Wokatsch nets her 1,000th point

She obtains exact amount she needed

By Casey Krautkramer

Allison Wokatsch, a four-year varsity starting guard on Marathon’s girls basketball team, scored the exact 15 points she needed on Dec. 20 against Colby to obtain 1,000 career points.

The home fans cheered loudly for Wokatsch after she became just the fourth girls basketball player in Marathon High School history to reach the 1,000-career points milestone, and the first player to do so since her varsity assistant coach Nicole (Reisner) Myszka accomplished the feat in 1998. Sisters MaryAnn (Witberler) Hegemann and Joanie Witberler were the first two players to score 1,000 points in Marathon girls basketball history.

Allison, the daughter of Jim and Sue Wokatsch, was humble about her great career accomplishment, because she cares more about her team’s success than her individual accomplishments. Marathon’s girls basketball team easily beat Colby, 59-19, even though Allison exited the game when she achieved her 1,000th career point midway through the second half. She led the Red Raiders with 15 points and four steals.

“It’s an honor and it’s special but it wasn’t really something I was focusing on accomplishing,” she said.

Head coach Jeff Schneider, now in his 16th year in Marathon, said Allison is a hard worker who is always asking him if she can shoot baskets in the mornings before school. She is the first player he’s coached to score 1,000 career points. Bill Knetter coached the other three girls who reached the career points milestone in Marathon girls basketball history.

“Allison has put in countless hours of time and shots since she was really young,” Schneider said. “It’s so fun coaching her because she really loves the game. She is a really humble player who never really talked about scoring 1,000 career points. She always wants it to be about the team rather than herself, because she wants our team to do as well as it can and compete for the conference championship.”

After graduating high school this spring, Allison plans study human health and performances and play basketball at UW-Platteville.

Raiders fall to Chargers

Allison Wokatsch led Marathon with 14 points and three assists in a 39-33 non-conference home loss to Wittenberg- Birnamwood on Tuesday.

Wokatsch was honored during Tuesday’s game for the 1,000 career points she achieved against Colby on Dec. 20 at home. She now has 1,014 career points.

Marathon now has a 5-3 overall record this season and is in second place behind Auburndale in the Marawood South Conference standings heading into the second half of the season. The Red Raiders maintain a 3-1 South record while the Eagles remain unbeaten in conference play.

The Red Raiders jumped out to a 2415 halftime lead against the Chargers on Tuesday, but they were outscored, 24-9, in the second half. Junior Kali Prihoda added 11 points.

Senior Laci Hoeksema paced the team with nine rebounds and senior Kayla Radtke contributed seven. Kali Prihoda, Radtke and Hoeksema led the Red Raiders with two steals apiece.

Marathon plays a tough South game at Wisconsin Rapids Assumption, 7-2, this Tuesday, Jan. 4.

Marathon beats Newman

The Marathon Red Raiders downed the Wausau Newman Cardinals, 53-33, on Dec. 16 at home.

Allison Wokatsch led Marathon with 15 points. Senior Jada Prihoda paced the squad with 12 rebounds and sophomore Ava Krueger added 11. Radtke and Krueger had three steals each.

MEMORABLE GAME FOR WOKATSCH- Red Raiders senior Allison Wokatsch boxes out a Colby player on her teammate’s free-throw attempt during the team’s 59-19 home victory against the Hornets.PHOTO BY PAM WARREN