Shawano Leader Sports Headlines

Bonduel allows 5 runs in final 2 inningsBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Bonduel High School senior Trevor Pedersen struck out 10 Pacelli batters during Bonduel’s 6-1 loss at home Friday.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Bonduel High School third baseman Brent Pieper runs down a slowly hit ball during the Bears’ 6-1 loss Friday at home. Bonduel recorded five errors, including three in the seventh inning, against Pacelli.

Three errors in the final inning sealed Bonduel’s fate Friday in a 6-1 loss to visiting Pacelli in Central Wisconsin Conference-8 action at Village Park.

Trailing by two entering the seventh inning, the Bears struggled to field ground balls, allowing the Cardinals to plate three runs.

“They were throwing the ball before they even caught the ball and looking at the runners instead of just watching the ball into the glove and then throwing them out,” Bonduel head coach Donnie Gruenewald said.

Pitcher Trevor Pedersen, who had not allowed a run since his previous outing against Pacelli (11-1, 6-1 Central Wisconsin Conference-8) on April 14, struck out 10 batters. His scoreless-inning streak ended at 25 in the fourth inning for the Bears (8-3, 5-3 CWC-8).

“Trevor pitched a hell of a game,” Gruenewald said. “The problem we had was we couldn’t pick up a ground ball and throw somebody out. He did just what he was supposed to do in the last inning, got them hitting the ball on the ground. We just couldn’t make the play.”

Pacelli’s leadoff hitter Chris Shibilski started the seventh with a single and moved to second base on a sacrifice. Junior Andy Tepp reached on a error, which also scored Shibilski. Another error gave the Cardinals an additional runner before Jake Thomas singled in the second run. Pacelli’s final run scored on another error.

“I think our guys just put the bat on the ball late in the game,” Pacelli head coach Wayne Sankey said. “Just executed the bunts, got guys on base and were able to move them over, and put the bat on the ball with guys in scoring position.”

The visitors struggled early, as Pedersen had six strikeouts through 3 2/3 innings. That was when Pacelli’s bats came alive.

Starting pitcher Matt Helms got the Cardinals’ first hit in the fourth inning. Cal Hintz followed with a single. Sophomore Jordan Boldt throw to the infield hit Hintz as he slid into second base. The ball rolled away, allowing Helms to score the game’s first run.

The Bears answered in the next frame. Pedersen and Bailey Dingeldein singled, and then Bennett Gunderson hit a hard ground ball that was misplayed by the shortstop, giving the Bears their lone run of the game.

“I think we had a good approach at the plate. I think we attacked (Helms) the way we wanted to,” Gruenewald said. “That’s a pretty good team.”

Two innings later, Pacelli pulled ahead again, using three singles, an error and a bases-loaded walk to open a 3-1 lead. The walk came on a full-count, suicide-squeeze attempt with the bases loaded, as Pedersen missed the zone high. Pacelli’s Zach Zimmerman flew out to right field, and Boldt cut down Hintz at the plate to end the threat.

Helms scattered six hits in seven innings for the Cardinals. He did not allow an earned run and struck out three batters. Helms also led Pacelli with three runs scored on two hits. Tepp added two runs on one hit.

Pedersen allowed nine hits, the one walk and one earned run.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Pacelli 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 6 9 1

Bonduel 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 6 5

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BASEBALL

Gresham 4

Rosholt 2

Sophomore Drew Haffner had three hits and two run to lead Gresham on the road Friday.

Derek Bowman struck out 15 batters and allowed five hits over seven innings for Gresham (8-2, 8-2 Central Wisconsin Conference-10).

The Wildcats used a three-run fifth inning to pull ahead of the Hornets (7-4, 7-4 CWC-10).

SOFTBALL

Waupun 7

Shawano 0

Shawano managed just four hits in Friday’s loss at the Poynette Jamboree.

Sophomore pitcher Erin Cerveny was hit with a ball on a comebacker, knocking her out of the contest. Emilee Bastar pitched five innings of relief, recording two strikeouts for the Hawks (9-8, 6-2 Bay Conference).

Four Hawks had singles in the loss to Waupun (14-0, 11-0 East Central Conference), which is one of the top teams in WIAA Division 2.

Cerveny is expected to return to the lineup Saturday.

Bonduel 9

Randolph 1

Junior Kailee Pedersen struck out 11 batters and allowed three hits for Bonduel at the Poynette Jamboree on Friday.

Pedersen added two hits at the plate. Brittany Wudtke and Becca Carpenter each added three RBIs for the Bears (8-7, 4-6 Central Wisconsin Conference-8). Miranda Schmidt had two hits and an RBI.

Randolph fell to 5-9 over and is 3-7 in the Trailways North Conference.

Baraboo 13

Bonduel 7

Baraboo tallied six runs in the seventh inning to break a tie and secure the victory in Bonduel’s second contest of the day at the Poynette Jamboree.

Kaylee Rynish posted three RBIs on two hits for Bonduel. Kailee Pedersen had three runs for the Bears (8-8, 4-6 Central Wisconsin Conference-8).

Cameri Gehm pitched five innings for the Bears, striking out five batters and allowing seven hits to Baraboo (9-7, 5-3 Badger North).

TRACK

Smith sets meet record in discus

Menominee Indian senior Ania Smith set a meet record in the discus with a throw of 130 feet and 3 inches at the Peshtigo Invitational on Thursday.

Smith also finished in second place in the shot put with a throw of 37-7 as the Eagles finished eight in the meet, which was won by Kewaunee.

Warren Wilbur led the MIHS boys, taking fourth in the high jump with a leap of 5-6. The Eagles finished in 10th place. Marinette won the meet.

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Bernard Holsey, head football coach at Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School, is bringing in a number of his former NFL teammates to serve as coaches at a football skills camp next month.

The camp, for ages 8-18, will be held from 12-4:30 p.m. June 9 and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 10 at the Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School football field, 400 W. Grand Ave., Wittenberg.

The camp is limited to 150 participants; the registration deadline is May 21.

Campers will be divided into groups based on age and playing experience. They will learn various skills and be able to try different positions. There will be no hitting or tackling.

Holsey and the Wittenberg Birnamwood Area Youth Football Program recruited a number of local businesses as sponsors to keep the camper fee — $25 — affordable.

Breaks with drinks and snacks will be provided, and everyone will leave with a camp T-shirt.

To register, go to WBAYF.com and click on “register” at the top right of the page. More information can be found on the “football camp” tab.

Information also is available on the Wittenberg Birnamwood Youth Football Facebook page.

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By: 

Ross Bielema, Leader Correspondent

It’s official: The so-called “inland fishing” season opens Saturday, although walleye and white bass anglers have been chasing fish for weeks now.

Trout anglers will appreciate some new, color-coded regulations that should be posted at most public trout stream sites.

Green means “go fish,” with no length limit, a bag limit of five fish and no bait restrictions.

