This past Friday evening, Jack Hefty was recognized as the Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association Division 2 Cross Country Runner of the Year. The following script was written and read aloud by the WCCCA Vice President Andy Lelinski:
“Jack Hefty notched wins in two of his three invitationals this year, at McCarty Park at the Bulldog Invitational to start the season, winning by 26 seconds, and under the lights at the Lake Mills Nightfall Classic, winning by 13 seconds and breaking 16 for the third consecutive time this season. Even his lone loss of the season is impressive–another sub 16 effort at the Midwest Invitational. His championship season consisted of nothing but victories: a 48 second victory at the Rock Valley Conference Championship, a 22 second victory at the Whitewater Sectional, and a five second victory at the state championship. Congratulations Jack, on capping your high school career with an impressive season, and on being the Division Two Boys Runner of the Year.”
Jack Hefty
Congratulations, Jack!
Article and Photo Submittted by Chad Carstens Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach ccarstens@wwusd.org
The Whitewater Girls’ Wrestling Team had a busy week starting off with a trip to Lodi on Monday night, January 6, and closed it out with a 39-team tournament at Muskego on Saturday, January 11. Both of these events were very good for the girls as they had the opportunity to see some teams that they will be training to compete against in the tournament series which is a month away.
Ema Aranda – 2nd Place at Muskego
The girls wrestled well at Lodi coming in 3rd place out of the 8 teams competing. A’Lani Ross led the way for the Whippets going 3-0 on the night with two pins. Ema Aranda followed by going 2-1 on the night with 2 pins as well. Also going 2-1 was Payton Taylor who had a couple of very good matches that forced her to stay in good position in the closing moments to maintain her lead. She showed good shot defense which was nice to see as it is something we as a team have worked on for the girls.
On Saturday our girls then traveled to Muskego to compete in the 2025 Warrior Cup Girls’ Invitational. The tournament featured 39 teams from both large and small schools. Going into this event, our girls recognized that it would be a challenging day. Eleven girls participated, and they all agreed that their goals were to maintain a positive attitude and put in their best effort. With this focus, they knew they would wrestle well.
Leading the team was sophomore Ema Aranda, who achieved four impressive victories, propelling her to the championship match, where she fought hard but ultimately finished in second place. A’Lani Ross secured fourth place, gaining positive experiences that will help her improve her wrestling skills. Marianna Kubicz also finished in fourth place. As a team, the girls ended up in eighth place out of 39 teams.
This tournament was an excellent opportunity for the girls to identify areas for improvement both as individuals and as a team. They understand that some of their competitors that day will likely be the same ones they face at the end of the season. The girls are eager to rise to the challenge, work hard, and enhance their wrestling skills as the season progresses.
Article by John Schimming Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach jschimming@wwusd.org
During the recent Wisconsin Cross Country Coach Association Clinic in Brookfield, the Academic All-State Teams were announced.
The 2024 team of Jack Hefty, Xavier Zei, Miles Nickelsburg, Luc Pomazak, Andrew O’Toole, Onyx Thompson, and Isaac Straight was not only outstanding on race day but also in the classroom. They were so good that they finished third overall across the entire state in division two! Their team GPA of 3.89 is simply outstanding and the epitome of student-athletes.
Andrew O’Toole, Xavier Zei, Luc Pomazak, Onyx Thompson, Isaac Straight, Miles Nickelsburg, Jack Hefty
Congratulations, guys!
Final standings 1. University School of Milwaukee 3.98 2. West Salem 3.92 3. Whitewater 3.89 4. Rhinelander 3.83 5. Monroe 3.80 6. New London 3.80 7. Dodgeville/Mineral Point 3.78 8. New Berlin Eisenhower 3.71 9. Port Washington 3.70 10. Chilton 3.68 11. Osceola 3.68 12. Watertown Luther Prep 3.67 13. Mauston 3.52
Article and Photo Submitted by Chad Carstens Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach ccarstens@wwusd.org
The following, and the image on the homepage, is from an article that was published on January 3 on Pittsburghsportsnow.com
“Jake Frantl spent four seasons at Pitt, and while he never saw the field with the Panthers, he’ll have a chance to see the field a whole lot more back home.
