Spartans runners-up in 2A

By: 
Jake Ryder

DES MOINES – A remarkable run for the Grundy Center girls basketball team came to an end on Saturday night.
  
The Spartans battled through a tough Class 2A bracket to get back to the title game, but Treynor put together an impressive all-around performance in the 2A championship game, winning 48-30 and handing Grundy Center its only loss of the season.
  
At 24-1, the Spartans finish a two-year stretch with a 48-3 record and two state runner-up trophies. The seniors have also presided over four-consecutive NICL West titles.
  
But Saturday's loss still hurts, especially for a group of seniors that have played their final game together after a childhood spent playing together.
  
"The loss stings a lot, but playing with my teammates, for the people that root for us, there'll never be anything like it," Spartan senior Hailey Wallis said. "I'm blessed and grateful for the memories we do have together."
  
Wallis finished on the all-tournament team for the second consecutive season. Treynor's Konnor Sudmann was named the all-tournament team captain.
 
...
 
The memories that the Spartan seniors have made with each other are countless over four strong years of basketball, as well as state-tournament runs in volleyball and appearances at state cross country and state track. Hailey Wallis, Maddie McMartin, Sydney Mathews, Kylie Willis, Brooke Flater, Reegan Zinkula, Sarah Lindeman, Cora Saak and Brittany Burroughs leave Wells Fargo Arena knowing they've inspired future Spartans.
  
"The little girls in the crowd, they don't see silver and gold," Wallis said. "They see people that they look up to, that they want to be like. I'm so happy that as a group of seniors, we were able to lead this team and lead future generations of Spartan basketball, to show people what they can accomplish."
  
Lindeman added: "We did not finish the way we wanted, but not having the state championship trophy doesn't diminish what we've done. All you can do is try, and these girls have done that game after game and again tonight. … I'm so very proud of what they've done this year and over the course of four years."
 
To order prints of these photos, click here.
 

 
For the full story, see this week's Grundy Register. Subscribe by calling (319) 824-6958 or clicking here. 

The Grundy Register

601 G. Avenue - P.O. Box 245
Grundy Center, IA 50638
Telephone: 1-319-824-6958
Fax: 1-800-340-0805

Mid-America Publishing

This newspaper is part of the Mid-America Publishing Family. Please visit www.midampublishing.com for more information.