Sports

Schumacher’s Thrilling Sequence Sends Warhawk Women to Elite Eight on Saturday

By Chris Lindeke, Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Friday, March 11, 2022

Box Score

Rebekah Schumacher’s Steal-and-Layup (Video)

The No. 12 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team erased a five-point deficit over the final minute of overtime and went ahead for good on [Whitewater native] Rebekah Schumacher’s steal-and-layup in the final seconds Friday night on its way to a thrilling 78-76 victory against No. 16 Smith (Mass.) in a third-round game of the 2022 NCAA Division III Championship at Kachel Gymnasium [with 1220 fans in attendance.]

The Warhawks (26-4 overall) host Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival UW-Oshkosh (22-6) in the Whitewater Sectional final on Saturday at 7 p.m. inside Kachel Gymnasium. The winner of the contest advances to the Final Four, which will be contested March 17 and 19 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Tickets for Saturday’s game will go on sale starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Kachel Gymnasium entrance. Doors to the gym will open at 6 p.m. The first 150 UW-Whitewater students to attend will receive free admission courtesy of DLK Enterprises and UW-W Housing.

UW-Whitewater trailed in Friday’s game 76-71 with just over a minute to play in overtime. Maggie Trautsch was fouled on a 3-point attempt on the team’s first possession in the final minute and knocked down all three free throws to bring UW-W within two.

After a stop on the other end, Trautsch was fouled in the lane and hit two more from the free-throw line to tie the game at 76-76.

The Pioneers (25-3) advanced the ball into their half court following a timeout. With seven seconds to play, Schumacher stole the inbound pass and saved it to Aleah Grundahl, who fired a pass down the court to a wide-open Schumacher, who layed the ball in uncontested with less than one second on the clock.

Smith was unable to get a shot off before the final buzzer.

Kacie Carollo tallied a team-high 19 points, while Grundahl finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Yssa Sto. Domingo knocked down five 3-pointers on her way to 15 points, and Trautsch hit 7-of-9 at the free-throw line on her way to 12 points.

The Warhawks converted 27-of-36 (75 percent) from the free-throw line and hit 9-of-20 (45 percent) from 3-point range. The Pioneers shot 46.9 percent from the floor.

UW-W raced out to a 6-0 lead before Smith rallied for the next 11 points for an 11-6 lead at the midway point of the first quarter. Trautsch gave the Warhawks a 19-18 advantage in the final minute of the period with a driving layup.

UW-Whitewater built its lead to six following a 3-pointer by Carollo with 6:21 on the clock. The Pioneers responded with a 9-0 run for a three-point lead just over three minutes later. Neither team led by more than one possession over the final half of the period, and UW-W held a 36-34 advantage.

The third quarter remained tightly contested until Sto. Domingo hit a 3-pointer between a pair of baskets by Grundahl for a 51-43 UW-W lead with 2:08 remaining. The Warhawk lead grew to as many as nine, but Smith trimmed its deficit to four by the end of the third.

The two teams went back and forth to start the fourth quarter before Carollo’s 3-pointer with 6:29 to play made it 61-56. She hit two free throws just over a minute later for a 63-56 score before the Pioneers rallied to tie the game at 63-63 with 2:54 on the clock.

Grundahl gave UW-Whitewater the lead with 2:25 left, and neither team scored again until the final seconds, when Smith tied the game on a layup to send it to overtime.

Sto. Domingo started the extra period with a 3-pointer, but the Pioneers held the lead for a majority of the overtime before Trautsch’s five free throws and Schumacher’s final bucket sent the Warhawks to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2014.

UW-Whitewater and UW-Oshkosh have met three times this season prior to Saturday’s matchup. The Warhawks took two of three games from the Titans, including a 67-59 win on Feb. 23 in the semifinals of the WIAC Tournament at Kachel Gymnasium. The two teams split two regular season games, with the home team taking both contests.

[Homepage photo credit: Evan Halpop, UW-W student photographer, Feb. 9, 2022 game]

UW-W Women’s Basketball Beats Smith in OT, 78-76; Advances to Play in Elite 8 Vs. Oshkosh on Sat.

