Lynn Binnie

Warhawks Win Thriller, Punch Ticket to Stagg Bowl

by Chris Lindeke, Asst. Athletic Director, Strategic Communications & Branding, UW-W

The No. 7 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team broke a tie with a late field goal and made a defensive stop in the closing minutes Saturday, 12/14, for a 35-32 victory over No. 8 St. John’s (Minn.) in an instant classic semifinal game of the NCAA Division III Championship at Perkins Stadium.

The Warhawks (13-1 overall) will head to Stagg Bowl XLVII, the Division III national championship game, for the 10th time in the last 15 years and face North Central (Ill.) for the title this Friday at 7 p.m. in Shenandoah, Texas.

Junior kicker Wojciech Gasienica put UW-Whitewater ahead for good with 2:10 remaining in the contest on a 37-yard field goal, his fourth kick through the uprights of the contest.

The Johnnies (now 12-2) returned the ensuing kickoff to their own 42-yard line, but senior linebacker Matt Anderson posted an interception on the first play from scrimmage.

Junior running back Alex Peete recorded a 16-yard run on second down, and the Warhawks knelt out the clock to return to the national championship game for the first time since 2014.

Junior quarterback Max Meylor tallied 188 yards passing with one touchdown and 85 yards rushing with one score. Junior wide receiver Ryan Wisniewski tallied four receptions for 96 yards and added a rushing touchdown, and junior wide receiver Derek Kumerow collected five receptions for 45 yards and a score. Peete and senior running back Ronny Ponick combined for 81 yards.

Senior defensive back Nate Tranel, junior linebacker Kaleb Kaminski and junior defensive back Tommy Matoska totaled seven tackles apiece to lead the defense. Senior defensive lineman Jordan Brand registered five tackles, including three of UW-Whitewater’s seven sacks. Senior defensive lineman Justin Hansen and freshman defensive lineman Niko Lemke finished with two sacks apiece.

St. John’s took the lead near the midway point of the first quarter on a seven-play, 60-yard drive. The Warhawks responded with a seven-play, 47-yard drive capped by Gasienica’s 31-yard field goal with 4:10 on the clock.

UW-Whitewater forced a punt on the next drive, and sophomore running back Jaylon Edmonson found a gap and blocked the kick through the back of the end zone for a safety with 2:23 left in the period.

After a punt, the Warhawks recovered a fumble on the first play of the next drive, and Gasienica hit a 27-yard field goal for an 8-7 lead 19 seconds into the second quarter.

From there, the two teams traded touchdown drives on two separate occasions into halftime.

UW-Whitewater took a 15-14 advantage with 4:14 remaining in the second on a Wisniewski 4-yard touchdown run. The drive was keyed by his own 17-yard reception from Meylor on third down two plays earlier.

Following a touchdown by the Johnnies with 1:47 to go in the half, the Warhawks drove 63 yards on 11 plays as Meylor hit Kumerow on third-and-goal for a 6-yard score three plays after a 22-yard run to put UW-W inside the 10-yard line.

UW-Whitewater carried a 22-21 lead into halftime, but St. John’s took the lead back with 4:37 left in the third quarter on a field goal that capped a 16-play, 72-yard drive.

The Warhawks took the lead on the next drive as Gasienica’s attempt from 22 yards split the uprights with just over a minute to go in the period.

Following a punt by SJU, Meylor gave UW-Whitewater an eight-point lead on a 38-yard run with 13:47 to play in the contest. He set up the touchdown drive with a 19-yard completion to junior wide receiver JT Parish that put the Warhawks in St. John’s territory.

The Johnnies scored a touchdown and converted the 2-point attempt to tie the contest at 32-32 near the midway point of the quarter.

UW-Whitewater converted a pair of third downs on the ensuing drive, including a 17-yard strike from Meylor to Kumerow on third-and-8 from near midfield, to set up Gasienica for his go-ahead field goal.

No. 23 UW-W Women’s Basketball Earns Fourth Straight Win

by Chris Lindeke, Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding

No. 23 UW-Whitewater Earns Fourth Straight Win

The No. 23 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team overcame a slow start Tuesday night, 12/10, gaining separation late in the third quarter and early in the fourth for a 68-55 victory over Carroll in a non-conference contest at Kachel Gymnasium.

