Luther sophomore Natalie Hackbarth is the leading scorer for the Knights, who is the number two seed in subsectional 3A
DIVISION 4 | BRACKET
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(Times, dates, & locations subject to change; records & information as of 2/19)
SECTIONAL 1
Top Seeds
#1 Colfax (20-4, #2 in subsectional in Bound Power Index, #8 Bound WI/Zaleski Media Poll)
#2 Cameron (20-4, #1 in Bound Power Index, UR)
#1 Regis (21-2, #1 in Bound Power Index, #2 in Bound WI/Zaleski Media Poll)
#2 Neillsville (22-1, #2 in Bound Power Index, #1 in Bound WI/Zaleski Media Poll)
Top Scorers
EllaMay Cooper, Jr., Regis: 24.6 PPG
Athena Lehmann, Jr., Shell Lake: 19.0 PPG
Madi Davel, Jr., Neillsville: 18.0 PPG
Jordyn Bowe, Sr., Colfax: 17.7 PPG
Autumn Davis, Sr., Spencer: 17.5 PPG
Top Rebounders
Quinn Schenkenberg, So., Shell Lake: 13.1 RPG
Athena Lehmann, Jr., Shell Lake: 10.6 RPG
Evelyn Borcherding, Fr., Regis: 10.1 RPG
Daelyn Rieck, Sr., Colby: 9.6 RPG
Anna Baribeau, Sr., Cameron: 8.9 RPG
Favorites
The upper part of Sectional 1 has five teams with at least 17 wins, but Cameron and Colfax have separated themselves a bit from the field. Both are 20-4 this year, with Cameron sharing the league title in the Heart O’North Conference, while Colfax went undefeated in Dunn-St. Croix Conference play. The Vikings of Colfax have a veteran group under longtime head coach Joe Doucette, as Jordyn Bowe leads the team at 17.7 points per game. Cameron has four players in double figures - a freshman and three juniors.
The lower part of the sectional has three really high level squads, including the top-ranked team in the latest Bound Wisconsin/Zaleski Sports Media Poll, Neillsville, and second-ranked Regis. In the WIAA subsectional seeding, Regis actually is the number one team, while Neillsville is second. Oddly enough, the teams play on Saturday in the Cloverbelt Crossover event, which will be their second meeting of the season after Regis handed the Warriors their only loss of the season in December.
Upset Alert
Ladysmith won 17 games but in a very strong grouping, the Lumberjills got just a five-seed in the postseason. They shouldn’t have trouble with 12th-seeded Ashland in round one, but top-seeded Cameron would be awaiting in the next game. Ladysmith lost to the Comets twice, but in eight-point competitive games both times.
Top Potential Match-Ups
Please note the emphasis on potential.
Colfax vs. Cameron, Sectional Semifinal: These teams have very similar resumes, each finishing 20-4 overall this year and winning conference championships. Both fell at the sectional semifinal level last season.
Regis vs. Neillsville, Sectional Semifinal: These teams won their respective divisions of the Cloverbelt Conference, and meet in the Cloverbelt Crossover on Saturday, having already played a non-league game back in December, when Regis won 61-48 to give Neillsville its only loss of the year.
Regis vs. McDonell Central, Sectional Semifinal: If Regis advances, if they don’t play Neillsville, it would likely be McDonell Central at this level, setting the stage for the third meeting between the teams. McDonell Central won by 15 the first time around, while Regis claimed a 17-point win just two weeks ago. Regis assistant Don Cooper led McDonell to a state title in 2023 as part of four consecutive state tournament appearances, and junior Regis standout EllaMay Cooper started her career at McDonell Central before transferring to Regis last season.
