AGWSR's Karsjens returns from injury improved

   ACKLEY – Nathan Karsjens isn’t exactly sure when he fractured his hand.
   It could have been one play during AGWSR’s home football finale with North Iowa, what felt like he had jammed a knuckle before popping it back into place.
   Maybe it was the second play, where his hand went to the ground again and the knuckle didn’t pop back.
   “I was like, that’s kind of weird,” Karsjens said. “Then the trainer said there was a lot of movement.”
   The result was a spiral fracture in Karsjens’ right hand that took him out of AGWSR’s first-round playoff game with Central Elkader and kept him out of the Cougar boys’ basketball team’s first few games.
   The 6-foot-6 senior is back on the court, averaging over 18 points per game and leading the team in rebounds and blocks as the Cougars have rebounded from a tough skid to gut out a pair of close victories as part of AGWSR’s three-game winning streak going into Tuesday’s home game with Hudson.
   Along the way, the senior has passed the 1,000-point mark for his career.
   “He’s taken on a leadership role,” AGWSR coach Russ Banzhaf said. “Defensively, he’s gotten better and offensively he sees a lot of double and triple teams and he’s doing a good job of finding the open man out of that.”
   For more on how Karsjens made the most of his unfortunately-timed injury to be a better basketball player, check out the Jan. 19 Grundy Register.