Today is Tuesday, May 12, 2026
The Whippet swimmers went back to Elkhorn on Saturday, September 10th, to compete in the Elkhorn Invite. The Whippets had an awesome meet, placing 5th overall as a team. The team took home 14 medals and had many heat winners and lots of best times!
Top 16 finishes:
200 Medley Relay:
- Grace Foucault, Emerson Dunham, Makayla Bazeley, Brooke Bazeley (1st)
- Ashly Xochipa, Josie Treder, Charlotte Hajewski, Karime Velazquez (9th)
200Freestyle:
- Makayla Bazeley (1st)
- Brooke Bazeley (6th)
- Josie Treder (13th)
50 Freestyle:
- Grace Foucault (1st)
- Emerson Dunham (15th)
100 Fly:
- Makayla Bazeley (1st)
- Charlotte Hajewski (13th)
100 Freestyle:
- Ashly Xochipa (16th)
400 Freestyle:
- Brooke Bazeley (5th)
200 Freestyle Relay:
- Makayla Bazeley, Emerson Dunham, Brooke Bazeley, Grace Foucault (2nd)
100 Backstroke:
- Grace Foucault (1st)
- Charlotte Hajewski (14th)
- Ashly Xochipa (15th)
100 Breaststroke:
- Emerson Dunham (9th)
- Josie Treder (12th)
400 Freestyle Relay:
- Charlotte Hajewski, Karime Velazquez, Ashly Xochipa, Josie Treder (9th)
The Whippets are back in action at home on Tuesday, September 13 at 5:30pm against Burlington Co-op.
Article and Photos Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Swim Coach
sreynolds@wwusd.org
Editor’s note: The following is from texasfootball.com. Regular sports readers may be expecting the usual timely report from Chris Lindeke, who served for a number of years as Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding, UW-W. Lindeke recently accepted a position with another organization. He will be missed. The Banner does not know whether another individual is being sought for this position.
Evan Lewandowski led No. 6 UW-Whitewater to a thrilling 28-24 win over No. 1 Mary Hardin-Baylor, who received stellar play from quarterback Kyle King in the loss.
The Game of the Week lived up to expectations. Well, sort of – Mary Hardin-Baylor was expected to win, but it was Wisconsin-Whitewater’s touchdown with 19 seconds left that sent the Warhawks to a 28-24 win.
The victory is the 43rd consecutive win at Perkins Stadium for UW-Whitewater, and the 14,213 fans in attendance helped spur their team to victory. UMHB is now 2-7 all-time against the Warhawks and has never won two consecutive games in the series.
Neither team led by more than four points in a game that featured five lead changes, while both teams were close in rushing yards, with the Warhawks owning a slight edge (410-336) in total yards.
So, how did UW-Whitewater pull off the upset? Let’s dig into that.
The big Lewandowski
In the GOTW preview, I said the UMHB defense was the X-factor. I was wrong again. The X-factor on Saturday was UW-Whitewater quarterback Evan Lewandowski. The senior from Buffalo Grove, Ill., completed 28 of 35 pass attempts (80 percent) for 301 yards and three touchdowns.
Lewandowski’s first incompletion in the game happened with 7:30 left in the third quarter, and at least three of his seven incompletions were catchable passes dropped by the wide receivers.
The Cru stubbornly and, at times, frustratingly played a two-deep zone for the majority of the game. However, when UMHB started mixing in some man coverage from a two-deep look, Lewandowski scrambled and found an open receiver.
The UMHB defense had no answer for Lewandowski today, and to be honest, I don’t know if anyone would’ve had a response with how brilliantly he played.
When UMHB showed some chippiness in the second half, it felt more like a team flailing after being hit in the mouth. It’s possible the Cru “ate the cheese” after last week with so many pundits declaring them the national champion.
This loss may provide the motivation the Cru needs to play with a chip on their shoulders and lead to another national title run, but only time will tell. UMHB will be ready for Southwestern next weekend and will likely cruise to a win, but what happens against HSU in two weeks? Will that chip remain throughout the rest of the regular season and the playoffs? Again, only time will tell……
Game Ball: UW-Whitewater quarterback Evan Lewandowski
There are other candidates for this honor, including Tyler Holte, who had ten receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns, and Tommy Coates, who had a breakout performance in a needed win for the Warhawks. But what Lewandowski did against the reigning national champions in the face of pressure earns him the game ball.
