Today is Wednesday, July 24, 2024
By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
River Falls, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s cross country team finished second while the Warhawk women were third in the 2023 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships in River Falls Saturday. Christian Patzka (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) paced the men winning the individual title. The UWW women registered the second-best finish in program history.
Patzka made a move mid-race and held off last year’s champion Ethan Gregg (UWL) to claim the individual title after crossing the line in 24:20.5. He is the sixth Warhawk to become a WIAC Individual Champion joining David Fassbender (2021), Gary Garcia (2004), Tom Hoffman (1968, 1967, 1966), Bud Duex (1965) and Phil Nordfren (1964) in the program record books. [Per WIAC, “Patzka topped the field of 91 runners, completing the 8,000-meter course in 24:20.5. He becomes the second Warhawk in the last three seasons to win the individual title.”]
Patzka led a contingent of seven Warhawks to earn All-WIAC honors, the most in program history. Gunner Schlender (Brillion, Wis./Brillion) posted a time of 24:49.3 to finish fifth and join Patzka with First Team honors. UWW runners garnering Second Team recognition included Dan Anderson (Eau Claire, Wis./McDonell) who finished ninth with a time of 25:00.6 and Craig Hundley (Grayslake, IL/North) who crossed the line 12th with a time of 25:06.9. Chris Allen (Downers Grove, Ill./North) (15th, 25:13.7), Justin Krause (Ixonia, Wis./Pewaukee) (18th, 25:25.9) and Tucker Johnson (Poynette, Wis./Poynette) (20th, 25:32.7) earned Honorable Mention honors.
Krause is the first UWW runner since Tom Hoffman in the late 1960s to earn All-WIAC honors four times.
Nick Hardin (Greenfield, Wis./Whitnall) (25:37.6), Alex Metko (Brillion, Wis./Brillion) (25:56.9), Jonah Block (Whitefish Bay, Wis./Whitefish Bay) (26:24.7) and Keegan Bratt (Waukesha, WI/West) (26:28.3) also represented UW-Whitewater in the men’s 8k race Saturday.
UW-La Crosse won the men’s team title with 22 points followed by UWW (41), UW-Stout (117), UW-Platteville (123), UW-Oshkosh (142), UW-Eau Claire (143), UW-Stevens Point (147) and UW-River Falls (260)
WOMEN’S RECAP
The Warhawk women’s third-place finish is the second-best in program history (1990, second place) and is the first time UWW has finished with bronze at the conference championship meet.
Katie Erb (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) was the first Warhawk to cross the finish line posting a time of 22:54.7 for 16th. Ari De La Cerda (Milwaukee, Wis./Pewaukee) was right behind in 17th with a time of 22:57.3. The pair earned Honorable Mention All-WIAC honors for their performances Saturday.
UWW’s Jocelyn Ramirez (Jefferson, WI) (23:22.9), Payton Scoggin (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trails) (23:26.2), Abbey Wedwick (Westby, WI) (23:27.6), Paige Fassbender (Slinger, Wis./Slinger) (23:29.9) and Renee Forystek (Waukesha, WI/North) (23:41.3) all finished among the top 38. Also representing the Warhawk women were Marlee Nichols (Burlington, WI) (24:43.0), Miranda McNally (Downers Grove, Ill./North) (25:01.9), Emma Shingledecker (New Berlin, Wis./West) (25:58.0), Abby Motz (New Berlin, WI/Eisenhower) (26:02.0) and Kristan Larson (Rio, Wis./Rio) (26:14.0) in the field of 87 runners.
UW-La Crosse won the women’s team title with 29 points followed by UW-Eau Claire (46), UWW (115), UW-Stout (115), UW-Oshkosh (120), UW-Stevens Point (176), UW-Platteville (183) and UW-River Falls (207).
By Angela Kelm
Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team reclaimed possession of the Miner’s Axe with a 45-23 win over UW-Platteville in the George Chryst Memorial Bowl Saturday. The Warhawks are 25-3 over the Pioneers since the inception of the rivalry game named in honor of UWP’s legendary coach George Chryst. UWW saw over 11,000 fans visit Perkins Stadium Saturday in the team’s annual Homecoming game and Hall of Fame celebration.
