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NFL.com: “Mighty Quinn – How a D3 Longshot Turned into a Top Prospect”

March 25, 2021March 11, 2021

“Mighty Quinn – How a D3 Longshot Turned into a Top Prospect”

A lengthy article about “The Gut” on nfl.com starts with this statement, “Facing an uphill battle to the NFL with a cancelled college season, an incomplete D-III resume and a ballooning belly, Quinn Meinerz was at a crossroads. Then fate, hard work and a little luck intervened.”

Kevin Bullis is quoted as saying, “”I’ve coached 33 years now and been around a lot of motivated human beings,” said Bullis, the Whitewater head coach. “He might be the most intrinsically motivated person I’ve ever known.”

Though the article’s byline says March 9, 2019, that’s obviously a typo — it should be 2021. Check it out here.

Here’s a link to “2021 NFL Draft Player Profiles: Wisconsin-Whitewater C Quinn Meinerz” on steelersdepot.com.

Gymnasts Celebrate with End of Season Banquet

March 25, 2021March 11, 2021

Article and Photos By Kelly O’Hara
Whitewater High School Head Gymnastics Coach
OHaraKL17@uww.edu

Whitewater High School Gymnastics wrapped up the 2020-2021 season with a banquet held on Monday, March 8^th, at Whitewater High School. The gymnasts did a fantastic job this season, and they will continue to do so in future seasons. The awards presented at the banquet were earned by the following gymnasts: MVP – Jenna Caldwell, Most Dedicated – Halee Peters, Most Improved Varsity – Caleigh Yang, Most Improved JV – Izzy Dieter, and Rookie of the Year – Lauren Buehler.

The Southern Lakes Conference awards were awarded to one gymnast this year. This is a very high honor for the Whitewater High School Gymnasts. Jenna Caldwell was the recipient who earned Honorable Mention this season.

Thank you to the parents for supporting the girls and all the other amazing things you have done throughout the season. Thank you to Mr. Mischka for coming to the gymnastics meet and taking pictures of the girls.

Although it was a very unconventional season due to COVID-19, it was still amazing, and I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls. Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication. Go, Whippets!

Update: Will Schultz, Cited for Disorderly Conduct (Assault), is No Longer a UW-W Student

March 25, 2021March 11, 2021

Will Schultz (Former UW-W basketball team roster photo)

Whitewater, Wis. March 11, 2021 – “The City of Whitewater Police Department issues an update to a highly- publicized assault investigation, reported to the department on Friday, March 5, 2021.

The investigation of this incident has been completed. The lone suspect in this incident, 19-year-old William (Will) J. Schultz of Whitewater, has been issued municipal citations for Disorderly Conduct (Assault) and Underage Presence in a Class B Licensed Premise Prohibited.

No additional information is available at this time.”

Banner note: This investigation was widely publicized on social and other media as a result of the alleged perpetrator being a member of the UW-W basketball team. A complaint was filed by a woman who stated that Schultz had assaulted her at approximately 2 a.m. on March 5. It is not known what action, if any, the university has taken with respect to his enrollment or inclusion on the basketball roster. Since Sunday, March 7 his name has been deleted from the online roster. Per /https://wcca.wicourts.gov, William Schultz was also charged with disorderly conduct by UW-W Police in October, 2020. He was found guilty due to a no contest plea. The Banner is filing an open records request for a copy of the police report regarding the March 5 complaint and will provide an update after that is received.

Judy Harms Inducted in WI Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame

March 19, 2021March 5, 2021

(Whitewater Unified School District press release) Judy Harms – Inductee of the WBCA 2021 Hall of Fame

Whitewater, WI – Judy Harms, a 2020 retiree of the Whitewater Unified School District,
was recently announced as an inductee of the 2021 Hall of Fame from the Wisconsin
Basketball Coaches Association.

