By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

John Ranger Terrell, age 28, is staying in an Airbnb in Whitewater as he prepares for the time trials for U.S. Paralympics Cycling on Wednesday, June 14. John currently resides in the Olympic Village in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He spoke with the Banner about his para-cycling journey as he also explained the rules involved in the sport.

Rock Prairie Presbyterian Church, 8605 E County Road A in the Town of Johnstown, is the site of the time trials for U.S. Paralympics Cycling on Wednesday, June 14. Dozens of para-athletes will be competing in their ongoing effort to win the right to compete in the 2023 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Para-cycling Road World Championships in August in Glasgow, Scotland. Their ultimate goal is to make the team for the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris.

According to teamusa.org, “Road para-cycling made its Paralympic debut at New York/Stoke Mandeville 1984 and has been contested at every Games since. Track para-cycling entered the Paralympic program 12 years later at Atlanta 1996. The sport was developed in the 1980s and was first open to vision impaired athletes who competed in tandems with a sighted pilot. Over the following years, para-cycling started to include those with cerebral palsy, amputations and other physical impairments, who compete on bicycles, tricycles and hand cycles.

There are five sport classes for hand cycling, two for tricycle, and five for bicycle, whilst the three sport classes for the tandem compete in one event. Athletes participate in World Cups, world, and regional Championships throughout the year.”

Many Whitewater residents are probably more familiar with another Paralympics sport, wheelchair basketball. In both sports the athletes are classified by their level of infirmity, a term that Terrell prefers over disability. In the upright bike the classes range from one to five, with five being used for an athlete with the least infirmity. John was hit by a car as a pedestrian when he was 19 and experienced a brachial plexus injury as a result of blunt-force trauma. He tried to salvage his limb for over two years, but his nerve transplant surgeries were unsuccessful, and he finally made the very difficult decision to accept amputation. His journey included struggles with addiction to the opioids that he was prescribed. He would normally be considered a “five,” but due to an additional infirmity in his legs, he’s a “four.” Something that often confuses spectators is that infirmities are not always obvious; for example, John might be competing with someone with cerebral palsy.

In his youth John was a huge BMX racing devotee, working with his friends to build courses with higher and higher jumps in the woods near his home in San Antonio, Texas. His goal was to become a professional BMX rider. After his accident John was told that his BMX dreams were “toast,” but he was in denial. While finally setting his sights on turning his love for BMX into mastering para-cycling, John earned a B.S. in biochemistry and a Master’s degree in sports management. He has already started a nonprofit organization through which he intends to mentor para-cyclists.

The Johnstown time trial will be a 16 kilometer rectangular road course. The roads will be closed to traffic, but John indicated that it is unfortunately not uncommon, and dangerous, to encounter a car on the route. Most of the athletes will complete one circuit, but John’s class will ride 32 kilometers. The athletes start the race one minute apart; they are not competing against each other but against the clock. John hopes to complete the approximate 18.6 miles in about 38 minutes. That would represent an average speed of 29 miles per hour. Yes, he acknowledged, one of the challenges that he had to overcome early in his training was maintaining his balance.

In this life, John said, “we all get disabled in some way. For some, it happens very early in life; for others, it’s not until the final days.” Every challenge that has come his way in his journey has been an opportunity for growth. Here’s what he said in another interview, “Believe in yourself, define yourself, invest time in yourself and make the most of every single day. Life is a series of decisions, so I want to encourage people to make better decisions and to constantly look to improve their previous efforts. We become good at whatever we practice, so make the choice every day to practice positivity and to implement self-accountability. What is for you will not go past you.”

What’s John’s view of Lance Armstrong, whose seven consecutive Tour de France titles were stripped after an investigation found he used performance-enhancing drugs over his career? John indicated that what most of the public doesn’t know is that every high performing cyclist in those years ultimately tested positive or admitted having used such drugs. What Armstrong accomplished was still unbelievable, and he was the only person who was penalized for the violation, as the sport wanted to make an example of him.

John is laser focused on making the U.S. para-cycling team for the 2024 Summer Paralympics. He’s enjoyed so much success this season that for a while he was wearing the “leader” jersey. John’s Instagram handle is @fivefingergrip and he’s on Facebook at John Ranger Terrell. (How’d he get his middle name? His father was an Army Ranger.) Here’s an interesting interview with him.

