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Whitewater Tennis Completes Regular Season with 15-8 Record

From Coach Tim Nelson

Whitewater Tennis at Beloit Memorial

The Whippets wrapped up their 2019 regular season with a 6-1 victory over Beloit Memorial. The win gives Whitewater a final record of 15-8.

We got a few kids healthy from last week, but had one more go down over the weekend and another playing not at full speed. I was pleased with how we played; we were able to work on some things and get some match play in.

Anisa Dauti filled in for us at #2 singles and played probably her best match of the year winning 6-2, 6-2. Tessa Papcke at 3 singles and Josie Hintz at 4 singles came back strong after fighting illness last week to win their matches convincingly 6-2, 6-1 and 6-0, 6-0.

All three doubles teams, Odessa Sonn and Sophie Olson at 1, Melanie Reyes and Mariana Cano at 2, and Katelyn Lashley and Emily Scherer at 3 were solid tonight. All three won with identical 6-1, 6-0 scores.

The Whippets begin tournament play this coming Monday, Oct. 7 at 9 am with sub-sectional play at Racine Prairie High School.

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS AT THE JAMES R. CONNOR UNIVERSITY CENTER –UW-Whitewater University Center 60th Anniversary Exhibit

Take a step back through time, and enjoy a walk down memory lane. The community is invited to the Celebrating 60 Years of the James R. Connor University Center exhibit, opening October 1 at Roberta’s Art Gallery. 

The exhibit features newspaper articles, trophies, photos from over the years, and more, and will run through October 30, 2019. The gallery will be open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please join us for a free reception on Friday, October 4 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to learn more about University Center history, memories, evolution, and Warhawk Pride. 

Celebrating 60 Years of the James R. Connor University Center encompasses more than just a building, it is about all of those whose lives have been impacted by the U.C. The reception will highlight the history and transformation. Prior to this celebration, at 4:30 p.m., there will be a Championship Ring Dedication Ceremony for the Mens’ Bowling Team in honor of their championship win in May. Following the reception and ceremony, please join us for the Dedication of the U.C.’s newest permanent art piece, Leafing Our Mark on Campus. This dedication is in honor of the professional artists, students, and staff that put in the time and creativity into creating a new multi-media piece. The dedication will be held at the soffit by Willie’s, where the piece is homed. In Room UC266 the dedication will also be represented through the professional artists’ works who made this piece possible. Each of these events are free, and there will be light refreshments served throughout the entire evening. 

Although the primary celebration events are being held on Friday, October 4, please join us at the U.C. for other events throughout the week. See the following dates for other fun events: 

● The Warhawk Connection Center will be hosting a FREE Connector Reception from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30. 

● Like Bingo? Check out the Down Under on Tuesday, Oct. 1 for FREE Bingo! 

● Roberta’s Art Gallery will be hosting a FREE Picture Frame Decorating Workshop from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. just outside of the gallery on Wednesday, Oct. 2. 

● Thursday, October 3 the Down Under will be hosting FREE Karaoke Through the Decades. 

● Family Fest is also this weekend, so bring your family to the Williams Center between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to make Warhawk keychains with Roberta’s Art Gallery Staff. Please also pay a visit to Warhawk Alley between 11 a.m. and midnight to go bowling for only sixty cents per game. 

Roberta’s Art Gallery is a full service gallery that focuses on numerous styles of art exhibits, workshops and aims to reach students, faculty and staff, alumni, community members, and other visitors. Art is believed to be a universal language, and being a resource for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Roberta’s Art Gallery collaborates with students, campus departments, and student organizations. 

All exhibits and receptions are free and open to the public. Roberta’s Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center (UC) at UW-Whitewater. If you would like more information, feel free to contact Roberta’s Art Gallery via email ucart@uww.edu or via phone (262) 472-3193. We look forward to seeing you! 

Christian Daniel Valdez, 7, Whitewater, passed away as a result of an accident.