Yellow means “caution,” with an 8-inch length limit, a bag limit of three fish and no bait restrictions.

Red means “special regulations,” which must be read carefully before fishing. That may include artificial-only fishing, catch-and-release fishing, etc.

Trout continue to thrive in Wisconsin waters. Fourteen trout streams have upgraded status this season, and 27 streams are showing sustainable trout populations for the first time.

Trout fishing offers special appeal to a special kind of person. Many of these trout waters offer spectacular, isolated scenery and those who prefer the fly rod will find the special challenge rewarding.

I’ve tried fly-fishing a few times but tend to get frustrated with the shoreline snags and the wind knots.

If you don’t want to go the purist route, try a light spinning outfit and some tiny feathered jigs or small spinners for a new fishing experience.

You really don’t fish for trout so much as you hunt for them. Stalking quietly along the shore for a likely looking deep hole is better than splashing through the stream. Trout are very wary fish and will often spook if you make a lot of unnecessary movement.

Walleyes, of course, are one of Wisconsin’s premier game fish, and their flavor is unmatched among freshwater species (OK, crappies and bluegills are pretty darned tasty, too). The state last year stocked 760,000 walleyes (topping 2014’s record by 40,000 fish) and plans to stock 827,000 fingerlings up to 8 inches long this year.

Bass, muskies, pike and catfish are abundant in most of the state’s waters.

Panfish on many lakes and other waterways have experimental bag limits this year, so be sure to grab a copy of the fishing regulations booklet to make certain you are obeying the law. You can find them at any place that sells licenses, or go to the DNR website and search “fishing regulations” to read it.

You will need a fishing license if you are age 16 or older (both residents and nonresidents). If you are age 89 or older (born after Jan. 1, 1927), you don’t need a fishing license. I bet you didn’t know that!

The state now offers a special deal with its one-day licenses ($8 for residents, $10 for nonresidents). If you decide to buy an annual license, you can get full credit for the one-day license! Consider it a “money-back guarantee” on fishing fun.

If you are too poor to buy any fishing gear (or maybe just a cheap Dutchman like me), you can borrow some at 50 locations, including many state parks. Make sure you sharpen those borrowed hooks.

It’s no wonder that Wisconsin is considered to be the third most popular fishing destination in America, according to Justine Hasz, DNR fisheries director. There are about 1.2 million anglers in the state, and it represents a $2.3 billion economic impact, according to the American Sportfishing Association.

Since I always have to be different, I’m waiting for the carp to start spawning, so I can get the bow and arrow out of storage. The shallow backwater areas are the best places to shoot carp and other rough fish. It’s a perfect way to sharpen your skills for bowhunting, too.

Are you an avid bowfisherman? I know there are some bowfishing guides in the area, and I would love to come along with you for a story. I promise not to shoot a hole in your boat.

And be sure to check out this month’s Badger Sportsman magazine for a profile on Shawano County and its great fishing, hunting and birdwatching gems. The author is a close friend of mine and was happy to help out the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce with this outreach effort.

Ross Bielema is a freelance writer from New London and owner of Wolf River Concealed Carry LLC. Contact him at [email protected] this article:  Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 No votes yet

By: 

Scott Owen, Leader Columnist

Last week Friday was the opening night of racing at the Oshkosh Speedzone Raceway. The stands were packed, the pits were packed and, by all accounts, the racing was top notch.

During the show, though, some disturbing news was released. Winnebago County is considering ending racing there and replacing the track with a concert hall.

As a lifelong race fan who has made more friendships at the track than I can think of, this news is horrifying.

Everybody has that one place where they gather with friends and family and enjoy some of the best times of their lives. For some, it may be a local tavern. For others, it might be a professional football game. But for me, it is the racetrack.

In my weekly role as announcer at the Shawano Speedway, I have seen countless families spending quality time together for the past 13 years.

One need not look any further than this year’s opening night of racing in Shawano.

Over 4,800 people turned out for the MJ McBride memorial; many of them immediate and extended family of MJ and Marilyn McBride.

Racing families such as the Meunsters, Michonskis, Anvelinks and Bartzes not only spend their Saturday nights together, they also are together repairing and maintaining their machines throughout the week during racing season and assembling race cars during the offseason.

Racing is a sport in which bonds are built.

The racing community comes together every year in Shawano to help kids fighting cancer. This summer will mark the sixth annual “Racing for a Reason” night. Through the first five years, over $61,000 has been raced to assist kids fighting cancer.

Racing has a place in all the communities where there are tracks. If a track closes, it leaves a hole in the lives of many families.

Racers care about the communities they represent. Along with racers, fans don’t only come to a track to see cars, they come to reunite with friends.

Now, I would love to see a packed grandstand every Saturday night at Shawano, but I would also love to see a full grandstand at all area tracks. Northeast Wisconsin is a hotbed of dirt-track racing, and I hope it remains that way.

Sadly, on April 22, the racing community lost another true legend. Jerry Rhode served as the announcer at the Shawano Speedway for the first 19 years of the track’s weekly operation and was inducted into the track’s hall of fame in 2012. Rhode worked at numerous other tracks in Northeast Wisconsin and will surely be missed by many.

Scott Owen is the track announcer at the Shawano Speedway.Rate this article:  Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 No votes yet

Bonduel scores 3 in 7th to force extrasBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Bonduel High School senior Kaylee Rynish drives a ball to deep left field to score the game-winning run Thursday in a 6-5, eight-inning victory over Amherst at home.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Bonduel High School junior third baseman Brittany Wudtke fields and throws a ball to first base Thursday early in Bonduel’s 6-5 home victory over Amherst.

Bonduel senior Kaylee Rynish finished a two-out, eighth-inning rally with a walk-off line drive to deep left field Thursday in the Bears’ 6-5 comeback victory over Amherst.

The Bears tallied four runs in the final two innings off Amherst junior starting pitcher Autumn Russell. Rynish’s drive, off Russell’s 140th pitch, brought in senior Miranda Schmidt from second base with the winning run.

“When (Kaylee) came up to bat, it was one of those feelings you get, that I felt she was going to, was actually hoping it would go over the fence because she has that ability, and she’s been hitting well,” Bonduel head coach Chris Reinke said. “So it was perfect timing.”

Russell was erratic in the final two frames, walking three batters and allowing five hits.

“I noticed that she was starting to get a little more rattled and starting to throw more balls,” Rynish said. “I knew as soon as one was going to come in, I knew I had to pull the trigger because that was going to be the one that hurt.”

With runners on base, Russell had no choice but to go after Bonduel’s clean-up hitter.

“We just got in a bad situation with her coming up, and we had nowhere to put her,” Amherst head coach Dale Jastromski said. “She put the ball in. She’s a good hitter.”

Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Bonduel, which had five hits in the first six innings, needed someone to start a rally.

Kailee Pedersen responded with an infield single, then advanced on two wild pitches and scored on a sacrifice by Schmidt. With two outs, Becca Carpenter pushed a ball back up the middle for a RBI single, and then Kaitlyn Bohr drilled a double that landed on the foul line and scored Carpenter to tie the game, 5-5.

