Birmingham, Ala. — Sam Vargas (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) represented UW-Whitewater on the second day of the 2026 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships Saturday, March 14.
Vargas finished eighth in the 60-meter dash with a clocking of 6.80 to secure his first All-America honor indoors. The sophomore is the eighth Warhawk to earn All-America honors in the 60-meter dash and holds three-time All-America honors in his career.
Editor’s note: The above announcement is from the UW-W website.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa–Two teams from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) finished in the top 16 following two days of competition at the NCAA Division III Men’s Wrestling Championship that was held at Alliant Energy Powerhouse. In addition, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Tanner Gerber won the 165-pound title.
UW-La Crosse placed second with 68 points, while UW-Whitewater was 16th with 31.5. Wartburg College (Iowa) won its 17th national title with 110 points, while Augsburg University (Minn.) was third with 67.5, New York University fourth with 65.5 and The College of New Jersey fifth with 58.5.
Additional WIAC team finishes included: UW-Eau Claire placed 29th with 15.5 points and UW-Stevens Point tied for 41st with 6.5 points. A total of 61 teams earned points at the national championship that was hosted by the American Rivers Conference.
UW-La Crosse’s Tanner Gerber emerged with the 165-pound championship after a 4-0 decision over Andrew Supers of Baldwin Wallace University (Ohio). Gerber is the first national champion at 165 pounds in program history.
The following wrestlers from the WIAC received All-America accolades for finishing in the top eight of their weight class:
The Whippet Boys Swim Team closed out an incredible season at the WIAA State Meet on Friday, February 20th with outstanding performances and fast swims across the board!
State Highlights:
• Cruz Aranda placed 10th in the 200 Freestyle with a time of 1:48.99 — now 2nd all-time on the Whippet Top 10 List. • Langdon Coburn finished 15th in the 200 IM with a strong time drop to 2:04.45 — now 4th all-time on the Whippet Top 10 List. • Mateo Bazeley swam a quick 22.58 in the 50 Freestyle to place 13th. • Langdon Coburn earned a 5th place finish in the 100 Butterfly with a time of 52.47 — now 3rd all-time in school history. • Cruz Aranda added a 9th place finish in the 100 Freestyle with a fast 48.93 — now 4th all-time on the Whippet Top 10 List.
NEW SCHOOL RECORD! The 200 Freestyle Relay team of Langdon Coburn, Caleb Kluck, Cruz Aranda, and Mateo Bazeley broke the school record with an incredible time of 1:30.61, finishing 8th overall!
The 400 Freestyle Relay team of Langdon Coburn, Mateo Bazeley, Wyatt Esch, and Cruz Aranda capped off the meet with a 12th place finish in 3:25.28.
We are extremely proud of the way these athletes represented Whitewater on the biggest stage. Thank you to all of our fans for the tremendous support throughout the season!
A special thank you to our seniors for your dedication, leadership, and commitment to the program — you will be greatly missed.
Article and Photos Submitted by Sarah Reynolds Whitewater High School Head Swim Coach ReynoldsSM07@uww.edu
For the first time since 1997, all of the WIAC men’s basketball teams are competing in the NCAA Regional Championship. UW-La Crosse won the automatic bid by beating UW-W in the championship game; the others were selected at-large. UW-W (20-7, WIAC 10-4) will play Loras College (IA) (20-8) in the first round on Friday, March 6 @ 5:05 p.m. at Washington University in St. Louis. Further information will be posted when available.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will host a NCAA women’s basketball regional for the sixth consecutive championship this weekend. The Warhawks are set to host the four-team regional with games scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
UW-Whitewater (19-8) will take on Transylvania (24-4) at 7:15 PM Friday evening in Kachel Gym. The Warhawks, an at large selection, are making their 10th straight and 17th overall appearance in the NCAA Championship under Head Coach Keri Carollo. UWW is ranked 10th in the final NPI (NCAA Power Index) list. The Warhawks are 39-23 in the program’s 23 total postseason appearances.
Transy punched their berth into the 2026 championship with their eighth consecutive Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament title. The Pioneers, ranked 44th in the NPI, are making their seventh straight appearance in the postseason.
The first game of the regional will feature the University of Chicago and Gustavus Adolphus College at 4:45 PM Friday evening. The Maroons (17-7) claimed an at-large bid into championship to make the program’s 11th trip to NCAA action. Back in the postseason for the first time since 2023, Chicago comes into the regional ranked 21st according to NPI.
Gustavus Adolphus (18-8) also received an at-large bid into the postseason. The Gusties are making their fifth consecutive and 12th overall appearance in the NCAA tournament. GAC is ranked 36th in the NPI.
The winners of Friday’s contests advance to the regional final slated for 7:15 PM Saturday in Kachel Gym. Stay tuned for more information on the Whitewater Regional including tickets, media coverage and more.
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has named Michael Zweifel as its 15th head football coach in school history. A native of Whitewater, Wisconsin, Zweifel completed his fourth year as an assistant coach at UW-La Crosse during the 2025 season. He replaces Matt Janus, who was announced as head football coach at Northern Michigan University on January 5.
“My family and I are extremely honored and excited to be the next head coach at UW-La Crosse,” said Zweifel. “To be a part of the proud history and standard of excellence here at UW-La Crosse is a dream come true.”
Michael Zweifel
Zweifel served as UW-La Crosse’s defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach in 2025. He has coordinated the Eagles’ defense and special teams to a 36-11 record the last four years as UW-La Crosse won two Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championships and made four appearances in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Playoffs.
“The mindset and standard of our football program is not to maintain what we’ve accomplished the past few years; I was hired to elevate and take this program to the next step,” added Zweifel. “The expectation is to win championships, and we plan to do that by developing competitive, connected, accountable and resilient young men.
