We’re hoping everyone could answer a few of the Pierce County Sports Trivia questions posed in last week’s Pierce County Journal without getting on the internet for help. This Pierce County Sports Trivia is just the first that will occur once a month in the Journal, so be looking for the second round later in April.
To recap last week’s questions, we asked about the county schools’ performances in the WIAA State Basketball Tournament. The 2025-26 high school basketball seasons have been completed with five new champions in both girls and boys WIAA play with no Pierce County school participating this year.
The WIAA began State Basketball Tournament began in Spring 1916 for the boys and in 1976 for the girls making, this year the 110th for the boys and 50th for the girls. Pierce County Schools, or combinations of them, to consider are Ellsworth, Elmwood, Plum City, Prescott, River Falls and Spring Valley.
Now the questions and answers:
#1 - Who was the first boys basketball team to compete in the WIAA State Tourney and what year?
Ellsworth competed in the first WIAA State Tournament held in 1916.
#2 – Who was the first girls basketball team to compete in the WIAA State Tourney and what year?
Ellsworth was the first of the county schools to compete in the WIAA State Girls Tournament in 1991.
#3 – Who was the first boys basketball team to compete in the WIAA State Championship game and what year?
River Falls was the first county school to play in the State Championship game, losing to Stevens Point in the 1926 finals.
#4 – Who was the first girls basketball team to compete in the WIAA State Championship game and what year?
In Ellsworth’s first appearance in the 1991 State Girls Tournament, they lost in the Championship game to Prairie du Chein.
#5 – What county school was the first to win a WIAA State Boys Championship and what year?
Spring Valley won the county’s first State Basketball title in 1992 after losing in the 1991 Championship game.
#6 – What county school was the first to win a WIAA State Girls Championship and what year?
As of today, there is no Pierce County school that has won the WIAA Girls State Basketball Championship.
#7 – Who was the last county school to win a WIAA State Championship in either boys or girls and what year was this?
The last county school to win a State Basketball Championship for either boys or girls was Prescott boys in 2018.
#8 – What school has appeared in the most combined WIAA State Basketball Tournaments for both boys’ and girls?
River Falls has a combined 10 appearances in the WIAA State Tournament, nine in boys and one in girls.

Hope you enjoyed this first version of Pierce County Sports Trivia. Look for the second edition of Pierce County Sports Trivia later in April.