Guden an all-state player

She leads locals in postseason hoop accolades

By Casey Krautkramer

Edgar High School senior guard Makenna Guden is well deserving of her long list of basketball postseason accolades she’s receiving, considering she’s the school’s all-time leading scorer. She is one of 10 players in Division 5 to be awarded to the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-State team this season.

During this season Makenna, the daughter of Shawn and Cari Guden, broke both Holly (Denfeld) Nowak’s Edgar girls career scoring mark and Larry Brown’s all-time school scoring record that stood for 40 years. Makenna concluded her Edgar High School basketball playing career with 1,521 career points. Makenna averaged 19.7 points per game for Edgar this season; she scored a total of 453 points.

Makenna was awarded Marawood South Conference Player of the Year and she is a unanimous first team allconference selection for the second straight season. She received honorable mention all-state last year, before making first team all-state this season.

After she graduates from high school this spring, Makenna will take her basketball talents to UW-Superior where she’ll attempt to also break its women’s basketball career scoring mark. Sally Linzmeier currently holds the the UW-Superior women’s basketball career scoring record with 1,686 points. Makenna said Yellowjackets head coach Zach Otto-Fisher was aggressive in recruiting her to play basketball at the college. “He’s giving me the No. 1 jersey at UW-Superior just like I wore No. 1 at Edgar High School, because he wants me to make my own legacy with my shooting ability in college just like I did in my high school basketball career,” she said.

Makenna helped Edgar win two consecutive WIAA Division 4 regional championships against Wild Rose last year with retired head coach Betty Urmanski and against Marathon this season with first-year head coach Tom McCarty. The Wildcats tallied a 13-10 record this season after losing to Fall Creek in a sectional semifinal. Mc-Carty said Makenna can add being a NewsChannel 7 All-Star to her list of accomplishments this season.

“These awards for Makenna not only highlight a terrific senior season but also cap off an incredible career,” McCarty said. “These accolades continue to enhance and solidify her legacy within Edgar basketball history as well as central Wisconsin in general. She is incredibly deserving of everything she is receiving and it feels great to see her get the recognition she deserves.”

Black Hawk senior Bailey Butler, who’ll play at Division 1 UW-Green Bay next year, was named 2021 Miss Basketball by the WBCA. Butler is a four-time WBCA first team selection. Three Lakes, which downed Athens in a Division 5 sectional title game, upset Butler’s Black Hawk squad in a state championship semifinal this year.

Schug shines Athens junior post player McKennzie Schug is one of five players on the Marawood North all-conference first team this season. Schug led Athens in both scoring and rebounds this year. She averaged 10.9 points per game for a total of 229 points scored this season. Schug also averaged 8.3 rebounds per game for a total of 175 rebounds, of which 100 of them were defensive boards.

Bluejays head coach Kyncaide Keefe has glowing words of praise for Schug’s impressive play on the court this season.

“McKennzie being selected to the first team was a no brainer in my mind; our coaching staff talked about this too and she was the one player we could really see worked in the offseason,” Keefe said. “This offseason was crazy, but we were in constant communication with our athletes. You don’t make the jump she did as a player by sitting on your couch all summer. She was working and bettering her game, and it showed.

“She made the jump from a junior varsity player to a star varsity player look easy. She was the player every team would plan to shut down but never could. When Mic is in the zone, she is a beast. She struggled a little bit at the beginning of the year with her confidence, but after our game in Abbotsford early on, I think that’s when it hit her how good she was. I can’t wait to see the work she puts in this offseason, and the player she brings to the table next season.”

Senior Rachel Callow and junior Jada Eggebrecht of Phillips were unanimous first team all-Marawood North selections, along with senior Kiandra Hartmann of Prentice. Senior Mya Ruesch of Abbotsford also made first team all-conference.

Players landing on the Marawood North second team are freshman Jazelle Hartwig of Athens, freshman Kacy Eggebrecht of Phillips, senior Serena Moree and sophomore Mallory Burkaw of Prentice and senior Nellie Hopkins of Rib Lake. Honorable mention all-conference selections are freshman Sydney Falteisek and junior Alea Graff of Abbotsford, senior Kaitlyn Riehle and junior Elizabeth Van Rixel of Athens, juniors Jensen Week and Brianna Guzinski of Phillips, junior Leah Thums and sophomore Carissa Hardin of Prentice and juniors Lauren Pelnis and Molly Heiser of Rib Lake.

Mike Eggebrecht of Phillips was awarded Marawood North Conference Coach of the Year and Jada Eggebrecht of Phillips as the conference Player of the Year.

Hughes lands on first team Stratford senior post player Emily Hughes joins Guden of Edgar as a unanimous selection on the Marawood South Conference first team this season. Hughes led Stratford in rebounding this season with an average of 8.6 rebounds per game for a total of 171 boards. She was also second on Stratford’s squad in scoring with an average of 13 points per game for a total of 259 points scored.

Hughes was a difference maker for head coach Tammie Christophersons’s squad this season.

“Emily was one of the top post players in the Marawood South Conference this past season,” Christopherson said. “She is an incredibly hard working young lady and she was an integral part of our offense and defense this year. Emily’s presence in the post will definitely be missed next season. She was an absolute joy to coach over the past four years.”

Auburndale senior Kaitlyn Kundinger and sophomore Annamarie Aue were also unanimous first team all-conference selections. Wisconsin Rapids Assumption junior Ainara Martin also made the first team.

Players landing on the Marawood South second team are seniors Jessie Grundhoffer and Emily Bohn of Assumption, sophomore Reagan Borchardt of Edgar, junior Allison Wokatsch of Marathon and senior Tanaya Schillinger of Stratford.

Honorable mention all-conference selections are seniors Sam Nelson and Cristin Casey of Assumption, seniors Hailey Grimm and Georgi Schmutzer of Auburndale, freshman Mikayla Wirkus and junior Malia Hoesly of Edgar, seniors Anna Cleven and Hope Krautkramer of Marathon, sophomore Maggie Wolf and senior Angela Donath of Wausau Newman and seniors Makenna Leonhardt and Gracie Hauke of Stratford.

Tammie Christopherson of Stratford, Dale Aue of Auburndale and Ryan Klein of Assumption shared the Marawood South Conference Coach of the Year honors.