By Bob Skubal
Retired coach, historian, author of ‘History of Tomahawk Sports’
The first season for girls’ basketball was the 1973-74 season. The first head coach was Bonnie Converse who coached for two seasons. There have been 10 different head coaches thus far with an overall varsity record of 289-643 (.310 winning percentage). There have been 102 athletes listed as All-Conference over the 46 years of the program.
Bill Sullivan has the longest tenure as varsity coach with 13 seasons, while Tim Albert has the highest winning percentage of .523 (45-41). There have been two conference championships: 1977-78 under Sullivan, with a record of 14-6; and 1999-2000 under Garth Gerstenberger, with a record of 17-4. Gerstenberger has the most wins in a single season with 17, followed by Sullivan with 14 twice (1977-78 and 1978-79) and Tim Albert with 14 (2002-03).
Let’s take a look now at the first season, followed by the four seasons that stand out in Hatchet girls’ basketball history.
Team members of the 1973-74 season were Ann Brook, JoAnne VanStrydonk, Linda Houston, Gail Alexander, Bonnie Draeger, Ivy Hocking, Kathy Martell, Kim Buedingen, Kevyn Burton, Carol Salacinski, Rhonda Schiltz, Carol Doucette, Sue Copes, Debbie Bohnert, Sue Syring, and Pam Timm. The best information that this author can find is a 1-2 season with a 42-33 win over Hurley, overtime 38-36 loss to Phillips and a 55-44 loss to DCE, with Hocking scoring 21 and Draeger 12. Nothing was found on games on Feb. 5 vs. Mosinee, Feb. 7 vs. Wausau East, Feb. 12 vs. Mosinee, Feb. 14 vs. DCE, Feb. 18 vs. Phillips and Feb. 27 vs. Wausau East.
The 1977-78 team was coached by Sullivan, Linda Mochalski, and Joanne Foster. Team members were Charlotte Smith, Mary Wilke, Cindy Olson, Tammy Barr, Linda Bushor, Paula Pintens, Diane Hoff, Jean Cordova, Theresa Bassett, Pam Morris, Debbie Swan, Jessie Stiff, Jennie Stiff, Lani Forsty, Laurie Clements, Debbie Hess, Kay Kahle, Pam Fritz, Jody Roberts, Abby Hocking, and Debbie Hocking. Tomahawk had a 14-5 record and was the Southern Division Conference Champion with an 8-2 conference record. Three players were given All-Conference honors. They were Charlotte Smith, First Team; Paula Pintens, First Team; and Jean Cordova, Second Team. In addition, Charlotte Smith was voted MVP and was the Lumberjack Conference Southern Division scoring champion. The season started out with a 42-31 win over Ashland (Smith scored 23), followed by losses to Eagle River 35-31 and Mosinee 33-27. THS then won eight in a row with wins over Colby 31-21, (Pintens and Cordova scored 9 apiece), 56-23 over Phillips, 44-34 over Nekoosa (Smith and Pintens scored 12 apiece), 61-33 over Phillips (Smith scored 16), 41-39 OT over Medford (with Cordova sinking a free throw to send the game into OT), 41-37 over Eagle River (Cordova scored 16), 41-23 over Auburndale (Smith scored 25), and a 44-43 OT win over Mosinee (game where THS completed the game with only four players. Pintens scored two field goals in the OT for the win). Tomahawk then lost to Crandon 35-29 and Nekoosa 22-21. The regular season finished with five straight victories over Colby 34-23, Three Lakes 64-36 (Smith scored 28), 54-41 over Medford, 56-39 over Park Falls (Smith scored 30), and 58-41 over Auburndale. The playoffs saw Tomahawk square off with Eagle River (a team that THS had split with during the regular season by close scores) and come up short on a 36-32 loss to the Eagles.
The 1978-79 season under Bill Sullivan, assisted by Linda Mochalski, and Laurie Mitchell, went 14-7 overall and was second in the conference. All-Conference (Lumberjack Conference) honors went to Paula Pintens, First Team (4th in conference scoring); and Jean Cordova, Second Team (7th in conference scoring). Pintens was also First Team All-Conference (Southern Division) and Jean was Second Team All-Conference (Southern Division). Team members were Pam Fritz, Jennie Stiff, Kay Kahle, Jessica Stiff, Pam Morris, Jean Cordova, Lani Forsty, Paula Pintens, Debbie Swan, Terri DeBels and Diane Hoff. The season started with a 47-41 loss to Wittenberg-Birnamwood (Cordova scored 13) followed by a 61-19 win over Lakeland and a 76-73 two-OT win over Eagle River (Cordova scored 31). Ashland would defeat THS 56-54(Pintens scored 24,) followed by four more wins. The victories were 50-33 over Phillips, 47-31 over Park Falls (Pintend scores 21), a 53-47 OT win over Medford, and a 41-39 win over Wausau Newman. THS would then lose to Hurley 51-45 (Tomahawk hit 19 free throws and Cordova scored 19), a 70-21 win over Lakeland, a 60-49 loss to Wausau Newman and 48-33 loss to Eagle River. Following these two losses, THS would defeat Ashland 65-49 (Pintens scored 22), Park Falls 42-32, Phillips 40-34, Medford 52-49 (Kahle scored 16), Hurley 53-26 before losing to Laona 36-35 (Tomahawk was down 15-1 in the first quarter). Tomahawk next defeated Phillips 59-37 and Eagle River 51-42 before losing in OT to Eagle River 51-49 (Tomahawk’s first overtime loss in four years).
