Lynn Binnie

No. 4 UW-W Volleyball Secures Spot in Regional Final

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

Mount Vernon, Iowa — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team swept Washington University-St. Louis 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-18) in the second round of NCAA regional play Friday evening in Mount Vernon, Iowa. With the victory, the Warhawks earn a spot in the regional final for the second consecutive season. 

UWW will play the winner of Northwestern (MN) and host Cornell College in the regional championship at 5 p.m. Saturday. The UNW/CC match is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday. Editor’s note: Northwestern (MN) beat Cornell 3-2, so UWW will face No. 1 seed and fifth-ranked Northwestern in the regional final.

The Warhawks were efficient hitting .237 in the match while the UWW defense held the Bears to just .080 attacking. 

WashU had a 7-6 lead in the first set when a 3-0 run for the Warhawks gave UWW a 9-7 lead. Although the Bears came back to tie the set 18-18, UW-Whitewater never trailed the rest of the set. From that even point, UWW scored seven of the next eight to pick up the first set win. 

An early 5-0 run in the second gave UWW an 8-3 advantage and the Warhawks never looked back. Jenna Weinfurt (Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) put the finishing touch on the set with a kill for the final point. 

In the third, UW-Whitewater strung together a run of six to jump out to a 10-3 lead. Another five-point run mid-set widened the gap to 17-9 and all but sealed the set and match. Ally Warburton (St. Charles, Ill./North) hammered down a kill for match point and a Bear miscue sealed the win for UWW. 

Kirsten Anderson (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) led the Warhawks with 13 kills in 26 attempts while committing just a single error. Warburton joined Anderson in double figures with 11 kills. 

The nation’s top blocking team posted 10 total blocks led by a solo and five assists from Abbie Dix (Brodhead, Wis./Brodhead). Aubrie Krzus (Wheaton, Ill./Warrenville South) added a solo and four assists while dishing out 30 assists in the match. 

In the backcourt, Morgan Jensen (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) registered 22 digs. Krzus posted 14 and Weinfurt added 13. 

WHS Players Mean Girls, High School Version – Performances Sat. & Sun.

Best way to jump start the Holiday Season??? Easy answer: Taking in a performance of the Whitewater High School’s red-hot production of “Mean Girls, High School Version.” 

Based on the Paramount Pictures film “Mean Girls,” performances will be held November 18 at 7 p.m. and November 19 at 2 p.m. in the newly named James Stewart Auditorium located in the Whitewater High School. 

General Admission seating is $10 for adults and $7 for students. Call the box office at 262-472-8178 for more information.

“Mean Girls, The High School Version” tells the story of Cady Heron, a teenage girl who finds herself in a public high school after years of being home-schooled on the African savanna. Confronted with the animalistic social order of American teenagers, Cady devises a plan to topple the school’s queen bee Regina George and her cohorts: The Plastics.

Under the artistic direction of Jim McCulloch and musical direction of Liz Elliott, the cast and crew have been working very hard preparing for opening night. 

Due to mature themes and language a rating of PG-13 is recommended for audiences.

Cast members include Brooke Mason, Alex Sullivan, Ayden Clark, Hayleigh Pond, Haley Keltesch, Lauren Rollette, Cosette Wildermuth-Breizman, Chacha Binag, Ava Van Daele, Alex Clarksen, David Enns, Jocelyn Alcala, Ian Agen, Hailee Ambrose, Deven Bawden,  Kaci Beaver, Belle Cohen, Peyton Comfort,  Esteban Diaz-Gallegos, Vivian Harris, Nina Heim, Jimmy Kinson, Ameera Lin, Ruth Lopez, Sam Nickelsburg, Sophia Noonan,  Kai Peterson, Lia Ramirez, A’lani Ross, Josie Selby, Taylor Speerbrecher, Willow Vogelzang, Sophia Walenton, and Elora Wildermuth-Breizman. 

Putting their talents to work as part of the Production Crew are Kara Long and Gabi Kirley (Stage Managers), Taytum Atkins (Choreography), Kat Dunham (Tech Director), Alexa Casino-Pena (Costumes),  Matt Zingheim (Sound), Kerry Ramsden (Scenic Painter), Payton Bunger, Natalia Gallegos, Laken DePorter, Emerson Dunham, Ava Nygren, Lucy Troxel, Joshua Nygren, Rae Breisath, Ace Hudec, Miles Nickelsburg, Taiya Kolb, Payton Peacock, and Cora Schimming. 

