Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Opelt, Schoengarth, Gaier
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 5/26/2021
Neillsville’s Opelt Named a WBCA All-Star (2021
Graduating Neillsville High School senior Bella Opelt, who played on the school’s varsity basketball team, was recently named a Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association All-Star. The selection solidified her as one of the top players of her division in the state in the eyes of a committee comprised of coaches throughout the state. File photo
By Ryan Spoehr
Neillsville’s Bella Opelt, who just graduated from the city’s high school, was able to add jet another accolade to her resume prior to picking up her diploma.
Last month, Opelt was selected by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) to be on the WBCA Division 4 North All-Stars roster for the upcoming all-star game next month.
“It’s a great opportunity. I’m very happy I was able to be qualified to be in this, Opelt said.
A selection committee made up of coaches from around the state recently decided who made the all-star teams in each division. With being selected, Opelt was recognized by the WBCA as one of the top 24 senior basketball players in her division in the 2020-21 season.
“It feels really good. It makes me feel confident that I played really good basketball over my four years in high school,” Opelt said. “It just makes me really happy that I was good enough in other people’s eyes.”
The 2021 WBCA Division 4 Girls Basketball all-Star Game will be at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, July 14 at JustAGame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells.
Opelt had the chance to play there in a preseason game at the high school level and league ball outside of school.
“It’s going to be very exciting.” Opelt said. “The environments around there, it’s always fun playing in the Dells, no matter what.”
Opelt who was known throughout her high school basketball tenure for her competitive spirit, is already looking forward to squaring off against the best of her contemporaries on the court in the all-star game.
“I know it’s going to be really fun and competitive. All the other girls who were invited are super good too, so I’m just re ally excited to have that competition to paly with those girls,” Opelt said.
Throughout her high school basketball career, Opelt was regularly named to the all-conference team to the all-conference team in the Cloverbelt-East. She made a name for herself in Warrior team history when she scored her 1000th point in her high school varsity career Jn. 11.
This past season, Opelt was her team’s leading scorer with 14.9 points per game. She led the team with 2.9 assists per game and 3.2 steals per game as well. Her 67 overall steals over the course of the season was also tops on the team.
That mirrored what she did in the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season. That season, she led the team with 14.8 points per game. She was second on the tam only to Alli Schoengarth in steals per game with 3.2. Schoengarth had 3.6.
Neillsville head coach John Gaier, who is a part of the 2021 WBCA Hall of Fame class, frequently commends student accomplishments for on and off the court. This achievement for Opelt is no different.
“This is a tremendous achievement,” Gaier said. “We have been fortunate to have a number of players selected to the all-star game in the past, and Bella has certainly earned that right this year. She is not only a great individual player, but she is a great leader and teammate.
“Bella has put in the time and effort that it takes to be a champion and all-star. She not only represents herself but represents our entire community well. I am very proud of her. She deserves this honor because she earned this honor.”
Opelt is not done with basketball. She plans to play for the Ripon College women’s basketball team starting this fall. She signed a letter of intent to play there earlier this year.
