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The following article by Maggie Hendricks was posted on olympics.com.
The United States became the first men’s wheelchair basketball team ever to win three gold medals at the Paralympics. Team USA won gold with a 73-69 win over Great Britain at Bercy Arena in Paris on Saturday, 7 September.
As he has done throughout the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Steve Serio led Team USA to the win. He scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out eight assists for the win. Serio said that these would be his final Paralympics. His play is a huge reason why the United States’ men’s team has dominated over the past decade. He retires with three Paralympic golds, one bronze and five world championship medals.
“This is what dreams are made of, man. The totality of the journey, how much this team has grown up together. We’ve won together, we’ve lost together. To cap off my Team USA career with a win like this, with 12 athletes that I love and a great staff behind me, this is what dreams are made of,” Serio said to NBC after the win.
But Serio hardly got the win by himself. Jake Williams [former UW-W student athlete] led Team USA with 26 points, and Trevon Jenifer added 14. While Brian Bell didn’t score as many points as he has in previous games, he was all over the court and made a remarkable difference on defense.
Serio said that the team’s depth and chemistry is what makes them special.
“Any given day, it can be any athlete. We know that we go 12-deep. I read somewhere once that the secret of basketball is not basketball. It’s about the relationships you’ve built. These guys. We bleed together, we sweat together, we work together. We fail together, and today we won together,” he said with a big smile.
The win caps off a magical run through Paris for the U.S. men’s wheelchair basketball team. The U.S. won all three of their games in group play, and then won the quarterfinal and the semifinals with an average of 36 points. Now, they get to return home as the most successful men’s wheelchair basketball team of all time.
Editor’s note: A previous Banner article, The Athletic: “…UW-W, the bedrock of the U.S. Paralympic Wheelchair Team, may be found here.
Effective Wednesday, September 11, 2024, the hours of operation will change from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. to 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. This will remain in effect until the site closes for the season on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. However, the site will still remain open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. through November 16, 2024.
For any questions or concerns contact the Streets Department at (262) 473-0560.
Brian Neumeister
Superintendent- Streets/Parks/Stormwater
By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
St. Paul, Minn. – The No. 7 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team topped a pair of ranked opponents to wrap up play in the KTIS Classic in St. Paul, Minnesota Saturday. The Warhawks opened the day with a 3-1 (25-20, 25-27, 25-15, 25-22) win over No. 22 Cornell before sweeping No. 12 Northwestern-St. Paul 3-0 (25-13, 25-20, 25-13).
Cornell Box Score | UNW Box Score
The Warhawks have now won three consecutive matches against teams ranked among the top 25 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III poll. UWW swept No. 20 Berry College in the team’s first match of the invitational Friday.
UW-Whitewater’s tandem of outside hitters led the offense against Cornell. Alayna Jansky hammered down 17 kills while Jenna Weinfurt registered 15. The pair notched double-doubles with 17 and 14 digs respectively. Middle hitter Abbie Dix added nine kills in the contest.
Setter Aubrie Krzus was active in all facets of the match. In addition to dishing out 44 assists, the sophomore tallied 6 kills in 10 attempts, 6 digs, a solo and four assist blocks.
Jaedynn Evans rounded out the Warhawks in double figures with 16 digs against the Rams.
The UWW defense was phenomenal against the Eagles in the second match of the day. The Warhawks registered 13 blocks and held UNW to a negative attack percentage for the match. Meanwhile, the UW-Whitewater offense was efficient posting an attack percentage of .316 bolstered a fantastic third set. In the final set of the tournament, UWW pounded down 11 kills in 19 attempts while committing just two errors – an attack percentage of .474.
Jansky was nearly unstoppable in the match with 12 kills in 17 attempts with just a single error – an attack percentage of .647. Weinfurt added 10 kills in the three-setter.
Dix was a force at the net defensively. The sophomore tallied a solo and seven assist blocks in the match. Six Warhawks registered at least one block in the contest. In addition to Dix’s eight, fellow middle Hannah Proctor and Weinfurt each posted five assist blocks.
Krzus notched 26 assists adding three aces and three assist blocks in the match.
Evans was the lone Warhawk to post double digit digs with 10.
In the three matches against three ranked opponents in the classic, Jansky hit .417 with 50 kills — an average of 5 kills per set to lead the offense. Krzus totaled 103 assists averaging 10.30 per set. Dix led the blockers with one solo and eleven assisted – an average of 1.20 blocks per set. Evans averaged 4.30 digs per set with a three-match total of 43 on the weekend.
By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
Box Score – The No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team opened the 2024 campaign in stellar fashion. The Warhawks cruised to a 34-7 win over John Carroll University in front of the UWW faithful at Perkins Stadium Saturday afternoon. UW-Whitewater is now 18-2 in season openers in the last 20 seasons.
