Sports

The Whitewater Volleyball team gritted out a 5-set win against visiting Wilmot (31-33, 25-22, 25-15, 23-25, 15-11). “It was nice to battle out a first home match win. I was pleased we did not quit. Although we had some lapses where we saw too many unforced errors, we recovered and for a young team, that is what I am looking for.”

In scouting Wilmot, we knew what we wanted to do and where to capitalize. “We spent some time in film so we could see what we wanted to do. And, while I think we could have selected some shots better, I felt we did a nice job with our game plan.” Serving continues to be an area we must improve upon; however, we saw more aces tonight with 17 as a team.

Our middles, Emmanuella Mbifi (3 kills, 2 block assists, 1 ace) and Meg Roselle (2 kills, 1 block), are beginning to run a faster offense and are understanding how to work with the setters to connect. “Both Meg and Manny came through with some key plays at the net and blocks. I was excited to see this begin to come together for them.”

Calli Grosinske continues to be a leader for us in her court awareness and shot selection. She posted her first double-double tonight racking up 20 kills, and 14 digs. She also served tougher for us tonight picking up two aces. “Calli is a player we look to lead us. She is beginning to find comfort in this role and leading her team in tough moments.” Marina Linos set a solid match and is picking up her defense. She had 23 assists, 6 digs, and 4 aces. Marina is a selfless player always looking to support her team.

Savannah O’Neil is a serving specialist for us and continues to score points for us with her consistency. Ava Alvarado, defensive specialist, played consistently for us in the backcourt. “Ava is a smart player who is beginning to trust her training and instincts. She is solid in both serve receive and defense.”

Falyn Krahn (9 kills and 5 service aces), Zoe Kohl (2 kills, 2 aces, 14 digs), and Sydney Schilt, put up some nice offense and defense for us. “We count on Zoe and Falyn a ton. Defensively, they are coming through in key moments. Both had some nice digs, aces, and serve receptions. I am always impressed with Zoe’s willingness to go wherever the team needs her! Falyn is playing so consistently for us. She is so fast on defense and makes some aggressive plays. She is smart in the front court, and is beginning to refine her shot selection. Sydney is playing some front row for us, and puts up a solid block and is fast on defense. Sydney is also a solid serve receiver and helps us to run a faster offense.

Ella Spear leads us as the libero and had 3 aces and 19 digs. Ella works so hard in her role and continues to lead her team through her aggressive defense.

I was so proud of our team tonight. We battled through some ups and downs and were able to grit out a win. The Whippets will be back in action next Thursday (9/7) against Delavan-Darien at home for Parents’ Night. JV1 and JV2 will start at 5:00 PM and Varsity at 6:30 PM. Hope to see you there!

Article and Team Photo Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
Action Photo Courtesy of Peter and Bob Mischka

The Whitewater High School Girls’ Tennis Team started off conference play on Tuesday, August 29, by defeating Jefferson 6-1.

Singles: 

•  No. 1 – Emilia Houwers defeated Amy Kamenick 6-4 , 6-1 
•  No. 2 – Jackie Franco defeated Hannah Werning 6-4 , 6-2 
•  No. 3 – Liz Servin defeated Maryam Perez-Hernandez 6-4 , 6-2 
•  No. 4 – Vicki Ramirez defeated Ava Geyer 7-6 (8), 3-6 , 11-9 

Doubles: 

• No. 1 – Maritza Vidales & Stephanie Wence lost to Aeryn Messmann & Breleigh Mengeldef 6-1 , 6-3
• No. 2 – Vanesa Wence & Leah Newmann defeated Piper Crabtree & Vanessa Ganser 6-7 (10), 6-4, 10-7 
•  No. 3 – Isabel Aranda & Aimee Servin defeated Olivia Miller & Jenifer Vasquez 6-3, 6-3

The team returns to action Friday at 4:15 when they take on out-of-conference opponent Wayland Academy at home.

Article and Photo Submitted by Baron West
Whitewater High School Head Tennis Coach
bwest@wwusd.org

The Whitewater Whippet Soccer Team defeated Columbus 5-1 on Monday, August 28.

