Sauk Prairie’s best of 2024

It was another stellar year for Sauk Prairie’s boys and girls sports teams, which created many highlights and lifetime memories during the 2024 calendar year. The Eagles were competitive in the new Badger South Conference with girls soccer and volleyball securing hard-fought conference titles. But the Eagles soared to greatness in the postseason, participating in five state tournaments – boys and girls swimming in the team competition, as well as gymnastics, girls wrestling and girls track and field individually. The Star News picked the top-12 stories of the year — one for each month.  Following is a look at the top six Sauk Prairie sports stories of the year. No. 7 through 12 were published last week.    1) Divers power Sauk Prairie at state As the adage goes, ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way.’ That was a fitting motto to describe Sauk Prairie’s girls swimming and diving team this season. For the first time in more than four decades, the Eagles fielded a diving team.  So, when Sauk Prairie competed at the WIAA Division 2 state swimming and diving meet at the Waukesha South Natatorium on Nov. 15, the Eagles participated in the diving competition as well as the swimming competition.  Seniors Claire Hartman and McKenna Breunig both qualified for the state diving meet, finishing second and third, respectively, at the McFarland Sectional. They were seeded 14th and 15th, respectively, at state where all 16 competitors score points for their places. Hartman finished eighth at the state diving meet with 340.30 points, while Breunig was 15th (280.25). “Claire broke both school diving records (6-dive and 11-dive) this season that were set in the 1980s,” Sauk Prairie coach Todd Wuerger said. “I wish she had discovered diving sooner. “McKenna’s a gifted all-around athlete that shared her time between diving and soccer. She taught me the term, ‘going for the dub (the win).’ ” Putting a diving program together this year was quite the journey, Wuerger said.  “There was some interest back in March about starting a diving team, but we faced a dilemma,” he said. “We didn’t have a budget. We didn’t have a coach. So how were we going to coach five girls who really wanted to dive?” Well, eight months later, Sauk Prairie made it work with the assistance of Middleton diving coach Cyndie Zocher.  Sauk Prairie seniors Breunig, Hartman, Addisyn Ranzenberger and Lauren Uselman, along with freshman Kylee Ballweg and Madison Edgewood sophomore Olivia Walker traveled to Middleton twice a week to practice with the Cardinals’ divers. “When Cyndie was contacted, she agreed quickly that she would love to work with our divers,” Wuerger said. “She gave us a reasonable rate per diver and the parents said they would fund it.” Wuerger said the rebirth of the diving program was possible due to Sauk Prairie’s new pool. “The diving program ended when the WIAA put in a rule that if your pool wasn’t 12 feet deep, you couldn’t host diving and you had to remove your boards,” Wuerger said. “The Sauk Prairie pool was built back in the 1960s and was 11 feet deep, so in the late 80s or early 90s the diving stopped. But our new pool is 12 ½ feet deep, so now we can have diving, and we have two boards.” The swimmers shined at state, as well. Senior Kaylee Oleson made the podium after finishing sixth in both the 100-yard freestyle (54.07) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:07.82). “We weren’t sure if she could keep swimming after finding out she had a fractured vertebrae in her back going into her sophomore year,” Wuerger said. “Breaststroke was her worst event, yet she got better at it and broke the school record in the 100 breaststroke her junior and senior year.” Freshman Alyssa Himebauch was 14th in the 50-yard freestyle (25.51) and 15th in the 100-yard freestyle (56.52). “She qualified for four events at state, which is very difficult to do as a freshman,” Wuerger said. “She, along with Natalie Klein, will be the two returning members of next year’s team with state meet experience.” Sauk Prairie’s 200-yard freestyle relay team of Oleson, senior Kate Himebauch, senior Ava Flanagan and Alyssa Himebauch was ninth (1:43.06).  “Kate tore her ACL playing soccer in the spring of 2024 and didn’t think she would be able to compete this year,” Wuerger said. “Yet she pushed her recovery and competed in the 200 freestyle relay with her sister, Alyssa. “This was Ava’s third year in a row qualifying for state. She earned the “Coaches’ Award” for going above and beyond expectations in the pool and the weight room.” And the Eagles’ 400-yard freestyle relay team of Alyssa Himebauch, freshman Natalie Klein, Flanagan and Oleson was 11th (3:47.98). For Klein, it was a terrific ending to an outstanding first year in the program. “It’s hard to qualify for state as a freshman,” Wuerger said of Klein. “Despite missing a lot of the season due to illness and injury, she found a way to finish the season strong.  