“We just needed everybody to see someone get a bat on the ball because hits are contagious, so as soon as one person gets them on, generally, the rest of the team follows,” Rynish said.

Brynn Reinke led the Bears offensively with two RBIs, one in the second inning and another in the sixth. She had a chance to end the game in the seventh inning but grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the frame.

“I was excited and I knew she could do it, but at the same time, a mom behind the coach, I was kind of sick to my stomach,” Chris Reinke said.

Bonduel (7-7, 4-6 Central Wisconsin Conference-8) would not have been in position to defeat the Falcons had it not been for some timely defense and strong pitching from junior Cameri Gehm.

With one run already across the plate in the sixth inning, Amherst’s Brittney Furlow attempted a sacrifice bunt. She was thrown out at first, and Carpenter then made a good throw to Rynish at the plate to catch Katie Borgen trying to score from third.

Then, in the eighth inning, with two runners on base, Gehm induced a pop out and, following a single that loaded the bases, a ground out to end the threat.

“It seemed to me like she started to hit her spots a little bit better,” Chris Reinke said.

Though happy with the win, coach Reinke was not pleased that the Bears committed five errors, including three in the first two innings.

“They weren’t focused. We’ve talked about needing to clean up the next six games because the tournament is coming,” she said. “We’ve talked about defense, and they just weren’t doing it right away.”

Gehm was charged with three earned runs and nine hits in eight innings.

When the teams met on April 29, Amherst (6-7, 3-7 CWC-8) used a two-run seventh inning for a walk-off victory.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E

Amherst 0 2 0 0 1 1 1 0 5 10 1

Bonduel 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 1 6 11 5

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BASEBALL

West De Pere 8

Shawano 6

Shawano pitcher Dylan Sumnicht allowed five earned runs and had two hits Thursday.

He struck out four batters and gave up 11 hits to go with two walks for the Hawks (3-8, 3-5 Bay Conference).

Kyle Kosobucki picked up the win for West De Pere (11-5, 6-1 Bay).

Bonduel 8

Amherst 1

Bonduel pitcher Wyatt Erb avenged a previous loss to Amherst in the Bears’ home victory Thursday.

Erb struck out 11 batters while allowing four hits and four walks for Bonduel (8-2, 5-2 Central Wisconsin Conference-8).

Brandon Olsen lead Bonduel with two hits and two RBIs. Bennett Gunderson drove in three runs. Blake Stoss tacked on two RBIs.

Amherst fell to 8-4 overall, 5-3 in the CWC-8.

Menominee Indian 8

Marion 4

Menominee Indian senior Nick Corn struck out 10 batters in six innings while allowing three earned runs on six hits in the Eagles’ home victory Thursday against Marion.

Warren Kakwitch tallied two RBIs, and Jerome Munson added another for the Eagles (6-6, 6-6 Central Wisconsin Conference-10).

Ty Latender pitched a scoreless seventh inning to shut down the Mustangs (0-11, 0-11 CWC-10).

SOFTBALL

Shawano 6

Green Bay East 4

Shawano sophomore Erin Cerveny hit a two-run single in the top of the seventh inning to push the Hawks ahead in their comeback road victory Thursday.

Cerveny also pitched 6 1/3 innings of relief for the Hawks (9-7, 6-2 Bay Conference), giving up two hits.

Saige Henning and Alli Raddant both singled in the seventh inning to push the winning runs into scoring position against the Red Devils (7-6, 4-4 Bay).

GIRLS SOCCER

Shawano 3

Menasha 3

Seniors Morgan Klitzke and Megan Klitzke did all the scoring for Shawano at home Thursday.

Megan Klitzke opened the scoring in the 15th minute. Morgan Klitzke pushed the Hawks (4-3-2, 2-2-2 Bay Conference) ahead in the 25th minute.

Menasha (5-8-0, 2-2-1 Bay) responded in the 66th minute with a goal. Megan Klitzke then tallied the final goal for Shawano.

An 88th-minute goal by the visitors sent both teams home with a draw.

TRACK

Sorenson wins, Dunnam places

Bonduel junior Emily Sorenson won the long jump at the 16-team Seymour Invitational on Thursday,

Sorenson reached 17 feet, 4 inches on her best leap, besting the competition by 4 1/2 inches. She also placed seventh in the 100-meter dash.

Shawano senior Erika Dunnam tossed the shot put 36-1, good enough for second place. Senior Kristy Kurtz added a fifth in the pole vault and an eighth-place finish in the 400.

Kimberly won the girls meet. Clintonville placed 11th, Shawano 12th and Bonduel 13th.

Zeke Gueths placed fourth in the discus (147-06) for the Shawano boys, who tied for 13th place out of 14 teams. Kimberly won the boys meet.

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Bonduel senior has 48 strikeouts in 25 inningsBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

TREVOR PEDERSEN
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Bonduel High School senior Trevor Pedersen has thrown consecutive no-hitters and contributed to another in the season opener.

As Bonduel senior pitcher Trevor Pedersen neared his first complete no-hitter of the season April 25 against Weyauwega-Fremont, several teammates did not realize what he was about to accomplish.

Just one week later, a teammate would not let Pedersen forget he was in the final inning of another no-hit effort.

“One of my teammates did shout in the fifth inning, ‘Wow, Trevor’s got a no-hitter going on,’ but I just kept pitching, kept doing what I do, and it ended up working out,” Pedersen said.

With the 10-0 win over Shiocton on Monday, Pedersen became the first local player to throw consecutive no-hitters in recent memory. He struck out 15 batters against Weyauwega-Fremont and nine in the five-inning victory over Shiocton.

Pedersen’s teammates backed him with strong defensive efforts in both games.

Coach Donnie Gruenewald lauded the efforts of outfielders Jordan Boldt, Brandon Olsen and Wyatt Erb, who all made running catches in the first no-hitter, and the infield play of Bailey Dingeldein.

“We’ve had really good defense behind me the past couple of games,” Pedersen said.

In addition to a good fastball, Pedersen has been locating his curveball and off-speed pitches well to keep hitters off-balance.

“I’m focusing more on hitting corners, hitting my spots,” he said.

Pedersen has 48 strikeouts in 25 innings in five starts this season. He has compiled four wins, allowed just one earned run and pitched 22 consecutive scoreless innings.

Pedersen also combined with Boldt and Erb for a no-hitter against Gillett/Suring in the Bears’ season opener.

“He’s just in a groove right now,” Gruenewald said. “The start of the season, he wasn’t locating his curveball very well. Now, he’s starting to locate that.”

Pedersen also threw a no-hitter late last season at Algoma.

“I feel I’ve always had the ability to throw no-hitters every game,” Pedersen said. “That’s why I go out. That’s the mentality I have. Just the cards have to fall in the right places to make it happen.”

