Big year puts Weir on All-ECC team; seniors get 2nd-team spots

ALL-EASTERN CLOVERBELT GIRLS BASKETBALL

While averaging double figures in points and rebounds made Gilman’s 6-1 junior Tatum Weir a relatively easy choice for the 2021-22 All-Eastern Cloverbelt Conference team, the Pirates were at their best when seniors Emma Grunseth and Madisyn James were also clicking alongside Weir.

That happened often enough for Grunseth and James to be named to the All-ECC second team as the Pirates finished third in the nine-team league, posted an 18-9 overall record and made a run to the regional final round of the WIAA Division 5 tournament.

Weir and Grunseth both bumped up a notch from last year with their awards, while James earned her first All-ECC award in basketball.

Weir is one of four new faces on the six-member first team. She earned her spot after averaging 15.5 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.2 blocked shots per game in Gilman’s 27 games this season. Weir had 18 double-doubles with points and rebounds and added two triple-doubles this season when adding blocked shots. One of those came in a 53-15 conference win against Greenwood on Feb. 14 when she had 16 points, 11 rebound and 11 blocks. The other came in nonconference play in a 63-41 win over Rib Lake on Jan. 10 when she collected 17 points, 13 rebounds and 11 blocked shots.

As a major presence in the paint, Weir was able to shoot 52.3% overall from the field (168 for 321) and she was a 60.5% shooter from the free throw line (75 for 124). She also knocked down seven 3-pointers, three of which came in Gilman’s last two post-season games.

Weir joins repeat selections Emma Moseley of Neillsville and Heavyn Kind of Spencer, both seniors, on the first team. The rest of the newcomers to the squad are Neillsville junior Amelia Trunkel and sophomore Paris Opelt and Columbus Catholic junior Jenna Kibbel.

Weir’s highlights in conference play included 22 points, 17 rebounds, four blocks and three steals in a 49-26 win at Owen-Withee on Feb. 3; 21 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks in the first meeting with Owen-Withee on Dec. 21; 13 points, 14 rebounds and nine blocks in a 52-31 win over Colby on Dec. 7; 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks while making nine of 13 shots in a 64-40 win at Greenwood at Jan. 11; 18 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks in a 50-40 win at Loyal on Jan. 14 and 23 points, 10 boards and six blocks in a 43-29 win over Loyal on Nov. 23, just to name a few.

Player of the Year: Emma Moseley, Neillsville Weir had 14 points, 20 rebounds and seven blocks in Gilman’s 58-40 WIAA Division 5 regional win over Rib Lake on Feb. 23.

Grunseth wasn’t all that far behind Weir in rebounding as Gilman held a signifi cant edge in that statistical category over most of its opponents this season. She averaged 9.1 boards per game as well as 8.6 points and recorded eight doubledoubles, six of which came in conference play. She came up one point or rebound short of earning three more. Grunseth also averaged 2.2 assists per game.

Her best conference outings included 14 points, 13 rebounds, four steals and three assists in the Nov. 23 win over Loyal; 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals in a 57-55 loss at Columbus Catholic on Dec. 16; 10 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and two-of-three shooting from 3-point range in the Jan. 11 win at Greenwood; 15 points and 10 rebounds in the Dec. 7 win over Colby and 12 points and 11 rebounds in the final win over Greenwood on Feb. 14.

After a 1-4 start to the year, head coach Tammy Weir’s club took off when James found her stroke from the outside and also took her passing up a notch. She was, by far, Gilman’s top outside threat with 65 made 3-pointers in 228 attempts and averaged 3.0 assists per game, just under team leader Aubrey Syryczuk (3.12). James also average 1.9 steals per game. She averaged 9.4 points.

James’ streak of scoring in double figures in eight of 10 games coincided with Gilman’s turnaround run in midseason and started with an 18-point game against Owen-Withee on Dec. 21. That victory started an eight-game winning steak. She had 20 points and hit five of 10 3-point tries in the Jan. 11 win at Greenwood. James hit four of nine 3s, scored 14 points and added five rebounds, four assists and three steals in the Jan. 14 win at Loyal. She nailed six of 12 triples and had 18 points, six assists and three rebounds in a 69-43 win at Colby on Jan. 25.

She had a huge 21-point night in the playoff win over Rib Lake, draining seven of 10 3-point shots and she had 19 points, six assists, four rebounds, four steals and a blocked shot in a 58-30 non-conference win at Cornell on Jan. 6. She hit four of 10 long-range shots in that game.

Gilman finished 11-5 in league play, equaling the team’s mark of two years ago. Those two seasons are Gilman’s best since joining the Eastern side of the conference in the 2010-11 school year. Gilman beat Rib Lake and Thorp in regional play before losing 65-41 at second-seeded Prairie Farm in a Feb. 26 regional final.

Moseley was named the conference’s Player of the Year. Neillsville went 14-0 to win the conference by two games over 14-2 Spencer. Neillsville was the league’s only sectional qualifier, is 26-2 overall and is in Green Bay this weekend playing in the WIAA Division 4 state tournament.

All-ECC boys team

The 2021-22 All-Eastern Cloverbelt Conference boys teams also were refi leased at the end of February and do not include any members of the Gilman Pirates, who finished in eighth place in the league at 0-14 and were 0-23 overall.

The first team only includes one returning member, junior Andrew Brown of conference runner-up Neillsville. Senior Richard Streveler of Colby moved up from the second team and was named the conference’s 2021-22 Player of the Year. Conference champion Columbus Catholic put senior Sam Wilczek and sophomore Emmitt Konieczny on the first team. Neillsville senior Mason Roenz and Owen-Withee junior Logan Amacher rounded out the team.

Columbus Catholic had six players earn some kind of mention after going 13-1 in league play to get by 12-2 Neillsville. The Dons swept Neillsville in the regular season to overcome a loss to Colby and win the title. They also are the conference’s only team to advance to the sectional round of the WIAA post-season tournament.

Emma Grunseth Second Team

Madisyn James Second Team