The time trials begin at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and John hits the track at 11:24 a.m.

This weekend, the Whitewater Boys’ and Girls’ Track and Field team concluded their season at the WIAA State Track and Field Championships in La Crosse. The two-day meet included events consisting of 16 competitors in each event who qualified from their respective Sectionals. 

FRIDAY RECAP:

On Friday, a pair of athletes competed in field events, while on the track sprinters competed for a chance to run in the Final on Saturday. In the field events, Jaylyn Ewing was a first-time State qualifier in the High Jump, after being named an extra qualifier based on his Sectional performance. In the competition, Jaylyn jumped 6’-0”, tying his personal best. He had no misses until he attempted 6’-2”. Jaylyn’s height placed him in a tie for 10th place. Also, in the field events, and also an extra qualifier from the tough McFarland Sectional, senior Evie Troxel competed in the Pole Vault. Evie cleared her first three heights, 9’, 9’-6”, & 10’, without any misses. After two misses at the next height, 10’-6”, Evie gave it everything she had and cleared the height to earn three more attempts at the next height. After calculating the results, five girls cleared the same height of 10’-6”. However, because she cleanly cleared her three initial heights, Evie’s jump placed her in 6th place, earning a spot on the podium! Evie concludes her career as a two-time state qualifier, and her height of 10’-6” is a Top-5 vault in WHS history. 

On the track, three Whippets competed in the preliminaries of the individual sprint events. 

First up, senior Maddie Buehler raced in the first heat of the 100-meter dash, just as she did in 2022. After a false start from one of her competitors, the race was restarted. Maddie placed 4th in her heat with a time of 12.72, and after the second heat was concluded, her time was good for 9th place, qualifying her for the Finals Saturday. Junior Ethan Dugan competed in the Boys 400-meter dash, running in the first of two heats as well. This was Dugan’s second time qualifying for this event in as many years. Going up against tough competition, Ethan placed 5th in his heat in a time of 50.90. Dugan waited with bated breath during the second preliminary heat, but his time placed him in 10th, qualifying him for Saturday’s Final as well. Finally, senior Kindyl Kilar competed in the 200-meter dash for the second year in a row. Racing in the first heat, Kindyl held her own, placing 6th in a time of 26.06. When all was said and done after the second heat was completed, which included a runner from Shorewood breaking the existing State Record in the event, Kindyl’s time placed her in 12th, which although did not qualify for the Final, bettered her finish from the 2022 State Meet in the event. 

Additionally, two girls’ relays ran and both qualified for the Saturday Final. First, the 4×200 meter relay team of Buehler, Sydney Schilt, Emma Weigel, and Kilar blazed ahead with the third fastest time of the day in 1:44.49, as they were edged slightly by Conference Rival East Troy. Returning to the track for the 4×100 meter relay less than an hour later, the team of Calli Grosinske, Buehler, Weigel, and Kilar responded with an astonishing time of 48.96, which again broke their school record. Their time was the fastest of all preliminary heats, earning them a spot in the fast lane for Finals. When all was said and done, the time was the fastest in Division 2 during the 2023 season. 

SATURDAY RECAP:

Saturday was a magical day for the Whippets Track & Field team. Each athlete who competed on Saturday earned points for the team by placing within the Top 8 of their events. 

Kicking off the day, Maddie Buehler raced in the Final of the 100-meter dash. After qualifying for the final in 9th, she was in Lane 1, but ready to improve upon her preliminary seed. The 2023 Final of the Girls 100 was incredibly fast, as the winner broke the existing State record. However, Maddie competed hard, crossing the finish line in 8th place in a time of 12.50, just .13 off her personal best. Maddie concluded her individual event career as a two-time State finalist in the 100-meter dash, the #2 100-meter runner all-time in WHS history, and earned a point for the team with her performance. 

In the 400-meter dash, Ethan Dugan took some time during Friday evening to plan his race strategy, which in the Final he executed brilliantly. His combination of a strong block start, aggressive first 200 meters, and racing against incredible competition, Dugan used a late-race surge to propel himself to an 8th place finish, earning a point for the boys’ team. Dugan’s time of 49.98 was good for a personal best, and an improvement upon his already #5 all-time mark in the WHS history books.

In the Discus, senior Connor Raupp came into the competition firing, leading off with a strong first throw of 159’-1”. Connor continued to throw close to that mark, throughout the prelims and the Final. However, his first toss was enough to place him fourth, earning a spot on the podium. Raupp concludes his exceptional prep career as a State finalist and two-time RVC champion. 