My Sectional Pick: Regis
SECTIONAL 2
The Seeds
#1 Saint Mary Catholic (21-3, #1 in subsectional in Bound Power Index, #4 Bound WI/Zaleski Media Poll)
#2 Marathon (22-2, #2 in Bound Power Index, #10 Bound WI/Zaleski Media Poll)
#1 Manitowoc Lutheran (21-2, #1 in Bound Power Index, UR)
#2 Crivitz (21-2, #4 in Bound Power Index, UR)
Top Scorers
Ava Koch, Sr., Omro: 24.0 PPG
Jade Kroll, Sr., Kewaunee: 23.0 PPG
Kiya Brand, Jr., Crivitz: 22.9 PPG
Autumn Crowe, Jr., Saint Mary Catholic: 22.4 PPG
Kensington Rosenow, Sr., Mishicot: 19.6 PPG
Top Rebounders
Marli Meyers, So., Crivitz: 9.7 RPG
McKenna Ferg, Sr., Weyauwega-Fremont: 9.7 RPG
Emma Love, Sr., Marathon: 9.5 RPG
Megan Hochkammer, Sr., Valders: 9.0 RPG
Lauren Loucks, So., Algoma: 8.8 RPG
Favorites
Saint Mary Catholic leads a strong upper bracket in Sectional 2, which features three, 20-win teams and six with at least 16 victories. The Zephyrs are 21-3 overall and have a schedule with a bit more strength to it than some of those other squads. Champions of the Big East-North, SMC has one of the top scorers in the division in junior Autumn Crowe, who averages 22.4 points per game to go with 8.7 rebounds and 5.6 steals.
The lower part of the bracket has a number of successful teams, with eight that are above .500. However, it’s another Big East-North team that is the top seed and favorite. Manitowoc Lutheran dropped a couple close games to Saint Mary Catholic, the Lancers have a senior-dominated group looking to make a push to state.
Upset Alert
Oconto is the seven-seed in the bottom bracket, which can’t be a good thought for second-seeded Crivitz. The teams already played once, with Oconto scoring a 17-point victory over Crivitz back in late December.
Top Potential Match-Ups
Please note the emphasis on potential.
Marathon vs. Stratford, Regional Final: These Marawood-South foes split a pair of regular season games, though Stratford would end up winning the conference title. Despite that, Marathon is the higher seed and this one would be a home game for the Red Raiders.
Saint Mary Catholic vs. Manitowoc Lutheran, Sectional Final: These Big East-North rivals have already played twice this year, with Saint Mary Catholic winning a pair of one-score games. They met three times last year, splitting the regular season games before Saint Mary Catholic beat Manitowoc Lutheran in a sectional final to advance to state.
My Sectional Pick: Saint Mary Catholic
SECTIONAL 3
The Seeds
#1 Pardeeville (23-1, #1 in subsectional in Bound Power Index, #5 Bound WI/Zaleski Media Poll)
#2 Luther (15-9, #2 in Bound Power Index, UR)
#1 Deerfield (23-1, #1 in Bound Power Index, #6 Bound WI/Zaleski Media Poll)
#2 Albany/Monticello (22-2, #2 in Bound Power Index, #7 Bound WI/Zaleski Media Poll)
Top Scorers
Toria Devoe, Sr., Belleville: 24.4 PPG
Avalyn Albrecht, Jr., Poynette: 23.0 PPG
Anna Rdcliffe, Sr., Melrose-Mindoro: 20.7 PPG
Alecia Dahl, Sr., Brodhead: 20.5 PPG
Bronte Hulberg, Sr., Pardeeville: 19.8 PPG
Top Rebounders
Emma Belter, Sr., Abundant Life: 12.4 RPG
Syd Loerke, So., Deerfield: 10.8 RPG
Macy Hinz, So., Clinton: 10.5 RPG
Ava Wagner, Sr., Pardeeville: 10.0 RPG
Anna Radcliffe, Sr., Melrose-Mindoro: 9.2 RPG
Favorites
Pardeeville is quite a bit ahead of the other teams in the top part of the sectional in record (23-1) and the Bound Power Index, as the Bulldogs won 22 straight games to open the year before going down to Abundant Life in a late non-conference game. One possible area to note, 11 of the team’s wins came over Division 5 opponents, while some of the other teams in their bracket played larger opponents (Luther played just 1 game against a D5 team and two against D4 teams, for instance).
Deerfield is the top seed in the lower bracket after an outright Trailways-South Conference title. The only loss came against Kenosha St. Joseph in early January. A 55-48 non-conference win over D3 ranked team Edgerton was a key statement victory for the Demons.
Albany/Monticello is 22-2 overall and the second seed in the lower bracket. The Space Stallions won a Division 5 state title just two years ago, but senior Molly Olson is the only player remaining from that group.