Game Summary:

Whitewater

Goals:
26’ Avi Kalra assisted by Sebastian Alvarez
45’ Sebastian Cuellar Meza  assisted by Avery Janovec 
45’ Johan Perez assisted by Avery Janovec
68’ Sebastian Cuellar Meza assisted by Avi Kalra
71’ Chris Cortes assisted by Sebastian Cuellar Meza

Saves:
Casey Schlicher: 4
Phoenix Jones: 1

Columbus

Goals:
54’ #2 assisted by #3

Saves:
#0 Otto: 6

Statistics Submitted by Sam Burns
Whitewater High School Head Boys’ Soccer Coach
dburns@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka

48-0 (L) Whitewater @ Portage

On 8/25, the Whitewater varsity football team lost their away non-conference game against Portage (WI) by a score of 48-0.

Source: maxpreps.com

The Whippet Volleyball Squad finished 16th overall in the Warhawk Invite this past weekend. Once again, the Whippets showed they are a team who can compete beating the 11th place Union Grove team in two straight sets and competing with a very tough pool play bracket with the likes of Monona Grove and Prescott (4th and 5th place finishers respectively).

We continue to see sparks of our young team pointing it together. Mental errors made the difference in this tournament, which saw the young squad miss 77 total serves over the course of two days. In sharing with the team this staggering stat, we discussed the fact that had we not given those points away, we would have been on the winning side of matches.

Through these mistakes we continue to see progress. This is a great group of athletes who are owning the areas needed to make us a great team. They continue to reflect, ask questions, and give 100% every day at practice. As we competed with high caliber teams, and beat Union Grove in straight sets, the Whippets saw they could put things together and do what was needed to win ball games. This confidence is what we need to build!

I was proud of their fight and their will to keep supporting one another. As we shore up the mental errors and fine tune our offensive and defensive skills, we will be ready for conference play.

Stat leaders for the Whippets included:

Prescott (14-25, 12-25) Calli Grosinske with 3 kills, 3 assists, and 1 block, Ella Spear with 6 digs, and Emmanuella Mbifi with 1 block

Monona Grove (17-25, 14-25), Calli Grosinske had 5 kills and 1 block, Ella Spear had 6 digs, Emmanuella Mbifi with 1 block, and Marina Linos led with 6 assists

Union Grove (25-23, 24-14), Calli Grosinske and Emmanuella Mbifi with 4 kills, Grosinske with 9 digs, and Marina Linos with 6 assists

Beloit Memorial (27-29, 29-27, 15-12), Calli Grosinske with 9 kills and 10 digs, Ella Spear with 10 digs, Marina Linos with 10 assists, and Falyn Krahn and Emmanuella Mbifi with 1 block

Saturday Stats:

Monona Grove (9-25, 17-25), Calli Grosinske with 5 kills and 1 block, Ella Spear with 8 digs, and Marina Linos with 6 assists

Union Grove (17-25, 12-25), Calli Grosinske with 3 kills, Falyn Krahn with 6 digs, Marina Linos with 4 assists and 1 block

Tomahawk (24-26, 25-23, 12-15), Calli Grosinske with a double-double in 10 kills and 13 digs, Marina Linos with 9 assists, and Meg Roselle with 1 block

Tremper (24-26, 25-23, 10-15), Calli Grosinske with 9 kills and 11 digs, Marina Linos with 13 assists, Emmanuella Mbifi, Falyn Krahn, Meg Roselle, and Sydney Schilt with 1 block apiece

As we look to next week, the Whippets invite all youth to YOUTH NIGHT on August 31st at home against Wilmot. JV1 and JV2 will begin at 5:00 PM and the Varsity at 6:30 PM. All youth in attendance wearing Whippet red or their VB camp shirt will receive free admission. Youth are invited to make the tunnel for the Varsity squad prior to warmups and pass with the athletes upon completion of the match. Hope to see you there!

Highlight Video

Article and Photos Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org

In the 21st running of the Dirk Seibold Alumni Cross Country Meet on Saturday, August 26, Jack and Mady Hefty led their teams as the top finishers in the first race of the season. The event was contested with good weather and the always challenging 5000m course at UW-Whitewater. Jack cruised to a great first effort with a time of 17:30. Running very poised and together much of the race were Nate Holden and Xavier Zei who placed 2nd and 3rd with times of 18:41 and 18:49. Miles Nickelsburg nabbed a 4th place finish with a sub 20 effort to stop the clock in 19:44. In a bit of a surprise finish, Onyx Thompson and Chad Hein duked it out at the finish to take the 5th and 6th place positions with times of 21:52.3 and 21:52.7. Quincy Boudreau rounded out the top 7th by placing 7th in 22:10. The top alumni finisher was CJ Tomomitsu who placed 8th in 22:16. The current Whippets beat the Alumni with a finishing score of 15-59.

