Starting last August through the WIAA state baseball tournament there were plenty of standout boys athletes across Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties in the 2023-24 school year.
Here is a list of the top 29 boys athletes, in alphabetical order.
I’ll be focusing on the athletes top accomplishments, not necessarily every sport they competed in or accolade they received.
At the bottom of the list will be a poll to choose who you feel was the best of the entire school year.
Jude Ackeret, sr., Cedar Grove-Belgium
The senior was chosen as co-Big East South Division baseball player of the year for the Cedar Grove-Belgium baseball team. He threw 51 innings and had an earned run average of 1.922 with 79 strikeouts compared to 35 walks.
Pierce Arenz, sr., Kiel
Arenz capped a stellar career for the Kiel boys basketball team, earning first-team all-Division 3 honors in addition to being named the Eastern Wisconsin Conference player of the year and the Lakeshore Elite boys basketball player of the year. He averaged 19.4 points and 4.2 assists per game.
Nash Banko, jr., Oostburg
Banko finished third at 175-pounds at the WIAA Division 3 individual wrestling tournament for the Oostburg wrestling team.
Silas Dailey, sr., Plymouth
Dailey placed second at 190 in Division 2 at the WIAA state wrestling tournament for the Plymouth wrestling team.
Eyan Dessellier, sr., Kiel
Dessellier was named first-team all-state as an infielder and co-Northeast district Division 2 player of the year by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association for the Kiel baseball team. He was also the EWC baseball player of the year and first team at both infield and pitcher after batting .430 with 37 hits, 26 RBIs and 27 runs scored. On the mound, he tossed 63 innings with a 0.778 ERA, 98 strikeouts compared to 30 walks. Dessellier was also a standout wrestler for the Kiel wrestling team, finishing second at 165-pounds at the WIAA Division 2 state individual wrestling tournament.
Cade Dirkse, so., Oostburg
Dirkse earned honorable mention all-state by the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association in addition to Big East/EWC defensive player of the year for the Oostburg boys soccer team. The sophomore was also the Big East South Division player of the year for the Oostburg boys basketball team, averaging 19 points and five assists per game. He was honorable mention Division 3 by the WBCA.
Camden Dvorachek, sr., Reedsville
Dvorachek earned first-team all-state small school by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association as a defensive end for the Reedsville football team. He was also the Big East defensive player of the year after compiling 110 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss and six sacks.
Brody Feldmann, jr., Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah
Feldmann won a trio of state medals at the WIAA Division 3 state track and field championships for the Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah boys track and field team. He earned a bronze medal in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.98 seconds while taking fourth in the 300 hurdles (39.73) and fifth in the 200 (22.41). Feldmann was the Lakeshore Elite boys track and field athlete of the year.
Trent Grunewald, jr., Howards Grove
Grunewald was the Big East North Division player of the year in addition to being named all-Division 4 by the WBCA. He averaged 19 points and nine rebounds per game.
Evan Harrison, sr., Roncalli
Harrison took home a silver medal in the 500-yard freestyle of the WIAA Division 2 boys swimming and diving championships for the Two Rivers/Roncalli boys swimming team. He finished with a time of 4 minutes and 38.49 seconds.
Justin Klinkner, sr., Two Rivers
Klinkner was a standout football player and wrestler. He earned the WIAA Division 2 title at 175 pounds, earning a 3-1 decision over Espyn Sweers of Mauston/Nece. Klinkner was the Lakeshore Elite boys wrestler of the year. In football, he was the co-offensive player of the year in the EWC after throwing for just under 2,000 yards and 24 touchdowns for the Two Rivers football team. He also ran for just shy of 500 yards and 11 scores on the ground.
Ryan Koll, sr., Plymouth
Koll was unanimous all-ECC at both tight end/full back and defensive line for the Plymouth football team. He also earned the conference defensive end of the year and was co-defensive player of the year after compiling 61 tackles and 11 tackles for loss.
Parker Maney, jr., Reedsville
Maney was the Big East offensive player of the year, excelling as a running quarterback for the Reedsville football team. His 2,091 yards rushing were fifth in the state, adding 28 touchdowns.
