Editor’s note: The following announcement was made by the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC).
MADISON, Wis.–University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the two-time defending champion, has been picked to secure the 2024 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women’s basketball title.
The Warhawks, ranked No. 9 nationally in the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll, have secured 11 regular season titles in program history and captured their third WIAC tournament championship a year ago. UW-Whitewater brings back three starters from last year’s squad that advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Championship. Among the returners is two-time WIAC Player of the Year Aleah Grundahl. She received the honor in 2022 and 2023, after claiming Newcomer of the Year distinction in 2020.
UW-Whitewater is followed in the conference predictions by: UW-Stout; UW-Oshkosh; UW-Eau Claire; UW-La Crosse; UW-River Falls; UW-Platteville; and UW-Stevens Point.
Moran Lonning takes over the head coaching role at UW-La Crosse. She was the head coach at Central College (Iowa) a season ago.
The 14-game conference schedule will begin on Jan. 4. The top-six teams in the league standings will qualify for the WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver’s). The event will be held Feb. 19, 21, and 23, with all contests hosted by the higher-seeded team. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic NCAA bid.
2023-24 Preseason Predictions – Voted on by WIAC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors
2022-23 Record
1. UW-Whitewater
(23-7 overall, 10-4 WIAC)
2. UW-Stout
(18-8, 10-4)
3. UW-Oshkosh
(20-9, 8-6)
4. UW-Eau Claire
(20-9, 9-5)
5. UW-La Crosse
(19-7, 8-6)
6. UW-River Falls
(14-11, 4-10)
7. UW-Platteville
(11-15, 4-10)
8. UW-Stevens Point
(11-14, 3-11)
UW-WhitewaterCapsule Head Coach: Keri Carollo; 22nd season at UWW; 414-167 Letter winners Returning/Lost: 9/11 Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2 Returning All-WIAC: Kacie Carollo, Jr., G (2022-Honorable, 2023-First, 2023-Defensive); Aleah Grundahl, Grad., F (2020-Honorable/Newcomer of the Year, 2021-First, 2022-First/Co-Player of the Year, 2022-Defensive, 2023-First/Player of the Year); Maggie Trautsch, Sr., G (2023-Honorable)
Notable Returning Players: Mallory Oloffson, Jr., F
The volleyball program held its end of season banquet on Tuesday, October 30th at Whitewater High School.
The program thanked several people who helped make the season so successful!
The families who support athletes and coaches, and for the car rides, the snacks, the dinners, bus food, and love! There has never been a time when this program has not felt the love and support of all of our families and we are thankful!
To team parents- Nikki Amundson and Nicole Grosinske who have been so supportive of anything we have needed this season, from scheduling concessions, hosting pasta and taco parties, and helping wherever we needed! We thank them for all their support this season!!
Bob Mischka, Pictures
Bob is ever present supporting Whippet Athletics. We are so fortunate to have him capture these moments for our student athletes and thank him for his support of Whippet Athletics and our Volleyball program!
A huge thank you to our AD who works behind the scenes to ensure we are scheduled correctly, have the right bus times, have the gym set up, announcers, etc. The program would like to thank our Athletic Director, Justin Crandall, for his support of our program all year long, and Kendra for her support of athletics!
Managers: Jasmine Kilar and Chloe Crandall were thanked for their work as junior managers this year!
The Athletes:
The JV1 and JV2 athletes were honored by their coaches for their commitment to the team. Many great attributes were shared about each individual athlete, and we are so proud of the growth each one has shown within the season!
The varsity squad and seniors were honored! The Varsity squad ended up 3rd in conference behind East Troy and Delavan and in front of Jefferson and Monroe. The athletes were each honored for their commitment to the program. In addition, several awards were received.
The members of the varsity volleyball program were:
Whippet Growth goes to a player who soaked up any information coaches could give and always strived to get better every chance she could. Whippet growth and Captain award went to Manny Mbifi.
Whippet Spirit goes to an athlete who selflessly gave to her teammates, and was a positive supporter of her teammates. The Whippet Spirit Award and Captain award went to Meg Roselle.
Whippet Heart goes to an athlete who gave their entire self to this program. They showed heart to their teammates in word and action. This Whippet Heart and Captain award went to Marina Linos.
