Gazetteland All-Area basketball, wrestling teams selected for '07

Wauneta-Palisade boys,

state champion wrestlers

from Kansas top the list

An undefeated state championship boys basketball team from Nebraska, a girls team with two losses and two state champion wrestlers from Kansas lead the McCook Daily Gazette's All-Area selections for winter 2006-07.

Topping the list for the Gazette:

* The Wauneta-Palisade boys, coached by Coach of the Year Dave Kuhlen (a McCook High School alum), finally captured that elusive Nebraska Class D-1 state championship in style, finishing with a 25-0 record.

The Broncos placed their starting five on the All-Area Boys First Team, led by All-Area Boys Player of the Year Marc Klima.

Kuhlen's choice for Player of the Year was the foursome of Klima, twins Trevor and Russell Ridlen and Andrew Isom.

The Gazette went with Klima and added the Broncos' fifth starter Taylor Dixon to its first team as well.

Klima averaged 15.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.8 steals per game. He shot 55 percent from the field and 73 percent at the free throw line.

Isom averaged 16.4 points, Russell Ridlen 14, Trevor Ridlen 13.6 and Dixon 9.1.

The Broncos' starting five was joined on the First Team by Arapahoe's Dillon Breining and Adam Borden, Cheylin's Lincoln Pochop, Dundy County's Kyle Glidden, Hayes Center's Matt Gohl, Hitchcock County's Josh Kershaw, McCook's Cory Gaston, St. Francis' Joel McAtee and Southern Valley's Jared Maruhn.

* Arapahoe High School junior Cheryl Braithwait is the All-Area Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

Braithwait scored 19 points a game this season and helped lead the Warriors to a state tournament appearance and an 18-9 record.

Braithwait made 56 3-point shots, 149 field goals total and 159 free throws. She scored 513 points.

She also averaged 8.3 rebounds a game and had 122 steals.

"Cheryl is one of our floor leaders," said Arapahoe girls basketball coach Kip Stephens, who nominated all five of his starters.

Arapahoe's Sarah Urbom, who led the Warriors in assists with 99, also made the First Team.

They were joined by Cambridge's Shelby Schultz and Traci Keyser, Chase County's Whitney Paisley, Cheylin's Audrey Kehlbeck, Dundy County's Kayla Damrow, Eustis-Farnam's Jacey Schultheiss and Katie Fagot, Hayes Center's Terra Bishop. Hitchcock County's Lexey Lewis, Maywood's Staci Koester and Susan Koester, Medicine Valley's Lacy Bryant, Oberlin's Lauren Fortin and Sarah Murray, Rawlins County's Sara Miller, Southern Valley's Mallory Murdoch and Ashley Strickland, Southwest's Chelsey Quigley and Lisa Lord and Wauneta-Palisade's Allison Ellicott.

* Eustis-Farnam's Brad Dunlap is the All-Area Girls Basketball Coach of the Year for leading the Knights to a 17-2 record and a state tournament appearance.

The Knights could make another state tournament run next year because their top four players -- Schultheiss and Fagot, second teamer Jordan Rieker and honorable mention pick Lindsey Ferrell are underclassmen.

Schultheiss and Fagot are sophomores. Rieker and Ferrell are juniors.

* The Gazette's All-Area Wrestlers of the Year are Rawlins County-Atwood's Matt Migchelbrink and St. Francis' Jordan Gienger, who won the Kansas Class 3-2-1A state championships at 125 and 152 pounds, respectively.

Migchelbrink, who could be competing on the University of Nebraska wrestling team next year, posted a 37-0 record in 2006-07.

Migchelbrink defeated Phillipburg's Dustin Zahorsky for the state title at 125 pounds.

He posted a career record of 125-14 in four years (with 56 falls including 22 in this season).

Migchelbrink finished third at state his freshman year, second as a sophomore and third as a junior.

Migchelbrink was named the Kansas Class 3-2-1A Regional Wrestler of the Year by the Kansas Coaches Association.

Included in Migchelbrink's unbeaten run this year was a win over Banner County's Tyler Gifford, who won the Nebraska Class D state title at 125 pounds. It was Gifford's only loss of the season.

Migchelbrink captured Most Outstanding Wrestler Awards at three tournaments -- Sutherland, St. Francis and Rawlins County.