This football team will value competition, being selfless, and seeking out challenges every day. Our staff and I are fully committed to building champions in school, sport and life.”
He has coached 15 All-WIAC selections on defense, including 10 first team choices. UW-La Crosse led the league in passing defense (188.9 yards per game) and punting net yards per game (39.4) in 2025. The Eagles led the WIAC in quarterback sacks (28) and fumble recoveries (9) in 2024 while ranking third in interceptions (13).
“Michael has displayed his football intelligence while leading our defense for the last four years, but he also brings experience as a player and coach on the offensive side of the ball which is unique,” said UW-La Crosse Director of Athletics Kim Blum. “He has made an impression on our players as someone who engages with them and brings a lot of energy, but also as a strong family man who cares about making an impact on young men on and off the field.”
In 2022, UW-La Crosse ranked second in the conference in scoring defense (17.8), sacks (67), interceptions (13), opponents’ third-down conversions (32.2%) and red-zone defense (66.7). The Eagles led the conference in kickoff returns (23.8) while finishing third in punt returns (9.3) and second in punting (35.4).
Zweifel was the wide receivers and quarterbacks coach at the University of Dubuque (Iowa) from 2012-21. A 2011 graduate of Dubuque (Iowa), Zweifel earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science while graduating Summa Cum Laude. He earned his master’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Texas at Tyler in 2015. Zweifel owned Building Better Athletes, LLC from 2013-22.
Michael Zweifel spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach at UW-La Crosse.
He was named the winner of the 2011 Gagliardi Trophy, awarded annually to the top NCAA Division III football player. Zweifel led the nation in receiving yards (1,915), receiving yards per game (174.1), receptions (140), receptions per game (12.7), and receiving touchdowns (25). He also recorded 29 tackles in 2011 with 2.5 tackles for loss, nine pass breaks-ups, one interception and one fumble recovery.
Zweifel set a NCAA III record with his 140 catches in 2011 and ended his career as the all-time NCAA leader (all divisions) with 463 receptions. He was a three-year team captain at Dubuque (Iowa).
Selected the 2011 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Offensive Most Valuable Player, Zweifel was named to six All-America teams. He was an All-IIAC First Team selection in 2009 and 2011, helping lead the Spartans to their first conference championship in 31 years in 2011.
“I appreciate Michael’s commitment to UW-La Crosse and his unique vision for the future of UW-La Crosse football as a contributor to the overall athletic program,” noted Blum. “Michael was able to demonstrate his ability to lead the program by pulling from his experience as a business owner, and he clearly understands the incredible opportunity he has to write the next chapter of the Eagles’ football program.”
Zweifel attended the Green Bay Packers Rookie Minicamp and Fall Camp in 2012. Voted the 2011 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American® of the Year, he was named a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete finalist.
Zweifel was formally introduced as the Eagles’ head coach at a press conference held in Hetzel Fieldhouse on the UWL campus, scheduled for 11 a.m. on Tuesday, February 17. The press conference may be streamed here.
UW-La Crosse has won two (1992, 1995) NCAA Division III Championships and one (1985) National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) title while making 16 appearances in the NCAA Division III Championships, including the last five seasons, and seven trips to the NAIA Playoffs. The Eagles have captured 35 conference championships in school history.
Zweifel lives in Holmen, Wisconsin with his wife, Jennifer, and two daughters, Ainsley and Sienna.
Editor’s note: This press release was provided by UW-La Crosse.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team has announced its 2026 schedule.
The Warhawks kick off the 2026 campaign at home as Carleton College returns to Perkins Stadium on Saturday, September 5. UW-Whitewater will recognize its senior class prior to kickoff against the Knights. UWW fans will Pack the Perk the next week with UW-Whitewater hosting Saint Xavier (Ill.) on September 12. Both games are slated for a 1 PM kickoff.
Following a bye week, UW-Whitewater will have their first road test of the season against a new opponent. For the first time in program history, the Warhawks will take on Keystone College in Pennsylvania with kickoff scheduled for noon Eastern.
October 3 will be a marquee date on the calendar as the Warhawks host UW-River Falls for Family Fest and Alumni Day. Kickoff for the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener is set for 1 PM in Perkins Stadium.
UWW will head to UW-La Crosse and UW-Stout on October 10 and 17 respectively before returning to The Perk on October 24. UW-Whitewater’s annual Homecoming and Hall of Fame Game will feature the Warhawks taking on UW-Stevens Point at 1 PM.
UW-Oshkosh is next in line for a trip to Perkins on Saturday, October 31. Game time for the Warhawks’ final home contest of the regular season has yet to be announced. UW-Whitewater is also set to host the 2026 WIAC Cross Country Championships on the 31st and the course intersects with roads leading to Perkins Stadium. Kickoff time for the Warhawks and Titans will be announced when it is made official.
UW-Whitewater will wrap up the regular season with a pair of road games including another edition of the George Chryst Memorial Bowl at Platteville on November 7, and finally at UW-Eau Claire on November 14.
Information on parking and tickets for the 2026 Warhawk football season will be announced later this spring.
Editor’s note: This announcement was found on the UW-W Athletics Facebook page.
The UW-Whitewater Warhawk Men’s Basketball team won the 2026 WIAC regular season title outright with a 69–62 victory over UW-River Falls on Saturday, February 21 at Kachel Gymnasium. Players celebrated by raising the trophy and cutting down the nets. The title marks the 16th in program history, the first since 2015 and the first outright since 2012.
Langdon Coburn earned a 5th place finish in the 100 Butterfly with a time of 52.47 — now 3rd all-time in school history.
NEW SCHOOL RECORD!
