If you were writing a film about a tennis season, you could not have written a better scenario than the 2023 NCAA Women’s tennis season for Reese Brantmeier of Whitewater, Wisconsin, and the North Carolina tennis team.
After the University of North Carolina team won its first national championship, the two double teams from the school were to compete in a week-long NCAA individual tennis tournament in both singles and doubles.
Reese Brantmeier, 3rd from left
After four single-elimination rounds, the 2023 NCAA Doubles Championship consisted of both North Carolina doubles teams. In the end, the doubles team of Fiona Crawley and Carson Tanguilig defeated teammates Reese Brantmeier of Whitewater, Wisconsin, and Elizabeth Scotty 6-1, 2-6, 11-9 in the championship match on Saturday afternoon, May 27, in Orlando, Florida.
“Winning the first NCAA outdoor team title was such a high for all of us. I am just really proud of the week we had as doubles teams,“ stated Brantmeier. Reese would also like to thank all the people back in Whitewater for their support.
Reese Brantmeier is the daughter of Scott and Becky Brantmeier and has two older brothers, Justin and Zach. All three attended Whitewater High School.
The Berry brothers train intensely—Peter’s youth coach believes that, if not for his injury, he’d be ticketed for the NBA draft lottery. [Photo from Sports Illustrated]
Mark Dorn, “still a print subscriber,” recently found an article, “The Brothers Fueling a Wheelchair Basketball Powerhouse,” in Sports Illustrated. It’s the story of two brothers on Alabama’s wheelchair basketball team, and includes their national championship that was won at UW-W this past March. Click here to read the very interesting article as reprinted in Newsbreak.
Our thanks to Mark Dorn for passing on this article.
Per an article on WKOW, “UW-Whitewater sophomore and Wisconsin Heights alum, Christian Patzka, won the Division III National Championship in the 3,000 meter steeplechase in Rochester, NY on Saturday.
Patzka won the event with a time of 8:42.46, breaking the NCAA DIII record, as well as records for the DIII championship, the facility, and the Warhawks’ program. The win also earns Patzka All-American honors for the third time in his career.
While it’s Patzka’s first ever national championship, he won the WIAC championship in the indoor 5,000 meter run and the 3,000 meter steeplechase in 2022…”
Further reports on the event from the WIAC website:
Three Teams In Top Seven At NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship; Six Claim Titles
ROCHESTER, N.Y.–Three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) teams placed in the top seven following three days of competition at the NCAA Division III Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship. In addition, five conference individuals and one relay team claimed titles.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse finished second with 49 points to fall short of the 60.5 points by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which won its first-ever national championship. Rowan University (N.J.) and John Carroll University (Ohio) took third with 39 points, while UW-Eau Claire was fifth with 37 and UW-Whitewater tied for seventh with 24.
Additional WIAC team finishes included: UW-Oshkosh 13th with 17 points; UW-Platteville 14th with 16; and UW-Stout tied for 40th with six. A total of 78 teams scored points at the national event, which was hosted by St. John Fisher University (N.Y.) and Visit Rochester.
UW-La Crosse’s Sam Blaskowski won the 100-meter dash for the second straight season with a time of 10.13 seconds. The mark established a NCAA Division III Championship record. Blaskowski also contributed to the triumphant 4×100-meter relay that posted a time of 39.96 seconds. He was joined by Ryder Smith, Spencer Reichart and Luke Schroeder. It is the fifth time UW-La Crosse has won the event (2004, 2015, 2018, 2021).
UW-Whitewater’s Christian Patzka also established a NCAA Division III Championship mark with a first-place time of 8:42.46 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He is the second individual in program history to win the event, joining Dawson Miller (2015).
UW-Eau Claire had a pair of individual champions, as Yakob Ekoue secured the shot put with a heave of 57-10 1/4 (17.63m) and Mitch Stegeman claimed the decathlon with 7,165 points. Ekoue is the fourth individual in program archives to win the event, joining Roger Steen (2015), Alex Mess (2016) and David Kornack (2019). Stegeman is the third Blugold to emerge with the decathlon crown, joining Brandon Zarnoth (2015) and Marcus Weaver (2021 and 2022).