We’re looking forward to having Natalie full-time next year.”   2) Twins enjoy a stellar HTL season It was a perfect setting for a championship amateur baseball game at Charles Stampfl Field at Community Park in Verona. With the smell of brats and burgers wafting through the air and a capacity crowd eagerly anticipating a stellar matchup of the Northern and Western section champions of the Home Talent League, it was the classic winner-take-all scenario to wrap up the postseason round-robin series. But for the third year in a row, it was business as usual for host Verona. The visiting Sauk Prairie Twins had hopes of ending the two-time defending Home Talent League champion Cavaliers’ dominance in Sunday League play. However, James Rae broke up a tie game with an RBI-triple in the bottom of the seventh inning to ignite a three-run rally that lifted Verona to a 5-2 victory over Sauk Prairie in the championship game of the Home Talent League. It was a disappointing finish for Northern Section champion Sauk Prairie (16-2), which had its 12-game winning streak in Sunday League play snapped by the Cavaliers. But player/manager Lucas Koenig said it was another fantastic season for the Twins. “I know championships are special. But it’s the relationships, the legacy that we have created here that is special, the camaraderie, the sportsmanship, the enthusiasm, that’s what it’s all about,” said Koenig, who contributed an RBI single for the Twins. “We have 20 guys who are here all the time. From 18-year-olds to 41-year-olds, it’s playing the game you love and supporting each other that is something really, special that we have here.”  Sauk Prairie first baseman Mike Jordahl, who played for the Cavaliers on their 2018 and 2019 back-to-back HTL championship squads, said the Twins left it all out on the field. “All year long, we weren’t going to blow anyone out,” Jordahl said. “It was always going to be tight games, and it was all about preaching defense. Our defense clearly kept us in all those games.” That was especially true against Verona (17-1) led by the scintillating play of Twins’ shortstop Alex Mayer, whose RBI single in the first inning had given Sauk Prairie an early 1-0 lead. “He was phenomenal,” Sam Koenig said of Mayer, who finished with four assists and a putout, that included a run-saving double play. “He came to play and made some huge plays for us. He honestly kept us in the game.” It was Sauk Prairie’s first appearance in the HTL Final Four championship game since 2019, when the Cavaliers also defeated the Twins. Verona had threatened to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Mayer made a stellar defensive play. With baserunners at first and second and no outs, Rae hit a smash up the middle that seemed destined for an RBI single. But Mayer made a diving stop behind second base, got the force play at second and gunned a throw to Jordahl at first for the double play. “When Alex Mayer is just truly playing for the love of the game, he’s so much fun to play with, that enthusiasm and joy that he plays with,” Lucas Koenig said. Sam Koenig then retired Largent on a popup to strand the potential lead run at third base. However, Verona snapped a 2-2 tie when it strung together three hits and a walk off Sam Koenig in the bottom of the seventh inning to take control. Afterwards, Verona manager Justin Scanlon said he had a lot of respect for the Twins. “They’re a class act,” Scanlon said. “They made a couple of great defensive plays. That shortstop Mayer, that was one of the best plays I’ve seen, diving up the middle and getting a double play to really take us out of a big inning that could have gone sideways in a hurry. “We like to play competitive baseball, and that was a competitive baseball game from the first pitch to the last pitch.”   3) Gymnastics team reaches new heights Sauk Prairie’s girls gymnastics team had one of the finest seasons in school history. The Eagles had a tremendous day at the conference meet, finishing second to five-time defending league champion Mount Horeb with 136.225 points. That was Sauk Prairie’s highest finish in school history and set a new school record for points. The Eagles also set a new school record on the bars (34.550). “It was a confidence boost that they needed and deserved heading into an incredibly tough sectional,” Eagles coach Justine Anderson said.  The Eagles were justly rewarded with several postseason awards. Topping the list was Anderson being named the Badger Conference’s Coach of the Year.  