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Warhawks celebrate a point during the match against Juniata (Keith Lucas)
Salem, Va. – The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrapped up a phenomenal 2024 campaign as the NCAA Division III National Runner-Up Saturday. The Warhawks fell to undefeated Juniata 3-2 (25-19, 25-19, 15-25, 26-28, 15-10) at the Cregger Center in Salem, Virginia. UWW pushed a fifth set for the first time in nine seasons in the national title match – the previous eight were 3-0 sweeps.
UW-Whitewater battled back to force the decisive fifth after trailing 0-2 in the match. The Warhawks turned it around in set three as the best blocking team in the country lived up to its reputation. UWW registered seven blocks in the set, holding the Eagles to a negative attack percentage. Meanwhile the offense picked up the pace hitting .235 with 13 kills. The offense-defense combination led to a lop-sided 25-15 win in the set.
The fourth set was arguably one of the most thrilling of the season. UW-Whitewater trailed early until Jenna Weinfurt took over. The powerful outside hitter posted UWW’s next five points – all on kills – to tie the set 10-10. From there, the teams traded points, battling it out as the set continued on. Juniata claimed the first set and match point, 25-24, but the Warhawks had the response on an Alayna Jansky kill.
The Eagles forced another match point and setter Aubrie Krzus pushed the ball back to this outside, this time for Weinfurt. She drove the ball on a dart toward the endline and the line judge lifted his flag to signal out. Juniata rushed the floor as Head Coach Stacy Boudreau immediately grabbed the green challenge card. The officials went to the monitor and quickly returned to the floor indicating the ball was in, the call overturned for a UWW point and the set now tied 26-26.
On the next play, the Eagles’ set drifted over the net and Weinfurt put it back down for a UW-Whitewater set point. In a rare feat for a title match, the Warhawks won the set on a bad set as the Juniata setter pushed the ball to the outside pin as the hitters all collapsed toward the middle. The error sent the squads into a fifth.
Following the brief intermission, the Eagles came out on fire scoring the first eight points. The Warhawks did not fold and continued to battle pulling to within four, but the deficit was too much to overcome in the shortened fifth set.
Weinfurt had a phenomenal match with 25 kills while Jansky posted 16 in the contest. The pair combined for 99 kills over the three matches in the championship and were named to the NCAA Division III Championship All-Tournament Team for their performances. Krzus tallied 38 assists in the match.
Defensively, Jaedynn Evans led UWW with 19 digs while Weinfurt added 18 and Jansky posted 12. At the net, Hannah Proctor had 10 blocks, Krzus and Abbie Dix each registered eight and Chloe Werner added four.
The Warhawks wrap up the 2024 campaign with a 31-4 record, the first 30-win season since 2015. The trip to the national title match is UWW’s first since 2007. Juniata has won 97 consecutive matches including three straight titles.
The Whippet Boys’ Swim Team had an AMAZING night of racing at the Southern Lakes Conference Relays Championship Meet on Thursday, December 5th. The Boys placed 3rd overall as a team, with all relays finishing in the Top 10, and 4 of them brought home some hardware!
Top 10 finishes include:
200 Medley Relay A (5th – 1:56.23) Langdon Coburn, Jack Hefty, Cruz Aranda, Myles Morse
200 Medley Relay B (10th – 2:25.86) Xavier Ortiz, David Enns, Sam Nickelsburg, Angel Kilar
200 Free Relay (5th – 1:54.98) Andrew O’Toole, Caleb Kluck, Sam Nickelsburg, Wyatt Esch
4×100 IM Relay (3rd – 4:27.00) Jack Hefty, Langdon Coburn, Myles Morse, Cruz Aranda
1000 Free Crescendo Relay (3rd – 12:20.74) Mateo Bazeley, Wyatt Esch, Miles Nickelsburg, Andrew O’Toole
200 Butterfly Relay (6th – 2:13.97) Miles Nickelsburg, Sam Nickelsburg, Caleb Kluck, Myles Morse
100 Free Relay A (1st – 46.54) Langdon Coburn, Jack Hefty, Mateo Bazeley, Cruz Aranda
100 Free Relay B (10th – 1:02.32) Xavier Ortiz, Angel Kilar, David Enns, Isaac Straight
500 Free Crescendo Relay (2nd – 4:56.16) Myles Morse, Jack Hefty, Langdon Coburn, Cruz Aranda
400 Backstroke Relay (4th – 4:50.98) Mateo Bazeley, Andrew O’Toole, Wyatt Esch, Miles Nickelsburg
400 Breaststroke Relay (5th – 6:29.49) Caleb Kluck, Xavier Ortiz, Isaac Straight, David Enns
400 Freestyle Relay A (6th – 4:09.66) Miles Nickelsburg, Andrew O’Toole, Wyatt Esch, Mateo Bazeley
400 Freestyle Relay B (8th – 4:45.62) Sam Nickelsburg, Caleb Kluck, Xavier Ortiz, David Enns
We are excited to see what the rest of the season has in store! The boys also traveled to Milton on Saturday, December 7th for the Tom Lieder Invite.