Christian was born on April 22, 2012 in Fort Atkinson to Israel and Ana (Jimenez Tagle) Valdez. He was a second grader at Lincoln Elementary School in Whitewater. Christian loved playing with his brother, sister, cousins and his cat. He was a happy child who loved giving his mother hugs and kisses. He is survived by his parents and siblings Erick and Brianna. He was baptized at St. Patrick Catholic Church.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church 1225 W. Main St. Whitewater, WI 53190. Burial will follow at the Calvary Cemetery in Whitewater. A visitation will be held on Wednesday at the church from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service.

Donations may be made to the family.

The Nitardy Funeral Home, Whitewater, WI is assisting the family, www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

“A Cat in the Ghetto” Book Discussion Thurs., 10/3 (Date corrected): Discuss the book at the library and watch the play on campus.

A Cat in the Ghetto

Thursday, October 3

4:00 p.m.

The library is partnering with the UW Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department with their productions for the year. We will be discussing the book “A Cat in the Ghetto”, the book that the play, “Resort 76” is based on. Come discuss the book at the public library and watch the play on campus. This event is free and open to everyone.

Cake War Winner Announced!

Here’s a follow up on the Cake War Fundraiser at Studio 84.We have a winner who now can officially claim she makes the BEST Chocolate Cake in Walworth County.

Stephanie Bailey earned the title of BEST Chocolate Cake in Walworth County!!

Whitewater Police Department to Participate in National Coffee with a Cop Day, Wed., 10/2

The Whitewater Police Department is excited to participate in the 4th Annual National Coffee with a Cop Day from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Wednesday, October 2, 2019. This will be the second time Whitewater has braced the event.

Coffee with a Cop Day is an opportunity many law enforcement agencies participate in to open up lines of communication and establish relationships within their communities. This community outreach program was created to allow citizens and officers to have conversations in a calm and comfortable setting to discuss anything from safety and concerns to sports and pets. The goal is good conversation and good company.

The Whitewater Police Department has partnered with two great local establishments, Jessica’s Family Restaurant and The SweetSpot Café. An officer or two will be stationed at both locations and all citizens are welcome and encouraged to pull up a chair, order some breakfast or coffee and enjoy some conversation.

“The Whitewater Police Department has been continuing their efforts to be involved within the community in more ways than just an officer protecting the city,” said PR Manager Kristin Mickelson. “The men and women of the WPD are just that, men and women. They have families and friends, exciting life events, pets, have bad days and good days. They are people just like everyone else and it is great to allow the community to see them in this light, get to know them as people and respect them as officers. We hope efforts of events like Coffee with a Cop and our recent (Ice Cream) Cone with a Cop will help build the connection between law enforcement and the community.”

The Whitewater Police Department is looking forward to this opportunity to build relationships with the community and citizens they serve.

Jessica’s Family Restaurant
140 W. Main Street

The SweetSpot Café
226 W. Whitewater Street

The City of Whitewater provides efficient and high quality services which support living, learning, playing and working in an exceptional community. Visit www.whitewater-wi.gov for community information and updates.

DOT Update on Hwy 12/CTH N Intersection

On September 30 representatives of the WI Department of Transportation (DOT), the City of Whitewater, and the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department, together with State Senator Janis Ringhand, and State Representative Don Vruwink met with the public to discuss the recent improvements to the 12/N intersection and receive feedback.

A double-fatality crash had occurred on August 1, followed by a single fatality crash on August 8. DOT had indicated that improvements to the intersection were scheduled for the summer of 2020. A meeting between DOT and state, county and local representatives was held on August 20 to discuss what could be done on a more timely basis. DOT installed a camera from August 22-28 to monitor the intersection. On August 24 they implemented flashing yellow left turn arrows for traffic in all four directions. DOT representatives indicated that the surveillance for the several days after the installation of the flashing arrows showed that most drivers were waiting to enter the intersection until oncoming traffic was clearing, and that the northbound Hwy 12 traffic turning to Hwy N was generally allowing for larger gaps in oncoming traffic before turning. No crashes have been reported since that date.

Members of the public generally expressed the feeling that the flashing yellow turn lights have improved the safety of the intersection. Friends of the families who were involved in the first crash emotionally stated their belief that the DOT waited too long to make improvements, as there have been approximately 40 crashes since January, 2015.

