Shawano Leader Sports Headlines

Blanke steps away from racing for nowBy: 

Scott Owen, Leader Columnist

As I mentioned in last week’s article, this week is the first of two consecutive big-money nights at the Shawano Speedway.

The IMCA Stock Car division will race for $1,000, which is nearly four times the normal amount throughout the course of the season. Unlike every other week of the season, the class will utilize a draw-redraw format to set the lineups. Drivers will draw for a starting position in their heat race; then, depending on the total number of drivers present, they will redraw for a feature position.

The field of cars will be stout. Defending track and national champion Travis Van Straten will be one of the favorites. Former track and national champion Rod Snellenberger should also be considered a favorite. Former IMCA Supernationals champion Jeremy Christians has also put the event on his schedule.

Shawn Wagner, another former track champion, made his season debut last week and ran strong right out of the box. Justin Jacobsen also made his debut last weekend and ran very well.

Certainly, the likes of Dan Michonski, Kyle Frederick and Mike Schmidt will also be in contention to win this race. Brandon Czarapata, another former track and national champion, is out with a hand injury and most likely will not be in action.

Sadly, it looks as though another driver will not be in the field. Sometimes, life gets in the way of racing. Early last week, word came down that longtime racer Scott Blanke’s wife, Sharon, had a brain tumor removed. This week, Blanke put his IMCA stock car for sale online.

Now anyone who knows a racer well knows that they are wired differently. Racers will live on Ramen noodles, drive an old, pieced-together rust bucket and put in countless hours of overtime just to stay on the track.

Sometimes events away from the track turn the focus to other issues in life. Hopefully Blanke will get good money for his car and be able to help his wife make a full recovery. Hopefully he will be able to race again in the future. Until then, the racing world will miss him and his wife.

Whether it is a demolition derby, a trailer race, an enduro or announcing an ice race, Blanke has always been one who thoroughly enjoys putting on a show for the fans, and he will certainly be missed.

Big money continues next week in the IMCA Modifieds division.

See you at the speedway.

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

Senior leaves program with 2 batting recordsBy: 

Chris Caporale [email protected]

Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Recent graduate Alli Raddant, a four-year starter in the Shawano Community High School softball program, finished her high school career with a three-run home run at the WFSCA senior all-star game Tuesday.
Contributed Photo Alli Raddant poses with her father and Division 2 Red assistant coach, Ty Raddant, left, and head coach Kevin Isaacson, right, who was chosen by the WFSCA to coach one of the five Division 2 senior teams at its season-ending, all-star event.

Recent Shawano Community High School graduate Alli Raddant put the final touch on her Hawks career with her first career home run at the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association senior all-star event in Wisconsin Dells on Tuesday.

Raddant helped the Division 2 Red team go undefeated on the day, defeating the White team, 3-2, and the Blue team, 6-5. Her squad was coached by Kevin Isaacson, who resigned as the SCHS head coach late in the Hawks’ spring season but was chosen by the WFSCA as one of five Division 2 coaches for the all-star event.

“It was nice to have him back there,” Raddant said. “It was kind of like old times.”

Raddant’s three-run, inside-the-park home run against the Blue team was one of her three hits on the day.

Raddant knew she had a solid double as she left the box, then heard Isaacson telling her to get to third base. As she rounded second, Isaacson was already trying to send her home as the outfielder took the wrong angle at the ball. Raddant’s speed ensured there wouldn’t even be a play at the plate.

“Definitely not expecting it,” Raddant said of her first home run in her final game. “It was a really good way to end it.”

Raddant will walk away from the program with two school records: her single-season batting average of .576 from her freshman season and her four-year career average of .508. She also was named to numerous all-Bay Conference teams and to the WFSCA all-district team.

Despite the numbers at the plate, it was her work at second base that secured her spot on the roster.

“Alli worked hard to become a tremendous defensive player,” Isaacson said. “Her range at second base is incredible, and her instincts are among the best I have ever seen at the high school level.”

Isaacson remembers when Raddant was a 3-year-old cheerleader for a team he coached with her father, Ty Raddant. Alli’s older sister Samantha was the leadoff hitter and shortstop.

Raddant’s above-average coordination at a young age allowed her to be a successful hitter, even at the ages of 5 and 6, Isaacson said. She competed at an under-10 travel tournament when she was 7.