Don’t sleep on the third seed in that group either, as Mineral Point comes out of the tough SWAL, where they shared the league crown with Cuba City.
Upset Alert
Abundant Life/Saint Ambrose finished the year 19-5, but some of the most difficult games on the team’s schedule came late in the year, including a couple that occurred after the WIAA seeds were released. Just a day later, in fact, the Crusaders handed Pardeeville their only loss of the year. Given just a seven seed, they take on Marshall in round one but could be a threat for second-seeded Albany/Monticello in a regional semifinal.
Top Potential Match-Ups
Please note the emphasis on potential.
Albany/Monticello vs. Mineral Point, Regional Final: A couple teams that shared their conference titles in southwest Wisconsin, with Albany/Monticello tying Argyle/Pecatonica for the Six Rivers-East and Mineral Point sharing the SWAL crown with Cuba City.
Luther vs. Pardeeville, Sectional Semifinal: This would be an interesting case study, as Pardeeville has the sparkling record, but played a significant number of smaller opponents this year, going 11-0 against D5 teams and 8-1 against D4 opponents, with just four contests against larger schools. On the other hand, Luther comes into the playoffs at 15-9, playing just three total games against D4 and D5 opposition, going 10-5 against D3 teams plus five games against D1 and D2 squads. The Knights are extremely young, however, with the top five scorers being sophomores and the top nine in scoring being non-seniors.
My Sectional Pick: Luther
SECTIONAL 4
The Seeds
#1 Kohler ( 20-4, #1 in sectional in Bound Power Index, UR)
#2 Howards Grove (19-5, #2 in Bound Power Index, UR)
#1 Dominican (22-2, #1 in Bound Power Index, #3 Bound WI/Zaleski Media Poll)
#2 Kenosha St. Joseph (18-6, #2 in Bound Power Index, UR)
Top Scorers
Josie Christian, So., Lomira: 26.0 PPG
Gwenn Elliott, So., Kohler: 24.0 PPG
Lillian Lackenbach, Sr., Kenosha Christian Life: 21.5 PPG
Kamryn Lecce, Sr., Kenosha St. Joseph: 21.3 PPG
Top Rebounders
Sarah Hodgson, Jr., Horicon: 12.8 RPG
Gwenn Elliott, So., Kohler: 11.5 RPG
Susie Nicholas, Jr., Heritage Christian: 10.6 RPG
Kamryn Lecde, Sr., Kenosha St. Joseph: 10.4 RPG
Gia Peterson, So., Brookfield Academy: 10.3 RPG
Favorites
Kohler is the top seed in the top part of the bracket, as the Blue Bombers finished second in the Big East-South behind powerhouse Oostburg. Gwenn Elliott can fill it up as well as anyone, scoring 24 points per game for Kohler, also pulling down 11.5 rebounds per contest.
Dominican is the favorite on the bottom side of the bracket, entering at 22-2 overall. The Knights are the only team ranked in the latest Bound Wisconsin/Zaleski Sports Media Poll, sitting at number three in the most recent rankings. The team has played a difficult schedule, including quite a few larger opponents (2-1 vs D1, 7-1 vs D2, 8-0 vs D3).
Upset Alert
Ozaukee is a six-seed in the lower half of the brackets, where the Warriors will take on third-seeded Living Word Lutheran, who sports a 19-5 on-court record this year. Ozaukee is just 13-11, but has played a much more difficult schedule. While the Warriors haven’t gotten a lot of wins against some of those tougher teams, they should be well-prepared for the postseason.
Top Potential Match-Ups
Please note the emphasis on potential.
Kohler vs. Howards Grove, Sectional Semifinal: These teams are in opposite divisions of the Big East. They did, however, meet up during the regular season in a crossover, with sophomore Gwen Elliott scoring a game-high 20 points to lead Kohler to a 49-44 victory.
Dominican vs. Kenosha St. Joseph, Sectional Semifinal: They’ve met twice already this season, with Dominican winning both times. They were each close, however, coming by eight and six points, respectively. The old adage is that it’s hard to beat a team three times, especially when the teams are competitively matched.
My Sectional Pick: Dominican
Travis Wilson serves as the Bound Wisconsin Manager. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisBound or reach him at [email protected].