Suggestions from community members for other possible safety enhancements included: 1) Reduce the speed limit at the intersection or throughout the bypass to 45 m.p.h.; 2) Change the left turn signals to red and green; 3) Install warning lights approximately 800′ before the intersection to flash when the signals are about to change; 4) Install on/off ramps.

DOT indicated that they would take the suggestions into consideration and will continue to monitor all three bypass intersections. Some additional improvements are still scheduled for next summer. The representatives acknowledged that the bypass was designed to be a four-lane highway, with that configuration not anticipated to be constructed for the foreseeable future.

Whitewater High School Tennis currently 5th in Rock Valley Conference Tournament

     Whitewater finished 5th in the Rock Valley Conference Tournament, which actually still isn’t finished. The 1 singles championship match was suspended until Tuesday due to the length of the match. East Troy has wrapped up the team championship.

     Overall, the Whippets played well. Several players defeated or pushed teams much further than they had earlier in the year. Cassidy Laue won her second match of the evening over Edgerton after having lost the first set. She played a very smart second set and tiebreaker to win the match.

     Doubles saw some of the Whippets best tennis of the evening. At 1 doubles, Odessa Sonn and Sophie Olson finished 4th. They played very well in the 3rd place match against East Troy. Having lost to East Troy twice already this year and finding themselves down 5-1 in the second set they fought all the way back to win the set before falling in the tiebreaker.

    Two doubles was Whitewater’s best finish with a 3rd place finish. The match of the night was the semi-final between Melanie Reyes and Mariana Cano against Big Foot/Williams Bay. Whitewater had lost the earlier match in the year in straight sets and had also lost to this team 6-0, 6-0 in last year’s tournament. The girls pushed this one all the way to a third set before falling 12-10 in the tiebreaker. They were able to rebound though and took complete charge of their final match winning 6-2,6-1.

     The 3rd doubles team of Katelyn Lashley and Emily Scherer also lost a close one in three sets in the first round and then came back to beat Edgerton, a team that had beat them a week ago, 6-3, 6-1.

      Whitewater finishes their regular season on Monday with a dual at Beloit Memorial.

Whitewater Results:

1S Cassidy Laue                                 lost         Hannah Palmer(BF/WB) 6-0,6-0

                                                          beat       Kelsey Lien(Edg)4-6,6-3,10-6

2S Kaitlyn Partoll                               lost         Sylvia Fox(Edg)6-4,6-1

                                                          lost         Aeryn Olson(McF)6-1,6-1

3S Tessa Papcke                               beat       Ashley Ulset(Edg)6-3,4-6,10-5

                                                           lost         Laura Maudlin(McF)6-1,6-1

                                                           lost         Gracie Niebler(J)6-0,6-0

4S Josie Hintz                                     beat       Morgan Berg(BF/WB)6-3,6-4

                                                        lost         Lexi Mazzara(McF)6-4,6-0

                                                          lost         Izzy Galluzzo(ET)default

1D Odessa Sonn                               beat       M.Pinnow/R.Martin(J)6-1,6-1

      Sophie Olson                             lost         C.Heckert/E.Gaugher(BF/WB)6-2,6-4

                                                         lost         S.Rondeau/K.Metcalf(ET)6-2,6-7(5),10-5

2D Melanie Reyes                            beat       J.Rusch/J.Bauer(Edg)6-2,6-4

      Mariana Cano                            lost         A.Rowe/K.Sperling(BF/WB)3-6,7-5,12-10

                                                         beat       S.Bartzen/S.Kopp(McF)6-2,6-1

3D Katelyn Lashley                          lost         K.Pournik/Shields(McF)6-1,3-6,11-9

      Emily Scherer                             beat       I.Gilmour/K.Smrecek(Edg)6-3,6-1

Whitewater Arts Alliance to Feature Cambridge Artists at Cultural Arts Center in October

Whitewater Arts Alliance Logo

The Cambridge Artists Society will share their vision and creativity via their art at the Whitewater Arts Alliance’s Cultural Arts Center on 402 West Main Street in October.  The show runs October 3 to October 27 and will be open for viewing Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.  There will be a reception on Sunday, October 6 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. 

