Blake Haggerty hauls in a touchdown catch at Saint Xavier. Credit – Olivia Zinanni
Chicago, Ill. — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team cruised to a 37-0 win over Saint Xavier in the Warhawks’ first road test of the season.
After getting it done with the ground game a week ago, the Warhawks showcased their prowess in the passing game Saturday. UWW registered 243 yards on 22-27 – an average of 11 yards per completion – through the air adding three passing TDs. UW-Whitewater’s defense was suffocating in the game — allowing just six first downs and holding the Cougars to just 107 yards of total offense in the shutout.
Tyler Vasey put the Warhawks ahead late in the first quarter. The shifty receiver hauled in a short pass just outside the 30, cut back to the inside and then bounced it to the far side to scamper into the endzone untouched. Seth Adams split the uprights for the 7-0 UWW lead.
A 68-yard return on the ensuing kickoff gave the Cougars great field position at the UWW 20, but the stifling Warhawk defense was up to the task. On 3rd and 11, the pocket collapsed, and UW-Whitewater chased the SXU quarterback to his right. A lofted ball toward the goal line had the fans on the edge of their seats when Dom Beres dove in front of the receiver for a phenomenal interception just outside of the endzone.
In the second quarter, Adams extended the lead with his boot. The sophomore drilled a 52-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 42-yard drive that took over six minutes and pushed the margin to 10-0.
The UWW defense held on the next drive forcing a punt and giving the Warhawks good field position with less than four to go before the break. Justin Klinkner and the offense didn’t need much time to find the endzone. Klinkner found Blake Haggerty for a 20-yard gain and then took it up the middle on a designed run for five more. On 2nd and 5 from the SXU 28, Klinkner was flushed out of the pocket to his left. He scrambled away from the pressure, throwing off of his back foot to find a wide-open Haggerty in the endzone. Adams’ point after made it 17-0.
The Warhawk defense continued to smother the Cougar offense, refusing to allow a first down as SXU turned the ball over on downs at their own 28. Klinkner found Haggerty on the first play of the UW-Whitewater drive for a 15-yard gain. Collin Fritts hauled in the next pass for five more down to the SXU 8. Klinkner punched it on a delayed quarterback keeper. Adams’ extra point was tipped but still sailed through the uprights for a 24-0 Warhawk lead.
UW-Whitewater continued to tack on points in the second half. Adams hit from 33-yards out to extend the gap to 27-0. Patrick Lippe hauled in a touchdown catch through good coverage from 11 yards out to cap a 14-play, 99-yard drive and push the lead to 33-0. The Warhawks capitalized on a Jayden Fowler interception with a 34-yard field goal from Seth Adams to round out the scoring in the contest.
Klinkner was 20-24 for 227 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air. He added another TD with his feet. His top target was Vasey who hauled in 7 catches for 92 yards including a touchdown grab. Klinkner spread the ball around completing passes to 10 different Warhawks in the game.
Adams registered another perfect game with his boot hitting 3-3 for field goals and all 4 point after attempts.
Defensively, Ethan Gallagher paced the Warhawks with seven tackles including 1.5 tackles for a loss adding a quarterback hurry. He teamed up with Lucas Sadler for a sack.
UW-Whitewater will be back on the road next Saturday with a big game at Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas.
The Whitewater Girls’ Swim Team kicked off their home season on Tuesday night, September 9, with a fantastic meet against Burlington Co-op! The energy on deck was electric, and the Whippets showed great focus, effort, and time drops across the board.
Meet Highlights:
Caitlin Alford dropped an impressive 9 seconds in the 200 Freestyle.
Atreya Wilson swam a lifetime best in the 200 Individual Medley.
Jalayne Hanson had a huge night, cutting 4 seconds in the 50 Free and 14 seconds in the 100 Free.
Maggie Maas raced the 100 Butterfly for the first time, finishing with a strong 1:17.91.
Storm DePorter took on the challenging 500 Freestyle and looked powerful start to finish.
Maya Davis and Emma Maas both dropped over 4 seconds in the 100 Breaststroke.
Whether dropping time, taking on new events, or cheering on teammates, the Whippets brought great energy and team spirit to the pool. Way to go, Whippets!
Article and Photo Submitted by Sarah Reynolds Whitewater High School Head Swim Coach ReynoldsSM07@uww.edu
Whippet Soccer sailed to a comfortable 6-0 victory over Racine Lutheran on Monday night, September 8.
Four first half goals from Abdi Calvillo, Kevin Gonzales X2 and Langdon Coburn helped secure a deserved win, and your Whippets remain undefeated. Tyler Housel and Haniel Vilchez rounded off the scoring for the evening.
