Article Submitted by Michael Hookstead
Whitewater High School Head Baseball Coach
mhookstead@wwusd.org
The Whippet Baseball Team took to the field on Friday, April 30th, against the Jefferson Eagles.
The Whippets started off with a rough 1st inning, giving up runs. The team battled the entire game, but fell short by a score of 10-2.
The coaching staff took a lot of positive things away from the game, though.
Article Submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Peter Mischka
On Saturday, May 1, the Whippet CC teams competed against some of the state’s best D1 teams in a WIAA Sectional hosted by Whitewater on the WHS campus. The weather was some of the wildest that we have experienced in recent memory with recorded gusts at 39 mph in the area. Teams traveled from as far away as Gibraltar, Fond du Lac, and the Oshkosh area to earn a trip to the WIAA State Meet to be held on Saturday, May 8th. The top two teams and the top five individuals not on those two teams would earn a trip to the State Meet.
Trenten Zahn was the highlight of the day as he executed perhaps his best race ever in a Whippet uniform. As he detailed the night before, he put himself in 11th place in the first mile, worked his way up to 7th in the second mile, and between 2.1 and 2.5 miles he throttled his way into 4th. Trenten knew finishing in the top 5 would automatically punch his ticket to state, but he wouldn’t settle. Whippet CC runners don’t settle; they strive for excellence and the pride that comes from within that giving your best is the only option. Furthermore, representing the Whitewater name is both a privilege and an honor. A runner from Kewaunee passed Trenten in the last 60 meters pushing him to fifth, but Trenten found another gear and took his 4th place spot back to finish in a time of 18:18.2. His racing strategy was simply flawless. Trenten certainly made the Whippet faithful proud with his efforts, and he will be rewarded with one more week of training and the joy that State week brings. Trenten will be competing at 11:00 am in Janesville at Blackhawk Golf Course which is a special place as that is the site of the famed Midwest Invitational that the team travels to annually, except this year, due to COVID. However, Trenten will get one last chance to race there along with many other D1 athletes. Trenten more than earned his spot on this extremely wild weather day. This will be Trenten’s second State CC meet as he competed there in 2018 as a sophomore.
Also racing for the boys was Junior Cooper Hammond who turned in a strong effort to finish in 30th. Sophomore CJ Tomomitsu fought off hip pain to take 35th. Freshman Nate Holden placed 46th, and Senior Will Hofmann placed 47th. Senior Evan Schepp placed 61st, and Sophomore Keith Cameron placed 62nd. The boys’ team placed 6th overall out of the 12 teams represented.
On the girls’ side, Junior Sophie Walton resumed the #1 runner position and redeemed herself after a tough race at conference the week prior. She finished in 39th place with a time of 25:23.8. Junior Gwen Truesdale placed 46th, followed by junior Olive Coburn in 52nd, junior Trinity Nickels in 55th, sophomore Caelyn Caputo in 56th, freshman Lauren Buehler in 57th, and rounding out the team at sectionals was Jennifer Villarreal in 61st. The team finished in 9th place out of 12 competing teams.
Full Results can be found at https://my.raceresult.com/169379/
Coach Carstens would like to thank Athletic Director Justin Crandall, Dr. Pate-Hefty, WUSD Administration, Russ Walton, maintenance workers, WUSD Staff, meet day workers, Jeff Miller, CC Parents, Mark Maas, Steve Johnson, Shannon Cushman, and countless others that helped to not only make this day a great day for the sport of cross country but to pull off four home events in a pandemic season at an untested site and passed with flying colors.
Fort Atkinson, WI- Fort Memorial Hospital has been named to the Fortune/IBM Watson Health 100 Top
Hospitals® list. This is the first time Fort Memorial Hospital has been recognized with this honor as one of the
top performing small community hospitals in the U.S. Fort Memorial Hospital was one of three hospitals
recognized in Wisconsin.
IBM Watson Health has identified the top hospitals from a rigorous evaluation of 2,675 short-term, acute care,
non-federal hospitals in the U.S. The annual list recognizes excellence in clinical outcomes, operational
efficiency, patient experience, and financial health. IBM Watson Health established the list to help identify best
practices that may help other healthcare organizations achieve consistent, balanced, and sustainable high
performance.
“We are proud to receive this recognition for our commitment to providing quality and professional patientcentered health care. This recognition is the result of our employees and staff, whose hard work and dedication has made us a 100 Top Hospital.” said Mike Wallace, President and CEO, Fort HealthCare. “This award reflects the compassionate care in our hospital and clinics. We appreciate the support and partnership of the
communities we serve, and we share this recognition with them.”
This recognition demonstrates Fort HealthCare’s ongoing commitment to prioritize patient-centered care.
According to IBM Watson Health, as compared to similar hospitals, the hospitals included on the Fortune/IBM
Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals list had better results on key clinical and operational performance indicators.
