Sports

The Whippet Varsity Volleyball Team opened conference play with a 3-0 sweep of the visiting Monroe Cheesemakers on Thursday, September 10. The Whippets came out strong from the start and never looked back in sets one and two winning 25-19 and 25-21.

Coach Dowden commented, “It was fun to see the players put it all together. They were aggressive and played as a team all night. It was great to see and feel the energy both on the court and from our fans all match. Leading into tonight we discussed three keys to this match: communication, serve receive and transitioning fast at the net. In addition, we talked about limiting our mistakes and moving on to the next play. Short of set three when our serve receive struggled a bit, the team really pulled together and accomplished our goals, and we couldn’t be more proud of their effort. This was a great team win.”

Probably the most exciting to see was the team’s grit in set three of the match. Coming out slow, the Whippets dug themselves a hole in the set finding themselves down 0-6 before etching their way back into the set. Closing out the set, the Whippets were down 16-18 and fought back to make it 20-20. Monroe called a time out and the battle continued back and forth with the Whippets dominating the final points behind the serves of Emi Islas, blocks of Emery Kachel, and the swings of Jasmine Kilar; the Whippets won 25-22.

Stat leaders on the night include Sophomore Jasmine Kilar leading the way with 8 kills, 10 digs, and 2 service aces. Junior Mary Mason notched 6 aces on the night. Junior Emery Kachel added 6 kills and 2 blocks. Finally, Seniors Maddie Morton and Rowan Seaver added 1 block and 15 assists on the night.

The Whippets will travel away to Dodgeland for a tournament this Saturday. 

Article and Photo Submitted by Mary Kilar

East Troy defeated Whitewater 6-1 in girls’ tennis on September 10th. East Troy swept all three doubles matches, while Whitewater earned its lone point at No. 1 singles.

Whitewater’s Taryn Rothwell (8-3) continues her strong season and claimed the top singles match over East Troy’s Avorie Murphy (15-6), 6-7 (6), 4-6.

East Troy opened the match with a tribute to the fallen after 9-11. The Whitewater Girls watched and dedicated the match to former Boston College La Crosse player and NYC firefighter Welles Crowther, who led people to safety after terrorists struck the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Crowther is known as the man in the red bandana. You can learn more about his story at https://www.youtubeeducation.com/watch?v=S77KYbkmjwc

Singles:
No. 1 – Taryn Rothwell, Whitewater def. Avorie Murphy, East Troy, 6-7 (6), 4-6 , -;
No. 2 – Megan Meeks , East Troy def. Madeline Joseph, Whitewater, 6-0 , 6-1 , -;
No. 3 – Cadence Kehl, East Troy def. Jordyn Weeden, Whitewater, 6-0 , 6-0 , -;
No. 4 – Kendyl Feucht, East Troy def. Ruth Lopez , Whitewater, 6-0 , 6-1 , -;

Doubles:
No. 1 – Mia Taylor, East Troy – Kaylee Kohley , East Troy def. Abby Treder, Whitewater – Izzy Lawton, Whitewater, 6-1 , 6-3 , -;
No. 2 – Alex Szymankiewicz, East Troy – Edie Seiler , East Troy def. Isabel S, Whitewater – Sophia W, Whitewater, 6-0 , 6-0 , -;
No. 3 – Riahlyn Cain, East Troy – Elena Milne, East Troy def. Serena Soto, Whitewater – Emma S, Whitewater, 6-2 , 6-1 , -;

Photos Courtesy of Greg Stewart and Dave Lindow East Troy

Whippet Soccer had another dominant performance on Tuesday, September 1, with a 6-1 win over Racine Lutheran. After a slow start, your Whippets really stepped on the gas and really brought the heat on an already scorching evening. The humidity didn’t seem to slow down WHS with goals by Elijah Gutierez, Wesley Baker, and Niko Valdez. Derick Martinez contributed a hat trick to cap off another special performance from him. Keeper Asher Bangert had an 8 save evening which really solidified Whitewater’s strong defensive performance. 

On Thursday evening, September 3, the Whippets traveled to Cambridge where their start of the game left a lot to be desired. However, after falling behind 2-0 in just the 12th minute, WHS showed tremendous fight and spirit to push forward to a 4-4 tie. Derick Martinez yet again contributed 2 goals and continued his tremendous run of form. Elijah Gutierez converted a penalty, and Bastian Portales buried a beautiful header off of a corner to round out the scoring. Emiliano Olivares had a great game as well while contributing 2 assists. Whippet Soccer saw both varsity keepers on the field with Asher Banger contributing 5 saves and Esteban Lopez-Villanueva saving 2. 

