Team Previews: Audubon, Ballard, Baxter

&nbsp; <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Audubon Wheelers</strong> 15-8 last year 53.7 points scored, 41.8 points against 7 returning players</p> Juniors <strong>Aleah Hermensen</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63659" first="Jaci" last="Christensen"]</strong> are back from a 15-win Audubon team that raced off to nearly 54 points per game. The Wheelers led were in scoring by Hermensen, as she averaged nearly 15 points and three assists a game. Christensen contributed 12.5 points with a team-high 8.9 rebounds a night. Audubon did graduate four seniors who provided leadership and experience. Now, that role will go to seniors like <strong>Kaitlyn Nielsen</strong>, <strong>Johanna Sauers </strong>and <strong>Kodie Sporrer</strong>, who all saw time last year. <p style="text-align: left;">Notable returners:</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Aleah Hermensen - 14.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.8 SPG, 2.7 APG [player_tooltip player_id="63659" first="Jaci" last="Christensen"] - 12.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.8 SPG Kate Tessman - 3.0 PPG</p> &nbsp; <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ballard Bombers</strong> 22-2 last year 53.8 points scored, 31.3 points against x returning players</p> After dropping the season opener to Gilbert last year, Ballard reeled off 22 consecutive wins to reach the Class 4A state tournament before falling in a thriller to Lewis Central, 47-46. The Bombers, who went a perfect 14-0 to win the Raccoon River Conference title, return seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="131146" first="Josie" last="Fleischmann"]</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="164941" first="Molly" last="Ihle"]</strong> to lead the way this year. Fleischmann posted 11.5 points a game while Ihle averaged 10 points, six rebounds and 5.5 assists. Ihle sported a 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. As a sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63580" first="Brooke" last="Loewe"]</strong> turned into a consistent contributor, averaging almost 11 points a game with four assists and three steals. Junior <strong>Meg Rietz</strong> also returns after averaging almost six points a game along with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="164975" first="Cassidy" last="Thompson"]</strong>, who averaged five points and four boards. <p style="text-align: left;">Notable returners:</p> <p style="text-align: left;">[player_tooltip player_id="63580" first="Brooke" last="Loewe"] - 10.9 PPG, 4.0 APG, 3.7 RPG, 3.0 SPG [player_tooltip player_id="131146" first="Josie" last="Fleischmann"] - 11.5 PPG [player_tooltip player_id="164941" first="Molly" last="Ihle"] - 10.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.5 APG, 4.0 SPG Meg Rietz - 5.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.9 SPG</p> &nbsp; <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Baxter Bolts</strong> 13-10 last year 50.3 points scored, 35.2 points against 12 returning players</p> Baxter used a solid defense to finish 13-10 a year ago, allowing just 35 points a night. They held nine teams to 30 points or less. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="165066" first="McKenzie" last="Eslinger"]</strong> will take over as the leader after averaging almost 11 points and nine rebounds a game last year as a junior. She is joined by junior <strong>Lilie Vansice</strong>, sophomore <strong>Mandee Selover</strong> and senior <strong>Sophie Meyer</strong> who all averaged at least five points per game. Vansice recorded 67 assists and 35 steals last year while seniors <strong>Merrin Ziesman</strong> and <strong>Brooke Bacon</strong> combined for 30 assists and 32 steals. <p style="text-align: left;">Notable returners:</p> <p style="text-align: left;">[player_tooltip player_id="165066" first="McKenzie" last="Eslinger"] - 10.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.4 SPG Lilie Vansice - 6.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.2 SPG Sophie Meyer - 5.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.9 APG</p> &nbsp; <hr /> <p style="text-align: left;"></p>