Early City Motto "The Banner Inland City of the Midwest"
The Banner has been serving Whitewater, Wisconsin since August 1, 2006

Today is Thursday, November 28, 2024

News & Events

WHITEWATER WEATHER

To add an event, click here to go to the Community Calendar.  Then, click on Submit Event.

Helpful Links

Search our Archives

To search our archives, enter a search term in the search box, then press enter to search.

Whippet Varsity Beats East Troy to Tie for First in RVC

October 7, 2022

The Whitewater volleyball program traveled to East Troy for their last conference game on Thursday, October 6. The JV1 and JV2 teams continued their solid efforts as they fought hard against the Trojans. The teams will finish their seasons this Thursday against Johnson Creek at our Dig Pink home finish.

Kindyl Kilar

The Whippet Varsity squad (8-1 conference, and 19-6 overall) continued their win streak against East Troy, beating them in four sets, 25-16, 25-15, 20-25, 25-17. And with a little help from Brodhead beating McFarland tonight, we are tied for 1st overall in the conference!

This team is so well deserving of the honor. They have worked so hard, stayed consistent and have a true desire to get better every single day. To finish on the top of the RVC is an accomplishment, and a goal we had, but we are not done yet. We now set our sights on Johnson Creek to end regular season play on Thursday for Dig Pink, and then we will be laser-focused on playoff time!

“I think we are starting to really believe. We can battle with great teams, and we are finding success. Success comes in the grind. When we face adversity, when we have setbacks, we keep grinding and believing; that is success! That is exactly what I love about this team this year. They believe in each other and even in the face of adversity, they still believe. We hope to use this mentality and momentum to take us deep in the playoff battle.”

Statistical leaders on the night included a big blocking night from Junior Aidyn Amundson with 3 blocks, Caleigh Yang with 23 digs and 3 aces, Calli Grosinske with 38 assists and 3 aces, Cali Kopecky with 13 digs, and Kindyl Kilar with 26 kills and 10 digs.

Statistical leaders for East Troy included Jillian Pergande with 16 kills, Julia Aleckson with 32 assists, Olivia Grayse with 2 aces, and Amaya Pluess with 26 digs.

Next up, the Whippets are at home on Thursday (10/13) to host Johnson Creek for our annual Dig Pink event. We will honor our Manager Cristal Verduzco’s late mother who lost her battle to breast cancer this past September. We also hope to honor all those who have fought, who have won, and who are currently fighting cancer. Let’s pack the gym to dig for a cure!

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

Whippet Soccer Falls to Delavan-Darien

October 7, 2022

A cold night brought another rough loss for the Whippet soccer team on Thursday night, October 6. A Whitewater squad that was missing five starters due to many different factors faced a well-disciplined Delavan-Darien squad.

The Comets were able to move the ball with ease and dominated much of the first half. In resilient fashion, the Whippets put on a much better second half display. With tireless defending from Emerson Ellenwood and Emmanuel Mbifi and great midfield pressure from Ethan Dougan and Chris Cortez, Whitewater only allowed two second half goals.

The Whippets can now look forward to the “RVC Tournament” next week against Big Foot.

Article Submitted by Sam Burns
Whitewater High School Assistant Varsity Soccer Coach
dburns@wwusd.org

Whippet Varsity Sweeps Clinton on Play for Trey Night, Kilar gets 1000!

October 5, 2022

The Whitewater Varsity Volleyball Squad (7-1 conference, and 18-6 overall) hosted Clinton for Play for Trey Night on Tuesday, October 4, and swept them 25-9, 25-22, 25-17.

The Whippet Varsity squad continued their win streak and swept Clinton in three straight sets. However, this was an event that had the athletes playing for something bigger than themselves. With images on the big screen of Varsity players CC Alexander, Cali Kopecky, and Kindyl Kilar with their young friend and brother Treyton, Kindyl spoke about what this event means, while surrounded by her entire Volleyball Program.

