SUPPZ.COM SWNEWS4U CO-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: Iowa-Grant’s Cyle Steffl and Boscobel’s Erin Knowles

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Athlete of the Week on Swnews4u.com is a web feature published every Thursday or Friday throughout the calendar year.

By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal, Fennimore Times, Boscobel Dial

Cyle Steffl, Sr., Guard, Iowa-Grant boys basketball
WISCONSIN DELLS — Eight area basketball players ended their prep basketball careers at the annual Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Boys’ All-Star Games on Thursday at JustAGame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells. In the boys’ Division 4 All-Star Game, Iowa-Grant shooting guard Cyle Steffl scored 14 points to help the White team record a 123-108 victory. Steffl scored nine points in White’s 42-point second quarter to turn a 12-point first-quarter deficit into a 66-60 halftime advantage. Steffl was one of eight White All-Stars to score in double figures in the victory, with all 12 scoring at least four points.

Steffl earned All-SWAL honors for the second straight year this winter and was named WBCA Division 4 Honorable Mention All-State after averaging 21 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game, best in the SWAL, while shooting 42.1 percent from the field (182-of-432), 74.3 percent from the free throw line (136-of-183) and 32.7 percent on 3-pointers (64-of-196). He led the Panthers to a 9-17 overall record and 4-10 sixth-place finish in the SWAL under first-year head coach Shawn Dailey.

Erin Knowles, Sr., Forward, Boscobel Girls Basketball
WISCONSIN DELLS — Boscobel’s Erin Knowles scored a co-team-high 13 points in Wednesday’s Division 4 Girls All-Star Game for the South stars in an 80-68 loss. The North used a dominant 31-9 first quarter to take control of the game and never relinquished the lead. Knowles made a basket in each quarter, including a 3-pointer in the second period, and finished 4 of 6 from the free throw line for her 13 points.

Three players scored in double figures for the South. New Glarus’ Lindsey Schadewalt scored nine of her 13 points in the second quarter, helping the South win the quarter 26-16 and cutting the North’s lead to 47-35 at halftime.

Knowles was named Division 4 honorable mention All-State and first-team All-SWAL by the WBCA for the third straight year this winter after averaging conference highs in scoring (25.3 ppg), rebounding (13.7 rpg). She also averaged 3.5 assists, 2.6 blocks and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 41.7 percent (219-of-525) from the field, 74.9 percent from the free throw line (137-of-183) and 19.3 percent on 3-pointers (32-of-166).

Knowles averaged 26.1 points, 14.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.9 blocks and 2.6 steals in 14 conference games while leading the Bulldogs (7-17 overall) to a 3-11 finish in the SWAL. Knowles, who will play NCAA Division III basketball at Cornell College next year, finished as the Boscobels’ all-time leading scorer with 1,783 points in 94 career games (19.0 ppg).

She also posted single-season (607 points) and single-game (40 points at Iowa-Grant Feb. 2) scores for the Bulldogs this year. Knowles, who also earned WBCA All-State honorable mention as a junior, scored 20 or more points in 19 games this year and 30-plus on seven occasions.

HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order)
Josiah Ruiz, So., Pitcher, Belmont Baseball
The Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association recently announced its 2024 postseason honors, with six local players earning All-District honors. Belmont’s Josiah Ruiz earned the highest recognition, with honorable mention All-State honors. The Belmont sophomore was one of 50 athletes to earn honorable mention All-State honors, including one of 13 pitchers.

Ruiz went 10-1 on the mound with one save, an 0.80 ERA, 107 strikeouts and 20 walks in 70 innings pitched as the Braves’ ace. He also batted .227 (15-for-66) with three doubles, six RBI, 19 runs and 17 stolen bases while helping D4 #11-ranked Belmont finish 17-4 overall, win the Six Rivers West title with a perfect 12-0 mark in SWC play.

Fourteen players earned first team All-State honors, 16 were named to the second team, while 14 athletes were named to the third team All-State, including Pecatonica’s senior pitcher/infielder Jameson Johnson (.457 batting average, 4–1 pitching, 1.81 ERA), who was named WBCA Division 4 Player of the Year. Ruiz was also one of four pitchers to receive South West first-team All-District honors, and the only sophomore to be named to the All-District first team.

The WBCA South West District, which includes the following conferences: Coulee, Dairyland, Mississippi Valley, Ridge and Valley, Scenic Bluffs, South Central, Six Rivers, Southwest Wisconsin, and the SWAL.

Five other local athletes joined Ruiz on the South West All-District team. Platteville’s seniors Riley Donahoe (3B) and Davyn Rand (OF) were named to the 12-player All-District second team. Belmont’s Tanner Simmons (OF/P), Potosi/Cassville senior Eli Adams (SS) and Iowa-Grant senior Tail Holman (P/C/IF) were among 39 players to receive honorable mention in the SW All-District competition.