The 2023-’24 Spring Grove basketball girls, with depth and pressure defense, seek to improve on their dozen wins last winter, their most in six years. But, at 12-15, it was still a sixth straight season below .500. However, Grove was 12-12 versus other Class A-size schools. The Lions were 10-8 in league play, finishing third among five teams in the SEC East for a second straight year. With the No. 12 section seed, Grove was eliminated at No. 5 Kingsland in the round of 16.
Photo by Lee Epps
Second-year head coach Taylor Elton expects depth to be a benefit. “We are a really deep team. We could realistically go at least 10 people deep, which is great for the tempo and style of play we want to do. Challenges so far have been having a wide range of ability and trying to make sure everyone gets reps is harder when you have a lot of people.”
That depth is also quite young. There are no seniors on the varsity roster, and the primary playing rotation may include three freshmen and four sophomores to go with a couple of juniors.
“We’ve placed a lot of focus on defense – with the shot clock coming into effect this year, playing defense and pressing are going to be huge for us, so we’ve been working a lot on that aspect of the game. Practice has been going well – We have some new players, so figuring out the team dynamic has been our main focus and showing them how we play.”
Graduation claimed the team steals leader and co-MVP Addyson McHugh, but the other co-MVP and the leaders in scoring, rebounds, assists, free throw percentage and field goal percentage do return. No All-SEC player returns from Spring Grove, but Kinley Soiney is available for her sophomore season after being all-conference for Mabel-Canton in both her eighth grade and freshman seasons. The 5-foot, 10-inch guard led last year’s Cougars in points (15.6 ppg), rebounds (9.0 rpg) and steals (3.9 spg). Also back is the Lions’ leading scorer (11.1 ppg) and 3-point shooter (30% 3-pt), Honorable Mention All-SEC Kylie Hammel, a 5’10” sophomore guard who averaged 5.6 rebounds.
Siri Konkel, a 5’3” sophomore point guard, returns to guide the attack after leading the Lions last year in both assists (2.1 apg) and free throw percentage (75.9%). Two-year letter winner Kendal VanMinsel, a 5’11” junior center, averaged a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game.
Already a four-year letter winner Emerson Ingvalson, a 5’7” junior guard averaged 8.0 points 3.6 rebounds. Brinley Middendorf, a 5’9” freshman forward (3.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG) was voted Most Improved. Among six returning letter winners is 5’7” sophomore guard Carlie Halverson (1.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG). Significant contributions may come from freshman guards Layla Kittleson and Izabel Kauffman. Also available is junior guard Katie Klug.
Other juniors are Rachelle Tollefsrud and Serenitie Hunsaker. The only senior is foreign exchange student Yasmine Sader. Younger candidates are sophomores Elle Berns, Addison Halverson and Addison Kessler.
“Our goals are to compete for the top of the conference, and be a team that people don’t want to play on any given night,” added Elton. “Coming off a 12-15 record from last year, I want us to have a winning record and compete with every team we play.”
In addition to the 16 home and away conference games, there are three non-conference home games against Wabasha-Kellogg, Fillmore Central and Lansing Kee. The Lions will travel to play Waukon, St. Charles, Kenyon-Wanamingo (at Hayfield), Hayfield, Turkey Valley, Rushford-Peterson and Postville (at Decorah). The SEC games with Schaeffer Academy will both be girls/boys varsity double headers with the girls playing at 6 pm and the boys to follow.
Elton will again be assisted by junior varsity coach Blaine Storlie. Both are former Spring Grove all-conference selections with Elton playing college ball at Luther and Storlie at Hamline. Former Lion standout Erin Konkel will now guide the junior high program, assisted by Jess Sherburne.
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Lions, the Last Seven Seasons
Last SEC championship 2016
2023> 12-15 (10-2 SEC, 3rd of 5)
2022> 10-17 (7-6 SEC, 3rd of 5)
2021> 3-13 (3-11 SEC, 5th of 6)
2020> 6-21 (4-9 SEC, 4th of 5)
2019> 10-12, 6-7 SEC, 3rd of 5)
2018> 10-14, 6-7 SEC, 2nd tie of 5)
2017> 15-11, 9-5 SEC, 2nd of 5)
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Spring Grove Varsity Girls
11/28 at Lanesboro
12/01 at Waukon
12/05 Kingsland
12/09 vs. Postville (at Decorah H.S.)
12/12 at Schaeffer Academy 6 pm
12/15 LeRoy-Ostrander
12/19 Wabasha-Kellogg
12/21 at St. Charles
12/27 vs. Kenyon-Wanamingo (at Hayfield 3:30 pm)
12/28 at Hayfield 7 pm
01/04 Lyle/Pacelli
01/08 at Southland
01/09 Grand Meadow
01/15 Houston
01/18 Lanesboro
01/22 at Kingsland
01/25 at Turkey Valley
01/26 Schaeffer Academy 6 pm
01/30 Fillmore Central
02/01 at LeRoy-Ostrander
02/02 Lansing Kee High
02/06 at Lyle/Pacelli (at Lyle)
02/08 Southland
02/09 at Grand Meadow
02/10 at Rushford-Peterson
02/16 at Houston
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