Sports

Offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz is first UW-W player drafted in 14 years; UPDATE: At #98, the highest pick ever

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

Quinn Meinerz NFL Draft Profile

  • Position: Offensive Line
  • School: Wisconsin-Whitewater
  • Current Year: Senior
  • Height: 6’3 1/4″
  • Weight: 320 pounds
  • Wingspan: 82″
  • Arm: 33″
  • Hand: 10 1/4″

Quinn Meinerz, a 2021 UW-W graduate whose senior year’s football season was canceled by COVID-19, didn’t let that slow him down, and his efforts were rewarded as he was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the NFL draft on April 30, the 98th pick overall. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Meinerz became the first Whitewater player drafted since wide receiver Derek Stanley was taken by the Rams in the seventh round in 2007.

Meinerz, a graduate of Hartford High School, developed into an All-American guard as a junior at UW-W. Nicknamed “ The Gut ” for sticking out his belly on hot days, Meinerz put himself through a strenuous training regimen during the past year, losing weight and teaching himself the center position. That earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl in Alabama in January, where he attracted a lot of media attention. Since then he had been rumored to be on draft radar by a number of teams.

“He did kill people,” ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said during the network’s broadcast. “And if you’re going to play in the NFL, you better dominate. And this kid did.

“He will be a center-guard option in the NFL. You look at the way he played. Heavy punch. The alertness to pick up stunts I love. Run blocker, he drives defenders off the ball.”

“This is a guy that went down to the Senior Bowl and made a name for himself,” ESPN analyst Booger McFarland said during the network’s broadcast. “He was the show.”

Broncos general manager George Paton, meeting with reporters, noted it was difficult to evaluate Meinerz because Whitewater’s 2020 season was canceled. “There were a lot of unknowns about him,” Paton said. “Then when you see him in one-on-one drills blocking these guys who are first- and second-round picks, it was pretty amazing.

“It’s been an amazing process,” Meinerz said. “To be Division III, have my season canceled. … To be able to climb up the boards like I did, it doesn’t happen very often.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz becomes the first UW-Whitewater player drafted in 14 years

The Denver Post: Broncos draft offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz at No. 98 overall

Warhawk Football on Twitter

Soccer Downs Cambridge-Deerfield, Will Host Opening Round of WIAA Playoffs

This rainbow accompanied the WHS Boys’ Soccer 7-2 victory over Cambridge-Deerfield Thursday night, April 29. Photo credit to Jenny Rule.

The boys are the #4 seed in their part of the WIAA Division II Sectional and will host #5 Edgerton on May 4. Check out the full bracket at  https://halftime.wiaawi.org/CustomApps/Tournaments/Brackets/HTML/2021_Soccer_Boys_Div2_Sec3_4.html

Former UW-W Football Coach Lance Leipold hired by Univ. of Kansas

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

University of Kansas (KU) announced today that it has hired Lance Leipold as the head football coach for the Jayhawks, with a six year contract. Leipold, age 56, has served as the head football coach at the University of Buffalo since 2015, and at University of Wisconsin – Whitewater from 2007 to 2014. Per Wikipedia, “during his tenure at UW-W, the Warhawks won the NCAA Division III Football Championship in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014. During his time at Whitewater, Leipold led the Warhawks to five undefeated seasons. Leipold reached 100 victories faster than any coach in NCAA history, doing so in his 106th game on October 18, 2014.”

Leipold, a Jefferson native and former UW-W Hall of Fame quarterback, finished his eight seasons with the Warhawks with a 109-6 record, and with his hiring at Buffalo jumped from Division III to Division I, a rare accomplishment. He was 37-33 at Buffalo with two division championships and three consecutive bowl appearances, going 24-10 since 2018. In recent times he had been speculated to be under consideration for a number of other college programs.

“I can’t thank Lance enough for everything he has done for our football program,” Buffalo Athletic Director Mark Alnutt said. “His vision and leadership helped elevate the UB football brand. We are grateful for what Lance has done here and we wish him and his family all the best as they embark on this new journey.