Keep up the good work Whippets, and we hope to see you all again on Tuesday, September 8, when Lakeside Lutheran comes to town. 

Article and Image Submitted by Sam Burns
Whitewater High School Head Boys’ Soccer Coach
dburns@wwusd.org

The Warhawk seniors pose with their families prior to the game against Carleton

UW-Whitewater defeated Carleton 69-7 on Saturday in its season opener. UWW scored 55 unanswered points across nine scoring drives after the game was 14-7 in the first quarter. 

The UW-Whitewater faithful came out to Perkins Stadium to celebrate the seniors and the Warhawks gave them a show setting numerous records in the season-opener. Darrick Hill (Stoughton, Wis./Stoughton) set the program records for the longest run from scrimmage and longest touchdown run (98-yards), the Warhawks set the record for total offense in a single game (762 yards) – also ranked fourth in WIAC history – and UWW tied the single game record for passing touchdowns with six.

UWW’s offense turned three long plays into first-quarter touchdowns, with Hill’s record-breaking 98-yard run and Justin Klinkner (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers) connecting with Jacques Brooks (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) for an 84-yard score. After Carleton made it 14-7, UWW answered on its next possession when Klinkner found Tyler Vasey (Crystal Lake, Ill/Prairie Ridge) for a 61-yard touchdown. The Warhawks finished the quarter ahead 21-7 after totaling 290 yards of offense.

In the second quarter, UWW put up 21 points, with Klinkner throwing two 18-yard touchdown passes to Brooks and Tommy Novotny (Milwaukee, Wis./Marquette) adding a 32-yard touchdown run. The defense held Carleton without a first down in the quarter and forced three punts, including a stop for a loss by Noah Moris (Union Grove, Wis./Union Grove) on third down. UWW entered halftime ahead 42-7.

UW-Whitewater scored on each of its first three possessions of the third quarter, adding touchdown passes of 25 yards from Klinkner to Vasey and 34 yards from Cole Warren (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah) to Kade Sainz (Goshen, Ind./North Ridge) before Hunter Liszka (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) hit a 25-yard field goal. The defense kept Carleton scoreless in the quarter and produced two fumble recoveries, with Drew Kortz (Freedom, Wis./Freedom) forcing one recovered by Josh Lambert (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) and Jayden Daniel (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West) forcing another recovered by Ashton Maney (Three Lakes, Wis./Three Lakes). UWW finished the quarter ahead 59-7. 

Maney’s interception at the UWW 45 with 13:33 left led to a five-play, 55-yard drive, capped by Jayveon Gold’s (Milwaukee, Wis./Whitnall) 20-yard touchdown run and Grant Urban’s (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) extra point for a 69-7 lead. Earlier, Urban made a 25-yard field goal, and the Warhawks finished the fourth quarter with 90 rushing yards while holding Carleton scoreless. 

Klinkner completed 20 of 23 passes for 366 yards and five touchdowns. Brooks caught six passes for 145 yards including three touchdowns. Vasey added nine receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Hill rushed eight times for 129 yards and one touchdown.

The Warhawks return to Perkins Stadium next Saturday for a 1 PM kickoff against St. Xavier.

Editor’s note: This report is from the UW-W Athletics website.

The Whippets hosted Conference Relays on Thursday, September 3rd, and the girls definitely made a splash! The Whippets finished 7th overall while putting together some fantastic swims and showing off all the hard work they’ve put in over the past couple of weeks.

The night kicked off with the 200 Medley Relay, where the Whippets finished 7th overall. Maya Davis posted an impressive 39.38 in the 50 Breast, Maggie Maas swam a 33.10 Fly split, and Emma Maas closed out the relay with a quick 29.21 in the 50 Free!

Next up was the 200 Freestyle Relay, where both Whippet relays put together some great swims. The relay of Marijose Verduzco, Caitlin Alford, Kamor Douglas and Alejandra Aranda-Jaramillo finished 15th in 2:38.33. Kamor posted a quick 45.41, Alejandra dropped 3 seconds with a 41.37, and Caitlin posted a lifetime best of 36.00!

The second relay of Laken De Porter, Grace Smith, Storm De Porter and Finley De Porter finished 9th overall in 2:09.63, with all four girls posting best times! Laken led things off with a lifetime-best 32.36 in the 50 Free.

