The Whitewater Girls’ Swim Team traveled to Elkhorn on Tuesday, September 30th to compete in a double dual against Elkhorn and PSC. The Whippets had a fantastic night in the pool, earning the victory over PSC with a final score of 97–53!
Meet Highlights:
Every 200 Freestyler crushed their swims with new best times! • Storm DePorter dropped 14 seconds • Caitlin Alford dropped 5 seconds • Grace Coleman dropped 8 seconds • Lucy Davis dropped 5 seconds • Laken DePorter went a lifetime best by 4 seconds
Grace Coleman bravely took on the 100 Butterfly for the first time in her career and swam an impressive 1:37.60.
Grace Smith and Emma Maas both gave the 500 Freestyle a go, swimming strong and steady races!
Maya Davis and Emma Maas went 1–2 in the 100 Breaststroke against PSC, with Maya swimming right on her season best.
Jalayne Hanson tried out the 50 Fly on the 200 Medley Relay and posted a great split of 43.63!
The Whippets continue to show growth, toughness, and team spirit each time they hit the water — way to go, ladies!
Article and Photo Provided by Sarah Reynolds Whitewater High School Head Swim Coach ReynoldsSM07@uww.edu
The Whippet Volleyball Program honored their Senior class this past Tuesday night before their match against Monroe. Mya Graves-Koran, Sydney Schilt, Peyton Clark, Kaia Jones, and Danika Larson were honored with speeches from their Junior teammates. Their dedication, determination, leadership abilities, kindness, and examples of what it means to be a true Whippet were highlighted. Each one of them has set an example for us to follow and we are so thankful for their dedication to our team and program.
After the tribute, the Varsity squad followed with their best performance to date. Falling in a 5-set thriller (25-21, 24-26, 26-24, 24-26, 11-15), the athletes showed grit and determination battling with the visiting Cheesemakers. Having a breakout performance was Sophomore Emery Kachel who led with 6 kills and 1 block on the night. “We decided to switch our offense and work on a 6-2 to get Emery on the right side for us. We knew she had the potential to be an offensive threat, and her blocking on defense is what we hoped would develop. Tonight, she showed her hard work is paying off.”
Sydney Schilt came through with 5 kills, 5 aces, and 3 blocks on the night. “Sydney has moved into a setter and hitter role for us. She took on that role without hesitation and has led by her example. We are proud of how she is leading our team.”
Down 17-24 in set three, Emi Islas came in to serve. Through sheer determination, supported by her teammates who dug in on defense, the Whippets came back to win that set 26-24. “This was the first time this season that our team showed sheer grit to come from behind and win that set. Our backs were against the wall, and we showed our true potential. It was a huge step forward for us!”
Additional stat leaders on the night included Junior Maddie Morton with 3 blocks. “Maddie is showing her potential at Middle Blocker. She has improved so much throughout the season and is becoming a defensive threat for us.”
Freshman Jasmine Kilar came through with 23 digs on the night. “Jasmine just works on defense. She goes after every ball and has a keen sense of reading hitters. While she is still very young, her volleyball IQ just keeps growing.”
Mya Graves-Koran dished out 9 assists and added 4 aces. “Mya continues to lead us on offense. She is working hard on defense, and it is showing!”
While the Whippets ended up losing in a 5-set match, there was nothing to hang our heads about. “This match showed what we are developing here. The athletes worked hard from start to finish. They never gave up and showed just how much we have improved this season. We were proud of their effort tonight!”
JV1 and JV2 continue to improve each night! JV2 coach Tori Miller stated, “We played well in all three sets. We are getting better at reading on defense and communicating as a team. Our bench was loud, and everyone stayed positive!”
JV2 coach Ariel Feiertag stated, “We are getting better at moving our feet to get into the right spots, and our communication continues to get stronger. We are definitely getting better at working toward three hits and being aggressive with our third hit over the net.”
The Volleyball Program looks to travel to Jefferson on Thursday, October 2 for another conference matchup.
