Sports

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

Northfield, Minn. — The UW-Whitewater women’s cross country team finished sixth at the 2024 NCAA North Regional held in Northfield, Minnesota Saturday morning.

The top teams from each of the ten regional sites automatically qualify for the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship with 22 more teams receiving at-large bids. Additionally, the top seven individuals from each regional, 70 total, who did not qualify with their team will earn a bid to the national championship. The complete championship field will be announced Sunday, November 17 on ncaa.com. 

Ari De La Cerda (Pewaukee, Wis./) paced the Warhawks with a time of 22:25.4 to finish 13th in a field of over 200 runners. A four-time regional participant, De La Cerda’s 2024 time is her best mark and top career finish at the meet. Payton Scoggin (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trails) was clocked in 22:39.7 to finish 19th at the meet. Her mark is also a personal best at the regional. In her second regional appearance, sophomore Renee Forystek (Waukesha, Wis./North) crossed the line in 22:54.9 to claim 29th. As top 35 finishers, De La Cerda, Scoggin and Forystek all earn USTFCCCA All-Region honors. 

Katie Erb (Winnebago, Ill./) added a time of 23:18.0 to finish 43rd while Ella Hansen’s (Pewaukee, Wis./) time of 23:33.4 was good for 54th. Abbey Wedwick (Westby, Wis./) registered a time of 24:23.5 with teammate Carleen Snow (Rio, Wis./DeForest) crossing the line just .02 later – both rank among the top 100. 

The 2024 NCAA Division III Championship will be held at LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terra Haute, Indiana on Saturday, November 23. 

Stevens Point, Wis. — The No. 7 UW-Whitewater volleyball team punched its ticket to the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 28-26) sweep at UW-Stevens Point Thursday night. The Warhawks have advanced to the league tournament title match for the 11th consecutive time and will be seeking their third straight title on Saturday. UWW has won five of the last ten conference tournament championships.

In the other WIAC Tournament semifinal, top-seeded UW-Oshkosh defeated UW-Platteville in five sets. The Titans will host the title match Saturday at 7 PM in a rematch of the 2023 championship. 

UW-Whitewater registered a phenomenal performance in the rematch of a regular season loss in Whitewater Thursday night. On the Pointers’ home court, UWW hit .356 with three Warhawks tallying double digit kills. Meanwhile the defense limited UWSP to an attack efficiency of .202 bolstered by nine total team blocks in the contest. 

The Warhawks trailed through the majority of the first set but were able to capture their first lead of the match on a 4-0 run that forced a Pointer timeout with UWW leading 17-15. From there, the UW-Whitewater advantage hovered between one and three until a 3-0 spurt capped the set. A UWSP miscue was the catalyst on the run as Jenna Weinfurt and Alayna Jansky followed with two consecutive kills for the 25-21 final. 

The first set was the best for UWW offensively. The Warhawks hit .421 led by a fantastic six-kill set from Weinfurt. The powerful outside hitter hit .600 with zero errors in the opener. 

UW-Whitewater registered the first five points of set two before UWSP began whittling away at the lead. The Pointers came back to tie the set 9-9 and the squads traded points until UWW was able to put a small run together. With the gap pushed to three, 15-12, UWW maintained the advantage the rest of the way. Abbie Dix and Aubrie Krzus turned away a Pointer attack with a huge block to cap the set and secure the 25-22 win. 

Chloe Werner had the hot hand in set two with six kills. Dix showcased her blocking supremacy with five assist blocks in the second set. 

Set three was a battle from start to finish. The largest lead by either squad was a 7-4 UWSP advantage early in the set. The Warhawks staved off a first set point for the Pointers before UWSP held on match point to tie it up, 26-26. Weinfurt pounded down a kill to force a second match point and a UWSP error provided the final point. 

For the match, Weinfurt posted a team-high 14 kills followed by 12 each from Jansky and Werner. Jansky added three aces and led UWW with 12 digs on the night. Krzus notched 40 assists in the three-setter adding six blocks. 

Dix hit .462 with 6 kills in 13 attempts with no attack errors. Defensively, she was stellar matching Krzus’ six-block performance. 

According to an article on channel3000.com on November 13, “Chris Davis Jr. committed Arkansas State University Wednesday. Davis Jr scored more than 1000 high school career points last season at Sun Prairie West.”

“….He’s continuing the dreams of his father, Chris Davis Sr. He remains the only University of Wisconsin-Whitewater athlete to have a “player of the year” title. He also helped the Warhawks win two national titles and coached varsity basketball for Sun Prairie West High School.”

“….Davis Jr. plans to win a state championship at Sun Prairie East High School this season.”

Kacie Carollo from Whitewater, WI, who is studying Integrated Science-Business at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, has earned a roster spot on the Warhawk women’s basketball team for the 2024-25 season.

The Warhawks are coming off a run to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals (Elite Eight) in 2023-24. UW-Whitewater was ranked fourth in the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll entering the 2024-25 season.

Head coach Keri Carollo enters her 23rd season at the helm of the program in 2024-25. She has led the Warhawks to eight WIAC championships and 15 trips to the NCAA Tournament, including four Final Four bids (2008, 2013, 2014, 2022) and two appearances in the national championship game (2013, 2022).