“At approximately 8:00 p.m., our world was shattered, and my brother’s life was ended, at the hands of a drunk driver. Not a day goes by that we don’t miss him so much. We are all charged with taking an active role in making better decisions that impact our days in a positive way. There will never be a time when doing the right thing and making the right choice will ever be the wrong one.

Today is no different, the Whitewater HS volleyball team has been determined since his death in 2010, to play for something bigger than ourselves- to play for my brother Trey- in an effort to continue to spread awareness of destructive decisions and the call to be better. Treyton Kilar continues to be a vivid reminder of the importance of good decision making in all aspects of our lives.  

As we Play for Trey tonight, may we all remember a young boy full of life, taken far too soon by a destructive decision in an instant. And, we rededicate ourselves to making good decisions every day, to be the example for all, about what positive decisions can do.”

The Whippets went on to sweep Clinton for their 18th win on the season. Coach Kilar commented, “This team is just simply something special. You walk in our gym and you can sense what a true team they are. They are having fun, they are working hard and disciplined, and they are simply committed to getting better every day. They are all selfless leaders. This team is just simply special.”

And if the moment couldn’t have gotten any better, on this Play for Trey night and her brother’s birthday, Kindyl Kilar’s first swing of the night landed her 1000th career kill. Kindyl leads the Whippet record book in the top 5 in kills, aces, and digs. I think her brother may have been smiling down on her.

Statistical leaders on the night included Calli Grosinske with a double-double with 26 assists and 10 digs, Kilar with 17 kills, Cali Kopecky with 6 aces, and Jenna Pope with 2 blocks. For Clinton, Wellnitz led with 2 aces, Allie Bell with 8 digs, Jenna Gunnink with 5 assists, Jayden Nortier with 4 kills, and Lindsey Koch with 4 blocks.

Next up, the Whippets travel to East Troy on Thursday (10/6) and then host Johnson Creek on 10/13 for their annual Dig Pink event.

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

Swimmers Win 7 of 11 Races at Edgerton/Evansville

October 5, 2022

The Whitewater Whippets put up a good battle by nearly taking down the Edgerton/Evansville Bluetide swim team on Tuesday night, October 4! 

Out of the 11 races, the Whippet swimmers placed 1st in 7 of those races. These 1st place finishes include: 

🏆Makayla Bazeley in the 200 Freestyle with a time of 2:05.83.

🏆Emerson Dunham in the 200 IM with a time of 2:38.77.

🏆Brooke Bazeley in the 50 Freestyle with a time of 28.14.

🏆Grace Foucault in the 100 Butterfly with a time of 1:04.79. 

🏆Makayla Bazeley in the 100 Freestyle with a time of 57.16. 

🏆Brooke Bazeley in the 500 Freestyle with a time of 6:01.55.

🏆Grace Foucault in the 100 Backstroke with a time of 1:01.99. 

We had a handful of exciting races during tonight’s competition. Those races include: 

✔200 Freestyle where lane mates Georgia Esch and Lucy Davis battled it out against one another. They both competed well and had their best time of the season so far! 

✔In the 200 IM Josie Treder had an awesome comeback swim which landed her in a 2nd place finish. She swam an impressive life time best of 2:49.12. 

✔In the 50 Freestyle, Atreya Wilson and Andrea Alcala both swam a season best! 

✔In the 500 Freestyle, Charlotte Hajewski swam a 6:42.22 with a 3rd place finish. 

✔In the 100 Backstroke Angela (Ace) Hudec continues to improve her skills in competition settings. She had a season best time! 

✔Grace Foucault had a thrilling 100 Backstroke race with a time of 1:01.99. 

✔In the 100 Breaststroke, all three swimmers, Emerson Dunham, Josie Treder, and Atreya Wilson, went season best times. 

The Whippets are at home against Delavan-Darien on Tuesday (10/11) 5:30 p.m. Since this is our last home meet, we will be celebrating our seniors. We hope to see you there!