"It has been a privilege and honor to coach Matt," said Rawlins County coach Scott Urban in a Salina Journal article. "Matt is on a long list of state placers in Atwood's high school history. Matt would rank near the top of being one of Atwood's best."

Migchelbrink also excels academically. he has a 4.0 grade point average, scored a 31 on the ACT test and was third at the Kansas State Scholar's Bowl. He plans to major in mechanical engineering at college.

Gienger, whose father (Kelly Gienger in 1978) and two grandfathers (Warren Gienger in 1944 and Elton Keller in 1948) won state titles at St. Francis, posted a 35-1 record.

He is one of nine family members who have won state wrestling championships.

Gienger defeated Sabetha's Jordan Meyer for the 152-pound title.

"Jordan is an exceptional athlete and he excels in all sports," said St. Francis coach Mike Frewen in an interview with the Salina Journal. "He is quick and extremely strong. His technique in wrestling is outstanding, but what makes Jordan special is his work ethic. He is the harest worker in the practice room."

Gienger could be wrestling at the University of Nebraska-Kearney next season.

Both Migchelbrink and Gienger competed at the Kansas Senior Classic at Topeka Friday.

At 125 pounds, Migchelbrink won a 7-3 decision over Kansas City Schlagle's Marcus Walker. Schlagle is a Kansas Class 5A school.

At 152 pounds, Gienger pinned Manhattan's Bryant Petty. Manhattan is a 6A school.

Migchelbrink competes at the Senior Nationals this weekend at Viginia Beach, Va.

* Frewen is the All-Area Wrestling Coach of the Year for leading the Indians to a ninth-place team finish at the Kansas Class 3-2-1A state tournament.

St. Francis, a traditional wrestling powerhouse in Kansas, scored 64 points.

* Migchelbrink and Gienger lead the All-Area Wrestling First Team.

In addition to Gienger's state title, St. Francis had three other state placers who were named to the Gazette's First Team -- Brennon Wilger, second place, 285 pounds; Russell Rogers, fifth place, 171 pounds; and Gavin Smull, sixth place, 130 pounds.

Wilger, Rogers and Smull were Co-First Teamers at their weights along with Southern Valley's Daniel Stoelting, 285; Southern Valley's Ryan Bohl, 171; and Southwest's Kyle Teel, 130.

The First Team also features Southwest's Kyle Teel, 103 pounds; Chase County's Chad Cochran, 112; Southwest's Josh Gates, 119; McCook's Ahren Hays and Dundy County's Steven Sander, 135; Oberlin's Gage Reichert, 140; Oberlin's Breck Simonsson, 145; Wauneta-Palisade's Jake Smith, 160; McCook's Sam Frazier and Dundy County's Derek Bundy, 189; and Dundy County's Dustin Bundy, 215.

McCOOK DAILY GAZETTE

2006-2007 ALL-AREA

BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM

Boys Coach of the Year: Dave Kuhlen, Wauneta-Palisade.

Boys Player of the Year: Marc Klima, Wauneta-Palisade.

FIRST TEAM

ARAPAHOE

Dillon Breinig, 6-3 so.

Adam Borden, 5-10 sr.

CHEYLIN

Lincoln Pochop, 5-10 jr.

DUNDY COUNTY

Kyle Glidden, 6-3 jr.

HAYES CENTER

Matt Gohl, 6-0 so.

HITCHCOCK COUNTY

Josh Kershaw, 5-9 sr.

McCOOK

Cory Gaston, 6-2 jr.

ST. FRANCIS

Joel McAtee, 6-2 sr.

SOUTHERN VALLEY

Jared Maruhn, 6-3 jr.

WAUNETA-PALISADE

Marc Klima, 6-1 sr.

Russell Ridlen, 5-1 sr.

Trevor Ridlen, 6-1 sr.

Andrew Isom, 6-4 sr.

Taylor Dixon, 5-9 jr.

SECOND TEAM

ARAPAHOE

Jordan Spaulding, 6-3 jr.

CAMBRIDGE

Bo Cribelli, 6-2 jr.

CHASE COUNTY

Taylor Wentz, 6-0 jr.

EUSTIS-FARNAM

Derek Williams, 6-5 jr.

McCOOK

Josh Cherry, 6-1 sr.

HAYES CENTER

Levi Tyan, 5-11 jr.

