The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team opened the season on February 28 with a double-header sweep of Asbury University in Kentucky. The Warhawks picked up right where they left off from last season, with a 26-4 mercy rule win in the first game. The Warhawks took the second game 12-2.
With the opening win, Head Coach John Vodenlich became the all-time Winningest Coach in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball history. Vodenlich has collected 730 wins, surpassing Tom Lechnir (728, UWO: 1989-2013) for most wins as a head coach in the WIAC.
In the opening game, the Warhawks blasted two home runs in the first two batters. Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) and Matt Scolan (Downers Grove, Ill./South) each went the distance to put the Warhawks up 2-0 after only two batters.
The Warhawks went on to score 15 runs over the first three innings. Holland added another homer in the fourth for the warhawks only run that inning.
Asbury held UWW off the board in the 5th, but the Warhawks answered back with 10 runs in the 6th. Scolan hit his second homer of the game, a 3-run go to start off the scoring. Holland hit his third homer of the game to cap off the inning & put the Warhawks up 26-0.
Asbury managed to avoid the shutout, scoring four runs in the 7th inning, but the run-rule ended the game after seven.
Jack Hagen (San Clemente, Cal./San Clemente) picked up the win in the first game, going 5.0 innings with 4 Ks.
The second game started with 6 first inning runs from UWW, quickly setting the tone once again. Asbury added one run in the bottom of the third, keeping the game closer than the opener. But Eli Frank (Bayport, Wis./Bay Port) had a three-run homer in the top of the 9th to the Warhawks up 12-1.
An unearned run from the Eagles in the bottom of the ninth added another for Asbury, but Danny Hopper (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) closed out the game with a swinging strikeout.
Cade Hansen (New Braunfels, Texas/Smithson Valley) got the win, with 5.0 innings & only 4 hits.
College is supposed to be a time for learning, meeting new people, and figuring out the next steps of life. However, for a lot of students, this is a time that is filled with stress, anxiety, and even depression. Based on the Healthy Minds Study, almost half of all college students struggle with anxiety or depression. And across the University of Wisconsin School System, anxiety (73%), stress (65%), and depression (63%) are all in the top concerns for students who seek counseling.
Even though mental health is such a large issue, getting help is not always the easiest process. Counseling services across the UW campuses are usually backed up, which means students have to wait weeks just to talk to someone. Others don’t even bother reaching out because they feel embarrassed or don’t know what resources are available.
This issue isn’t just about mental health, it can also affect school performance, graduation rates, and can have a major negative impact on their futures after college. When someone is constantly overwhelmed and struggling, their grades will be in trouble. They might end up dropping out and carrying these issues into their careers as well if the proper help is not provided. If we want to set students up for success, colleges need to make mental health more of a priority.
The University of Wisconsin School System needs to step up and create change. More funding for counseling services and better promotion of mental health resources could be important steps in making sure students get the help they need. Schools should also encourage conversations about mental health so feel less alone during these times.
Students and administration need to come together in order to make this happen. Students should reach out to their student government representatives and advocate for changes within the university to make sure that this issue gets the attention and can be resolved. The UW system and colleges around the country need to prioritize mental health and make sure students have access to the resources that will be beneficial.
Editor’s note: Sidney McLean is a senior majoring in social work at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. .
The Whitewater Arts Alliance, in partnership with Fairhaven Senior Services, invites the community to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a festive “Decorate a Shamrock” workshop. This free event will take place on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, from 3 pm-4:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall at Fairhaven Senior Services, located at 435 West Starin Road, Whitewater, WI 53190.
Led by Angie Alesci, this workshop is open to both Fairhaven residents and members of the Whitewater community. Participants will have the opportunity to decorate their own shamrock, with all supplies provided at no cost. This event promises a fun, hands-on experience for all ages and skill levels, fostering a sense of fun and community.
