Sports

Editor’s note: The following press release was provided by UW-Whitewater.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s wheelchair basketball team welcomes basketball players of all ages and abilities to Kachel Gymnasium on Sunday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to noon for 2s Frees 3s: The Ultimate Shooting Competition.

Participants should enter one of the following divisions:

• Youth girls (age 17 and younger)
• Youth boys (age 17 and younger)
• Adult men (age 18 and up)
• Adult women (age 18 and up)
• Wheelchair athletes

Registration fee is $20 per participant. Trophies will be awarded to the five champions – one per division.

2s Frees 3s (2F3) is a two-minute shooting competition made up of 21 spots on the floor. The goal is to make a basket at all 21 spots before the time runs out. 2F3 was created by Steve Novak, an 11-year NBA veteran and top 10 ranked 3-point shooter in NBA history. Novak is a native of Brown Deer who competed collegiately at Marquette University.

UW-Whitewater’s men’s wheelchair basketball team won its 14th National Wheelchair Basketball Association collegiate national championship in March. Head coach Jake Williams and student-athletes AJ Fitzpatrick and Talen Jourdan, who will be present for the competition, will compete for Team USA at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games this summer.

Click here for more information and to register for the event.

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletic Department has announced the hire of Jarod Wichser as the next head coach of the Warhawk men’s basketball team. Wichser served as the interim coach last season. 
 
 
“I would like to thank Chancellor King, Athletic Director Ryan Callahan, and the search committee for trusting me to lead the men’s basketball program,” said Coach Wichser. “It is a privilege to be a part of the Warhawk family, and I will work hard to build upon the rich tradition of success here at UW-Whitewater.”
 
“We are excited for Jarod to lead our men’s basketball program,” said Athletic Director Callahan. “Jarod holds character in high regard and his work ethic and ability as a teacher are never in question.”
 
Prior to taking over as the interim head coach a year ago, Wichser served as an assistant coach under longtime head coach Pat Miller for six seasons. The Warhawk men’s basketball program has a history of longevity of its head coaches – Wichser is just the third to take on the role since 1978. 
 
“We’ve been fortunate with two of the nation’s most decorated coaches at the helm since 1978 – Dave “Augie” Vander Meulen and Pat Miller – that led with integrity and passion for the sport and the university. Working under Coach Miller for six years has put Jarod in a position to continue the legacy of Augie and Pat while building his own,” added Callahan. 
 
Wichser takes the helm of a program with a long history of success at the conference and national level. UW-Whitewater has won 15 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships and five WIAC Tournament titles – second-most in the league. UW-Whitewater’s 22 NCAA appearances is more than any other team in the conference while the program’s four NCAA Division III titles is tied for the most in the WIAC. The Warhawks boast a record of 42-19 in NCAA tournament play. 
 
“The standard of success in men’s basketball at UW-Whitewater is very high because of the many elite student-athletes and coaches who built this program,” added Wichser. “We are going to be relentless in our pursuit to meet and maintain the standard of excellence they established.”
 
“I am thrilled for him and his family as he leads us into a new era of men’s basketball,” concluded Callahan.
 
In his interim campaign, Wichser led UWW to a 17-9 overall record and a 7-7 mark in WIAC play. 
 

Wichser is a 2012 graduate of UW-Whitewater. He earned a degree in elementary/middle education before completing a master’s program in professional development at UWW in 2018. 

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater senior Rachel Nelson has been named the National Tenpin Coaches Association Division III Bowler of the Year. She is the fifth Warhawk to earn the honor. As a team, the Warhawks dominated statistically this season, leading Division III in six of seven categories

A bowler representing UW-Whitewater has been named the NTCA Bowler of the Year three consecutive seasons with Caitlin Mertins (2022) and Kelly Whipple (2023) preceding Nelson’s honor this season. The other two Warhawks to earn the award are Amanda Van Duyn (2016) and Katie Zwiefelhofer (2015).

Nelson’s 19.79 average for Baker frames led Division III this season. Across all divisions, Nelson ranked 11^th in both 10^th frame scoring average (21.04) and 10^th frame fill percentage (88.3) for an anchor bowler. Her 10^th frame double rate at 30.5% is 12^th best for an individual bowler in the NTCA.

Whipple, the 2023 NTCA DIII Bowler of the Year, was the divisional leader this season in Baker double percentage (49.60).

Nelson led UWW in frames bowled (1,066), average per frame (19.50), strikes (483) and strike percentage (45.2). Whipple was the Warhawks’ top spare bowler and led UWW in overall fill percentage (83.5) while ranking second on the team in frames bowled (1,056), average per frame (19.25) and strikes (461).

As a team, the Warhawks were nothing short of dominant in the field of Division III teams. UW-Whitewater led the nation in traditional frame average (18.49), Baker frame average (18.97), Baker double percentage (42.20), strike percentage (40.80), single-pin spare conversion percentage (85.40) and overall spare conversion percentage (66.90).

UW-Whitewater and Warhawk bowlers have been recognized in the release of the NTCA national statistics leaders nearly every season dating back to the awards’ inception in 2017. In the first season Division III was recognized separately, 2018, the Warhawks led the nation in all seven team and all six individual categories.

Whitewater Traveling Basketball Club is excited to announce the details of the 2024 shot club.  Registration is currently open and the spring portion of the Club starts April 7. Registration closes April 30. 

1.  Registration must be completed by completing the Google Form: https://forms.gle/JGjzDLAVBUG8W5N78

2.  In order to receive recognition at a game next season, the player will need to make 10,000 game like shots and participate in four (4) shot club training sessions between June 15 and August 31.

The rules of the Whitewater Shot Club are:

1. Every game like shot made counts as “1 make”;

2. Every 10 minutes of focused ball handling counts as 10 makes (limit of 2000 makes for the 2024 with ball handling);

3. Students in grades 9-12 for the 2024-25 school year have until August 31 to get 10,000 makes. Students in grades 5-8 have until October 31 to get 10,000 makes. 

4. Makes are submitted weekly. Information on recording and submitting makes will be sent out to athletes that sign up. Workouts will be run by Coach Dowden and Coach McCabe and more information will be coming to families that sign-up. Open gyms begin Sunday, April 7 at 5 pm. In May, Open Gyms run from 4-6pm. There is no open gym on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day; otherwise gym is open at 4 pm starting on Sundays in May until basketball season starts. 

This programming is new for the community, and we look forward to answering questions and working to get better at basketball!

Coach Dowden and Coach McCabe

Editor’s note: The above announcement was provided by the Whitewater Traveling Basketball Club. The Banner appreciates having permission to use the homepage image by Schorsch from Pixabay.