Whippet Perseverance goes to an athlete who never quit no matter how hard things got. Never complaining, always keeping a positive mindset even when the injury took her senior season away. This Whippet Perseverance and Captain award went to Aidyn Amundson.
Seniors Meg Roselle, Aidyn Amundson, Manny Mbifi, and Marina LinosOffensive Player of the Year Calli Grosinske and Defensive Player of the Year Ella Spear
Defensive player of the year goes to an athlete who refused to let balls hit the ground. We would often hope to direct the hits toward this defender. She led us in digs (127) and attitude! Defensive Player of the Year goes to Ella Spear. Ella also made her mark in the record books- she entered into the TOP TEN list for single season digs at 9th with 127, and career digs at 9th!
Offensive Player of the Year goes to someone whose stats speak for themselves. Leading us in kills with 114 (3.86 per set), Offensive Player of the year goes to Calli Grosinske. Calli Grosinske also garnered her 1000th assist this season and ended with 1021 assists, launching her to 4th in our TOP TEN record books!
All Conference selections were also made by the coaches within the Rock Valley Conference.
The Whippets had two athletes receiving All Conference Honorable Mention and they were: Falyn Krahn and Marina Linos.
Falyn KrahnMarina Linos
The Whippets had two athletes receive All Conference FIRST TEAM Honors and they were Calli Grosinske and Ella Spear!
It was a pleasure coaching these athletes and they are all set to do great things in the future! After roughly 20 years coaching in some capacity at Whitewater High School, this was head coach Mary Kilar’s last year. It has been an absolute pleasure working with the athletes, coaches, staff and families! I will now become a super fan! Thank you for all the wonderful memories! Go, WHIPPETS!
Article and Photos Submitted by Mary Kilar Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach mkilar@wwusd.org
The Whitewater Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country Teams competed well against the state’s best athletes on Saturday, October 28th at the Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids. The conditions were the coolest they were all season hovering in the mid 30’s with overcast skies and the course in great shape despite all the heavy rainfall leading up to the event.
Jack HeftyMiles NickelsburgNate HoldenPhotos courtesy of Bob Mischka
The boys’ team raced first, and all seven runners were doing their jobs and establishing position early to begin preparing to endure the discomfort that eventually would set in. Jack Hefty ran a really great tactical race and put himself in a medal position for much of the race (top 10) but lost one of his spikes just over halfway into the race. This caused him to lose a few places by the finish; he ran an incredible race overall to place 13th in 16:28. This was his best place and time of all the three years he has competed at the state meet. Miles Nickelsburg moved up nicely in the back half of the course and eventually caught his teammate Nate Holden. He continued to motor to the finish line in 91st with a time of 17:47, the second-best time of his career. Nate was out strong and in the top 40 at the mile mark. Battling through a cold, he mustered everything he could for the team and placed 95th overall with a big improvement over his previous year’s state meet performance. Nate’s time was 17:48. Xavier Zei had a solid day in his first state meet race placing 126th with a time of 18:32. A year ago Xavier wasn’t even running under 20:00 minutes. Onyx Thompson ran a strong race only 14 seconds off his lifetime best and placed 143rd with a time of 19:30. Quincy Boudreau and Andrew O’Toole had nice efforts to place 142nd and 151st overall with times of 20:14 and 20:29. The boys’ team placed 14th overall with 311 points out of 16 in the event.
Athena SotoMady HeftyNola CoburnPhotos Courtesy of Bob Mischka
The girls were up next and did not disappoint. They came to race, and it showed from the get-go. From the early indicators, we were in a battle with Clinton with only a few points separating the two teams at each mile checkpoint. Clinton was the sectional champion in our sectional one week earlier by a fairly large margin. Mady Hefty once again led the team and placed 93rd with an overall time of 21:37. She completed a really nice comeback after an injury that derailed her season for a few weeks as we approached the championship phase of the season. Athena Soto wasn’t far behind and placed 101st in 21:52 in her third-best time of the season. Her improvement overall from last year to this year was huge in the team’s growth. Nola was moving up well in the later stages of the race and at the finish placed 116th in 22:16. Carley Boudreau rebounded well from a tougher sectional race a week earlier. Given the course conditions and terrain, this was far and away her best race of the season. Her previous PR was 22:10 on a flatter and faster course, and today she ran 22:17 and was 126th overall. Ema Aranda ran her lifetime best on the biggest stage and placed 144th in 24:10. Her previous best was last weekend when she helped the team qualify for state. Silvia Harris ran her second-best time of the season to stop the clock in 25:02, good enough for 147th. Isabella Aranda ran her second-best time of the season and placed 150th in 25:27. However, relative to the PR she set earlier in the season, this was the best effort she put together on race day. When the dust settled, Whitewater beat sectional champion Clinton from a week earlier and placed 15th with 393 points.