“We’re thrilled to, once again, partner with Fairhaven Senior Services for a community workshop and bring this St. Patrick’s Day celebration to Whitewater,” said Kim Adams, WAA Gallery Director. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for residents and community members to come together, get creative, and enjoy the spirit of the day.”
This event is generously sponsored by Culver’s, whose support helps make free community programs like this possible. No registration is required—just bring your enthusiasm and join the fun!
The UW-Whitewater women’s basketball team cruised into the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament with a 75-53 win over Principia College in Kachel Gym in Whitewater on Friday night.
With the win, the Warhawks advance to host UW-La Crosse Saturday at 7 PM in Kachel Gym. UWW defeated the Eagles in both regular season meetings — 62-56 on the road and 74-62 at home — this season. The Eagles topped Colorado College 79-52 in the first round.
Editor’s note: Whitewater had a good-sized crowd on Friday evening, and hopefully Saturday will be even better. Parking is free in lots 11 and 24 and tickets are purchased onsite. Adults are $15, Senior Adults, Students, and Children ages 6-17 are $10. Children under 6 are free. Those unable to attend may find links for listening or viewing the game here and here together with other information about the contest.
UW-Whitewater got off to an incredible start in Friday’s game against the Panthers. Mallory Oloffson (Normal, Ill./Normal Community) opened the scoring with a three-pointer off of a Maggie Trautsch (Sun Prairie, Wis./DeForest) assist. Less than 30 seconds later, Trautsch hit her first attempt of the night – also from long range – off a Kacie Carollo (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) pass for a 6-0 lead. Trautsch answered a Principia basket with another triple before draining her third three in the first six minutes of the contest to give UWW a 14-4 advantage.
By the end of the first quarter, the gap ballooned to 24-18. Katie Hildebrandt (McFarland, Wis./McFarland) hit the first basket of the second quarter to push the margin into the 20s. Another three-pointer, this one from Renee Rittmeyer (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) with less than a minute left in the half, extended the Warhawk lead to 30, 47-17. Hildebrandt capped the first 20 minutes with a jumper to send UWW into the intermission with a 32-point advantage.
The Warhawks were efficient in the first half shooting 47% and 67% in the first two quarters respectively. Meanwhile, the defense held Principia to 15% and 31% from the floor in the first and second quarters.
The Panthers won the third and fourth quarters outscoring UWW 18-13 in each period for the 75-53 final.
Hildebrandt led the Warhawks with a double-double hauling in 15 boards to go with 15 points. Trautsch and Oloffson each scored 16 while Rittmeyer added 11.
Scores for other Wisconsin teams on Friday: UW-Superior lost to Whitman 54-77 UW-Oshkosh beat Calvin 61-52 UW- Stout beat Ripon 87-57 Gustavus Adolphus over Wisconsin Lutheran 61-49
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club
The Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club will be holding a sit-down, dine-in Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 8 from 6:30-11 a.m. All are invited to bring their appetites to the Downtown Armory, 146 W. North Street. No tickets will be sold, and people are asked to make a donation of at least $7 to help cover the food costs. Additional donations are welcome to help support the children that Kiwanis serves.
Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club Co-President Corey Davis said, “We are thrilled to offer this wonderful breakfast fundraiser again this year to support children.”
Whitewater Kiwanis is a group of dedicated volunteers who help both children of the Whitewater community and the world. The club raised funds to make possible the recent installation of the city’s first piece of inclusive playground equipment, a We-Go-Round, in Starin Park. Annual donations are also made to provide shoes and winter clothes for students, as well as support for organizations such as the Whitewater Food Pantry, Bethel House, The Community Space, and the Whitewater Youth Soccer Club.
If you have an interest in helping youth in Whitewater, you can check out Whitewater Kiwanis on Facebook and join our Club by contacting Corey Davis at coreydavis77@yahoo.com. We meet at 7 a.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month at Jessica’s Family Restaurant.
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improvingthe world one child and one community at a time.
Editor’s Note: The following interview was done by Marjorie Stoneman on behalf of Whitewater Unites Lives.
