McVey, Winchester end four year career with Mounders

ELK MOUND — Two seniors who both played four years of varsity basketball for Elk Mound High School recently ended their high school playing days with a conference championship before losing a regional championship game to West Salem last week.

McKenna McVey and Sarah Winchester were members of teams that won 66 games while losing 29 in the past four seasons. Their record in Dunn-St. Croix Conference play was 46-13 in those years, going from 5 losses as freshman and sophomores to two losses and second place their junior year. They culminated their senior year with a 13-1 conference record to win the title one game ahead of Glenwood City, and were 18-6 overall.

McVey, a post player most of those years, played in every game as a freshman and ended up scoring 155 points which was third for the team. She was second in rebounds with 129 and led the Mounders in blocked shots with 37. She led the team in rebounds her sophomore and junior years and was second as a senior, and was high scorer for the Mounders her junior and senior years as well as high scorer in the conference her junior season. And shot blocking continued to be a strength as she stuffed a team leading 50 shots as a sophomore and a team leading 21 as a junior.

McVey totaled 939 points with 326 her junior season while averaging 13.6 points a game. No doubt she would have upped her totals but missed a few games this year with an injury. She made 149 of 320 free throws in her four years for  46% while collecting 607 rebounds, 187 steals, 177 assists and 129 blocks. She ripped off a career high 29 points in the regional semi-final game against Westby this year. She was a three time  All Conference pick, Second Team as a sophomore and First Team as a junior and senior.

McVey plans on continuing on the hard court at UW-Stout next year.

Winchester, a guard, also rarely left the floor in the past four years, playing in 89 games,  missing a few late in her senior season with an injury. She led the Mounders in scoring as a sophomore with 242 points for an 11.0 average, was first in free throw percentage making 27 of 45 for 60% and in three pointers with 39,and also led in steals with 76. Her junior season she led the team in three point shots with 29, steals with 66 and in assists with 52 while finishing second in the scoring department with 229 points. Totals for Winchester were 768 points, 87 of 143 free throw attempts for 60%, 110 of 391 triples for 32%, 189 rebounds, 258 steals and 188 assists. Her career high game was 21 points as a sophomore against St. Croix Central and that same year she connected from three point land five times against Elmwood-Plum City. Like McVey, she was an All Conference selection three years, named Second Team her sophomore year, First Team as a junior and Second Team as a senior.

Coach Jordan Kongshaug was the coach for the girls all through their high school days and knows he will have a tough time filling their shoes next year.

Sarah and McKenna have meant a lot to our program the past four years,” he said. “They have certainly helped our team reach new heights, including a conference championship for the first time in 16 years. The season didn’t end as well as we had liked with a loss against West Salem and Sarah on the bench the second half with an injury, but we finished with a great season, and a great career for both seniors,” he added.