Seven seniors conclude high school careers for Colfax girls basketball
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SEVEN senior girls received a plaque at their last home game in recognition of their years of dedication to the Colfax basketball program. L to R: Tyler Noll, Abigail Irwin, Addisyn Olson, Bailey Bradford, Marissa Harmon, Rylee Parker, and Jasmine Paulus. —photo by Marlys Kruger
by Marys Kruger
Sports Correspondent
COLFAX — In a season that will be remembered for a lot of reasons, hopefully the number one thing everyone will think about is a third straight Dunn-St. Croix Conference championship for the Colfax girls basketball team.
The fact that it came for first-year head coach Courtney Sarauer, who took over for long-time coach Joe Doucette is also quite a feat.
Then again, wearing masks during practices and games due to COVID-19 protocol is something most players and coaches would like to forget. But, like every other team in the state, the Colfax girls took it in stride and managed to get through the season with that championship before losing to Eau Claire Regis in the second round of regional competition.
After losing eight seniors from last year including several of their leading scorers and rebounders, the Lady Vikings simply reloaded with another group waiting in the wings for their turn to shine.
Addisyn Olson was a three-year letter winner and led the Vikings in assists this year with 37. She made 70 percent of her free throws to lead the team, collected 38 rebounds and knocked down 12 three-point shots. Her high scoring game was 15 points against Spring Valley.
“Addisyn was great defensively and just an all around solid player,” Sarauer said. “She played well when we needed her to and worked really hard, she deserved the recognition she got this year by being named first team all conference,” she added.
Eagle-Eye Marissa Harmon, a two-time letter winner, led the Vikings in three-point shots with 22 as a senior and canned 17 of them her junior year. She was second in assists with 33 this year and snared 27 rebounds. She had a high game of 11 points versus Boyceville as a senior.
“Marissa was a great shooter and made many huge shots for us down the stretch,” according to Sarauer. “She worked hard to develop her game in the past year and became a huge impact player. She had a great senior year and was named honorable mention all conference for her effort,” she said.
Bailey Bradford also lettered two seasons and as a senior drained 11 shots from long range while snagging 19 rebounds and adding 13 assists, her high game was 12 against Spring Valley this year.
“Bailey was a super kid and did everything well,” commented Sarauer. “She had a great shot, and was capable of making multiple shots in a game. She defended well and helped when needed and always knew where to go. She had a great year,” she added.
Abigail Irwin also earned a letter for two seasons of effort. She was asked to play multiple positions for the team because of her athletic ability and never complained, according to Sarauer. She grabbed 36 rebounds and had 15 assists for the team and scored a career high 11 points twice this season, once against Glenwood City and again while playing Boyceville.
“Abby was a great teammate and was always willing to go above and beyond,” Sarauer commented. “She always stepped up to the plate and did what I asked, she had a great senior year for us.”
Another two-year letter winner, Jasmine Paulus, was a defensive specialist for the team. She hauled in 38 rebounds for the Vikings and scored six points in a game against Elmwood-Plum City this year.
“Jasmine always had a tough defensive assignment and was always guarding kids who were bigger and taller than her but she always stepped up,” Sarauer remarked. “She boxed out, defended and rebounded at a high level. She was very team orientated, always thinking of the team first,” she added.
And yet, one more Viking earned a varsity letter in two seasons of play. Rylee Parker came off the bench for valuable minutes in the paint and collected 28 rebounds and made 66 percent of her free throws. She had a high game of eight points against Glenwood City this year.
“Rylee is a super kid who worked really hard,” Sarauer said. “She had a great shot and made a lot of them in key moments. She was a strong girl who was great on the boards and a great teammate,” she added.
Tyler Noll was a newcomer to the team this season. She was a member of two conference championship teams, however. Playing for Cuba City as a junior, a powerhouse in Wisconsin girls’ basketball, her team won the SWAL Conference championship. Moving to Colfax with her family, she played in 14 games and came up with 28 rebounds with seven assists, and scored five points against Prairie Farm for her high game.
“Tyler is a super girl who worked hard and hustled her butt off.” Sarauer said. “She was always one of the last kids to leave the gym. She was extremely coachable and worked hard to learn our program and plays. She has a lot of potential and did a great job rebounding and battling with the other team’s big kids. Every coach would love to have Tyler on their team,” she concluded.
Note: all statistics courtesy of Wissports.net