Roberto Soto, owner of Omega Auto Repair LLC, came to the United States from Piedras Negras, Mexico and is now a United States citizen and business owner in Whitewater.
Roberto first moved to Texas where he remembers being bussed as a migrant worker to what was then Larson Company in Fort Atkinson. He canned corn and carrots and worked a 10-month contract before he returned to Texas each year.
Roberto fell in love with Wisconsin, and met his wife in Fort Atkinson so he decided to stay. Hard work is key for Roberto. He started out at Generac as first a line-worker and then progressed to operator-three. In addition, he worked on car brakes for people on the side. He also worked at Coburn Company. But his love of cars began with his work at Kusel Auto Repair in Watertown.
Roberto Soto at Omega Auto Repair
He bought what is now Omega Auto Repair from Donna Henry in 2021. He specializes in electrical trouble-shooting and light mechanical work. “I do work for three different shops in town that can’t do electrical. I consider myself a technician. I can do mechanical, but I specialize in electrical,” said Roberto.
“Whitewater is one of the most beautiful towns I’ve been in. I’ve lived in three different countries, and what I like most (about Whitewater) is the people. People here remember their grandpa who did not speak English because he came from another country. They have decency and care for other people,” he said. “I was born in the wrong country (Mexico). I’ve always wanted to come to the United States,” he said.
Roberto said, “Whitewater is a good place to raise a family.” Three of his children are grown, and one attends school in Whitewater. “I feel safe in Whitewater. The majority of immigrants are hardworking,” he said.
Roberto learned English in Mexico. He said, “I was not a good student in any class except English class. I was top of the English class.” His goal at the time was to speak English well so he could fulfill his dream of living in the U.S.
Roberto and his wife have raised two daughters and two sons with careers in nursing, mechanical engineering and computer science. Roberto went to school until 9th grade, and he says, “I am very proud of my children. Sometimes I don’t understand how they got so smart because I wasn’t a good student.” Roberto is self-taught.
About his business, Roberto said, “I am very honest to the point that it hurts. People who bring cars here like how I explain what is wrong. I tell it like it is.” Sometimes that means letting people know that their repairs are not worth the price, and they should look instead at purchasing a new car. “I want to do a good job, and I make sure the job gets done right,” he said.
He also really appreciates the good Google reviews that describe how he works with customers like the following: “Roberto is super professional, and very reliable. I’ve been in there a few times, and he has fixed all of my issues with an affordable cost. Definitely my go to mechanic when I need something done. He tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Very quick and efficient.”
Roberto said, “I am here to help anybody who needs help repairing their car. I love working on cars and I love helping people get their cars fixed and on the way, I make money. It’s a good trade.”
The Whitewater Wrestling Team concluded their season this weekend with five competing on the Kohl Center floor in Madison. The format of the tournament was different this season with each competitor being guaranteed two matches over the weekend.
The team wrestled well throughout the weekend, but unfortunately three of them were unable to come off victorious even though they had given it their all on the mat. All of the losses the students took ended up being to opponents that placed in the top six and made podium on Saturday night.
Jarvis Porcaro
Jasen Porras, Traysen Thomason, and Marianna Kubicz each competed on Thursday night and Friday morning but had some tough challenges in front of them, coming up short.
Connor Friend started off the tournament with a very strong opponent who was a great rider on top. This was a tough loss, as all are in the state tournament, and he had to regroup and come back on Friday morning to stay in the medal hunt. Connor saw an opponent from Belmont/Platteville, whom he had lost to 4 weeks ago. Connor wrestled a great match coming out on top 4–1. This placed him in the consolation semifinals on Saturday morning. Connor had an opponent that was very good at defense, which made it difficult to get to his offense, which he is very good at. In the end, Connor fell just short of reaching his goal of being on the podium.