Pedersen earned second-team all-Central Wisconsin Conference-8 honors last year as a catcher and was the team’s No. 2 pitcher.

This season, he is making his mark on the mound.

“I know he can go to any team in the conference and easily be the No. 1 pitcher, on any team,” Gruenewald said. “I know every team in the conference would gladly have him. He throws really hard, but he changes speeds real well, too. I really like that.”

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Grignon pitches 5 2/3 relief inningsBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Shawano Community High School senior pitcher Nate Laude throws a ball to first base in the second inning of an 8-0 loss to West De Pere on Tuesday.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Shawano Community High School senior Tasa Grignon fields a ground ball and runs to force an out at first base to end West De Pere’s two-run first inning Tuesday in Shawano. Shawano lost, 8-0.

West De Pere attacked senior Nate Laude’s fastball early in Shawano’s 8-0 loss at home Tuesday.

The Phantoms scored eight runs in the first two innings, chasing Laude after just 1 1/3 innings of work.

Laude allowed a two-run, two-out double to West De Pere senior Dan Paulson in the first inning, which boosted the confidence of the Phantoms, according to West De Pere head coach Joe Rukamp.

“Our guys came in knowing he’s a very good pitcher, so our guys were ready and anxious to get after him,” Rukamp said. “I just think we attacked early. He threw fastballs early, and our guys got after him early, and that was the difference.”

In the second inning, after an error and a sacrifice bunt, five straight batters connected for hits off Laude, causing Shawano head coach Rob Wolff to switch to senior Tasa Grignon.

“They hit the ball hard. There was nothing we could do. They weren’t just bloopers, they were line drives,” Wolff said. “They were totally on the ball. Sometimes, you have to tip your hat as a pitcher. It didn’t matter where you threw the ball, they were going to hit it hard.”

Grignon walked the first batter he faced before allowing an RBI single to left to Caleb Buboltz.

Grignon settled down and got the next two batters out. He allowed two hits and gave up two walks in the remaining five innings.

“He’s a kid that steps up and says, ‘Coach, if you need me, I’ll pitch,’” Wolff said. “That’s a nice performance, because that’s a nice-hitting ball club.”

At the plate, the Hawks struggled as well, managing just two hits of West De Pere junior Cole Nelson, who threw a complete game.

Junior catcher Jack Hanauer singled off Nelson with two outs in the fourth inning, and Brady Belongia singled to left field in the sixth.

His team’s struggles at the plate late in the game concerned Rukamp, who will see the Hawks again Thursday when Shawano (3-7, 3-4 Bay Conference) travels to West De Pere (10-5, 5-1 Bay) with junior Dylan Sumnicht on the mound.

“We are going to have to make some adjustments hitting, and we’ll see how it goes from there,” Rukamp said. “Every game is different, so you never know.”

Meanwhile, Wolff wants to see more of his team at the plate. Although a few of the Hawks made solid contact off Nelson, many of the balls were hit directly at Phantom defenders.

“Even though we only had two hits, we hit the ball, squared it up five or six other times,” Wolff said.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

West De Pere 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 8 10 1

Shawano 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1

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Bears finish in 8thBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Bonduel High School sophomore Austin Acker watches his drive on the par-3 third hole at Golden Sands Golf Course in Cecil. Acker bogeyed the hole but shot a team-best 88 Monday.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Bonduel High School sophomore Austin Acker watches his putt crawl toward the cup on the 18th green at Golden Sands Golf Course in Cecil. Acker would bogey the hole but shoot a team-best 88 on the day.

At Bonduel’s first home meet of the season Monday, multiple Bears shoot their best rounds of the season en route to an eighth-place finish in a Central Wisconsin Conference meet.

Bonduel also carded its best team score of the season, a 441, at Golden Sands Golf Course in Cecil.

Bonduel’s top golfer, sophomore Austin Acker, shot an 88, putting him in the top eight in the conference.

“Most of these kids, this is their first year, so we’re getting better every week, which is a good thing,” Bonduel head coach Dave LaBerge said.

Freshman Kody Jashinsky tallied a 112 for the Bears. Aaron Schaal and Hunter Hammond rounded out the scoring by posting a 119 and 122, respectively.

Pacelli won the meet with a score of 357, followed by Wittenberg-Birnamwood, Amherst and Iola-Scandinavia, which all were within 25 strokes of the lead. Gresham/Menominee Indian was 10th with a score of 600.

Iola’s Zach Mortenson was the meet’s medalist by shooting a round of 80.

Cold and snow prevented the Bears from getting onto the course earlier in the season. Since then they’ve competed in multiple road meets each week. In addition, the team does not practice on the course on Wednesdays.

“It’s just hard to get them to improve when we are just throwing them in matches all the time,” LaBerge said.

However, with 13 golfers in the program, LaBerge is able to rotate golfers in and out of the lineup to get many new golfers the chance to compete at the varsity level.

As the Bears gain experience, LaBerge expects his team’s score to creep closer and closer to the best teams in the conference.

“We’re probably not going to catch them any time soon, but we are much younger than the conference as a whole,” LaBerge said. “So in the future, for us to continue to see our scores go lower, is really what we are looking for.”

CWC Meet

May 2

Team scores: Pacelli, 357; Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 365; Amherst, 366; Iola-Scandinavia, 382; Weyauwega-Fremont, 395; Shiocton, 406; Manawa, 427; Bonduel, 441; Marion, 453; Gresham/Menominee Indian, 600.

W-B: Gavin Czerwonka, 83; Maverick Bushman, 89; Madison Bushman, 95; Kyle Adamski, 98.

B: Austin Acker, 88; Kody Jashinsky, 112; Aaron Schaal, 119; Hunter Hammond, 122.

M: Emily Sawall, 108; Claire Joerres, 114; Hailley Russow, 115; Anthony Tischauser, 116.

G/MI: Morgan Fish, 118; Austin Welk, 144; Johnny Kerry, 167; Zach Simonsen, 171.

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BASEBALL

Bonduel 10

Shiocton 0

Bonduel senior Trevor Pedersen pitched his second consecutive no-hitter in a five-inning victory at home Monday.

Pedersen struck out nine batters for the Bears (7-2, 4-2 Central Wisconsin Conference-8).

Bonduel scored six runs in the second inning to take a commanding lead and added four runs in the fifth to finish the game. Garrett Siolka led the Bears with three RBIs.

Shiocton fell to 4-9 overall, 4-3 in the CWC-8.

Gresham 6

Wild Rose 5

A groundout by Todd Otradovec and a single by Ray Creapeau pushed four runs across the plate in Gresham’s home victory Monday.

The Wildcats (7-2, 7-2 Central Wisconsin Conference-10) recorded four hits in the contest but got seven runners on base from walks.

Wild Rose moved to 5-7 overall and 5-4 in the CWC-10.

SOFTBALL

Shawano 11

Green Bay West 2

Shawano pitchers Hannah Hein and Emilee Bastar combined for a three-hitter in the first game of Monday’s road doubleheader.

