Trinity hands out honors

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For The Tribune

Boys and girls basketball players, members of the swim team and cheerleaders were honored when Trinity Lutheran conducted its winter sports awards program last week in the Bollinger Athletic Complex.

Chad Stuckwisch and Abby Hackman received the most valuable player awards for the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams respectively, while Rachel Sabotin and Matthew Stuckwisch took home most valuable plaques for the girls’ and boys swimming teams.

Girls basketball coach Mike Lang said, “We got better as we went along. We started out 1-7 and we ended up 11-14. This is the most fun I’ve had coaching.”

Lang said during one practice, the intensity was lacking so he stopped practice and sent the girls to the weight room, and that experience seemed to change their outlook and their season.

He said the two most memorable wins came on senior night against Edinburgh (48-41), and at Shawe Memorial, when Jodi Goecker did an excellent job defending Shawe’s leading scorer and that enabled the Cougars to come home with a 44-35 victory.

Hackman topped the Cougars in scoring with 333 points (13.3 PPG) and rebounds with 305 (12.2 per game) to become the first Trinity player with 300 rebounds and points in a season.

She had 16 double-doubles which was ninth in the state in all classes and third in Class A.

Her high-point games were 25 against Waldron and West Washington and 22 against Christian Academy.

Savannah Harweger received the defensive award, while Goecker and Whitney Rogers were co-recipients of Cougar Awards.

Rogers, Laney Acton and manager Celina Alexander received senior awards.

The Trinity boys ended up 6-18.

“We’re not real proud of that,” Coach Brian Stuckwisch said.

“We played five teams that won sectionals, two of them twice, and we played two other teams that advanced to sectional finals so nine of our 24 opponents won sectionals or advanced to sectional finals.

“They worked hard all year. They were a big, competitive group. They got in a few fights in practice, but that’s what you want, that competitive nature.”

Receiving senior awards were Chad Stuckwisch, Sam Marksberry, Colton Wischmeier, Skyler Stahl, and manager Cory Stuckwisch.

Chad Stuckwisch scored 241 points for an average of 10.1 points per game with high games of 20 against Austin and 18 against Charlestown. He also topped the team in assists with 98.

Coach Stuckwisch said he had a lot of candidates for most improved, and said Kendall White and Matt McKay shared that award.

White topped the Cougars in rebounds with 124 and averaged 7.9 PPG, while McKay did an excellent job of sparking the team off the bench.

The coach said Stahl did a good job of filling his role and presented him a Cougar Award.

Wischmeier topped the team in scoring with 307 points for a 12.9 average with high games of 20 against South Decatur and Indianapolis Lutheran, and 19 against Cristal House and Christian Academy.

Marksberry topped the Cougars in steals with 56.

Coach Stuckwisch encouraged the underclassmen to work hard during the off-season.

Swim coach Jennifer Brinegar said her team of two boys and two girls had an “exciting and great season. They faced really good competition and always stepped up.”

Sabotin, a freshman, qualified for state in the 200 and 500 freestyles and placed 10th in the 500 and 17th in the 200 at the IUPUI Natatorium.

Brinegar said Stuckwisch did a good job of improving throughout the season, and had a nice time drop in the breaststroke at the Columbus North Sectional.

Lexi Keller and Spencer Muhlbach received Cougar Awards.

Cheerleader coach Brooke Carlin presented Lucy Cooper with a Cougar Award and named Liz Thompson as most improved.

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