These include survival rates, patient complications, healthcare associated infections, 30-day mortality and 30-
day hospital-wide readmission rates, length of stay, throughput in emergency departments, inpatient expenses,
profitability and ratings from patients.
“We are proud of all of the hospitals, health systems and their dedicated clinicians and staff included among the
Fortune/IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals,” said Irene Dankwa-Mullan, MD, MPH, Chief Health Equity
Officer and Deputy Chief Health officer at IBM Watson Health. “From small community hospitals to major
teaching hospitals, organizations on this list demonstrate a relentless commitment to high value, patient-centered care and innovation. They also recognize the importance of contributing to the health of their
communities and we applaud them for their programs that help provide equitable quality care and address
health disparities.”
To see the list, visit http://www.100tophospitals.com/.
About the Fortune/IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals® List
The Fortune/IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals list is determined using independent and objective research
to analyze hospital performance. Organizations do not apply or pay for this honor or pay to promote their
award. Award-winning hospitals and health systems serve as a model of excellence for the industry.
About IBM Watson Health
IBM Watson Health is a data, analytics, and technology partner for the health industry. Supported by the
innovation of IBM and intelligence of Watson, we are committed to helping build smarter health ecosystems.
Through the combination of our deep industry expertise in health, data and analytics, actionable insights, and
reputation for security and trust, Watson Health is working together with its clients and partners to help them
achieve simpler processes, better care insights, faster breakthroughs, and improved experiences for people
around the world. Learn more at ibm.com/watson/health.
UW-Whitewater Golf Wins Fourth Straight WIAC Championship
By Chris Lindeke
Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater golf team claimed its fourth straight conference title and sixth overall Sunday on the third and final day of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship Presented by Culver’s at Reedsburg Country Club in Reedsburg, Wis.
The Warhawks carded a three-day total of 925 (303-312-310) to earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship, which is scheduled for May 11-14 at Forest Akers Golf Course in Lansing, Mich.
UW-Whitewater is the only program in WIAC history to win four consecutive conference championships.
Kristin Bowe led the Warhawks and the 55-player field to become the team’s sixth medalist in program history and third in the last five seasons. Bowe fired a 223 (71-73-79) for the weekend to win the tournament by four strokes and set a program record for lowest individual 54-hole score in program history. Her first-round 71 tied the school record for 18-hole score.
Bowe was also named the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete for women’s golf following play. Head coach Andrea Wieland joined her as an award winner, garnering WIAC Coach of the Year accolades for the first time in her career.
CheyAnn Knudsen, the 2017 medalist, placed third with a 228 (77-76-75). Ashton Sinak and Kelly Storti tied for fifth with matching scores of 238. Sinak posted her best round of the weekend on Sunday (79-84-75), and Storti tallied a sequence of 76-81-81 for the weekend.
Playing in her first conference tournament as part of the lineup, Lily Sheppard finished the weekend with a 253 (79-82-92), good for a tie for 15th.
Grace Westerman led all individuals by tying for 11th place with a 243 (82-76-85) for an impressive conference tournament debut. Madi LaPaz tied for 15th with her 253 (83-85-85), and Lauren Winter totaled a 254 (84-82-88) to tie for 17th.
Sydney O’Hearn finished 28th overall with a 266 (84-96-86) in her first WIAC Championship.
UW-Whitewater will make its third appearance in the NCAA Championship. The Warhawks finished 12th in 2018 and 13th in 2019.
UW-W also qualified for the national championship in 2020, but the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Saturday, May 1, 2021
Warhawk Softball Takes Two on Senior Day
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team moved into sole possession of second place in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings Saturday afternoon with back-to-back victories over UW-Eau Claire on Senior Day at van Steenderen Softball Complex.
The Warhawks (22-8 overall, 8-4 WIAC) bested the Blugolds 4-1 in the opener before posting a 3-0 shutout in the second game.
UW-Whitewater honored seniors Marissa Adams, Alexis Addante, Taylor Briehl, Meg Cohrs, Sam Lattner, Nikki Mikosz, Kaleigh O’Brien and Vera Pflugradt following the final home regular season games of the year. The team also recognized 2020 graduates Dani Biesiada, Mattie Klingenmeyer, Bella Matthias and Nicole Neitzel.
In Game 1, UW-Eau Claire (21-13, 7-5) took the early lead with a run in the top of the first, but the Warhawks responded with four unanswered runs over the next three frames.
Cohrs tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first on a run-scoring groundout, and Krista Sbarra hit an RBI single to put UW-W ahead for good in the second.
UW-Whitewater added two in the third on a sacrifice fly by O’Brien and a wild pitch.
Pitcher Kate Cleveland scattered five hits and one walk over seven innings for the complete-game win. She improved to 8-3 on the year.