The Whitewater Girls’ Swim Team had a packed week of racing — first hosting Jefferson/Cambridge on Tuesday, September 23rd, and then competing at the EagleJay Invite in Jefferson on Saturday, September 27th. The Whippets brought awesome energy, big time drops, and plenty of standout swims at both meets!
Sept. 23 – Home vs. Jefferson/Cambridge Highlights:
Maya Davis took on the 200 Free for the first time, swimming a strong 2:58.84.
Emma Maas dropped 2 seconds in her 200 Free.
Maggie Maas won the 200 IM in a lifetime best 2:42.43, cutting nearly 8 seconds!
Every 50 Freestyler went a best time: Grace Smith (31.38), Charlotte Hajewski (32.48), Laken DePorter (34.01), Storm DePorter (34.66), and Caitlin Alford (37.27).
Grace Coleman clocked a lifetime best in the 100 Free at 1:11.35.
Caitlin Alford dropped more time in the 100 Free, breaking 1:30 with a 1:29.17.
In the 500 Free, the DePorter sisters dominated: Storm dropped 22 seconds (despite losing her goggles mid-race!) and Laken dropped 12 seconds.
Sept. 27 – EagleJay Invite Highlights:
The Whippets kept rolling with Top 16 finishes and more PRs:
200 Free – Charlotte Hajewski (2:36.38 – 13th), Lucy Davis (2:49.50 – 16th)
200 IM – Maggie Maas (2:43.73 – 7th)
50 Free – Grace Coleman (31.28 – 12th, New Best), Grace Smith (31.32 – 13th, New Best)
100 Free – Grace Smith (1:10.11 – 14th, New Best), Atreya Wilson (1:13.23 – 15th), Charlotte Hajewski (1:13.64 – 16th)
100 Back – Maggie Maas (1:15.99 – 10th)
100 Breast – Atreya Wilson (1:34.98 – 14th), Maya Davis (1:37.01 – 16th, New Best)
Big Time Drops:
Laken DePorter dropped 3 seconds in the 100 Free, setting a lifetime best 1:18.93.
All 100 Backstrokers (Maggie Maas, Grace Coleman, Georgia Esch, Caitlin Alford) went best times — Caitlin cut 3 seconds to finish in 1:39.56.
Emma Maas dropped 2 seconds in her 100 Breast, going 1:38.97.
It was a fantastic week full of improvements, PRs, and strong swims — way to go, Whippets!
Article and Photo Submitted by Sarah Reynolds Whitewater High School Head Swim Coach ReynoldsSM07@uww.edu
The Whitewater Whippet Cross Country Teams tested themselves against elite competition at the Midwest Invitational in Janesville on Saturday, September 27, where more than 50 schools lined up in one of the largest and most competitive events of the season.
Virginia NelsonTyler Carollo
On the boys’ side, several varsity runners posted lifetime personal bests despite the warm conditions. Tyler Carollo led the way with a 30-second improvement, clocking 18:22. Wyatt Esch tied his career mark in 19:54, while Marcus Roselle shaved seven seconds for a 20:30 finish. Returning from injury, Carson Miller impressed with a 71-second drop at 24:34, and Ian Agen highlighted the day by cutting nearly two minutes to finish in 28:04. The boys’ team placed 53rd overall.
For the girls, Virginia Nelson matched her freshman-year best with a 22:14 finish. Ema Aranda ran a season-best 24:23, and Kelly Mayorga showed major progress by dropping more than two minutes, running 31:50.
The Whippets will conclude the regular season Friday, October 3, at the Nightfall Classic in Green Lake, a unique evening meet run entirely under the lights.
Emma Bludgen serving in a match against UW-River Falls Friday night (Michael Gouvion)
By Angela Kelm Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
The No. 4 UW-Whitewater volleyball team added two to the win column with a pair of sweeps Saturday to wrap up the Warhawks’ second home invite of the season. UWW opened the day with a win over Illinois College (25-10, 25-14, 25-20) before taking down Rose-Hulman in a tight three-setter (25-23, 25-21, 25-22).