Frantl — 6-foot, 205-pound redshirt junior walk-on quarterback from Erin, Wisc. — transferred to Wisconsin-Whitewater (D-III) for his final season of college eligibility, he announced on social media. He entered the transfer portal last month.
It’s a big opportunity for Frantl to finish his college career on a high note after serving as a key practice quarterback for the Panthers over the last few seasons.
Wisconsin-Whitewater is coming off a 6-4 (4-3 WIAC) season, failing to qualify for the Division III playoffs. But there’s a history of major success, and the Warhawks are looking for a quarterback.
Frantl initially committed to Pitt as a preferred walk-on in 2021, arriving for the ACC title-winning season as the newest quarterback.
He didn’t see the field during his four seasons in Pittsburgh, but Frantl played an important and often unrecognized role with the team. He often served as the quarterback, spending time during practice with the position players and throwing up balls to the wide receivers and tight ends.
It can be hard for a walk-on to make an impact at his school, but Frantl is someone who made an impact with the program — and will have a chance to make an impact on the field elsewhere…..”
On Thursday night, January 9, the Whippet Wrestlers were back in action after some time off from hosting the 46th annual Mid-States Tournament and recovering over Winter Break by hosting neighboring Delavan-Darien.
Coming into the evening Coach Schimming knew without a doubt that this was going to be a competitive dual meet with quality wrestlers at both ends setting the tone for a great night for fans. The Whippet JV team did not disappoint, coming out and winning 9 out of the 10 matches and looking much improved in the process.
132 Pounds – Brady Friend285 Pounds – Junior Soto
In Varsity action, the Whippets got things started strong with two first period pins at 144 and 150 pounds by Connor Friend and Traysen Thomason. Ironically both used the exact same technique on their way to their pins. A fan mentioned to Coach Schimming afterward, “Well, can see what was drilled over break!”
The Whippets dropped the next four matches in a row, all by pins, putting the team in a hole that would require the team to really dig their heals in down the homestretch. Junior Soto stopped the Comets in their trajectory toward a victory by getting a first period pin over his opponent at heavyweight. The teams traded forfeits at 106 and 113. To Jarvis Porcaro and Jasen Porras’s displeasure they each received a forfeit, bringing the team score to a deadlock at 36-36. Brady Friend came out with a lot of confidence and was able to secure a big pin to put the Whippets up 42-36. Adding to the excitement, the Comets were able to get the pin in the final match to tie up the dual meet.
After the excitement of the dual meet for fans, students, and coaches, it was determined by criteria letter F that Whitewater would win based on having filled more of the weight classes. This pushed the Whippets to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Rock Valley Conference “Valley” Standings.
The team is next in action on Tuesday night, January 14, when they travel to Edgerton to take on the Tiders of Edgerton and the Trojans of Beloit Turner. Both duals look to be good competitive matches for the Whippets as well to help prepare them for the upcoming tournament series less than one month away. Wrestling at Edgerton High School will begin at 5:00.
Article Submitted by John Schimming Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach jschimming@wwusd.org Photos Courtesy of Bob Mischka
After two weeks of no competitions, the Whippet Boys’ Swim Team was back in action on Tuesday, January 7th. The Whippets took on Badger and Platteville Lancaster in a triple dual. The Whippets were victorious against Platteville/Lancaster with a score of 131 to 35; they however fell short against a very tough Badger team with a score of 67 to 103. The boys swam really well and had many best times on the night!