The Pit Band Members include Sam Averill (Conductor), Liz Elliott, Thayer Coburn, Isabelle Lavertu, Liz Ngabo, Jay Downs, Dante Baker, Justin Kamp, Maddie Blain, Samantha Van Daele, Kayla Mikos, and Adam Drefs.

Before each performance, Tom Ganser’s photos will be displayed from the Whitewater High School Players productions of “The Little Mermaid” (2019), “Footloose” (2021), and “Beauty and the Beast” (2022).

Put “See ‘Mean Girls, High School Version’ on your To Do List.

Dawson Miller Qualifies for 2024 Hyrox World Championship Race in France

Dawson Miller

Editor’s note: The following story was provided by Elizabeth Miller.

WHS and UW-W Grad Dawson Miller Places 2nd in Division at Hyrox Chicago, Qualifies for 2024 Hyrox World Championship in France

On Saturday, November 11th, Dawson Miller, a graduate of Whitewater High School (2011) and UW-Whitewater (BBA Finance ‘15, MBA Data Analytics ‘17) placed second overall in the Men’s Open Division at Hyrox Chicago. Hyrox is known as the “World Series of Fitness Racing,” with over 40 races around the world in 2023 alone. He and the first place finisher are the first two Americans to break the hour mark in the open division. Miller’s time of 59:53 qualified him to compete at the Hyrox World Championships in Nice, France next June.

#FlashbackFriday with the Historical Society: Six-horse Hitch

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. This week we feature a great photo of a six-horse hitch pulling a wagon on Whitewater Street. The ability to handle a team of six horses was a skill any farmer or drayman would be proud of and was probably not a common sight, hence someone taking this photo. The photo dates from between 1900, when city hall (in the background) was completed and around 1917, when brick pavement replaced the dirt street shown in the photo.

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

(3840P, Whitewater Historical Society)

UW-W Men’s Cross Country Set for NCAA Championships

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s cross country team is headed to Newville, Pennsylvania for the NCAA Division III Championships hosted by Dickinson College this Saturday. 

Championship Information:
Date: Saturday, November 18
Host: Dickinson College
Location: Big Spring High School in Newville, PA
Time: 10 a.m. CST start (men’s race)
Live Coverage: Video available on ncaa.com (runs through awards ceremony)

The Warhawks will send eight runners to the national championship meet – seven will compete on Saturday. UW-Whitewater finished 10th in the 2022 national meet. The Warhawks have finished among the top 10 five times in program history including fifth place finishes in 2021 and 1999.  

“Our goal is to finish better than we ever have before in the national meet,” said Coach Jeff Miller. “We have seven runners that have competed in a national meet before,” continued Miller. “That’s a relatively rare feat, so we’re excited for Saturday’s championship.” 

UW-Whitewater enters the 2023 NCAA Division III Championship ranked sixth according to the latest USTFCCCA poll. The Warhawks have won all but three meets this season – each time finishing second to the No. 1 or No. 2 team in the Division III poll that week.

The Warhawks are led by Christian Patzka (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) this season. The junior was named the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week three times this season – October 2, October 16 and October 30. 

UW-Whitewater will have five All-Region runners including two runners who are two-time All-Americans. Patzka was the 2022 runner-up registering the top finish for a UWW runner in program history. Both Patzka and Gunner Schlender (Brillion, Wis./Brillion) have placed among the top 30 at the national meet each of the last two seasons. Seven Warhawks earned All-WIAC honors this season – the largest contingent in program history.

For more information on each of the Warhawks headed to the championship: https://uwwsports.com/news/2023/11/13/mens-cross-country-ncaa-cross-country-championship-preview.aspx

Jefferson County Seeks Applicants to Fair Advisory Board

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from the Jefferson County administrator.

The Jefferson County Fair Park Committee is asking interested community members to apply for a position on the Fair Advisory Board. This newly created body will serve in a purely advisory capacity. Its purpose is to preserve and improve the annual Jefferson County Fair by reviewing related policies and making recommendations to the Jefferson County Fair Park Committee to enhance the planning, development, and execution of the County Fair.

