Today is Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Kacie Carollo, a native of Whitewater, studying Integrated Science and Business at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, was one of three members of the Warhawk women’s basketball team who garnered All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference accolades for the 2023-24 season.
Senior forward Aleah Grundahl (DeForest, Wis./DeForest) has been selected as the WIAC Player of the Year for the third consecutive season to headline a contingent of three Warhawks named All-WIAC this season. Junior guard Kacie Carollo (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) added First Team and All-Defensive Team honors while junior forward Katie Hildebrandt (McFarland, Wis./McFarland) received honorable mention recognition.
Grundahl is the first women’s basketball player in conference history to be named the league’s top player three times. The feat has been accomplished just one other time in WIAC basketball history with Mike Ratliff (UWEC) earning the honor on the men’s side from 1969-72. This season, Grundahl has paced the Warhawks breaking numerous records along the way. She became the UWW all-time leading scorer in the second game of the season. On February 14, she became the all-time leading scorer in the WIAC, surpassing a mark that had stood since 1995. Her 39 points against UW-La Crosse broke the UW-Whitewater single game scoring record and is the most by a player in the league this season. Grundahl leads the WIAC in scoring this season averaging 20.2 points per game while adding 2.1 steals per outing, ranked second in the league. She adds top 12 marks in total points (525), rebounds per game (6.2), field goal percentage (.520), free throw percentage (.781) and assists per game (1.9).
Carollo is now a three-time All-WIAC honoree and two-time All-Defensive Team selection with the pair of honors in 2024. She ranks second in the WIAC in rebounding, averaging 8.1 per game. Carollo adds 4.1 assists and 1.9 steals per outing ranked third and fourth in the league respectively. Also, one of the conference’s top scorers, Carollo’s 14.4 points per game is a top-10 mark in the league. The junior hauled in the second-most rebounds by a player in the league this season with 16 at UW-Oshkosh and tops the list for steals in a single game with six against UW-Stout.
Hildebrandt received honorable mention recognition in her first season as a Warhawk. The junior is one of the league’s top three-point shooters, hitting over 35-percent of her shots from long range. Her 1.4 blocks per game is ranked third in the WIAC this season. Hildebrandt adds top 20 marks in points per game (9.2), rebounds per game (4.7) and field goal percentage (.417).
Grundahl was also named the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete of the Year this season. She is the fourth Warhawk to earn the honor and second under Head Coach Keri Carollo.
UW-Whitewater will host a NCAA regional for the fourth consecutive season this weekend. UWW (22-4) will open their 22nd appearance in the postseason against Minnesota Morris Friday at 7:45 p.m. in Kachel Gym.
The Whitewater Boys’ and Girls’ Wrestling Teams wrapped up their season in the place all wrestlers in Wisconsin want to end up as a high school student, and that is the floor of the Kohl Center participating in the WIAA individual Wrestling Tournament. This is a spectacular event that is a wonderful event to be a part of. The team had some very tough draws as of the 7 participating wrestlers, 5 of them competed against a state champion, state runner up, two 3rd place finishers, and a 5th place finisher (who was a two-time runner up in years past) in their first round matches. The Whippets came up short in these matches, but based on the credentials of their opponents they have nothing to be ashamed of and can look in the mirror and be proud of themselves.
As the season comes to a close the coaching staff is very pleased to have been a part of a team that won the Rock Valley Conference Valley Division, won their regional, and had the opportunity to both host and participate in the Team Sectional Tournament. The team broke a school record for most team pins in a season as well as finished in top four for takedowns in a season. We should not look at our last competition but rather the culmination of the great things that happened for each of our students over the last four months. Congratulations to our 7 state qualifiers and to the entire team as well.
Article Submitted by John Schimming
Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach
jschimming@wwusd.org
Jefferson beat Whitewater 33-24 in a WIAA girls’ basketball playoff game Friday night, February 23.
Whitewater led by three at halftime, but both teams struggled to score all night. Jefferson was able to find a way to make a few more baskets and put it away in the end. Mayte Navejas was the leading Whippet scorer with seven points.
Jefferson will play at McFarland Saturday in the regional championship game at 7:00 p.m.
Whitewater’s season has ended with a 14-10 record.
Article Submitted by Mike Dowden
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Basketball Coach
dowmi01@wwusd.org
File Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team fell to UW-Stout 69-59 in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinal Wednesday evening in Kachel Gym.
Box Score
The Warhawks (22-4) will await a possible at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament. The DIII selection show is slated for Monday at 1:30 p.m. on ncaa.com.
UW-Whitewater struggled offensively shooting under 30-percent while the Blue Devils made over 41-percent from the floor. Despite falling into an 18-9 deficit after the first quarter, the Warhawks battled their way back into the game in the third quarter.
Trailing by nine entering the third quarter, Lunden Alexander drew a foul and knocked down a pair of free throws to cut the margin to seven, 34-27. After a free throw for UWS, Renee Rittmeyer hit one of her four three-pointers on the night to pull UWW to within five. Aleah Grundahl jumped a passing lane for a steal a minute later and cruised in for a layup to cut the lead to three, 35-32, with just over seven to go in the quarter.
Rittmeyer responded to another Blue Devil jumper by drilling a three off a Kacie Carollo pass to narrow the gap to two, 37-35 with 6:12 on the clock. From that point, UW-Stout went on a 7-0 run to push the lead back to nine. Carollo and Rittmeyer drained back-to-back three’s a minute later and the lead was back down to three, 44-41, with 1:27 remaining. The teams traded buckets to round out the quarter with UWS taking a 46-43 advantage into the fourth.
The Warhawks weren’t able to pull any closer than three the rest of the way as the Blue Devils sealed the game from the free throw line.
Katie Hildebrandt led UWW with 17 points, adding a pair of blocks and a steal in the game. Rittmeyer ended with 15 bolstered by 4-8 from downtown adding six rebounds in the contest. Carollo tallied another double-double, her third straight, with 10 points and 12 boards. She dished out a team-high four assists in the game.
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