On the girls’ side, Mady Hefty looked under control and accelerated as the race rolled on. She was able to pull into 2nd overall, behind the overall winner of Whitewater Middle School staff member Maddy Blain. Mady Hefty’s time was 22:43. Nola Coburn came in 3rd for the Whippets in 23:28. Athena Soto and Carley Boudreau finished close to each other in 4th and 5th, stopping the clock in 23:21 and 23:57. Lindsey (Shulte) Taylor was the top Alumni finisher in 6th place with a time of 25:07. Isabella Aranda was the team’s 5th runner today and finished in 8th with a time of 26:28. Lauren Buehler and Silvia Harris rounded out the scoring varsity runners by placing 10th and 11th with times of 27:02 and 27:16. The current Whippets defeated the alumni with a score 17-42.

There were numerous friends of the program and alumni who attended the event that did not run. Coach Carstens would like to thank all those who came to the event and keep the running community within the Whippet CC Program strong year after year!

Next up for the Whippets will be the Bulldog Invite in West Allis at McCarty Park on Friday, September 1st. Race times are: 4:00 – Boys JV, 4:35 – Girls Varsity, 5:05 – Boys Varsity, 5:35 – Girls JV

Results: Girls, Boys

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

MADISON, Wis.–University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the defending conference co-champion, and winner of 14 of the last 17 titles, has been picked to secure the 2023 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football championship, according to a preseason poll conducted by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.

The Warhawks, who have posted 39 first-place finishes in program history, enter the 2023 campaign ranked ninth in the Lindy’s Sports NCAA Division III Preseason Poll and No. 11 by D3football.com. UW-Whitewater has secured four consecutive NCAA postseason bids. Jace Rindahl takes over the head coaching duties after serving as an assistant coach with the program for the last eight seasons. He played for the Warhawks from 2005-08, helping the program to its first NCAA Division III title in 2007.

UW-La Crosse, ranked fifth by Lindy’s Sports and No. 12 by D3football.com, is pegged for second in the conference standings. The Eagles shared the WIAC title with UW-Whitewater a season ago and appeared in the NCAA Division III tournament for the second straight season – and 13th time in program archives. UW-La Crosse has compiled 18 wins in the last two seasons, matching its best two-year stretch since 1996-97.

UW-Oshkosh begins the 2023 season ranked No. 21 by D3football.com and is predicted to finish third in the WIAC. The Titans have secured 11 conference titles, with the most recent in 2019.

UW-River Falls, selected fourth in the conference race, has represented the WIAC in the Culver’s Isthmus Bowl the past two seasons. The Falcons have totaled 16 victories in 2021 and 2022, for their best two-year stint since 1995-96 (17 wins). UW-River Falls is ranked No. 23 by D3football.com.

The remaining order in the conference predictions feature: UW-Platteville; UW-Stout; UW-Eau Claire; and UW-Stevens Point.

Rob Erickson is the new head coach at UW-Eau Claire. A UW-Platteville alum (1996-99), he most recently served as an assistant coach at South Dakota State University since 2020. Erickson has also been an assistant coach at UW-Whitewater, UW-Platteville, UW-Stevens Point and Aurora University (Ill.).

The 2023 season is set to begin Aug. 31, with the conference slate kicking-off Sept. 30.

The WIAC will be represented in the Culver’s Isthmus Bowl for the third consecutive season against an opponent from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – the highest-placing team in each conference’s standings that isn’t selected for the NCAA Division III Championship. This year’s event will be held at Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium in Sun Prairie, Wis., Nov. 18.