Article and Photo Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Swim Coach
sreynolds@wwusd.org

Whippets Compete in Platteville CC Invite

October 2, 2022

Both cross country teams rose to an early alarm clock and headed west to compete in Platteville against 34 teams on Saturday, October 1. This invite is broken down into two equal divisions of 17 teams split down the middle and defined as “small school” and “large school” based on school enrollment. All teams compete against one another in the same race, but the results are split based on the divisions.

Whitewater competed in the large school division and did well! The girls’ varsity was first and was once again led by freshman Mady Hefty. She continues to just simply be rock solid, steadily improving or racing near her previous best, setting the pace for the Whippets. Her time of 21:42 was good enough for 35th. Athena Soto ran her lifetime best of 22:40 to take 62nd and commented that this was her favorite course we’ve competed on yet. Jackie Franco put together another really nice race packing it up with her teammates and crossing the line in 24:14 taking 81st. The girls’ team took 13th in the large school division. In the JV race, Silvia Harris and Danielle DePorter paced the Whippets placing 56th and 57th, respectively, with times of 26:06 and 26:08. Paula Wilms wasn’t far behind in 60th with a time of 26:10. Elisa Albertini had a nice race really pushing herself and flourished at the finish to take home a new PR of 27:49 and take 83rd. The girls’ JV squad did well and placed 11th overall out of all 34 teams.

The boys’ varsity has consistently seen Jack Hefty up front for the Whippets. After getting bogged down slightly by a large field and tight turn on the bridge, Jack eventually found himself with the lead pack by 2K. Jack fought hard and ran his second sub-17 effort to stop the clock in 6th overall, but 3rd in the large school division. His time was 16:49. Nate Holden really is pouring it on in the middle to latter portions of his races and moved from the mid 30’s in the race to 17th overall, and 9th in our division. Nate’s time was 17:30. Both boys earned a medal for their terrific races. Miles Nickelsburg is steady in his low 19’s efforts and did so again by running 19:11 to take 64th. Overall, the boys’ team placed 8th. The JV team had some great packing running by a number of guys with Onyx Thompson coming out on top to place 54th in 21:19. Andrew O’Toole was a very motivated man on this day to make the cut for the varsity team at the conference meet in two weeks by dropping nearly a minute and a half from his previous personal best and took the 63rd in 21:35! Ben McCulloch and Yovanni Rojas-Reyes also ran strong races in the JV field to place 67th and 69th overall, just behind their teammates. Quinton O’Toole also had a significant improvement by dropping 59 seconds from his previous personal best to stop the clock in 23:59, good enough for 104th. Gavin LaFlash also improved by running with Quinton and placed 105th with a new PR of 24:00. Keith Cameron PR’d with a time of 24:43 to place 123rd. The boys’ JV team finished 10th overall out of 34 teams.

Next up is the Rock Valley Conference Meet hosted by Whitewater High School, on the campus of UW-Whitewater on Thursday, October 13th. The first race is set to begin at 4:10 with the Varsity Girls followed at 4:50 for Varsity Boys and finally at 5:25 for combined JV Boys and Girls. Come out and watch some intense racing in the championship phase of our season. Both varsity races will have athletes that are of state caliber and there are currently two boys’ teams that are ranked in the top 12 in the state. Don’t miss out!

Boys’ Results: http://www.accuracetiming.com/results/2022/plattcc_22b.pdf

Girls’ Results: http://www.accuracetiming.com/results/2022/plattcc_22g.pdf

Article Submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org
Pictures courtesy of Tiffany Buehler

Arboretum at Starin Park Fall Programs

October 1, 2022

Three engaging fall programs are coming to the Arboretum at Starin Park.

Whippet Soccer Falls to McFarland

October 1, 2022

A rough evening against a well-disciplined team led to a 4-0 defeat for our Whitewater Whippets Soccer Team on Thursday, September 29. McFarland came out strong with some beautiful 1-2 touch passing, and it proved too much to handle defensively. McFarland also managed to dominate the midfield and allowed your Whippets very few opportunities going forward. Considering all of that, Whitewater did show massive improvements in the winning of 50-50s as well as our overall possession percentage. Secondly, despite a rough first half, the Whitewater defense allowed far fewer opportunities in the second half. Henry Mortimer played a huge role in this with a few crucial saves. The highlight of the evening came at the end of the game with the honoring of our senior class. The evening ended with players, families, coaches, and community members joining together in honoring the 4 years of soccer we had with this wonderful group of athletes. 

