The Whippets swam well at the Southern Lakes Conference Championship Meet on Saturday, November 11th at Beloit Memorial! The girls placed 7th overall as a team, picking up several PRs and Top 16 finishes!

The first half of the meet didn’t start quite the way the ladies had hoped, but after the nerves settled, they came back with confidence and energy — finishing the second half of the meet strong and having a lot of fun along the way!

 Meet Highlights – Top 16 Finishes:

• 200 Medley Relay A – 12th place, 2:25.06
  Grace Coleman, Atreya Wilson, Lucy Davis, and Emma Maas (Grace led off with a strong 39.14 backstroke split!)
• 200 Medley Relay B – 14th place, 2:39.15
  Georgia Esch, Maya Davis, Jalayne Hanson, and Laken DePorter (Georgia posted a great 41.87 backstroke split!)
• 200 IM – 10th place, 2:46.76 – Maggie Maas
• 100 Freestyle – 16th place, 1:08.37 – Grace Smith
• 500 Freestyle – 15th place, 6:49.20 (PR) – Lucy Davis
• 200 Freestyle Relay A – 10th place, 2:01.74
  Maggie Maas, Grace Coleman, Emma Maas, and Grace Smith
  (Maggie led with a 29.49; Grace Smith closed with a 30.13)
• 200 Freestyle Relay B – 16th place, 2:20.90
  Storm DePorter, Maya Davis, Caitlin Alford, and Laken DePorter
  (Caitlin clocked her best relay split – 37.28!)
• 100 Backstroke – 11th place, 1:14.63 – Maggie Maas
• 100 Breaststroke – 13th place, 1:27.86 (PR) – Atreya Wilson
• 400 Freestyle Relay A – 8th place, 4:30.83
  Grace Smith, Lucy Davis, Atreya Wilson, and Maggie Maas
  (Lucy 1:08.41 split; Maggie anchored fast with a 1:03.42!)
• 400 Freestyle Relay B – 13th place, 5:15.54
  Storm DePorter, Laken DePorter, Paige Kollwelter, and Georgia Esch

 Individual Highlights & Personal Records:

• Grace Coleman – Best time in the 200 Freestyle (2:37.43) and 4-second drop in the 100 Backstroke (1:25.09)
• Georgia Esch – Best times in both the 200 Freestyle (2:53.21) and 100 Backstroke (1:34.14)
• Atreya Wilson – Dropped 3 seconds in the 100 Freestyle (1:09.61) and set a PR in the 100 Breast (1:27.86)
• Storm DePorter – Dropped 3 seconds in the 100 Freestyle (1:13.65)
• Paige Kollwelter – Dropped time in the 100 Freestyle (1:20.93)
• Lucy Davis – Lifetime best in the 500 Freestyle (6:49.20)
• Maya Davis – Time drop in the 100 Breaststroke (1:33.93)
• Maggie Maas – Top-10 finish in the 200 IM and strong 100 Back time (1:14.63)

Next up —WIAA Sectionals! The Whippets will be back in action on Saturday, November 15th at Sauk Prairie. Swimming starts at 1 pm. Let’s keep the momentum going — Go Whippets! 

Article and Photo Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Swim Coach
ReynoldsSM07@uww.edu

The Whippets are gearing up for the end of the season, which can only mean one thing… it’s Conference territory! On Tuesday, October 28th, a group of our athletes competed at the JV Conference in Elkhorn and put together an incredible team performance — finishing 6th overall!

The Whippets kicked off the night strong with a 6th-place finish in the 200 Medley Relay, featuring Caitlin Alford, Maya Davis, Jalayne Hanson, and Storm DePorter. Their effort set the tone for an evening full of great swims, positive energy, and big time drops!

Best Times & Highlights:
• Caitlin Alford – 200 Medley Relay backstroke split: 35.44
• Maya Davis – 200 Medley Relay breaststroke split: 42.60
• Storm DePorter – 200 Medley Relay free split: 34.52
• Jalayne Hanson – 1:27.45 in the 100 Freestyle
• Caitlin Alford – 1:38.75 in the 100 Backstroke
• Jalayne Hanson – 36.75 split in the 200 Freestyle
• Maya Davis – 7:25.06 in the 500 Freestyle (17-second drop!)
• Storm DePorter – 7:44.58 in the 500 Freestyle (over 40-second drop!)

Medal Finishers:
• 200 Freestyle Relay – Caitlin Alford, Maya Davis, Jalayne Hanson, and Storm DePorter — 6th place
• 500 Freestyle (Maya Davis) – 6th place – 7:25.06
• 500 Freestyle (Storm DePorter) – 8th place – 7:44.58
• 200 Freestyle Relay – Storm DePorter, Caitlin Alford, Jalayne Hanson, and Maya Davis — 6th place

It was an exciting night for the Whippets! Their teamwork, energy, and spirit were on full display as they wrapped up a fantastic JV season.

