Tri-County ends momentous basketball season with Player and Coach of the Year honors

The Tri-County Penguins Basketball team showed that teamwork really does make the dream work, as this year’s team included the Central Wisconsin Conference (CWC) Player and Coach of the Year. Tri-County Junior RJ Meddaugh was selected unanimously as the first boys’ basketball Player of the Year in recent school history, while Coach Brian Siegenthaler was voted as Coach of the Year.
Meddaugh has been playing basketball since the first grade, and has shared the court with his Coach Brian Seigenthaler his entire high school career. The 25/26 season has been the most wins the team has seen in a single season in a while, Coach Siegenthaler shared. The year before Meddaugh started on the team, the Penguins had lost 41 games in a row. In the previous five years, the team only saw two wins. This year, the team came together and redeemed the Penguins with 12 wins this season.
This year’s team came together to bring home their first playoff win (59-55) in 17 years from Florence. Meddaugh reflected on the turning points this season, also highlighting their first time beating their conference rivals from Rosholt. These experiences helped him learn the importance of being a good teammate. “You can’t do it without them,” he shared, “Everyone keeps each other motivated on and off the court.”
On top of his impressive work on the court, Meddaugh also showcases his talents in a variety of other school activities and athletics. He participates in the National Honor Society, Quiz Bowl, Mathletes, and Future Farmers of America, all on top of being a 4.0 student. This also earned him the Academic All-State honors along with seven other teammates.
In addition to basketball, Meddaugh enjoys playing soccer and baseball this spring. Looking forward, Meddaugh will continue his athletic career through his senior season at Tri-County. He will be one of seven expected seniors on next year’s basketball team.

Coach Seigenthaler touched on some important moments as a team this past season, noting that one of the best practices came from a joint practice with the middle school players around the Christmas season. “Juniors and our senior took the lead in coaching the younger players,” he shared, “This kind of chemistry our team has can’t be manufactured.”
Meddaugh also shared his perspective from this experience, stating, “It is neat to see the younger athletes looking up to you. It motivates us to do as much as we can to set a good example.” He added that he enjoyed seeing the younger players attend varsity games to cheer on the team.
He also observed an increase in Penguin fans turning up to support the team. Meddaugh enjoyed sharing these moments with the support of Penguin parents and fans.
The Tri-County Penguins have one lone senior graduating from the team this year. Next year, the team is expecting to have seven seniors, which is sure to lead to another exciting season on the court.