2023 Preseason Predictions–Voted on by WIAC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors

	2022 Record
1.  UW-Whitewater	(8-3 overall, 6-1 WIAC)
2.  UW-La Crosse	(9-2, 6-1)
3.  UW-Oshkosh	(6-4, 4-3)
4.  UW-River Falls	(7-4, 4-3)
5.  UW-Platteville	(5-5, 4-3)
6.  UW-Stout	(5-5, 3-4)
7.  UW-Eau Claire	(2-8, 1-6)
8.  UW-Stevens Point	(1-9, 0-7)

UW-Whitewater
Head Coach:  Jace Rindahl; 1st season at UWW
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Offense:  31/20
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Defense:  32/18
Letterwinners Returning/Lost at Kicker:  3/0
Starters Returning/Lost on Offense:  4/7
Starters Returning/Lost on Defense:  7/4
Starters Returning/Lost at Kicker:  2/0

Returning All-WIAC:  Reed Farrington, Jr., DL (2021-Honorable, 2022-Second); Egon Hein, Sr., DB (2021-First, 2022-First); Jeffery Isotalo-McGuire, So., K (2022-Honorable/Newcomer of the Year); Drake Martin, Jr., RB (2022-First); Zach Sherman, Sr., TE (2022-Second); Tamir Thomas, Jr., RB (2022-Second)

Notable Returning Offensive Players:  Tommy Coates, Jr., WR; Addison DeShambo, Jr., OL; Steven Hein, Jr., WR; John Pekar, Jr., OL

Notable Returning Defensive Players:  Parker Breunig, Jr., DB; Matt Burba, Jr., DL; Hawk Heffner, Sr., LB; Kyle Koelblinger, Jr., DB

Notable Returning Special Teams Players:  Nate Custer, Sr., K/P

Editor’s note: The above information was posted to the WIAC website.

From the Whippet Athletics Facebook page: The Whippets started the season off with a big win in front of a great home crowd. Final score 26-14!! #1Family #Thestandard

From the Daily Jefferson County Union:

Nate Black leads Whitewater’s football team to 26-14 season-opening victory over Big Foot

WHITEWATER — Senior Nate Black scored three touchdowns as Whitewater’s football program ushered in the Samuel Bartlett era in style by earning a 26-14 home victory over Big Foot at WHS on Friday in nonconference play.

The win marks Whitewater’s first on its new turf playing field and the program’s first non-forfeit win since a season-opening home win over Big Foot in 2021.

“It was amazing and very special for the kids,” Bartlett said of the win. “With the turf field being relatively new, it’s their first win on that turf field at home. A lot of our guys feeling that victory broke down and were overcome with emotion because it was such a monumental moment for them.

“It was special. I told them to make sure they enjoy that first win because we are going to be working to get a lot more this year.”

The Whippet Volleyball Team hosted a quadrangular preseason event with Catholic Central, Stoughton, and Sun Prairie East on Tuesday, August 22.

After graduating 5 of the 6 members of the starting lineup from last season, the Whippets are young and looking for underclassmen to fill some openings on the roster. Preseason events like this are used to work various rosters and see how teams begin to play together. “I don’t look for dominating wins at this point, rather, I am working many different line ups and trying athletes in different spots to see who might be ready to lead the team in these positions.”

And the Whippets did just that. Facing Catholic Central first, the Whippets had a 3 set battle (19-25, 25-18 and 5-15). “From the scores alone, you can see our younger nature. We have moments of greatness and owning the court to moments of lapses in mental toughness and leadership.” In this match the Whippets were led in kills by Calli Grosinske with 10, Marina Linos in assists with 7, and Ella Spear with 5 digs.

Next the Whippets faced Stoughton (24-26, 12-25) and again held tight in sets, and costly errors affected the outcome. “Things we control, like serving, blocking errors, and stretches of unanswered points hurt us tonight. On the night we had over 20 service errors alone. We shore those things up, and we are a different squad.” Stat leaders included Calli Grosinske with 5 kills, Marina Linos with 8 assists, and Calli Grosinske with 5 digs.

The final team the Whippets faced was Sun Prairie East (8-25, 25-27). Stat leaders were Calli Grosinske with 5 kills, Falyn Krahn and Ella Spear with 8 digs apiece, Calli Grosinske with 5 assists, and Meg Roselle and Emmanuella Mbifi with 1 block apiece.

Now we get back in the gym and commit to getting better each play. As you can see by the inconsistent scores, we are young, and as we get back in the gym and work on the areas we need to, the sky’s the limit!

Article and Photo Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org