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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!!

Warhawks Down Defending Champs, Reach NCAA Semifinals; UPDATE: UW-W Will Host St. John’s at 2 p.m. on Sat., 12/14; Tickets Available Online Starting Tuesday

From uwwsports.com

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team will host this Saturday’s NCAA Division III Championship semifinal against St. John’s (Minn.) starting at 2 p.m. at Perkins Stadium.

Saturday’s game will be broadcast online to a national audience on ESPN3.

Tickets can be purchased in advance starting this Tuesday at 12 p.m. online at tickets.uww.edu. They can also be purchased starting two hours prior to kickoff at the Perkins Stadium ticket window.

Cost of tickets is $13 for adults and $8 for seniors, students and children ages 3-12. No passes will be accepted for admission and no complimentary tickets will be granted.

Parking is available in Lot 24 (Perkins Stadium lot) for season parking pass holders only. A limited number of spots may be made available on game day for $20.

Parking is available in all other campus lots for $10 in Lot 11 (Williams Center lot) and $5 in all other campus lots. Lot 22 (Miller Stadium/Foster Track/Fiskum Field) is located just to the west of Lot 24. Click here to view a campus map.

All parking-related inquiries should be directed to UW-Whitewater Police at 262-472-4660.

The Warhawks (12-1 overall) reached the national semifinals for the 12th time in program history with a 26-7 victory at defending national champion Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas). UW-Whitewater hosted its first two games in the playoffs, besting Monmouth (Ill.) 35-10 in the first round (Nov. 23) and topping Wartburg (Iowa) 41-28 in the second round (Nov. 30).

St. John’s (12-1), the automatic qualifier from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, edged Wheaton (Ill.) 34-33 in its quarterfinal. The Johnnies’ road to their 10th semifinal appearance in program history also included wins over Aurora (Ill.) and at Chapman (Calif.).

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The No. 7 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team put together one of its most complete performances of the 2019 season on Saturday 12/7 with a 26-7 victory over No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor in a quarterfinal of the NCAA Division III Championship in Belton, Texas.

UW-Whitewater will host St. John’s (Minn.), a 34-33 winner at Wheaton (Ill.), in next Saturday’s national semifinal on ESPN3 at 2:00 p.m.
UW-W will make its 12th appearance in the national semifinals, all since 2005.

The Warhawks (12-1 overall) held the ball for nearly 43 minutes in the contest and piled up 358 yards of total offense, including 239 on the ground.

UW-Whitewater limited Mary Hardin-Baylor (now 12-1), the defending national champion which entered the game on a 27-game win streak, to 140 total yards, including minus-3 on the ground.

Senior running back Jarrod Ware (Bradley, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) tallied 14 carries for 110 yards and two touchdowns to lead the offense. Junior running back Alex Peete (Ringwood, Ill./Johnsburg) posted 76 yards, and junior quarterback Max Meylor (Mt. Horeb, Wis./Mt. Horeb) finished 10-of-12 for 119 yards passing and added one rushing touchdown. Junior wide receiver Ryan Wisniewski (Sparta, Wis./Sparta) caught five passes for 72 yards.

Senior defensive back Garrett Purdy (Naperville, Ill./Central) collected a team-high seven tackles for the defense, which forced three turnovers. Senior defensive lineman Jordan Brand (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita) recorded three stops, including one sack, and added one fumbler recovery. Junior linebacker Kaleb Kaminski (Tomahawk, Wis./Tomahawk) and junior defensive back Tommy Matoska (Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Kenosha Tremper) contributed five tackles apiece.

After forcing a punt on the opening drive, the Warhawks ate up nearly 11 minutes of clock with a 17-play, 79-yard drive. UW-W converted three third downs and drove inside the Crusaders’ 5-yard line, where they were stopped on third down for the first time in the contest. Junior kicker Wojciech Gasienica (Norridge, Ill./Ridgewood) split the uprights for a 19-yard field goal to make it 3-0 with 2:22 to play in the period.

UW-Whitewater forced a three-and-out to get the ball back quickly and put together a 12-play, 64-yard drive capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by Ware. Meylor completed 3-of-3 passes on the drive before Ware carried the ball for the final three plays, giving the team a 10-0 advantage with 8:23 left in the second quarter.

The two teams exchanged punts before Mary Hardin-Baylor got on the board, scoring a touchdown with under one minute left in the first half.

The Crusaders got the ball back in Warhawk territory following an interception, but the defense registered two sacks to push the ball back toward midfield and maintain the three-point lead.

UW-Whitewater started the second half with the ball, moving 85 yards on nine plays. After a barreling 23-yard run by Ware, Meylor hit Wisniewski for a 36-yard pass up the seam of the field, and Ware capped the drive six plays later with a 5-yard touchdown run. The score gave the Warhawks a 17-7 lead with 9:27 to play in the third.