Jarvis Porcaro had a very good tournament. He started the tournament on Thursday evening with a nice technical fall victory in the opening round setting him up for a quarter final match against a state runner up from Richland Center. Jarvis wrestled an outstanding match, coming out with 10-8 victory, putting him into the state semifinals on Friday night. In this match, Jarvis wrestled against the number 1 seed in the tournament and came out very strong with an early takedown. Entering the 3rd period, Jarvis was down 7-5, but that was as close as it got. Jarvis ended up dropping the match, which was very disappointing to him as he self-analyzed his match right away and knew his errors in the 3rd period. He stayed positive with himself, which has been a huge battle for him to overcome since last season. This season, Jarvis was able to stay in the mental mindset, even during tough times. On Saturday morning, Jarvis came back to compete in the 3rd place match but lost the match, thus finishing in 4th place in the state. Jarvis had set his goals after last season to be in the state finals, and although he came up short of that goal, he was upbeat with his weekend and knows this is just one chapter of his life of wrestling. He will move forward working toward collegiate goals.
The weekend saw the close of some stellar high school careers from Jarvis, Jasen, Connor, and Traysen. They will be missed by the program, and we wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.
Article and Photo Submitted by John Schimming Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach jschimming@wwusd.org
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will host the first and second rounds of the 2025 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament Friday and Saturday, March 7-8. The tournament will be held in Kachel Gym in the Williams Center.
The first game of the Whitewater Regional will feature Colorado College (23-3) and UW-La Crosse (16-11). Tipoff is slated for 4:30 PM CT.
The Warhawks (22-6) will take on Principia (17-11) in game two that is set for a 7 PM tip.
The winners will advance to face each other at 7 PM on Saturday.
A livestream for all games in the Whitewater Regional will be available on ncaa.com.
Ticket information will be announced Tuesday. A full preview will be available later this week.
Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by UW-Whitewater. Principia is in Elsah, IL.
Wisconsin is well represented among the 64 teams in the bracket, with six teams, five of which are part of Universities of WI: La Crosse, Oshkosh, Stout, Superior, and Whitewater. The sixth team is Wisconsin Lutheran.
Twenty-six members of Ferradermis, the Whitewater High School FIRST Robotics Competition Team 6574, traveled to Duluth, Minnesota from February 26 through March 2 to compete in the Lake Superior Regional with 54 teams from North Dakota, Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, and came away as Event Winners, Double DECC-er Playoff Winners, Team Sustainability Award Winners, and the Woodie Flowers Award Finalist for the event!
Members of Ferradermis had a highly successful weekend in Duluth at the Lake Superior Regional
The team’s 108-pound robot Chief of the Reef was led onto the field by Driver Andrew O’Toole, Operator Erison Dreksler, Human Player Jayden Kehrer, Technician Nina Heim, and Drive Coach Mark Zimmermann. This year’s game Reefscape is ocean-themed and requires the robot to remove large green playground balls (algae) from the “reef” and add pieces of PVC pipe (coral) in its place. Teams also can score by placing algae in the “barge” and doing a deep or shallow climb onto their “cage.” Throughout the weekend, one of the team’s tri-captains Emerson Dunham assisted the drive team with match strategy while Game Strategy Subteam Lead Rae Breisath and Head Scouts Andrew Zimmermann and Cyrus Hudec oversaw the collection of data in the stands. Ferradermis was part of a four-team scouting alliance organized by Team 6421 the WarriorBots from Muskego High School. Other teams helping us scout were Team 6381 Red Raider Robotics from Sheboygan North and Team 1714 MORE Robotics from St. Thomas More High School in Milwaukee. These same four teams plan to work together over spring break when all four will again be competing with and against each other at the Phantom Lakes Regional at Mukwonago High School. A large percentage of the team members took multiple hour-long scouting shifts over the weekend including Zoe Olson, Letty Trautman, Georgia Esch, Toby Kapfer, Preston Miller, Carson Miller, and Virginia Nelson.