UW-Platteville’s Will Lawrence was victorious in the javelin with a toss of 236-8 (72.14m). It ranks as the fifth-best throw in NCAA Division III history.
The following individuals from the WIAC earned All-America recognition from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for placing in the top eight of their event:
100-Meter Dash: Sam Blaskowski (UW-La Crosse-Champion)
200-Meter Dash: Sam Blaskowski (UW-La Crosse-Second); Londyn Little (UW-Oshkosh-Seventh)
800-Meter Run: Cael Schoemann (UW-La Crosse-Fifth)
1,500-Meter Run: Steven Potter (UW-Oshkosh-Seventh)
On Thursday, May 25, the Whitewater Track and Field team competed at the WIAA Division 2 Sectional meet, hosted by McFarland. The Whippets competed hard, and performed well in their individual events, and as a team. Overall, the boys’ squad placed 5th with 41 points, while the girls ended up in 3rd with 44.50 points.
Whitewater’s boys were led by a trio of State Qualifying finishes that were determined on Thursday, including two firsts and one second. Kicking off the evening, Connor Raupp’s third Discus throw in the preliminary round put him above the other 15 competitors. His throw of 169’-0” was first by over ten feet, was a new personal best, and improved his #3 All-Time mark. Raupp, a senior, is a first-time State Qualifier. Sophomore Jack Hefty charged ahead of the competition to place first in the 1600m run in a time of 4:23.92. Jack is now a two-time State Qualifier, but this will be his first time competing in the 1600 in La Crosse. Finally, Ethan Dugan defended his 2022 State qualifying status in the 400m Dash. His time of 50.38 was good for second place, a personal best, and an improvement to #5 All-Time in WHS history. In La Crosse, Ethan will compete in the 400m prelim on Friday to qualify for the final on Saturday. Jack and Connor will both compete on Saturday. On Friday morning, it was determined that Whitewater will have a fourth individual competing in La Crosse. Jaylyn Ewing, whose High Jump of 6’-0” placed him 7th at the Sectional competition, was announced as an Extra Qualifier after the results of each of the Sectionals were tabulated! Ewing, a junior, will compete at his first State Meet on Friday in the High Jump.
Connor RauppJack Hefty
To add to the team score, several other Whippets had strong days at the Sectional. Traysen Thomason placed 6th in the 100m Dash with a time of 11.38, concluding a phenomenal sophomore season for him. CJ Tomomitsu placed 6th in the Pole Vault, tying his personal best of 12’-6” in his final competition in a Whippet uniform. Connor Raupp also placed 6th in the Shot Put with a personal best throw of 48’-10”. Jake Kuhlow placed 8th in the Discus with a toss of 139’. The 4x400m relay team of Thomason, Hefty, Curtis Rossmiller, and Dugan also placed 8th in a time of 3:31.30. Additional competitors on Thursday included Nate Holden in the 1600, who placed 10th in a personal best time of 4:48.96, and the 4x200m relay team of Rossmiller, Nate Black, Quincy Boudreau, and Thomason, who placed 15th. Congratulations to all who competed at the Sectional meet on Thursday for a great competition and a fantastic season.
The Whippet girls’ team was again led by strong performances in the sprints and relays. To start off the night, Maddie Buehler and Kindyl Kilar both qualified for the final in the 100m and 200m Dashes, respectively. In the preliminary rounds, the girls scorched the track to #2 All-Time times in their events. Maddie’s time of 12.37 was .02 off the school record of 12.35, and Kindyl’s time of 25.67 was .03 off the school record of 25.64. In the final, Maddie placed second with a time of 12.42, and will compete in the 100m Dash in La Crosse for the second year in a row. In the 200m final, Kindyl also placed second with a time of 26.01. This is also her second year in a row competing at State in the 200m Dash.