The Warhawks (6-1 overall), who are now on a four-game winning streak, shot 59.3 percent in the second half and ended up at 48.1 percent for the game.

Senior guard Becky Raeder registered 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals to lead UW-Whitewater. Junior forward Johanna Taylor neared a double-double with nine points, 10 rebounds and three assists.

Junior guard Emily Schumacher and sophomore guard Veronica Kieres tallied eight points apiece. Junior guard Rebekah Schumacher and freshman forward Abby Belschner each registered seven points and five rebounds.

The two teams combined for 27 turnovers and 20 fouls in the first half.

UW-Whitewater jumped out to a 5-0 lead after a 3-pointer by Raeder with 7:50 on the clock. Carroll rallied to tie the game at 9-9 with 1:42 to play in the quarter, but Emily Schumacher hit a jumper in the final minute to give UW-W an 11-9 advantage.

The Warhawks scored six straight points early in the second quarter, including four from Kieres, to make it 17-11 with 8:08 left.

The Pioneers drew to within one point after back-to-back buckets, but sophomore forward Courtney Oomens hit a jumper on the next possession to bring the lead back to three. A Carroll free throw in the final minute made it 25-23 at halftime.

UW-Whitewater built its lead in the second part of the third quarter, grabbing a nine-point advantage following a 3-pointer by Raeder with 3:46 to go. Kieres hit a pair of free throws with four seconds left in the frame to make it 50-42.

A layup by Emily Schumacher made it a 10-point advantage one minute into the fourth quarter, and the Warhawks stretched their lead to 16 on a layup by Taylor with 6:46 left.

UW-Whitewater led by as many as 18 in the final period.

The Warhawks head to Honolulu, Hawaii, next week for a pair of games. The team takes on Concordia Wisconsin Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. Central Time and Spalding (Ky.) on Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. Central Time.

Local Knitter Goes Above and Beyond for Whitewater; Mitten Tree Collection Continues Through 12/20

Dottie is rarely found without her needles!

LOCAL KNITTER GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR THE COMMUNITY OF WHITEWATER

Submitted by Jeanine and Rick Fassl, Co-Chairs of the Optimist Mitten Tree Project

Dottie Koenitzer has been knitting most of her life. She says she loves knitting and keeping her hands busy while watching TV. For nearly 20 years, she has been generously obtaining yarn from friends, family, rummage sales and resale shops to keep those hands moving. The UW-W/Community Optimist Club has been the grateful recipient of tens of dozens of pairs of her exquisitely beautiful mittens for our annual Mitten Tree project. In 2015, she donated 38 pairs of mittens, in 2016 she donated 35 pairs, in 2017, it was 85 pairs and this year, she graciously donated 105 pairs of the most beautiful hand knit mittens anyone would love to wear. That’s a total of 263 pairs in just the last 5 years!

Jeanine Fassl, on behalf of the Optimist Club, accepts the 105 pairs of handmade mittens from Dottie Koenitzer.

Her commitment to our Mitten Tree project has helped us keep our school children, families in fire disasters, and community members in need, warm and cozy over these many years.

She does it to make sure no one has to go without during our typically cold Wisconsin winters. She has agreed to get them to where they are needed whether it’s at our schools or other places that help those in need.

Although the project is known as the Mitten Tree Project, in partnering with the Whitewater Unified School District, the past several years have seen needs in other areas arise where each school building has “comfort stations” to assist a child in whatever issue comes to find them without socks, underwear, boots, hats, or scarves. So, when you see those little “mitten trees” at Young Auditorium, Associated Bank, First Citizens State Bank, or PremierBank, Fort Community Credit Union or First English Lutheran Church, stop by and add to the collection, knowing your gift to help out someone in our community stays in our community. Last year, we had a couple families affected by tragic fires in December and were able to also help all of them as they rebuilt their lives.

A great big THANK YOU to all who have made contributions so far. The collection continues through Dec. 20th, so there’s still time to add items to help those in need throughout the year. If you’d like more information about this project or how you can become a member of the UWW/Community Optimist club, contact Jeanine or Rick Fassl at fasslj@uww.edu .