As a freshman at SCHS, Raddant was a major contributor to the 2013 WIAA regional champion softball team. The Hawks fell one run short of a regional title this spring.

Raddant plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh this fall, studying psychology while participating on the cheer team. She hopes to become a child life specialist after getting her master’s degree.

Raddant said she would not have been successful without the help of her parents, extended family and Schutt Industries of Clintonville.

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Shawano records 6 errors in lossBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Shawano Patriots shortstop Seth Sousek tries to get Wausau’s Eric Nelson out at second base after a bloop single in the third inning Thursday in Shawano. The Patriots lost, 13-1, in five innings.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Shawano Patriots right fielder Connor Klish runs down a single during Wausau’s six-run third inning in an American Legion baseball game Thursday in Shawano.

Six errors over the first three innings did not help Shawano starting pitcher Bryce Gagnow or reliever Casey Baumann, who allowed 13 runs over three innings in a 13-1 five-inning loss to Wausau on Thursday at Memorial Park.

Wausau came out swinging, starting with an Eric Nerison two-run home run in the first, and then seven consecutive singles in the second inning, all with two outs, to build its lead to six runs, 7-1.

Shawano head coach Ryan Koenig would have liked to see a little more variety from his pitchers, both in terms of speeds and locations to challenge the Wausau hitters.

“It seemed like we were throwing the ball right down the middle or inside half, which is right where they want the ball,” Koenig said. “It’s a development from a pitching standpoint.”

Three errors, three hits and three walks accounted for Wausau’s six-run third inning to put the visitors up 12.

“We hit the ball hard, and they booted some,” Wausau head coach Tom Magnuson said. “Got some base hits and jumped on them early.”

Shawano scored its lone run of the game in the first inning. Jacob Lacy reached on an error and advanced to second during the next at-bat. Tasa Grignon drove him in with a single, before getting thrown out at second base trying to advance on the throw to the plate.

From there, Wausau starting pitcher Garrett Hohn took over.

“They were just unfortunate enough to get him,” Magnuson said. “That’s just unfortunate the way the rotation worked out. He had to get some work.”

Hohn struck out six consecutive batters over the second and third innings, and did not allow the Patriots to record another hit after the Grignon single.

Lacy and Seth Sousek walked in the fourth inning, and Lacy advanced to third base on a wild pitch, but Hohn settled in to get Connor Klish to strike out to end the inning.

Shawano (2-2) was not able to force any drama in the fifth inning to extend the game. Kien Moorman grounded out on the first pitch he saw, and Cole Nelson and Brett Ainsworth both struck out to end the game.

Hohn struck out 10 batters in five innings for the Bulldogs (2-3), giving up the one hit and one unearned run.

“He was throwing hard. Probably the hardest thrower we’ve seen this year,” Koenig said. “In the box, we’ve got to be ready.”

Nelson pitched the fourth and fifth innings for the Hawks, keeping the Bulldogs off the scoreboard in both frames. He was able to change speeds well, which turned some of the hard-hit balls in previous innings to easy ground balls for his defense.

“With Cole’s speed and knuckleball, they aren’t as confident in their swinging,” Koenig said. “When they aren’t swinging for power, it’s a lot of easy groundballs for us, or pop-ups.”

Gagnow was charged with seven earned runs over 2 1/3 innings. He gave up nine hits, walked one and struck out one. Baumann, in relief, pitched 2/3 of an inning, giving up two hits and one earned run.

Nelson allowed one hit.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E

Wausau 2 5 6 0 0 13 12 1

Shawano 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 6

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Track team leads wayBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Two Shawano athletes, both in track, earned Bay Conference first-team honors in the spring sports season.

Seven Hawks were second-team selections, and 12 others received either third team or honorable mention selections.

Track

Payden Buck and Zeke Gueths were awarded first-team honors for winning the pole vault and discus, respectively, at the Bay Conference meet.

Kristina Kurtz (pole vault) and Erika Dunnam (shot put) were named to the second team.

Atty Wagner (high jump), Hannah Wendorff (pole vault) and the 1,600-meter relay team (Tori DePerry, Kylie Guenther, Cheyenne Knueppel, Carrie Young) were named to the third team.

Girls soccer

The girls soccer team had three second-team selections: Megan Klitzke, Sarah Dickmann and Colleen McFarlane.