1999-2000 saw Garth Gerstenberger with Eric Huseby and Tim Albert produce a 17-4 season. Team members were Samantha Massa, Lindsay Brottlund, Katie Krueger, Jenny Lindner, Rosemary Janeczko, Jessica Evans, Emily Waldum, Lacy Roberts, Heidi Voermans, Liz Meyer, and Emily Gaedtke. In addition to being crowned Lumberjack Conference Champions, All-Conference honors went to Jenny Lindner, First Team; Jessica Evans, Second Team; Lacy Roberts, Second Team; Emily Waldum, Honorable Mention; Rosemary Janeczko, Honorable Mention; and Katie Krueger, Honorable Mention. Gerstenberger was also voted Lumberjack Conference Coach of the Year. The season started with a 51-46 win over Rib Lake, followed by a 42-39 loss to Wausau Newman. Next, Tomahawk defeated Three Lakes 47-24 and dropped a 51-38 game to Park Falls (Roberts scored 17). THS would then win their next 11 games with scores of 59-45 over Ladysmith (Roberts scored 19), 44-42 over Lakeland (first win over Lakeland in the 1990s), 42-34 over Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 50-46 over Mercer (Roberts scored 22), 35-23 over Adams Friendship, 48-29 over Eagle River (Evans scored 12), 60-51 over Phillips, 59-47 over Ashland (Roberts and Lindner scored 17 apiece), 36-33 over Park Falls, 37-34 over Medford, and 33-29 over St. Point Pacelli, before losing to Lakeland 54-36. THS would get back on the winning track by defeating Eagle River 56-44, Phillips 64-36, Medford 52-42, and Ashland 58-40. Regionals saw Tomahawk lose to Mosinee 49-29. Mosinee went on to become state champions.
The 2002-03 season under head coach Tim Albert, assisted by Stacy Bolder, Bob Koch, and Eric Huseby, went 14-8. Team members were Amanda Maule, Kristina Theiler, Allison Flynn, Rosemary Janeczko, Katie Brunner, Veronica Janeczko, Ellie Farmer, Rachel Wiedeman, Ashley Nelson, Karen Krueger, Celia Olson, and Paola Ferrari. All-Conference honors went to Rosemary Janeczko, First Team; Paola Ferrari, Honorable Mention; and Kristina Theiler, Honorable Mention. Rosemary Janeczko was Lumberjack Conference Co-Player of the Year and was selected to play in the North-South All-Star basketball game. Rosemary was also a Channel 7 All-Star. The season started with a 37-15 victory over Prentice (Rosemary Janeczko had 12 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks and 4 assists). THS then went on to defeat Northland Lutheran 51-20, Park Falls 43-40, and Lakeland 55-49 before losing to Marshfield 60-32. Two more victories came Tomahawk’s way when they defeated Rhinelander 55-48 (double OT game) and Lakeland 57-41. Next came a 55-36 loss to Medford and a 55-31 win over Phillips. Ashland then defeated THS 31-29, as did Merrill 44-40 (Rosemary Janeczko scored 19). Two more wins came Tomahawk’s way when they defeated Eagle River 39-21 and Park Falls 44-29. Next, Maranatha Academy of Superior defeated THS 51-44. Tomahawk bounced back to defeat Nekoosa 51-46 and Phillips 70-55. Medford once again defeated THS 39-22d and Tomahawk had their way with a 63-37 win over Eagle River (Rosemary Janeczko grabbed 10 rebounds for a career total of 941). Lakeland would then defeat Tomahawk for the first time all season by a score of 50-46. Tomahawk would then turn the tables on Ashland with a 69-37 victory, followed with a 56-45 win over Wittenberg-Birnamwood. Games with Medford would be close, but THS would lose for the third time in the season by a score of 51-48.
Some highlights from Tomahawk girls’ basketball history:
- Ann Brook: Conference Leading Scorer in the 1975-76 season.
- Charlotte Smith: Lumberjack Conference Southern Division scoring title with 115 points in 10 conference games and 229 points in 17 games in the 1976-77 season.
- Charlotte Smith: Southern Lumberjack Conference Player of the Year in the 1976-77 season.
- Charlotte Smith: Lumberjack Conference Southern Division scoring champion in the 1977-78 season.
- Charlotte Smith: Conference MVP in the 1977-78 season.
- D’Ann Haugen and Cori Nardi: Honorable Mention Channel 7 All-Stars in the 1985-86 season.
- Angela Hagen: Honorable Mention Channel 7 All-Star in the 1988-89 season.
- Heather Brimacombe: Channel 7 All-Star in the 1989-90 season.
- Rosemary Janeczko: Channel 7 All-Star in the 2002-03 season.
- Best Defensive Game: THS defeated Laona 61-4 during the 1981-82 season.
- Best Offensive Game: THS defeated Eagle River 76-73 in a double OT game in the 1978-79 season.
Tomahawk has never lost to Auburndale (4-0), Conserve School (1-0), Flambeau (1-0), Gillett (1-0), Goodman (2-0), Goodman/Pembine (1-0), LaCourte Oreilles (1-0), Marshfield Columbus (2-0), White Lake (3-0), and Wolf River (1-0).
On the flip side, Tomahawk has never defeated Appleton Xavier (0-1), Bonduel (0-1), Butternut (0-1), Clintonville (0-5), DCE (0-1), Florence (0-1), Lomira (0-1), Merrill (0-10), Oconto Falls (0-1), Peshtigo (0-1), Southern Door (0-1), Wausau East (0-8), Wausau West (0-3), Westfield (0-1).
THS has also struggled with Antigo (1-27) and Rhinelander (1-29). Both victories over Antigo and Rhinelander were overtime games.