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The Whippets had a great day in Cottage Grove racing at the Marshall Invitational on Tuesday, September 13. Numerous runners ran personal bests for the season showing a lot of grit out on the race course. Having breakthrough races this season included Nola Coburn, Caelyn Caputo, Isabella Aranda, and Silvia Harris. These four had significant time drops with Isabella earning a medal in the JV race which catapulted her into the varsity lineup for the next race. The girls’ varsity finished 8th out of 12 teams, and the JV girls finished 3rd.
The boys also had some medalists as Jack Hefty took 3rd overall. Having breakthrough races on the guy’s side include Nate Holden, Xavier Zei, Yovanni Rojas-Reyes, Onyx Thompson, Andrew O’Toole, Sterling Truesdale, Keith Cameron, Quinton O’Toole, Sam NIckleburg, and Alex Clarksen. These runners had significant time drops. Nate Holden medaled in the varsity event with an 11th place finish, and Yovanni debuted in his first event ever wearing the Whippet jersey and absolutely slaughtered it. He earned a medal in the JV race and also catapulted himself onto the varsity team for his next race. The varsity tied for 2nd but lost out on the 6th runner tiebreaker to ultimately finish 3rd, one spot out from a meet trophy. The JV team also finished 3rd.
The next event is the Race St. Catherine’s Invitational hosted at UW-Parkside on Saturday morning, September 17.
FULL RESULTS: https://my.raceresult.com/218757/
Article Submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org
Pictures Courtesy of Jeff Hefty and Tammy Tomomitsu
The Whippet Swimmers competed against Burlington Co-Op Tuesday night, September 13, in Whippet territory.
Charlotte Hakewski sang her heart out in the National Anthem to start off our meet.
We started off tonight’s competition with a 1st place finish and a new best time in the 200 Medley Relay (Grace Foucault, Emerson Dunham, Brooke Bazeley, and Makayla Bazeley) with a time of 2:01.88!
In the 200 Freestyle, we had 3 new Whippet swimmers try out this event (Atreya Wilson, Lucy Davis, and Charlotte Hajewski). Karime Valaquez had a lifetime best going 2:49.36!
In the 200 IM, Makayla Bazeley and Emerson Dunham each had a lifetime best! Makayla also found herself a new spot in the Top 10 at #7.
In the 50 Freestyle, all our Whippet competitors swam a season best time (Sanibel Fox-Simes, Michelle Abarca, Grace Foucault, and Brooke Bazeley). Way to go Whippets!
One of the highlights from tonight includes Michelle Abarca swimming the 500 Freestyle. Michelle joined the team last year, where she competed mostly in 50 and 100 Freestyle events. However, this year, it was so fun to watch her conquer the 500 Freestyle!
Another swimmer took on the 500 Freestyle, Brooke Bazeley, where she started off the season strong with a time of 6:08.50.
Grace Foucault continues to be a powerhouse in the 100 Backstroke by going a time of 1:01.99.
In the 100 Breaststroke, Josie Treder (1:28.24) and Atreya Wilson (1:58.60) went a season best time!
The Whippets are home again next Tuesday at 5:30 pm against Platteville/Lancaster and PSC. Come show our Whippet swimmers some support!
Article and Photo Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Swim Coach
sreynolds@wwusd.org
Emme Bullis, Whitewater High School Class of 2021, was named Big West Setter of the Week. Bullis plays volleyball for Cal Poly as a redshirt freshman.
For the full article, visit https://gopoly.com/news/2022/9/12/womens-volleyball-bullis-earns-big-west-setter-of-the-week-honors.aspx
Article submitted by Kathy Bullis
Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by the Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Council.
The Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce ambassadors congratulated Steve Johnson from Winchester True Value on the sale of his store and his retirement recently.
The Winchester True Value operation has been a staple in Whitewater for 152 years. 46 years ago Steve Johnson began working at the store and shortly after his graduation from UW-Whitewater he took over the operation and has made it the successful store it is today. Winchester True Value is one of the longest standing and valued members of the Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce who have been involved in the community in many ways.