Goalkeeper Carlie Hinnefeld and forward Morgan Klitzke were honorable mention selections for their work over the course of the spring, which ended with the team’s first WIAA regional title in program history.

Baseball

Shawano’s No. 1 pitcher, senior Nate Laude, was the team’s lone selection to the second team.

Junior Dylan Sumnicht, the second pitcher on the team, was among players accorded honorable mention.

Boys tennis

Seniors Kyle Easter and Joe Willkomm, the Hawks No. 1 doubles team to conclude the season, were chosen honorable mention selections to the all-Bay team.

Willkomm was Easter’s fourth teammate of the year.

Golf

Juniors Josh Mueller (second team) and Braxten Surber (honorable mention) were honored by the conference for their play this season.

The Hawks qualified for the WIAA Division 2 team sectional in Seymour.

All five varsity team members who competed in the sectional are set to return next spring.

Bay Conference

All-conference teams

Baseball

First team: Matt McNabb, West De Pere; Matt DeYoung, Xavier; Clayton VanLanen, Seymour; Dalton Knaack, Menasha; Evan Ostertag, Green Bay East/West; Kyle Wolf, New London; Dan Paulson, West De Pere; Sean Palubicki, Seymour; Kyle Kosobucki, West De Pere; Trent Bauer, Green Bay East/West; Reed Blake, Seymour; Max VanBoxel,* Green Bay East/West; Nate Mentzel, Menasha; Justin Kroll, Seymour.

Second team: Caleb Buboltz, West De Pere; Jared Anderson, Seymour; Jadin Sell, Menasha; Austin hanson, New London; Jakob Weisgerber, Xavier; Kyle Buhrandt, West De Pere; Brady Rasmussen, Menasha; Nate Laude, Shawano; Cole Nelson, West De Pere; Austin Marcks, Seymour; Zach Watzka, Green Bay East/West.

Honorable mention: Austin Williquette, Green Bay East/West; Mike Marson, West De Pere; Tylan Brown, New London; Nate DeLisle, Xavier; Seth Jefson, Seymour; Luke Romnek, Menasha; Pierce Blohowiak, Xavier; Trent LaCombe, Seymour; Dylan Sumnicht, Shawano; Will Wohlt, New London.

* = Player of the Year

Girls soccer

First team: Kaylee Siegle,* Menasha; Payton Kellam, West De Pere; Jenna Schmitt, Xavier; Hope Schaefer-Kemps, Menasha; Marina Solberg, New London; Jenna Rollin, West De Pere; Emma Ellis, Seymour; Lydia Hillesheim, West De Pere; Paige Maertz, Xavier; Rachel Siciliano, Xavier; Skylar England, Xavier.

Second team: Kyla Ryan, Seymour; Megan Klitzke, Shawano; Jadyn Forgette, West De Pere; Issy Ellis, Xavier; Elli Ellis, Seymour; Sarah Dickmann, Shawano; Marissa Walsh, Xavier; Kasey Hoewisch, New London; Colleen McFarlane, Shawano; Emily Gorzlancyk, West De Pere; Carli Bain, West De Pere.

Honorable mention: Aubrey Buchholtz, Seymour; Natasha Amack, Xavier; Alyssa Wendorf, Seymour; Carlie Hinnefield, Shawano; Morgan Klitzke, Shawano; Morgan Baeten, West De Pere; Mari Seidler, Xavier; Claire Cook, Seymour; Angie Cortes, West De Pere; McKendra Heinke, Seymour; Emily Serwin, West De Pere; Hope Cemey, Green Bay East.

* = Player of the Year

Boys tennis

First team, singles: Harry Dykema, West De Pere; David Horak, Xavier; Ethan Tungate, Menasha; Ryan Bald, West De Pere.

First team, doubles: Jonathan Niewmeyer/John Rekoske, Xavier; Cal Perry/Bailey Peterson, West De Pere; Ethan Curtin/Brady Van Straten, Xavier.

Second team, singles: Eli Faymonville, Green Bay West; Jared Pertham, Fox Valley Lutheran; Joe Lee, Green Bay West; Noah Steinberg, Fox Valley Lutheran.

Second team, doubles: Jacob Madalinski/Ares Oldenburg, Fox Valley Lutheran; Matthew Bovee, John Davidsaver, Fox Valley Lutheran; Blayd Ansal/Colin Skubal, West De Pere.