Article Submitted by Sam Burns
Whitewater High School Assistant Varsity Soccer Coach
dburns@wwusd.org

Volleyball Team Continues Win Streak, Plans for Annual “Play for Trey” Event Next Week

September 30, 2022

The Whitewater Varsity Squad (6-1 conference, and 17-6 overall) hosted Jefferson for Senior Night on Tuesday, September 27, and swept the Eagles 25-12, 25-19, 25-20. The Whippets continued their win streak, and swept the Evansville Blue Devils in 3 straight sets on Thursday, September 29. The entire squad shared playing time in the victory.

Cali Kopecky

“I cannot be prouder of the way this team is playing as one unit, selflessly putting it all out on the floor for each other, and working hard day in and day out. This is a group of athletes that emulate what it means to be a team. They support one another, they lean in to whatever the team needs, and they simply are finding success because of their mindset. They are a fun team to coach!”

Statistical leaders on the night included Kindyl Kilar hitting a .405 with 31 kills, 18 digs, and 2 aces in the three sets, Caleigh Yang with 5 aces, and Calli Grosinske with 34 assists.

The Whippets will be in action at home on Tuesday, October 4th, for the Annual Play for Trey, in honor of Treyton Kilar who was killed in 2010 by a drunk driver on his way home from watching his sister play volleyball. Treyton is the brother of Whippet athlete Kindyl Kilar and JV1 coach Rosie Jaskolski, and son to head coach, Mary Kilar.

“This event is truly special. For the high school athletes to continue to honor Trey by bringing awareness of destructive decisions touches our hearts. The message of making good choices will never get old. Treyton was killed by one destructive decision in 2010. We hope this event continues to keep at the forefront that making a good choice will never be the wrong choice. I thank our whole community for their support. We hope to see you in the gym!”

Statistical leaders for Evansville included Rachel Klitzman with 8 kills, Taija Louis with 5 aces, and Skye McDermott with 16 assists.

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

Obituaries

Obituary: Richard Allen Splitter, 80, of MO

Richard Allen Splitter, age 80, of Blue Eye, Missouri, passed away November 12, 2024. He entered this life on June 16, 1944, the son of Edward and Berniece (Craig) Splitter in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Richard proudly served our country in the United States Navy for two terms. During his time in the service, he was able to get his master’s degree in engineering from California State University of Long Beach. During his working years, Richard was an engineer for different aerospace companies. He retired to Blue Eye, Missouri, and thoroughly enjoyed lake life. Richard appreciated the outdoors and loved hiking, fishing, … Read more

Read More

Obituary: Edward W. Hamilton, 83, of Davenport, IA

Edward W. HamiltonApril 3,1941 – October 26, 2024 Edward “Edjo” Wickman Hamilton, 83, passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at home.  Ed was born in Evanston, Illinois and moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin with his family when he was eight years old.  He attended Whitewater High School and then graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater with a bachelor of science degree.  He also served two years in the army.  He moved to Davenport, Iowa in 1971 and worked at John Deere Davenport Works until he retired in 2001.  Then he followed a dream, moved back to Whitewater and … Read more

Read More

Obituary: Verne Paul Schrank, 94

Verne Paul Schrank was born on March 9, 1930 at home on the family farm in Lima Township, Rock County, to Arthur and Marie (Witte) Schrank.  He attended the Sturtevant one room school which closed when he graduated in 1944. He attended Whitewater High School and graduated in 1948. Verne farmed with his parents until 1967 when he moved to Whitewater and worked for the Whitewater Unified School District as a custodian – courier for 27 years. Verne served on various boards at St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church, as well as playing on the dartball team for many years. Verne … Read more

