Girls basketball teams support CMN
By Casey Krautkramer
Marathon senior girls basketball player Madisyn Lang and Prentice girls basketball alum Je’ann Johnson will always remember how Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals at Marshfield Children’s Hospital assisted them while they were battling to overcome leukemia. Now it’s their turn to pay it forward.
Lang and Johnson played varsity girls basketball against each other two years ago when Lang was a sophomore and Johnson was a senior. On Friday Johnson watched the Prentice girls basketball team, coached by her father, Chris Johnson, fall to Lang’s Marathon squad 4426, at Marathon High School. The Red Raiders won their second straight game to improve their record to 5-9 overall this season.
More important than Friday’s game itself was the ceremony afterward. Lang’s Marathon girls basketball teammate, junior Katie Oliver, presented her with a bouquet of flowers from Lang’s good friend, Morgan Rachu, in front of the scorer’s table. Lang has always looked up to Rachu, who was her neighbor while growing up in rural Marathon. Rachu is in New York working as director of operations for the Iona University women’s basketball team.
Lang’s Marathon girls basketball teammates, senior Madison Heise and junior Danica Paszek, gave speeches about how Children’s Miracle Network helps children dealing with trauma in the hospital. Players from both Prentice and Marathon wore warm up t-shirts that read on their backs, “For us, it’s a game. For them, it’s a battle.” Lang gave Je’ann Johnson a huge hug.
Marathon and Prentice high schools along with Arrow Tap tavern in Marathon and Legacy Tavern in Spirit Falls joined forces to collect gift cards and cash donations for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Marshfield Children’s Hospital. Arrow Tap won the donation contest and bragging rights. There were also donation boxes at each ticket table at Friday’s girls basketball game in Marathon to collect gift cards and money. A total of over $5,100 was raised in t-shirt sales, gift cards and cash.
Madisyn’s mother, LeAnn Lang, is grateful for the Marathon community’s support.
“The community support through Maddy’s journey is something we won’t forget,” she said. “We always want to be able to give back to organizations that helped Maddy. Children’s Miracle Network is an organization where we know everything stays 100 percent local. We cannot thank the community enough for their support and always being so generous to help out. Some local referees also donated their checks from their games to the cause. We are blessed to be a part of this amazing community.”
Marathon girls basketball head coach Jeff Schneider said Friday was a great night in many ways.
“It was a special night that goes beyond basketball honoring the courage of Madisyn Lang in her defeating childhood cancer, and also raising over $5,100 for the Children’s Miracle Network at Marshfield Children’s Hospital. We are so blessed to have communities like Marathon and Prentice be so generous to this great cause. As a coach, I could not be more proud of our team for their hard work. Also, our girls’ hard work on the defensive end during the game was outstanding. We held their top scorer to single-digit points and made it difficult for her all night. The kids are starting to space well and move the ball to give us opportunities to make scor-ing plays.”
Marathon’s girls basketball team scored 22 points off Prentice’s 26 turnovers. The Red Raiders also scored 36 points in the paint against the Buccaneers. Sophomore Myles Haehlke led Marathon with 12 points. Sophomore Emma Love added eight points and she led the team with 10 rebounds and three assists. Nine of Love’s rebounds were on defense. Junior Cayden Sapinski paced the squad with two assists. Lang missed both of her shots while playing five minutes on the court.
Marathon boys still undefeated
The Red Raiders varsity boys basketball team wore the same grey t-shirts to support Madisyn Lang and Je’ann Johnson while warming up to play in the nightcap of the home double header against the Buccaneers. The Marathon boys easily beat Prentice, 70-25.
Senior Andrew Glennon led the Red Raiders with 16 points. Senior Grant Warren added 11 points and he paced the team with 13 rebounds and five assists. Senior Tyler Underwood contributed 10 points and he led the squad with three steals. Junior Wilson Marks made all four of his free throws in the team’s win against Prentice.
On Tuesday night, the Marathon varsity boys basketball team upended Auburndale, 60-39, in a road contest matchup between the two unbeaten teams in the Marawood South Conference.
The Red Raiders jumped out to a 34-23 halftime lead and they never looked back. Marathon outscored Auburndale, 26-16, in a defensive second half.
Warren led Marathon with 16 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Underwood added 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Marathon remains undefeated in the Marawood South Conference with a 7-0 record. The Red Raiders have a 12-0 overall record this season.
LANG RECEIVES FLOWERS FROM A FRIEND - Madisyn Lang’s Marathon varsity girls basketball teammate, Kate Cliver, hands her a bouquet of flowers from Lang’s good friend, Morgan Rachu, during the cermony after Friday night’s Marathon game against Prentice. Madisyn’s parents, Rod and LeAnn Lang, are shown to her left. Je’Ann Johnson and her father, Prentice varsity girls basketball head coach Chris Johnson, are pictured in the background.
STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVORS- Marathon senior girls basketball guard Madisyn Lang, right, and Prentice girls basketball alum Je’ann Johnson, embrace each other during a ceremony after the Red Raiders’ 44-26 home win against the Buccaneers.
STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