The Warhawks cruised in the opener Saturday. UW-Whitewater opened the match hitting .647 in the first set to set the tone for the match. The Warhawks hit .370 for the match and continued to excel at the service line with 11 aces.
Four Warhawks hit over .600 in the contest — Aubrie Krzus had five kills in six attempts (.833), Amanda Hillmann had four in five attempts (.800) while Lexi Jensen (4-6) and Emily Lego (7-9) each hit .667. From the service line, Krzus (5) and Emma Bludgen (4) combined for nine aces.
Defensively, Abbie Dix led UWW at the net with three blocks including one solo. Natalie Lawton held down the backcourt with nine digs.
DiMotto paced the Warhawk offense in the second match of the day with 14 kills. Hillmann was the most efficient at the net with 8 kills in 13 attempts with a single error – an attack percentage of .538. Dix hit a career milestone in the contest, surpassing the 500-kill mark with eight in the match.
At the service line, DiMotto added four aces with Ella Jenkins tallying three – all three were consecutive aces in set two to give UWW set point.
Defensively, Dix and Hillmann combined for eight blocks in the middle (four each) while Lego posted three. Lawton added 18 digs to her weekend tally.
Krzus registered 36 assists as the Warhawks hit .276 as a team in the match.
All-Tournament Team Abbie Dix – UWW Gaby DiMotto – UWW Amanda Hillmann – UWW Ava Goldsberry – UWRF Blessing Adebisi – UWRF Julia Irmen – RHIT Emma Blanton – RHIT Riley Drake – IC
Warhawk weekend numbers for the three All-Tournament honorees: DiMotto – 30 kills (3.75 per set), .364 attack percentage, 9 aces, 4 blocks Dix – 20 kills (2.50 per set), .280 attack percentage, 12 blocks (1.50 per set) Hillmann – 17 kills (2.13 per set), .615 attack percentage, 3 aces, 9 blocks (1.13 per set)
Gaby DiMotto goes up for an attack against UW-River Falls Friday night (Michael Gouvion)
The No. 4 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-15) sweep over UW-River Falls Friday evening in Russell Arena.
The Warhawks turned up the pressure about midway through the first and second sets using big runs to take hefty leads in each. The first set saw UWW go on a 10-2 run to open up a 17-7 gap. In set two, it was an 11-2 run that gave UW-Whitewater a 20-12 lead. Gaby DiMotto was brilliant in the first two sets. She hammered down six kills in seven attempts without an error in the first set before adding four kills on four attempts in set two.
The momentum carried into set three as the Warhawks jumped out to a 4-1 lead bolstered by a pair of aces from Emma Bludgen. UW-Whitewater continued to utilize the service line to their advantage. The Warhawks registered seven aces in the third set alone including three by DiMotto.
The UWW offense was on fire hitting over .400 across the first two sets and .338 for the match. DiMotto paced the offense with 13 kills in 19 attempts while committing a single attack error for a hitting percentage of .632 in the contest.
The Warhawks tallied 12 aces with DiMotto and Bludgen each recording four. On the receiving end, UWW had just one receiving error in 40 attempts on the night.
Defensively at the net, UWW posted eight total blocks with Abbie Dix leading the way with five. Fellow middle Amanda Hillmann added three.
Aubrie Krzus dished out 29 assists adding five kills, a pair of aces and two blocks.
UW-Whitewater will wrap up play in their second home invitational of the season against Illinois College (11 AM) and Rose-Hulman (1 PM) Saturday.
The Whippet Volleyball program honored some very special people in our lives – our parents and caregivers – on Thursday, September 25. Senior Danika Larson led the welcome and shared how much our families mean to us. The amount of care and love they show each of us is something we cherish. From bus food and snacks to rides and support- we thank them!
