Today is Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Salem, Va. — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s volleyball team is set to open the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship with a quarterfinal match against Emory University Wednesday, December 4. The championship is being held at the Cregger Center at Roanoke College.
The sixth-seeded Warhawks (29-3) will take on the number three seed Eagles (29-2) at 11:30 ET Wednesday. The match will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+.
For more information: https://uwwsports.com/news/2024/11/27/ncaa-championship-preview-warhawk-volleyball-sets-sights-on-salem.aspx
Each week during the 2024-25 academic year, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) will feature two student-athletes (one male and one female) from one of its eight institutions for a “Student-Athlete Spotlight” Q & A segment. The segments will be posted every Thursday and individuals are selected by the institution. The WIAC Student-Athlete Spotlights are presented by Culver’s.
Name: David Cushman
Institution: UW-Platteville
Hometown (High School): Whitewater, Wis. (Whitewater High School)
Year in school: Senior
Sport: Wrestling
Major: Mathematics with an emphasis in Secondary Education
Minor: Spanish
Why did you choose UW-Platteville?
UW-Platteville provides many quality majors I could choose from coming in as a freshman. At the same time, I love the size of Platteville and the surrounding areas in Southwest Wisconsin are unmatched. On my visit here as a senior in high school, I quickly felt that this was a place that I could grow on my own and succeed, which I can gladly say I was right about 4 years later.
What other clubs/organizations on campus are you involved in?
I coach youth wrestling outside of campus.
What do you like most about competing in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and being a NCAA Division III student-athlete?
Being a Division III student-athlete has provided me many opportunities to meet new people and help me grow. I can’t count the number of times being involved with athletics pushed me to higher standards despite how hard college may be at times. Further, wrestling at the collegiate level has been a way for me to work my hardest in all areas of my life such as academics, athletics, and learning to be in the real world.
What is your favorite…
Flavor of the Day from Culver’s? Crazy for Cookie Dough
Menu item from Culver’s? Pub Haus Burger
Non-Athletic Spot on Campus? The Bear’s Den is a calm place where I can either sit back and relax or work on my homework and study.
TV Show? Yellowstone
Holiday? Fourth of July
Food? I can’t go wrong with a burger.
Animal? German short haired pointer
Smartphone App? Instagram
Musical Group/Artist? I’m a big fan of country music with current artists I listen to ranging from George Strait and Toby Keith to Cody Johnson and Riley Green.
Professional Sports Athlete/Team? Green Bay Packers
Vacation Spot? The coastline of the Carolinas
What is your greatest sports moment?
I don’t think there’s any better rush than coming back from behind in matches to win in overtime in front of the team and a big crowd. This just happened at the University of Dubuque Invite in the finals for an overtime win.
What is your favorite thing to do off the court/field with your teammates?
I like doing anything relaxing with the team whether that’s having fires or practicing roping. Another fun thing my teammates and I like to do is go line dancing in Dubuque.
Who is someone that you look up to?
My parents.
Do you have any words of advice for younger/upcoming student-athletes?
Don’t take the little things for granted. Every moment spent with teammates, coaches, and friends are priceless and these relationships go far beyond the mat, court, or field. It’s easy to be hyper focused and stressed about succeeding, but great things will come to those who work hard and earn the moment.
One word that describes you?
Tenacious.
What is your dream job?
My dream job is teaching and positively impacting others’ lives.
Three things on your “bucket list”?
—Go elk hunting out west in the mountains.
—Go on a big trip somewhere with friends.
—Run a tough mudder.
Do you have any pre-game/pre-event superstitions or rituals? If so, what are they?
I eat a peanut butter and jelly after every weigh-in.
Bri McCurdy brings the ball up the floor in a game earlier this season (Tim Kruse)
By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
The No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team battled in a fast-paced, top 10 matchup against No. 8 Illinois Wesleyan Tuesday night in Kachel Gym. The Warhawks’ fourth-quarter comeback fell just shy in the 84-78 loss to the Titans.
The game came down to the wire in the fourth quarter with the difference coming from the free throw line. A two-point IWU lead after the first grew to six points by halftime, 40-46. On the other side of the break, UWW narrowed the gap by one to head into the fourth trailing by five, 51-56.
