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On Saturday, February 22, the Boys’ Wrestling Team was represented by five individuals competing to advance to the WIAA State Individual State Wrestling Tournament in the Sectional Tournament hosted by Waupun. When the day ended, the boys were 12-4 with four of them punching their ticket to the Kohl Center this coming Thursday night.
Jarvis Porcaro started things off for the Whippets, winning the sectional championship, being the 3rd one to do so since 2007. Jarvis dominated his competition, wrestling extremely well all day. He started the day with a technical fall 19-2. He followed that up with a first period pin in :57. For the finals, Jarvis wrestled very well getting a takedown, which would have ended the match with a technical fall, but due to taking down two students back he was able to secure the pin.
Jasen Porras was our second student to reach the finals with a very strong day of wrestling. He started the day off with a strong victory over a young man that proved to be a tough opponent on top, but Jasen secured a second period pin. In the semifinals, Jasen weathered a little bit of a storm early but was able to just wrestle very smart and was able to secure a 8-2 decision. In the championship match, he ran into the number one student in the state and fell against a young man that proved he is worthy of the ranking. Jasen had to wrestle back to hold onto his 2nd place finish. This can be a tough task coming off a loss and the opponent coming off a win. Jasen controlled him early and secured a first period pin, thus holding onto 2nd place!
Connor Friend followed, bringing home the 2nd championship of the day. He started off with a very nice win against a student who was physically quite strong. Connor ended up getting a 3rd period pin. In the semifinals, Connor was taken down earlier which was maybe a little bit of a wakeup call as he ended up controlling the rest of the match and secured a 20-4 technical fall win. In the championship, Connor had a young man who had some nice height and length, but Connor was patient and took control early on his feet. Connor was able to secure the championship with a 9-1 major decision.
Traysen Thomason was next up for the Whippets. Traysen started the day strong with a 18-3 technical fall win. In the semi-finals, Traysen had a very good match, and with a little bit of a scramble that didn’t quite go his way he ended up dropping the match 7-4. This put him into the wrestle backs where he would need to piece together two wins to advance. His first match was against a familiar opponent from the last couple of weeks, and Traysen continued a strong game plan pinning his opponent in 1:05. This put Traysen one win from a state berth against a tall young man from Lake Country Lutheran. Traysen did very well, wrestling a smart match, and was able to secure his state berth with a 19-9 major decision.
Richi Kalra was our 5th competitor on the day. In both of his matches, he wrestled very well. In the first match he came out and got the opening takedown and then was in on a second, but the opponent made a throw as a counter, pinning Richi. In the wrestle back match, Richi had a familiar foe from Delavan. Richi wrestled extremely well on his feet, holding good position. Unfortunately, Richi saw his season end with the loss. Both of the opponents Richi lost to qualified, with the student from the first match winning the tournament and the student from the second match taking 3rd, so Richi went down and competed well against the best!
The four boys will all be competing on Thursday night, February 27, at 6:00 pm at the Kohl Center in Madison.
Article and Photo Submitted by John Schimming
Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach
jschimming@wwusd.org
Did you know that as of 2024, Wisconsin has had a tornado touch down in every month of the year? And severe weather can cost communities thousands of dollars in damage. Join expert storm chasers for a series of presentations to understand the weather forecast process and how to prepare for the upcoming severe weather season in order to protect yourself and your property.
All presentations are free. Join us on any or all dates. Registration is strongly encouraged but not required. Participants under 18 must be accompanied by a custodial guardian.
Four Different Sessions in 2025
- Session One – Why is my phone’s weather app always wrong? | Tuesday, February 25 at 6 pm
- Session Two – Watches and Warnings: aren’t they all the same? | Tuesday, March 4 at 6 pm
- Session Three – Why didn’t they issue warnings? | Tuesday, March 11 at 6 pm
- Session Four – I lost a tree in my yard, it was a tornado, right? | Tuesday, March 18 at 6 pm
Questions? Contact Kari Borne at 262-472-1003 or bornek@uww.edu
On Friday night, February 21, Whitewater Girls’ Wrestling had three ladies competing in the Sectional hosted at Whitewater High School for their opportunity to place in the top 2 and advance to the WIAA State Wrestling Individual Wrestling Championships at the Kohl Center. To note, girls’ wrestling is all one division so it can be the smallest schools in the state vs. the largest schools in the state.
Leading the way for the girls was Marianna Kubicz who wrestled her way into the championship match by starting off with a bye and then getting a strong first period pin after two great takedowns against her Janesville Craig foe. Marianna has been working hard on some technique on her feet and it showed in the semifinal match. In the championship, Marianna came out strong but ended up getting pinned. She did not have a wrestle back so she was able to hold onto her runner up finish and her ticket to Madison.