After honoring our parents and caregivers, Freshman Jasmine Kilar honored her brother, Treyton Kilar, who was killed in 2010 by a drunk driver. The Volleyball team in 2010, led by Gina (Hollingshead) Serna initiated the now 15 year running “Play for Trey” event to remind us all to make good decisions, even if we are standing alone. Jasmine highlighted the importance of cherishing life, giving love to all you meet, being grateful, not taking anything for granted, and always making good choices- as it could save someone’s life.
Jasmine Kilar honors her brother, Treyton Kilar
The athletes then took on the visiting Delavan-Darien team.
Stat leaders included:
Kills:
Sophomore Mary Mason- 4
Aces:
Freshman Jasmine Kilar-1
Senior Sydney Schilt-1
Senior Mya Graves-Koran-1
Digs:
Kilar-12
Blocks:
Sophomore Emery Kachel-1
Assists:
Graves-Koran-5
Schilt-1
Varsity heads to a tournament this Saturday at Lake Country Lutheran. The entire squad is back in action at HOME against Monroe on Tuesday, September 30 (JV1 & 2 at 5:00 and Varsity at 6:30). Hope to see you all there!
Whippet Soccer put in their most dominant performance of the season on Thursday night, September 25. On a night which saw them honoring their former coach Rene Menager, your Whippets did not disappoint. Coming out swinging, WHS scored two beautiful goals within the first 10 minutes of the fixture. With exceptional build up play in the 4th minute, Emiliano Olivares set up Elijah Gutierrez for a wonderful goal to break the deadlock. 3 minutes later, with another exceptional set up, this time from Abdi Callvio, Elijah made it 2-0. Whitewater continued to dominate the game for the remainder of the half.
The second half started in a similar fashion with a great run from Elijah into the box where he was able to set up Emiliano for the Whippets’ 3rd. Langdon Coburn finished off the scoring in the 59th minute via a headed goal and assist from Abdi. WHS kept their foot on the gas for the remaining 20 minutes and cruised to a 4-1 victory.
Progressing to 5-3-2 on the season, Whippet Soccer is hoping to keep their momentum going on Saturday when they travel to Division 2 opponent Stoughton.
Article and Graphic Submitted by Sam Burns Whitewater High School Head Boys’ Soccer Coach dburns@wwusd.org
The Whitewater High School tennis team had its “Seniors’ Night” on the UW-Whitewater tennis courts on Thursday, September 25. While the outcome was not what the Whippets had wanted, several players made strides in their matches against the regular-season conference champion, the East Troy Trojans.
Seniors Pictured Left to Right Aubrey Mendoza, Natalia Casillas, Yareli Palomec-Garcia, Kiani Aranda, Maria Aburto-Pena, Lillian Navejas-Ortiz
This match was the last regular season match for the following Seniors at Whitewater High School: Lilly Navejas-Ortiz, Natalia Casillas, Maria Pena, Yareli Palomec-Garcia, and Aubrey Mendoza-Ramirez.
Your Whitewater Whippet Soccer Team came out on the winning side of an evenly matched contest on Tuesday night, September 23, versus Jefferson, 1-0.
Whitewater dominated all aspects of the game but couldn’t find the back of the net. Possession, passing completion, shots on goal, and 50/50s won all went in favor of the Whippets. While piling on the pressure late in the match, Diego Gonzalez made a great run into the box which forced the Jefferson defender into committing a poor tackle, fouling Diego, and seeing a penalty awarded to WHS. Abdi Calvillo slotted the penalty perfectly into the far post corner giving the keeper no chance of a save. With only minutes left, Whitewater kept the pressure on and narrowly missed out on scoring another goal.
Whippet Soccer is back in action at home on Thursday night vs Edgerton.
Updated 9/23/25 @ 11:45 p.m. to add Tom Ganser photos at end of the post.
The Greater Whitewater Committee (GWC)’s 13th annual Discover Whitewater Series (DWS): Half Marathon, Half Marathons Teams, and 5k was a success raising money for local charities.