Article and Photos Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Swim Coach
ReynoldsSM07@uww.edu
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will celebrate the achievements of its graduates at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, as proud families and friends gather for the 2024 December commencement ceremony.
Approximately 815 students will be earning their degrees. The ceremony, about two hours long and presided over by Chancellor Corey A. King, will be held at Kachel Fieldhouse in the Williams Center.
This year’s commencement speaker is Monica Kelsey-Brown, an alumna who has devoted her career to creating equitable educational opportunities and inspiring young minds. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UW-Whitewater, building the foundation for her impactful career, and later completed her doctorate at UW-Madison. Kelsey-Brown currently serves as superintendent of the Waunakee Community School District, where she leads with a focus on innovation, inclusion, and student success.
The student speaker is Jordyn Robinson, a Milwaukee native who is earning his Bachelor of Arts in journalism with an emphasis in advertising and a minor in sports management. A first-generation college student, campus leader and passionate community advocate, on campus he worked to create inclusive spaces where all students could feel a sense of belonging and thrive academically and socially in his roles as president of the Black Student Union and student affairs director in Whitewater Student Government. He is the founder and owner of The GRINDmke, which provides athletic apparel, sports management, college recruitment and athletic training services in track, football and basketball.
83% percent of the graduating students come from Wisconsin, and 24 states and two countries other than the United States are represented in the graduating class.
The graduating class includes three international students, 58 military veterans and 138 nontraditional students, defined as undergraduate students who are 25 years of age or older. In addition, 80 self-identified students with disabilities — about 10% of the students graduating — will receive degrees.
Commencement will be broadcast live online by UWW-TV, the university television station. Access to the livestream will be posted at uww.edu/commencement.
“Genie”
Tuesday, December 10, 1 pm
(Holiday/Comedy); Rated PG; 1hour, 33 minutes (2023).
Flora (Melissa McCarthy), a genie trapped in an antique jewelry case, is accidentally called into service by a workaholic Dad to win his family back before Christmas. Written by Richard Curtis (“Love Actually“) also stars Alan Cumming, host of “PBS Masterpiece Mystery.”
Seniors in the Park is located in Starin Park, 504 W. Starin Road. Although there is no charge to attend, regular participants are encouraged to join Seniors in the Park. The annual fee for residents of the Whitewater Unified School District is $10 and non-residents is $15. The funds support about half of the cost of our front desk staff person for 15 hours per week. The rest comes our of our fundraising monies. If you cannot afford the fee, we have a fund that will cover it for you. Fees are accepted at the Starin Park Community Building or online at https://schedulesplus.com/wwtr/kiosk/
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today ordered the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Sat., Dec. 7, 2024, in honor of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
“On National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we honor and remember the brave individuals who lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor, including 50 service members from Wisconsin, and reflect on the significance of this dark and fateful day in our nation’s history,” said Gov. Evers. “The attack on Pearl Harbor changed the trajectory of our nation and our world, and today, we pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation and recognize the bravery and selflessness of our WWII veterans and their families, who dedicated their lives to defend and protect the values and freedoms we hold dear.”
The governor also proclaimed Dec. 7, 2024, as “Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day” across the state. A copy of the governor’s Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day proclamation is available here.
Executive Order #246 will be in effect from sunrise to sunsetla on Sat., Dec. 7, 2024, and is available here.
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Online bidding will be available at this site beginning on or about December 6. The live auction will be conducted online on Wednesday, December 11 beginning at 7 p.m.
Readers who may have picked up a flyer at the home may notice that a different open house schedule is shown. The open house schedule shown above is correct: November 30, December 1, 7, and 8 from 1-2 p.m. Additional times may be arranged.
The national championship game will stream from Salem, VA this afternoon, Saturday, December 7, at 3 p.m. CST. Unfortunately, the game will only be shown on ESPN+, a pay service that is only available through an app.