Payton Taylor was next up. Payton started the night off strong with a very nice first period pin against her Janesville Craig foe. She came out and got the early takedown and then showed her improvement over the course of the season, securing the pin. In the semi-finals, Payton dropped the match against a girl who really wrestles well. Payton was not out of the running for state just yet, but she would need to win her next match and then get some help and hope to get a wrestle back. She wrestled an outstanding match for 3rd as she just kept holding good position and wore her opponent down. Both girls were really tired, but Payton was able to dig deeper and secure the bronze medal with an 11-7 victory. Payton then got the help that she needed and the girl who had defeated her did win the championship, so Payton got a true second wrestle back to try to get to state. In this match she came out and got the opening takedown and was very close to turning the girl with just a slight movement of her body position but unfortunately went the wrong way and got pinned. This was Payton’s first year of wrestling, so with another year of experience that positioning will improve.
Closing out our girls competing was A’Lani Ross who had a difficult first round draw. Her opponent had taken 3rd at state as a freshman and was a state champion last year. This was unfortunate, as with the girls and division 1 boys if you lose your first round, you are eliminated. The Milton girl proved that she is one of the best in the state getting the first period takedown. A’Lani had a strong senior season and has nothing to be ashamed of; it was just unfortunate with the “luck of the draw.”
Marianna will be competing in Madison at the Kohl Center. Wrestling will begin at 2:00 pm on Thursday afternoon, February 27.
Article and Photos Submitted by John Schimming
Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach
jschimming@wwusd.org
The Whippet Swim Team finished out the season on some incredible swims at the State Meet on Friday, February 21st. Cruz Aranda started us off with a strong performance in the 200 Freestyle, finishing 14th with a time of 1:51.18. Cruz was then up in the 100 Freestyle where he swam a best time of 50.10! Myles Morse rocked his 500 Freestyle going right on his best time with a time 5:21.15. It was fun to watch his season and his high school swim career close out at the state meet!
The relays really put on a show! In the 200 Freestyle Relay (Jack Hefty, Langdon Coburn, Mateo Bazeley, Cruz Aranda), those boys were chasing a school record and they got that school record and absolutely crushed it. The previous school record was set in 2019 with a time of 1:33.24. Each of them went out and went season best splits and broke the record by nearly 3 seconds. The school record now sits at 1:30.89! Jack Hefty led the way with a lifetime best 23.24; that time puts him 5th all-time on the Whippet Top 10 List. Langdon Coburn got under 23 seconds with a time of 22.97, Mateo Bazeley put up the fastest split with 22.19, and Cruz Aranda rounded us out with a time of 22.49.
Cruz Aranda, Jack Hefty, Langdon Coburn, and Mateo Bazeley closed out the night with an 8th place finish in the 400 Freestyle Relay, dropping 7.28 seconds from last week’s sectional time with a 3:22.77. Cruz Aranda led the way with a time of 50.68, Jack Hefty posted a 50.71, Langdon Coburn went a 51.19, and Mateo brought it home with a 50.19. The boys won their heat and moved up 7 spots from their original 15th seed coming into the meet.
Congratulations to the Whippet Swim Team on a phenomenal season!
Article and Photos Courtesy of Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Swim Coach
ReynoldsSM07@uww.edu
Editor’s note: This announcement was shared by FFA alumni member Patty Harmon.
“Blitz”
Tuesday, February 25, 1 PM
(History/Drama/Action)
Rated PG-13; 2 hours (2024).
The dramatic and hair raising stories of a group of Londoners during the German blitzkrieg bombing campaign of the British capital during World War II. Starring Saorise Ronan, Harris Dickinson.
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/
It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.
Here is another of our mid-20th century photos of Whitewater businesses. This image shows the Moksnes Manufacturing Company in 1955. Built of concrete blocks, the Moksnes building still stands today on East Milwaukee Street, part of the Coperion complex. The Moksnes company produced lawn rakes, milk and egg coolers, and printing equipment in the mid-20th century.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
(6079P, Whitewater Historical Society)
A 12-person jury trial for the man accused of 1st-Degree Intentional Homicide in the August 30, 2024 death of 21-year-old UW-Whitewater gymnast Kara Welsh is scheduled to begin on December 15. The trial is expected to last seven days.
Chad T. Richards, 23, who was also a UW-W student, appeared in court by video at a hearing on February 18 at which time the trial was scheduled. Richards continues to be held in the Walworth County Jail on a $1,000,000 cash bond.
Richards and Welsh were in a relationship at the time of the shooting. According to the complaint, the two got into an argument. Richards claimed that Welsh grabbed the gun first and he took it away from her, then shot her because he feared for his life.
If found guilty, Richards would face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Editor’s note: Earlier stories in the Banner regarding this matter may be found here, here, and here.
