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By Angela Kelm
Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
UW-W
UW-Whitewater Football Returns to Action with WIAC Opener at Oshkosh Saturday | Game Notes (PDF)
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team is back in action Saturday for the 2023 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener at UW-Oshkosh. Kickoff at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium is slated for 1:05 p.m.
Coming off of the bye week, the Warhawks moved up one spot to third in the latest release of the American Football Coaches Association poll while remaining fourth in the D3football.com Top 25. UW-Oshkosh moved up two spots to 21st according to the AFCA and two spots to 20th in the D3 poll.
Both squads should be well rested for the WIAC opener after the bye week last week. Saturday’s matchup will pit two of the top four rushing offenses against two of the top four total defenses. UW-Whitewater leads the league with 224.7 yards per game while UW-Oshkosh is ranked fourth in the WIAC at 164.7 yards per contest. So far this season, both teams have been phenomenal at extending drives. The Warhawks are ranked 10th in 3rd down conversion percentage (56.4%) while the Titans convert nearly 60% of the time, ranked fifth nationally. Defensively, UWO is third in the conference allowing 291.0 yards per game while UWW is fourth at 314.3 per outing.
During the three-game non-conference campaign, the Warhawks averaged 33.3 points, 224.7 rushing yards, 202.3 passing yards and over 400 total yards per game. UW-Oshkosh averages 43 in scoring, 164.7 on the ground, 277.7 through the air and over 440 total yards per game.
ON THE AIR
Football fans can watch the game live on the WIAC Network or tune into Josh Golberg and Bill O’Leary on 105.9 The Hog for the call.
SERIES
This is the 112th meeting between these two WIAC powerhouses. The Warhawks own the series 78 wins dating back to the first game in 1897. Since 2005, the Warhawks are 6-3 against UWO in games played at Titan Stadium. In that span, just two WIAC openers have been hosted by UWO — the Titans won in 2017 37-20 while the Warhawks took the 2006 matchup 17-3. In the nine games played at Titan Stadium since 2005, UW-Whitewater has averaged 25 points per game and held the host team to just over 16.
Congratulations to the Girls’ Tennis Team for taking home 3rd place in the 7 team Conference Tournament on Thursday, September 28. The final standings of the tournament were: East Troy 38, Delavan 21, Whitewater 19, Monroe 12.5, Jefferson 11, Big Foot 10, Edgerton 10.
During the event, Emilia Houwers was crowned the conference champion at 1-singles, defeating Jefferson 6-1, 6-3 in the finals.
At 2-singles, Jackie Franco battled back after losing a close match in the first round to take 5th place.
Liz Servin won 2 out of her 3 matches at 3-singles to take home 3rd.
And Vicki Ramirez, in her first year playing tennis, came up just short in the 4-singles consolation bracket losing in a 3rd set tiebreak and finished in 4th place.
The 1-doubles team of Stephanie Wence and Maritza Vidales lost a close first round match, but won in the second round to place 5th.
Leah Newmann and Vanesa Wence at 2-doubles won 2 out of their 3 matches to get 3rd.
In the final match of the night, Isabel Aranda and Aimee Servin couldn’t hold on to a first set lead and finished the tournament in 4th for 3-doubles.
All conference honors were given to Emilia Houwers for First Team Singles, and she was named Conference Player of the Year. Stephanie Wence and Maritza Vidales were named to Second Team Doubles. Leah Newmann and Vanesa Wence received Honorable Mention Doubles.
Article and Photo Submitted by Baron West
Whitewater High School Head Tennis Coach
bwest@wwusd.org
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Renea Boydston.
The Daughters of the Nile support Shriners’ kids by creating hospital tray favors, sending toys, games, and financial donations to the Chicago Shriners Hospital. We have a fundraiser to benefit our general fund. We will receive money by the pound for gently used donated shoes of any type and size, except skates. You can make a huge impact by simply donating shoes you never wear. The donated shoes stay out of landfills, and are shipped to small businesses in poor communities that can repurpose them and sell. Instead of a handout it’s a hand up! October is our final month for collection.
Dale’s Bootery is a generous donor and collection site: 155 West Main St., Whitewater, WI 53190. The Shoe Box has also graciously agreed to be a collection site. There is a donation box outside by their pop machines. Address: 1314 Canal St.(Hwy 14), Black Earth, Wisconsin 53515.
Editor’s note: The following proclamation was issued by the president.
Senator Dianne Feinstein was a pioneering American and a true trailblazer. In San Francisco, she showed enormous poise and courage in the wake of tragedy, and became a powerful voice for American values. In the United States Senate, she turned passion into purpose, and led the fight to ban assault weapons, also making her mark on everything from national security to the environment to protecting civil liberties. Senator Feinstein was a role model for so many Americans and she had an immense impact on younger female leaders for whom she generously opened doors. She was a historic figure, and our country will benefit from her legacy for generations.
As a mark of respect for the memory of Senator Dianne Feinstein, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
Thursday night, September 28, saw Whitewater play host to Jefferson in Boys’ Soccer on what turned into a thrilling senior/parent night for all involved.
