Great Northern Conference: Preview

Great Northern Conference: Preview Rhinelander finished first in conference play last season with a 12-0 record. The team was led by standout graduates and First Team selections Kenedy Van Zile and Cynthia Beavers. The dynamic duo was named Co- Player of The Year. Returning for her senior season is Rebecca Lawrence and Megan Brown. Lawrence averaged nearly 14 points per game while Brown added 3 points per game. Lakeland finished second in conference play with a 9-3 record. The talented squad consisted of only two seniors last season so they bring back loads of talent. [player_tooltip player_id="156066" first="Julianna" last="Ouimette"], a unanimous first team selection, led her team last season as a freshman while averaging 21.4 points per game. She led the conference in scoring, rebounding and assists. Ouimette is a high level guard that will put up huge numbers for her team while still being selfless on the court. She will be joined by senior guard Amaya White. White added nearly 11 points per game last season. She’s a quick guard with a smooth release and consistency on her three point shot. Mosinee finished third last season with a 8-4 conference record. The team was led by graduate Paige Wicklund. Lexi Freiboth will be back for her junior season- she was selected Second Team last season. Three returning juniors in Jenna Placek, Kate Fitzgerald and Claire Selenske are predicted to play big roles for this team. All three players were voted Honorable Mention last season. Placek averaged nearly 7 points per game and will be a huge asset inside the paint and on the boards for Mosinee. Medford finished fourth in their conference last season with a 7-5 record. Senior Marissa Fronk will lead Medford again this season. She earned First Team as a junior and led her team in scoring with 15.3 points per game. Junior standout [player_tooltip player_id="204132" first="Rynn" last="Ruesch"] will also be an impact player this season who will see big minutes. She earned Second Team last season and averaged 7 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists per game. A strong forward with ability to play inside and out, Ruesch is going to be a high impact player. Here’s a few returning players posed to make an impact this season: Greta Parsons | Senior | Antigo | 5’9 F Parsons is going to have to be a floor general on both ends this season for this team to see some success. Parson has an ability to play inside and out, be a three level scorer and impact on both ends. The speed and agility is there- Parsons can play big minutes while still being effective and consistent. She’s an offensive rebounding machine and does so well keeping the ball high and finishing against contact. She’s developed her handles and really seems comfortable with the ball in her hands. Parsons runs the floor well and cut by defenders in the open court effectively. Marissa Fronk | Medford | Senior | 5’11 F Fronk led her team in scoring last season with 15.3 points per game. While most impressive on the glass and in the paint, Fronk added some range to her game late last season. She’s becoming more confident with the ball in her hands and being able to put it on the floor before attacking the hoop. In a close win over D.C Everest, Fronk finished with 25 points. In another win over Mosinee, Fronk finished with a season-high 26 points. Fronk has great spacing on the floor and great feel for the game. She cuts well and really capitalizes off a mismatch opportunity. Alexis Freiboth | Mosinee | Junior | 5’5 G Freiboth was a key role player last season who will have a much larger role as a junior. Freiboth will have to be a leader on and off the court for this team to see success. She averaged 11 points per game last season and could easily take off offensively any given night. She is continuing to develop her three point shot but is lethal when attacking the rim or creating her shot mid range. She has great court vision and did such a good job finding her teammates open. She averaged 4.3 assists per game. Most impressive asset to having someone like Freiboth on your team is her ability to impact on the defensive end. She’s active and causes multiple turnovers from her confidence in pressuring the ball. She averaged nearly 4 steals per game. [player_tooltip player_id="156066" first="Julianna" last="Ouimette"] | Lakeland | Sophomore | 5’9 G Ouimette averaged 21.4 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 8 steals per game. Talk about an impressive stat sheet, Ouimette really does it all on the court. A high energy guard with crafty handles and footwork to finish strong at the rim. She is extremely athletic and is nearly impossible to stop off the dribble in transition. She’s added a consistent mid range jumper to her game that is essential for scoring against taller defenders in the lane. On defense she is all over the place and so difficult to get by. She has active hands and feet- constantly pressuring her opponent. Ouimette has a smooth three point shot that most do not see coming- she will pull up from anywhere. Rebecca Lawrence | Rhinelander | Senior | 5’9 G Lawrence is going to be the leader on Rhinelander this season. She showed glimpses of how elite she can during her junior season and has a high ceiling for this year as well. While averaging 14 points per game, Lawrence proved she had athleticism and skill to be impactful on both ends of the floor. She’s tremendously talented on the offensive end- getting buckets comes naturally for her. In a one point win over Mosinee last season, Lawrence dropped a season high 31 points. She’s a shifty guard with impressive handles. Lawrence’s ability to score the basketball will be key to the Rhinelanders success this season.