The Warhawks set the tone early picking off the Pioneer quarterback on the first play of the game. Dyson Klubertanz (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) jumped a passing lane at the UWP 42 and returned in nine yards to set up UWW at the opponent’s 33. From that point, UW-Whitewater scored 21 unanswered in the first quarter to take a hefty lead in the game. The first two scores came on the ground with Alec Ogden (Marshall, Wis./Monona Grove) punching it in from one yard out followed by a three-yard scamper by Tamir Thomas (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) that made it 14-0. The third score was a 15-yard TD strike from Ogden to Drake Martin (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander).
The Pioneers got on the board with a 38-yard touchdown pass and a 34-yard field goal to cut the margin to 21-10, but the Warhawks swung all of the momentum back to their side on the very next play.
On the ensuing kickoff after the field goal, Tyler Vasey (Crystal Lake, Ill/Prairie Ridge) hauled in the boot at UWW’s seven bursting up the middle of the field. He weaved through traffic and found open space pulling away from the Pioneer special teams unit trying to track him down for a 93-yard kickoff return. The return marks Vasey’s first career touchdown as a Warhawk and is the first kickoff returned for a TD for UWW since Justin Howards’ 99-yarder against UW-Stevens Point in 2013. From that point, the Warhawks never looked back.
Ogden drove UWW 66 yards in 10 plays on UW-Whitewater’s next drive, capping it with a two-yard burst into the end zone to make it 35-10 at the break.
On the Warhawks first possession of the second half, Ogden hit Steven Hein (St. Charles, Ill./North) in stride from two-yards out to put the finishing touches on an 81-yard drive that extended the lead to 42-10.
UWW added to their total early in the fourth with Jeff Isotalo-McGuire splitting the uprights on a 26-yard field goal before the Pioneers wrapped up the scoring with just 22 seconds remaining for the final, 45-23.
Ogden, the Offensive Player of the Game for UWW, was 19-30 for 190 yards and two passing touchdowns. He added 80 yards and two more touchdowns on the ground. Klubertanz was selected as the Defensive Player of the Game after registering two interceptions and a pair of tackles. In addition to the first pick, he hauled in a fantastic over-the-shoulder interception and returning it 34 yards early in the fourth.
Tamir Thomas (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) was the Warhawks’ leading rusher in the game with 83 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown. Vasey led the receiving corps with 64 yards on five catches while Tommy Coates (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle Institute) was Ogden’s favorite target with 56 yards on seven receptions.
Joey Antonietti (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) led the UWW defense with six tackles while Ethan Gallagher (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport Township) set the tone early with a sack. He posted 1.5 tackles for a loss in the game.
For UW-Platteville, Brandt Stare hauled in a few great catches with 106 yards on six receptions including a touchdown grab for Offensive Player of the Game honors. Justin Blazek posted five tackles and an interception with a 23-yard return to earn Defensive Player of the Game honors for the Pioneers.
At halftime, UW-Whitewater honored award winners from Homecoming festivities and the Hall of Fame Class of 2023 that includes athletes Brent Allen (football), Dan Hytinen (track and field), Rebekah Nelson Johnson (volleyball), Jessica Kohlman (track and field), Kate LaZotte Langfeldt (volleyball), Andre McKoy (men’s basketball), Derek Stanley (football, track and field) and Ann Kingsnorth Zessin (gymnastics). Bob Lanza will be inducted during Saturday evening’s ceremony as a longtime administrator in UWW Athletics while Tim Patterson will earn the Distinguished Service Award.
By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team will host UW-Platteville for the 28th edition of the George Chryst Memorial Bowl Saturday. The game, which is also the Warhawks’ annual Homecoming and Hall of Fame game, is slated for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
IN THE POLLS
UWW: #5 D3football.com (Prev: 5) / #6 American Football Coaches Association (Prev: 6)
UWP: unranked / Receiving votes AFCA
LAST TIME OUT
The Warhawks topped UW-Stout 37-20 last week at Perkins Stadium. UWW scored 24 unanswered points to open up a big lead and never looked back.