Casey Schlicher made 5 saves for the Whippets, and Daniel Gaus had 4 saves for Racine Lutheran.
With standout performances all across the pitch, your Whippets are ready to take on conference rivals Big Foot on Thursday for Staff Appreciation Night. Keep up the strong performances boys, and Go Whippets!
Whippet Goals:
2′ Abdi Calvillo
9′ Kevin Gonzalez (Abdi Calvillo assist)
24′ Langdon Coburn (Rosenberg Escobar assist)
33′ Kevin Gonzalez
62′ Tyler Housel
68′ Haniel Vilchez (Elijah Gutierrez assist)
Article and Photos Submitted by Sam Burns Whitewater High School Head Boys’ Soccer Coach dburns@wwusd.org
The donor list included many from the Whitewater area but also from faraway places such as North Carolina and New Zealand
School Board member Miguel Aranda, WUSD Superintendent Samuel Karns, and School Board President Stephanie Hicks receiving the huge check from Brantmeier
Washington Elementary School Principal Tom Grosinske with Brantmeier
Special remembrance will hang in the school
Tom Christofferson, retired Washington Principal, cut the ribbon with Reese.
Written by Lynn Binnie Photos courtesy of Tom Ganser
The fulfillment of Reese Brantmeier’s dream of renovating and reopening the tennis courts located on the edge of the Washington Elementary School grounds was celebrated in a grand opening on July 12. Approximately 100 people were in attendance at the dedication, including three of her tennis coaches from North Carolina. One of the coaches remarked that he could see the courts from almost a mile away, as they are painted in “Carolina blue!”
Brantmeier remarked on how the tennis courts at Washington were the initial impetus for her love of tennis. She already competed in the U.S. Open in her junior year of high school. Her hope in rejuvenating the Washington courts was that other children will come to love the sport. She had indicated on the project’s website: “These courts and subsequent programming will introduce local children and families of all skill levels, ages, and identities to the joys and opportunities of this life-long sport. These courts would directly increase physical activity rates, cardiovascular fitness, and overall long-term health by promoting non-sedentary habits.” The library now has racquets and balls available to check out.
Additional donations still needed
Brantmeier’s project is partnered with the Patrick W. Ryan Memorial Tennis Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to promoting tennis in Southeastern Wisconsin. Her fundraising efforts were successful in garnering donations not only from the Whitewater area, but from North Carolina and other parts of the U.S., not to mention international contributions including from New Zealand. The total as of the grand opening was nearly $160,000.
According to the project website, the goal is still $200,000 with $161,768.98 having been raised. That leaves the hope of receiving an additional $37,604.02, or $17,604.02 if no lighting is installed. The remainder is needed to establish an endowment that will ensure that the courts are properly maintained for the foreseeable future. Contributions may be made online through the Patrick W. Ryan Memorial Tennis Foundation or by mail c/o Ryan Incorporated Central, 2700 E. Racine Street, Janesville, WI 53545 with a check made out to the foundation and designated for the Brantmeier project.
US Open Results
The University of North Carolina’s Reese Brantmeier and Alanis Hamilton won their U.S. Open debut doubles match together last week in an afternoon match on Thursday, topping fellow Americans Thea Frodin and Kristina Penickova, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(8), in the first round of the women’s doubles competition at the US Open. With the win, Brantmeier and Hamilton advanced to the second round, and the two won $30,000 in prize money for the first round win. (Prize money for each round posted on the U.S. Open site.)
In the second round, Brantmeier and Hamilton faced off against the fourth-seeded Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens last Saturday. The pair defeated the UNC’s Brantmeier and Hamilton 6-3, 6-1 on Saturday afternoon in the second round of the 2025 US Open.
Against Kudermetova and Mertens (this year’s 2025 Wimbledon Women’s Doubles Champion), the UNC duo put up a tough fight in the early going of the first set, tying the score at 2-2 after four games. The fourth-seeded pros eventually put away Brantmeier and Hamilton, 6-3 in the first frame. Kudermetova and Mertens led, 5-0, in the second set before winning, 6-1, to take the match.
The 4th-seeded doubles team that defeated Brantmeier and Hamilton advanced all the way to the US Open women’s semifinal at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center grounds in New York City.
Editor’s note: Our thanks to Greg Stewart for the US Open results.
The Warhawks were picked to finish fourth in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) by the league’s coaches and sports information directors. They enter the season ranked 22nd by the American Football Coaches Association and 24th according to D3football.com.