Next up: the Varsity Conference Championship on Saturday, November 1st at Beloit Memorial!
Swimming starts at 11:00 am — hope to see you there! 

Article and Photos Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Swim Coach
ReynoldsSM07@uww.edu

The Whippet Volleyball Program recently held its annual end-of-year banquet, recognizing the hard work, growth, and dedication of athletes across all levels — JV2, JV1, and Varsity. Each team was celebrated for their commitment to learning, improvement, and teamwork throughout the season.

JV1 and JV2 coaches, Coach Miller and Coach AJ, highlighted their teams’ strong work ethic, selfless play, and consistent progress. Every athlete was honored with a word symbolizing their unique contribution to the team, reflecting the character and effort they brought to the program each day. The coaches shared their excitement for the bright future ahead with this promising group of athletes.

Varsity Head Coach Lippens expressed heartfelt gratitude to the families, administration, and athletes for their continued support throughout the season. Together with Coach Kilar, she recognized the perseverance and commitment shown by this year’s varsity team. Although the win-loss record did not reflect the team’s full potential, their growth, resilience, and unity were undeniable.

This year’s varsity squad was led by five outstanding seniors — Peyton Clark, Danika Larson, Kaia Jones, Mya Graves-Koran, and Sydney Schilt — each leaving a lasting legacy on the Whippet Volleyball Program:

• Kaia Jones – the quiet leader with immense heart and determination.
• Danika Larson – a model of commitment and personal growth.
• Mya Graves-Koran – a steady setter who anchored the team.
• Peyton Clark – a versatile athlete who embodied perseverance.
• Sydney Schilt – a hardworking and passionate leader on offense and defense who set the tone on and off the court.

Together, these seniors set a standard of excellence and leadership that will continue to inspire future Whippet athletes.

2025 Whippet Volleyball Awards were presented to:

• Team Captains: Mya Graves-Koran, Kaia Jones, and Sydney Schilt
• Whippet Heart Award: Kaia Jones
• Most Improved Players: Junior Maddi Morton, Senior Danika Larson, and Sophomore Emery Kachel
• Offensive Player of the Year: Senior Sydney Schilt
• Defensive Player of the Year: Freshman Jasmine Kilar
• All-Conference Honorable Mention: Senior Kaia Jones and Senior Sydney Schilt
• Second Team All-Conference: Freshman Jasmine Kilar
• American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Phenom Watchlist: Freshman Jasmine Kilar

The Whippet Volleyball Program is proud of the achievements, character, and growth of its athletes and looks forward to continued success in the seasons ahead. The banquet was a true celebration of dedication, teamwork, and community — a reflection of the heart and effort that define Whippet Volleyball. As we say goodbye to our incredible seniors, we thank them for the leadership, passion, and legacy they leave behind, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors. As the program closes one chapter and looks ahead to the next, the Whippet Volleyball family remains united in purpose — striving for excellence, supporting one another, and playing with pride in every set, every match, and every season.

Article and Photos Submitted by Mary Kilar

The Whippets capped their 2025 campaign on a high note Friday evening, October 24, at the WIAA Sectional Meet in Cambridge. In what many would consider perfect fall racing conditions — 52 degrees, sunny, calm, and on a fast, runner-friendly course — the team delivered its best collective effort of the season. The rolling, wooded trails of Cam Rock Park produced season-bests for many and lifetime bests for others.

Boys’ Recap
Freshman Tyler Carollo once again led the Whippets, finishing 42nd in 17:57 in his first postseason race. The pack of the team’s 2–5 runners ran together deep into the race. Wyatt Esch emerged as the No. 2 runner, placing 76th in 19:12. Seniors Quinton O’Toole and Isaiah Mendez went head-to-head one final time, crossing nearly together — Quinton 82nd in 19:33.1 and Isaiah 83rd in 19:33.8. Marcus Roselle battled to 85th in 19:35.

Sam Nickelsburg turned in the race of his life with a 94th-place finish in 21:31. Angel Kilar rounded out the lineup in 95th with a time of 21:49. The boys placed 14th overall.

Girls’ Recap
As she has all season, Virginia Nelson led the girls’ squad and matched Tyler’s team placing — 42nd — finishing in 21:17. Melody Smith, racing in spikes for the first time, dropped a significant chunk of time to place 66th in 22:13. Ema Aranda surged late, passing numerous runners en route to 68th in 22:19. Senior Delaney Hammack ran strong and steady to finish 75th in 22:49.

Running together for much of the race, Peyton Comfort placed 88th in 24:28, senior Payton Brautigam closed her career with a lifetime PR of 24:38 for 90th, and Madelyn Taylor, filling in as the alternate, finished 91st in 24:53. The girls placed 13th out of 15 teams.

With no athletes advancing to the WIAA State Meet, the sectional meet concludes the season for the Whippets.

Full results: https://my.raceresult.com/368477/results

Article Submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org
Pictures Courtesy of Heather Hammack