Maddie Ahlstrom taking her basketball talents to Grand View ...

Waukon girls basketball senior Maddie Ahlstrom signed her letter of intent to continue her basketball career at Grand View University in Des Moines Friday, April 12, holding that ceremony in the Waukon High School gymnasium where she helped the Indians to a 19-4 season record and advancement to the semifinal round of the Class 3A State Tournament during her final season and also helped herself to the top of the Waukon girls basketball five-player career lists with 286 assists and an 81% free throw shooting percentage. Pictured at left at the letter signing ceremony are: Left to right - Front row: Kiara, Vicki, Maddie and Brian Ahlstrom; Back row: Grand View University Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach Will Marchino and Head Coach Kelli Greenway, and Waukon Girls Basketball Head Coach Greg Criswell and Assistant Coaches Ben Rausch and Bob Wasson.

Ahlstrom said Grand View felt like it was the perfect fit for her right away, both academically and in her favorite sport. “I love the school and the coaches were very welcoming and made me feel like part of the team right away,” she said. She intends to continue her role of point guard with the Vikings and will also be pursuing a Biology major at Grand View. She had also considered William Penn University and Coe College as other choices to continue her basketball and academic careers.

Coach Greenway said her coaching staff is always looking at “the intangibles” when recruiting a player to join their program. “We really like Maddie’s calmness she plays with, she’s always very collected and that will be a big positive for her at this next level,” Coach Greenway shared. “We also really liked her vision of the entire court, and she has the ability to take the ball to the rim and shoots well from outside. We think she’ll be a great fit for our program.”

Ahlstrom will join fellow Northeast Iowa Conference stand-out Shannon Pisney of Crestwood on the Grand View roster. Another former Cadet, Madison Sickles, just wrapped up her career at Grand View with completion of this past season in which the Vikings played to a 12-19 season record. Other players adding further familiarity to the Grand View roster from the local area include Sadie Nymeyer of Turkey Valley and Brooke Trausch of Prairie du Chien, WI.