Honorable mention: Quin Norton, West De Pere; Will Cole, Xavier; Matt Waskosky, Green Bay East; Gabe Pante/Sam Knott, Xavier; Kyle Easter/Joe Willkomm, Shawano.

Boys golf

First team: Landon Elsner, New London, Sam Schubbe, Xavier; Eric DeSormeau, West De Pere; Carter Grieshaber, Menasha; Aaron Callahan, Xavier.

Second team: Gus Mantey, Xavier; Jack Coughlin, Xavier; Shea Fabel, Xavier; Josh Mueller, Shawano; Hunter Zaddock, New London.

Honorable mention: Kellin Charles, West De Pere; Matt Fletcher, New London; Jackson Appleton, West De Pere; Braxten Surber, Shawano; Carlos Cisneros, Menasha.

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Four players each had two hits, helping Bonduel defeat Wittenberg, 9-5, on the road Thursday.

Bailey Dingeldein, Josh Richter, Bennett Gunderson and Blake Stoss led the way at the plate for the Grizzlies (2-1).

Brent Pieper pitched a complete game, giving up nine hits and five runs over the seven innings. He walked one and struck out another for Bonduel.

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Shawano brings youth, numbers to Legion ballBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Cole Nelson works on fielding throws from the outfield for the Shawano American Legion team, composed mostly of younger athletes looking to improve over the course of the summer.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Dylan Sumnicht catches a fly ball in center field and works hitting the relay man in the infield. Sumnicht is one of the top pitchers in a deep staff this summer for the Shawano American Legion baseball team.

With just three 2016 Shawano Community High School graduates on the team, development of younger players will be the biggest factor in the success of the Shawano American Legion baseball team this summer.

The Patriots lost a lot of familiar names from last season’s squad, including Chase Henning, Ky Schmidt, Zack Sousek, Jack Lacy and others.

Coach Ryan Koenig said the Patriots will rely on depth to help keep the momentum going from last year’s successful Legion season.

“You really have to prove to the coaching staff who wants to play, who can put the ball in play and who can do their fundamentals of the game, and they’re going to get more playing time,” Koenig said. “It’s really a new season is how we are approaching it.”

After Shawano High’s four-win season, Koenig also is working to keep the team positive over the course of the summer.

“It’s always positive. You’re always cheering your teammates. You’re always picking up teammates,” Koenig said. “I’ve seen in the first couple of games, we’ve had to correct some things said, and that’s the big thing.”

The Patriots have gotten by so far with their youth, scoring a 6-3 victory in the season opener over Bonduel, falling to Clintonville 14-6 and downing Bay Port in their first Fox River Valley league game Sunday.

Shawano has a strong pitching staff to count on, with Nate Laude and Dylan Sumnicht at the top of the rotation. Tasa Grignon, Casey Baumann and Bryce Gagnow also should be able to eat up innings over the course of the season.

Infielders Kasey Kristoff, Cole Nelson and Brad Bartz will be counted on to continue to improve and to cut down on errors as the season goes on. Shawano committed five errors in its loss to Clintonville but rebounded with one error against Bay Port.

The players will have to show Koenig they are ready to play each and every game.

“It’s going to take a team effort, and that’s the big thing we’re going to stress this year, and I’ve been stressing with them,” Koenig said. “It’s going to take all 17 of us, playing at the right time and cheering each other on.”

AT A GLANCE

Shawano Legion Baseball Schedule

June 16 vs. Wausau

June 19 at Menasha

June 21 at New London

June 23 vs. New London

June 25 vs. Waupaca (DH)

June 28 vs. Oconto

June 30 at Seymour (DH)

July 1 vs. Menasha

July 4 at Bonduel

July 5 at Bay Port

July 10 vs. Kaukauna

July 14 at Kaukauna

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By: 

Gary Seymour, [email protected]

A scene that we hardly see anymore in the summertime is a pickup baseball game in an empty lot.

Kids of a bygone generation weren’t satisfied with a 20-game schedule of Little League ball over a three-month stretch, and so would get their fill of the national pastime by playing games during the day against other neighborhood kids. Whether it was four-on-four or three-on-three or even two-on-two, competitive games were daily fare, with right field closed off for right-handed batters – balls hit to the right side were counted as an out – and the pitcher’s hands, not the first baseman’s, being the out on a ground ball.