Logan Marquardt, sr., Mishicot
Marquardt was a unanimous first-team all-Big East North Division selection at outfield and the player of the year in the division for the Mishicot baseball team. He batted .474 with 27 hits, 18 runs scored and 18 RBIs.
Chase Matthias, sr., Two Rivers
Like Klinkner, Matthias was a star on both the gridiron and wrestling mat. He finished second at 215 at the WIAA Division 2 state individual wrestling tournament. In football, Matthias was first-team all-state small school as a running back and linebacker by the WFCA in addition to co-offensive player in the EWC. He ran for 1,904 yards and 29 touchdowns at running back while compiling 107 total tackles and 24 tackles for loss on defense. Matthias was the Lakeshore Elite football player of the year.
More Chase Matthias:Lakeshore Elite football: Chase Matthias 'probably the best' in Two Rivers history
Max Matthias, so., Two Rivers
The younger Matthias earned a bronze medal at 182 for the Two Rivers wrestling team at the WIAA Division 2 state wrestling tournament. Matthias was also first-team all-state small school as a defensive lineman by the WFCA and defensive player of the year in the EWC. He racked up 150 total tackles and 36 tackles for loss.
Carson Mersberger, sr., Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah
Mersberger finished tied for second at the WIAA Division 3 state boys golf championships for the Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah boys golf team. He carded a 6-over, 114 at Blackwolf Run in Kohler.
Sawyer Moore, jr., Kiel
Moore earned a bronze medal in diving at the WIAA Division 2 boys swimming and diving championships for the Kiel/Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah boys swimming team. He finished with a score of 336.90 in the finals.
Jackson Neilitz, jr., Plymouth
Neilitz was named the ECC baseball player of the year as an outfielder for the Plymouth baseball team. He batted .457 with 32 hits, 15 extra-base hits, 25 RBIs and 33 runs scored.
Brady Oelhafen, jr., Cedar Grove-Belgium
The junior was chosen as co-Big East South Division baseball player of the year for the Cedar Grove-Belgium baseball team. He batted .262 with 17 hits, 23 RBIs and 21 runs scored as an infielder.
Owen Plate, sr., Plymouth
Plate was named first-team all-state small school as a kicker by the WFCA for the Plymouth football team. He made four of his eight field goal attempts on the season and was 41-for-41 on extra point attempts.
More Owen Plate:This Plymouth kicker can make a 60-yard FG and has interest from Wisconsin and Notre Dame
Stone Pomeroy, sr., Random Lake
Pomeroy claimed the WIAA Division 3 state wrestling championship at 150 for the Random Lake wrestling team. He won via a narrow 5-4 decision over Blake Carton of Shiocton.
Nolan Sand, jr., Mishicot
Sand was named Northeast district Division 3 player of the year by the WBCA for the Mishicot baseball team. He was also named first-team all-Big East North Division as a pitcher. Sand tossed 43 innings with a 1.628 ERA and 60 strikeouts to just 18 walks.
Logan Schad, fr., Kiel
The freshman placed third at 113 at the WIAA Division 2 wrestling tournament for the Kiel wrestling team.
Joe Schoeder, sr., Cedar Grove-Belgium
Schoeder took second at 215 for the Cedar Grove-Belgium wrestling team at the WIAA Division 3 state tournament.
Kayden Schultz, so., Plymouth
Schultz was the ECC boys basketball player of the year for the Plymouth boys basketball team, averaging 19 points, five rebounds and four assists per game. He was honorable mention all-Division 2 by the WBCA.
Toren Vandenbush, sr., Random Lake
Vandenbush earned a silver medal at 165 at the WIAA Division 3 wrestling tournament for the Random Lake wrestling team.
Noah Wech, sr., Manitowoc Lincoln
Wech, the 2024 Lakeshore Elite baseball player of the year, was named the co-player of the year in the Fox River Classic Conference, first-team all-state pitcher and the Division 1 all-Northeast district player of the year by the WBCA. On the mound, Wech threw 52 innings and had an earned run average of 0.94 while fanning 87 batters. Offensively, he batted .409 with 38 hits and 26 RBIs.
Maddux Wendling, sr., Valders
Wendling finished second in Division 3 at 120 for the Valders wrestling team.
Contact Tom Dombeck at 920-686-2965 ortdombeck@htrnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at@Tom_Dombeck.
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