WINTER SPORTS PREVIEWS: GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
TMB girls’ basketball team returns plenty of talented players from last year’s squad
It doesn’t happen often in high school sports, but this year’s Tracy-Milroy-Balaton girls’ basketball team will enter the season with not a single senior.
“We have a younger group, but one that does have a little bit of experience,” said TMB coach Derek Ashbaugh, who is entering his 13h season at the helm. “It may take some time to mold this group together, but the group offers up some skill and athleticism. Hopefully the team can mesh and grow as the season moves along and compete with, and beat, top teams in the area.”
The Panthers lost seven players to graduation, but the experience from last year’s 6-20 team is truly the team’s saving grace.
Melaina Ankrum (junior), Gretchen Lanoue (sophomore), Allie Adams (junior) and Braelynn Kirk (junior) all either started or played extensively last year. Ashbaugh hopes that others players such as Lauren Knakmuhs (junior), Taylor Munson (junior), Ginny Munson (junior), Elsie Knott (sophomore) and Sierra Staufacker (sophomore) will develop into reliable options on offense and defense.
“Anytime you lose a lot of seniors, that’s really tough,” said Ashbaugh. “You’re constantly wondering, ‘How much experience do we have coming back?’ And is that experience in a position where they can be good leaders? Thankfully, we have a couple of kids back that have taken up that leadership role.”
Not helping matters is the numbers crunch the team is facing. There are only 15 girls out of basketball this year in grades 9-12.
“Losing seven girls, that’s significant,” said Ashbaugh. “It’s a challenge, but we’re looking at it as, we really have an opportunity to work with and grow this group. This junior class, all these kids have shown leadership skills and talent. It’s nice to have leadership come from different avenues.”
Ashbaugh said CMCS and Hills-Beaver Creek will be ranked in the top 15 this year in Class A, and added that Adrian brings back a lot of experience as does Minneota.
Instead of putting his own expectations on his team, Ashbaugh — yes, he wants to win the Camden and go to state for the first time since 2018 — he lets the girls set their own.
“There’s some good and bad to that,” he said. “But I want to get their ideas — what are you thinking? Because if you guys aren’t wanting to win the Camden, or to do this or that, maybe their not being honest about what they want. We do have the kind of talent here to do some good things. There’s some give-and-take with that. We maybe talk about elements of the game that we think, with our personnel, we could do really, really well.”
The Panthers open the 2025-26 campaign with a home game against Camden Conference rival RTR on Friday — tip-off at 7:30. They also have a home game against Wabasso on Nov. 25.
2025-26 TMB GIRLS’ BASKETBALL ROSTER
Juniors: Melaina Ankrum, Taylor Munson, Braelynn Kirk, Lauren Knakmuhs, Ginny Munson, Allie Adams Sophomores: Gretchen Lanoue, Elsie Knott, Sierra Staufacker Freshmen: Alli Dolan, Mesa Edwards, Elizabeth Buyck, Avery Anderson, Clara Buyck, Madelyn Elsen Eighth-grade: Stella Munson Seventh-grade: Kamryn Burns, Evelyn Buyck, Hayden Danielson, Allie Duscher, Gabby Facio, Jadyn Haugen, Skylar Johnson, Harlow Kline, Kerrigan Knapper, Shelby Knott, Caroline Lanoue, Julia Moua, Aynsley Oeltjenbruns, Chelsea Torkelson, Vanida Vang, Makayah Wildey
2025-26 SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT SQU. SITE TIME (A) Fri, Nov 21 RTR AB Tracy 7:30pm Tue, Nov 25 Wabasso AB Tracy 7:30pm Tue, Dec 2 RCW AB Renville 7:30pm Thu, Dec 4 Minneota AB Minneota 7:30pm Sat, Dec 6 WWG AB Westbrook 2:30pm Tue, Dec 9 Lakeview AB Tracy 7:30pm Fri, Dec 12 Canby AB Canby 7:30pm Sat, Dec 13 HLOF AB Tracy 4:00pm Tue, Dec 16 CMCS AB Prinsburg 7:30pm Thu, Dec 18 YME AB Tracy 7:30pm Mon, Dec 22 Red Rock Central AB Tracy 7:30pm Fri, Jan 2 MCC AB Slayton 3:30pm Thu, Jan 8 Dawson-Boyd AB Tracy 7:30pm Mon, Jan 12 KMS AB Kerkhoven 7:00pm Thu, Jan 15 LQPV AB Tracy 7:30pm Sat, Jan 17 Hills-Beaver Creek AB Hills 3:00pm Tue, Jan 20 MACCRAY AB Clara City 7:30pm Fri, Jan 23 Ortonville AB Tracy 7:30pm Tue, Jan 27 RCW AB Tracy 7:30pm Thu, Jan 29 SWC AB Tracy 7:30pm Fri, Jan 30 Minneota AB Tracy 7:30pm Mon, Feb 2 Windom AB Windom 7:30pm Thu, Feb 5 Lakeview AB Cottonwood 7:30pm Mon, Feb 9 Canby AB Tracy 7:30pm Thu, Feb 12 YME AB Granite Falls 7:30pm Mon, Feb 16 Springfield AB Springfield 6:00pm Mon, Feb 16 Camden Champ. A North Site 7:00pm Thu, Feb 19 Sub-Section Play-In A High Seed 7:00pm Sat, Feb 21 Sub-Section Qtr. A Worthington TBA Tue, Feb 24 Sub-Section Semi A Worthington TBA Fri, Feb 27 Sub-Section Final A TBD TBA Thu, March 5 Section Final A SMSU TBA March 11 – 14 State Tournament A TBD TBA