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Rodney D. Berg, 84, of Whitewater passed away on Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Rodney D. Berg, 84, of Whitewater passed away on Tuesday, December 10, 2019 surrounded by his loving family. Visitation will take place on Friday, January 3, 2019 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Nitardy Funeral Home, 550 N. Newcomb St., Whitewater, WI. A memorial service will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 4, 2020 at First English Lutheran Church, 401 W Main St, Whitewater, WI. Visitation will take place on Saturday, January 4, 2020 from 10 a.m. until the time of services. www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

Whitewater Girls Basketball vs East Troy: W 60-52

12/10/2019

Final score: W 60-52

Whitewater Girls Basketball team rallied back to beat East Troy 60-52 after trailing 36-28 at the half. Kacie Carollo lead the Whippets with 25 followed by Abby Grosinske with 17.

WHITEWATER
Player # 2’s 3’s FTA FTM TP
Crystal Chan 3




Allison Ceranske 4




Elizabeth Katzman 10 1


2
Catherine Skindingsrude 12

4 1 1
Abby Grosinske 14 3 2 7 5 17
Kacie Carollo 15 3 5 4 4 25
Emma Hageli 20




Ellie Treder 21




Cassidy Laue 22 3 0 2 0 6
Grace Black 23




Alyssa Schumacher 24




Brianna Zimdars 30 2 1 2 2 9
Lexi Juoni 32




Cora Linos 35

















60
East Troy
Player # 2’s 3’s FTA FTM TP
Riley Pluess 10 0 0 2 2 2
Gracie Moker 11




Emily Aleckson 12




Adeline Lomen 15




Lacie Cesar 20




Emma Scurek 21 4 1 3 2 13
Callie Nelson 23




Maggie Donnegan 25 1 0 2 1 3
Julia Aleckson 34




Morgan Golabowski 42 0 3 6 5 14
Grace Lomen 52 4 3 5 3 20



















52

Whippet Boys Swimmers Over Delavan Darien 133-27!

12/10/19 Whitewater 133 vs Delavan Darien 27
.
The Whippets had an outstanding night winning 10/11 out of races and finishing 1, 2, 3 in many races.  Devin Bazeley raced to a new Top 10 time in the 50 Freestyle.  Madux Devitt swam a full 50 of Freestyle with no rest and dropped 17 seconds.  Freshman, Keith Cameron, took on the two long races swimming the 200 Individual Medley and 500 Freestyle with great results!  It was a great meet for all our swimmers!

Top Finishes:
1st, 200 Medley Relay – Keith Cameron, Jack Mayer, Shawn Chan, Jovany Manriquez
2nd, 200 Medley Relay – Wyatt Anderson, Devin Bazeley, Jonathan Chan, Youssef Mohammed
1st, 2nd, 3rd 200 Freestyle – Devin Bazeley, Tyler Arnett (-3 seconds), Jon Manriquez
1st, 2nd, 3rd 200 Individual Medley – Tony Aranda, Wyatt Anderson, Keith Cameron
1st, 2nd, 3rd 50 Freestyle – Jack Mayer, Devin Bazeley, Shawn Chan
1st, 2nd, 3rd 100 Butterfly – Jonathan Chan, Youssef Mohammed, Jonathan Manriquez
1st, 2nd, 3rd 100 Freestyle – Tony Aranda, Jovany Manriquez, Zach Tomomitsu
1st, 2nd, 3rd 500 Freestyle – Jack Mayer, Tyler Arnett, Keith Cameron
1st, 200 Freestyle Relay – Tyler Arnett, Jonathan Manriquez, Youssef Mohammed, Tony Aranda
3rd, 200 Freestyle Relay – Wyatt Anderson, Keith Cameron, Zach Tomomitsu, Madux Devitt
2nd, 3rd 100 Backstroke – Jovany Manriquez, Youssef Mohammed
1st, 2nd, 3rd 100 Breaststroke – Shawn Chan, Jonathan Chan, Wyatt Anderson
1st 400 Freestyle Relay – Jack Mayer, Tyler Arnett, Jonathan Manriquez, Tony Aranda
2nd 400 Freestyle Relay – Devin Bazeley, Jonathan Chan, Jovany Manriquez, Shawn Chan