“When we sought input on ways to continually improve the Jefferson County Fair, creating this Advisory Board clearly became a top priority,” said Blane Poulson, Chair of the Fair Park Committee. “We are fortunate to have so many people in Jefferson County who care deeply about the County Fair’s success, and we invite everyone with an interest to apply so we can build as strong a team as possible.”

The Advisory Board will meet between 10 and 15 times per year, with two-year terms that expire on August 31st. A maximum of 20 spots are available on the Board, with the Fair Park Committee members making the final selection based on relevant experience, with every effort made to find individuals who represent a cross-section of local stakeholders.

Applications can be found through the Employment Opportunities section of Jefferson County’s website, or by e-mailing MLuckey@jeffersoncountywi.gov. Completed applications are due back by December 6th.

Walworth County Clerk of Circuit Court Resigning

Kristina Secord

According to a press release from Kristina (Kristy) Secord, she will be resigning from her position as Walworth County Clerk of Circuit Court. She stated, “It has been an honor to serve the public in this capacity, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have made a positive impact during my tenure. I have decided to resign in order to pursue other public service opportunities within Walworth County. I believe that this is the best decision for me at this time. I am confident that my successor will continue to uphold the high standards of excellence that we have set…..I have been fortunate to work with some of the most talented and committed individuals in the court system, and I am proud of what we have accomplished together…” Secord told the Banner that she has accepted a position as Business Office Supervisor with the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office.

According to her LinkedIn page, Secord was appointed to her position by the Circuit Court judges effective February 19, 2018. She won the November, 2022 election unopposed.

UWW Volleyball NCAA Regional Match – UWW 3, Coe 1

By Broderick P. Frye
Asst. Sports Information Director

Mount Vernon, Iowa -The No. 4 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team opened the NCAA Regional in Mount Vernon, Iowa with a 3-1 (25-15, 20-25, 25-12, 25-20) win over Coe College Thursday afternoon. 

Box Score

The Warhawks advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament to face No. 14 Washington University-St. Louis Friday. That regional semifinal match is slated to start at 4:30 with the winner securing a spot in the regional final. 

UWW won the battle of the Hawks for the second time this season. The Warhawks hit .204 in the match while holding the Kohawks to just .051. 

After a back-and-forth start to the set, a huge 6-0 run with Jenna Weinfurt (Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) at the service line set up UWW with set point and Ally Warburton (St. Charles, Ill./North) registered the final point with a kill. 

Coe turned the tables in set two and used a late run of their own to even the match 1-1. 

UW-Whitewater cruised in set three with a 6-0 burst with Weinfurt at the service line once again. That run gave the Warhawks a 12-4 advantage and they cruised the rest of the way for a 25-12 win. 

Three consecutive UWW kills in set four extended the Warhawk lead to 15-10, but the Kohawks battled back. With a one-point advantage, 20-19, UW-Whitewater ran off three in a row to build a cushion. The final two points came on Coe miscues to send the Warhawks into the second round. 

Weinfurt led all players with 16 kills adding three aces and 15 digs. Warburton posted 13 kills and Kirsten Anderson (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) rounded out the double digit kills contingent with 11. Aurbrie Krzus dished out 45 assists in the four-setter. 

Defensively, Morgan Jensen (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) tallied 27 digs while Ally Longden (Pewaukee, Wis./Pewaukee) added 18 and Krzus posted 14. Abbie Dix (Brodhead, Wis./Brodhead) led the UWW blocking effort with four assist blocks. 

WashU advanced to the second round with a 3-0 sweep of St. Olaf in their opening match. The Warhawks defeated the Bears earlier this season in a four-set match played in Whitewater. 

Hawk Bowl Sign is Lit Up Tonight for a Few More Minutes

Posted by Stephanie Ann Goettl

Hi, Whitewater! I know many people have been asking about Hawk Bowl. I wanted to let you know we will be lighting the sign for one final time this evening until 9:00 p.m. if anyone is interested in getting a final photo. (Bowling alley will not be open.)

We are so appreciative of so many people sharing memories here and elsewhere and will miss hosting people from here for bowling nights, birthday parties, and leagues.