Throughout the competition, Programming Subteam Lead Ace Hudec and Safety Captain Elora Wildermuth-Breitzman were key members of the pit crew, working on the robot between matches and keeping the pit clean and safe. Team members overseeing media roles included Cooper Housel who wore the team’s media badge for field-side access and Margaret Brown who filmed each match from the stands and provided footage for the drive team to analyze after each match. Videos were also used by Emilie Bruns each night to update the highlight reel playing on a screen in the pit.
The Impact Presentation Team of Maddison LaHaie, Chacha Binagi, and Sam Raupp donned their Hawaiian gear and used their creative surfboard displays to communicate with a team of judges about the things the team does in the community and across the state to raise awareness of STEM and help young people develop an interest and skills in science and technology. In addition to the specific judging session for Impact, teams of judges visit the pit throughout the event to talk with students. As a result of these conversations, Ferradermis was presented with the Team Sustainability Award sponsored by Dow. This award recognized the team’s efforts to sustain the team through long-term planning with the endowed fund being built at the Whitewater Community Foundation as well as help the environment through initiatives such as Project Preserve to recycle 3D printer filament waste for other teams.
Students are able to engage in many other activities during a robotics event, and several took the opportunity to be part of the team choir which performed the National Anthem on the Northern Lights field during Friday morning’s opening ceremonies and on the Lake Superior Field during Saturday morning’s opening ceremonies. Team members participating in the choir who rehearsed starting on Thursday afternoon were Nina Heim, Vivian Harris, Colby Long, Sam Raupp, Elora Wildermuth-Breitzman, Cyrus Hudec, Maddison LaHaie, Chacha Binagi, and Andrew Zimmermann.
Students had worked in advance of the event to develop a new iron-worker mascot costume for the team. (The team’s name Ferradermis translates to iron skin in Latin.) Students representing the team in the costumes were Asher Downs and Emilie Bruns.
Team mentors who traveled with the team took on many roles throughout the event. The team would like to thank Kat Dunham, Jake Raupp, Jacob Korf, and Quinn McKenzie for their help in the pit and the stands. A special thanks goes to mentor Tim O’Toole who pulled the team’s donated trailer from I-90 Enterprises to and from Duluth with the robot and pit supplies. The team would also like to give a shout-out to bus driver extraordinaire Bruce Parker from Nelson’s Bus who not only got us to and from the event safely but came to watch matches and cheer on the team. It was also great to see so many parents in the stands and so many community members cheering us on from home via the livestream. The team was especially excited to receive a video from Mrs. Wojtkunski’s class at Lincoln Elementary and to hear that the event was being streamed in many of the large group spaces at the high school on Friday.
The Woodie Flowers Award is presented to one mentor at each regional based on an essay students submit in advance. Team Advisor Laura Masbruch was named the 2025 Lake Superior Regional Woodie Flowers Award Finalist. The award is meant to celebrate mentors who, “lead, inspire, and empower their teams with integrity and Gracious Professionalism, embodying the values that Professor Woodie Flowers championed.” Woodie Flowers was an MIT professor who co-founded FIRST in 1989 with Dean Kamen. Woodie believed in, “competition for the sake not of destroying one another, but for the sake of bettering and improving both competitors as a result of the competition.” Woodie passed away a few years ago, but his spirit lives on through the gracious professionalism teams are asked to exhibit not only at events, but year-round. Woodie was a bit of a folk hero at events and would carry sharpies so students could sign his classic denim shirt. In his memory, Woodie Flowers Finalists are presented with a denim shirt signed by participants at that event. Masbruch now qualifies for the award at the FIRST Championships to be held in Houston in April.
During each trip, the team tries to incorporate an educational experience outside of robotics as well as some team bonding opportunities. In Duluth, this took the form of a visit to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, a team dinner at Sammy’s Pizza, and bowling at Superior Lanes on Saturday evening after the event ended. On Friday evening, the team also had dinner together at the hotel followed by a presentation from the Impact Team and a strategy meeting to plan for the next day’s alliance selections.
