A new and historic era dawned in Avon Monday night when the Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy Phoenix won their first game of this inaugural softball season. And F/M/FA didn’t just win; it dominated, downing the Pirates 29-6 in a game shortened to three innings because of the mercy rule.

Freeman High School senior Kate Miller was named to the 2022-23 Cornbelt Conference First Team for her play on the hardwood this past season. Erin Uecker, also a senior, was named to the second team while junior Ashlin Jacobsen was named to the the third team. Viborg-Hurley, which won its second-straight Class B championship Saturday night in Huron, was the conference champion with a 7-0 record.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER Lance Friesen, head boys basketball coach at Freeman Public, needed just one word to describe the Flyers’ showdown with Freeman Academy/Marion last week. “Ugly.”

The Freeman Academy/Marion boys were upset by Irene-Wakonda in the third round of the Region 4B Tournament Friday night, March 3. The second-seed Bearcats lost to the third-seed Eagles 62-52 and finish the season 13-9. Irene-Wakonda takes an 11-11 record into Tuesday's SoDak 16, where as the No. 16-seed will face No. 1 Lower Brule.

Gayville-Volin used 10 three-pointers as a team and 27 points from sophomore Spencer Karstens to outlast Menno in the opening round of the Region 4B Tournament Tuesday night, Feb. 27. The No. 9-seed Raiders edged the No. 8-seed Wolves 56-53 in Menno and will take a 4-17 record in Tuesday’s second round against No. 1 Viborg-Hurley. Menno and its 10 seniors finish the season with a 3-18 mark.

The scouting report on Centerville is quite simple: The girls can shoot. On Saturday night, Freeman got an up close and personal look at just how well.

The Region 4B Boys Basketball Tournament bracket is set and Freeman Academy/Marion will host Freeman Public Tuesday night, Feb. 28 in Sterling Hall at 6 p.m. FAM is 12-8 and the region's No. 2 seed while Freeman is 5-15 and the No. 7 seed. The tournament begins Monday night with No. 8 Menno (3-17) hosting No. 9 Gayville-Volin (3-17) at 6 p.m.

Girls basketball teams from Freeman Academy/Marion and Menno saw their 2022-23 seasons come to a close in the Region 5B Tournament Tuesday, Feb. 21.

Freeman's three wrestlers competing at the State Wrestling Tournament in Rapid City were all eliminated in the first day of competition Thursday, Feb. 23. Brody Gossen (106 lbs.), Easton Tschetter (112 lbs.) and Finley McConniel (120 lbs.) all lost their opening-round match late Thursday morning. Gossen and McConniel stayed alive by winning their respective matches in the first round consolation — Tschetter was eliminated — but both went on to drop their third match Thursday night.

A solid defensive effort, like this shown by Rylee Peters (20) and Erin Uecker helped lead the Freeman Public girls to a 62-36 win over Alcester-Hudson in the Region 4B Tournament Tuesday night in Centerville. Here's the full report.