Jake Rowley, 6-0 jr.

HITCHCOCK COUNTY

John Thompson, 6-1 sr.

Austin Renfro, 6-4 jr.

RAWLINS COUNTY

Drew Basgall, 5-10 so.

ST. FRANCIS

Levi Weeden, 6-2 sr.

SOUTHERN VALLEY

Brock Einspahr, 6-3 sr.

Gaven Fults, 6-0 sr.

SOUTHWEST

Landon Ruggles, 6-7 sr.

Brandon Malleck, 6-1 sr.

HONORABLE MENTION

Arapahoe: Adam Snyder, Tyler Hamel.

Chase County: Wll Falla, Jordan German, Rony Sieperda.

Dundy County: Jordan Stroup.

Eustis-Farnam: Drew Wetovick. Jeff Loshonkohl.

Hayes Center: Luke Clifford.

Hitchcock County: David Paprocki, Adam Wright, Orrin Riggs, Austin Scott, Tyrel Riggs.

McCook: Brett Burton, Seth Schaeffer.

Medicine Valley: Ben Wolfe.

Oberlin: Jobey Black, Nolan May.

Rawlins County: Jason Argabright, Elijah Kastens.

St. Francis: A.J. McAtee, Ted Crabtree.

Southern Valley: Taylor Lueking, Jacob Becker.

Southwest: Jason Daffer.

Wauneta-Palisade: Chad Flaig.

McCOOK DAILY GAZETTE

2006-2007 ALL-AREA

GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM

Girls Coach of the Year: Brad Dunlap, Eustis-Farnam.

Girls Player of the Year: Cheryl Braithwait, Arapahoe.

FIRST TEAM

ARAPAHOE

Cheryl Braithwait, 5-5 jr.

Sarah Urbom, 5-3 sr.

CAMBRIDGE

Shelby Schultz, 6-1 jr.

Traci Keyser, 5-10 so.

CHASE COUNTY

Whitney Paisley, 5-9, sr.

CHEYLIN

Aubrey Kehlbeck, 5-10, sr.

DUNDY COUNTY

Kayla Damrow, 5-8 sr.

EUSTIS-FARNAM

Jacey Schultheiss, 5-10 so.

Katie Fagot, 5-4 so.

HAYES CENTER

Terra Bishop, 5-10 sr.

HITCHCOCK COUNTY

Lexey Lewis, 5-5 jr.

MAYWOOD

Staci Koester, 5-6 jr.

Susan Koester, 5-9 so.

MEDICINE VALLEY

Lacy Bryant, 5-10 so.

OBERLIN

Lauren Fortin, 5-7 sr.

Sarah Murray, 5-9 sr.

RAWLINS COUNTY

Sara Miller, 5-8 sr.

SOUTHERN VALLEY

Mallory Murdoch, 5-8, so.

Ashley Strickland, 5-10 sr.

SOUTHWEST

Chelsey Quigley, 5-7 sr.

Lisa Lord, 5-11 jr.

WAUNETA-PALISADE

Allison Ellicott, 5-3 sr.

SECOND TEAM

ARAPAHOE

Brittany Fanning, 5-5 jr.

CAMBRIDGE

Frankie Petersen, 5-9 fr.

Kymbre Lytle, 5-10 sr.

CHASE COUNTY

Tabitha Russell, 5-5 jr.

DUNDY COUNTY

Tasha Boon, 5-2 sr.

EUSTIS-FARNAM

Jordan Rieker, 5-9 jr.

HAYES CENTER

Lichelle Large, 5-7 sr.

HITCHCOCK COUNTY

Megan Cole, 5-10 jr.

MAYWOOD

Brooke Koester, 5-5 so.

McCOOK

Austin Wilson, 5-4 sr.

OBERLIN

Tricia Dorshorst, 5-10 sr.

RAWLINS COUNTY

Megan Cahoj, 5-4 sr.

Macy Migchelbrink, 5-8 jr.

WAUNETA-PALISADE

Blair Dixon, 5-6 so.

Gina Geier, 5-9 sr.

HONORABLE MENTION

Arapahoe: Jennie Clinton, Morgan Breinig.

Chase County: RyAnn Spady, Celeste Pankonin.

Cheylin: Tia Sager, Colleen Schrader, Jessica Marshall, Alexis Weishapl.

Dundy County: Amanda Downey.