Hein struck out nine batters over six innings. Bastar entered the game in the seventh for the Hawks (7-6, 4-1 Bay Conference).

Senior designated player Julia Beck reached base in all seven of her plate appearances against the Wildcats (2-10, 0-7 Bay).

Shawano 16

Green Bay West 1

Shawano junior Saige Henning hit a three-run home run on the day to help the Hawks sweep Monday’s road doubleheader.

Freshman Emilee Bastar allowed one hit while adding three strikeouts for the Hawks (8-6, 5-1 Bay Conference).

Green Bay West moved to 2-11 overall and 0-8 in conference.

Menominee Indian 18

Almond-Bancroft 4

Senior first baseman Ania Smith tallied five RBIs on four hits in Menominee Indian’s five-inning victory at home Monday.

Senior Kelsey Corn got the win in the circle, striking out eight batters for the Eagles (10-2, 10-2 Central Wisconsin Conference-10).

Almond-Bancroft (4-5, 3-5 CWC-10) jumped ahead 3-0 in the top of the first inning but allowed 16 runs in the next three Menominee Indian at-bats.

Gresham 18

Wild Rose 2

Mackenzie Hoffman recorded six RBIs on two hits while Taylor Hoffman three RBIs on one hit to lead Gresham to a five-inning victory at home Monday.

Taylor Hoffman allowed seven hits while striking out eight batters for Gresham (5-4, 5-4 Central Wisconsin Conference-10).

The win over Wild Rose (4-9, 4-6 CWC-10) tied Gresham for the most wins in a single season in program history.

New London 13

Shawano 1

Shawano sophomore Erin Cerveny pitched four innings and took the loss Monday at home against Bay Conference leader New London.

New London pitcher Molly O’Connell allowed three hits and struck out three Hawks (8-7, 5-2 Bay Conference).

Leah Porath and O’Connell each had three hits for the Bulldogs (12-3, 8-0 Bay).

GIRLS SOCCER

Shawano 10

Green Bay East 0

Shawano senior Morgan Klitzke scored six goals, including three in three consecutive minutes of the first half, in Shawano’s road victory Tuesday.

Megan Klitzke added two goals and three assists, while senior Sarah Dickmann had a goal to go with her three assists for the Hawks (3-4-1, 2-2-1 Bay Conference).

Sydney Steinbach scored as well for Shawano, and Teagan Monfils, Lindsey Roloff and Savannah Johnson all posted assists in the defeat of the Red Devils (0-9-0, 0-3-0 Bay).

BOYS GOLF

Bonduel 6th, Witt-Birn wins at Thornberry

Austin Acker shot a 101 to finish ninth Tuesday at Thornberry Creek Golf Club.

Aaron Schaal posted a 121 for the Bears, which took sixth place with a score of 505.

Wittenberg-Birnamwood won the meet will its top four golfers each shooting 100 or better for a team score of 376.

TRACK

Shawano records 5 1st-place finishes

The Shawano girls track team had two 1-2 finishes at the Green Bay West quad Tuesday.

Kristy Kurtz and Onalee Siegfried each reached 10 feet in the pole vault for the top two spots, while Carrie Young and Cheyenne Knueppel finished within .65 seconds of each other in the 400-meter dash.

Shawano’s boys team took three firsts. Logan Stefl won the long jump (18-1), Richard Johnson the 400 (55.23) and the 4x400 relay team posted a winning time of 3:48.37.

Seymour won the boys meet; Shawano was third. Seymour also won the girls meet; Shawano was fourth.

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A hardy crowd of fans turned out to see 132 competitors duke it out on the venerable Shawano Speedway half-mile Saturday.

Troy Springborn (Late Models), Brian Mullen (IMCA Modifieds), Kevin Bethke (IMCA Sport Modifieds) and Grant Kastning (Mighty Fours) each won their first feature of the year at Shawano, while Travis VanStraten won his second IMCA Stock Cars feature in a row.

A caution after lap 13 of the IMCA Stock Cars feature did Brandon Czarapata no favors, as it allowed VanStraten to restart on his back bumper. When the race went back to green, Czarapata and VanStraten raced door to door for the lead. VanStraten finally pulled ahead for the lead on lap 17.

Czarapata tried multiple lines to get past VanStraten, but could not muster a pass for the lead. Entering turn three on the final lap, there was contact in the three-wide battle for third. Mike Schmidt and Aaron Stolp spun in front of the rest of the field causing a huge pile-up at the end of the back straightaway. Schmidt and Josh Mroczkowski were transported to the hospital. Per social media, both drivers were OK.

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Hein pitches 4 shutout innings for ShawanoBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Shawano Community High School second baseman Alli Raddant attempts to tag a runner in Denmark’s four-run seventh inning Friday. Denmark won, 7-2.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Shawano Community High School center fielder Hannah Hein tries a diving catch in the outfield but could not come up with the ball during Shawano’s 7-2 loss to Denmark at home Friday.

Visiting Denmark’s four-run seventh inning, aided by a Shawano error, sealed a 7-2 victory over the Hawks on Friday.

Trailing by one run going into the final inning, Shawano counted on freshman Emilee Bastar to pitch her third inning of the day.

Denmark’s Taylor Wochenske opened the seventh with a single, before an error and two more singles plated the first run of the inning for a 4-2 Vikings lead. After Shawano turned a double play with the bases loaded, Denmark added two runs for a 6-2 lead. Pitcher Taylor Ullman hit a home run over the temporary fence at Martzke Park for the final run of the game.

“They had the top of the order coming up in that last half-inning, so we were very fortunate to get a little bit of a nicer lead going into the seventh,” Denmark head coach Mike Vakselis said.

Ullman sent the Hawks down in order in the bottom of the frame to end the game and finish a complete game.

Shawano tallied its only runs when Saige Henning hit a fly ball to center field with the bases loaded in the second inning. As Denmark’s Jayden Laurent made the catch running toward the fence, she flipped over the plastic fence. Kristina Wynos tagged up and scored, and Hannah Hein also advanced because Laurent went out of play.

“We’ve had a lot of base runners, just haven’t made the key hit,” Shawano head coach Kevin Isaacson said. “Saige did that today, and we get a couple more people with runners on base, it’s going to be a fun rest of the season.”

Hein, the starter for the Hawks, pitched over four innings without allowing a run in the first three.

After Hein walked the first batter of the fifth inning and threw two balls to Abby Metz, Isaacson made the switch to Bastar.

A Metz walk, Hawks error and a wild pitch enabled the Vikings to tie the game. Leah Hansen grounded into a fielder’s choice, putting the visitors ahead, 3-2.

“They learned that little things win big games,” Isaacson said. “A walk here, a fielding play there can be the difference in a big game. So, that’s what we’re trying to emphasize.”

Bastar gave up four hits, all in the seventh inning. Hein allowed six hits and one walk.