Harms was a Physical Education Teacher in the Whitewater Unified School District for
33 years. Coaching was a large part of Harms’ career in Whitewater as she coached 18
seasons; 2000-2018. Highlights in her career included: 244-157 Record; 5 Rock Valley
North Conference Titles; 56 Game Rock Valley Conference Winning Streak; 4 WIAA
Regional Titles; and 1 WIAA Sectional Title. Her ultimate highlight was the road to
winning a Division 3 Girls State Basketball Championship in 2015, in addition to being
named the WBCA’s Wisconsin Girls Basketball Coach of the Year.

A Hall of Fame banquet is scheduled for September 25, 2021 to honor the 2021
inductees.

Congratulations Coach Harms!

Whippet Volleyball Team Moves to 2-0

March 19, 2021March 5, 2021

Article by Kathy Bullis
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
kbullis@wwusd.org
March 5, 2021

The Whippet Volleyball Team traveled to Brodhead on Thursday night, and for the second match in a row Kiyla Kopecky scored a match winning point. This time Kiyla Kopecky topped off the three game sweep of Brodhead with a block of the Cardinals outside hitter. All Whippets once again contributed in the 25-16, 25-15 & 25-20 win. The defenders of Caleigh Yang and Cali Kopecky provided solid back row play. Amanda Tovar provided a strong serving attack. The Whippets now move to 2-0 in Rock Valley Conference.

Stat Leaders:
Aces: 4-Kiyla Kopecky, 2- Amanda Tovar, 2- Emme Bullis
Kills:16-Emme Bullis, 11-Kindyl Kilar
Blocks: 4-Kiyla Kopecky
Assists: 22-Cora Linos
Digs: 10- Cora Linos, 9- Caleigh Yang, 9- Kindyl Kilar, 8- Emme Bullis

The Whippets next competition is Thursday, March 11th, which is the annual Play for Trey night, hosting Turner.

UW-Whitewater Women’s Basketball Falls in WIAC Title Game

March 19, 2021March 5, 2021

2021 WIAC Women’s Basketball Championship Web Page

(UW-W press release) The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team concluded another winning season Friday night with a 74-58 loss at UW-Oshkosh in the title game of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship (Presented by Culver’s).

The Warhawks finish the 2021 campaign with an 8-3 record. Seniors Emily Schumacher and Adriana Wood complete their careers after having helped UW-W compile a 74-21 record (.779 winning percentage), three NCAA Tournament appearances, two WIAC regular season championships and the 2018 conference tournament title.

Johanna Taylor led UW-Whitewater on Friday with a career-high 23 points to go along with eight rebounds and three blocks. Aleah Grundahl registered 12 points, nine rebounds and a career-high eight assists.

Schumacher finished with seven points and three rebounds, and Wood recorded five points and two rebounds.

The Warhawks were held to 34.4 percent shooting in the contest, while the Titans (9-2) made 55.1 percent from the field and 10-fo-22 from 3-point range.

Both teams led by as many as four points in the first quarter. A free throw by Taylor brought UW-W to within a possession at 17-14 by the end of the period.

UW-Whitewater tied the game at 20-20 near the midway point of the second, but UW-Oshkosh took a six-point advantage with just over a minute to play in the quarter. Abby Belschner brought the Warhawks to within four with a layup just before halftime.

The Titans outscored the Warhawks by 16 points in the third quarter. UW-Whitewater trailed by 10 with 4:16 on the clock following a layup by Taylor, but UW-Oshkosh continued to build its lead and led by 22 with under a minute to play in the frame. Grundahl’s layup brought the Warhawks to within 55-35.

UW-W got as close as 13 in the fourth, outscoring the Titans 23-19 in the quarter.