The reasons for baseball’s slide in popularity include the fact that there are far more options for a kid to pass time today. Where there were once yo-yos and marbles is now a library of video games. Baseball leagues still thrive at the youth level, but there are so many more games and travel options available today that any kid who is interested is never left wanting for competition.

Another thing we hardly see anymore are pickup games of tennis, which for a while in the 1970s would have been unthinkable.

As Rod Laver and Arhur Ashe were making way for rising stars Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe in the early ‘70s, tennis-crazed Americans were loading their oversized rackets into their Ford Mavericks with 10SNE1 license plates and heading over to the tennis courts – if they could find an open one. With players like Connors and McEnroe leading the way on the men’s national and international stage, and with Billie Jean King shutting up chauvinist buffoon Bobby Riggs before a massive national television audience, tennis in the U.S. was the thing.

Tennis’ raging popularity lasted only slightly longer than the leisure suit, however. Many have ventured reasons for the dip, starting with there being no American male stars today. We like our winners, and outside of Serena Williams in the women’s division, we haven’t produced many lately. Connors and McEnroe added an element of insolent personality to their game, which translated to good television and more growth. They were also champions. Today there are no U.S. personalities or champions.

The U.S. hasn’t won a Davis Cup since 2007, and hasn’t had a male winner in a Grand Slam event since 2003. Half of U.S. college tennis scholarships go to foreigners.

Pick from a number of reasons for the decline of tennis, which you might say didn’t go out with a bang, or a whimper, but with a grunt. When every swing of the racket in the match started sounding like karate practice is when tennis lost a lot of people.

Connors, McEnroe and their ilk would occasionally grunt on their serve, but not on any other hit for the rest of the point. Martina Navratilova, the standard-bearer of power women’s tennis of that era, was a serve-only grunter.

But somewhere along the line, some coach figured that if making a loud noise on contact helped a player to get something-point-something percent more energy into his or her serve, it was only logical to make the same noises every time they made contact.

Soon, we had Monica Seles sounding like some exotic rain forest songbird for two or three sets, and a proliferation of screamers and yellers that followed.

One of the harshest rips on tennis in its decline is that it is elitist and not fan-friendly. It’s hard to argue against that when only the players are allowed to pierce the silence of a match, even if it’s a series of convulsive, primal heaves, while paying spectators are reminded frequently to shut up, sit down, shut up, cheer when we tell you, and oh by the way, shut up.

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

Pieper drives in 5 on 2 hitsBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Bonduel Legion first baseman Bennett Gunderson, shown awaiting a pick-off throw, had three RBIs at the plate in a 13-4 victory over Clintonville at home Monday.

Sparked by two bases-clearing doubles in a nine-run fifth inning, Bonduel downed visiting Clintonville, 13-4, Monday.

Clintonville starting pitcher Jaden Doornink, who allowed three runs through the first four innings, was charged with seven runs in the fifth inning.

“When he was doing his warm-up pitches, we didn’t see any curveballs out of him. ‘He’s going to come with a straight one. Jump on it. Hit it hard,’” Bonduel coach Jason Boldt said. “That’s what they did. It was good to see.”

Bennett Gunderson and Brent Pieper each doubled with the bases loaded for three RBIs apiece, and Josh Richter drove in the final run of the frame on a single to center.

Trailing 4-0 in the third inning, Bonduel’s offense, which hadn’t gotten a hit yet, got rolling with Jack Thiel’s two-out double to right field. Jordan Boldt drove in Thiel, and after walks to Travis Wollenberg and Bailey Dingeldein, Pieper singled to right field to cut the deficit to 1.

“You could just feel it in the dugout. The atmosphere just changed after Jack got on, and we got a couple of runs there that inning,” Jason Boldt said. “Things changed and got a big win tonight.”

Jordan Boldt, who took a little while to settle in on the mound, gave up four runs over the first three innings, but kept the Diamond Cats off the board over the final four innings.

He was able to minimize the damage in the second inning when Clintonville loaded the bases with one out. Boldt got Jordan Koeppen to ground out and then struck out Kaden Doornink to end the threat.

Zach Riemer and Kyle Finger provided RBI singles for Clintonville in the opening inning. In the third inning, Colton Kluth added a RBI and Aaron Morse hit a sacrifice fly.