Individually, the Warhawks return seven All-WIAC honorees to the 2025 squad. Tyler Vasey (Crystal Lake, Ill/Prairie Ridge), a 2024 All-American, 2025 Preseason All-American and reigning WIAC Special Teams Player of the Year is one of the top returners in Division III and also returns to the offense as a wide receiver. Two-time all-conference honoree Ethan Gallagher (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport Township) is back to lead the linebacker unit. On the offensive line, Alex Pethan (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek), a two-time all-league selection, and Evan Oberg (DeForest, Wis./DeForest), a 2024 all-conference pick, are back. Also receiving All-WIAC recognition a season ago and returning to the defense this season are Noah Moris (Union Grove, Wis./Union Grove) (defensive line), Paul Kim (Janesville, Wis./Parker) (defensive back) and Karsten Libby (Wheaton, Ill./North) (linebacker).
UWW will head to Saint Xavier University (Ill.) for a 1 p.m. kick at Deaton Field on September 13 before wrapping up the non-conference slate with an 11 a.m. kickoff against #8/8 Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas on September 20.
Following the bye week, UWW returns to Perkins for the WIAC opener against #10/11 UW-La Crosse on October 4 (1 p.m.). The game is designated the Warhawks’ annual Family Fest, Alumni Day and Shriners Day. UW-Whitewater heads to UW-Stevens Point on October 11 (1 p.m.) before returning to Whitewater to host UW-Stout for Friday Night Lights on October 17. The game, presented by Mercyhealth, is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
The Warhawks will host #14/15 UW-Platteville for the annual Homecoming, Hall of Fame and George Chryst Memorial Bowl sponsored by PremierBank on October 25 a 1 p.m. Saturday, November 1 will have UWW heading to #19/19 UW-River Falls for a showdown with the Falcons at 1 p.m.
UW-Whitewater will recognize its 2025 seniors at the final home game of the regular season on November 8 against UW-Eau Claire. The game, set for a 1 p.m. kick, is also designated the annual Military Appreciation Day presented by Wisconsin Army National Guard.
The Warhawks will wrap up the regular season slate at UW-Oshkosh on November 15.
All UW-Whitewater home games will be broadcast on the WIAC Network courtesy of UWWTV. All conference games will be streamed on the WIAC Network. Fans can listen to every game courtesy of 105.9 The Hog online or on the radio. Visit the UWW football schedule page for all live coverage links.
Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by UW-Whitewater Athletics.
The Whippet Football Team fell to McFarland 55-8 on Friday, September 5 after losing both quarterbacks to injury.
File Photo Courtesy of Damon Jay Photography
Comments from Coach Bartlett:
This was not a game where we could afford mistakes and still expect to win. Unfortunately, we made too many errors, combined with some untimely injuries, which hurt our chances of coming away with a victory. McFarland is a well-coached program that capitalizes on opponents’ mistakes while minimizing their own, and they did exactly that.
Even so, I’m proud of our team’s effort and resilience. Our players never gave up, even after both of our quarterbacks went down with injuries. Senior Christian Minett stepped in to take snaps at the end of the first half, and at halftime our offense adjusted with a “let’s roll with it” mentality. In the second half, senior Casey Lyon took over at quarterback, giving great effort despite not practicing the position. He ran the ball hard and even threw his first career touchdown pass to junior Trevor Piper.
We’ll get back to work this week with a focus on cleaning up mistakes and continuing to Pound the Stone each day as we improve.
Rushing:
#2 Casey Lyon: 7 Rushes, 72 Yards
Passing:
#2 Casey Lyon: 1 of 2, 28 Yards, 1 Touchdown
Receiving:
#1 Trevor Piper: 1 Catch for 28 yards, 1 TD
Notable Defensive Stats:
#10 Hayden Armstrong: 3 Solos, 2 Assists, 1 TFL
#50 Deavion Olson: 1 Solo, 3 TFL
Article Submitted by Sam Bartlett Whitewater High School Head Football Coach barsa01@wwusd.org File Photo Courtesy of Damon Jay Photography
Editor’s note: Updated on 9/6/25 @ 10:15 p.m. to add two additional articles.
The below is excerpted from an article on the KU athletics website. ABanner post on 9/5 referenced an article about former Warhawks coach Lance Leipold, who is now head coach at University of Kansas.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Kansas Jayhawks dropped a 42-31 contest to Missouri Saturday in the 121st edition of the StorageMart Border Showdown at Faurot Field.
With the setback, Kansas moves to 2-1 on the year while Missouri improves to 2-0.
