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The Whitewater Varsity Boys’ Soccer Team cruised to an away win at Jefferson High School last Thursday evening, September 22. A small bench meant that our starters would have to play close to a full game each against a physically strong Jefferson team.
Whitewater managed to control the pace of the game from the opening moments and allowed Jefferson little time on the ball. A great bit of attacking play led to a corner, and with the help from some chaos in the box, Victor Hernandez managed to put one away for the Whippets. Many other chances were created but not converted, but overall, Whitewater looked stronger in the attack than they have in weeks.
Henry Mortimer managed to keep a clean sheet with the help of strong defensive performances from Chris Cortez, Emmanuel Mbifi, and Emerson Ellenwood.
The team has a week off before they face the always competitive McFarland on Thursday the 29th.
Article Submitted by Sam Burns
Whitewater High School Assistant Varsity Soccer Coach
dburns@wwusd.org
Photo courtesy of Bob Mischka
What a day for the Whippet CC Teams! In what were nearly perfect race conditions, the Whippet CC Teams were back in action to participate in the 84th Annual Janesville Midwest Invitational hosted at Blackhawk Golf Course on Saturday, September 24. The event boasts 50 teams that are all extremely high caliber and is more than a meet; it is an event. They were tasked by the coaching staff to try some new things today in the races and see if they could produce a result that would be not otherwise attainable. Whitewater didn’t disappoint and walked away with some new personal bests and experiences that will last a lifetime.
The girls’ varsity was first to compete in this hotly contested event with 109 girls running under 21:00 for 5000m. These girls weren’t deterred and were motivated by the “slay” writing on the course. Every girl PR’d for the season and had an average time drop as a group of 67 seconds. Mady Hefty paced the Whippets with a massive PR of 21:24. From top to bottom they stayed committed to each other and the power of the team to achieve new personal bests. The collective efforts afforded them an overall place of 37th out of 50 teams in this incredible meet. The JV team picked up where the varsity left off and even brought some medals home. Isabella Aranda placed 25th and Jackie Franco debuted in her first race to take the final medal in 30th. As a collective group, several runners dropped minutes off their personal bests from before! The JV squad took 10th place overall.
The boys’ varsity race featured some outstanding times as well. In this hotly contested race, 106 boys ran under 17:30 which shows how deep the field was today on their end. Jack Hefty earned the final medal by placing 30th with a time of 16:34.5. The five runners in this event all improved by an average of 30 seconds and finished 34th out of 50 teams. The JV boys stayed gritty as well and just crushed their races. Sterling Truesdale was electric on the course to pace the Whippet JV team with a new PR of 21:38. The team all improved by an average of 1:17! The JV team finished 34th out of 50 teams.
Full Results: https://wi.milesplit.com/meets/496172-midwest-invitational-2022/results#.Yy-6h3bMK3B
The Whippets will compete in their final regular season event on Saturday, October 1st in Platteville for the Dick McKitchan Invite. Races begin at 9:00 am.
Article Submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org
Photos Courtesy of Jeff Hefty
The JV Volleyball Teams played some good ball, but fell to the Tide in 3 sets at Edgerton on Thursday, September 22. The coaches are proud of the growth they are seeing. While the end result may not be a victory, the victories are in the improvements we are seeing in each athlete. We are excited for the program growth as a whole this season!
The Whitewater Varsity Squad (3-1 conference, and 15-6 overall) traveled to Edgerton during Edgerton’s Homecoming week and took care of business in 4 sets. Edgerton came out playing well in a loud gym in set one. The Whippets started out slowly and while they continued to keep it close, lost the first set 24-26.
That was the only loss, as this is a team that perseveres, and they never wavered, going 3 straight set wins to take the match 24-26, 25-23, 25-21, 25-14.
Edgerton played tough, but the Whippets are strong both offensively and defensively. We served tough and we stayed focused on defense. Offensively, we continued to run a faster tempo offense. Our serving was tough all night, and so we were able to get Edgerton out of system quite a bit. We capitalized on every opportunity we were given!
The team had to travel twice this week with Beloit and Edgerton. Traveling can be tough, but this varsity squad is laser focused on their goals. They continue to support one another, and they simply have fun playing the game they love!
Statistical leaders included Kindyl Kilar with another double-double, garnering 31 kills, 14 digs, and 2 blocks. Calli Grosinske also captured a double-double with 35 assists and 14 digs. Jenna Pope was blocking strong at the net with 4 blocks on the night. Finally, Caleigh Yang tallied 14 digs in the match.
Ella Spear ended the last set with a dominating ace, and the Whippets now are 3-1 in conference and 15-6 overall. Next up we are at home for Senior Night on Tuesday, September 27 against Jefferson, and on the road at Evansville on Thursday, September 29. We are hoping to continue the high level of play! Hope to see you in the gym!
Article and Photos Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
Whitewater (3-1 conference, and 14-6 overall) traveled to Beloit Turner and took care of business winning in three straight sets 25-21, 25-14, 25-17.