Regional events consist of two phases – the qualification round and the elimination round. During qualifications on Friday and Saturday, Ferradermis played 9 matches with randomly assigned alliances, coming away with a 6-3 record. More importantly, the team accumulated an average of 3.33 ranking points over those 9 matches. An alliance of 3 robots can earn up to 6 ranking points in each match – 3 for a win, 1 for performance in the 15-second autonomous period as the beginning of a match, 1 for filling their reef with a specific amount of coral, and 1 for their climbs on the cages during the endgame. Ranking points are used to rank all teams, and Ferradermis concluded qualifications with a rank of 13 out of 54 teams. Chief of the Reef had demonstrated it was a solid scorer of coral, a master of the deep climb, and a very good defensive bot during qualifications.
At the end of qualifications, alliance selections are held for the elimination round. This begins with the #1 ranked team selecting their choice of teammates and continues until 8 full alliances of 3 robots each are formed. Ferradermis was honored to be invited to play on the #2 seeded playoff alliance led by Team 2847 The MegaHertz from Fairmont, Minnesota. The third member of our alliance was Team 6147 the Tonkabots from Mound, Minnesota. The alliance played very well together with Driver Andrew O’Toole putting on a defensive showcase that slowed down the opposing alliance while our two teammates continued to score. Playoffs are a double-elimination bracket, and the Ferradermis alliance lost their match in round four before coming back to win the best of 3 finals in 2 straight matches.
Under a new system put in place by FIRST for this season, this win does not automatically qualify the team for a trip to the Championships in Houston. However, Ferradermis is ranked highly in the world based on points earned this weekend and could potentially receive a bid to attend Championships as early as March 12.
The Winning Alliance
The Lake Superior Regional is hosted in the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (the DECC) simultaneously with the Northern Lights Regional. The second regional hosted an additional 55 high school robotics teams from those same states but also Florida, Iowa, and South Dakota. After both regionals concluded, the winning alliances from the two events played off against each other for the “Double DECC-er” title. The Ferradermis alliance took on an alliance of Team 111 Wildstang from Arlington Heights, Illinois, Team 5253 Bigfork Backwoods Bots from Bigfork, Minnesota, and Team 2240 Brute Force from Denver, Colorado. In a tightly contested match, the Ferradermis alliance prevailed 153-145, claiming the Double DECC-er in what will likely be Ferradermis’ last trip to Duluth. Wisconsin is changing its competition model next year to an in-state system similar to high school athletics where a State Champion will be crowned. In June 2025, Wisconsin will host a test-run of the state championship format, inviting the top teams in the state (based on points earned during the season) to compete. With their point performance in Duluth, Ferradermis will likely earn a spot at that competition.
Thanks to Bruce Parker for this Celebratory Team Photo
After a fantastic weekend with a 12-4 record, Ferradermis looks forward to two more regional events that are a little more local. The team will be at the Phantom Lakes Regional hosted at Mukwonago High School from March 27-29 and the Wisconsin Regional at State Fair Park in West Allis from April 3-6. These events are free and open to the public with the final two days of each event featuring matches that provide great fun family entertainment. Members of the school district’s FIRST Lego League and FIRST Tech Challenge Teams will be visiting the Milwaukee event during the practice day on April 4, and we invite the community to join us on the weekend as well.
Article and Photos Submitted by Laura Masbruch Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor lmasbruch@wwusd.org
LWV Whitewater Area Fundraiser at Culver’s March 4
The League of Women Voters (LWV) of the Whitewater Area will participate in Share Night, Tuesday, March 4, 2025 from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm at Culver’s, 1414 W Main Street, Whitewater. LWV members will deliver food orders to cars and tables, and assist with keeping the restaurant area clean. Culver’s will donate 10% of the sales made during that time to the organization. LWV will also staff a booth at the event to share information about voter registration and the April 1, 2025 election. Funds raised will support the LWV’s educational outreach efforts, and the events will provide an opportunity for the LWV to reach a wider audience.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
