Sophie Cedarblade wins 2019 WIAA girls basketball 3-Point Challenge
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
3-POINT CHALLENGE WINNER— Elk Mound junior Sophie Cedarblade beat out ten other competitors to win the 2019 WIAA Girls’ 3-Point Challenge held at the Resch Center in Green Bay on Saturday, March 9. Pictured from left to right are: Head coach Jordan Kongshaug, Sophie and assistant coach Mike Schiszik posed for a quick photo following the competition. —photo submitted
By Amber Hayden
GREEN BAY — Sophie Cedarblade, a junior at Elk Mound, was this year’s WIAA 3-Point Challenge winner following the Saturday morning, March 9 competition at the Resch Center in Green Bay.
The 3-Point Challenge is held each year in conjunction with the WIAA State Girls’ Basketball Tournament and preceeds the five state championship contests played on Saturday.
Cedarblade bested nine other competitors to win this year’s title.
Cedarblade explained that to be in front of everyone made her feel nervous, but when it came time to start shooting she pushed that down with the help of her family, friends and coaching staff.
“It was exciting though to be able to compete and win the challenge though,” she said. “I’m definitely going to hope to do it next year too.”
Ten participants were selected for the event based on statistical information entered by coaches into the WisSports.net database. The top two three-point shooters (minimum of 75 attempts) from each of the five basketball divisions were invited to participate.
Cedarblade, who actually finished fourth in the final Division 3 standings, received an invitation after two girls that finished ahead of her were members of state-participating squads which made both ineligible to participate in the Challenge.
The 3-Point Challenge itself consists of three, one-minute rounds – a quarterfinal in which all ten shooters compete, a semifinal round of four, and the finals round. Each round features five racks with five balls on each rack (right corner, right wing, top of the key left wing and left corner) and the participants are given one minute to shoot all 25 balls. Participants receive one point for each made shot, with the last ball on each rack counting as two points.
Each participant of the challenge has to attempt 75 three-point shoots throughout the regular season in order to be considered and able to compete.
Cedarblade finished out the season with 61 three-pointers made out of a 152 attempts from outside the arc giving her a .401 percentage for the Mounders as well as finishing second in points per game with 8.6.
“My parents are really proud of me and were really excited too,” Cedarblade commented.
Cedarblade scored 18 points in the quarterfinal round which was the most of any of the ten competitors and advanced to the semifinal round. In that round, Cedarblade finished with 13 points and in a tie for second place with Mallory Lindsey of Mineral Point but won a tie-breaker shot-off 3-1 to earn a berth in the finals. In the championship round, Cedarblade again scored 18 points to win the contest beating Maggie Cracker of Chippewa Falls McDonell Central Catholic who finished in second with 16 points.
Her thoughts on collegiate basketball are still up in the air, according to Sophie, she still has one full year left of school before she wants to think about that part of her life.
The Mounders’ junior just wants to focus on finishing up high school and competing in the next sport which for her is softball.
Other participants were Natalie Cerrato of De Pere, Aaliyah McMillan of Chippewa Falls, Sara Newcomer of Pewaukee, Maxine Paulowske of Kewaskum, Abbie Aalsma of Waupun, Devin Wagner of Lancaster and Remi Geiger of Loyal.