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

UW-W’s women’s basketball played a thriller Sweet 16 game on Friday evening in Kachel Gymnasium, with Whitewater native Rebekah Schumacher hitting a layup with essentially no time left in overtime versus Smith College of Massachusetts. The Warhawks move to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2014, to play conference rival UW-Oshkosh for the fourth time this season. UW-W won two of the previous three games, including the semifinal in the WIAC tournament, 67-59. Oshkosh advanced to the Elite 8 with a 74-63 defeat of Baldwin Wallace (OH) earlier on Friday evening. Saturday’s tip-off in Kachel Gymnasium is at 7:00 p.m.

Further details on Friday’s game will be posted upon receipt from UW-W.

Whippet Boys Fall in Second Round

The Whitewater Boys’ Basketball Team traveled to Racine on Friday, March 4th, to take on Racine Saint Catherine’s, in a second-round regional game. Unfortunately, for the second time in three years, the Angels ended Whitewater’s season, as they defeated the Whippets, 62-45.

After an inspiring win against Saint Francis on Tuesday, Whitewater carried that energy into the first half, as they controlled the pace and took a 21-11 lead with a little over four minutes left. Saint Cat’s began to change the momentum, however, as they closed the half on an 8-2 run, but the Whippets still led 23-19.  

The second half was controlled by Racine. The Angels took the lead, 24-23, a minute in, and never looked back, as they outscored Whitewater, 27-8, to take a 51-31 lead with five minutes left. The effort was there for the Whippets, but they just couldn’t get anything going against Saint Cat’s aggressive defense.

Whitewater was led by Jon Aron’s 12 points and 5 rebounds. Wyatt Nickels scored 11 points and had 5 rebounds. Arno Crowley scored 5 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, and Ramon Wence had 4 points and 3 rebounds. Sam Brown scored 5 points and handed out 3 assists. 

Article Submitted by Dwayne Lange

UW-W Women’s Basketball to Host NCAA Sectional – Fri./Sat.

By Chris Lindeke, Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Monday, March 7, 2022

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team will host the third and fourth rounds of the 2022 NCAA Division III Championship this Friday and Saturday at Kachel Gymnasium in Whitewater.

Third-round games will be played Friday and the second-round game will be played Saturday.

The Warhawks (25-4 overall) will take on Smith (Mass.), winner of the Northampton (Mass.) Regional, in the Round of 16 contest at 7:30 p.m. Friday’s other third-round game, which tips off at 5 p.m., features Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), winner of the Gettysburg (Pa.) Regional, and UW-Oshkosh, winner of the Indianola (Iowa) Regional.

The advancing teams from the third-round game will play in Saturday’s sectional championship with a trip to the Final Four at stake. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.

UW-Whitewater topped Ripon and Illinois Wesleyan over the weekend to earn the program’s fourth trip to the Sweet 16 since 2008.

Friday’s game will be the first-ever meeting between the Warhawks and Smith (25-2). The Pioneers earned the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) automatic bid and have won 10 straight games entering this weekend’s sectional.

See below for the complete weekend schedule.

Friday, March 11
Game 1: Baldwin Wallace vs. UW-Oshkosh, 5 p.m.
Game 2: UW-Whitewater vs. Smith, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 12
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 7 p.m.

No. 12 UW-Whitewater Women’s Hoops Advances to Sweet 16

By Chris Lindeke, Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding, UW-W

Saturday, March 5, 2022

Statistics

The No. 12 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team used its physicality and size to its advantage Saturday night in a 72-54 victory against Illinois Wesleyan in a second-round game of the 2022 NCAA Division III Championship at Kachel Gymnasium [with 458 spectators in attendance.]

With the win, the Warhawks (25-4) advance to the Round of 16, where they’ll face No. 16 Smith (Mass.) on Friday, March 11, at a site to be determined. Sectional locations are expected to be announced Sunday.

UW-Whitewater grabbed 17 offensive rebounds for 18 second-chance points, held a 36-22 advantage on points in the paint and limited the Titans (20-9) to 36.2 percent shooting on the defensive end.

Aleah Grundahl led all scorers with 18 points to go with eight rebounds. Yssa Sto. Domingo was also in double figures with 10 points to go with three assists and five steals, while Johanna Taylor posted nine points, 12 rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Kacie Carollo tallied nine points, seven assists and four rebounds and Rebekah Schumacher finished with eight points.

