The team competed in the Class B “entering 9th grade” division. Coaching the girls was Melissa Orbeck.
On Friday night, the seeding round was a tough one for the girls. They faced Rochester Lourdes and were out-scored by two hoops. In the second round they faced Rockville and were tied at halftime. But in the third quarter, Rockville pulled ahead by five and held onto the lead.
The first round of medal contention started Saturday morning. Paynesville faced Maccray in their first game. The girls held a 12-6 lead in the first quarter and won 30-25. The next game put them up against New London in the single elimination tournament. The loss ended their competition.
“Through 8 a.m. games, taped ankles, flowers, shopping, car pools and pep talks, we felt the tournament was educational and exciting for all,” Cheryl Veldkamp and Dawn Orbeck, mothers of players, said.
The girls also played a Saturday travelling league which ended season play with a 4-8 record. The girls scored 705 points and gave up only 398 points during regular season play.
Team members were Katrina Orbeck, Kristi Noonan, Stephanie Krupke, Mellody Veldkamp, Krista Bengtson, Ginni Lahr, Brett Bork, Angie Jensen, Laurie Gertken, Erica Geier, Crystal Humbert, Amanda Olmscheid, and Jamie Teicher.