Sauk Prairie junior McKenna Breunig was one of three gymnasts named the Badger Conference Athlete of the Year. Breunig shared that honor with Mount Horeb’s Athena Ouradnik and Mya Tweedy of Monona Grove. Breunig was named second-team all-conference on the balance beam and the uneven bars, and honorable-mention all-league in the all-around competition. Senior Sara Nehring was named honorable-mention all-conference in the all-around competition and on the uneven bars. The average of the five-highest scores from the season were used to determine all-conference honors. “What a cool way to wrap up the season,” Anderson said. Breunig was third at the conference meet in the all-around competition with a sensational score of 35.30. She was second on the bars (9.150) and seventh on the beam (9.0). Nehring was sixth at the conference meet in the all-around (34.4250) and sixth on the uneven bars (8.70). Nehring later qualified for the state tournament on the vault, making her the first Sauk Prairie gymnast to reach state in multiple seasons. She also became the Eagles’ all-time leader in varsity points.  In addition, Nehring set the school record on vault this year at sectionals (8.95) and tied the floor record of 9.20 set in 2022. Junior Claire Hartman was ninth in the all-around (33.8750) and tied for sixth on the bars with Nehring (8.70). “Bars was where they really took off,” Anderson said of her team. “Every varsity girl hit their routine and every single girl received a PR or just under it.”  Nehring was fourth on the vault (8.60), while Hartman was 10th (8.3250). Hartman was second on the floor with a 9.150, while Breunig was sixth (9.10), Nehring was ninth (8.9250). “We closed out the meet with big scores from all five (floor) competitors, earning both McKenna and Claire spots on the podium,” Anderson said. Nehring earned a trip to the WIAA Division 2 state meet after shining at the Mount Horeb Sectional where she recorded an 8.950 on the vault (fourth place) and an 8.575 on the uneven bars (fifth). Although Nehring had a tough day at state with an 8.133 on the bars (24th place) and a 7.933 on the vault (25th), she finished her career with some big shoes to fill for next year. “She had an extremely consistent and confident season and has grown so much as a person this year,” Anderson said of Nehring. “She let me push her, trusted my judgement — even when she didn’t agree — and allowed me to help her grow.” Coming off a school-record score while taking second at conference the week before, Sauk Prairie couldn’t quite match that but did turn in a more-than-respectable 134.950 -- good enough for fourth place at the Mount Horeb Sectional meet. Elkhorn won the sectional with a 140.600 team score, while Mount Horeb was second (137.900) and Monona Grove took third (135.350). “It’s crazy to think that almost a 135 isn’t sending us to state, because at a lot of other sectionals it does,” Anderson said. “Last place today got a 118, and I used to dream of getting a 118. We couldn’t even break a 110 for a few years, or we’d be in the 1-teens for a lot of years. So it is cool to look at it from the perspective that, ‘OK, we didn’t go to state and we got a 135, what the heck? But also, we’ve grown 20 points in 10 years.’ So that is pretty cool.”   4) Viola earns trip to state track and field meet The field was deep and remarkably gifted. And Sauk Prairie track and field standout MariElla Viola showed she belonged. Now, after an impressive showing at the 2024 WIAA Division 1 state track and field meet at Veterans Stadium in La Crosse, Viola should be poised for even bigger and better things in 2025. Viola, a junior, finished in 16th place in the preliminaries of the 200-meter dash. Only the top 10 runners advanced to the finals. Viola’s time of 25.96 seconds was just 0.40 seconds behind 10th place Alayna West of Madison La Follette, who earned the last spot in the finals. Still, simply reaching the state meet was a tremendous accomplishment for Viola, who was the lone Sauk Prairie runner at state last weekend. “Any opportunity to compete at state is a huge accomplishment,” Eagles coach Andy Sherman said. “For MariElla to do this in her second individual event, and not necessarily her favorite, speaks volumes to the talent she has. The sprint groups in high school are very deep and talented, especially in our regional and sectional. For MariElla to get there was great.” Viola emerged from a terrific sectional, where she finished third in the 200 and earned the final state qualifying berth in that event.  