×

Gwinn girls look to stay healthy

By RYAN STIEG

Journal Sports Writer

GWINN — If there’s one thing that’s been holding the Gwinn girls basketball team back the past couple of years, it’s health as the Modeltowners were bitten again by both the injury and illness bugs last season.

However, when asked about last year, Modeltowners head coach Ben Olsen said that even though injuries and illnesses kept his team from achieving the goals that it wanted to, the positive thing was that some players, who ordinarily wouldn’t have gotten much playing time, ended up getting some experience.

“What people kind of forget about our squad is that we ended up 9-12 last year and I had basically two starters that didn’t play,” Olsen said.

“One had an ACL injury and one had mono. So to get nine wins with two of your better players not in the lineup for essentially the entire season is, I think, a pretty successful year given the circumstances.

“We have those two back and we’re obviously looking to build on the nine wins we had last year.

“We’ve got some girls, who wouldn’t have got a lot of minutes, who got some. We have Tianna Taylor, who probably wouldn’t have played much for us last year as a freshman. She wouldn’t have had hardly any minutes for us, but because of that injury and one sickness, she got tons of minutes.”

Gwinn’s best asset this year might be experience as Olsen has three talented seniors in his lineup along with two juniors, both of whom were hit with health issues last winter.

“This is probably the most experienced group I’ve ever had,” Olsen said. “I’ve got three seniors, Trish McGuire, Mallory Delmont and Brooke Mannor, and Trish and Brooke have been with me since their freshman year. Trish is coming back from an ACL and she tore it during team camp at the end of July. She had surgery in August and it sounds like she may be back for the first game. If not, we should have her back before the end of the season is over.

“All of them are experienced and have been through the battles and we’re expecting big things from all three of them, obviously once Trish gets back. Then I have a pretty good junior bunch. Emily Curtice, who is coming back from the ACL (injury) last year and Marissa Delmont, who had mono last year. So I had her for about six games last year. Megan Ruokolainen is kind of our center and Analise Hoevker is someone who didn’t play last year, but is joining this year.”

If things fall into place and if they can stay injury and illness-free, this could be a good year for the Modeltowners.

“The basketball gods, if that’s what you want to term them, have not obviously been looking kindly on us, but if we can stay healthy, we have a chance to be really good,” Olsen said.

Gwinn girls

2018-19 schedule

All times Eastern

Times subject to change

Dec. 3 — at Bark River H., 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 7 — at Iron Mount., 7:45 p.m.

Dec. 10 — at Houghton, 7:15 p.m.

Dec. 17 — Manistique, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 19 — Escanaba, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 3 — at Munising, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 8 — at Ishpeming, 7:15 p.m.

Jan. 10 — L’Anse, 7:15 p.m.

Jan. 15 — Negaunee, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 18 — Calumet, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 22 — at Westwood, 7:15 p.m.

Jan. 24 — West Iron Co., 7:15 p.m.

Jan. 28 — at Manistique, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 30 — Ishpeming, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 5 — at Hancock, 7:15 p.m.

Feb. 12 — at Negaunee, 7:15 p.m.

Feb. 14 — Gladstone, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 19 — Iron Mountain, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 21 — Westwood, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 28 — at Gladstone, 7:15 p.m.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper *
   

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today