the championship with a win at Pepin, the Glenwood City girls, with seven conference losses at the time, defeated the Mounders two days later but the next closest team to the Mounders was Spring Valley who were three games back. Elk Mound was coached by Ted Heimstead and they went on to drop their first regional game against Fall Creek. (Colfax won the Large Division that year).

In 1990, the Lady Mounders shared the conference championship with Glenwood City who both finished with records of 17-1 as they split their two regular season  games. Coached by Heimstead, Elk Mound won their first two regional games over Spring Valley and Clear Lake, then lost to that same Glenwood City team in the regional final, ending their season at 21-2. The Mounders won’t have to worry about that happening again however, since they are now in Division 3 while the Toppers are in Division 4.

Elmwood-Plum City

Flying out to a 51-15 halftime with 13 points from Morgan Radtke, nine from Kami King, eight by McKenna McVey, seven by Elizabeth Fasbender, six on Allie Weber’s pair of treys, five from Hannah Cedarblade and a triple from Riley Radtke, the Mounders coasted the rest of the game to finish off the huge win.

“We came out and shot the ball very well and played with a lot of energy,” sixth year coach Jordan Kongshaug said after his team’s first conference championship under his leadership. “We felt a great sense of accomplishment and I think our tough non-conference schedule has helped us over the past two years to get better, along with playing some good conference teams. This conference championship wasn’t won last night, however. Our girls have put in years of hard work to get to this point and they have made basketball one of their priorities. Our parents, youth coaches, administration and community have supported us in many ways to help us accomplish this goal,” he added.

Morgan Radtke, a freshman, led the Mounders with 17 points while McVey added 12.

Elk Mound received a bye in the first round of regional play, then will host Westby, Friday Feb. 25 at 7:00.

“Westby will be a challenge for us and if we are fortunate to win, we would more than likely match up with a really good West Salem team on Saturday,” Kongshaug said. “We will have to prepare very hard but I know our girls will work as hard as they can to be ready”.

ELK MOUND (73) M. Radtke 5-7-8-17, McVey 6-0-0-12, King 4-0-0-9, Weber 3-0-0-8, Fasbender 3-0-0-7, Cedarblade 2-1-2-6, E. Winchester 2-0-0-5, C. Sweeney 2-1-1-5, R. Radtke 1-1-2-4

ELMWOOD-PLUM CITY (27) H. Feuker 2-4-4-8, A. Morrell 2-0-0-4, A. Glampa 2-0-0-4, K. Sabelko 1-0-0-3, M. Afdahl 1-0-0-2, E. Pickerign 1-0-0-2, C. Catura 1-0-0-2, L. Diesing 1-0-2-2

THREE POINTERS: Weber 2, Cedarblade 1, Fasbender 1, King 1, Winchester 1, R. Radtke 1, Sabelko 1