The pace may have looked a little different than years past, but the result was the same. After a touchback on the opening kick, the Warhawk offense jogged out to the 25 for their first possession of 2024. UW-Whitewater established the run game right off the bat with Tamir Thomas gaining eight yards on the first carry of the game. He would take the handoff six more times in the drive hitting paydirt from one yard out for UWW’s first score of the season. Jackson Fox split the uprights on the extra point and the Warhawks had a 7-0 lead less than six minutes into the game.
The UW-Whitewater defense followed with a three-and-out. After a seven-yard gain to open the Blue Streaks’ first drive, Lucas Sadler got into the backfield and sacked the JCU quarterback for a loss of six. On third down, Trey Castella and Jakob Simmons blasted through the line for another sack and a loss of 11 to force a punt.
The punt was down at the 22 and the UWW offense returned with all of the momentum. Following a couple of short gains, Brian Stanton was tapped for the handoff, burst through the line and bounced to the outside bolting up the sideline past defenders for the 56-yard touchdown run. Fox hit the point after for a 14-0 Warhawk lead with just over four minutes left in the first quarter.
The teams turned the ball over on downs on the next two drives before the UWW defense forced a turnover early in the second quarter. Six plays into a Blue Streak drive, a short pass up the middle was completed and fumbled at the Warhawk 36. Mika Gutoski jumped on the loose ball to bring the UWW offense back onto the field.
UW-Whitewater capitalized on the turnover with a 28-yard field goal by Fox.
As halftime neared, head coach Jace Rindahl did a phenomenal job of managing the clock to give the Warhawks another scoring chance. The defense forced a punt and Jason Ceniti led UWW back onto the field with 1:35 left to drive 87 yards – and that’s exactly what they did.
Ceniti hit Nick Wind on a crossing pattern for a 31-yard gain. Two plays later, he found Brian Wilterdink for 12 more and another first down at the JCU 20. Next, it was Wind again, this time for nine yards to the Blue Streak 11. From there, Thomas got the nod once again. He found his way through the middle and into the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown scamper. Fox’s extra point made it 24-0 at the break.
After a scoreless third, the Warhawks scored on the first play of the fourth quarter. Ceniti found Wind in the end zone from 11-yards out for the team’s first touchdown through the air of the season. Fox hit the point after to give UWW a 31-0 advantage. Fox would connect on a 24-yard field goal later in the fourth for UW-Whitewater’s final score of the game.
John Carroll’s final drive lasted nearly five minutes. The Blue Streaks negated the shutout with a touchdown strike with just one second remaining. The extra point was good to make it 34-7 and the game ended as time expired on the ensuing kickoff.
UWW registered 439 yards of total offense including 286 yards on the ground. The defense held JCU to just 226 yards on the day.
Ceniti was 14-25 for 153 yards through the air. He added 43 yards with his feet. Blake Haggerty was Ceniti’s favorite target on the day with five receptions for 79 yards. Wind added three catches for 51 yards.
Stanton led the Warhawks in the ground game with 123 yards on 10 carries. Thomas registered 77 yards on 14 rushing attempts. The duo combined for three rushing touchdowns in the game.
Ethan Gallagher posted a team-high seven tackles while Castella tallied 1.5 tackles for a loss of 10 yards.
It was a terrific day for the Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country Teams as they competed at the West Allis Bulldog Invitational on Friday afternoon. There were six boys and six girls who all ran a lifetime best in the first meet of the season!
Leading the boy’s field and never looking back was Jack Hefty, who blitzed the course to a new personal record time of 15:56 to secure the win. Xavier Zei ran a very strong race and also ran a lifetime best to place 16th in 17:26. Luc Pomazak has transformed himself into a killer runner and was the team’s third runner, cutting over six minutes off his personal best from last year in 18:01 and placing 32nd. Miles Nicklesburg wasn’t far behind and placed 34th in 18:08. Rounding out the top five scorers for the team was Andrew O’Toole placing 66th with a new lifetime best of 18:55. Onyx Thompson placed 86th in 19:38, and Isaac Straight ran a new lifetime best to place 100th in 20:06. The team had a very strong showing and placed 4th out of 18th teams, one point from Oak Creek which was 3rd.
In the JV race, Quinton O’Toole ran a new lifetime best of 20:16 and placed 33rd. He led the team to a 9th place finish out of 15 complete teams.
