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Today is Monday, May 11, 2026
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Officer Ryan Dewing of UW-Whitewater Police Services took this stunning photo of the Starin Park water tower on April 24 at 6:20 a.m. Dewing indicates that he was using the department’s DJI Mini 3 Pro drone, and that the photo is unedited.
The water tower was constructed in 1889 and was decommissioned at the end of 2022 as the new water tower on the southwest side of town was placed into service. An engineering study was recently completed on the tower, with estimates provided for repairing and maintaining the landmark versus demolishing it. A decision has not yet been made on its fate.
Editor’s note: The Banner is grateful to UW-Whitewater Police Services for permission to use this photo.
This past week, before the Big Foot game, five seniors were honored for their contributions to the Whitewater Softball Program. These Whippets have had a positive impact this year as well as throughout their high school careers. The seniors will be missed, but we wish them well in their future endeavors.
Article and Photo Submitted by Ron Sdano
Whitewater High School Head Softball Coach
rsdano@wwusd.org
Saturday, May 13, was an incredible day at the track for the Whitewater High School Track and Field team. In the team competitions, both the boys’ and girls’ teams finished as team runners-up to strong teams from McFarland. Overall, the girls scored 104 points behind McFarland’s 133, and the boys put up 121 points to McFarland’s 129.5. This was the boys’ best team finish since they were RVC champions in 2019, and the girls’ best finish since the 2011 season.
Girls’ Recap:
The girls’ team scored a majority of their points in the sprints, as they placed seven individuals across the 100, 200, and 400-meter dashes. In the 100, sophomore A’lani Ross was 5th, and seniors Kindyl Kilar and Maddie Buehler earned medals by crossing the finish line in 3rd and 1st, respectively. Buehler’s time of 12.54 in the preliminary round was a season’s best, and Kilar’s time of 12.60 in the prelim was a season’s and personal best, as well as a Top-10 time in Whitewater history. Buehler’s personal best of 12.41 from 2022 is #2 on the Top-10 list. The Whippets again were 1st-3rd-5th in the 200-meter dash, including freshman Sydney Schilt in 5th, Kilar in 3rd, and Buehler in 1st. Buehler’s time of 25.92 was a personal best, and also the second-best time in WHS Track and Field history. With her two first-place finishes, Maddie Buehler was also named the Rock Valley Conference Girls Track Athlete of the meet! Rounding up the sprint events, Kilar placed second in the 400-meter dash. Her time of 1:00.67 scored eight points for the team, and was an improvement to her #5 all-time mark from 2022.
In the distance events, Athena Soto used a strong kick in the second lap of the 800-meter run to finish in 5th place. Freshman Mady Hefty, returning to the track for the first time in several weeks due to injury, ran a personal best time in the 1600-meter run. She placed 7th, significantly outperforming her seed expectation. Nola Coburn ran a strategic race in the 3200-meter run, and was able to secure a point for the Whippets, as she crossed the finish line in 8th place.
The Whippets showed their depth across the relay events as well, earning medals in all four of those events. Kicking off the meet in the 4x800m relay, the team of Nola Coburn, Mady Hefty, Cara Yang, and Athena Soto outperformed their seed and placed 4th in their first time running the event this season. The 4x400m relay team of Calli Grosinske, Soto, Yang, and Sydney Schilt earned silver, which was a great ending to the meet. The 4x100m relay team of Grosinske, Maddie Buehler, Emma Weigel, and A’lani Ross also placed second. Their time of 50.75 was also good for 8th all-time in Whitewater history! The final first place of the day for the girls came from the 4x200m relay team of Grosinske, Ross, Weigel, and Schilt. Their time of 1:49.82 earned them both a gold medal and a season’s best time in the event.
In the field events, the Whippets posted several medal-winning and point-scoring performances. In the Pole Vault, Evie Troxel earned a silver medal with her vault of 10’-0”, and teammate Izzy Dieter placed 6th. Dieter also had a strong day in the Discus, as she earned a bronze medal with her toss of 104’-7”. Capping off her strong day in individual events, Kindyl Kilar placed 8th in the Long Jump with a jump over 15’. It was only her second time attempting the event.
Boys’ Recap:
The boys also had a strong showing in the sprint events. In the 100-meter dash, sophomore Traysen Thomason ran a personal best of 11.27 to place second. His time moves him into the WHS Top-10 list’s #10 spot. Thomason also placed in the 200-meter dash, earning a medal for his 4th place performance. In the 400-meter dash, junior Ethan Dugan earned the first Conference Championship of his career, cruising to a first-place finish in a time of 50.86. Dugan’s time is 7th all-time in Whitewater Track and Field history.
The boys also had a strong showing in the distance events on the track, which were kicked off by a 1st place performance from Jack Hefty in the 1600-meter run. Jack’s time of 4:23.25 is #5 all-time. Nate Holden also placed 8th in that same race, adding a point to the team’s total. In the 3200-meter run, Hefty returned to the track to earn a silver medal in the event. Teammate Xavier Zei also added a 7th place finish in the event.