Senior defensive back Nate Tranel (Lancaster, Wis./Lancaster) kept the momentum in UW-W’s favor with an interception on the next drive to stop a UMHB drive near midfield.

The two teams traded punts before Gasienica was good again, this time from 42 yards, to make it 20-7 just under one minute into the fourth quarter. The Warhawks ran eight straight times on the drive for 30 yards.

The Crusaders drove down to the UW-Whitewater 23-yard line on the ensuing drive, but a botched snap recovered by Brand gave the Warhawks the ball back with 10:14 remaining.

The Warhawks drove 67 yards on nine plays as Meylor ran around the left side for a 1-yard score at the 4:34 mark. Ware carried five times on the drive for 58 yards to set up the touchdown.

UW-Whitewater turned Mary Hardin-Baylor over on downs on the next drive, and ran out the clock to punch its ticket to the final four.

Friends Group Provides Washer and Dryer to Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center

The Friends of Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center (WAFC) purchased a washer and dryer for the center  thanks to Winchester True Value Hardware Store of Whitewater. 

The mission of the Friends of WAFC is maintain and improve the services provided with the goal of bettering the lifelong health and fitness of the citizens of the Whitewater area.

Whippet Basketball Team Defeats Beloit Turner

The Whippet girls basketball team defeated Beloit Turner on Dec 5 by the score of 38-35. This improves their Conference Record to 2-1 for the season. Abby Grosinske led the Whippet scoring with 13 followed by Kacie Carollo with 12. Next is a home game against East Troy on Tuesday, Dec 10.

Photo of Abby Grosinske by Bob Mischka

Whitewater Girls Basketball vs. Beloit Turner

12/5/2019

Final score:

WHITEWATER
Player # 2’s 3’s FTA FTM TP
Crystal Chan 3          
Allison Ceranske 4 1 0 3 2 4
Elizabeth Katzman 10          
Catherine Skindingsrude 12          
Abby Grosinske 14 4   11 5 13
Kacie Carollo 15 4   6 4 12
Emma Hageli 20          
Ellie Treder 21          
Cassidy Laue 22 2       4
Grace Black 23     1 0  
Alyssa Schumacher 24   1 0 0 3
Brianna Zimdars 30     4 1 1
Lexi Juoni 32     2 1 1
Cora Linos 35          
             
            38
Beloit Turner
Player                            # 2’s 3’s FTA FTM TP
Kyra Puleo 1          
Brinnley Wilson 2          
Sabrina Fitzgerald 3          
Presley Hasse 5          
Marlee Young 10 1 0 5 1 3
Baylee Windsor 11 2 0 4 1 5
Isabelle Adams 15          
Tairyin Klossner 20 1 0 0 0 2
Jennifer Njoo 23 1 4 3 2 16
Olivia Tinder 24 2 0 8 4 8
A’Blesin Wilson 30 0 0 6 1 1
Peyton Hasse 32          
Rebecca Schildgen 44          
            35
Photo of Kacie Carollo by Bob Mischka

Computer Science Students Compete in Computational Thinking Challenge

On November 8, Whitewater High School students currently or formerly enrolled in computer science courses participated in Bebras International Computational Thinking Challenge. Bebras is an online competition where students are presented with 15 puzzles/questions that they are challenged to solve in 45 minutes or less.

The questions typically involve some sort of picture or graphical element that challenges students to think like a computer. For example, one of the questions this year asked students to find at most how many shoes someone had to try on to find the perfect size if all of the shoes in the store were arranged by size and width (see graphic). The answer is provided at the bottom of the article.

Brian Apgar, Colin Chenoweth, and Tyjai Geoghan (L-R)

Freshmen and sophomores competed in the “junior” division while juniors and seniors competed in the “senior” division. Pictured are the top three finishers. Freshman Tyjai Geoghan finished with the highest score in the junior division, which was also the third highest score in the school. Senior Brian Apgar scored the highest in the senior division, missing only one question, followed closely by senior Colin Chenoweth.

Junior Division Results:

1st: Tyjai Geoghan

2nd: Jon Chan

3rd: Elijah Grall

4th: Blake Wegner

Distinction: Arno Crowley, Nicholas Weirich

Senior Division Results:

1st: Brian Apgar

2nd: Colin Chenoweth

3rd (TIE): Broderick Frye, Thomas Utynek, Andy Vo

Distinction: Shawn Chan, Nathan Wood, Peter Zimdars

Correct Answer: 2

Duane Smith of Whitewater passed away on Monday, December 2, 2019

Duane Smith of Whitewater passed away Monday, December 2, 2019 at Lakeland Hospital in Elkhorn, after a long illness.