On the girls’ side, pack running was as strong as ever. There was only a 52 second spread between the team’s first runner and fifth runner. Athena Soto finished as the top runner on this day after running much of her race with Mady Hefty and Virginia Nelson. Athena placed 37th in 22:01. Virginia placed 42nd in 22:20 for a new lifetime PR, and Mady was not far behind in 22:23, good enough for 45th. Carley Boudreau and Nola Coburn have been finding each other early as they work together picking people off throughout the race. Carley finished in 22:50 for 55th, and Nola ran 22:53 for 56th. Sami Van Daele crushed her race and ran a lifetime best 24:06, finishing in 71st. Ema Aranda was the team’s 7th runner in 24:45 and placed 83rd. Lucy Troxel also ran a lifetime best today by stopping the clock in 25:14, with an overall placing of 89th. The varsity team placed 10th out of 13 complete teams.
In the JV race, Delaney Hammack ran a new lifetime best of 25:41 to place 43rd. Tying her previous personal best was Mya Graves-Koran in 27:05. Also running a lifetime best was Vivian Harris in 31:32. The JV squad placed 10th out of 13 complete teams.
Next up for the Whippets will be the Marshall Invitational on Tuesday, September 17th.
Full results: https://wi.milesplit.com/meets/627901-wac-bulldog-invite-2024
Article Submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org
Photo credits – Coach Carstens and Jeff Hefty
“Thelma”
Tuesday, September 10, 1 p.m.
(Comedy/Action) Rated PG-13; 1 hour, 38 minutes (2024)
When 93 year old Thelma Post (played by 94 year old June Squibb) gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her. Revenge has never been sweeter. Drama, comedy, adventure and romance commences! Also stars Richard Roundtree, in his last performance.
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/
Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #238 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Sat., Sept. 7, 2024, in honor of U.S. Army Corporal Robert P. Raess, who lost his life in the Korean War and whose remains have been identified and returned to Wisconsin for burial.
“Corporal Robert Raess made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the values and freedoms we hold dear, and his bravery, service, and selflessness will not be forgotten,” said Gov. Evers. “I’m glad that after over 70 years, Corporal Raess will return home to Dodgeville and be laid to rest surrounded by his loved ones.”
A native of Dodgeville, Corporal Raess was a member of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean War. On Sept. 1, 1950, Corporal Raess was reported missing in action near Changnyeong, South Korea, and was officially declared deceased on Dec. 31, 1953. In 1951, the Army recovered remains from 12 smaller military cemeteries in the area where Corporal Raess was last seen and temporarily interred them at the United Nations Military Cemetery in Tanggok, South Korea, and in 1956, they were buried as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. Corporal Raess’ remains were positively identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency on March 26, 2024.
Corporal Raess will be buried on Sat., Sept. 7, 2024, in Dodgeville.
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Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #239 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Sat., Sept. 7, 2024, in honor of former Wisconsin State Rep. Stephen J. Freese, who passed away on Wed., Aug. 28, 2024, at the age of 64.
“Representative Freese’s unwavering dedication to public service, his deep devotion to his family and friends, and his commitment to uplifting Wisconsin’s rural communities, will be missed by many,” said Gov. Evers. “Kathy and I send our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and former colleagues in mourning his passing.”
Former Rep. Freese grew up in Hazel Green and was a graduate of Southwestern High and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Former Rep. Freese first entered public service in 1980, serving on the Jamestown Town Board from 1980 to 1994, and also served on the Grant County Board of Supervisors from 1982 to 1992. In 1990, former Rep. Freese was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, where he served for 16 years representing the 51st Assembly District. During his time in the Wisconsin State Assembly, Rep. Freese served as speaker pro tempore of the Assembly for 12 years.
Services for former Rep. Freese will be held on Sat., Sept. 7, 2024, in Sinsinawa.
By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
Box Score || St. Paul, Minn. – The No. 7 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s volleyball team swept No. 20 Berry College 3-0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-16) in the team’s first match of the KTIS Classic hosted by the University of Northwestern-St. Paul.
The Warhawk offense came out on fire hitting .486 with 19 kills in the first set to set the tone. UWW registered double figure kills in all three sets while the defense held Berry (BC) to single digits the first two sets. UW-Whitewater held a hefty advantage from the service line with six aces compared to just one for BC.
Outside hitter Alayna Jansky led all players with 21 kills. She added three aces, a pair of assist blocks and nine digs on the evening. Right side Ally Warburton was the most efficient attacker for UWW. The senior registered a hitting percentage of .643 – hammering down nine kills without committing an error.
Setter Aubrie Krzus set up the Warhawk attackers on 33 kills and posted 13 digs in the match. Defensively, libero Jaedynn Evans led all players with 17 digs.
UW-Whitewater will wrap up play in the KTIS Classic with a pair of matches Saturday. The Warhawks will take on No. 22 Cornell at noon followed by a matchup against the host, No. 12 UNW, at 2 p.m.