The girls also had State Qualifiers in the 4x200m and 4x100m relays. Both teams placed first. The 4x200m team of Buehler, Sydney Schilt, Emma Weigel, and Kindyl Kilar ran a season’s best time of 1:44.23, improving upon their #2 All-Time mark from the Regional meet. Additionally, the 4x100m relay team of Calli Grosinske, Buehler, Weigel, and Kilar also placed first, crossing the finish line in 49.71, just off their school record time of 49.17 set at the Regional meet on Monday.
Kindyl KilarMaddie Buehler
In the field events, Evie Troxel pole vaulted a height of 10’-0”. During the competition, she placed fifth, just off the Top-4 spot needed for qualification. However, based on performances from the other Sectional meets, Evie’s height placed her within the Top-8 of all the State-qualifying marks. This means that Evie has been named an Extra Qualifier, and will have the chance to compete at the State Meet next weekend! This is Evie’s second year in a row competing at the State Meet in Pole Vault.
Additional competitors on Thursday included Izzy Dieter in the Discus, whose throw of 108’ was enough for 6th place. Izzy finishes her career with the #4 All-Time Discus throw in WHS history. Finally, sophomore Athena Soto capped off a fantastic season with a 7th place finish in the 800m Run. Athena’s time of 2:25.48 is the #10 mark All-Time. The girls 4x400m relay team of Grosinske, Soto, Schilt, and Nola Coburn also competed, placing 11th. Coburn also ran a season’s best in the 3200m Run to place 13th in the event. Congratulations to all WHS Sectional competitors for an incredible season!
Whitewater HS State Qualifiers & State Meet Competition Days/Times (if available)
The Whitewater Whippets’ Varsity Baseball season comes to an end with a loss 11 to 1 in the regional tournament at McFarland.
The game started off rough with Owen Hicks giving up a home run to the first hitter of the game. From there they struggled to find a rhythm and come back.
The bright spot was a double by TJ Piper, who would end up also scoring later in the inning.
Next up is off-season Summer League, practice, and staying game ready for next year.
On Tuesday, May 22, the Whippets traveled to Big Foot for the WIAA Regional, the first step in their trek towards the State Meet. The Regional consisted of 8 teams, with the Top 4 place winners in each event moving on to compete at the Sectional meet on Thursday, May 24.
Connor RauppKindyl KilarMadelynn Buehler
The Whippet Girls’ Team was again led by the sprints crew, who cruised to a total of four first-place finishes between the open events and relays. In the opens, Maddie Buehler continued her stellar 2023 campaign by placing first in the 100-meter dash in a time of 12.70. Evie Troxel also added a 6th place finish in the event. In the 200, Kindyl Kilar placed first with a time of 26.42.
In the girls’ relays, Whitewater added a second-place in the 4×400 meter relay, earning a chance to compete on Thursday. The team of Calli Grosinske, Athena Soto, Cara Yang, and Sydney Schilt ran a season’s best time of 4:17.73. Also advancing to the Sectional meet with a pair of first place finishes were the girls’ 4×200 and 4×100 meter relays. The 4×200 team of Maddie Buehler, Schilt, Emma Weigel, and Kindyl Kilar ran a time of 1:44.78, which is the #2 all-time mark in WHS history. Additionally, the 4×100 relay team of Grosinske, Buehler, Weigel, and Kilar smashed their previous school record time of 50.08, running a new best of 49.17. Their time was good for first place, a new school record, and is currently the only sub-50 second 4×100 relay time in WHS history.
In the distance events on the track, Athena Soto ran a season’s best time of 2:27.52 in the 800-meter run, good for third place. In the 3200-meter run, sophomore Nola Coburn used a strong kick in the final lap of the race to secure 4th place in the event, earning another opportunity to run on Thursday. In the 1600, freshman Mady Hefty narrowly missed the Top 4, placing fifth. Her time of 6:04.42 was a season’s best in the event.
Several girls also contributed in the field events. Evie Troxel placed first in the pole vault with a vault of 10’-0”, and teammate Izzy Dieter also qualified for the Sectional meet by placing third. Dieter also qualified in the Discus throw, as her toss of 109’-6 was good for second place.