Eustis-Farnam: Lindsey Ferrell.

Hayes Center: Jaimie Lapp.

Hitchcock County: Ashley Garner, Lisa Faimon.

Maywood: Kadee Arensdorf, Michelle Hastings, Celsie Contreras.

McCook: Lindsey McNutt, Melissa Lyster, Taryn Placzek, Jessica Harris, Betsy Kohmetscher, Kelsee Meissner. Lindsey Hazlitt.

Medicine Valley: Liz Jorgensen, Olivia Klein, Krysta Thompson.

Rawlins County: Laura Wolters, Emily Wahrman.

St. Francis: Alecia Zimbleman.

Southwest: Alisha Weaver.

Wauneta-Palisade: Kaleia Alberts, Brittany O'Neil, Brandy Fanning.

McCOOK DAILY GAZETTE

2006-2007 ALL-AREA

WRESTLING TEAM

Coach of the Year: Mike Frewen, St. Francis.

Co-Wrestlers of the Year: Matt Migchelbrink, Rawlins County-Atwood; Jordan Gienger, St. Francis.

FIRST TEAM

103 -- Heath Teel, Southwest, fr., 24-16, 6th at Nebraska Class D state.

112 -- Chad Cochran, Chase County, sr., 25-13, 2-2 at Class C state.

119 -- Josh Gates, Southwest, so., state qualifier, 31-14.

125 -- Matt Migchelbrink, Rawlins County-Atwood, sr., 37-0, 1st in Kansas Class 3-2-1A state, 125-14 career record.

130 -- Gavin Smull, St. Francis, jr., 33-11, 6th at Kansas Class 3-2-1A state.

130 -- Kyle Teel, Southwest, jr., Class D three-time state qualifier, 35-6.

135 -- Steven Sander, Dundy County, so., 28-12, state qualifier.

135 -- Ahren Hays, McCook, sr., 20 wins, state qualifier.

140 -- Gage Reichert, Oberlin, jr., 29-11, 4th at Kansas Class 3-2-1A state.

145 -- Breck Simonsson, Oberlin, sr., 23-13, one win away from going to state.

152 -- Jordan Gienger, St. Francis, sr., 35-1, first at Kansas Class 3-2-1A state.

160 -- Jake Smith, Wauneta-Palisade, sr., 37-5, 5th at Nebraska Class D state.

171 -- Ryan Bohl, Southern Valley, sr., 39-3, 4th at Nebraska Class C state, career record 105-35.

171 -- Russell Rogers, sr., 34-9, 5th at Kansas Class 3-2-1A state.

189 -- Sam Frazier, McCook, jr., 38 wins, fourth at Nebraska Class B state.

189 -- Derek Bundy, Dundy County, sr., 33-5, sixth at Class D state.

215 -- Dustin Bundy, Dundy County, jr., 30-11, sixth at Class D state.

285 -- Dan Stoelting, Southern Valley, sr., 35-1, 2nd at Nebraska Class C state, career record 101-34. His only loss came in the state championship match.

285 -- Brennon Wilger, St. Francis, sr., 22-3, 2nd at Kansas Class 3-2-1A state.

SECOND TEAM

103 -- Tell Deatrich, Medicine Valley-Maywood; Aaron Helm, Oberlin; Nate Morgan. McCook.

112 -- James Rundell, Hitchcock County.

119 -- Brady Chancellor, MVM.

125 -- Vincent Chancellor, MVM; Brett Longnecker, Southwest.

130 -- Jacob Matthews, Chase County.

135 -- Everett Urban, Oberlin.

140 -- Kevin Barnard, Chase County.

145 -- Mike Stinman, MVM.

152 -- Owen Madden, Wauneta-Palisade; Zane Starks, Dundy County; Heath Ehlers, MVM.

160 -- Jim Slattery, Southwest.

171 -- Chris Schleeman, McCook; Wade Courter, Chase County; Dillon Mortensen, MVM.

189 -- Terry Urban, Oberlin; Drew Ten Bensel, Arapahoe.

215 -- Regan Badsky, Oberlin; Ethan Jenkins, Arapahoe.

285 -- Brock Euhus, Oberlin; Vaughn Dizmang, Medicine Valley-Maywood; Brennan Malcolm, Eustis-Farnam; Davin Doyle, Cambridge.