Jaden Doornink allowed 11 hits and gave up 12 runs over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out two batters and walked five. In relief, Chad Bork allowed one earned run over 1 1/3 innings, including the double to Pieper, and did not record a walk or strikeout.

Jordan Boldt, who calmly fielded all three groundouts in the seventh inning, finished the game with five strikeouts and two walk. He gave up 10 hits and four earned runs.

“The first two or three innings, that was probably the first mound time he’s seen in two or three weeks,” Jason Boldt said. “Once he got his confidence there, he was a whole different pitcher — locating his curveball, moving his fastball around. That makes a big difference.”

Pieper, who made a diving catch to end the top of the fifth inning at third base, led Bonduel at the plate, pushing five runs across on two hits, and Gunderson added three RBIs on his one hit.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Clintonville 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 10 1

Bonduel 0 0 3 0 9 1 x 13 14 1

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By: 

Scott Owen, Special to the Leader

Contributed Photo Calvin Stueck picked up his first Mighty Fours feature win of the season Saturday at Shawano Speedway.
Contributed Photo Shawn Frelich led the first lap of the caution-filled IMCA Modifieds feature Saturday, which gave him his first win of the season at Shawano Speedway.

Big trophies, courtesy of the Kim Parsons Memorial Trophy Tour, were on the line for racers on Charlie’s County Market and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College night at the races Saturday at Shawano Speedway.

Travis Van Straten scored his fifth feature win of the year in the IMCA Stock Cars division, and Nick Anvelink (Late Models) and Lucas Lamberies (IMCA Sport Mods) each won his third feature of the season.

Shawn Frelich (IMCA Modifieds) and Calvin Stueck (Mighty Fours) secured win No. 1 on the year.

All of the winners left with some impressive hardware.

Late Models

Veteran Jeff Curtin snagged the lead on the opening lap and held the top spot for the first seven laps before Doug Blashe ducked underneath Curtin and powered his way to the lead. As Blashe led, Curtin was pressured by Anvelink for second. Anvelink passed Curtin on lap 10 and quickly ran down Blashe to make an inside pass for the lead on lap 11. Anvelink led the rest of the race for the win.

Blashe finished in the runner-up spot. Jared Siefert, Tom Naeyaert and Curtin took third through fifth.

IMCA Modifieds

It is often said that a race can’t be won on the first lap, but in this week’s IMCA Modified feature, the race was indeed won on the first lap. Multiple cautions involving numerous cars, combined with the time limit that is in place for each race, cost 19 laps of feature racing. Frelich led the single green-flag lap run in the race, therefore he was credited with the win. Joel Seegert, Eddie Muenster, Lance Arneson and Cole Petit completed the top five.

IMCA Stock Cars

In contrast to how the modified feature went, the IMCA Stock Car feature had only one yellow flag. Row-two starter Scott VanProoyen grabbed the lead on the opening lap but quickly began to feel the heat from Rod Snellenberger and Van Straten.

Laps five through nine saw the three drivers racing in a tight formation, with VanProoyen holding the lead each time at the finish line. On lap 10, Van Straten went to the high side of the track and got two passes in one try, as he passed Snellenberger and VanProoyen to take the lead. Snellenberger kept Van Straten in sight for the remainder of the race but was never able to mount a serious challenge. Van Straten went on to finish ahead of Snellenberger.

A late-charging Justin Jacobsen finished third. VanProoyen and Mike Schmidt rounded out the top five.

IMCA Sport Mods

Pole-sitter Karah Taycher led the opening lap before Tyler Thiex went to the high groove of the race track to take the lead on lap two. Ryan Besaw passed Taycher to move to second on lap three.

As Thiex continued to lead, Lamberies began to pick his way through traffic. On lap nine, Thiex, Besaw and Lamberies began a three-car battle for the lead with each driver running a different line. On lap 11, Besaw’s car fell victim to mechanical woes, eliminating him from the race and bringing out a caution.

On the ensuing lap of the race, Lamberies and Tyler Thiex exchanged slide jobs for the lead with Thiex able to hold the top spot. Lamberies, though, made the pass for the lead on lap 12.

Lamberies was able to keep Thiex at bay for the duration of the race. The two were chased across the finish line by Jason Jach, Kyle Raddant and Wyatt Block.