O’Brien and Sbarra led the offense with two hits apiece, and shortstop Meghan Dunning scored two runs and posted one hit.
In the nightcap, pitcher Mallory Hollatz tossed a three-hit shutout with four strikeouts to move to 3-0 on the season.
The Warhawks grabbed the lead with a run in the bottom of the first on a bases-loaded walk by designated player Sophia Kinjerski.
Pflugradt doubled the UW-W lead with one out in the fourth on an RBI single through the right side, and two batters later, Cohrs made it a three-run game with a two-out, RBI hit near the left field line.
Pflugradt finished 2-for-4 with one run scored, while Dunning reached base three times with one hit and two walks. Cohrs totaled two hits, and Mikosz collected one hit and one walk.
UW-Whitewater visits UW-Platteville for a non-conference doubleheader Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Article submitted by Eric Kendall
Whitewater High School Math Team Coach
ekendall@wwusd.org
The Whitewater High School Math Team won the Rock Valley Conference Virtual Math Meet on April 29th. Five of the six top individual scores were achieved by Whitewater students!
These clever young mathematicians solved challenging puzzles in the categories of Algebra, Geometry, Advanced Math, and Problem Solving. The hard work and enthusiasm of our students was evident as they triumphed in both the individual and team competitions.
This year’s team members were: juniors Arno Crowley, Elijah Grall, Cooper Hammond, and Andrew Rollette; and seniors Reilly Aschenbrener, Crystal Chan, Carson Ellenwood, Reid Gunnink, and Nikole Pelot. The team’s adviser is Mr. Eric Kendall.
Special congratulations to Reid Gunnink, the winner of the individual competition!
Article submitted by Michael Hookstead
Whitewater High School Head Baseball Coach
mhookstead@wwusd.org
The Varsity Baseball Team was handed their second loss on the season on Thursday night, April 29. Beloit Turner defeated the Whippets 10-0 in 6 innings.
Marc Jones was the starting pitcher and threw a solid game.
The team is still growing and learning what the expectations are.
The Whippets will be in action again on Friday, April 30th, against the Jefferson Eagles at Whitewater High School.
It’s time again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society!
This week, we’re featuring one of our newly-digitized glass plate negatives taken by Andrew Scholl around the turn of the twentieth century. He often captured many aspects of everyday life during this time, including a large collection of agricultural photographs. This image shows Center Street looking east towards Whitewater Street.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society collections!
(2832GP, Whitewater Historical Society)
The Whitewater Historical Society collects, preserves, and interprets the history of Whitewater and the surrounding area. Be sure to join us next week for more from the Society’s collections. Please “like” us on Facebook, and check out our website at whitewaterhistoricalsociety.org!
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Quinn Meinerz, a 2021 UW-W graduate whose senior year’s football season was canceled by COVID-19, didn’t let that slow him down, and his efforts were rewarded as he was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the NFL draft on April 30, the 98th pick overall. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Meinerz became the first Whitewater player drafted since wide receiver Derek Stanley was taken by the Rams in the seventh round in 2007.
Meinerz, a graduate of Hartford High School, developed into an All-American guard as a junior at UW-W. Nicknamed “ The Gut ” for sticking out his belly on hot days, Meinerz put himself through a strenuous training regimen during the past year, losing weight and teaching himself the center position. That earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl in Alabama in January, where he attracted a lot of media attention. Since then he had been rumored to be on draft radar by a number of teams.
“He did kill people,” ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said during the network’s broadcast. “And if you’re going to play in the NFL, you better dominate. And this kid did.
“He will be a center-guard option in the NFL. You look at the way he played. Heavy punch. The alertness to pick up stunts I love. Run blocker, he drives defenders off the ball.”
“This is a guy that went down to the Senior Bowl and made a name for himself,” ESPN analyst Booger McFarland said during the network’s broadcast. “He was the show.”
Broncos general manager George Paton, meeting with reporters, noted it was difficult to evaluate Meinerz because Whitewater’s 2020 season was canceled. “There were a lot of unknowns about him,” Paton said. “Then when you see him in one-on-one drills blocking these guys who are first- and second-round picks, it was pretty amazing.
“It’s been an amazing process,” Meinerz said. “To be Division III, have my season canceled. … To be able to climb up the boards like I did, it doesn’t happen very often.”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz becomes the first UW-Whitewater player drafted in 14 years
The Denver Post: Broncos draft offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz at No. 98 overall
This rainbow accompanied the WHS Boys’ Soccer 7-2 victory over Cambridge-Deerfield Thursday night, April 29. Photo credit to Jenny Rule.
The boys are the #4 seed in their part of the WIAA Division II Sectional and will host #5 Edgerton on May 4. Check out the full bracket at https://halftime.wiaawi.org/CustomApps/Tournaments/Brackets/HTML/2021_Soccer_Boys_Div2_Sec3_4.html