Read More

Obituary: Janine Marie (Dickerson) Weiss, 94

After a long full life, Janine Marie (Dickerson) Weiss was called home to the Lord. Janine was born on April Fool’s Day, 1930 in Milwaukee. She grew up enjoying Trolleys, dancing and school with her sisters, Donna Domagalski, Marcyl Howel, Karen Moczynski and her parents, Glenn and Lucille Dickerson. In 1950, she married Frederic Weiss in a little church in Three Lakes WI. Shortly after, the first of 5 kids was born with the next 2 shortly after. Denice Lucille (Edward DeGroot), David Arthur, and Dana Lynn (Stephen Lind). After a breather Debra Beth (Alyn Jones) and Donna Raye (Dale … Read more

Read More

Obituary: Raymond Miles, 96

Raymond Miles, 96, Whitewater, passed away on Thursday, November 14, 2024, at Our House Senior Living in Whitewater. Raymond was born on February 10, 1928, in Elkhorn, WI to Rueben and Norma Miles. He served in the US Army. On June 18, 1955, Raymond married Waverly Sutherland in Whitewater, WI. He enjoyed a long and successful career as a Livestock Dealer. In retirement, he cherished time spent with his family and remained informed on the farming community. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Waverly of Whitewater, sons Eddie of Madison and Todd (Barbara) Miles of Sarasota FL, … Read more

Read More

Obituary: Connie Jean Sukowski

Connie Jean Sukowski embarked on her next big adventure on the evening of Friday, November 8, 2024. Connie enjoyed decades of adventures with friends and family. She spent 36 years teaching 2nd and 3rd grade students in the Palmyra Eagle School District, working alongside many cherished colleagues and friends. Connie and her husband, Patrick Theodore Sukowski, shared 55 and a half years of marriage. Together they raised four children: Peter, Allan, Ann and Kevin Sukowski. She took great joy in watching her five grandchildren grow into amazing adults: Sonora Sukowski, Brianne Hebbe, Jared Gundrum-Sukowski, Nolan Causey, and Lore Lai Schimmel. … Read more

Read More

Nancy Lou Hallock Cooper, 88

Nancy Lou Hallock Cooper passed away November 8, 2024 due to complications of lungcancer. Nancy was born on April 20, 1936 in Springfield,  MA to Howard and Barbara (Corliss) Hallock. As a child, Nancy spent every summer in her beloved Piermont, NH where she and her brothers “helped” the local farmer with his chores, including riding in the truck with the milk cans every morning.  She enjoyed swimming in the local brooks, picking berries, going to the nearby library, visiting with cousins, and playing croquet every evening.  As she grew older, she spent time as a camper and then a camp … Read more

Read More

Obituary: James Robert Trier (Jimbo), 89

James Robert Trier (Jimbo), passed away on November 10, 2024, at the age of 89. Born on December 22, 1934, in New Holstein, WI, to George and Frances Trier. He spent his later years residing in Whitewater, WI. Jim began his teaching career as a high school mathematics teacher and then dedicated 55 years of his life to education as a mathematics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He was the chairman of the faculty senate as well. He had a passion for math and an engaging teaching style, which made him a student favorite. He was known for telling … Read more

Read More

Memorial Celebration: Martin Jack Martinelli, 64

Editor’s note: Martin Martinelli’s obituary may be found here.

Read More

Obituary: Juan Manuel “Manny” Rodriguez, 56

Juan Manuel “Manny” Rodriguez, 56, of Whitewater, WI, passed away on Oct 31, 2024. He was born in Fort Atkinson, WI, on November 14, 1967 to Ponciano and Blanca Rodriguez. He graduated from Whitewater High School and continued his education at Gateway, earning a degree in marketing. He had a love for helping people and worked in healthcare for over 30 years as a CNA.  He enjoyed shooting darts with his lifelong friends: Robert Bramley, Brian Quass, and Todd Piper.  To know Manny, you knew he had a love for his Washington Redskins, now known as the Commanders.  He loved to play … Read more

Read More