Rib Lake’s Kennedy, Mann get mention in Marawood softball vote

The most experienced varsity player the Rib Lake softball team had coming into the season and its most impactful freshman made the honorable mention list in voting for the 2021 All-Marawood Conference North teams, which was heavily dominated –– and rightfully so –– by the co-champions from Phillips and Athens.

Junior Kyla Kennedy and freshman Danielle Mann were the only Redmen able to break into the list of all-conference award winners after a 4-14 season under first-year head coach Dennis Scheithauer. That included a 3-5 mark in conference play that put the Redmen ahead of 2-6 Chequamegon and 1-7 Prentice.

While the bottom three teams in the league, Rib Lake, Chequamegon and Prentice, struggled with inexperience, the Loggers and Blue Jays clearly established themselves as the top two teams in the five-team league. By splitting their regular-season games, with the home teams winning the May 18 and 20 matchups, there was little question Phillips and Athens would share the league championship at 7-1.

Both squads earned four spots on the 10-member first team, while Athens, a WIAA Division 5 regional champion, added four second-teamers and two honorable mentions. Phillips, which ended its season at 19-4 following a 2-1 loss to Mishicot Tuesday in the WIAA Division 4 state tournament, added two secondteam spots and an honorable mentionee.

Despite finishing fourth and losing to last-place Prentice during the regular season, Chequamegon garnered the last two first-team spots, three second-team positions and two honorable mentions.

Kennedy was Rib Lake’s primary shortstop, got some innings in the pitching circle and was the number-three hitter in the team’s batting order. She collected 16 hits during the season including four doubles and a grand slam home run that broke open a 15-12 win over Chequamegon on May 13. Kennedy was three for five with five runs batted in during that win.

Kennedy was two for four in an 18-10 loss at Chequamegon on May 10, three for five in a 22-12 Marawood Conference crossover loss to Newman Catholic on May 7 and was the winning pitcher in a 28-12 win at Prentice on May 20.

She ended the season swinging the bat well in non-conference play, going two for four with a double in a 12-11 win at Flambeau June 7 and two for four with a pair of doubles in Rib Lake’s 11-6 WIAA Division 5 regional semifinal loss at Butternut- Mercer.

Mann adjusted quickly to varsity ball, splitting time at first base and catcher, while also logging some pitching innings. Offensively, she was inserted into the top spot in the lineup from day one and finished with a team-high 24 hits.

One of her highlight games also was the 15-12 win over Chequamegon. Mann was two for three with three RBIs, including a clinching two-run double in the sixth. While catching, she also threw out two runners on the base paths in the top of the sixth to shut down a Screaming Eagle rally.

Mann had all three of the team’s hits in an 8-5 win over Prentice on May 18, was three for five at Chequamegon and had a two-run double and also scored a run in a 14-5 home loss to Athens on June 1.

In Marawood crossovers, she had two hits in losses to Stratford, Newman Catholic and Marathon. She picked up the save with 2.2 solid innings and went two for five in the win at Flambeau and tripled in the playoff loss to Butternut-Mercer.

Blake Edwards of Phillips was named Coach of the Year and the Loggers’ Jada Eggebrecht of Phillips was chosen as the conference’s Player of the Year while going 19-4 as the team’s starting pitcher and hitting well over .500 during the season. Phillips still has a bright future as first-team performer Rachel Callow is the team’s lone senior. Junior Jensen Weik and sophomore Megan DeLeasky also made the first-team.

Athens has just two seniors –– Shauna Belter and Grace Johnson –– among its eight first- or second-team players. Belter, junior pitcher Siarra Hart and sophomore Elle Gauerke are unanimous first-team selections. Chequamegon’s two first-team picks are juniors Hailey Minnema and Jasmine Schmidt. Minnema was a unanimous first-team pick.