Steve, as a biking enthusiast, has also been a member of the Whitewater Tourism Council helping shape the outdoor recreation messaging sent to visitors. The community will certainly miss having him at the helm of the store and we wish him well on his retirement. We are happy to know that he is remaining in Whitewater and continuing his work with the Tourism Council, in between his many upcoming biking adventures!
The Chamber is also excited to welcome the new owners of our favorite hardware store, Niemann Foods, Inc. We are sure that they will keep the hometown feel of the store and embrace the Whitewater community as is the tradition at Winchester. We are excited to see what changes and additions they will bring to the store and happy to be able to continue the long-standing relationship with the Chamber! For more information about the Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce and our members contact Executive Director Kellie Carper at (262) 473-4005.
Front Left to right, Krystal Walsh-Chamber Board member from Premier Bank, Amy Fox-Chamber Board member from Nexthome Success, Michele Smith with the City of Whitewater, Kellie Carper-Exec. Director for the Chamber, Steve Johnson-retiring owner of Winchester True Value, Robert Sivek with LakeHome Info
Back Left to right: Dave Saalsaa-owner Quiet Hut Sports, Amy Oeding-Chamber Board member from UW-Whitewater, Karen McCulloch-Chamber Board President from The Book Teller
The Whippet swimmers went back to Elkhorn on Saturday, September 10th, to compete in the Elkhorn Invite. The Whippets had an awesome meet, placing 5th overall as a team. The team took home 14 medals and had many heat winners and lots of best times!
Top 16 finishes:
200 Medley Relay:
- Grace Foucault, Emerson Dunham, Makayla Bazeley, Brooke Bazeley (1st)
- Ashly Xochipa, Josie Treder, Charlotte Hajewski, Karime Velazquez (9th)
200Freestyle:
- Makayla Bazeley (1st)
- Brooke Bazeley (6th)
- Josie Treder (13th)
50 Freestyle:
- Grace Foucault (1st)
- Emerson Dunham (15th)
100 Fly:
- Makayla Bazeley (1st)
- Charlotte Hajewski (13th)
100 Freestyle:
- Ashly Xochipa (16th)
400 Freestyle:
- Brooke Bazeley (5th)
200 Freestyle Relay:
- Makayla Bazeley, Emerson Dunham, Brooke Bazeley, Grace Foucault (2nd)
100 Backstroke:
- Grace Foucault (1st)
- Charlotte Hajewski (14th)
- Ashly Xochipa (15th)
100 Breaststroke:
- Emerson Dunham (9th)
- Josie Treder (12th)
400 Freestyle Relay:
- Charlotte Hajewski, Karime Velazquez, Ashly Xochipa, Josie Treder (9th)
The Whippets are back in action at home on Tuesday, September 13 at 5:30pm against Burlington Co-op.
Article and Photos Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Swim Coach
sreynolds@wwusd.org
Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by the League of Women Voters.
The League of Women Voters Whitewater Area is a proud supporter of the National Voter Registration Day and will provide Voter Registration Education in Whitewater, Fort Atkinson, and Delavan, WI in order to celebrate this nonpartisan civic holiday.
Founded in 2012, National Voter Registration Day is designed to create an annual moment when the entire nation focuses on registering Americans to exercise their most basic right – the right to vote.
According to U.S. Census data from 2020, as many as 1 in 4 eligible Americans are not registered to vote. Every year, millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register. National Voter Registration Day wants to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote.
Please tap into our collective expertise with all your voting concerns on this special day.
You can find us at the following locations and times on
Tuesday, September 20th.
10am to 2pm: MATC, 827 Banker Road, Fort Atkinson
12 noon to 2pm: Irvin L Young Memorial Library, 431 W Center St,
Whitewater
3pm to 7pm: Aram Public Library, 404 E Walworth Ave, Delavan
3pm to 7pm: Outside City Market at the Whitewater Depot
4pm to 6pm: Dwight Foster Public Library, 209 Merchants Ave, Fort Atkinson
The Whippets saw their best finish in several years at the Kettle Moraine Tournament this past weekend, with a 5th place finish in the gold bracket. Teams included Kettle Moraine, Lake Mills, Arrowhead, East Troy, Kewaunee, Wauwatosa East, Muskego, Manitowoc Lincoln, Dominican, Barneveld, Sun Prairie West, Verona, Appleton East, The Prairie School, Newman Catholic, and Whitewater.
