Girls Basketball Division 4 Preseason Top 10

Neillsville lost one game during the regular season, to Regis, but would avenge it twice over with a win over the Ramblers in the regular season finale and again in a sectional semifinal. The Warriors used one of the state’s best defenses to claim a Division 4 state title, as they allowed just 28 points per game. Legendary coach John Gaier has a really good group back this season, including the top four leading scorers. All-State pick Madi Davel is among that group after averaging more than 17 points per game, and intimidating post presence Tessa Warren also returns.

The Space Stallions bumped up to Division 4 last year, and despite some concerns of how things would go in a larger division, the co-op program rolled through a tough playoff schedule all the way to the state championship game. In a nail-biter, they’d go down to Neillsville 43-40. While one Olson, Molly, graduates, the Space Stallions bring back leading scorer Heidi plus talented sophomore Annie. Emersen Butts also averaged double figures as a freshman.

Saint Mary Catholic was the champion of the Big East-North Conference a year ago, and the Zephyrs made a big run in the postseason, advancing to the state tournament for a second straight year. They’d drop a tough one against Albany/Monticello in the semifinals. The Zephyrs had just two seniors on the roster last year, and return more than 95% of their points. That includes prolific scorer Autumn Crowe, who was over 21 points per game with 8.7 rebounds per contest as well.

Lomira was a good team in the regular season, but the Lions finished four games behind Laconia in the Flyway Conference and couldn’t find much for signature-type wins. That all changed when the playoffs rolled around, as they got hot at the right time and advanced all the way to the state tournament. While they’d fall to Neillsville in the semifinals, it set the stage for what could be even bigger things this year. The Lions are led by junior All-Stater Josie Christian, who was among the state’s leading scorers at 25.8 points per game. In all, Lomira welcomes back the top five scorers from a year ago.

After beating Neillsville in mid-December, Regis couldn’t get past the Warriors late in the season, dropping a Cloverbelt Crossover to end the regular season before a low-scoring defeat in a sectional semifinal a couple weeks later. The return of All-State performer EllaMay Cooper plus talented sophomore Gemma Gardow is a big positive for the Ramblers. However, it was a bit of a tumultuous off-season, as head coach Teddy Joas stepped down with some pointed words for the parents and administration. Former Holmen coach Lionel Jones was hired to take over. Evelyn Borcherding, a 6’6” freshman on last year’s team, transferred out of the program.

The Flying Arrows battled it out with Platteville for the SWC title last season, as they’d end up sharing the league crown. Lancaster would win the rubber match, 67-64 in a regional final, before going out to Edgerton in the D3 playoffs the following week. The Flying Arrows move down to Division 4 this year, which will bring about some interesting opportunities. The return of high-scoring sophomore Lexie Olmstead is a big boost as well after she averaged 24 points per game as an All-State choice. Senior Addison Morgan and a strong junior class should take steps forward as well.

The Demons were an outstanding team last year, going 23-1 during the regular season and winning an outright Trailways-South Conference title. It was a young core group, as the team returns the top four scorers from a year ago and five of six players that averaged at least eight points per game. The Demons have a change at the top, as former McFarland coach Sara Mallegni replaces Don Schindler.

McDonell Central finished a game behind Regis in the tough Cloverbelt-West last season, reaching 20 wins on the season. Unfortunately the Macks ran up against eventual state champion Neillsville in a regional final, as their season came to an end in the same way it began, a loss to Neillsville. With three players back that earned some form of All-Conference recognition, First Team pick Claire Ruf, Second Team choice Anne Siegenthaler, and honorable mention selection Erin Siegenthaler, McDonell Central will remain one of the main contenders in a deep and talented league.

Eleva-Strum won the first 30 games of the 2025-26 season, capturing a Dairyland-Large title and advancing all the way to the state championship game in Division 5. There, the Cardinals had a rough showing in a 70-40 loss to Pacelli, settling for a silver ball. They bump up to Division 4 this season, with a roster that should keep them towards the top even in a higher division. All-Star senior Avery Glenz returns along with key players Maddea Brown, Avaya Zwiefelhofer, Brenley Bauer, Clara Christ, and Avery Spangberg.

Cameron shared the Heart O’North Conference title last year with Hayward and got within a game of their first trip to the state tournament before falling to Neillsville in a sectional final. Head coach Chloe Wanink, herself a former star at Cameron, has a crew that should compete at the top of the league once again and should be in the mix to get to the Resch Center. The top four scorers are back from a year ago, including First Team All-Conference picks Aggie Schmidt and Bridgette Mohns.

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 as website & communications coordinator. 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].