The Warhawks picked up the pace and put the pressure on in the fourth. UWW opened the period on a 6-0 run to reclaim the lead, 57-56, courtesy of a pair of free throws from Katie Hildebrandt and layups from Mallory Oloffson and Bri McCurdy. The Titans responded with an old fashioned three-point play, but Kacie Carollo answered on UW-Whitewater’s end with a triple to put UWW back on top 60-59. Oloffson jumped a passing lane and found McCurdy cutting through the paint for a lay-in to push the lead to 62-59 with 7:12 on the clock.
The teams traded buckets until just under the five-minute mark when Illinois Wesleyan’s trips to the charity stripe took hold as they scored the next seven from the line. The Titans hit a three with 2:19 to go to take a four-point lead, 76-72. UWW scored quick with Oloffson hitting a layup off a Hildebrandt assist, but a pair of free throws for IWU had the gap back to four.
The Titans negated a single free throw with a layup to take a five-point advantage, 80-75, with just over a minute to go. McCurdy knocked down a pivotal three-pointer to pull UWW to within two 30 seconds later. Forced to foul late, Illinois Wesleyan was able to seal the game at the line.
The Warhawks held massive advantages in fastbreak points (40-3) and points in the paint (40-28), but free throws were vital. The Titans hit 21-22 from the charity stripe while UWW was 14-16 in the game.
Carollo led all players with 26 points playing the entire 40 minutes. She added five boards, six assists and three steals. Oloffson knocked down 8 of 10 for 16 points. McCurdy drained 3 of 5 from deep en route to a 16-point performance.
Maggie Trautsch paced UWW on the glass with six boards while Hildebrandt added three blocks and four steals.
By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
UW-Whitewater’s Christian Patzka has been named the Men’s Cross Country National Athlete of the Year by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Patzka secured the individual national title at the 2024 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in Terra Haute, Indiana on Saturday, November 23. The Warhawk phenom traversed the 8k at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in 24:01.6, more than two seconds faster than the rest of the field.
The senior is the first Warhawk to win the national title and the first USTFCCCA Athlete of the Year for cross country in program history.
Over the course of his illustrious career at UW-Whitewater Patzka has accumulated numerous accolades in both cross country and track and field. In cross country, Patzka is a four-time All-WIAC honoree, four-time All-Region selection, four-time All-American, the 2023 WIAC individual champion, a two-time NCAA North Region champion (2022, 2023), a two-time North Region Athlete of the Year (2022, 2023) and the 2022 WIAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year.
On the track, Patzka has stood atop the podium five times earning the national title three times in the 5,000 (2023 and 2024 indoors, 2024 outdoors) and twice in the 3,000 steeplechase (2023, 2024). In total, Patzka holds six individual national titles and is now a 14-time All-American with five honors both indoors and outdoors and four in cross country.
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Schlender, Patzka & Anderson earn All-America for UW-Whitewater men’s cross country
Gunner Schlender, a Physical Education major at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, is one of three members of the Warhawk men’s cross country team who garnered All-America accolades by finishing among the top 40 in the field at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 23, in Terre Haute, Indiana.
The Warhawks finished fourth overall with 219 points with three runners in the top 20 for team scoring. The fourth place finish is the highest finish in Warhawk men’s cross country history.
Christian Patzka (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) became the program’s first-ever national champion. The national runner-up in both 2022 and 2023, Patzka crossed the line with a time of 24:01.6. In the last 200 meters, the 2024 North Regional Champion, Augsburg’s Mohammed Bati, led the pack of runners. Patzka made his move to pass on the final stretch, quickly gaining the lead he needed to finish with a national title. Patzka is the first Warhawk Cross Country runner to win the national title.
Gunner Schlender (Brillion, Wis./Brillion) kept pace with Patzka, as they were sitting just a second a part after the 5.6K mark. Schlender finished 12th overall, scoring 10 team points, with a time of 24:22.1.
Both Patzka and Schlender finish their careers as four-time All-Americans in cross country.
Dan Anderson (Eau Claire, Wis./McDonell) was the next Warhawk to cross, finishing 22nd overall with a time of 24:32.9. In the last 1.5K, Anderson jumped up 9 spots to secure 19 team points for the Warhawks and claim his first career All-America medal.
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