“Since entering the FBS ranks in 1999, the UB football program continues to rise to unprecedented heights. From bowl victories to top NFL Draft picks, UB has established itself as one of the top programs in not only the Mid-American Conference, but the entire Group of Five. With our success on the field as well as facilities rivaling some of the best in the country, we know we are an attractive coaching destination and look forward to selecting the next leader of our football program,” concluded Alnutt.

“I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Coach Leipold, Kelly, Lindsey and Landon to the Jayhawk Family,” KU Director of Athletics Travis Goff said. “He is a man of integrity, a developer of young men, a program builder and a winner. His track record of sustained excellence is exactly what we were looking for in our next leader, and is what the University of Kansas and our fans deserve.”

“It is an exciting and humbling opportunity, and this is a day I will never forget,” Leipold said in a release. “We are going to build this program through developing players, discipline and determination. The philosophies ingrained in our programs along the way will be key as we turn this around. This is a program that has a lot of young talent on the roster and has the infrastructure in place to succeed. The best days for this program are ahead, and my family and I are ecstatic to be a part of it.”

Some media stories are linked below:

Kansas hires Buffalo’s Lance Leipold as football coach – espn.com – “Kansas is 18-90 since 2011 and last had a winning season under Mark Mangino in 2008. Leipold will be the team’s sixth head coach since that last winning campaign.”

Kansas Football can make considerable growth under Lance Leipold – throughthephog.com

Kansas Hires Buffalo’s Lance Leipold as Football Coach – usnews.com

REVISED: WHS to Host Sectional Cross Country Meet on May 1, Races Condensed, Start Times Updated

Information Provided by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org

UPDATE: Since we posted the meet information on Monday, April 26th, we have had three teams opt-out from our sectional on Tuesday, April 27th. In addition, several teams are bringing incomplete teams which has dropped us below the 76 runner threshold that has been approved for the WIAA State Meet. Lastly, the weather forecast has indicated that it is going to be near 80 degrees in Whitewater on Saturday. This new race schedule is also an attempt to reduce the chances of medical emergencies and avoid the hottest point of the day. For these reasons, we have been given clearance to run one race per gender. We will not move the beginning part of the schedule as we need to accommodate teams traveling a far distance. Box assignments will be changing and Coach Carstens will update the Meet Information when those become available.  

Whitewater High School is hosting one of four Sectional Cross Country meets taking place around the state on Saturday, May 1st. There will be a $6 per person charge to enter the meet.

10:30 am: Spectators/Buses can arrive and begin unloading
11:00 am: Course Opens for Preview
12:00 pm: Girls’ Race
12:45 pm: Boys’ Race

Please check out this meet information for race times and other pertinent information.

Check out the digital course map that will highlight how the traffic will flow, spectator routes, etc.

You can also preview the course faster than the world record pace by watching this video of the course.

The top two teams and top 5 individuals not on those qualifying teams will earn a trip to the WIAA State Meet on Saturday, May 8th.

Whippet Golfers Play 36 Holes in 4 Days

Article submitted by Laura Masbruch, Banner Volunteer
Photos submitted by Leif Knudsen, WHS Head Golf Coach

Whippet Golf is off to a busy start to the season with three meets just this past week.

On Saturday, April 24, the Whippets competed in the twelve-team Comet Invitational at Delbrook Golf Course in Delavan. Jaden Condon led the Whippets with the 11th best score overall, an 84 on the 18-hole course, followed by Camden Frye with a 91. Dane Hillmer, Carson Bueschel, and Connor Moreno rounded out the group for the Whippets. The total score for the Whippets was 383, placing them 9th, just behind Clinton which had a 382. Beloit Memorial won the event with a score of 317.

On April 26, the golfers were back in action at the Big Foot Mini at the Big Foot Country Club. Ten teams competed on this 9-hole course. Camden Frye led the Whippets with a 51, followed by Jaden Condon with a 53. The final team score for the Whippets was 221, placing them 5th overall. Edgerton won this event, scoring 177 as a team.

