Today is Saturday, October 10, 2026
Editor’s note: The following announcement was received on July 19 from the UW-W Athletic Department.
Tom Lange, a longtime volunteer, contributor and fan for teams at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, passed away last week of natural causes at the age of 85.
Funeral arrangements are currently pending.
Lange, a 1997 Warhawk Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, contributed significantly to the success of UW-W athletics programs for nearly half a century as a public address announcer, booster club officer and volunteer.
“Tom Lange is a Warhawk,” UW-Whitewater Director of Athletics Ryan Callahan said. “He touched countless lives over his 40-plus years working with our athletic staff and teams, pouring his time and resources into our programs while asking for nothing in return.
“I am grateful to have personally known him for the last 20 years and will remember our numerous interactions and the laughs we shared the most. I know countless alumni and friends feel the pain of this loss, but I know that Tom lived a full and happy life in this community. We are lucky to have had him on our team for the last four decades and will miss him dearly.”
Most recently, Lange served as public address announcer for the UW-W wrestling and baseball teams. He also previously volunteered for men’s and women’s basketball games and for freshman football games and was an active member of the Quarterback Club and Tip-Off Club as a longtime Whitewater resident.
Lange attended countless athletics events over the last 45 years and was one of the Warhawks’ biggest supporters.
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“Tom’s legacy lives in all of us that were truly blessed to call him our friend. His passion for the Warhawks was second to none. That passion is why we are ‘Powered By Tradition.’” – Head Football Coach Kevin Bullis
“Tommy ‘The Kid’ Lange was a unique figure in Warhawk Athletics who enhanced the student-athlete experience through his daily endeavors and his announcing. Tommy built many long-lasting and meaningful relationships with athletes and coaches. His presence, laughter and one-liners will be missed by Warhawk Wrestling and the athletics department.” – Head Wrestling Coach Matt Zwaschka
It’s not too late to sign up for the Jr. Whippet Football Camp being held next week, July 18th-21st, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the WHS Football Fields! It is probably too late to mail in registration, but don’t forget Walk Up Registrations on Monday are allowed (and all kids should still receive their T-shirt on time, including those who sign up on Monday).
If you do plan to attend and have not registered yet, it is preferred that you email Head Coach Jason Bleck at jbleck@wwusd.org to let him know and so he can get the most accurate head count possible ahead of time. Any questions can be directed to Coach Bleck as well!
Article Submitted by Jason Bleck
Whitewater High School Head Football Coach
jbleck@wwusd.org
The Whippet City Mile led off the Fourth of July parade again this year with 160 runners of all ages participating. The youngest participant was 2 in the stroller division and our eldest was 72. The runners were led by a Harley Davidson motorcade consisting of Ronny Walenton, Ramsey Walenton, Owen Walenton, Steve “Uncle Scuba” Meinel, Gary Smale, and Tom Bobby. The weather was perfect for the closest finish in race history. Battling to the end was Whitewater High School distance star Jack Hefty and Fort Atkinson’s Spencer Agnew. Agnew, a former 4 minute miler for Marquette University, coaches distance events at Fort High School. Hefty pulled away in the last 15 meters for a narrow victory. The female division was led by Whitewater resident and Boston Marathon qualifier, Heidi Mane. The racers once again basked in the cheers of the thousands who lined the parade route. Thank you to Marissa Piper, Scott “Richy” Richardson, Ben Holden, and Steve Johnson for their help in the race. Special thanks to Lisa Dawsey-Smith and the rest of the 4th of the July Committee for their continued support. Appreciation also to Robert Mischka for the wonderful photos. Can’t wait till next year!
USA Today: “Kentucky of the Wheelchair Basketball World” – How a Division III School Built a Dynasty
An article with the above headline was written by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Ben Steele and was first published in the Journal Sentinel. On July 3 the article was reprinted in USA Today. It’s found at this link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2022/07/03/wisconsin-whitewater-wheelchair-basketball-dynasty/7794751001/
“Wisconsin-Whitewater is home to one of the most dominant sports programs the state has ever seen.
The Warhawks’ wheelchair basketball teams are national powerhouses, with the men and women combining for 16 championships since 1982.
Whitewater players and alumni are heavily represented on Team USA for international competitions, including the upcoming International Wheelchair Basketball Federation America’s Cup in São Paulo, Brazil. That event, which begins July 9, is a qualifier for the world championships in November in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Whitewater prides itself on being one of the most wheelchair-accessible campuses in the nation. The men’s wheelchair basketball team started almost 50 years ago….
The National Wheelchair Basketball Association has 12 teams in its men’s intercollegiate division, including Illinois, Arizona and Alabama.
“I think it’s kind of cool to see these other big schools that offer these huge scholarships and have these big facilities and Whitewater is just kind of blue collar and people that want to work hard,” Boie said. [John Boie is a former wheelchair basketball player who is now an academic advisor at UW-W] “If you want to get better, this is where you come to play against the best and to become the best.”
The women’s division includes six teams.
“I’m not really that old and the fact that I had to choose between really just one school that had an established women’s team about 20 years ago,” Schwab said, “And now women have the opportunity to choose between six universities and where they want to go.”
Editor’s note: The photo on the homepage is a UW-Whitewater photo.
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