Jalon Daniels led the Jayhawks with 223 yards and two touchdowns on 18-of-30 passing, while also rushing for a team-high 20 yards on nine attempts. DeShawn Hanika had a career-high six receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns. Trey Lathan (13) and Lyrik Rawls (10) paced the KU defense with double-digit tackles, and Austin Alexander had six tackles and returned a fumble for a touchdown…….
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An article on SI.com with the headline “Kansas vs. Missouri: Lance Leipold Is To Blame for Heartbreaking Loss” blames the loss on “…. conservative play-calling from offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowski and questionable decision-making by Lance Leipold.”
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This article provides comments from Coach Leipold after the game.
Cole Berghorn celebrates after scoring a touchdown (Olivia Zinanni)
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team opened the 2025 campaign with a 45-14 win over Carleton Saturday.
It was a beautiful fall day at The Perk and the Warhawk faithful came out to cheer on UWW for their first game of 2025. The first Warhawk points of the season came on their first offensive possession with a Seth Adams 23-yard field goal that capped a 10-play, 81-yard drive.
The offense surged in the second quarter putting up 21 points to jump out to a 24-7 at the break. Quarterback Justin Klinkner registered UWW’s first TD of the season, punching it in from a yard out to put the Warhawks up 10-0.
After the Knights put up a score to pull within 10-7, Tyler Vasey responded the way he does it best – a 91-yard kickoff return to the house to push the lead back to 10. Another three-and-out for the defense gave UWW the ball back with just under six minutes to go before the break. The Warhawks used up nearly the entire clock before Cole Berghorn blasted through the middle of the line for a three-yard touchdown run to make it 24-7.
On the other side of the intermission, Brian Stanton ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run with less than five remaining in the third. Klinkner tacked on another TD, this time a 59-yard spurt to push the advantage to 38-7 by the end of the third quarter.
Stanton struck again early in the fourth, breaking free for a 66-yard touchdown scamper. The final score of the game came on a goal line rush for the Knights.
Klinkner was 7-8 for 72 yards in the passing game. He gained 107 yards on 19 attempts with his legs adding a pair of touchdowns. Stanton was the leading rusher, with 201 yards on seven attempts – an average of 28.7 per carry – and two scores.
Vasey hauled in three catches for 28 yards and averaged 58 yards per kickoff return. Adams was perfect on the day — nailing the only field goal he attempted and drilling all six points after.
Defensively, Karsten Libby paced UWW with 10 tackles, a sack and an interception. Carter Sessa also picked off a Carleton pass in the contest.
The Warhawks will head out on the road the next two weeks visiting Saint Xavier University in Illinois on September 13th and Mary Hardin-Baylor in Texas on the 20th. After the bye week, UW-Whitewater will be back in Perkins Stadium to host UW-La Crosse on the team’s annual Family Fest, Alumni Day and Shriners Day.
The Whippet Cross Country Team competed on September 5 in their largest invitational of the season to date at McCarty Park in West Allis. With another week of training, perfect weather, and a growing ability to embrace being uncomfortable, the team rose to the challenge against much larger programs.
File Photo from the CC Alumni Meet at Whitewater High School
Several athletes ran lifetime bests. Freshman Tyler Carollo led the way with his first sub-19 effort, running 18:55 for 58th place—over a minute faster than his debut race last week. Wyatt Esch stepped up as the team’s No. 2 finisher, earning a personal best of 20:09 for 85th. Marcus Roselle joined the PR party with a 20:37 (91st), followed closely by Isaiah Mendez in 21:01 (93rd). Quinton O’Toole finished 99th in 21:26, and Angel Kilar capped the varsity effort with a big breakthrough—running 22:08, over a minute better than his previous best. The team placed 15th out of 25 schools.
In the JV race, Sam Nickelsburg made a big jump from last week, clocking 24:23. Freshman Jameson Rothwell debuted with a 25:37, and Ian Agen nearly broke 30 minutes, crossing in 30:31.
On the girls’ side, Virginia Nelson led the varsity squad with a 22:48 for 56th. Delaney Hammack dropped 32 seconds for a PR of 23:46 (71st), while Ema Aranda finished 83rd in 24:34. Freshman Madelyn Taylor cut nearly three minutes from her season opener, setting a lifetime best of 27:08.
In JV action, Payton Brautigam looked outstanding, running faster than she had in the past three seasons with a 27:02 for 66th. Noelia Villegas-Korbel showed grit, cutting nearly a full minute from her opening race.
The Whippets will now take a week off from racing to focus on training (and water softener salt sales!) before returning to competition at the Dana Waddell Invite in Cottage Grove on Tuesday, September 16.