First up was JV1 and JV2. JV2 lost in 3 sets, but Coach Ariel Feiertag commented, “We had a good fight in set three! Unfortunately, we dug ourselves too many deep holes that we just couldn’t dig out of. I am proud of their fight!”
JV1 saw themselves in an epic battle, winning the first set, then losing the second with a score of 28-30. Coach Rosie Jaskolski commented, “This was a true battle. Our players worked so hard, stayed focused and fought until the end. The rallies were fun to watch, and the athletes gave it all they had. Unfortunately, we fell short in the third and lost the match.”
The Varsity squad took to the court and took care of business. The Whippets never trailed in any set and won all three. Coach Mary Kilar commented, “I love that we are playing with confidence and as a team. It didn’t matter who was in the match, the play remained solid all the way through! Every member of our squad saw playing time and produced!”
Statistical leaders for the Whippets included Callie Grosinske with 21 assists, Calli Kopecky and Kindyl Kilar with 3 aces apiece, Caleigh Yang with 10 digs, and Kindyl Kilar with 16 kills. Jenna Pope had a defensive match to watch and came away with 3 blocks. “Jenna Pope is playing some ball! She is a force in the middle both offensively and defensively. She had 3 big blocks, and is truly dominating,” said Kilar.
Statistical leaders for the Beloit Turner squad included Nevayah House with 9 kills, Cacee Carl with 22 assists, Mikayla Pringle with 2 aces, and Maddi Carl with 18 digs.
“We hope to continue to play with the same determination we have had all season. This is a fun team to watch and be part of!” said Kilar. Next up, the Whippets travel to Edgerton to take on the Tide on Thursday, September 22nd.
Article and Photo Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
| Our state has a rich history and promising future, filled with diverse people and unique places. Tourists and residents alike appreciate our natural beauty, talented artists, and change-makers. This fall, join us as we re-discover our upper Midwestern gem, and reflect on the events, individuals and communities that make up our past and are moving our state forward.Since 1983, faculty experts from UW-Whitewater have been presenting free public lectures on a wide range of topics. Join us this fall as we continue one of UW-W’s most well-known outreach traditions. |
In spectacular fashion, East Troy managed to go 1 up against Whitewater Boys’ Soccer with just 55 seconds played in the game on Monday, September 19. The Whippets recovered well and managed to contain East Troy for the next 38 minutes. Although unable to mount an effective attack, the Whippets also denied East Troy any clear goal scoring opportunities. Chris Cortez and Henry Mortimer played pivotal roles in keeping the score at 1-0 for the Whitewater team.
With 10 seconds to play in the first half, East Troy mounted a lethal counterattack and managed to grab a second goal.
The second half continued in the same manner with both teams vying for possession in the neutral third and no team having the clear-cut advantage. Ten minutes from full time, East Troy scored a 3rd goal, and that is the score line that ended the match.
The Whitewater Boys’ Soccer Team travels to Jefferson this Thursday and then won’t play again until 9/29.
Article Submitted by Sam Burns
Whitewater High School Assistant Varsity Soccer Coach
dburns@wwusd.org
Whitewater Swim had a triangular home meet against Platteville/Lancaster and PSC on Tuesday, September 20. The Whippets came out on top beating both teams!
Lucy Troxel competed in her first swim meet of the season! She had some impressive times in the 50 Freestyle and the 100 Backstroke.
We had a handful of 1st and 2nd places finishes. These awesome finishes include:
🏆 200 Medley Relay (1st – 2:03.36) – Grace Foucault, Emerson Dunham, Makayla Bazeley, and Brooke Bazeley
🏆 200 Freestyle (1st – 2:03.94) – Makayla Bazeley. She also earned herself a spot on the Whippet Top 10 List at #8!
🏆 200 Freestyle (2nd – 2:20.64) – Brooke Bazeley.
🏆 200 IM (1st – 2:24.57) – Grace Foucault
🏆 JV 50 Freestyle (1st – 57.57) – Sanibel Fox-Simes and Andrea Alcala (2nd) with a best time of 59.90.
🏆 50 Freestyle (2nd – 31.11) – Josie Treder. She also earned herself a best time!
🏆 JV 100 Freestyle (2nd) – Sanibel Fox-Simes
🏆 100 Freestyle (1st – 58.12) – Grace Foucault
🏆 500 Freestyle (1st) – Brooke Bazeley with a best time of 6:07.40!
🏆 500 Freestyle (2nd – 6:17.13) – Emerson Dunham
🏆 200 Freestyle Relay (1st – 1:50.82) with Makayla Bazeley, Emerson Dunham, Brooke Bazeley, and Grace Foucault
🏆 JV 100 Backstroke (2nd) – Lucy Troxel
🏆 100 Backstroke (2nd – 1:20.77) – Ashly Xochipa
🏆 100 Breaststroke (1st – 1:17.24) – Makayla Bazeley. This will put her on the Whippet Top 10 List at #8!