In the 400 IM Relay, where each swimmer races a 100 IM, the girls finished 7th in 5:41.07. Emma Maas led off with an impressive 1:19.47, Maya Davis swam the 100 IM for the first time in her career and posted a 1:24.88, and Storm De Porter dropped 2 seconds off her previous time!

After a quick break, the girls were back in the water for the 200 Fly Relay. Maggie Maas continued her impressive night by dropping even more time to swim a 32.91 Fly split. Marijose Verduzco and Grace Smith both raced the Fly for the first time this season, while Storm De Porter closed out the relay with a quick 39.64.

The highest finish of the night came in the Splash & Dash — the 100 Free Relay! Finley De Porter, Emma Maas, Laken De Porter and Maggie Maas teamed up to finish 4th overall in 58.72!

The 500 Crescendo Relay featured two Whippet teams. The B Relay finished 12th, with Kamor Douglas dropping a second off her 50 Free and Marijose Verduzco dropping 10 seconds off her lifetime-best 200 Free with a 2:56.62! The A Relay finished 7th overall, with Finley De Porter leading off with a best time of 33.57 in the 50 Free. Laken De Porter swam a strong 1:17.08 in the 100 Free, Grace Smith posted a 1:55.37 in the 150, and Maggie Maas brought it home in the 200 with a 2:25.79.

The 400 Backstroke Relay was up next, with the Whippets finishing 8th overall. Grace Smith — 1:36.19, Caitlin Alford — 1:41.70, Marijose Verduzco — 1:31.00, and Alejandra Aranda-Jaramillo — 2:16.81 all put together solid swims.

The 400 Breaststroke Relay was another highlight of the night! Maya Davis, Storm De Porter and Emma Maas all stepped up in a big way. Maya posted a lifetime best of 1:27.28, Storm swam the 100 Breast for the first time in her career with a strong 1:58.22, and Emma dropped 4 seconds to finish with a 1:29.25.

The girls closed out the meet with the 400 Freestyle Relay, finishing 8th overall in 5:17.83. All four swimmers posted best times! Laken dropped 8 seconds with a 1:17.41, Finley swam a 1:21.25, Caitlin dropped 4 seconds with a 1:25.79, and Maya dropped 4 seconds with a 1:13.38 to bring the relay home.

It was a night full of PRs, first-time swims, big time drops, and some seriously fun racing! The girls are putting in the work, and it’s exciting to see that work starting to show up on the scoreboard.

NEXT UP: HOME MEET!
Thursday, September 10th
Whitewater — HOME
Badger & Platteville/Lancaster
5:30 PM
Come out and cheer on your Whippet swimmers!

Article and Photos Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Swim Coach
ReynoldsSM07@uww.edu

The Whippets charged into Labor Day Weekend at a brand-new meet on the schedule, the Cam Rock Invite, hosted by Deerfield/Cambridge at Cam Rock Park #2!

After a challenging week of conditions, the team showed great toughness and raced with guts. Five of our six girls ran their fastest times of the season! Virginia Nelson led the way, coming within striking distance of her lifetime personal best and earning a medal with an impressive 11th-place finish overall.

The boys brought plenty of energy as well, putting together a series of strong efforts. Freshman Marcus Roe had the standout race of the day, making a huge jump from his first race to his second. His improvement is a great sign of what’s ahead as the season continues!

Now it’s time to shift gears. The Whippets will take a week away from racing to focus on a great training block as we continue building fitness and getting ready for the heart of the season. 

We’ll also be busy making good on those salt fundraiser sales, with deliveries scheduled for 3:45–6:30 p.m. on Friday, September 11.

The next time we toe the line will be at the Dana Wadell Invite, hosted by Marshall in Cottage Grove. We’re just getting started, and this team has plenty more to show!

Full results: Cam Rock Invite Results

Article Submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Emily Roe

Former Whitewater Whippets Nate Black and Ty Hagedorn have officially locked in their spots on the 2026 UW-Oshkosh Titan Football roster following the completion of fall camp. As the Titans prepare for a highly competitive campaign in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), both hometown athletes are poised to make an impact on opposite sides of the ball. Nate Black 5’9 / 175lbs, entering his junior year of athletic eligibility, and will have a role in the defensive backfield at cornerback, as well as on special teams. Meanwhile, Ty Hagedorn enters his freshman season with the Titans. Standing at 6’4” / 200lbs”, Hagedorn will bring versatile size to the offensive unit as he splits time working at both wide receiver and tight end. The Titans kick off their season this Saturday, September 5, 2026, at 1:00 PM CT at Titan Stadium against non-conference powerhouse Linfield University.