This year, the DWS team worked hard to put together brand-new maps that allowed runners an exhilarating experience while still highlighting all of the amazing qualities Whitewater has to offer. The entire DWS team wants to give a special thank you to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; with their help and hospitality, we were able to continue to host this safe and fun community event.
With this new course, runners had the chance to finish the race in the University’s football field, Perkins Stadium, on the 50-yard line! Participants of the 5K got to see some of Whitewater’s’ incredible campus, beautiful nature trails, and lively downtown area! Runners on the new 13.1 course got to experience a significant course in Whitewater’s racing history, as they went along part of Whitewater’s Marathon Qualifiers in the 80s and 90s! Because of these two maps, the 13th annual race was themed as a “Retro Race,” a showcase to the history of Whitewater seen in a new light!
This year, the DWS brought in over 420 participants, 180 volunteers and nearly 70 sponsors. The DWS team was thrilled to welcome runners from so many different states! The weather was nice for the runners with clear skies and temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s.
Chancellor Corey A. King arrived at the race bright and early Sunday morning to give the welcoming remarks and wished all of the participants a great race. He was joined by Whitewater Unified School District’s new superintendent, Samuel Karns, who helped kick off the exciting day!
Thank you to all of our runners for coming out to participate! A special shout out to all of our top placing racers!
The top runners in the Women’s Half Marathon: ● First Place: 1:18:55.29 – Runner 1786 Jessa Victor ● Second Place: 1:21:04.87- Runner 1771 Jenny Zwagerman ● Third Place: 1:24:40.25- Runner 1775 Jenny Simpson
The top runners in the Men’s Half Marathon: ● First Place: 1:07:51.20 Runner 1626 John Dewitt ● Second Place: 1:09:35.18 Runner 1676 John Liddell ● Third Place: 1:11:13.08 Runner 1636 David Fassbender
The top runners in the Women’s 5K: ● First Place: 23:58.90- Runner 2476 Kate Omernik ● Second Place: 24:12.31- Runner 2456 Kirstin Colligan ● Third Place: 24:12.37- Runner 2459 Jessica Krause
The top runners in the Men’s 5K: ● First Place: 16:57.07- Runner 2423 Tyler Zwagerman ● Second Place: 17:24.02- Runner 2249 Andrew Balistreri ● Third Place: 18:18.85- Runner 2249 Nate Holden
Thanks to all of the hard work of our amazing volunteers and sponsors, the 13th Annual DWS proved once again, to achieve its mission of bringing people together in support of a good cause. All proceeds will be distributed to the DWS’ four charity partners: Bethel House of Whitewater, J-Hawk Aquatic Club, Warhawk Athletics through the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Foundation, and Whitewater LEADS. Runners and volunteers joined together after the race to celebrate the day’s accomplishments, enjoying a free beverage from post-race celebration sponsor, 841 Brewhouse.
“I wanted to give a shout out to all of our runners, volunteers, and of course, the University for hosting us,” said Race Director Dawson Miller, “We are all very honored that everyone came together to make this community event possible once again, and we are happy for the overwhelmingly positive feedback on the new course.”
The DWS team would like to thank all who came out in support of the race. The entire community has been a part of such an amazing event that has greatly helped charities across Whitewater.
The Planning Committee is already starting on next year’s race! Save the date for September 20, 2026 for our fourteenth anniversary of the Discover Whitewater Series. Stay tuned for updates – we hope everyone will join us!
Photos below are of the start of the half marathon, from very start to photos as runners passed, courtesy of Tom Ganser.
Photos below are of the start of the 5k,from the very start to runners along the way passing Tom Ganser.
About the DWS
The goal of the DWS is to promote the City of Whitewater and highlight its greatest features, while keeping everyone in the community active. All the proceeds from the race are donated to local non-profit partners: Bethel House (which provides interim housing for homeless families), J-Hawk Aquatic Club, Warhawk Athletics through the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Foundation, and Whitewater LEADS. The DWS partners with the city, business community, and university to make this a tremendous event that benefits all who participate. For more information about the race visit www.runwhitewater.com.