The Warhawks raced out to an 11-4 lead just over three minutes into the contest thanks to a 3-pointer by Carollo, and the lead grew to double digits by the 3:45 mark of the first quarter on a pull-up jumper by Maggie Trautsch.

UW-W led by as many as 12 in the period before the Titans pulled to within 21-15 by the end of the quarter.

UW-Whitewater led throughout the second quarter, but the margin narrowed to five by halftime on a last-second IWU jumper.

The Warhawks’ lead increased back to double digits with 6:45 left in the third quarter following a jumper by Veronica Kieres. After a pair of Illinois Wesleyan free throws, UW-W scored seven straight points to bring the advantage to 51-36 at the 3:20 mark.

UW-Whitewater’s lead never fell below 11 in the final quarter.

The Warhawks will make their fourth appearance in the Sweet 16 under head coach Keri Carollo and first since 2014. UW-Whitewater and Smith have never met.

Whippet Boys Advance in WIAA Tourney

The Whitewater Boys’ Basketball Team successfully began their regional tournament, as they traveled to Saint Francis and upset the Mariners, 60-56, on Tuesday, March 1st. The game was excitingly close throughout, with the outcome only decided in the last minute and a half. 

Jon Aron

In the first half, the two teams went toe-to-toe, with neither team gaining an advantage until Saint Francis inched ahead 29-24 with two and a half minutes left. The Whippets quickly erased that lead with a 10-3 run to finish the half and go ahead 34-32. 

It was more of the same in the second half, as the teams continued to go back and forth, until Whitewater started to pull away, taking a 49-43 lead with six minutes left. That didn’t last, however, as Saint Francis scrambled back to take a 53-51 lead. The Whippets began their final run as Sam Brown’s 3-pointer put them ahead 54-53 with a minute and a half left. Free throws by Ramon Wence(2), Wyatt Nickels(3), and Sam Brown(1) closed out the scoring as Whitewater’s defense stifled Saint Francis, holding them to 3 points, with the last two coming with five seconds left.

The Whippets played their most consistent offense of the season, shooting 50% from the field and handing out 19 assists, and their defense frustrated Saint Francis with deflections and steals (13) throughout the game. They were led by Jon Aron, who went 12 for 17 (70%) from the field for 25 points and played a harassing top of the 1-3-1 zone. Wyatt Nickels had 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals to solidify the middle of the zone. Arno Crowley had 9 points and Ramon Wence had 7 points, and they each had three steals as they flew around on the wings on defense. And Sam Brown had 6 points and 4 rebounds, handling the point on offense while patrolling the baseline on defense. 

Whitewater will next travel to Racine to take on Racine Saint Catherine’s on Friday, March 4th, at 7 p.m.

Article Submitted by Dwayne Lange
File Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka

Gymnasts Wrap up Season at Sectionals

Well, that’s a wrap for the Whitewater Gymnastics team season. The girls competed in their last meet at Sectionals Friday night, February 25, at Elkhorn High School. Every one of these girls improved tremendously since the beginning of the season. Friday night they gave it their all, and we are so proud of their accomplishments. One of the coolest moments of the night was watching all five girls compete on Beam with 0 falls! We finished our season with a no fall Beam team. This was a huge milestone for the team and they should be “Beaming” with pride.  

Halee Peters was a shining star, bringing in the highest scores for our team and ending her night in 10th place for All-Around with a 32.2. She was part of the no fall Beam team and scored a career best score on Bars. She scored very close to her season best scores on the other 3 rotations. Her Floor routine was fast paced, high scoring, and so fun to watch. She has the biggest smile of the whole competition and has been a great leader and mentor for the team.

Makayla Bazeley had a strong performance and continues to improve her skills and has already set some high goals for next year. She, too, was part of the no fall Beam team and contributed to the team score in every event. She had a beautiful, fun Floor routine and a solid performance on the Beam. Although quiet, Makayla is a force and is a strong competitor with a drive that will take her far! We love that we have three more years to watch her gain momentum and watch her flourish in this sport. We look forward to seeing her break the 30 mark for her All-Around score as she is close with a 29.5.