UW-Whitewater is led by four-time All-American and Preseason All-America selection Kacie Carollo (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater). The senior guard, a two-time First Team All-WIAC pick, ranked among the top 10 in the league in multiple categories last season including scoring (14.7/game), rebounding (8.1/game), three-point field goal percentage (.338), three-pointers per game (1.8), free throw percentage (.789), assists (4.5/game) and steals (2.0/game).

Carollo is one of four starters returning for UWW this season. Senior forward Katie Hildebrandt (McFarland, Wis./McFarland) ranked among the top 20 in the conference in scoring (9.7/game), rebounding (4.6/game), field goal percentage (.428) and blocks (1.4/game) last season. Senior guard Maggie Trautsch (Sun Prairie, Wis./DeForest) and sophomore guard Bri McCurdy (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) were among the top 15 three-point shooters in the WIAC in 2023-24. The duo ranked among the top 16 in three-pointers per game and three-point field goal percentage. Trautsch added a top 10 average in blocks (0.5/game) and was among the top 20 in rebounding (4.5/game) and steals (1.1/game).

Mallory Oloffson (Normal, Ill./Normal Community) is also back for the Warhawks. The senior forward appeared in all 30 games for UWW last season. Junior forward Renee Rittmeyer (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) played in 29 games a year ago while sophomore forward Mia Gillis (Mundelein, Ill./Carmel Catholic) and sophomore guard Sylvia Fox (Edgerton, Wis./Edgerton) each saw the floor in more than 20 contests.

UW-Whitewater started the 2024-25 season with consecutive victories against nationally ranked DePauw (Ind.) and Lakeland on Nov. 8-9. The team continues action as it visits Carroll on Nov. 16. Visit uwwsports.com to view the complete game schedule.

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

The No. 7 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team swept UW-Stout 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-20) in the first round of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament presented by Culver’s Tuesday night. The win marks the 40th consecutive for UWW over the Blue Devils and secures a spot in the WIAC Tournament semifinal. 

The Warhawks will head to UW-Stevens Point on Thursday for the semifinal. The other match has UW-Oshkosh hosting UW-Platteville. Both matches are slated for a 7 PM start with the winners advancing to the title match on Saturday. 

UW-Whitewater set the tone from the service line with 13 aces in the contest Tuesday. Offensively, the Warhawks hit .240 with double digit kills in each set. Meanwhile, the defense held UWS to single digits in the kill column and an attack percentage of just .079. 

UWW was dominant in the first set scoring eight straight early to jump out to a 9-2 lead. From there, the Warhawks cruised to an early 1-0 lead in the match bolstered by a .333 team attack percentage. UW-Stout hit .000 with six kills and six errors in the first set. 

The big Warhawk run didn’t come until later in set two. With just a three-point lead, 18-15, UWW scored six consecutive to push set point, 24-15. Chloe Werner put the finishing touches on the set with a kill. 

The third set was a combination of the first two — UWW used a five-point run early to take a 9-3 lead. A six-point run later in the set gave the Warhawks a 20-10 lead. After pushing to match point, 24-15, the Blue Devils refused to fold scoring the next five when Ava Rebarchik hammered an attack off the block for the final kill of the evening. 

The UWW middle hitters combined for a stellar performance — Hannah Proctor hit .571 with five kills in seven attempts while Abbie Dix hammered down nine kills in 15 attempts for an attack percentage of .533. The pair combined for just two attack errors on the night. 

Outside hitters Alayna Jansky and Jenna Weinfurt matched Dix’s nine kills to share team-high honors. 

Defensively, Jansky registered a match-high 13 digs while libero Jaedynn Evans added 10. At the net, Dix posted four blocks while Weinfurt and Abbie Krzus each tallied three. 

Jansky and Emma Bludgen bolstered the Warhawks from the service line with four aces each. Ally Longden added three on the night. Krzus dished out 35 assists adding three blocks in the contest. 

Mallory Oloffson hits a layup in Friday’s game against DePauw (Michael Gouvion)

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, ranked fourth nationally, secured a victory over Lakeland with a final score of 78-35 on Saturday at the Williams Center in Whitewater, WI.

At the end of the first quarter, UWW led Lakeland 14-9. UWW capitalized on points off turnovers, scoring 7 compared to Lakeland’s 2, and led scoring in the paint with 6 points. Despite both teams having 10 total rebounds, Lakeland committed 6 turnovers, slightly more than UWW’s 5, which contributed to their deficit. UWW also had a balanced bench contribution with 7 points, while Lakeland’s bench added 5 points.

In the second quarter, UWW outscored Lakeland 18-7, with a strong performance in the paint, scoring 10 points and adding 6 fast break points. UWW had a field goal percentage of 57.1%, making 8 of their 14 attempts, while Lakeland struggled, converting only 2 of 12 shots for 16.7%. Turnovers were a significant factor, as Lakeland committed 9 turnovers compared to UWW’s 7, and UWW capitalized by scoring 10 points off turnovers. UWW also had an edge in rebounds, grabbing 9 compared to Lakeland’s 6.