Obituaries
Marion Jauch Burrows (Feb. 2, 1930 – June 5, 2026) Her sparkling eyes, warm laugh, and generous ways were gifts Marion brought into this world, touching family members and friends alike over the ninety-six years of her life. She was born and raised in Lombard, IL, and in the course of her life lived with her husband and growing family in Abilene, TX, St. David’s, PA, Arkadelphia, AR, Ada, OK, and Colorado Springs, CO, before settling in Whitewater, WI, in 1965. Generosity of heart, compassion toward those in need in and beyond her community, and an unwavering commitment to fairness … Read more
Patricia “Pat” Lynn Bailey, age 70, passed away peacefully on June 1, 2026 with her daughter by her side. Pat was born February 21, 1956 in Ann Arbor, Michigan to John and Ruth (Hudock) Prentice. After a brief time in Ann Arbor, the Prentice family moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin, where Pat grew up as part of the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater community, where her father served as University Registrar. Pat attended the University School and later graduated from UW Whitewater with a degree in Elementary Education. Although she did not pursue teaching, she built a meaningful career in Human … Read more
Gemelino Paris Esperante, 83, long time resident of Whitewater, passed away on Thursday, June 4th, 2026. He was born on January 10, 1943, to his late father and mother, Evaristo and Carmen in Spain. In 1973 he moved to the United States as a sheep herder. On August 21, 1981, he was united in marriage to Cyndie Esperante in Colorado. Gemelino also worked in Mining and construction for many years. He enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, raising sheep and growing things in his garden, and flowers. He will be missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his wife … Read more
Mary Ann Warner died peacefully on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at Crestridge Assisted Living in Dodgeville. Her physical heart failed, but her actual, loving heart never did. Ann was born June 28, 1939 to Mary and Charles Kearns in Iowa. She moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin and graduated with many dear friends in the class of 1957. Ann married John Warner on September 19, 1959. They lived in Whitewater, Sturgis Michigan, and finally settled in Janesville where they built a beautiful life and raised their family. Together, they ran a business, traveled, played cards, and enjoyed their lives. When they became … Read more
Patricia Ann Jacobson (Bureau), age 81, of Whitewater, WI, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, WI. Born on September 2, 1944, in Marquette, MI, to the late Donald and Margaret Bureau, Pat grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She graduated from Graveraet High School, attended Michigan State University, and later earned her bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University. Pat dedicated her professional life to shaping young minds, working as an elementary and junior high school teacher in both Flint, MI, and Whitewater, WI. At the heart of Pat’s life was a beautiful, … Read more
In loving memory of Lois Lauritzen, age 92, who passed away on June 1, 2026 at Lakewood Memory Care in Brookfield. Lois led an active life full of devotion to family and friends. Born July 14th, 1933 in Silvis, IL, daughter of Harry and Elsie Wilson, she grew up in the Quad Cities with older brother Harry Wilson Jr. Lois graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL with a degree in physical education. She met her husband Paul Lauritzen on the college tennis team. Their marriage on June 12th, 1955 lasted 59 years until Paul’s death on September 26th, … Read more
Donald Walter Triebold passed on to his eternal home on May 21, 2026. Don was born on April 23, 1935, in Evanston, IL, to the late Frederick W. and Mildred (nee Stecher) Triebold. Through his teen years, Don lived and worked on the family’s dairy farm, where he developed a life-long work ethic. His first eight years of education were in a one-room country schoolhouse, in which all eight grades were taught by one teacher. He graduated from Whitewater City High School in 1953 and then graduated from UW Whitewater in 1958 with a degree in Business Education. He continued his education, and earned a Master’s … Read more
William Kincaid Davis, age 84, passed away on Tuesday, May 19 at Agrace Hospice Center in Fitchburg. He was born on November 1, 1941, in Madison, Indiana, the second son of Salvation Army Officers Agnes (Dixon) and William C. Davis. He attended several schools in Indiana and Illinois, including University of Illinois Experimental High School (Champaign), and graduated from Galesburg High School in 1958. He earned his bachelor’s degree from UW-Eau Claire in 1964 and his master’s degree from UW-Whitewater in 1972. He had an expansive career in education, beginning as an English teacher in Whitehall, Thornton Township (IL) and … Read more
Magdalene “Maggie” Stetter (nee Fritz), 79, of Whitewater, Wisconsin passed from this life onto the next on Monday, May 4, 2026. She was born on January 16, 1947, to the late John and Mary (Presser) Fritz in St. Stefan, Austria. Maggie immigrated from Austria with her parents and brother, became a US citizen, and grew up and attended school in West Allis, WI and then graduated with a teaching degree from University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. Maggie served as a substitute, English, and German language teacher in the Whitewater, Elkhorn, Delavan, and Palmyra schools and at Divine Word Seminary. Maggie … Read more
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
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