The Cambridge Artist Society is for Cambridge artists to inspire, create, and support other local artists. They do this by creating new and challenging projects and ways to exhibit and promote individual and community growth. As a group, they are taking on a broader view of presenting art – where individual works share space and time. Each show is based around a singular theme, but this is translated by each artist with inspiring diversity. Though individual pieces can be viewed and appreciated separately, what the group demonstrates through the art show is the flexibility and diversity of a shared, single subject theme through an individual lens.

Twenty-one artists will participate in the Cambridge Artists Society show:

Barb Gregory

Ben Timp

Bryan Holman

Grace Leonard

Issac Miklik

Jacy Eckerman

Janet Nelson

Jason Miklik

Jill Jensen

June Buchanan

Katherine Simdon

Laura Strehlow

Loretta Byrne

Rhonda Reinen

Ronna Trapanese

Sarah Krajewski

Virgil Kelter

Ann Strieter

Huck Gent

Griffin Roberts

Kristin Stockwell

The Cultural Arts Center is located on 402 West Main Street in the historic White building near the Birge Fountain. Parking is behind the building. An elevator is available for access from the parking lot entrance. 

The mission of the Whitewater Arts Alliance is to promote the visual and performing arts through an alliance of artists, individuals, educational resources, and organizations to promote creativity and diversity that will serve to educate and enrich the lives of the residents of the Whitewater community and surrounding areas.

Janesville Cross Country Invitational

In the 82nd running of the Janesville Midwest Cross Country Invitational, the Whippets walked away with a slew of personal bests in what was the fastest course and best weather so far in the 2019 season. This meet has 45 teams represented from across Wisconsin, neighboring states and a team from Houston, Texas. With the size of this meet, there are 3 races contested for each gender, they include the varsity race, blue race and white race. With a tremendous amount of large school representation, this meet can have a little bit of a “small fish in a big pond” type of feel to Whitewater. Rubbing elbows with the best runners, no matter what division, helps the program take a step forward both in growth and experience as they move closer to the goal of running their best in the championship portion of the season.  


Every varsity boy ran a personal best either for the season or a lifetime personal best. Trenten Zahn placed 50th with a time of 16:57. He was steady in his pacing and was rewarded with a nice time and place in the loaded field. Gio Anello, Cooper Hammond, Peter Zimdars, CJ Tomomitsu, Will Hofmann and Mason West all ran gutsy races and propelled the team to a 5th place finish within D2 schools and 26th overall.  The blue race was led by Manny Rodriguez who debuted in his first race after a nagging knee injury to place 171st in 19:20. Jack Mayer, Evan Schepp and Jaden Salmieri all ran personal bests for the season in this race. They finished in 23rd overall as a team.The white race featured Broderick Frye leading the team to a 38th place finish. He ran a new personal best of 22:00 and was flanked by teammates Josiah Holder, Keith Cameron and Ben McCulloch throughout the race. Seeing them pack together and feed off each other in the race was great to see as that was a team goal for this meet. They were all rewarded with big time drops. Senior Justin Mitchell also cut more than a minute off his person best.


On the girls side, the varsity girls placed 35th and led by sophomore Gwen Truesdale. She dropped her personal best down to 24:18 and placed 225th. Sabrina Bomberg is crushing every time she toes the line and cut just over a minute off her previous best which was set last week. Rounding out the varsity team were Olive Coburn, Sophie Walton and Nikole Pelot. In the white race the Whippets were led by Jenny Villarreal as they place 29th overall. She blazed the course in 27:53 and looked strong. Emma Weigel and Caelyn Caputo really rocked it and smoked  the course together. They each cut in excess of 2 minutes off their previous season bests. Not to be left out of the fun, Jeannette Falcon equaled that time drop by posting a new person best of close to 2 minutes as well. 


This is the first of three meets the Whippets will be racing over the course of the next six days. On Tuesday the teams travel to Jefferson for a 12-team invite and finish on Friday at the 4th annual Nightfall Classic, which is a meet contested entirely under large flood lights. It’s gonna be a great week!

Full Results:  https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/161479/results