Warhawk quarterback Alec Ogden (Marshall, Wis./Monona Grove) had a fantastic game for UWW accounting for 371 yards of offense and four touchdowns – two passing and two rushing. He hit Steven Hein (St. Charles, Ill./North) three times for 103 yards including an 80-yard touchdown strike. Jeff Isotalo-McGuire was perfect in the kicking game going 4-4 for extra points and nailing three field goals – two 30-yarders and another from 33.
The UW-Whitewater defense worked as an entire unit Saturday with 25 Warhawks registering a tackle. Roy Panthier (Elgin, Ill./Elgin), Nehemiah Lomax (Park Forest, Ill./Crete-Monee) and Caden Straka (Lancaster, Wis./Lancaster) all tallied sacks in the game with Straka adding a fumble recovery. In the secondary, Tyson Harvey (Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) hauled in an interception and had three passes broken up.
UW-Platteville came back from a 14-0 first quarter deficit to score 47 unanswered points and defeat UW-Eau Claire on the road last week. The Pioneers put up nearly 400 yards of offense while holding the Blugolds to just 164.
Three Pioneers saw time behind center with Carl Richardson taking the majority of snaps. He was 21-31 for 220 yards, a pair of touchdowns and one interception. Zackary Bothun carried the ball 19 times for 110 yards to lead the corps of backs. Garrett Stare was Richardson’s top target with five catches including a pair of touchdowns.
UW-Platteville tallied five sacks and 14 tackles for a loss in the game. Tyler Bacon posted three tackles – all for a loss – a sack, a fumble recovery with a return of 20 yards and a pass breakup to lead the Pioneers.
ON THE AIR
Saturday’s game will air live online on the WIAC Network on the UW-Whitewater portal. The contest can be heard on 105.9 FM The Hog in the Whitewater area, or online at www.1059thehog.com.
SERIES
The Warhawks’ series against the Pioneers is the longest standing for UWW against a WIAC opponent. Saturday marks the 115th meeting between the two teams. Since 1995, the annual matchup has been designated the George Chryst Memorial Bowl in honor of UW-Platteville’s legendary coach. UW-Whitewater is 24-3 since the battle of the Miner’s Axe began.
The Whitewater JV Girls’ Swim Team competed at the JV Conference Meet on Tuesday, October 24th. The team left with some best times and new hardware as they finished out their season!
200 Medley Relay – Georgia Esch, Adalynn Frye, Marijose Verduzco, and Zoe Zei – With their solid 8th place finish, they were able to take home some hardware!
200 Freestyle – Adalynn Frye placed 12th overall with a best time of 3:37.06. That’s an 8 second time drop!
50 Freestyle – Zoe Zei placed in the top 16
100 Butterfly – Georgia Esch earned herself an 8th place finish and a best time of 1:48.52.
100 Freestyle – Marijose Verduzco earned herself an 8th place finish and a time of 1:31.61
400 Freestyle – Zoe Zei earned herself an 8th place finish with a best time of 7:06.39. That’s a 15 second time drop in a week’s difference!
200 Freestyle Relay – Georgia Esch, Marijose Verduzco, Zoe Zei, and Adalynn Frye with an 8th place finish.
100 Backstroke – Both swimmers earned themselves a spot in the top 12, Georgia Esch (10th) and Marijose Verduzco (11th).
100 Breaststroke – Adalynn Frye earned herself a spot in the top 16. She had an impressive time drop by 8 seconds with a time of 1:59.13.
We are so proud of the accomplishments our JV swimmers had this season. We cannot wait to see what next season has in store for them!
The Varsity Swim Team is back in the pool on Saturday, October 28th at Delavan-Darien for the Southern Lakes Conference Championship Meet. The meet starts at 11 a.m.; we hope to see you there!
Article and Photos Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Swim Coach
sreynolds@wwusd.org
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