Nola Coburn has continued to impress as she improves every week and pushes herself to keep learning. It was so awesome to see her work so hard on her Floor routine and add in a back tuck at the end of one of her tumbling passes, which she performed flawlessly. Even at the end of the season, she wanted to add new skills to her repertoire to increase her difficulty. Nola scored her highest of the season on Vault with a 7.6 and once again beat her own high All-Around score by increasing to 25.425. Nola is another girl we are excited to watch for the next three years!

Myia Cobbs is another hard worker in the gym. She started the season on JV with only a couple events and has turned it into competing all four events at Varsity Sectionals. Talk about success! Myia has been improving every week, and her scores show it. Not only was she a part of the no fall Beam team, she also had her highest score of the season on Floor and increased her difficulty in her routine by adding in two back handsprings. She also increased her All-Around score on the season to 24.05. We can’t wait to see what she learns and improves on in the next couple years. 

Brooklyn Griswold, another awesome freshman, has been working hard to increase her skills. She was very close to tying her score on Floor and on Bars. She has been a very consistent competitor. She’s another one that smiles through her fun Floor routine. Brooklyn also was part of the no fall Beam team, and the smile on her face after she landed her dismount showed she was pleased with her solid performance.

Miyu Takeda has really stepped up as one of our Vaulters. She is such a quick learner and picks up new skills with ease. She brings so much joy to our team and will miss her immensely next season. 

Thanks to all that have come out to watch and cheer on the girls. It has been a fun season and we know next year is going to be even better. 

Article and Photos Submitted by Shawnda Peters
Whitewater High School Head Gymnastics Coach
speters@wwusd.org

Former UW-W offensive coordinator named new UW Oshkosh football coach

Jacob Link/Advance-Titan — Titans announce new football coach Peter Jennings

According to The Advance-Titan, UW Oshkosh Athletic Director Darryl Sims announced on March 1 that Peter Jennings would be the new head coach of the Titan football team during a press conference at the Culver Family Welcome Center.

“Peter has a real vision for Titan football,” Sims said. “He is a strong leader. He has an innovative football mind and has demonstrated the ability to work well with student athletes: to help them be successful in the classroom and on the football field.”

Jennings was the offensive coordinator for four seasons at UW-Whitewater, where he helped the Warhawks compile a 39-4 record and win three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championships from 2018-21. The Warhawks advanced to the 2019 NCAA Division III championship game and reached the semi-finals in 2018 and 2021.

Further information is provided in the article at the above link.

UW-W Women’s Basketball Earns NCAA Tournament Bid

By Merit Pages News

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team has earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship and will host the first and second rounds in the NCAA Whitewater Regional this Friday and Saturday at Kachel Gymnasium.

The Warhawks (23-4 overall) will face Ripon in the first round Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Red Hawks earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Midwest Conference Tournament championship.

DePauw (Ind.) and Illinois Wesleyan complete the four-team pod and will square off in the first round Friday at 5 p.m. The Tigers earned a Pool C, or at-large, berth to the NCAA Tournament after reaching the semifinals of the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. The Titans claimed a Pool A, or automatic, bid after winning the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament.

The winners of the first-round games will play in the second round Saturday at 7 p.m. at Kachel Gymnasium.

UW-Whitewater earned an at-large bid to the national tournament, its sixth consecutive appearance and 13th in the last 14 seasons. The team claimed the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship with a 12-2 league record and reached the WIAC Tournament championship game last week.

The Warhawks were second in the NCAA Region IX rankings last week.

See below for the complete weekend schedule.

Friday, March 4

Game 1: DePauw (home) vs. Illinois Wesleyan, 5 p.m.

Game 2: UW-Whitewater (home) vs. Ripon, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 5

Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 7 p.m.

*host will be the home team; if host does not advance, winner of Game 1 will be home team

The following local UW-Whitewater student-athletes are members of the 2021-22 Warhawk women’s basketball team:

Rebekah Schumacher of Whitewater, WI (Whitewater High School), a senior majoring in elementary education.

Kacie Carollo of Whitewater, WI (Whitewater High School), a freshman majoring in integrated science and business.