Kwik Trip Plans to Begin Construction at the Roundabout in 4/21

A Kwik Trip representative told the Plan Commission on Monday, 12/9, that they anticipate beginning construction of their store at the roundabout in April, 2021. She indicated that they would like to start in 2020 but simply have their calendar full with other projects. On the positive side, it seems that the delay since Kwik Trip’s purchase of the land in 2007 has worked in our favor with respect to the size of the store. Their model store at that time would have been 5000 square feet, but their plan now is to build a 9000 square foot store. This allows for a larger product line including fried chicken and take home meals. The store will also feature a car wash and diesel pumps designed to accommodate semis.

UW-W Men’s Basketball Falls in Michigan Opener

By Christopher W. Lindeke, Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding, UW-W

Playing its first game in more than a week, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s basketball team was unable to find an offensive rhythm Friday night, 12/6, in an 81-66 defeat at Calvin (Mich.) in a non-conference contest in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The Warhawks (2-5 overall), playing their first of a two-game swing in Michigan, were held to 41.0 percent shooting from the floor and finished 0-for-12 from 3-point range.

The Knights (3-3) hit 50.9 percent of their shots, including 57.7 percent in the first half, when they jumped out to a 38-31 advantage.

Junior forward Equan Ards tallied a team-high 23 points to go along with four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Sophomore guard Bailey Kale posted 15 points, three rebounds and three assists, and freshman forward Trevon Chislom totaled 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor and added four rebounds.

Sophomore forward Jack Brahm collected nine points and a team-high five rebounds for UW-Whitewater, which finished with a 42-28 advantage on points in the paint.

The two teams traded baskets for the first five minutes before Calvin stretched to a 15-9 advantage at the 13:52 mark. The Warhawks embarked on an 8-0 run and led 17-15 at the midway point of the half following a layup by Ards.

A 7-0 run capped with 4:31 remaining gave the Knights a 28-21 lead. UW-Whitewater closed to within 32-29 with 1:46 on the clock following a pair of free throws by freshman guard James Burks, but Calvin closed the half on a 6-2 run for a seven-point halftime lead.

Ards opened the second half with three straight points to bring the Warhawks within 38-34 with 18:59 to play, but the Knights brought their lead to double digits just over a minute later.

UW-Whitewater got as close as six points at 54-48 with 13:09 left, but Calvin continued to withstand the Warhawks’ push, building its advantage to 75-58 at the 7:18 mark.

Senior forward Riley Jensen cut the UW-W deficit to 75-65 with 3:56 on the clock, but the Knights scored the next six points to put the game out of reach.

The Warhawks visit Alma Saturday, 12/7, at 4:30 p.m. Central Time.

WHS Gymnastics First Meet of the Season, Jefferson Invitational!

The stuffed characters were for the Disney/Pixar theme for the invitational!


Junior Jenna Caldwell competing on the beam where she scored a personal best of 7.55

The Whitewater High School Gymnastics Team had their first gymnastics invitational of the season at Jefferson High School. The Jefferson Invitational was held on Friday December 6th against Markesan, Jefferson, Hamilton, Menomonee Falls, and West Allis/Nathan Hale. The WHS Gymnastics Varsity team consisted of Freshman Caleigh Yang, Madelynn Donnelly, Halee Peters, and Brenda Aguilar- Valdez. Returning members were Sophomore Anna Ejnik and Junior Jenna Caldwell. The highlights of the meet consisted of Jenna Caldwell scoring a personal best on Vault with an 8.1 and a 7.55 on Balance Beam, Anna Ejnik scoring a personal best on the floor exercise with a 7.5, and Freshman Halee Peters scoring a 7.95 on Floor Exercise in her first high school meet. We are looking forward to the progress the gymnasts make as the season continues! The next gymnastics invitational is on Saturday, December 14th at Janesville Craig High School. Come on out and support your Whippet athletes!!