Back on the track, the girls’ 4×100 meter relay team competed in the Final of the event. After a long day already, the girls competed their absolute hardest, and executed their handoffs excellently. However, they faced their toughest competition of the year in a team from Notre Dame Academy. In an incredible finish, the Whippet girls crossed the finish line in second place as State Runners-up in a time of 49.34. The race was their fourth sub-50 second relay time of the season. Before this season, no WHS 4×100 had run better than 50.30. The team of Calli Grosinske, Maddie Buehler, Emma Weigel, and Kindyl Kilar held their heads high as State Runners-up, school record holders, and with their Friday preliminary time of 48.96 as the fastest Division 2 time in the state in 2023, only .27 off the State record of 48.69. 

On the boys’ side, sophomore Jack Hefty highlighted the meet for the Whippets with his performance in the 1600-meter run. During the first lap, Jack appeared to be boxed in the inside lane around 7th-10th place. Without panicking, Jack ran the pace of the other competitors for the first lap. About halfway through the second lap, the field began to spread out. Jack moved up six places over the course of the second lap, moving up to fourth place. The slower paced 2:12 first half mile gave Hefty confidence heading into the second half of the race. Jack moved up to second place over the third lap, and sat behind Eli Boppart of Mauston as the bell rang, indicating one lap remaining. With about 250 meters to go, Jack turned on the jets, passing Boppart, and moving into the lead. With his foot speed from several 400-meter races, Jack pressed ahead, creating a wider and wider gap between himself and second place. Hefty crossed the finish line, threw up his arms in celebration, and earned the title of State Champion. Jack finished the final lap in an astounding 59.50, the only competitor to split sub-60 seconds for the final 400m. Jack’s time of 4:16.47 established a new school record, besting Brett Harms’ time of 4:19.30 from 2014. Jack joins Ben Maas (1996), John Crummey (1963), and Leonard Converse (1927) as Whippets who can call themselves State Champions in the 1600-meter run. Congratulations Jack Hefty, your 2023 State Champion in the 1600m!!!

About 15 minutes after Jack’s race, the girls’ 4×200 meter relay took to the track. After qualifying for the final with the third fastest time, the girls were looking to improve upon their seed. Maddie Buehler started out of the blocks, quickly reducing some of the stagger between the Whippets and their competitors. Freshman Sydney Schilt held their position, running a strong second leg, and executing a stellar handoff to senior Emma Weigel, battling a slight headwind on the final 100, Weigel handed off to senior Kindyl Kilar, the Whippets’ trusty relay anchor. Seeing that she was slightly behind, Kilar received the baton and got to work. She passed two schools to quickly catch up with East Troy who had the fast lane. For the final 100 meters on the home stretch, Kilar battled back and forth with East Troy’s anchor leg, and passed her to finish the race in first place, earning Whitewater’s second State Championship in a 15-minute span. The relay’s time of 1:42.95 established a new school record, was the fastest time in Division 2 in 2023, and was the second-fastest time in Division 2 history and only the second relay team to go sub-1:43. The team broke the previous school record of 1:43.93, which stood since 1986. The 1986 team’s record was the State record for 24 years until it was broken in 2010. The 2023 girls add themselves to the list of State Champion relays in the event, joining teams from 1998, 1997, 1989, 1988, and 1986 as State Champions. Congratulations to the girls’ 4×200 meter relay team, your 2023 State Champions!!!

Article and Photos Submitted by Matt Green
Whitewater High School Head Track and Field Coach
mgreen@wwusd.org

Editor’s note: The following announcement was found on this UW-W Facebook page: torosSepdn6a6h1t14fg8382587ah46273i0itthg1g1306g81499fu4tg65  
One commenter stated that the D-1 schools have paid coaches, whereas UW-W “coaches ourselves.”

Proud of our Warhawks!! Our club baseball team finished second overall in the Division I National Club Baseball Association World Series.

To earn their spot in the national championship, UW-Whitewater (ranked 8th) defeated No. 1 Utah State, No. 5 and defending champion Florida State, and No. 7 Virginia Tech. They fell to No. 2 Penn State in the final by a score of 6-3.

What a season! Our club teams are truly championship caliber and we love cheering on our Warhawks!