Photos Courtesy of Jeff Hefty
Coach Carstens added, “Overall both teams performed very well! There is so much to be proud of and incredible memories were made that will stick with these athletes as long as they live. They served the Whitewater community very well and should be proud of all they have accomplished. These two teams were able to rewrite history and qualify for state in the same year, a feat that has not been done in this town since 1996! Great job, Whippets!”
By Angela Kelm Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
River Falls, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s cross country team finished second while the Warhawk women were third in the 2023 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships in River Falls Saturday. Christian Patzka (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) paced the men winning the individual title. The UWW women registered the second-best finish in program history.
Patzka made a move mid-race and held off last year’s champion Ethan Gregg (UWL) to claim the individual title after crossing the line in 24:20.5. He is the sixth Warhawk to become a WIAC Individual Champion joining David Fassbender (2021), Gary Garcia (2004), Tom Hoffman (1968, 1967, 1966), Bud Duex (1965) and Phil Nordfren (1964) in the program record books. [Per WIAC, “Patzka topped the field of 91 runners, completing the 8,000-meter course in 24:20.5. He becomes the second Warhawk in the last three seasons to win the individual title.”]
Patzka led a contingent of seven Warhawks to earn All-WIAC honors, the most in program history. Gunner Schlender (Brillion, Wis./Brillion) posted a time of 24:49.3 to finish fifth and join Patzka with First Team honors. UWW runners garnering Second Team recognition included Dan Anderson (Eau Claire, Wis./McDonell) who finished ninth with a time of 25:00.6 and Craig Hundley (Grayslake, IL/North) who crossed the line 12th with a time of 25:06.9. Chris Allen (Downers Grove, Ill./North) (15th, 25:13.7), Justin Krause (Ixonia, Wis./Pewaukee) (18th, 25:25.9) and Tucker Johnson (Poynette, Wis./Poynette) (20th, 25:32.7) earned Honorable Mention honors.
Krause is the first UWW runner since Tom Hoffman in the late 1960s to earn All-WIAC honors four times.
Nick Hardin (Greenfield, Wis./Whitnall) (25:37.6), Alex Metko (Brillion, Wis./Brillion) (25:56.9), Jonah Block (Whitefish Bay, Wis./Whitefish Bay) (26:24.7) and Keegan Bratt (Waukesha, WI/West) (26:28.3) also represented UW-Whitewater in the men’s 8k race Saturday.
UW-La Crosse won the men’s team title with 22 points followed by UWW (41), UW-Stout (117), UW-Platteville (123), UW-Oshkosh (142), UW-Eau Claire (143), UW-Stevens Point (147) and UW-River Falls (260)
WOMEN’S RECAP The Warhawk women’s third-place finish is the second-best in program history (1990, second place) and is the first time UWW has finished with bronze at the conference championship meet.
Katie Erb (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) was the first Warhawk to cross the finish line posting a time of 22:54.7 for 16th. Ari De La Cerda (Milwaukee, Wis./Pewaukee) was right behind in 17th with a time of 22:57.3. The pair earned Honorable Mention All-WIAC honors for their performances Saturday.
UWW’s Jocelyn Ramirez (Jefferson, WI) (23:22.9), Payton Scoggin (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trails) (23:26.2), Abbey Wedwick (Westby, WI) (23:27.6), Paige Fassbender (Slinger, Wis./Slinger) (23:29.9) and Renee Forystek (Waukesha, WI/North) (23:41.3) all finished among the top 38. Also representing the Warhawk women were Marlee Nichols (Burlington, WI) (24:43.0), Miranda McNally (Downers Grove, Ill./North) (25:01.9), Emma Shingledecker (New Berlin, Wis./West) (25:58.0), Abby Motz (New Berlin, WI/Eisenhower) (26:02.0) and Kristan Larson (Rio, Wis./Rio) (26:14.0) in the field of 87 runners.