She was also fourth at sectionals in the 100-meter dash, and fourth with the Eagles’ 800-meter relay team, meaning she missed qualifying in those events by just one spot. Viola said she didn’t want the Eagles to get shut out. “I thought to myself, ‘Hey, tonight sucked,’ ” she said. “We didn’t have a lot of people go to state, but I want to make the most of this. I got fired up, I saw that I had a chance, I kicked it, and it worked.” Indeed it did. Viola, seeded fourth in the 200, ended up taking third, crossing the finish line in 25.78 seconds to punch her ticket to the state meet. “I was just focusing on, ‘OK, I’ve got to get my start, I’ve got to stay low and I’ve got to accelerate,’ ” Viola said. “That’s all I thought about. I blocked everything else out around me, and I think that’s what got me third.” Viola came in right behind Verona’s Nicole Repka (25.60 seconds) and champion Lydia Lazarescu of Holmen (:25.32) but was almost half-second clear of fourth place. Waiting for her at the finish line was Sherman, who gave her a big hug. “When she got on the straightaway and I knew she was in third, nobody was going to catch her on that one,” Sherman said. “The hug was just reminding her how proud of her I am and that I’m so thankful we’re not done yet.” Carrying the torch for Sauk Prairie isn’t lost on Viola, either. “It means so much,” Viola said. “We have an amazing program. We just happen to not necessarily always have the numbers in every event. “So, knowing that I’m going, I feel like I’m representing my whole team and my community.” Viola’s fourth-place time in the 100 (:12.54) was just less than two-tenths of a second behind the third-place time of :12.36 turned in by Onalaska’s Jenna Richgels. In the 800 relay, which she ran along with teammates Ayla Sorg, Ella Weigel and Lexi Been, the Eagles weren’t quite as close, taking fourth (1:46.02) and finishing almost a second behind Middleton (1:45.19). But Viola made sure Sauk Prairie was represented in La Crosse by digging in and getting the job done in the 200. Sherman said he can’t wait to see what Viola can accomplish next spring. “This definitely sets her up for success next year,” Sherman said. “I think she now knows what it will take to truly make greatness a realistic goal and we will work very hard to get her back there and hopefully on the podium (top six finish).”   5) Football team reaches the playoffs It was a Senior Night gift, and an early Christmas present all wrapped into one when defensive back Trent Backeberg picked off his third pass of the season. Backeberg sprinted down the sideline and into the end zone to cap a 55-yard touchdown return and help spark host Sauk Prairie to a hard-fought 21-9 victory over Madison Edgewood in a Badger Small Conference game. The victory secured Sauk Prairie’s first playoff berth since 2019. “We were in zone, and I looked at the quarterback (Gannon Bagstad) and then around to see who was in my zone,” Backeberg said. “I saw the receiver doing a slant, and the quarterback’s eyes were pinned on him. So, I just jumped (the route). “Then I was thinking, ‘oh my gosh, this is happening’, and then ‘don’t get caught.’ That was the big thing,” Backeberg’s stellar defensive play with 2 minutes, 27 seconds left in the third quarter provided just the boost the Eagles needed to achieve one of their preseason goals. “That was huge,” Sauk Prairie coach Randy Wallace said of the pick six, the Eagles’ second interception return for a touchdown in two weeks. “That was something -- since we moved him to defensive back his junior year -- that he’s been craving. “Trent’s had a pick or two here or there, but he’s been craving that. To see him that one and get out in the open was awesome. It was very rewarding. “These kids came in with a goal this year. We didn’t hit all our goals, but the biggest one was to take that next step and play an extra game. These kids have stayed resilient. They’ve done a great job this year overcoming everything that’s come at them. We’ve been through a lot this year. We’re excited to be here.”  Seventh-seeded Sauk Prairie traveled to second-seeded Mount Horeb/Barneveld for a WIAA Division 3 opening round playoff game. But the Eagles’ season ended when MH-B rolled to a 36-6 win. However, defensive back Wyatt Gibbs said Sauk Prairie, which finished the season with a 5-5 record, including 4-3 in the Badger Small Conference, had made huge strides. “I’m so proud of all our seniors. We’ve come a long way,” he said. “When we were freshmen, the sophomores helped us come a long way and built a culture for us. We’ve been following it ever since and continuing to build on it throughout high school.” Following a disappointing 34-17 loss at Portage on Oct. 4, Sauk Prairie needed back-to-back wins over Stoughton and Edgewood to guarantee a berth in postseason play. Wallace was pleased with his team’s collective response. “We got bullied around against Portage a little bit,” he said. “But since that game, our guys started stepping up to the call and really