UWW outscored Lakeland 31-12 in the third quarter, largely due to their strong performance in the paint and their ability to capitalize on fast breaks. Kacie Carollo scored 11 consecutive unanswered points in the third quarter, contributing to the team’s dominance. The home team recorded 18 points in the paint and 14 fast break points, while also forcing eight turnovers, which they converted into 12 points. Defensively, UWW tallied seven steals and four blocks, contributing to a total of 15 rebounds, including five offensive boards, allowing them to maintain control and extend their lead.

In the fourth quarter, UWW outscored Lakeland 15-7, bringing the final score to a decisive 78-35. UWW capitalized with 15 points from the bench and secured 9 rebounds, demonstrating dominance in the paint with 6 points. The home team also recorded 7 steals, contributing to Lakeland’s 9 turnovers in the quarter. Lakeland struggled offensively, shooting 2-for-9 from the field and committing 9 turnovers, leading to 7 points off turnovers for UWW.

Carollo stood out for UWW with a game-high 18 points, going 6-for-11 from the field, including one 3-pointer, and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. Carollo also contributed significantly on defense with four steals and added seven rebounds. Mallory Oloffson contributed 10 points, making five of nine field-goal attempts and securing six rebounds. Maggie Trautsch was effective on both ends with six points, two assists, and two steals. Logan Lowry provided a defensive presence in the paint with two blocks and added six points. Sydney Lehman also made an impact defensively, matching Lowry with two blocks.

Brian Wilterdink hauls in a touchdown catch at La Crosse. (Olivia Zinanni)

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

La Crosse, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team dropped a road contest at UW-La Crosse 24-21 Saturday afternoon. 

The Warhawks found themselves trailing 10-0 at the break but battled back in the second half. The UWW defense forced a three-and-out in La Crosse’s first possession of the second half. The Warhawk offense took over at their own 27 following the punt. 

The 12-play, 73-yard drive was bolstered by a 26-yard Jackson Chryst to Tyler Vasey connection. On the final play of the drive, Chryst was hurried by a defender but found Drake Martin in the end zone from four yards out for the score. Jackson Fox nailed the point after to narrow the gap to three, 10-7. 

UWL pushed the lead back to ten, 17-7, early in the fourth after a touchdown capped an 11-play, 69-yard drive. UW-Whitewater responded in kind, taking little time off of the clock. On the first play of the drive, Chryst found Brian Wilterdink on a deep ball for a 43-yard gain down the Eagles 26. Nick Wind hauled in the next Chryst pass for 22 yards to put the Warhawks on the four. From there, Noah Battle punched it in. Fox split the uprights to make it 17-14 with just over two minutes elapsed in the drive. 

The 79-yard pass play on the second snap of the Eagles’ next drive once again extended the margin, 24-14. 

The Warhawks continued the offensive onslaught from both teams with another quick scoring drive. This time it took just over a minute for UWW to hit paydirt. Chryst found Wind open in the middle of the field for a 33-yard connection on the first play of the drive. Vasey pulled in the next ball for an 18-yard reception. After an incompletion, Chryst hit Wilterdink from 21-yards out for the touchdown. Fox hit his third extra point of the day to make it 24-21. 

UW-Whitewater defense stiffened to give the offense the ball back with 4:18 left on clock, but an interception put the ball in UWL’s hands with 3:57 to go. 

The defense held once again, this time turning the Eagles over on downs with a four-and-out. Coach Jace Rindahl expertly used his timeouts to give the Warhawk offense 2:58 to drive 75 yards. A personal foul on UWL on the second play had UWW on their own 30. A short pass to Wilterdink led to a gain of 10 and UWW went quickly with Chryst rushing the ball out bounds after a nine-yard gain to the 49. An Eagle personal foul and Warhawk unsportsmanlike offset on the play to give UWW a first-and-ten from the UWW 49. 

Chryst took off on the next play, gaining six before heading out of bounds but a holding penalty pushed the line of scrimmage back to the Warhawks’ 39. Chryst registered back-to-back completions for 11-yards each – the first to Steven Hein and the second to Wind – for another first down. 

A pair of incompletions forced a third-and-ten. This time the Eagles got to Chryst in the backfield forcing a fumble that was recovered by UWL. La Crosse was able to kneel out the clock for the final score, 24-21.

Chryst was 20-34 for 286 yards, a pair of interceptions and two touchdowns through the air. Ty Schultz paced UWW on the ground with 42 yards on 12 carries. Wilterdink was the top receiver in the contest with 111 yards on seven catches including a touchdown grab. 

Defensively, Kyle Koelblinger and Karsten Libby shared team-high honors with nine tackles each. Libby added an interception while Koelblinger tallied a pass broken up. 

The Warhawks will head to UW-Eau Claire next Saturday for the regular season finale. Kickoff is set for 2 PM. 

Congratulations to Abdi Calvillo and Emiliano Olivares for their recognition as Second Team All-Conference for the Rock Valley Athletic Conference for soccer. Congratulations also go out to Avi Kalra and Casey Schlicher who received Honorable Mention nods.