In the opening inning, Denmark hit four singles but could not score after Laurent was caught stealing by Shawano catcher Brandi Gueths and Hansen was thrown out at the plate by Kristina Wynos.

Freshman shortstop Bayleigh Laabs and Raddant each caught hard line drives as well.

“I did think we did have a whole lot of athletic plays on defense,” Isaacson said. “That was impressive.”

Henning, Alli Raddant, Erin Cerveny and Sarah Petry each had two hits for the Hawks. Shawano had three base runners in the final three innings but could not plate any more runs.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Denmark 0 0 0 0 3 0 4 7 10 1

Shawano 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 2

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By: 

Scott Owen, Leader Columnist

Two weeks into the 2016 racing season at Shawano Speedway, a few things have become crystal clear.

Marcus Yarie is the man to beat in the ultra-competitive IMCA Modified division. Yarie, the 2014 IMCA Modified track champion, has scored feature wins in both weeks of racing thus far.

Yarie, who got his start racing dirt go-karts at area tracks such as the HiGo Raceway in Cecil and the GSR Kartway in Clintonville, hails from the Wausau area and builds his own chassis.

Yarie’s chassis business, Banshee Chassis, has also been in victory lane this year with other racers. Jordan Barkholtz rode a Banshee to the win on opening night in the IMCA Sport Mod feature.

Aside from racing in Shawano, Yarie has additional ties to the community. Marcus’s wife, Kelsey, is originally from Shawano, and her father, Butch Hokenstad, and brother, Cody Hokenstad, have both been racers at the Shawano Speedway. Cody, in fact, was the runner-up in the 2013 Sport Mod standings.

The competition on the track has seen a bump thus far, also. Former IMCA Modified Supernationals champion Benji LaCrosse has been at the track both nights so far this season, and right now, is second in points behind Yarie.

Last week also saw multiple-area track champion, Todd Dart, at Shawano. This week should again see an impressive field of cars with the 141 Speedway already having canceled its show for Saturday night.

Other drivers that have been at Shawano already this year who have not been regulars include Modified drivers Johhny Whitman, Randy Theys, Brad Lautenbach, Andy Kleczka, Jay Matthias and Jeremy Christians.

In the Sport Mod class, Chris Budzban, Brian Bruechert, Todd Wiese, Travis Arenz and Jeff Shmuhl have dipped their toes in the proverbial water. Hunter Parsons is slated to compete this week in Shawano as well. Hunter is the son of former Modified competitor Clint Parsons and has deep roots in the Shawano community.

The IMCA Stock Car class has been bolstered early on by the return of Rod Snellenberger, as well as Jerry Winkler, Ryan Blank and Billy LeMieux.

It is also worth mentioning that Mighty Four racer Jason Hopinka scored his first-ever feature victory at Shawano last week in only his second night of competition. Hopinka hails from the Weston area and looks to be another stout competitor added to the already hardy Mighty Four mix.

With car counts of 152 and 124 already this season and another big car count expected this week, the Shawano Speedway is the place to be on Saturday nights. See you at the speedway.

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BOYS GOLF

Bears finish 5th at Weyauwega-Fremont

Austin Acker shot a 96 to help Bonduel take fifth place at Friday’s Weyauwega-Fremont Invitational at FoxFire Golf Course.

Aaron Schall shot 125, Hunter Hammond 135 and Aaron Margelofsky 136 to round out Bonduel’s team score of 492.

Rhinelander finished in first place with a 352.

Menominee Indian’s Morgan Fish led Gresham/Menominee Indian, which took seventh place with 564 points.

TRACK

Kurtz wins pole vault at De Pere meet

Shawano Community High School senior Kristy Kurtz won the pole vault with a height of 10 feet and finished fifth in the 400-meter dash in a time of 1 minute, 4.15 seconds Friday at the De Pere Elite Meet.

Tori DePerry took third in the high jump at 4-8 to help the Shawano girls score 24 points, taking ninth place. Wausau West (178.5) won the girls meet.

Wausau West also took the boys meet with 175.5 points Shawano finished in eighth with 32 points, paced by Michael Mault’s third-place finish in the 300 hurdles (44.32 seconds), and Zeke Gueths’ third in the discus (140-02).

SOFTBALL

Amherst 6

Bonduel 5

Amherst scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning off Bonduel pitcher Cameri Gehm to win at home Friday.

Senior Miranda Schmidt had two RBIs, while Kaylee Rynish added two hits and an RBI for Bonduel (6-5, 3-4 Central Wisconsin Conference-8).

Autumn Russell pitched a complete game for Amherst (5-4, 3-4 CWC-8).

Menominee Indian 15

Port Edwards 0

Menominee Indian senior pitcher Kelsey Corn threw a no-hitter in the first of two games Friday afternoon on the road.

Corn struck out 13 batters and walked none for the Eagles (8-1, 8-1 Central Wisconsin Conference-10).

Faith Munson was 2 for 2 at the plate against the Blackhawks (0-7, 0-6 CWC-10).

Menominee Indian 12

Port Edwards 2

Port Edwards got just one hit of Eagles pitcher Taylor Mahkimetas, who walked seven batters and struck out eight in the second game of Friday’s road doubleheader.

Menominee Indian (9-1, 9-1 Central Wisconsin Conference-10) scored nine runs in the first three innings. Kelsey Corn posted three RBIs on two hits.

Abbie Hutteowski took the loss for Port Edwards (0-8, 0-7 CWC-10), walking seven batters and striking out three in three innings.

Gresham 11

Tigerton 10

Kennedy Hoffman scored the winning run for Gresham in the bottom of the eighth inning on a bases-loaded hit at home Friday.

Dani Huntington led the Wildcats (4-4, 4-4 Central Wisconsin Conference-10) at the plate with a triple and two RBIs. River Otradovec and Mackenzie Hoffman each added three hits.

Taylor Hoffman pitched seven innings, allowing five runs to visiting Tigerton (4-7, 4-5 CWC-10).

BASEBALL

Amherst 11

Bonduel 1

Amherst scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to run-rule Bonduel on Friday afternoon.

Sophomore Wyatt Erb took the loss, throwing four innings and giving up four runs on four hits and four walks. He struck out five batters for the Bears (6-2, 3-2 Central Wisconsin Conference-8).

Trevor Pedersen, Bailey Dingeldein and Brent Pieper each had two hits against Amherst (5-3, 3-2 CWC-8).

Port Edwards 7

Menominee Indian 4

Menominee Indian senior pitcher Nick Corn allowed three earned runs in six innings while striking out five batters in the Eagles’ road loss Friday.

Grant Gomeyosh had two hits. Ty Latender reached base three times on walks for the Eagles (5-5, 5-5 Central Wisconsin Conference-10).

Beau Schaur earned the victory for Port Edwards (7-1, 7-0 CWC-10), allowing five hits and two walks.

