Above: Among the players recognized at the girls basketball awards banquet were, from L-R, Greta Hahn, Laci Hollerich, Sarena Remiger, Halle McCabe, Serena Williams, Macy Ziebarth, Kaylee Karels and Emily Kern.
While the varsity girls basketball team never got to play in the new gym last season, it was the site of their awards ceremony, held the afternoon of May 12.
Head coach Joe Remiger presented awards both for the 2019-2020 season as well as last season.
2019-2020
Remiger chose the award winners for the 2019-2020 season.
Emily Kern took home the Most Valuable Player Award.
“There were a couple of games when she was out, and we missed her.”
The Offensive Player of the Year was Macey Ziebarth. She also was an All-Conference Honorable Mention.
The Most Improved player was Kaylee Karels. The Defensive Player of the Year was Stephanie Cink. The Rebounding Player of the Year was Sarena Remiger. The Hustle Award went to Emmie Dittmar.
Mya Krenik, the only senior last season, earned the Coaches Award.
"It is for someone who is going to promote basketball big time in our program," Remiger said. It’s someone who always has a smile on her face. She comes to practice to practice hard. She comes to play to play hard. She is going to be talking out on the floor, and especially encouraging, someone you can look up to."
The Clippers only had three wins on the season, two against New Ulm Cathedral and one against Immanuel Lutheran, But they never quit. They played at full tilt to the final buzzer, and all 11 players who started the season finished it.
"Last year it was a lot of hard work but a lot of games where we got blown out," Remiger said. "There were a lot of times where you could have said ‘I’m throwing in the towel; I’ve had enough.’ It was a full season and you pushed though."
2020-2021
Ziebarth, one of three seniors on the team, was selected as MVP. She was also the team’s only All-Conference player.
"A huge thank you from me," Remiger told Ziebarth. "I stated with you on B-Squad. The bottom line is you love the sport. You put in the time, the work, the effort, and I appreciate that. We want to win basketball games, and that’s where we are as a program. We want to get better and take those steps, and so thank you for exemplifying that. We’re going to miss you."
Halle McCabe, a senior back after missing all of the previous season due to an injury, took home the Hustle award. She was also an All-Conference Honorable Mention.
"For their best player on the team, Halle is going to end up guarding her," Remiger said. "If we need to get down the court, Halle is going to get down the court. Offensively if I tell her this is what needs to happen, she’s going to make it happen."
McCabe also earned the Coaches Award, and Remiger noted her dedication to the program as well as that of senior Serena Williams, who didn’t have a B-Squad to hone her skills last year and this year only played in the first game before missing the rest of the season after surgery on her wrist.
"You look at Halle, who sat out the whole year last year, but she came to almost every practice," Remiger said. "She was dedicated to the team, was dedicated to get the girls better. The same thing with Serena. I know stuff happened this year, surgery, but thank you for coming back. It’s those things that are big encouragement for these girls."
Karels was the MIP and the Offensive player of the Year. She also earned an All-Conference Honorable Mention.
"All the work and time she spent on dribbling skills over the summer turned out to be a big deal for us," Remiger said. "For her to be able to get the ball up the floor and for us to be able to start our offense is why she was named Offensive Player of the Year."
The Rebounding Player of the Year trophy went to Kern.
"She had the most rebounds and is always a threat on offense," Remiger said. "When teams came to play us, they said 'hey, we need to know where she is.'"
Remiger earned the Defensive Player of the Year award.
"This was tough, because there are two people who come to mind: one Sarena Remiger and one Halle McCabe. When someone makes a dribble drive, we know she’s going to step in."
Sixth player Awards went to freshmen Greta Hahn and Laci Hollerich.
"We had our starting five, but this year we didn’t have our starting five a few times," Remiger said. "Halle was out a few games. Sarena was out a few games. Kaylee was out a few games. If we could have just melted you five and then brought in our subs, what kind of team could we have had?"
The Clippers finished their shortened 2020-2021 season with a 6-8 record.
"You look at our record. It could have been a lot better than that, but unless you’re at the top the view is looking the same anyway," Remiger said.
The Clippers will start summer basketball on June 7 with the first practice going from a minute past midnight to 2:00 am.
The Clippers will miss the hard work and dedication of seniors Halle McCabe, Serena Williams and Macey Ziebarth.