buying into everything we’ve been trying to promote and what we want to get done so we can take the next step.” Backeberg agreed that the Eagles responded with two of their better performances of the season. “It’s amazing. It was a double whammy of good things,” Backeberg said of Sauk Prairie earning a playoff berth on Senior Night. “It is unbelievable that it happened. It hasn’t set in. It was our last home game, and we just kicked butt.” For the fourth time in five home games, Sauk Prairie didn’t allow an offensive touchdown. The Eagles allowed just 39 points on their home turf. Defensive end Mason Betley said the Eagles couldn’t have played much better in the final home game for the 15-member senior class. “It’s been a life-long dream. Ever since youth football, we’ve been saying the dynasty’s about to arrive,” he said. “This year, our motto was, ‘our future is now’. The dynasty is here. We’ve finally made the playoffs. “It’s crazy to think how far we have come in four years to now. The best is yet to come.”   6) Girls soccer team maintains elite status There is always a great debate, which conference is the strongest in each high school sport. When it comes to girl’ soccer, though, there is no disputing that the Badger Small Conference is in the discussion as the state’s premier league. Entering the 2024 season, Sauk Prairie had been to three straight WIAA Division 2 state tournaments. McFarland – which eventually advanced to the state tournament – along with Edgewood and Mount Horeb were all ranked in Division 3 in the final Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association poll. So, when the Eagles defeated Mount Horeb, 4-0, on May 23 to capture the league title, there was tremendous reason for celebration, merriment and revelry. “To come out on top of this conference speaks volumes to these girls and the work they have put in all season,” Eagles coach Drew Kornish said. “It is great recognition for a team that worked hard to deserve it.” Sauk Prairie finished the conference season with a 6-0-1 mark, edging runner-up McFarland (6-1-0). Edgewood (4-2-1) and Mount Horeb (3-2-2) rounded out the top half of this loaded league. Sauk Prairie struck for a goal in the 16th minute when junior midfielder Marin Alisch scored off an assist from freshman forward Kenzi Kliest. The Eagles had opportunities the rest of the half, but couldn’t finish and led, 1-0, at the break. Sauk Prairie pushed its lead to 2-0 in the 54th minute with a finish by junior midfielder McKenna Breunig on an assist from senior midfielder McKayla Paukner. Senior forward Alexis Atkinson made it 3-0 in the 57th minute when she poked home a free kick that was played in by Paukner.  Freshman midfielder Audrey Brickl then had an unassisted goal in the 64th minute.  Unfortunately, the Eagles’ streak of consecutive state tournament berths ended with a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Oregon in a WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal. Oregon, which moves up to Division 1 in 2025, claimed its fourth state championship with a 1-0 victory over Whitefish Bay in the Division 2 state championship game. The Eagles have also become a state power in recent years. And Sauk Prairie displayed just that during regional play. The Eagles begin their postseason journey with an 11-0 dismantling of 13th-seeded Portage/Poynette in a regional semifinal on May 28. Host Sauk Prairie got goals from 10 different players and posted its largest win of the year in terms of margin of victory. The Eagles got goals from senior midfielder Ellery Apel, McKenna Breunig, Paukner, Kliest, junior defender Cora Brickl, Alisch, freshman midfielder Audrey Brickl, senior Erelyn Apel, sophomore forward Leah Allen and freshman defender Savannah Liegel. Sauk Prairie also scored on an “own goal.” Paukner added two assists, while Ellery Apel, Erelyn Apel and Alisch all had assists, as well. “This game was a great chance to continue our run of positive play,” Kornish said. The host Eagles then edged fifth-seeded DeForest in a thriller to claim the regional championship. Paukner had the game’s lone goal when she picked up a ball in the middle and finished from the top of the 18 in the 60th minute. The Eagles depth during the season was displayed when Sauk Prairie placed seven players on the All-Badger Small Conference team led by senior goalie and League Player of the Year Erelyn Apel.  Joining Erelyn Apel on the first team was Paukner, a unanimous selection, and junior defender Greta Shadewald. The Eagles placed two players on the second team in senior midfielder Ellery Apel and senior defender Ava Andres. Atkinson and Breunig received honorable mention honors. Kornish was also honored as the Badger Small Conference Coach of the Year.