JAMES KRAUSE
The La Crosse Tribune will recognize the accomplishments of five high school girls athletes from our coverage area each week.
This week, we look at five female athletes making contributions to their team's success. We invite readers to vote for the Supernova, the performance that most stood out to you.
Here are this week's nominees.
Charley Casey racking up rebounds for Holmen
The Holmen Vikings girls basketball team (1-2) has a small sample size of nonconference games, but a common thread in each one has been the rebounding ability of senior forward Charley Casey.
Casey had 10 rebounds in each of the first two games of the season despite her team falling short. Casey added six points and two blocks in a loss to Prairie du Chien on Tuesday.
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A double-double from Casey turned the tide for Holmen in its game against DeForest on Friday. The senior finished with 10 points -- second on the team behind junior Macy Kline -- and 15 of her team's 32 rebounds, along with three assists and two blocks.
With a win under its belt, Holmen plays a home game on Tuesday against Stevens Point before going on an eight-game run of road games that doesn't end until Jan. 21.
Sammy Davis helps Aquinas end losing skid with double-double
The Aquinas Blugolds girls basketball team struggled to start the year, entering a Saturday road meeting with Bangor on a three-game losing streak after an opening victory.
Junior wing Sammy Davis ensured the losing streak wouldn't continue, scoring 26 points in a 6558 win over the Cardinals. Davis also had 10 rebounds and five steals.
Aquinas coach Dave Donarski acknowledged that Davis has taken the team's tough start to heart. Donarski said Davis struck a nice balance between patience and aggression against Bangor.
"It's been a little bit of a struggle early on and I think she's put a lot of pressure on herself," Donarski said. "Teams are keying in on her but I felt she was a little more patient tonight and aggressive in transition. She's incredibly athletic and she's a great finisher. There's some stuff we're going to refine but I love the step she took today."
The double-double on Saturday was Davis' second of the year. The first came in the Blugolds (2-3) opening win over Beaver Dam on Nov. 22, scoring 16 points and recording 15 rebounds.
The Blugolds open MVC play on Thursday when they visit Logan, followed by a home game against Holmen on Saturday.
Diana Hanson gets shutout in Coulee Region hockey's first win
The Coulee Region Cyclones co-op hockey team picked up its first win of the season on Tuesday with a shutout in net from senior goaltender Diana Hanson.
Hanson recorded 18 saves in a 5-0 road win over Viroqua. She now averages 23.3 saves per game. It was her 11th career shutout, according to Wisconsin Prep Hockey.
The Cyclones (1-1-1) are already ahead of the curve from last season when they managed just one win in 23 games. Hanson is one of eight seniors on a roster that is looking to turn the team back around to the 20-win team of years past.
The Cyclones return to the Panther Den Ice Arena in West Salem on Thursday for the first of three home games in a week. First on the docket will be the Eau Claire Area Stars.
West Salem's Megan Johnson boasts trio of strong performances
Last year's Tribune girls basketball player of the year is off to a strong start in her senior campaign.
West Salem senior Megan Johnson has the Panthers (6-1) on a hot streak with three great performances in as many games over the past week. She scored 20 points in a dominant victory, 71-38, over Viroqua on Tuesday.
Johnson followed up that performance with a double-double against Onalaska on Thursday in a 61-38 win. The senior had 21 points, 12 rebounds and eight steals against the Hilltoppers.
To cap off the week, Johnson scored 19 points in a 56-46 win over Hudson on Saturday at UW-River Falls. The Winona State commit is averaging 18.8 points per game so far this season, according to WisSports.
West Salem has a pair of road Coulee Conference games ahead this week, starting Tuesday against Black River Falls.
Luther's Cara Unke making an impact early in her career
It might take the typical high school freshman basketball player a few games to get consistent minutes in a varsity rotation, let alone make important contributions.
That's not the case for Onalaska Luther freshman Cara Unke, who recorded a double-double in just her fourth high school game.
Unke got plenty of playing time off the bench in a 73-28 blowout win over G-E-T on Friday. She made the most of it, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
She had a more limited role against Westby on Tuesday, but still found a way to contribute with four points, three assists and five steals. The Knights (3-1, 2-0) beat the Norsemen 51-26 on the road.
Luther hopes to continue a strong start to its conference schedule on Tuesday with a visit to Arcadia, the only other team in conference play at 2-0.
James Krause can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @jkrausepro.
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