The first half was closely contested with Whitewater’s Sebastian Cuellar scoring a deserved penalty. Jefferson equalized 5 minutes later, and we went to half time all square at 1-1.
A special halftime ceremony honoring our seniors and their parents developed into a successful 2nd half of play for the Whippets. All aspects of the second half were dominated by Whitewater, and Sebastian Cuellar added two more goals to complete his hat trick.
It was a bittersweet evening for our seniors as they saw their final home game of the regular season come and go. The Whippets travel to Lodi on Saturday for a tournament to take on Middleton’s Varsity Reserve, Madison Country Day, and Lodi.
Whitewater:
- 24’ Sebastian Cuellar goal
- 59’ Sebastian Cuellar goal assisted by Ethan Dugan
- 78’ Sebastian Cuellar goal assisted by Johan Perez
- Phoenix Jones with 4 saves
- Casey Schlicher with 4 saves
Monroe:
- 29’ Jacob Kerkenbush goal
- Sam Steies with 9 saves
Article Submitted by Sam Burns
Whitewater High School Head Boys’ Soccer Coach
dburns@wwusd.org
The Whitewater Girls’ Swim Team competed at home against Jefferson/Cambridge on Tuesday, September 26. Our athletes showed up to compete as many obtained personal best times for the season.
Adalynn Frye took on the 200 Freestyle for the first time this season. She also went a best time in the 100 Breaststroke by 16 seconds.
Zoe Zei has found a love for the 500 Freestyle and is absolutely crushing it. She dropped 21 seconds from just last week!
Lucy Davis swam the 200 Freestyle for the first time this season and dropped 24 seconds from last year. She also went a best time in the 100 Butterfly by dropping 8 seconds.
Marijose Verduzco swam the 50 Butterfly in a Medley relay which we hope is the first of many Butterfly races. She also went a best time in the 100 Freestyle by 5 seconds.
Atreya Wilson went 3 of 4 in best times for the night which included a 3 second drop in the 100 Breaststroke.
The 400 Freestyle Relay consisting of Makayla Bazeley, Charlotte Hajewski, Maggie Maas, and Emerson Dunham won their heat with a time of 4:27.43.
The Swim Team is back in the pool on Tuesday, October 3, at Elkhorn. We hope to see you all there!
Article and Photo Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Swim Coach
sreynolds@wwusd.org
The Whitewater Volleyball Team beat visiting Monroe in 4 sets on Dig Pink Night (19-25, 25-18, 25-13, 25-18), Thursday, September 28. The night started with some heartfelt tributes to two special moms who beat breast cancer, Nicole Grosinske and Nikki Amundson. Both Calli and Aidyn gave moving speeches about their moms and their fight against cancer. Our continued love and support of them, and anyone impacted by cancer, is endless.
Coach Mary Kilar commented, “We finally put together a match and played like the team we know we are! When we visited Monroe, we lost in a 5-set battle. So, to turn around and host them and beat them solidly in four sets shows our improvement. As a coaching staff we have been preaching playing to win, and tonight we took control and did just that! We also have been working hard to improve our ace to error ratio on serve, and we accomplished this with 16 aces and 8 errors.”
Tonight, Calli Grosinske saw the court and bettered the ball each chance she got. She led us again with another double-double and ended the night with 24 kills, hitting a .283, scoring 3 aces and 13 digs. I was so pleased to see her respond with leadership; she had a solid night tonight!
Ella Spear also had a great night passing a 2.0, and was a force behind the serving line and defensively. She racked up 6 aces, 13 digs, and 7 assists. Falyn Krahn contributed 3 kills, 8 digs, and a block. Zoe Kohl added 14 digs and an ace. Manny Mbifi added 3 kills and a block, Meg Roselle finished the night with 2 kills and 5 digs, and Savannah O’Neil came in with 2 aces!
Finally, our senior setter Marina Linos, had a stellar night behind the line with 4 aces, and a double-double of 15 assists and 12 digs, also adding 2 kills.
To see our team regroup after a loss of 5 sets at Delavan and take over this match was exactly what we knew this team is capable of. I am happy for them and proud of their work tonight!
Thank you to all who came out and supported our Dig Pink. Next up is Play for Trey on Tuesday, October 3rd. Wear your Play for Trey gear, blue and gold, and come out to support us against Jefferson. JV1 and JV2 at 5:00 PM and varsity to follow at 6:30.
Article and Photos Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.
Twenty years ago last week, the Whitewater Historical Society hosted the regional convention for the southeast region of the Wisconsin Council for Local History. The society offered a special program on the Whitewater Mounds Preserve and held sessions about working with student interns and the resources of the Area Research Center at the UW-Whitewater.
Those in the photo were active members of the Whitewater Historical Society in 2003 and they include, left to right, Art Lein, Mary Lou Lein, Doris Kolmos, Betty Boyd, and Bobby Landsee. All but Bobby have, unfortunately, passed away but Bobby is still on the society’s board of directors today.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
(George Scharfenberg photo collection, Whitewater Historical Society)
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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