UW-La Crosse won the women’s team title with 29 points followed by UW-Eau Claire (46), UWW (115), UW-Stout (115), UW-Oshkosh (120), UW-Stevens Point (176), UW-Platteville (183) and UW-River Falls (207).
UW-Whitewater celebrates after reclaiming possession of the Miner’s Axe in the 28th Annual George Chryst Memorial Bowl (Larry Radloff, d3photo)
By Angela Kelm Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team reclaimed possession of the Miner’s Axe with a 45-23 win over UW-Platteville in the George Chryst Memorial Bowl Saturday. The Warhawks are 25-3 over the Pioneers since the inception of the rivalry game named in honor of UWP’s legendary coach George Chryst. UWW saw over 11,000 fans visit Perkins Stadium Saturday in the team’s annual Homecoming game and Hall of Fame celebration.
The Warhawks set the tone early picking off the Pioneer quarterback on the first play of the game. Dyson Klubertanz (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) jumped a passing lane at the UWP 42 and returned in nine yards to set up UWW at the opponent’s 33. From that point, UW-Whitewater scored 21 unanswered in the first quarter to take a hefty lead in the game. The first two scores came on the ground with Alec Ogden (Marshall, Wis./Monona Grove) punching it in from one yard out followed by a three-yard scamper by Tamir Thomas (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) that made it 14-0. The third score was a 15-yard TD strike from Ogden to Drake Martin (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander).
The Pioneers got on the board with a 38-yard touchdown pass and a 34-yard field goal to cut the margin to 21-10, but the Warhawks swung all of the momentum back to their side on the very next play.
On the ensuing kickoff after the field goal, Tyler Vasey (Crystal Lake, Ill/Prairie Ridge) hauled in the boot at UWW’s seven bursting up the middle of the field. He weaved through traffic and found open space pulling away from the Pioneer special teams unit trying to track him down for a 93-yard kickoff return. The return marks Vasey’s first career touchdown as a Warhawk and is the first kickoff returned for a TD for UWW since Justin Howards’ 99-yarder against UW-Stevens Point in 2013. From that point, the Warhawks never looked back.
Ogden drove UWW 66 yards in 10 plays on UW-Whitewater’s next drive, capping it with a two-yard burst into the end zone to make it 35-10 at the break.
On the Warhawks first possession of the second half, Ogden hit Steven Hein (St. Charles, Ill./North) in stride from two-yards out to put the finishing touches on an 81-yard drive that extended the lead to 42-10.
UWW added to their total early in the fourth with Jeff Isotalo-McGuire splitting the uprights on a 26-yard field goal before the Pioneers wrapped up the scoring with just 22 seconds remaining for the final, 45-23.
Ogden, the Offensive Player of the Game for UWW, was 19-30 for 190 yards and two passing touchdowns. He added 80 yards and two more touchdowns on the ground. Klubertanz was selected as the Defensive Player of the Game after registering two interceptions and a pair of tackles. In addition to the first pick, he hauled in a fantastic over-the-shoulder interception and returning it 34 yards early in the fourth.
Tamir Thomas (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) was the Warhawks’ leading rusher in the game with 83 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown. Vasey led the receiving corps with 64 yards on five catches while Tommy Coates (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle Institute) was Ogden’s favorite target with 56 yards on seven receptions.
Joey Antonietti (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) led the UWW defense with six tackles while Ethan Gallagher (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport Township) set the tone early with a sack. He posted 1.5 tackles for a loss in the game.
For UW-Platteville, Brandt Stare hauled in a few great catches with 106 yards on six receptions including a touchdown grab for Offensive Player of the Game honors. Justin Blazek posted five tackles and an interception with a 23-yard return to earn Defensive Player of the Game honors for the Pioneers.
At halftime, UW-Whitewater honored award winners from Homecoming festivities and the Hall of Fame Class of 2023 that includes athletes Brent Allen (football), Dan Hytinen (track and field), Rebekah Nelson Johnson (volleyball), Jessica Kohlman (track and field), Kate LaZotte Langfeldt (volleyball), Andre McKoy (men’s basketball), Derek Stanley (football, track and field) and Ann Kingsnorth Zessin (gymnastics). Bob Lanza will be inducted during Saturday evening’s ceremony as a longtime administrator in UWW Athletics while Tim Patterson will earn the Distinguished Service Award.