🏆 400 Freestyle Relay (2nd – 4:59.63) – Ashly Xochipa, Karime Velazquez, Josie Treder, and Charlotte Hajewski
Some other notable finishes include:
✔Charlotte Hajewski finished 3rd in the 200 IM (2:56.66) and 100 Butterfly(1:24.31).
✔Josie Treder competed in the 100 Backstroke for the first time. She earned herself a 3rd place finish with a time of 1:21.34!
Come see our Whippets compete next week Tuesday, September 27, at 5:30pm against Badger Co-op at home!
Article and Photo Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Swim Coach
sreynolds@wwusd.org
Editor’s Note: The following was submitted by United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties
The United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties is launching their second annual Season of Caring, scheduled to run for seven weeks from October 2nd – November 12th.
“We are kicking off our 2022 campaign season focused on our theme “We are ALL the United Way” and the greatest way we believe our communities can be join us, is to generously spread kindness and caring power to as many people as they can,” states Elizabeth Ellis-Bols, United Way executive director. “Our communities have faced very difficult times these past several years, so we want our campaign efforts focused not only on fundraising, but on taking care of one another and showing our appreciation. We want to help people recognize the importance of community engagement and give them easy opportunities to become more involved.”
The Season of Caring will consist of six different small missions across six weeks, beginning on Monday, October 3rd. The missions will be as follows: Join our Mission (week one), Donate an Hour (week two), Show Appreciation (week 3), Give Your Support (week four), Connect With Others (week five), and Treat Yourself (week six). There are no set requirements for completing each mission, and there is no sign-up or registration fee for participating.
“We wanted to make participation in this six-week series as easy as possible,” Ellis-Bols states. “We will be offering a lot of suggestions and information that will help people determine what specific acts of caring will work best for them, but we also want community members to get creative and express themselves during these small missions. Mostly, we want people to remember that small, simple acts of kindness can have a huge ripple affect across communities. And I think we can all agree that our communities need as much caring power and support as possible right now.”
Some of the suggested acts from United Way include signing up for United Way newsletters (Join Our Mission), sending a thank you note to a healthcare worker, teacher, etc. (Show Appreciation), donate blood (Give Your Support), registering on United Way’s volunteer platform (Donate an Hour), join a book club (Connect With Others) and taking time to enjoy a favorite activity (Treat Yourself).
Any community member can participate in the Season of Caring, and United Way is encouraging workplaces to join in and use it as a team building exercise, or for parents to engage their children and make it a fun family activity. The acts can be as small or as big as an individual determines and can include acts that are completed very quickly or tasks that require a longer commitment. The one request from United Way, is that folks share their participation and encourage others to join.
“We want to see all of these amazing acts of caring and we want the participants to share their positive impact with others and encourage them to join in,” Ellis-Bols states. “We have created specific hashtags for the week that we ask people to use anytime they post their participation on social media. We’d also love for United Way to be tagged in any postings so we can help share the information. But mostly, we want participants to find any way to share – text your friends, post something up in your break room at work, or email your family members. We want to see this have a profound, positive impact on our communities.”
Full details for the Season of Caring, including instruction sheets for each individual day, hashtag details, Facebook images and more, can be found on the Season of Caring page on the United Way’s website – https://uwjnwc.com/events/week-of-caring/.
“We’ve put together lots of details and marketing information to make it very easy for people to participate and to promote each week’s task,” Ellis-Bols states. “I’ll be sharing my personal participation each week, as well as our board of directors’ involvement, because our United Way is fully committed to spreading caring power throughout our communities. At United Way, we see one of our main responsibilities as creating connections throughout our communities – connecting individuals to needed help and resources, connecting volunteers to organizations who could benefit from their time, connecting donors to causes and missions they care about, and now connecting the power of kindness and support to those who need it.”
To join in on the week’s events, people are encouraged to visit the United Way website and subscribe to their newsletter and to “like and follow” their Facebook page (@uwjnwc). Participants are encouraged to share their acts of caring by sharing to their social media pages and using the following hashtags: #uwjnwc #seasonofcaring #2022campaign #wearealltheunitedway.
“We’re so excited to launch this version of this caring series and we think it’s the perfect way to begin our campaign season,” Hartwick adds. “We look so forward to seeing community member participation, and to see witnessing the impact that simple acts of caring can make in our communities. Thank you to those who will join us.
Anyone who would like more information on United Way or who has any questions on the Season of Caring, can visit the United Way website at www.uwjnwc.com or contact Ellis-Bols at 920.563.8880 or unitedway@idcnet.com.
The United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties’ mission is to fight for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our communities. We do that by providing support to community programs, projects and local agencies that provide critical health and human services to those in need. This network of helping services can be described as a “safety net” for those in our midst in need. Whether it is transitional housing, literacy education, after-school programs and education, health and dental care, end of life care, mentoring programs, job training or disaster relief, the United Way identifies the greatest needs in our community and helps to fund agencies that can meet those needs.
For more information about our local United Way, you may visit the website at www.uwjnwc.com or “like” the Facebook page at “United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties.” For details regarding the United Way’s online volunteer tool, please visit www.volunteermain.com.
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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