The WIAC Championship concludes the season for the conference. The NCAA Tournament was canceled earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whippet Volleyball Opens with a Win

March 18, 2021March 4, 2021

Article by Kathy Bullis, Photos by Kathy Bullis, Whitney Updike, and Bob Mischka
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
kbullis@wwusd.org

Tuesday night the Whippet Volleyball Team hosted their first conference match of the 2021 truncated season. Seniors were honored before play by their teammates. Together, each member played a vital role in the 3-1 victory over the Tiders.

Seniors Cora Linos, Emme Bullis, Kiyla Kopecky, and Amanda Tovar

Sophomore Caleigh Yang led the way with 18 digs, one being a pancake which led to a Whippet point. Senior Cora Linos dealt out 31 assists. Sophomore Kindyl Kilar (18) and Senior Emme Bullis(16) were a great 1-2 punch, accumulating 34 kills on the night. Additionally, they each added 4 aces from the serving line. Senior Amanda Tovar played great defense and added a serving ace at a critical point in the third set. Junior Avery Hintz contributed with solid front row and back row play. Junior Lexi Juoni made her starting debut in the middle. She played confidently, adding to the strong Whippet block and showed her athleticism while covering other Whippet hitters. She used her quick reflexes to pick up a few balls that were blocked back to the Whitewater side. Sophomore Cali Kopecky played very strong defense and came in as a serving specialist in the 4th set to help seal the deal. Last but not least, Senior Kiyla Kopecky scored the winning match point off a smart tip over the middle block.

The Whippets travel to Brodhead on Thursday night, looking to build on the momentum of the Tuesday night win.

Warhawks’ Season Ends in WIAC Tournament

March 1, 2021

Warhawks’ Season Ends in WIAC Tournament

Related Links:

Box Score

2021 WIAC Men’s Basketball Championship Web Page

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s basketball team took another opponent down to the wire Monday night but was outlasted 81-76 at UW-River Falls in the first round of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship (Presented by Culver’s).

The Warhawks (1-7 overall), who played in their fourth straight game decided in the final minute, shot 53.4 percent from the floor and finished with a 46-32 advantage on points in the paint.

UW-River Falls (5-3), which advances to play at top seed UW-Platteville on Wednesday night, made 53.7 percent of its shots from the floor and doubled up UW-Whitewater on made free throws, 14-7.

Trevon Chislom registered 21 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, all team highs, to lead the Warhawks. Gage Malensek tallied 17 points and a team-high six assists, and Breontae Hunt posted 12 points and five rebounds.

Brian Conaghan and Will Pytleski contributed nine and eight points, respectively, off the bench.

UW-Whitewater scored the first four points of the contest and led 12-5 at the 14:08 mark of the first half. The team continued to lead until the midway point of the period, when the Falcons took a 19-17 advantage.

UW-River Falls led by as many as five during the remainder of the half, but an 8-0 UW-W run gave the Warhawks a 45-40 advantage with 1:20 remaining following a 3-pointer by Hunt.

UW-Whitewater held the lead in the second half until the 11:28 mark, when UW-River Falls tied the game at 54-54. Hunt scored the next five points to make it 59-54 at the midway point of the frame.

The Falcons made a run and took a 68-62 advantage with 6:51 on the clock. Chislom tied the game with a jumper with 4:49 left, but UW-River Falls took the lead for good just over one minute later with a 3-pointer.

The Warhawks trimmed their deficit to one possession on four more occasions, but each time, the Falcons responded with either a basket or a pair of free throws.

UW-W Women’s Basketball Advances to WIAC Semifinal – Wednesday @ 7 @ UW-Eau Claire

March 15, 2021March 1, 2021

Related Links:

Box Score

2021 WIAC Women’s Basketball Championship Web Page – Banner note: A link to the live video on Wednesday, 3/3 at 7:00 p.m. is found on this page.

NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball: UW-Whitewater 66, UW-Stout 49

(UW-W press release) The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team used a combination of strong 3-point shooting and stingy defense Monday night to defeat UW-Stout 66-49 in the first round of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship (Presented by Culver’s) at Kachel Gymnasium.