The Whippets next competed in the Brodhead RVC Mini on April 27 at the Monroe Golf Club. Ten teams competed in this 9-hole event, and the Whippets tied for 6th overall with a 197. Jaden Condon was the top Whippet with a score of 45, followed by Dan Hillmer who came in with a 49.

Whippet Softball Opens Against Clinton

Article by Ron Sdano
Whitewater High School Head Softball Coach
rsdano@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka

Cheyenne Bohmann

The Whippet Softball Team opened their season with a loss to Clinton 11-5 on Tuesday, April 27. The Lady Whippets fought hard, but came up just short, as Clinton built an early lead and Whitewater couldn’t catch up.

The Whippets were led in hitting as Shyan Lesperance (freshman), Cheyenne Bohmann (freshman) and Kiyla Kopecky (senior) each contributed 2 hits.

Cheyenne Bohmann pitched the first 5 innings, and Ashlynne Bohnann pitched the last 2 innings for Whitewater. The girls did a good job of throwing strikes and making Clinton put the ball in play.

The Whippets did some very nice things as they had good base running from Alayna Alvarado, Kiyla Kopecky, and Shyan Lesperance.

The Whippets also had a good hitting day as they had 10 hits as a team.

The Lady Whippets next travel to East Troy for a game against the Trojans.

Whippet Baseball Hosts Season Opener

Comments and Photo Courtesy of Bob and Peter Mischka

Marcus DePorter

Marcus DePorter took the mound for the Whippets as the lead-off pitcher in the opening game of the new baseball season on Tuesday, April 27. 

Beloit Turner won the game 11-1.

UW-Whitewater Softball Hits 20-Win Mark With Sweep


Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Box Score, Game 1: https://static.uwwsports.com/custompages/softball/2021/sb27.htm

Box Score, Game 2: https://static.uwwsports.com/custompages/softball/2021/sb28.htm

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team extended its win streak to four games and improved to 9-1 over its last 10 contests Wednesday with back-to-back victories over UW-Oshkosh in a non-conference doubleheader at van Steenderen Softball Complex.

The Warhawks (20-8 overall) defeated the Titans 7-2 in the first game before capping the day with a 10-4 triumph in Game 2.

In the opener, UW-Whitewater trailed 2-1 before plating six unanswered runs, including three in the bottom of the fourth and three in the fifth.

Catcher Nikki Mikosz put the Warhawks on the board first with a run-scoring single to center in the bottom of the first.

After UW-Oshkosh (15-9) tied the game in the top of the second and took the lead in the top of the fourth, UW-W took the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the inning on a three-run homer by right fielder Taylor Briehl, her second of the year.

In the fifth, second baseman Delaney Becker delivered the big hit with a two-run base hit up the middle. Later in the frame, left fielder Krista Sbarra extended the lead with a two-out, RBI single to right center.

Kate Cleveland earned the win in relief of starter Rhiann Dick, tossing four shutout innings to improve to 7-3 on the year. Dick allowed two runs (one earned) over the first three frames.

Briehl finished 3-for-3 at the plate, while Mikosz and Becker each contributed two hits.

In the second game, UW-Whitewater turned a 4-3 deficit into a four-run lead with five in the bottom of the fifth inning, including a two-run homer by Mikosz, a two-run single by Briehl and an RBI single by centerfielder Vera Pflugradt.

Mikosz recorded there hits and three RBIs, while third baseman Meg Cohrs homered and finished with two hits and two RBIs. Shortstop Meghan Dunning tallied two hits, two runs scored and one RBI, Becker finished with two hits and one RBI, and first baseman Kaleigh O’Brien collected two hits and two runs scored.

Starting pitcher Mallory Hollatz struck out seven over four innings, scattering seven hits and allowing one run. Marissa Adams, who improved to 3-1 with the win, pitched the fifth inning, and Kate Cleveland tossed two shutout innings to close out the game.