By Angela Kelm Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team will host UW-Platteville for the 28th edition of the George Chryst Memorial Bowl Saturday. The game, which is also the Warhawks’ annual Homecoming and Hall of Fame game, is slated for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
IN THE POLLS UWW: #5 D3football.com (Prev: 5) / #6 American Football Coaches Association (Prev: 6) UWP: unranked / Receiving votes AFCA
LAST TIME OUT The Warhawks topped UW-Stout 37-20 last week at Perkins Stadium. UWW scored 24 unanswered points to open up a big lead and never looked back.
Warhawk quarterback Alec Ogden (Marshall, Wis./Monona Grove) had a fantastic game for UWW accounting for 371 yards of offense and four touchdowns – two passing and two rushing. He hit Steven Hein (St. Charles, Ill./North) three times for 103 yards including an 80-yard touchdown strike. Jeff Isotalo-McGuire was perfect in the kicking game going 4-4 for extra points and nailing three field goals – two 30-yarders and another from 33.
The UW-Whitewater defense worked as an entire unit Saturday with 25 Warhawks registering a tackle. Roy Panthier (Elgin, Ill./Elgin), Nehemiah Lomax (Park Forest, Ill./Crete-Monee) and Caden Straka (Lancaster, Wis./Lancaster) all tallied sacks in the game with Straka adding a fumble recovery. In the secondary, Tyson Harvey (Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) hauled in an interception and had three passes broken up.
UW-Platteville came back from a 14-0 first quarter deficit to score 47 unanswered points and defeat UW-Eau Claire on the road last week. The Pioneers put up nearly 400 yards of offense while holding the Blugolds to just 164.
Three Pioneers saw time behind center with Carl Richardson taking the majority of snaps. He was 21-31 for 220 yards, a pair of touchdowns and one interception. Zackary Bothun carried the ball 19 times for 110 yards to lead the corps of backs. Garrett Stare was Richardson’s top target with five catches including a pair of touchdowns.
UW-Platteville tallied five sacks and 14 tackles for a loss in the game. Tyler Bacon posted three tackles – all for a loss – a sack, a fumble recovery with a return of 20 yards and a pass breakup to lead the Pioneers.
ON THE AIR Saturday’s game will air live online on the WIAC Network on the UW-Whitewater portal. The contest can be heard on 105.9 FM The Hog in the Whitewater area, or online at www.1059thehog.com.
SERIES The Warhawks’ series against the Pioneers is the longest standing for UWW against a WIAC opponent. Saturday marks the 115th meeting between the two teams. Since 1995, the annual matchup has been designated the George Chryst Memorial Bowl in honor of UW-Platteville’s legendary coach. UW-Whitewater is 24-3 since the battle of the Miner’s Axe began.
The Whitewater JV Girls’ Swim Team competed at the JV Conference Meet on Tuesday, October 24th. The team left with some best times and new hardware as they finished out their season!
200 Medley Relay – Georgia Esch, Adalynn Frye, Marijose Verduzco, and Zoe Zei – With their solid 8th place finish, they were able to take home some hardware!
200 Freestyle – Adalynn Frye placed 12th overall with a best time of 3:37.06. That’s an 8 second time drop!
50 Freestyle – Zoe Zei placed in the top 16
100 Butterfly – Georgia Esch earned herself an 8th place finish and a best time of 1:48.52.
100 Freestyle – Marijose Verduzco earned herself an 8th place finish and a time of 1:31.61
400 Freestyle – Zoe Zei earned herself an 8th place finish with a best time of 7:06.39. That’s a 15 second time drop in a week’s difference!
200 Freestyle Relay – Georgia Esch, Marijose Verduzco, Zoe Zei, and Adalynn Frye with an 8th place finish.
100 Backstroke – Both swimmers earned themselves a spot in the top 12, Georgia Esch (10th) and Marijose Verduzco (11th).
100 Breaststroke – Adalynn Frye earned herself a spot in the top 16. She had an impressive time drop by 8 seconds with a time of 1:59.13.
We are so proud of the accomplishments our JV swimmers had this season. We cannot wait to see what next season has in store for them!
The Varsity Swim Team is back in the pool on Saturday, October 28th at Delavan-Darien for the Southern Lakes Conference Championship Meet. The meet starts at 11 a.m.; we hope to see you there!
