Today is Sunday, May 10, 2026
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater won the outright Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) baseball regular season title with a 19-4 seven-inning victory over UW-Platteville at Prucha Field at Jim Miller Stadium on May 3.
It is the second straight and 23rd overall regular-season championship in program history for UW-Whitewater (34-4 overall, 24-4 WIAC). The Warhawks also secured the top seed for the WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver’s) that begins May 8, and will host the four-team, double-elimination event that will determine the conference’s automatic NCAA qualifier. UW-La Crosse is the No. 2 seed, while UW-Oshkosh is the No. 3 seed and UW-Platteville is the No. 4 seed.
In the opening game against UW-Platteville (18-19, 13-15) on May 3, the Pioneers scored three runs in the opening frame on a run-scoring single by Anthony Massa, and RBI groundouts by Sam Meidenbau and Connor Gressens.
In the bottom of the inning, Eli Frank had a sacrifice fly and Adam Cootway hit a solo homerun to close the gap to just one run. From there, it was all UW-Whitewater, as the Warhawks scored in every single inning.
Matt Scolan highlighted the second inning, hitting a 3-run homer to collect the program career RBI record. Later in the game, Scolan would break career walks record as well.
The Warhawks extended the lead to nine in the fourth, highlighted by 2-RBI doubles from both Cootway and Andy Theis. Thies scored himself on a Hopper hit, sliding right under the tag from the catcher. Dominik McVay finished the inning with his own RBI to put the Warhawks up 12-3.
In the fifth inning, UW-Platteville capitalized on an error to get a runner on third and Trinity Beland had sacrifice fly for their fourth run of the game.
In the bottom of the frame, Sam Paden had a base-clearing triple to extend the lead to double digits. Daryl Jackson added his own RBI single.
Evan Olson, Thies, and Jackson Koenig all scored a run in the sixth for a 19-4 lead.
Cade Hansen pitched a complete game, notching 11 strikeouts in a 7.0 inning win.
Gressens led UW-Platteville with a pair of hits and RBI.
Source: WIAC website, which indicates “UW-Whitewater Sports Information contributed to this recap.”
| Online registration has officially opened for the 31st Annual VIP Services Golf Outing. The event is scheduled for Monday, June 2, at Big Foot Country Club, located at 770 Shabbona Drive in Fontana. Craig Poshepny, Executive Director of VIP Services, credits the enduring success of the event to its mission and the exceptional experience it offers participants. “The Annual VIP Services Golf Outing has become one of the premier golfing events in the region,” Poshepny said in a statement at VIP. “It’s a great opportunity for golfers to enjoy a fantastic day of golf at Big Foot Country Club, one of Wisconsin’s finest courses, all while supporting adults with disabilities.” Those interested in signing up to reserve their spot can register online at https://onecau.se/_8yuyz1 today. Additional information about the organization and the event can also be found at vipservices-inc.org or by calling VIP Services at 262.723.4043. |
Jack Hefty added another accolade to his already remarkable resume as he was named one of just four male athletes statewide to receive the prestigious WIAA Scholar-Athlete Award in Division 2. The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA), in partnership with the WE Energies Foundation and the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation, annually honors 32 seniors—16 boys and 16 girls—who exemplify excellence both in the classroom and in athletics.
This year, 806 seniors were nominated by 415 high schools across Wisconsin. From that impressive pool, four boys and four girls were selected from each of the four divisions based on a combination of athletic performance and academic achievement. WIAA Executive Director Stephanie Hauser highlighted the caliber of the honorees: “Each of these outstanding student-athletes has excelled in academics and athletics. Twenty-one of this year’s 32 Scholar-Athlete finalists have maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA.”
Jack Hefty, a senior at Whitewater High School, boasts a flawless 4.0 GPA and an exceptional track and cross country resume. He is a back-to-back state champion in the 1600-meter run, having broken the school record in each of his victories as a sophomore and junior. In his final cross country season, he capped off his high school career with an individual state title and another school record, leading the Whippets to consecutive sectional championships.
In his award essay, Jack reflected on the impact of running on his personal growth: “The dedication and perseverance I’ve developed through running have shaped who I am. The challenges, setbacks, and victories have all taught me that success comes from consistent effort and a belief in pushing past limits.”
Jack becomes just the sixth student-athlete in Whitewater High School history to earn this distinction. Previous winners include Amy Cooper (1997), Carissa Converse (1997), Amber Converse (2000), Brett Harms (2014), and Sarah Schumacher (2015).
He plans to study chemistry and continue his athletic career in cross country and track and field at the United States Naval Academy.
Jack and the other recipients will be honored during an awards ceremony on Sunday, May 4, at SentryWorld in Stevens Point.
For more information on the WIAA Scholar-Athlete program and to read biographies of the 2025 winners, visit the Scholar-Athlete homepage.
Article Submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org
Kelly Whipple, a General Business major, and member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s bowling team, was selected as the 2024-25 NCAA Division III Player of the Year in women’s bowling by the National Tenpin Coaches Association.
Whipple earned the award for the second time in her career.
Whipple is the first two-time NTCA Division III Bowler of the Year for UW-Whitewater. In addition to this season, Whipple was the DIII Bowler of the Year in 2023 and the Division III Rookie of the Year in 2022. This is the fourth straight season and sixth overall the top bowler in Division III has been a Warhawk (Rachel Nelson 2024, Caitlin Mertins 2022, Amanda VanDuyn 2016, Katie Zwiefelhofer 2014). Whipple bowled in every possible frame for UWW this season. She is the eighth-ranked anchor bowler across all divisions with an 88.6% fill rate in the 10th frame. This season, Whipple has averaged 198.9 in traditional games and 197.3 in Baker games. She boasts a fill percentage of 85.7, strike percentage of 46.3 and makeable spare rate of 82.2%.
The 2024-25 Warhawks lead Division III in five of seven statistical categories recognized by the NTCA for awards. UW-Whitewater is the top Division III program in the latest NTCA Power Index and is ranked 12th overall. This season, UWW led Division III in traditional frame average (18.82%), Baker frame average (19.13%), Baker double percentage (42.4), strike percentage (42.3) and overall spare conversion (68.8%).
UW-Whitewater will make its 10th appearance in the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships set for April 16-19 in Las Vegas. The Warhawks qualified after finishing among the top four teams in the Addison, Illinois sectional. Warhawk Jordyn Norvell (Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Tremper) qualified for the Intercollegiate Singles Championship after finishing fifth in a field of over 200 bowlers in the sectional. The ISC is set to run April 14-16 leading into the team championship.
Upcoming Events