Duane was born in Fort Atkinson, WI on November 27,1955 to Harry Smith and Helen Delaney.
He was long time retired from the Heating and Cooling business.  In his spare time he enjoyed doing wood working.  Duane had a very kind and caring heart.  He enjoyed spending time with family and his long time soulmate of 13 years.  Duane had a very special little girl in his life, Aaliyah, she called him poppy.   
Duane is survived by his soulmate, Connie Miller; his mother and stepfather, Helen and Larry Delaney; two brothers, Stan Smith, Steve Smith (Gail); a niece, Haley Smith; a sister, Deborah Blumenberg(Gordon); two stepsisters, Barbara Bigler (John), Sandy Delaney; two stepbrothers, Bob Delaney (Mary), Steve Delaney and other relatives. Duane is preceded in death by his father, Harry Smith; and a brother, Larry Smith.

Per Duane’s request, there will be no service and there will be a memorial service with family at a later date.

Whippet Boys’ Basketball wins season opener vs Bigfoot

The Whippet Varsity boys opened the season with a 71-64 win versus Bigfoot on Tuesday evening, December 3rd. The Whippets played gritty, hard-nosed defense to force the Chiefs into bad shots and stray passes. On offense they controlled the tempo of the game with patience and working to get good shots. Jake Martin was the leading scorer with 28 followed by Brock Grosinske with 15 and Carter Brown with eight points.

The Whippet JV1 team won their game versus the Chiefs 87-29 and the JV2 team dropped their first game of the season by a single point.

The community is invited to the game on December 6th when the Whippet Boys host Evansville. The Varsity and JV1 teams will play at the Middle School as part of the Ken Nehring re-dedication ceremony.

Badger Honor Flight for Two includes Whitewater Veteran Richard James

Richard F. James has lived in Whitewater for 42 years.  Many know him because he is the original owner of a 1964 Corvette that is driven in the July 4th parade each year.  Many do not know that Rich served in the Air Force from 1966-69 in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan.  He is very proud of his service.  When he returned from service, many veterans were not honored.  They were criticized for participating in the Vietnam War.  Rich’s life got busy. He got his doctorate, married Marcia, and fathered two sons.  He taught in the College of Business at UW-Whitewater until his retirement in 2007; he continues his UW-Whitewater prairie initiatives as he walks the prairie each day with his Brittany Spaniel.

In 2014, Rich learned that the Badger Honor Flight was accepting Korean War Veterans for flights.  He served as guardian for John Waldman whose wife Lila taught in the same department as Rich.  He finally felt that people had rallied around and supported what the veterans had done for this country.

Although Rich put his name in for a flight for Vietnam veterans, he learned he was on a long list.  However, medical circumstances allowed Rich and another veteran–one from WWII–to be on a corporate jet donated by Dan and Patti Rashke of the TASC Family Foundation that departed Madison at 7 a.m. December 2.  Whitewater High School Graduate (1999) Griffin James served as his dad’s guardian.

After a short ceremony attended by John and Lila Waldman, long-time friend Dee Simon, and Rich’s wife Marcia, Richard and Griffin boarded the corporate jet.  They spent the day touring the Marine Corps, Air Force, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam Veterans, and Lincoln Memorials.  They were also to go to Arlington National Cemetery to view the changing of the guard ceremony. 

Pictured are Richard and Griffin James.  Griffin is Baraboo High School’s band director.  He is married and has two sons.

Dr. Aurelio “Paul” Yvarra Jr., 85, passed away on Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Paul was born on January 15, 1934 in East Los Angeles, California to Aurelio Sr. and Guadalupe (Romo) Yvarra. Paul completed his undergraduate and master’s degree at UCLA and then received his PhD at Claremont University in California. On September 5, 1964 Paul married Teresa Sanchez. He served in the United States Army in the Vietnam conflict as a Captain.

In 1974 Paul moved to Whitewater to teach at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater and was a wonderful mentor to his students. During his time at the university he served as coordinator of various programs, chaired on many committees and served as a consultant to many of the area school districts. Paul’s work involved the study of Dr. Edwards Deming’s Theory. Based on this theory he worked with big corporations to install quality management systems. Paul loved to travel, enjoyed baseball and was an avid UCLA Bruins fan. He was a member of the Whitewater School Board and was a Walworth County Supervisor.

Paul is survived by his daughter, Tracey (Ben) Vitale of Bancroft, Wisconsin; granddaughter, Mercedes Vitale; and brother, Robert Yvarra of California.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Aurelio Sr. and Guadalupe Yvarra; wife, Teresa Yvarra; infant son, Dennis Yvarra; three sisters, Vera, Mary, Petra; and brother, Steven.

A funeral service for Paul will take place at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, December 10, 2019 at the Nitardy Funeral Home, 550 N. Newcomb St., Whitewater, WI 53190. Visitation will take place from 11 a.m. until the time of services. A burial will take place following the services at Calvary Cemetery.

Nitardy Funeral Home is serving the family.

www.nitardyfuneralhome.com