The Hortonville girls basketball team was eliminated in the WIAA State Semifinals on Thursday after falling to top seed Beaver Dam, 54-43.
"The hardest part is saying good bye to our seniors," Hortonville head coach Celeste Ratka said. "They're a really special group.
The three seniors - Mady Pahl, Shay Frederick and Lexi Walter - helped the Polar Bears make the State Tournament in back-to-back seasons. Before that, Hortonville hadn't been to State in 30 years.
"I'm just so proud of how we came in," senior guard Shay Frederick said. "We worked our butts off this whole year and I think it showed."
Hortonville was led by center Morgan McGlone with 18 points. McGlone is one of nine promising underclassman on the team.
"We have a lot of great youth on the team but nothing is a given," coach Ratka said. "We have the talent to make another run but if you ask this young lady [Shay Frederick] how much work she's put in to be here two years in a row, I think it would probably blow some of their minds."