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Bonduel girls place 6th, boys 10th at Falls inviteBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Bonduel High School senior Hayley Pues finished fourth in the 100-meter high hurdles Thursday at the Oconto Falls Invitational.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Bonduel High School sophomore Jacob Banker accelerates during the third leg of the 4x200 relay Thursday. The Bears finished the race in second place, six seconds behind Peshtigo.

Heading into Thursday’s cold and rainy Oconto Falls Invitational, the Bonduel track team was going to use the meet as a gauge for postseason competition.

Even more importantly, it hoped to remain healthy, but three jumpers, all on their first jumps of the day, suffered minor injuries in the dense sand pits, and head coach James Westrich did not want to take any chances.

Junior Emily Sorenson, who jumped 15 feet, 8 1/2 inches in her opening long jump, placed first without having to jump again.

“She’s confident with her long jump routine,” Westrich said. “She’s comfortable with her block routine. She’s just able to come out, have fun and compete, and that’s helping her a little bit.”

Sorenson also won the 100-meter dash, in 13.31 seconds, and ran a leg on the 4x200 relay team that placed third place as Bonduel placed sixth at the 15-team meet won by Seymour.

The Thunder also took the boys meet. Bonduel finished 10th.

The 4x200 relay team (Eli Mastey, Jacob Banker, Preston Robaidek and Trebor Rueckert) posted the best finish of the Bonduel boys — fourth place — in 1:40.03, one of their fastest times of the season.

“We ended up switching people out because of situations and stuff like that, and I think in general, I thought out relays did a nice job coming out, especially our (4x200),” Westrich said. “I was a little surprised with how well we came out with that.”

Also posting good finishes for Bonduel were the 4x800 girls relay team (sophomore Arianna Factor, junior Anna Palmer, senior Clare Martell and sophomore Laney Richmond), while placed third; Hayley Pues, fourth place in the 100 hurdles; and sophomore Arianna Factor, fourth in the two-mile.

“I think they all did a nice job of preparing themselves and coming out and competing to the best of their ability today,” Westrich said. “So, I’m really proud of them for that.”

Oconto Falls Invitational

April 28

Oconto Falls High School

Boys team scores: Seymour, 114; Sturgeon Bay, 112; Peshtigo, 101; Kewaunee, 83; Coleman, 65; Algoma, 56; Oconto Falls, 48; Wrightstown, 40; Mishicot, 33; Bonduel, 19; Hilbert-Stockbridge, 13; Oconto 10; Mercer, 2.

Top-5 finishers:

4x800 relay: 5, Bonduel (Austin Kurey, Jared Wondra, Colin Ewing, Jacob Moede), 9:31.40.

4x200 relay: 2, Bonduel (Eli Mastey, Jacob Banker, Preston Robaidek, Trebor Rueckert), 1:40.03.

Girls team scores: Seymour, 115.5; Kewaunee, 109; Oconto Falls, 102; Algoma, 64; Peshtigo, 58; Bonduel, 57; Hilbert-Stockbridge, 49; Wrightstown, 36.5; Sturgeon Bay, 36; Mercer, 24; Mishicot, 11; Coleman, 10; Wabeno, 9; Gillett, 8; Oconto, 3.

Top-5 finishers:

4x800 relay: 3, Bonduel (Arianna Factor, Anna Palmer, Clare Martell, Laney Richmond), 11:20.90.

100 hurdles: 4, Hayley Pues, 18.17.

100: 1, Emily Sorenson, 13.31

4x200 relay: 3, Bonduel (Sorenson, Peyton Hrabik, Pues, Christine Sell), 1:65.77.

3,200: 4, Factor, 13:12.00.

Long jump: 1, Sorenson, 15-8 1/2.

Discus: 5, Sell, 102-06.

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BASEBALL

G.B. East/West 6

Shawano 0

Shawano senior Nate Laude took the loss, giving up five hits and three walks in five innings Thursday at home.

He allowed just one earned run for the Hawks (3-6, 3-3 Bay Conference).

Evan Ostertag struck out 10 batters while no-hitting the Hawks. He also had two RBIs for East/West (6-3, 5-2 Bay).

^

SOFTBALL

Bonduel 11

Manawa 6

Becca Carpenter and Kailee Pedersen each had three hits and two RBIs to lead Bonduel in Thursday’s home victory.

Junior pitcher Cameri Gehm allowed 10 hits and six earned runs while striking out five batters for the Bears (6-4, 3-3 Central Wisconsin Conference-8).

After Manawa (5-6, 2-6 CWC-8) pulled within one run, 7-6, the Bears closed the game by scoring two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings.

Menominee Indian 15

Gresham 4
Menominee Indian scored 13 runs in the opening three innings and cruised past the visiting Wildcats on Thursday.

Senior Taylor Mahkimetas earned the victory, allowing four runs over four innings while striking out two batters and allowing four hits for Menominee Indian (7-2, 7-2 Central Wisconsin Conference-10).

Kamille Davids was on the wrong end of the decision, allowing four runs and walking three batters while not securing an out for the Wildcats (2-4, 2-4 CWC-10).

^

TRACK

No firsts for Hawks at Pulaski invite

Three second-place finishes were the best the Shawano boys could muster Thursday at the Pulaski Invitational.

Richard Johnson took second place in the 400-meter dash in 53.45 seconds. Senior Zeke Gueths was second in the discus. The 4x800 relay team, composed of Griffin Bohm, Atty Wagner, Chase Lhotka and Andrew Cardish, also finished in second.

West De Pere won the boys meet. Shawano finished sixth.

De Pere won the girls meet. Shawano finished last. Tori DePerry had the strongest finish for Shawano, getting second in the high jump.

^

GIRLS SOCCER

Xavier 7

Shawano 0

Shawano’s defense allowed six goals in the first half in Thursday’s road loss.

Goalkeeper Carlie Hinnefeld stopped 14 shots for Shawano (2-4-1, 1-2-1 Bay Conference).

Xavier moved to 4-2-0 and 2-0-0 in the Bay.

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Shawano responds in postponed contestBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Shawano’s Joe Willkomm reaches for a ball during a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 loss to Fox Valley Lutheran at No. 2 doubles Wednesday. Shawano won the match, 4-3.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Shawano’s Carter Peplinski gets around a ball to hit with his forehand in a three-set loss to Fox Valley Lutheran at No. 2 doubles Wednesday. Shawano won the match, 4-3.

Trailing 5-4 in the second set, Shawano’s top singles player, Shawn Klemens, won the next three games Wednesday to seal the Hawks’ 4-3 home win over Fox Valley Lutheran.

Klemens was able to use his left-handed delivery to hold serve twice in the final three games in a 7-6 (4), 7-5 win over Jared Petham.

“He hadn’t been hitting my serves, and I had been hitting them pretty well,” Klemens said. “I just knew I had to win his service game.”

The Bay Conference match started April 21 but was postponed, due to lightning, until Wednesday.

