Five Eagles named all-conference

Sauk Prairie’s girls basketball team landed five players on the all-Badger Small Conference team. Junior forward Mallory Hartwig and senior forward Ava Brings were both named first-team all-conference. Junior guard Brooklyn Kaufman was named honorable-mention all-conference and was also named to the league’s five-person all-defensive team. Sophomore guard Audrey Brickl and senior post Gracyn Meyer were also named honorable-mention all-conference. Hartwig had a tremendous junior season and will be an anchor for the 2025-’26 Eagles. Hartwig led Sauk Prairie in scoring with 13.1 points per game, scored at least 20 points on four occasions and reached double figures in 19 of 25 outings. The 5-foot-11 Hartwig shot 55.3% from the floor and 38.6% from 3-point range. Hartwig led the Eagles in rebounding (5.3) and steals (3.0) and was third on the team in assists (1.9). “Mallory had a fantastic year,” Eagles coach Jacob Breunig said. “She is always the most athletic kid on the court and this year she accepted the role of being a scorer for us.   “She is a good outside shooter, but her ability to get to the rim is vital for our team. Defensively she has a great ability to get steals and deflections and cause havoc on opponents. The sky is limit for Mallory as a basketball player.” The 5-foot-11 Brings was second on the team in scoring (8.6) and reached double figures in 12 outings. Brings shot an impressive 47.6% from the field and had a season-high 17 points at Dodgeville on Nov. 21. Brings was also third on the team in rebounding (4.3), third in steals (1.6) and second in blocked shots (eight). “Ava finished her career very well and she should be proud,” Breunig said. “She has really turned herself into a basketball player. Her footwork in the post always made her hard to guard, and honestly in my 21 years of coaching I have not coached many kids with as good of footwork as her.   “The coaches always knew the player she could be and challenged her a lot in practices and games to be that consistently. Her presence in the paint will be missed next season and we are grateful for all she has brought to the team during her career.” Kaufman averaged a modest 3.1 points per game, but shot 44.2% from the field and led the Eagles in assists (2.8). Kaufman truly shined on the defensive end, though, where she was second on the team in steals (2.3) and earned a spot on the league’s All-Defensive team. “Brooklyn’s role within the team continues to grow,” Breunig said. “She is in my opinion the best on-ball defender in the conference.   “She accepts any challenge and typically does a great job of shutting down the other team’s best player. Offensively she grew as a passer this season, and she is a good shooter if given the chance. We are excited to see her leadership grow within the program next season.” Brickl was third on the team in scoring (7.4), shot 66% from the free throw line and had a team-high 39 3-pointers. Brickl also averaged 1.0 assists and 0.8 steals per contest. “Audrey Brickl really came on this season as a player for us,” Breunig said. “She helped handle the ball and was a very good outside shooter for the team.   “She was one of our zone busters with her ability to make 3-point shots. She has taken big steps in her development as a player, and we are looking forward to seeing what the next couple of years can be for her.” Meyer was sixth on the team in scoring (4.0), but knocked down the second-most 3-pointers on the roster (18). Meyer was also first in blocked shots (15), second in assists (2.0), fourth in steals (1.0) and fourth in rebounding (3.5). “Gracyn grew in her role this year as a player and leader,” Breunig said. “She was a consistent player for us all season long. Her outside shot was able to open up the game for the team and she was our best passer on the court.   “I have really enjoyed my time coaching Gracyn and watching her develop into an all-conference player. I am so happy she was recognized this season as I felt she earned it. We will miss all she brings to the team next season.” Madison Edgewood sophomore Anna Miller was the league’s Player of the Year, while Lora Staveness of Edgewood was named the Coach of the Year. Sauk Prairie went 13-12 overall and tied for third place in the conference with a 9-5 record.All-Badger Small Conference     Girls Basketball           First Team Name School Yr. Anna Miller Edgewood 10  Beanie Thompson Edgewood 10 Erin Schauer Edgewood 12 Maren Schmotzer Edgewood 12 Macey Faust Edgewood 11 Morgan Monroe Mount Horeb 12 Addison Meister Reedsburg 12 Mallory Hartwig Sauk Prairie 11 Ava Brings Sauk Prairie 12 Ella Hamacher Stoughton 12 Elizabeth Stokes Stoughton 12   PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Anna Miller, Edgewood COACH OF THE YEAR:  Lora Staveness, Edgewood         Honorable Mention Name School Yr. Taylor Sperl Baraboo 10 Kadence Funmaker Baraboo 12 Riley Bickelhaupt McFarland 12 Courtney Monroe Mount Horeb 10 Maren Johnson Mount Horeb 10 Hallie Klein Mount Horeb 12 Coco Nieves Cruz Portage 12 Maddy Casey Reedsburg 12 Audrey Brickl Sauk Prairie 10 Brooklyn Kaufman Sauk Prairie 11 Gracyn Meyer Sauk Prairie 12 Gretchen Tangeman Stoughton 12 Gracie Schmidt Stoughton 12           All-Defensive Team Name School Yr. Erin Schauer Edgewood 12 Maren Schmotzer Edgewood 12 Lauren Mester Mount Horeb 9 Brooklyn Kaufman Sauk Prairie 11 Gretchen Tangeman Stoughton 12