Boys’ Swim Team
Best Times Include:
200 Freestyle:
Cruz Aranda – 1:54.75 (Improved his 5th place spot on the Whippet Top 10 List)
Caleb Kluck – 2:31.34
Sam Nickelsburg – 2:44.75
200 IM:
Jack Hefty – 2:26.18 (10 second drop from previous time)
Myles Morse – 2:27.77 (15 second drop from previous time)
Miles Nickelsburg 2:33.81 (5 second drop from previous time)
50 Freestyle:
Mateo Bazeley – 24.74
Wyatt Esch – 27.12
Andrew O’Toole – 27.31
100 Butterfly:
Langdon Coburn – 1:01.78 (10th on the Whippet Top 10 List)
Myles Morse – 1:11.14
100 Freestyle:
Mateo Bazeley – 53.04 (9th on the Whippet Top 10 List)
Isaac Straight – 1:28.00
100 Backstroke:
Andrew O’Toole – 1:20.52
Xavier Ortiz – 1:34.08 (18 second drop from previous time)
100 Breaststroke:
Jack Hefty – 1:14.69
The Whippets are back in the water on Tuesday, January 14th against Elkhorn & PSC at Elkhorn High School. Swimming starts at 5:30 pm; we hope to see you there!
Article and Photo Submitted By Sarah Reynolds Whitewater High School Head Swim Coach ReynoldsSM07@uww.edu
Established in the spring of 2024, the National High School Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (NHSTFXCCA) created standards to recognize outstanding performances, at the national level, by awarding them a certificate for All-American honors. Whitewater had one athlete meet the criteria in the 1600 meter run. Jack Hefty ran 4:13.0 en route to winning his second straight state title. The standard for All American in this event is 4:16.0. Congratulations, Jack!
The coaching staff then began diving into the history books and found several other Whippet track and field athletes who would have earned this award had it been in place during their time in a Whitewater uniform. The staff wanted to recognize these athletes for their superior performances even though the program had not yet been in place for all the years these performances were recorded. Through research and help from former athletes, it was discovered that Janet Partoll had earned honorable mention All-American honors in 1985! Unfortunately, not all the athletes listed below have pictures to go with them. Thank you to all those involved in securing the photos we do have of these athletes as we take a trip down “memory lane” and remember how incredibly rich the sport of track and field is in Whitewater, Wisconsin!
2024 Boys 1600 – Jack Hefty
2023 Girls 4×200 – Madelynn Buehler, Sydney Schilt, Emma Weigel, Kindyl Kilar 1:42.95
2023 Connor Raupp – Discus 169′ 0″
2019 Boys 4×200 – Will Leibrand, Juan Cuellar, Jared Clapper, Jack Mayer 1:29.27
1986 Girls’ 4 x 200 Relay Samantha Reeb, Tina Partoll, Julie Paynter, Janet Partoll and their coaches Wendall Bean, Dirk Seibold, and Lois Lauretson1979 Shot Put Jack Mead2010 Discus Lou Minett2012 Molly Griep Discus2012 Molly Griep Shot Put2019 Boys 4×200 Jack Mayer, Juan Cuellar, Will Leibbrand, Jared Clapper2023 Discus Connor Raupp2023 Girls 4×200 Madelynn Buehler, Sydney Schilt, Emma Weigel, Kindyl Kilar2024 Boys 1600 Jack Hefty1985 High Jump (State Record) Janet PartollHigh School All American Janet Partoll, Coach Wendall Bean, AD Chuck Coulthart1987 Discus Troy Hansen
Brodhead jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as they beat Whitewater 57-28 in Rock Valley girls’ basketball crossover action on Tuesday, January 7. This was the first crossover game for both teams. Whitewater has a non-conference game on Saturday to begin a stretch of four games on the road. The next home game will be Tuesday, January 21.
Article Submitted by Mike Dowden Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Basketball Coach dowmi01@wwusd.org
Marshall beat Whitewater 49-42 in non-conference girls’ basketball on Friday, January 3. Marshall jumped out to an early lead as Whitewater played a sluggish first half and trailed 12-26 at halftime. To begin the second half and fueled by their press, Whitewater went on a 27-5 run to take a 39-31 lead with six minutes remaining. Whitewater, however, was not able to maintain the energy and Marshall closed the game on an 18-3 run to end at the final score.
Whitewater returns to action next week with a home game on Tuesday against Brodhead and at St. Thomas More on Saturday.
Article Submitted by Mike Dowden Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Basketball Coach dowmi01@wwusd.org
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