Article and Photos Submitted by Sarah Reynolds Whitewater High School Head Swim Coach sreynolds@wwusd.org
Charlotte Hajewski (8th – 6:31.85) *dropped 10 seconds
200 Freestyle Relay
Makayla Bazeley, Maggie Maas, Charlotte Hajewski, Emerson Dunham (5th – 1:56.69) – Makayla Bazeley’s lead off 50 time improved her Whippet Top 10 to number 6 overall
Up next the Whippets head to the Conference Championship Meets. Tuesday, October 24th is JV Conference at Elkhorn, starting at 6 p.m. Saturday, October 28th is Varsity Conference at Delavan-Darien, starting at 11 a.m. Hope to see you there!
Article and Photo Submitted by Sarah Reynolds Whitewater High School Head Swim Coach sreynolds@wwusd.org
The year was 1996. The Spice Girls were popular, people went to Blockbuster to rent a movie, the Ford Fiesta was the most popular vehicle on the road, and 16% of homes owned a cell phone. It also happens to be the last time that Whitewater had both a girls’ and boys’ cross country team qualify for state in the same year. We can now add 2023 to that historical data. The boys’ and girls’ CC teams raced with passion and a purpose at the WIAA Sectional race held at UW-Parkside on Saturday, October 21st.
Girls’ Varsity Qualifiers
The boys raced first with cool temps, and calm winds, on a soft and muddy course. They quickly put people on notice that they were not messing around. With 4 runners in the top 10, their Whippet red jerseys were flying at the front of the race. Jack Hefty took an early lead, gapping the field within 600 meters and never looked back. His role was to secure one point for the team and he did just that by crossing the line first in 17:13 to claim his first sectional cross country title. Nate Holden held a top five position throughout the race and gutted his way to a fourth place finish with a time of 17:47. Miles Nickelsburg ran with the confidence of being surrounded by teammates and flourished in 7th place with a time of 17:52. Xavier Zei floated along and secured a top 10 finish by stopping the clock in 18:16. With such a strong tone set by the top four guys, Onyx Thompson was feeling ice in his veins and felt the energy from his teammates crushing it up front and ran a lifetime best as the team’s fifth runner, placing 25th overall to seal the team scoring. Quincy Boudreau was just 22 seconds off his lifetime best on this grueling course and placed 40th with a time of 19:49. Andrew O’Toole battled his way through the course to finish in 62nd with a time of 21:42. The final team scores showed Whitewater had won a sectional title with a team total of 47 points, with the next closest team being conference foe Clinton, with 74. That margin was a mere five points at the RVC meet a week earlier. The last time just the boys’ team had qualified for state was 2007.
Boys’ Varsity Qualifiers
The girls were in for a fight in their race as well. Mady Hefty was back on the starting line after missing conference and was not going to be denied the chance to compete at state. Battling through her recent setback, she paced the team by placing fifth overall with a time of 21:54, which would have guaranteed her a spot at state regardless of how the team performed. However, it was the team that shined the most on this day. Like the boys, Mady set the tone up front while Athena Soto and Nola Coburn weren’t far from her. Athena kept inching her way up place by place and was able to take 6th overall, 12 seconds back from Mady in 22:06. Nola Coburn looked fantastic and took 8th overall to wrap up a great 1-2-3 punch. Nola’s time was 22:29. Carley Boudreau gave the race all the grit she had and placed 20th with a time of 23:36. Ema Aranda was all guts as she not only ran a lifetime best time on this challenging course and conditions, but she did so after taking a fall. She continued to race with bloodied knees to a 25th place finish to seal the scoring runners with a time of 24:17. Ema’s sister Bella was the next Whippet across the line in 37th with a time of 25:57. Silvia Harris wrapped up the day for the Whippets with a 41st place showing and an overall time of 26:35. When the team scores were tabulated, Clinton came out on top with a score of 31 and Whitewater was second just ahead of a tough Jefferson team to take the final team qualifying spot. Whitewater scored 57 to Jefferson’s 69. The last time the girls’ team qualified for state was 2015.
It was a memorable day for the Whippets!
The teams will now prepare for the WIAA Division 2 State Meet in Wisconsin Rapids at The Ridges Golf Course which will be held on Saturday, October 28th. The boys will race first at 12:35 and the girls will race at 2:25. For all the WIAA State Meet Information, visit: https://www.wiaawi.org/Sports/Fall/Girls-Cross-Country/Tournament