The Warhawks host UW-Eau Claire on Senior Day at van Steenderen Softball Complex this Saturday. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 2 p.m.

Football Team Thankful for Alternative Season

Article Submitted by Jason Bleck
Whitewater High School Head Football Coach
jbleck@wwusd.org
Photos Courtesy of Bob Mischka

Carter Friend

Whitewater ended their Alternative Football Season on Friday, April 23, with a 34-6 loss at McFarland. For the second consecutive game, the Whippets scored their touchdown as the first half was ending. This week it was a 29-yard catch and run from the new quarterback, senior Jacob Heritage, to senior Chase Conn to the 3-yard line with less than 30 seconds left in the half. Heritage ran the ball to the goal line, and junior Carter Friend punched it into the end zone before the half ended. The previous week Brock Grosinske and Conn combined for a 35-yard completion in the end zone as the first half time ran out.

  • Chase Conn
  • Jacob Heritage

Head Coach Jason Bleck and his coaching staff would like to thank the nine seniors on the team for their leadership and dedication to the Whippet Football program over the last four years and especially during this alternate season.  Although the season did not end with the record they would have hoped for, the team is proud and grateful for the opportunity to play.  Thank you also to the school administration, parents, and event workers for all they have done to support the football team.  This season truly followed the team’s motto of, “We Over Me,” as there were many selfless people that contributed to the team being able to compete.  

UW-Whitewater Softball Earns Non-Conference Sweep

Monday, April 26, 2021

UW-Whitewater Softball Earns Non-Conference Sweep

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team extended its win streak in true road games to six on Monday afternoon with consecutive victories at UW-La Crosse in a non-conference doubleheader.

The Warhawks (18-8 overall) plated the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning for a 3-2 triumph in the opener in extra innings. In the second game, UW-Whitewater broke open a close game with six runs in the top of the seventh in an 11-5 win.

In Game 1, the Warhawks plated a run in the top of the seventh on a two-out, solo homer to left center by catcher Nikki Mikosz to force extra innings. UW-W loaded the bases but came away empty in the eighth before first baseman Kaleigh O’Brien came through in the ninth with a run-scoring single up the middle.

Pitcher Marissa Adams, who entered the game with two outs in the sixth inning, improved to 2-1 with the win. She allowed two hits over 3 1/3 innings. Kate Cleveland started the game and pitched 5 2/3 frames, surrendering two unearned runs on five hits.

O’Brien tallied four hits to lead UW-W, which out-hit the Eagles by a 14-7 margin, but left 14 runners on base in the contest. Mikosz and third baseman Meg Cohrs posted three hits apiece, and centerfielder Vera Pflugradt reached base twice with one hit and one walk.

In the nightcap, UW-Whitewater took advantage of five errors by UW-La Crosse (9-10), including four in the seventh inning, and totaled 11 hits.

After the Eagles took a 2-0 lead with two in the bottom of the first, the Warhawks responded in the top of the second as O’Brien and shortstop Meghan Dunning hit back-to-back homers.

Pflugradt hit a two-run triple to left in the fourth to give UW-Whitewater a 4-3 advantage, and after UW-La Crosse tied the game at 4-4, second baseman Delaney Becker put the Warhawks ahead for good with an RBI groundout.

Becker, Pflugradt, Mikosz and right fielder Taylor Briehl were each credited with RBIs during UW-W’s big seventh inning.

Pflugradt finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs, while Becker recorded two hits and two RBIs. Dunning collected three hits, three runs scored and one RBI, and O’Brien posted two hits, one run scored and one RBI.

Annie Morelli picked up her second win of the year, tossing one inning of relief. Rhiann Dick tossed the final three innings for her first career save, striking out four during her outing.

Morelli, Dick and starter Kathryn Kinsella combined to strand 11 Eagle runners on the base paths.

UW-Whitewater hosts UW-Oshkosh for another non-conference doubleheader Wednesday starting at 2 p.m. at van Steenderen Softball Complex.