Previously posted on The Banner:
Salem, Va. — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball topped Johns Hopkins 3-2 bolstered by an incredible fifth set to advance to secure their spot in the national title match. The Warhawks will play the winner of Hope and Juniata for a chance to hoist the national championship trophy on Saturday at 4 PM EST/3 PM CST. [The Warhawks (No. 6) will play Juniata of Pennsylvania (No. 1) for the championship after Juniata beat Hope 3-2. Juniata has been the champion the past two years.] The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Thursday’s national semifinal featured big wins by each squad with Johns Hopkins taking sets one and three while UWW cruised to wins in sets two and four. It all came down to the decisive fifth set and the Warhawks showcased why they are the best blocking team in the nation.
Outside hitter Alayna Jansky tooled the block for the first point of the fifth. A fantastic serve by Riley Braunschweig had JHU out of system, but a UWW miscue tied the set 1-1. On the next rally setter Aubrie Krzus and middle hitter Hannah Proctor teamed up for the Warhawks’ first block of the set. A Blue Jay kill from the right side made it 2-2.
The Johns Hopkins float serve sailed well long of the end line for a 3-2 lead. The Blue Jays set to the right side again but outside Jenna Weinfurt and Proctor turned their hands in on the attack sending the ball back to the floor quickly for the second block of the set — 4-2 Warhawk lead.
The next rally had Proctor teaming with right side Chloe Werner to shut down another Blue Jay attack to force a timeout with UWW leading 5-2. On the other side of the break, Jansky’s tough serve forced a free ball and Weinfurt capitalized hammering down a kill from the outside for a 6-2 advantage.
Weinfurt and Proctor made it five straight for UW-Whitewater with yet another block, this one deflected straight back into the hitter for the point and a 7-2 advantage.
A cut shot for JHU hit the floor to end the run, but the Warhawks responded quickly with the team’s fifth block of the set. Werner and Proctor shut down the outside to force the side switch with UWW leading 9-3.
A Blue Jay kill after the brief intermission made it 9-4, but once again, UW-Whitewater answered. An attack from Werner nearly hit the floor but a pancake kept the play alive. JHU was able to get the ball over the net and Krzus went back to Werner. This time she opted for the deep corner with the ball landing just inside the lines for a 10-4 lead.
Back-to-back points for the Blue Jays narrowed the gap to four, 10-6.
On the next play, Krzus pushed the set to the pin and Weinfurt elevated hitting over the block down the line for a kill and an 11-6 lead. The best blocker in the nation, middle Abbie Dix, got in on the block action on the next rally. She teamed up with Krzus for a huge one to force the final Johns Hopkins timeout of the set.
Out of the timeout it was Dix and Krzus yet again for the Warhawks’ seventh block of the set to make it 13-6.
Following a UWW service error, the Blue Jay server was whistled for going over the line on her serve to force match point. UW-Whitewater ended it in perfect fashion, with their eighth, yes eighth, block of the set as Krzus and Proctor sealed the win.
The Warhawks ended up out-blocking the Blue Jays 14-9 with Dix leading all players with eight. Krzus and Proctor each had six while Werner added four and Weinfurt three.
Offensively, Jansky hammered down 17 kills while Weinfurt posted 16. Krzus dished out 43 assists. In the dig column, Weinfurt registered 17 with libero Jaedynn Evans tallying 12 and Jansky adding 11.
On Saturday, the Warhawks will play for the national title for the third time under Head Coach Stacy Boudreau. UWW hoisted the trophy in 2005, her first season at the helm, and finished as the national runner-up in 2007.