The Whippets faced The Prairie School (Racine) in the first round of pool play and beat them in best of three sets with the scores of 25-8, 22-25, 15-12. This was a battle, and the Whippets came out on top with statistical leaders of Calli Grosinske with 19 assists, Kindyl Kilar and Ella Spear with 3 aces apiece, Kilar with 9 digs, and Kilar with 21 kills.
Up next was another match in pool play where the Whippets battled Newman Catholic (Wausau). This match found the Whippets losing in a two of three-set match with scores of 23-25, 25-23, and 13-15. Statistical leaders for this match included Calli Grosinske and Cali Kopecky with 3 aces apiece. Grosinske finished with a double-double with 19 assists and 28 digs, and Kindyl Kilar also finished with a double-double with 17 kills and 11 digs.
Following pool play, the Whippets were reseeded to 6th place, which placed them in the Gold Bracket playoff (top 8 teams moved here). The Whippets faced a tough Kettle Moraine team and struggled in the first set. They came back in the second set, falling just short with scores of 10-25 and 20-25. Statistical leaders for this match included Kilar with 10 kills, Caleigh Yang with 8 digs, Cali Kopecky with 2 aces, and Calli Grosinske with 12 assists.
The first-round loss in the playoffs left the Whippets playing off for 5th place, facing Appleton East. The Whippets came out dominating and won in two straight sets with scores of 25-21 and 26-24. Statistical leaders included Kindyl Kilar with a double-double with 17 kills, 12 digs, and 2 aces, Caleigh Yang with 17 digs, and Calli Grosinske with 17 assists.
The coaching staff could not be prouder of this squad. Coach Kilar stated, “For us to come out and battle against schools much larger than us and truly come together and compete, was fun to see. We didn’t back down, we persevered through some ups and downs and came out on top in our last match. To place 5th is an absolutely solid accomplishment for our varsity squad.”
Next up is conference play, with the Whippets heading to Brodhead on Tuesday (9/13) followed by a home match (Parents’ Night) against McFarland on Thursday (9/15).
Article and Photo Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
You could feel the energy in the gym the minute the Whippet Varsity Volleyball team took to the court on Thursday, September 8! The Whippets were honoring something bigger than volleyball, the inspirational educators who have made a difference in their lives. As Kindyl Kilar spoke to the crowd at the beginning of the match, “You have been chosen not only for the subject you teach, or the lessons you have created, but for the meaningful relationships you have created with each one of us. You have cared for us, inspired us, and allowed us to see potential in our futures. So tonight, we honor you!” Each member of the program chose an inspirational educator that touched their lives in some way. Whether a grade school educator, a coach or a counselor, they have made an impact and were honored.
Kilar shared, “Showing gratitude for people in our lives who have made a difference is bigger than volleyball. The wins are nice, but understanding in this world that honoring people who have touched our lives in a positive way is so much bigger than volleyball. Tonight, there were some true educators who have been called to a vocation and those educators touched each of our athletes in some way. We were honored to have so many educators in the gym with us, and I was honored to be able to highlight them with our athletes.”
The Whippets went on to sweep the Chiefs in three straight sets behind a very loud and energetic crowd. “This was such a fun night. The fans were awesome, the youth came out and supported us, our educators were here, and it was great to bring home a win,” said Kilar.
This was a program win for the Whippet teams as all three levels defeated Big Foot. “As a coaching staff, we are so proud of what our athletes are doing. They are working hard in the gym and weight room, and it is producing positive results,” said Kilar.
Statistical leaders on the night included Calli Grosinske with 26 assists, Ella Spear with 12 digs, Jenna Pope with 2 blocks, Cali Kopecky, Grosinke, and Pope with 3 aces and Kindyl Kilar with 26 kills. The Whippets won 25-16, 25-19, and 25-23.
Article and Group Photos Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
Action Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
Obituaries
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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