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On Tuesday, May 22, the Whippets traveled to Big Foot for the WIAA Regional, the first step in their trek towards the State Meet. The Regional consisted of 8 teams, with the Top 4 place winners in each event moving on to compete at the Sectional meet on Thursday, May 24.
The Whippet Girls’ Team was again led by the sprints crew, who cruised to a total of four first-place finishes between the open events and relays. In the opens, Maddie Buehler continued her stellar 2023 campaign by placing first in the 100-meter dash in a time of 12.70. Evie Troxel also added a 6th place finish in the event. In the 200, Kindyl Kilar placed first with a time of 26.42.
In the girls’ relays, Whitewater added a second-place in the 4×400 meter relay, earning a chance to compete on Thursday. The team of Calli Grosinske, Athena Soto, Cara Yang, and Sydney Schilt ran a season’s best time of 4:17.73. Also advancing to the Sectional meet with a pair of first place finishes were the girls’ 4×200 and 4×100 meter relays. The 4×200 team of Maddie Buehler, Schilt, Emma Weigel, and Kindyl Kilar ran a time of 1:44.78, which is the #2 all-time mark in WHS history. Additionally, the 4×100 relay team of Grosinske, Buehler, Weigel, and Kilar smashed their previous school record time of 50.08, running a new best of 49.17. Their time was good for first place, a new school record, and is currently the only sub-50 second 4×100 relay time in WHS history.
In the distance events on the track, Athena Soto ran a season’s best time of 2:27.52 in the 800-meter run, good for third place. In the 3200-meter run, sophomore Nola Coburn used a strong kick in the final lap of the race to secure 4th place in the event, earning another opportunity to run on Thursday. In the 1600, freshman Mady Hefty narrowly missed the Top 4, placing fifth. Her time of 6:04.42 was a season’s best in the event.
Several girls also contributed in the field events. Evie Troxel placed first in the pole vault with a vault of 10’-0”, and teammate Izzy Dieter also qualified for the Sectional meet by placing third. Dieter also qualified in the Discus throw, as her toss of 109’-6 was good for second place.
As a team, the girls placed fourth with 90 points. Brodhead-Juda were the girls’ Regional team champions.
The boys used a balanced attack of sprints, distance, and field events to propel themselves to a spectacular performance that concluded with them as Regional Champions! Overall, the boys scored 123 points, ahead of second place Edgerton.
The boys had two Sectional qualifiers in open sprint events from first-place winners Traysen Thomason and Ethan Dugan in the 100- and 400-meter dashes, respectively. Akamion McHenry also added to the team total with a 6th place finish in the 200-meter dash. In the 110-meter hurdles, Avi Kalra and David Enns placed 7th and 8th, adding to the team score.
The boys distance events saw two Sectional qualifying marks in the 1600-meter run, as Jack Hefty and Nate Holden placed first and second. In the 800, Miles Nickelsburg ran a personal best time of 2:08.65 for fifth, while Holden was 6th in 2:09. Xavier Zei added another fifth-place finish in the 3200-meter run, with a personal best time of 10:48.
The boys had two Sectional qualifying relays, as the 4×400 meter relay team of Quincy Boudreau, Jack Hefty, Ethan Dugan, and Traysen Thomason placed first in a season’s best time of 3:30.70. Additionally, the 4×200 relay of Curtis Rossmiller, Nate Black, Boudreau, and Thomason placed second in the event with a time of 1:33.70.
The boys’ team continued their strong performances in the field events. In the throws, Connor Raupp earned two first place finishes in the Discus and Shot Put, with tosses of 154’-2” and 46’-10”. Jake Kuhlow was third in Discus with a 130’-10” and fifth in the Shot. In the vertical jumps, Jaylyn Ewing placed 4th in High Jump with a jump of 5’-10”, and CJ Tomomitsu equaled his personal best of 12’-6” in the Pole Vault, good for second place. In the horizontals, Nate Black placed 6th in the Long Jump with a leap of 19’-2”.
The Whippets will head to McFarland on Thursday for the Sectional competition, where again the Top 4 place-winners will advance, this time to the State Meet in La Crosse.
Article and Team Photo Submitted by Matt Green
Whitewater High School Head Track and Field Coach
mgreen2@wwusd.org
Action Photos Courtesy of Bob Mischka
Whitewater Soccer traveled to Evansville for the first round of the Rock Valley Conference tournament on Monday, May 22.
Both teams played hard in an exciting game that ended 3-0 to Evansville. The goals were scored by Jaden LeRoy (32’, 39’), and Hanna Johnson (49’).
Marina Linos played in goal for Whitewater; Kennedy Dobbs played in goal for Evansville.
Article Submitted by Maddy Blain
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Soccer Coach
mblain@wwusd.org
File Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
What a year it has been for 2022 Whitewater High School graduate Reese Brantmeier at the University of North Carolina!
On Saturday, May 20, the North Carolina women’s tennis team won its first NCAA championship in program history, defeating N.C. State 4-1 in Orlando, Florida.
The UNC tennis player in her first year is part of the 2023 National Championship team at UNC. During the 2023 NCAA tournament, Reese won the #1 Singles position against Old Dominion, Florida, Texas, and Georgia before falling to N.C. State in a hard-fought match at #1 Singles. Reese lost that match to a player who advanced in the 2nd round of the Australian Open a year ago.
Reese and her doubles partner Reilly Tran won a pivotal doubles match against N.C. State in the team championship match that gave the team a win, leading to their first women’s tennis championship.
Reese will be playing in this year’s NCAA singles and doubles championships that will also take place in Orlando, beginning on Monday and running through Saturday.
Reese Brantmeier is the daughter of Scott and Becky Brantmeier and has two older brothers, Justin and Zach. All three attended Whitewater High School.
Article and Photos Submitted by Greg Stewart
gstewart@wwusd.org
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.
___________________________________________________________________________________
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.
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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