With the win, their fifth straight, the Warhawks (7-2 overall) advance to the semifinal round, where they’ll face UW-Eau Claire, the No. 1 seed in the West Division, on Wednesday in Eau Claire.

UW-Whitewater, the East Division’s No. 2 seed, knocked down a season-high 12 three-pointers and forced 27 turnovers by UW-Stout, the No. 3 seed from the West Division.

The Warhawks out-rebounded the Blue Devils, 47-33, including a 22-7 advantage on the offensive glass.

Emily Schumacher tallied a team-high 16 points on four 3-pointers to go along with three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Adriana Wood converted four 3-pointers for 12 points to go with five rebounds and two steals.

Rebekah Schumacher made three 3-pointers on her way to 13 points and three rebounds. Johanna Taylor grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and added eight points, three assists and three blocks.

UW-Whitewater was held scoreless for the first five-plus minutes of action, but the defense held UW-Stout (2-7) to only five first-quarter points. The Warhawks increased their lead to 12-5 by the end of the period thanks to a 3-pointer by Wood followed by a jumper from Emily Schumacher in the final minute of the quarter.

The Blue Devils made it a 3-point game three minutes into the second quarter, but Aleah Grundahl and Emily Schumacher made 3-pointers in a span of just over a minute to make it 18-9 at the midway point of the frame. UW-W increased its lead to 10 points by halftime on a layup by Taylor with 28 second left.

Green and Emily Schumacher continued knocking down 3-pointers early in the third. Schumacher’s third of the game with 2:16 left in the quarter made it 40-29, and Rebekah Schumacher scored four straight Warhawk points near the end of the period to make it 44-31.

UW-Stout drew to within seven just past the midway point of the fourth, but Rebekah Schumacher hit a 3-pointer on the next possession to bring the UW-W lead back to double digits.

The Warhawks extended their advantage throughout the quarter, hitting 8-of-12 from the free-throw line in the period.

Whitewater Wrestling Closes Out Season with Award Presentations

March 14, 2021March 1, 2021

Article and Photos by John Schimming
Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach
jschimming@wwusd.org

On Wednesday night, February 24, student-athletes and parents gathered in the Whitewater gymnasium to present the end of season awards in a different way; just like the entire season we had to do things differently.

Although the team saw many adjustments made to their season, from how practices were run, the number of competitions that they could have, protocols for competing and protocols as for who could be in the stands, the wrestlers proved that it was still wrestling and they went out and had a very successful season for themselves as a team and individuals.

As a team the group saw great growth in each individual and had great practices throughout, even though some days adjustments were made on the fly. The team was only able to compete in seven dual meets this year and finished 5-2 in those duals. In a typical year, the team competes in seven tournaments over the course of the season; none of these were contested this year, and their first tournament action was at the Regional Tournament on January 30. Here the team took second place overall, which was a nice showing for them. In the Sectional Tournament, the team finished in 7th out of 25 teams, so that was a nice finish for them as well.

As individuals, it was difficult for the Junior Varsity teams to get as many matches as normal, but when they did, they showed growth all year. Sebastian Cuellar finished the year 7-0 and brought home the Most Valuable JV Wrestler Award. Payton Lyon, another freshman who finished the year 6-2 on JV, brought home the Outstanding Freshman Award.

For the Varsity team, voted as Team Leaders were Trenten Zahn, Brian Porcaro, and David Cushman. The Most Valuable Wrestler was shared with Carter Friend and David Cushman, both being integral parts of the program wrestling together for the last three seasons.

The seniors were also presented with their Accomplishment Board, which is made by Dena Schimming, as well as their senior poster that was presented to them officially on Parents’ Night.

The coaching staff would like to thank the parents for their trust in the program during these difficult times and are fortunate to have had the opportunity to compete this season. The staff would also like to thank the WUSD administration for also trusting the program to keep the student-athletes safe during these unprecedented times.