Young Raiders look to improve

Team will endure early struggles

By Casey Krautkramer

Marathon’s varsity girls basketball team only returns two starting players in senior guards Ashley Phakitthong and Kali Prihoda, therefore the Red Raiders will certainly endure some early season struggles until the rest of the players gain more varsity playing experience.

Jeff Schneider, longtime Marathon head girls basketball coach, is eager to watch the younger players grow during the course of this season. His assistant coaches are Chuck Baldeshwiler, Hannah Franke, Hayley Cramer and Nicole Myszka.

There is a long list of Marathon players who are new to the varsity squad this year consisting of senior guards Hannah Baldeshwiler and Chloe La-Valley, senior forward Ahlexis Dru Now, junior forward Madison Heise, junior guards Alysha Blenker and Ella Altfillish, sophomore forward Kyla Heise, freshman guard/forward Emma Love and freshman forward Mylee Haehlke.

“The other three seniors filling out our starting lineup right now in Chloe, Hannah and Alexis are doing a nice job of competing at the varsity level,” Coach Schneider said. “What they lack in experience they make up for with effort and their chemistry with Ashley and Kali.”

“Kyla Heise and Emma Love have been the first two contributors off the bench and they have performed very well at times, with both being young players who show eagerness to learn and improve everyday. Junior guards Alysha and Ella have also adjusted to varsity level competition and will provide depth. Junior Madison Heise and freshman Mylee Haehlke will provide a nice post presence.”

Marathon girls basketball last won the Marawood South Conference when it captured four straight conference titles from the 2014-2015 season until the 2017-18 season. Coach Schneider just wants his squad to compete with the top teams in the conference this season.

“Our expectations are to play and practice with as much effort and communication as we can so that we can get a little better everyday,” he said. “I feel this team’s ceiling is at a high level but it will take time and being able to work through struggles, especially early in the season. With continue development, I know we can compete with the extremely talented teams in the Marawood South like Wisconsin Rapids Assumption, Edgar, Stratford and Auburndale.”

Coach Schneider would certainly love to guide his young team to a WIAA Division 4 regional championship this season.

“Absolutely we would like to win a regional championship and I believe we are taking the correct approach to accomplish that,” he said. “We are looking for continued improvement in each players’ attacking and timely passing.”

“Although it is really difficult at times during the process, we are embracing the tough times and and will come out better at the end of the season because we worked through adversity.”