2026 Schedule
9-5 Linfield College (Or)
9-12 @ Alma College (MI)
9-19 @ Coe College (IA)
9-26 BYE
10-3 UW-LaCrosse
10-10 UW-River Falls
10-17 @UW- Eau Claire
10-24 UW-Plateville
10-31 @UW-Whitewater 7:00pm
11-7 @UW-Stevens Point
11-14 UW Stout Poly Technical

Article Submitted by John Black
Johngblack71@gmail.com

The Whitewater Girls’ Tennis Team traveled to the Delavan-Darien High School Invitational on Friday, August 28. The team played Burlington, Edgerton, and Delavan in a dual format.

The WHS tennis team was short two girls for the entire tournament and had to forfeit its three doubles matches to each opponent. Despite this, the Whippets improved against each opponent. In the first match, the Whippets lost to Delavan 1-6. In the second match, the Whippets lost to Burlington 2-5. Finally, the Whippets lost a close match to Edgerton 3-4.

Taryn Rothwell won the #1 singles flight, finishing undefeated and not dropping a set for the tournament.

Article Submitted by Greg Stewart
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Tennis Coach
gstewart@wwusd.org
Photos taken by Claire Yang

Whippet Soccer capped off a dominant performance Thursday night with a 6-1 victory over division 2 opponent Fort Atkinson. Langdon Coburn opened up the scoring, followed by a top shelf finish by Wesley Baker. Christian Aranada, Dahlton Vogel, and a brace from Derick Martinez finished off the scoring. Your Whippets have set the standard for how we expect to play, and we hope to keep the momentum going for our first home game next week Tuesday (9/1) vs Racine Lutheran. See you all there!

On a beautifully sunny afternoon at Palmyra-Eagle High School, the Whitewater Whippets cross country teams officially kicked off the 2026 season with a strong showing at their first meet of the year on Thursday.

The boys team raced first and had a terrific opening meet. A significant portion of the team improved upon the times they ran on this same course one year ago, with many athletes dropping well over a minute despite racing in warmer conditions.

Leading the charge for the Whippets was Tyler Carollo, who placed 14th overall and earned a medal. Tyler made a huge improvement from last year’s race, cutting 63 seconds off his time. Making his high school Whippet debut as the team’s second runner was Marcus Roe, who finished 44th overall in 21:15. Marcus Roselle wasn’t far behind, placing 48th in 21:27, a 48-second improvement over his time from last year. Wyatt Esch placed 61st in 22:21, followed by Angel Kilar in 71st with a time of 23:21. Angel improved by 59 seconds from last year’s race. Preston Miller finished 72nd in 23:39, while Jameson Rothwell placed 73rd in 23:43, setting a 24-second lifetime PR. Carson Miller rounded out the varsity seven with a 76th-place finish in 24:01, an impressive 1:44 improvement over his time from last year.

As a team, the boys varsity squad finished 7th with 202 points.

In the JV race, Hunter Runnoe made his racing debut and placed 33rd with a time of 27:43. Horatio Nelson finished 39th in 28:25, while Ian Agen placed 47th in 31:50.

The girls’ team was led by Virginia Nelson, who earned a medal with an impressive 11th-place finish in 22:38. Melody Smith also earned a medal by finishing in the top 25. Melody placed 23rd in 24:18, cutting an impressive 75 seconds from the time she ran as a freshman on this same course one year ago. Ema Aranda continued the strong showing by finishing in the top 30 with a time of 25:24. Ema improved by an outstanding 80 seconds compared to last year’s race. Madelyn Taylor placed 56th in 29:05, a 45-second improvement over her time from last year. Peyton Comfort finished 64th in 30:14, improving by three seconds from her previous time on the course. Rounding out the team in her first high school race was Lia Ramirez, who placed 74th with a time of 36:08.

The girls’ varsity team finished 6th with 159 points.

The Whippets will look to carry the momentum from their season opener into their next competition, a new meet on the 2026 schedule. Whitewater will compete in the Cam-Rock Invite at Cam Rock Park #2 in Cambridge on Thursday, September 3rd.

With numerous returning athletes already showing significant improvement and several runners making their high school racing debuts, the Whippets have plenty to build on as the 2026 season gets underway.

FULL RESULTS: https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/275923/info

Article and Photo Submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org