Several of the boys’ relay teams outperformed their expected seed times and finishes. At the beginning of the meet, the 4x800m relay team of Miles Nickelsburg, Xavier Zei, Chad Hein, and Nate Holden placed 6th. The 4x100m relay team of Curtis Rossmiller, Ty Hagedorn, Nate Black, and Akamion McHenry placed 5th. The 4x200m relay of Rossmiller, Black, McHenry, and Quincy Boudreau outperformed their seed and earned a silver medal as they crossed the finish line in second place. And, in the final event of the day, the Whippets crossed the finish line first, securing a gold medal in the 4x400m relay. The team of Boudreau, Traysen Thomason, Rossmiller, and Ethan Dugan ran a strong time of 3:32.81.
The Whippets continued their balanced scoring as they performed well across the field events as well. In the throws, the Whippets earned 4th and 3rd place points in the Shot Put from Jake Kuhlow and Connor Raupp. Kuhlow and Raupp also teamed up to place 4th and 1st in the Discus. Raupp’s winning toss of 147’-0” secured his defense of the RVC Discus title, as he became a 2-time Conference champion in the event. In the Triple Jump, David Rubio bounded out to a 5th place finish with a personal record mark of 38’-5”. In the Pole Vault, senior CJ Tomomitsu placed 2nd with a personal best vault of 12’-6”. Finally, Jaylyn Ewing, a newcomer to the Whippet Track & Field squad this year, earned a gold medal and a Conference championship in the boys’ High Jump. Ewing’s jump of 6’-0” was a personal best, and better than any other jumper’s attempts on Saturday.
The Whippets will be back in action on Tuesday and Thursday this week, in their final Frosh/Soph competitions at Evansville. The following week, the team begins their journey to the State Meet, with the Regional Meet on Monday, May 22, at Big Foot, and the Sectional Meet on Thursday, May 25, at McFarland. At both meets that week, competitors placing in the Top 4 of their events move on to the next competition. Congratulations to all the Whippet athletes, and best of luck the rest of the season!
Full results from the RVC Meet are available at https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/511859/results
Article Submitted by Matt Green
Whitewater High School Head Track and Field Coach
mgreen@wwusd.org
Photos Courtesy of Bob Mischka
Nate Parrish, President of First Citizens State Bank, is pleased to announce that Robert (Bob) Bastien has joined the Bank as Vice President – Business Banker with First Citizens State Bank’s Main Office, located at 207 W. Main St., Whitewater, Wisconsin.
Bob has over 15 years of experience in business banking including Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. He is a graduate of UW-Whitewater receiving his Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting.
In making the announcement, Nate Parrish said, “We are excited to have Bob join our business lending staff; with his background and expertise in business banking we look forward to him helping serve the needs of our customers.”
Bob resides in Fort Atkinson with his wife and children. An avid outdoorsman, he also enjoys attending concerts and spending time with family. He serves on the Board for the Fort Atkinson Generals Baseball team.
First Citizens State Bank, locally-owned and operated since 1863, is committed to serving the communities in which we live, work and do business. We are proud of the partnerships we have established with organizations, businesses and individuals in South Eastern Wisconsin. First Citizens State Bank has full service offices in Whitewater, East Troy, and Palmyra. Member FDIC.
After the completion of a national search, Chancellor Corey King is pleased to announce the selection of Katie Kuznacic as the vice chancellor for university relations and president of the UW-Whitewater Foundation. Kuznacic has worked at UW-Whitewater since 2010 in philanthropy and alumni engagement, most recently serving as the interim vice chancellor for university relations since October 2021.
“I am excited about Katie’s leadership for our university relations and foundation spaces,” said King. “She exudes a love and passion for the university. Her experience will serve as a strong framework for us as we launch a strategic plan focused on student success and advancing the university’s regional impact.”
An alumna of UW-Whitewater, Kuznacic worked in the Wisconsin state legislature and marketing management before joining the university in 2010 as a director of development. In 2020, she was elevated to the position of executive director of philanthropy and alumni engagement, leading the university’s efforts in major gifts, annual giving, and alumni relations.
“Katie is a dedicated, trusted and accomplished leader,” said Sandy Dunst, interim president and vice chair of the UW-Whitewater Foundation. “Katie is driven by seeing the power of transforming student lives through our collaborative work with alumni and university partners. The Foundation Board offers its full support to Katie as vice chancellor and president of the foundation in service to UW-Whitewater, her alma mater.”
Chancellor King would like to thank everyone who provided feedback during the interview process as well as the members of the search and screen committee for their work. John Chenoweth, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, chaired the 11-person search committee. King also extends his appreciation to Dunst for outstanding leadership as interim president of the UW-Whitewater Foundation.
Kuznacic will begin her new role immediately.
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Editor’s note: The above announcement was published at UW-W on May 10. The bio shown below is from the UW-W website.