Obituaries
William J. “Bill” West, 75, of Whitewater passed away on Tuesday, December 24, 2024 at Fort Memorial Hospital in Fort Atkinson. Bill was born on September 8, 1949 to John and Bessie (Sutherland) West in Fort Atkinson. He worked at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater for twelve years. Bill enjoyed watching the Packers and NASCAR. He is survived by his girlfriend, Sandy Hahn; and many friends and family. A memorial visitation will take place on Thursday, January 16, 2025 from 11 AM until 1 PM at Nitardy Funeral Home, 550 N. Newcomb St., Whitewater, WI 53190. Inurnment will take … Read more
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David Harold Baker Jr., beloved husband, father, stepfather, son, and brother, passed away on December 16, 2024, in Portland, Oregon, at the age of 61. Born on August 10, 1963, in Beaufort, South Carolina, David was the firstborn child of David Baker Sr. and the late Betty Jean Baker (née Wickham) while his father served in the United States Marine Corps. David spent his early years in Wyoming, where the family lived until his parents divorced. In 1976, David moved to Oregon with his father, and he graduated from high school in 1982. Shortly after, he moved to Wisconsin to … Read more
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Allen C. Hicks, 85 of Whitewater passed away on Saturday, January 4th, 2025 at Huntington Memory Care in Janesville. Al, the oldest of seven boys, was born on July 5th, 1939, in Belvidere, Illinois to Walt and Laura (Keller) Hicks. A few years later, the family bought a dairy farm in Whitewater and became very active in the Whitewater community. There was always work to be done or something to be repaired on the farm which led to Al’s lifelong love of tinkering. He was very active in high school sports which continued on into his adult years playing in … Read more
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Jeanette Ila Hansen, 91, Whitewater passed away on December 24, 2024 at Rainbow Hospice Inpatient Center in Johnson Creek, WI, having lived independently almost all her later life. Jeanette was born on May 12, 1933 in Whitewater, WI to Alvin and Maybell (Maasz) Cox. She married Norman Hansen on November 2, 1950 and they were married for 59 years. Jeanette enjoyed fishing, reading, indoor gardening, collecting dolls, and cooking; and she made many beautiful items with crocheting, knitting, and sewing. She was generous and seemed to have a good word to say about almost everyone she met. She especially loved … Read more
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Isaac Richard Unger left the field on Christmas Day, and is now at peace. He was born in Whitewater, WI on April 1st, 1993 to Paul and Mary Jo (née Peiffer) Unger. Isaac was born ten days late on a silly holiday, and lived his life as such–never rushed, and with a lighthearted sense of humor. Isaac graduated from Madison East High School in 2011, and then attended UW-River Falls from 2011-2016, where he studied English and philosophy. Isaac was a sports lover, not only as a spectator, but as a participant. Isaac grew up playing soccer, basketball (Badger Sporting … Read more
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John George Mack passed away into eternal glory on December 24th, 2024. John was born December 1, 1963, in Fort Atkinson, WI to Ronald and Mary Alice (Hanson) Mack of Whitewater. John was a 1982 Whitewater High School graduate. In 1983 just out of high school John started his first wood company selling wholesale through all the major gift markets including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York. At the time his clients included 8 out of the 10 retail chains and several thousand independent stores nationwide. John had so many wonderful customers and associates. As the wholesale gift market shifted to cheaper overseas … Read more
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Clifford Maynard Witte, age 103, of Whitewater, WI completed his earthly journey on December 24, 2024 in his home surrounded by his loving family. Clifford was born on September 13, 1921 on a farm in Mount Horeb, WI, and was the third child of Ella and Eli Witte. Clifford served his country by joining the Navy in 1942 during WWII, and served alongside his two brothers. Later he used the GI bill to attend Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport, IA. There he met the love of his life, Beulah (Billie) Ohrberg, and they married on Nov 7, 1946. Shortly after … Read more
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Mary Ann Burkhardt, 79, passed away December 24, 2024, at Edgerton Hospital, surrounded by loved ones following a brief illness. Mary was born on September 14, 1945, in Chicago, IL, to Raymond and Helen (Pasternak) Burkhardt. She attended elementary school in Chicago and Good Counsel Catholic Girls High School, before her family moved to Whitewater where she graduated from WHS in 1963. She worked at Gus’s Pizza Palace, Whitewater Products, and finally, Jones Dairy Farm until her retirement 33 years later. She enjoyed bowling, snowmobiling, boating, golf, riding her motorcycle, and playing softball for the Long Branch Saloon. She was … Read more
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Jean Lucile Zuill, 98, of Whitewater passed away on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at Hearthstone Memory Care. Jean was born on April 20, 1926 in the Town of Lima to Howard and Florence (VanDuser) Hunt. Along with her brother Van, she grew up on their family farm in Lima. She graduated from Whitewater High School in 1944. For a short time, Jean worked at the Parker Pen Company in Janesville. She married David “Dave” Zuill on August 9, 1947 in Whitewater. Upon marriage and having their two daughters, Janet and Mary, Jean undertook the meaningful job of mother and homemaker. … Read more
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Helen Ruth Delaney, 94, of Whitewater, WI, passed away peacefully into the arms of her Heavenly Father on Friday, December 20, 2024. She was born in Bellwood, West Virginia on August 8, 1930, daughter of Henderson C. and Bertha J. (Skaggs) Hamby. She attended Leedwood High School in West Virginia. She attended Cornell University in New York studying economics and business. On April 8, 1978, Helen married Laurence W. Delaney in Rockton, IL. Helen retired as the Manager of a Hallmark gift shop in Greenville SC and previously managed the Stop ‘N Go in Whitewater, WI. Helen was a member … Read more
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