Weir, Grunseth turn double-doubles into All-ECC awards

ALL-EASTERN CLOVERBELT GIRLS BASKETBALL

S While piling up points and a ton of rebounds during the 2020-21 season, it became apparent Gilman’s Tatum Weir and Emma Grunseth were going to be worthy of spots on the All-Eastern Cloverbelt girls basketball teams.

Those spots became official not long after the season ended as Weir got a spot on the six-member second team and Grunseth got one of six honorable mention spots.

It’s the first All-Eastern Cloverbelt in basketball for both players. The honors follow Gilman’s 6-10 abbreviated season under third-year head coach Tammy Weir, which included a 4-8 mark in conference play. The Pirates won a game in WIAA Division 5 tournament play before bowing out in the regional semifinal round with a loss to eventual sectional champion McDonell Catholic Central.

Weir, a sophomore, and Grunseth, a junior, emerged as leaders on a young team that had just one senior –– guard Katelynn Schmitt –– on its roster this winter.

“They both did a great job stepping into the positions that we needed this season,” Tammy Weir said. “We basically started from scratch and built a new team this year. I feel we are set pretty good starting off next season now with Tatum being our post threat and Emma our guard/forward. I see these two being a huge part of our success next season, they work so well together. Many of their assists came from each other. They are definitely fun to watch.”

Weir had double-doubles in points and rebounds in eight of Gilman’s 16 games played and just missed by a basket or a rebound in three others. For the year, she averaged 12.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per contest. She also averaged 2.1 blocked shots per game, including seven in a 55-30 loss at Loyal on Feb. 5.

Weir’s season highlights included a 22-point, 19-rebound double-double in a 44-31 win over Greenwood on Jan. 15 and 22 points and 10 rebounds in Gilman’s biggest win of the season, a 52-51 win over Colby on Jan. 11. In that Greenwood game, 14 of Weir’s rebounds came on the offensive end.

She had 18 points and 12 rebounds in one of the team’s toughest losses, a 51-48 defeat at Spencer on Jan. 30. Weir added 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four blocks in an 84-57 loss at Colby; 14 points and 11 rebounds in a 71-37 loss to Loyal on Dec. 17 and 11 points and 16 rebounds in a 36-29 loss at Columbus Catholic on Jan. 18.

She had 19 points and 10 rebounds in the team’s 44-35 comeback win over New Auburn in their Division 5 regional win, 20 rebounds in the loss to McDonell and an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double in a 46-21 win at Rib Lake on Jan. 26.

Grunseth averaged 7.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and a team-high 2.4 assists per game. Her season-high of five assists in a game was achieved in the Jan. 5 loss to Colby when she also scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds. She hit two of three 3-point shots in that game too.

She had a double-double in the win over Colby six days later with 11 points and 13 rebounds, seven of which came on the defensive end. She blocked two shots in that game as well. Grunseth had a monster game in the loss to Spencer, racking up 14 points, 18 rebounds and four assists.

Grunseth had eight points, 11 rebounds, including nine on defense, four assists and two steals in the playoff win over New Auburn. She joined Weir in having a dominant night at Rib Lake with 16 points, 12 rebounds (10 on defense), four assists and three steals.

Grunseth and Weir had double-doubles in the same game three times.

There is only one repeat selection on this year’s All-ECC first team and that is Neillsville senior guard Bella Opelt, who was named the league’s 2020-21 Player of the Year. She was joined by junior teammate Emma Moseley, Spencer junior Heavyn Kind, seniors Savannah Schley and Katlyn Lindner of Loyal and senior Kristin Strey of Granton, who is that school’s first first-team player in several years.

Neillsville went 14-0 to win the conference by three and a half games over 10-3 Loyal and was the conference’s only sectional qualifier. The Warriors went 20-2 overall and lost 47-41 to St. Croix Falls in a WIAA Division 3 sectional semifinal.