It didn’t take Katie Kuznacic long to fall for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus. When she was a high school student, she toured the university, met with a professor and immediately envisioned her future.
“I could see this was a place where I wouldn’t just be a number, or another student,” she said. “This was a place where I wanted to be.” Kuznacic, who grew up in Baldwin, a small town in St. Croix County, cherishes her time as a Warhawk. She obtained a speech and public relations degree and today she enjoys using her skills to help people who also have a strong connection with campus. “A really special part of this job is developing relationships with people who have that shared UW-Whitewater experience,” she said. “Whether they went to school here, taught here or have a friend or a family member who has a connection here, I think it’s just really special to be part of that, and to help these people achieve their philanthropic goals.”
Kuznacic loves hearing stories about campus from alumni. “Whether it’s someone who was here in the 1960s or someone who just graduated, there’s this common thread, of UW-Whitewater being this very special small-town university where people have close relationships with their professors and have these fond memories that I don’t think every university can replicate,” she said. “It’s special to me because I feel like I have those same memories too.” Kuznacic lives in Janesville with her husband Eric.
Whitewater Soccer played their final conference game against Evansville on Monday, May 8.
Evansville won 4-0, with goals by Jaden LeRoy (6’, 40’), Alli Horgen (25’), and Kendra Frinfrock.
Marina Linos had 8 saves in goal for the Whippets, and MacKenna Slater had 6 saves for Evansville.
Article Submitted by Maddy Blain
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Soccer Coach
mblain@wwusd.org
File Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
You’re Invited!
Starin Park Purple Martin House Dedication
Saturday, May 13, 2 p.m.
The Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission invites the public to attend the dedication of a new Purple Martin house located in the Arboretum at Starin Park on Saturday, May 13 at 2 p.m. behind the Senior Center. This Martin house is the third Purple Martin habitat that Urban Forestry has been able to put in place thanks to the city of Whitewater and donations from individuals throughout our community. The other two Martin houses, located in Minneiska Park and Clay Street Nature Preserve, have successfully fledged Martins every year since they were installed. Martins enjoy showing their aerial acrobatics and serenading an audience and are not put off by human visitors!
Purple Martins are beneficial insectivores that depend upon man-made housing. After migrating 4,000 miles from the Amazon, they lay only one clutch of eggs each year. They face severe competition from invasive house sparrows and starlings so these structures have to be managed until the Martins become established in each house. Through the efforts of Bill Chandler, member of Urban Forestry, our first two Martin houses have become very well established and are enjoyed by many people as well as the Martins! We look forward to providing this at the Arboretum at Starin Park as well.
Whitewater has earned the designations of both Bird City and Tree City. Please join volunteer members of the Urban Forestry Commission as well as city staff and others on Saturday, May 13 at 2 p.m. at Starin Park for the dedication of the 3rd Purple Martin house.
Three Whitewater High School Computer Science Students were honored at the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Awards Ceremony at the Milwaukee School of Engineering on Sunday, May 7. Senior Jazmin Cederberg was honored as a Wisconsin State Winner, while Freshman Ace Hudec and Senior Dayna Carlson were honored with Wisconsin Honorable Mentions.
The three-hour formal program included guest speakers from industry, Q & A with a panel including college students currently studying computer science related majors, and a motivational speech from the National Director of the Aspirations program. 153 students from across the state of Wisconsin were honored as either winners, honorable mention, or rising stars.
A major focus of the program is to provide access to scholarships, internships, and connections with IT professionals for female and non-binary students who are pursuing their interests in computer science.
All three honorees have studied computer science at WHS and have been involved with the FIRST Robotics Competition Team Ferradermis as programmers. Both Jazmin and Dayna intend to continue their study of computer science at UW schools next fall.
Article and Photos Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Computer Science Teacher and Banner Volunteer
lmasbruch@wwusd.org
Obituaries
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
Carol Ann Seebruch, 88 of Whitewater passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, April 3, 2026. Carol was born July 12, 1937 in Chicago IL to William and Ann Borovec. She married Marvin Seebruch on June 9, 1984. Carol and Marvin enjoyed traveling the United States making it to 48 of the 50 states. She also enjoyed her time with the Red Hat Ladies. She loved taking pictures of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Carol is survived by her three children; Bill Anderson of Fort Atkinson, WI, Terri Laban of Whitewater, WI, and Donna (Mike) Jones of Crivitz, WI. She … Read more
Entered God’s Kingdom on Friday, April 3, 2026, age 65. Donna is survived by her cousins, other family and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents James and Lois (Michels) Lyons. Donna was raised in the Church of Nazarene, with her father being the assistant pastor. Religion was very important to Donna. Donna enjoyed working with the students of the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, where she resided. Donna also loved to travel, visiting France, Italy, and all around the United States. She also loved to paint, cross-stitch, knit, and crochet. She also loved collecting recipes and trying … Read more
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