Pair of Mounders named D-SC softball and baseball players of the year

By Cara L. Dempski

ELK MOUND — A pair of Elk Mound athletes were named Dunn-St. Croix Players of the Year for a second time in the 2016-2017 academic year for their respective sports.

What is even more impressive is both athletes are just juniors.

Softball player Allison Lindquist and baseball player Ethan Kjellberg earned the conference honors after showing solid all-around play this season. The duo provided substantial defense, with Lindquist working behind the plate and Kjellberg from the mound, but were just as strong offensively.

The Lady Mounders’ catcher, Lindquist, logged 95 put-outs in just 27 games played for the 2017 season. She also caught five runners stealing for a caught stealing percentage of .22 for the year. Offensively, Lindquist batted in 51 runners during 95 trips to the plate to end the year, and earned a .500 on-base percentage.

Kjellberg pitched just a handful of games in 2016, but stepped things up in 2017. He not only nearly doubled his games played, but he threw a solid five strikeouts per game, and ended the season with a 2.51 ERA after 12 games. He allowed 42 hits, 31 runs over 797 total pitches.

On offense, the junior hurler stepped up to the plate 81 times to drive in 30 runners. He recorded 26 hits for a final season on-base percentage of .505.

While Lindquist plans to play as part of an American International Sports Team in the Dominican Republic and will take the field with the Seymour Flames this summer, Kjellberg will be spending his time with the Eau Claire American Legion team where his primary position is listed as right-handed pitcher, and his secondary at first base.

Elk Mound seniors Dane Lew and Elizabeth Fasbender were selected as the D-SC players of the year for boys’ and girls’ basketball respectively.