As a team, the girls placed fourth with 90 points. Brodhead-Juda were the girls’ Regional team champions.
The boys used a balanced attack of sprints, distance, and field events to propel themselves to a spectacular performance that concluded with them as Regional Champions! Overall, the boys scored 123 points, ahead of second place Edgerton.
Regional Champs
The boys had two Sectional qualifiers in open sprint events from first-place winners Traysen Thomason and Ethan Dugan in the 100- and 400-meter dashes, respectively. Akamion McHenry also added to the team total with a 6th place finish in the 200-meter dash. In the 110-meter hurdles, Avi Kalra and David Enns placed 7th and 8th, adding to the team score.
The boys distance events saw two Sectional qualifying marks in the 1600-meter run, as Jack Hefty and Nate Holden placed first and second. In the 800, Miles Nickelsburg ran a personal best time of 2:08.65 for fifth, while Holden was 6th in 2:09. Xavier Zei added another fifth-place finish in the 3200-meter run, with a personal best time of 10:48.
The boys had two Sectional qualifying relays, as the 4×400 meter relay team of Quincy Boudreau, Jack Hefty, Ethan Dugan, and Traysen Thomason placed first in a season’s best time of 3:30.70. Additionally, the 4×200 relay of Curtis Rossmiller, Nate Black, Boudreau, and Thomason placed second in the event with a time of 1:33.70.
The boys’ team continued their strong performances in the field events. In the throws, Connor Raupp earned two first place finishes in the Discus and Shot Put, with tosses of 154’-2” and 46’-10”. Jake Kuhlow was third in Discus with a 130’-10” and fifth in the Shot. In the vertical jumps, Jaylyn Ewing placed 4th in High Jump with a jump of 5’-10”, and CJ Tomomitsu equaled his personal best of 12’-6” in the Pole Vault, good for second place. In the horizontals, Nate Black placed 6th in the Long Jump with a leap of 19’-2”.
The Whippets will head to McFarland on Thursday for the Sectional competition, where again the Top 4 place-winners will advance, this time to the State Meet in La Crosse.
Article and Team Photo Submitted by Matt Green Whitewater High School Head Track and Field Coach mgreen2@wwusd.org Action Photos Courtesy of Bob Mischka
What a year it has been for 2022 Whitewater High School graduate Reese Brantmeier at the University of North Carolina!
On Saturday, May 20, the North Carolina women’s tennis team won its first NCAA championship in program history, defeating N.C. State 4-1 in Orlando, Florida.
The UNC tennis player in her first year is part of the 2023 National Championship team at UNC. During the 2023 NCAA tournament, Reese won the #1 Singles position against Old Dominion, Florida, Texas, and Georgia before falling to N.C. State in a hard-fought match at #1 Singles. Reese lost that match to a player who advanced in the 2nd round of the Australian Open a year ago.
Reese and her doubles partner Reilly Tran won a pivotal doubles match against N.C. State in the team championship match that gave the team a win, leading to their first women’s tennis championship.
Reese will be playing in this year’s NCAA singles and doubles championships that will also take place in Orlando, beginning on Monday and running through Saturday.
Reese Brantmeier is the daughter of Scott and Becky Brantmeier and has two older brothers, Justin and Zach. All three attended Whitewater High School.
On Saturday, May 20th, Whitewater Varsity Baseball hosted a double header against the Parkview Vikings. The Varsity team took both games in convincing form, 4-3 and 9-3 respectively.
In the first game, Marcos Sagrero pitched 6 excellent innings, with Carson Petitt earning the save in the last inning. Owen Hicks went 2 for 3 to lead the Whippets in hits, along with hits from Petitt, Sheffield, Porcaro, and Carollo.
In the second game, Owen Hicks pitched 6 2/3 innings with Lucas Jacobs earning the save in the last inning. The bats were hot with hits bringing in runs by Owen Hicks, Connor Friend, and Jarvis Porcaro. Keenan Sheffield went 2 for 4 at the plate to lead the Whippets in hits. Carson Petitt led the stolen base column with 4.