The Whippets saw their best finish in several years at the Kettle Moraine Tournament this past weekend, with a 5th place finish in the gold bracket. Teams included Kettle Moraine, Lake Mills, Arrowhead, East Troy, Kewaunee, Wauwatosa East, Muskego, Manitowoc Lincoln, Dominican, Barneveld, Sun Prairie West, Verona, Appleton East, The Prairie School, Newman Catholic, and Whitewater.
The Whippets faced The Prairie School (Racine) in the first round of pool play and beat them in best of three sets with the scores of 25-8, 22-25, 15-12. This was a battle, and the Whippets came out on top with statistical leaders of Calli Grosinske with 19 assists, Kindyl Kilar and Ella Spear with 3 aces apiece, Kilar with 9 digs, and Kilar with 21 kills.
Up next was another match in pool play where the Whippets battled Newman Catholic (Wausau). This match found the Whippets losing in a two of three-set match with scores of 23-25, 25-23, and 13-15. Statistical leaders for this match included Calli Grosinske and Cali Kopecky with 3 aces apiece. Grosinske finished with a double-double with 19 assists and 28 digs, and Kindyl Kilar also finished with a double-double with 17 kills and 11 digs.
Following pool play, the Whippets were reseeded to 6th place, which placed them in the Gold Bracket playoff (top 8 teams moved here). The Whippets faced a tough Kettle Moraine team and struggled in the first set. They came back in the second set, falling just short with scores of 10-25 and 20-25. Statistical leaders for this match included Kilar with 10 kills, Caleigh Yang with 8 digs, Cali Kopecky with 2 aces, and Calli Grosinske with 12 assists.
The first-round loss in the playoffs left the Whippets playing off for 5th place, facing Appleton East. The Whippets came out dominating and won in two straight sets with scores of 25-21 and 26-24. Statistical leaders included Kindyl Kilar with a double-double with 17 kills, 12 digs, and 2 aces, Caleigh Yang with 17 digs, and Calli Grosinske with 17 assists.
The coaching staff could not be prouder of this squad. Coach Kilar stated, “For us to come out and battle against schools much larger than us and truly come together and compete, was fun to see. We didn’t back down, we persevered through some ups and downs and came out on top in our last match. To place 5th is an absolutely solid accomplishment for our varsity squad.”
Next up is conference play, with the Whippets heading to Brodhead on Tuesday (9/13) followed by a home match (Parents’ Night) against McFarland on Thursday (9/15).
Article and Photo Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
You could feel the energy in the gym the minute the Whippet Varsity Volleyball team took to the court on Thursday, September 8! The Whippets were honoring something bigger than volleyball, the inspirational educators who have made a difference in their lives. As Kindyl Kilar spoke to the crowd at the beginning of the match, “You have been chosen not only for the subject you teach, or the lessons you have created, but for the meaningful relationships you have created with each one of us. You have cared for us, inspired us, and allowed us to see potential in our futures. So tonight, we honor you!” Each member of the program chose an inspirational educator that touched their lives in some way. Whether a grade school educator, a coach or a counselor, they have made an impact and were honored.
Kilar shared, “Showing gratitude for people in our lives who have made a difference is bigger than volleyball. The wins are nice, but understanding in this world that honoring people who have touched our lives in a positive way is so much bigger than volleyball. Tonight, there were some true educators who have been called to a vocation and those educators touched each of our athletes in some way. We were honored to have so many educators in the gym with us, and I was honored to be able to highlight them with our athletes.”
The Whippets went on to sweep the Chiefs in three straight sets behind a very loud and energetic crowd. “This was such a fun night. The fans were awesome, the youth came out and supported us, our educators were here, and it was great to bring home a win,” said Kilar.
This was a program win for the Whippet teams as all three levels defeated Big Foot. “As a coaching staff, we are so proud of what our athletes are doing. They are working hard in the gym and weight room, and it is producing positive results,” said Kilar.
Statistical leaders on the night included Calli Grosinske with 26 assists, Ella Spear with 12 digs, Jenna Pope with 2 blocks, Cali Kopecky, Grosinke, and Pope with 3 aces and Kindyl Kilar with 26 kills. The Whippets won 25-16, 25-19, and 25-23.
Article and Group Photos Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
Action Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
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