Klemens was winning his tiebreaker in the first set, 5-4, when play resumed Wednesday. He was thrown into a difficult situation, immediately needing to serve twice, but won both points to take a one-set lead.

“I’ve never seen him hit the ball with as much authority in a match before,” Shawano head coach Brian Beyer said. “I think this is a match that’s going to propel him as he goes along. I think he’s going to have a good year the rest of the year.”

The Hawks’ No. 3 singles player, Teddy Myers, needed a tiebreaker in the second set to pull out his victory to push Shawano ahead of Fox Valley Lutheran, 3-2, at the time.

Shawano’s No. 1 and No. 3 doubles teams — Manny Morell and Kyle Easter, and Levi Johnson and Donald Chen, respectively — won in straight sets.

The Hawks’ No. 2 doubles team was unable to regain the momentum it had built last week. Carter Peplinski and Joe Willkomm dropped the opening set but rebounded for a 6-3 victory in the second set before falling again in the third.

“So much of the tennis game is a mental game. Some of the momentum they were riding coming into that match was gone,” Beyer said. “So it was a complete reset on the match, so all of that is gone. It’s about how you’re playing today.”

Getting a close victory midway through the season shows the growth in confidence of a relatively young, inexperienced team, Beyer said.

“One thing I’m starting to like that we’re doing is we’re starting to be aggressive,” Beyer said. “We are playing to win the match instead of playing to just stay in it. Overall, if we keep being confident and keep going for our shots, we’re just going to keep getting better.”

Shawano 4, Fox Valley Lutheran 3

Singles: Shawn Klemens, S, def. Jared Petham, FVL, 7-6 (4), 7-5; Noah Stemberg, FVL, def. Kale McHugh, S, 6-2, 6-4; Teddy Myers, S, def. Jonah Hungerford, FVL, 6-2, 7-6 (5); Vincent Jaschinski, FVL, def. Chris Black, S, 6-4, 7-5.

Doubles: Manny Morell/Kyle Easter, S, def. Ares Oldenburg/Jacob Madolinski, FVL, 6-2, 7-5; John Davidsaver/Matthew Bovee, FVL, def. Carter Peplinski/Joe Willkomm, S, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; Levi Johnson/Donald Chen, S, def. Dietrich Ragner/Josh Aden, FVL, 6-2, 6-3.

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MIHS player to pitch at D3 levelBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Kelsey Corn

Menominee Indian High School senior pitcher Kelsey Corn will have an opportunity to continue her softball career after deciding Monday to attend Northland College in Ashland.

Corn said landing a college offer took a lot of work.

“It shows that even though I came from a small school, an unknown school, it shows how much work I put into it,” Corn said. “I finally did something with it. I’m going somewhere.”

Corn was a first-team All-Central Wisconsin Conference selection as a junior. MIHS head coach Bob Smith said she could have been the player of the year had it not been for Eagles senior Joan Waukau, who claimed the honor a season ago.

Corn has lived up to the lofty expectations so far this season, batting over .700 in conference play.

Corn, who hopes to get playing time as a pitcher for the LumberJills next season, said she enjoyed her interactions with Northland coach Steve Wammer and his enthusiasm for the sport. On her trip to campus, she met members of the team and noticed how close they were.

Smith wants Corn to take what she learns over the next four years to help the Gresham community.

“She’s an asset to the community. When I found out about her playing in college, or just going to college, I was excited,” he said. “And then I basically told her, … ‘Go away to college. Get your degree. Come back here. Bring what you’ve learned back here.’

“I’m even more excited that she’s playing softball but, more importantly, that she’s going to college.”

Corn understands how special that is.

“People didn’t think I could make it, and I just went and proved them wrong, that anything is possible,” she said.

Northland College, an NCAA Division 3 school, competes in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. Through Tuesday, the team was 4-26 overall and 3-9 in conference play this season.

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By: 

Gary Seymour, [email protected]

All I want for draft day is a linebacker like Clay Matthews, with the same football instincts, only faster and immune to injury.

If it fits into the stocking, it would be nice to find a wide receiver in there, too. A burner, with 4.2 speed and good hands, preferably … no, make that great hands, and a 50-inch vertical leap.

Another item on the wish list is a tight end, one who can get more separation than Richard Rodgers but who can go up and get a jump ball in the end zone like Rodgers can if he has to.

The day of the NFL draft to a football fan can feel like Christmas to a kid. You know that you’re about to receive something that you didn’t have before. You just don’t know what it is yet, or how much you’re going to like it. Some of the stuff that looked great in the brochures turned out to be junk.

Having released linebacker Nate Palmer earlier this month, the Green Bay Packers appear set to make a draft selection to address that new roster vacancy as the draft gets under way Thursday in Chicago.

There are plenty of promising names in the lot, although which of them will still be available at No. 27, the position from which the Packers will pick, remains to be seen.

Speaking of names, for sheer outward appeal there is UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, who couldn’t have more of a fitting handle for his job if his name was Reggie Paydirt, or Charles Pancake-Block.

But Jack’s stock has dropped over the past week with revelations of his knee injury, punctuating the uncertainty of any draft, or any individual career in the NFL.

Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland has been projected to still be available for the 27th pick, which would be an excellent “get” for general manager Ted Thompson and the Packers, whose total of nine picks this year include three in the fourth round. Other possible pickups at linebacker include Auburn’s Cassanova McKinzy and Jordan Jenkins of Georgia.

Draft day is always an especially big deal for the Packers because Thompson’s preference to developing draft picks over free agent signings has been his standard operating procedure since coming on board in 2005.

As long as the hope-for light is still on for the Packers’ upcoming season, that list might also include a victory at Lambeau Field over the division rivals – all of them, preferably, but at least one for starters. The Pack, who dropped their three home dates with Chicago, Minnesota and Detroit last season, will finish the 2016 regular season with games against the Bears (away), Vikings (home) and Lions (away).

Nondivision games this season will pit the Packers against Jacksonville, the New York Giants, Dallas, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Washington, Philadelphia, Houston and Seattle.

Regardless of who is selected in which round, the NFL has thankfully undertaken to ensure that you can share in the realism of the draft, wherein each chosen player is presented with a baseball cap featuring the logo of his new employer.

Try to imagine how silly one would look watching the draft while wearing a regular-season cap, and then take heart in the NFL’s breaking out its official draft-day caps – for less than $40.

That’s right – for either 32 or 37 bucks, depending on which official NFL draft day cap style you choose (free shipping on either!) you can live the entire draft day experience, all official-like.

That aside, there is encouraging report from the Packers camp that, regardless of draft day acquisitions, their offense is already better than last season. The healthy return of wide receiver Jordy Nelson, the favorite target of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, signals an instant bump in production.

As for the Packers’ Super Bowl aspirations, getting there won’t be a breeze, but the pieces are in place, the window’s still open, and at long last, here comes the draft.

Veteran sportswriter Gary Seymour’s column appears weekly in the Leader. To contact him, send an email to [email protected] this article:  Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 No votes yet