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Obituaries
Lawrence “Larry” C. Hartung, a proud Marine Veteran of the Vietnam War, and longtime resident of Fort Atkinson, WI, passed away peacefully at his home on May 1, 2026. Larry was born June 7th, 1949, to Levon and Charles Hartung in Chicago, IL. Larry enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1968 and served 3 consecutive tours in the Vietnam War. During this time, he became pen pals with his future wife, Candy, via a connection through his father. In 1970, he came home on leave to marry Candy. They celebrated 55 years of marriage on October 31st, 2025. During … Read more
Leo E. Wurzer, 65, of Eagle, Wisconsin passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at his home. Leo was born on April 15, 1961 in Kenosha, Wisconsin to Cyril and Shirley (McNeil) Wurzer. He grew up between Pleasant Prairie and Antigo, spending his childhood summers on his uncle’s farm where he discovered his love for all things tractors. Although he never had a farm of his own, he was able to partially fulfill his dream by working as a driver for Robin’s Trucking in Whitewater, WI in his last days and collecting miniature Tonka toys. He began his career … Read more
Lois Cummings, 99, of Fond du Lac, WI (formerly of Janesville, WI, Fort Atkinson, WI, Fountain Hills, AZ, and Green Valley, AZ) passed away peacefully on May 5, 2026 at the Meadows Senior Residence in Fond du Lac surrounded by family. Lois was born on February 17, 1927 in Fort Atkinson to Edward and Clarice (Roseth) Stevens. The middle child of 9 children, she attended Fort Atkinson schools and graduated in 1944. On September 11, 1948 Lois married Grant Cummings at Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Delavan, WI. Together they had 3 children, Gary, Colleen (Tom) Sabel, and Patty (Paul) … Read more
Come celebrate William Kincaid’s Celebration of Life on Saturday, May 30th at 1 pm at Trippe Lake Park Pavillion in Whitewater. He truly enjoyed gatherings where his favorite foods and music could be enjoyed with some of his closest friends and family. We will honor him by carrying on one of his favorite traditions. Please bring your own beverages and chairs. There is limited seating. See you all there!
Gladys Jean (Riley) Hildebrandt, age 89, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 23, 2026. Gladys was born on December 26, 1936, in Whitewater, Wisconsin, to Theresa Egnoski Riley. She was married to Walter Sobolik Sr., and later married James A. Hildebrandt in 1976. Gladys was a hardworking woman who spent her life caring for others. She worked in school kitchens, restaurants, factories, and cleaning services. She concluded her working career as a full-time nanny. In that role, she lovingly cared for Andrew, Daniel, and Kaitlyn Drzewiecki, who became part of her chosen family. Gladys is survived by her sons, Wally … Read more
WHITEWATER – Nan Rowley died on April 15, 2026, at the age of 90. She was born on September 4, 1935, in a little house on the prairie in the Town of Johnstown, Wisconsin, the daughter of Wayne L. Wilbur and Florence (McQuillen) Wilbur. Nan attended primary schools in the towns of Johnstown and Richmond and in the City of Whitewater. Nan graduated with honors from Whitewater City High School. On June 19, 1954, Nancy and Ken Rowley were united in marriage in Whitewater and went to live on the Rowley family farm in Richmond. Over the years, Nan served … Read more
Marion H. Gorniak (nee Pfeiffer), 74, of Whitewater passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 11, 2026. She was born on October 24, 1951, to the late Harvey and Loraine (nee Drifke) Pfeiffer in Fort Atkinson, WI. On June 2, 1969, she was united in marriage to Alan Gorniak. She enjoyed gardening, flowers, and cooking, especially her rhubarb pies. She especially enjoyed spending time with family and friends and will be missed by all who knew her. Those Marion leaves behind to cherish her memory include her husband, Alan Gorniak; stepson, Alan Bauer; sister, Sue Ann Schultz, other relatives and friends. … Read more
Ruth Irene (Phelps) Justis, 88, of Appleton City, Missouri, passed away Friday morning, April 10, 2026, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg, MO, with her family by her side. Ruth was born June 3, 1937 in Janesville, Wisconsin, to Charles and Ada Mae (Maly) Phelps. She joined the Marine Corps in 1956. During her time there, she met and married her husband, Forest Wayne “Wayne” Justis in 1957. They shared 62 years of marriage and to this union, 2 children, Charles and Dorene, were born. Ruth grew up in Whitewater, WI., the oldest of three children. Ruth graduated from … Read more
Dorothy C. Kau, age 101, of Eagle, Wisconsin passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 9, 2026 at Fort Memorial Hospital. Dorothy was born on March 18, 1925 in Eagle on the family farm, the daughter of John and Katherine (Faestel) VonRueden. Dorothy was a 1942 graduate of Palmyra High School. On May 21, 1949, Dorothy was united in marriage to Alvin E. Kau at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Eagle and the Lord blessed their union with 8 children. Alvin and Dorothy enjoyed 50 years of marriage together until Alvin’s death in the year 2000. Dorothy enjoyed being a farm … Read more
Dorothy E. McCracken, 95, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2025, in Sarasota, Florida. Born on April 14, 1930, in Whitewater, Wisconsin, to Carl and Joyce Meyer, Dorothy grew up in Whitewater and graduated from Whitewater High School. She then worked for a photographer and hand painted his first colored portraits, until she got married. She and her first husband, Bernard Wafle, owned and operated a 179-acre dairy farm in Helenville, Wisconsin, for 25 years before relocating to Ocala, Florida, in 1979. Dorothy later married Earl McCracken, in Ocala, Fl. She also shared a special companionship later in life with … Read more
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