Mighty Fours

Travis Welch led lap one of the feature, but Stueck took the lead on lap two. Stueck, who let a win get away two weeks ago, would not be denied victory this week. Stueck led the final 11 laps. Stueck’s cousin, Brad Wedde, took second. Josh Slewinski, Grant Kastning and Lucas Hacker rounded out the top five.

Spectator Eliminators

Brian Welch and Beau Schroeder were victorious in Spectator Eliminator action.

Shawano Speedway

June 11

Race Summary

Late Model Feature: 1) Nick Anvelink, 2) Doug Blashe, 3) Jared Siefert, 4) Tom Naeyaert, 5) Jeff Curtin, 6) Troy Springborn, 7) Ron Berna, 8) Derek Jahnke, 9) Michael Stangl, 10) Josh Moesch.

Heat 1: 1) Brett Swedberg, 2) Berna, 3) Naeyaert.

Heat 2: 1) Blashe, 2) Mark Rose, 3) Siefert.

IMCA Modified Feature: 1) Shawn Frelich, 2) Joel Seegert, 3) Eddie Muenster, 4) Lance Arneson, 5) Cole Petit, 6) Jerry Muenster, 7) Chris Engels, 8) Tony Wedelstadt, 9) Mark Weisnicht, 10) Jerry Wilinski.

Heat 1: 1) Engels, 2) Arneson, 3) Weisnicht.

Heat 2: 1) Wilinski, 2) Frelich, 3) Seegert.

Heat 3: 1) Jeremie Hedrick, 2) Kevin Feck, 3) Wedelstadt.

IMCA Stock Car Feature: 1) Travis Van Straten, 2) Rod Snellenberger, 3) Justin Jacobsen, 4) Scott VanProoyen, 5) Mike Schmidt, 6) Dan Michonski, 7) Shawn Wagner, 8) Trent Nolan, 9) Gary Kasperek, 10) Harley Simon.

Last Chance Qualifiers: 1) Ray DePew, 2) Simon, 3) Vern Stedjee, 4) Chris Loewenhagen, 5) Eric Zwirschitz.

Heat 1: 1) Luke Uttecht, 2) Jacobsen, 3) VanProoyen.

Heat 2: 1) Michonski, 2) Jerry Winkler, 3) Tom Riehl.

Heat 3: 1) Van Straten, 2) Snellenberger, 3) Nolan.

IMCA Sport Mod Feature: 1) Lucas Lamberies, 2) Tyler Thiex, 3) Jason Jach, 4) Kyle Raddant 5) Wyatt Block, 6) Brock Saunders, 7) Kevin Bethke, 8) Brandon Nygaard, 9) Karah Taycher, 10) Jordan Barkholtz.

Heat 1: 1) Jach, 2) Saunders, 3) Jason Ebert.

Heat 2: 1) Bethke, 2) Ryan Besaw, 3) Taycher.

Heat 3: 1) Lamberies, 2) Raddant, 3) Thiex.

Mighty Four Feature: 1) Calvin Stueck, 2) Brad Wedde, 3) Josh Slewinski, 4) Grant Kastning 5) Lucas Hacker, 6) Hollie Welch, 7) Dalton Nelson, 8) Travis Welch, 9) Jason Hopinka, 10) Alex Adams.

Heat 1: 1) Wedde, 2) Nelson, 3) Kastning.

Heat 2: 1) Slewinski, 2) Stueck, 3) Hollie Welch.

FYI

Racing will continue at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The $1,000-to-win Hammond Farm and Greenhouse IMCA Stock Car Shootout will highlight the night’s action. For information, visit www.shawanocountyfair.net.

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Grizzlies’ top 2 pitchers out until JulyBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Without its top two pitchers to start the American Legion season, Bonduel is going to need its bats to come alive.

Trevor Pedersen and Wyatt Erb, both starting pitchers for the Bonduel High School team this spring, have injuries that will hold them out of play until early July, head coach Jason Boldt said.

In the meantime, Jordan Boldt will be relied on as the starter, and Brent Pieper will pitch a few innings, but neither of them has much time on the mound.

Behind those two, Jason Boldt will have to count on a few inexperienced pitchers.

“It’s going to be by committee after that,” Jason Boldt said. “Whoever wants to step up and says, ‘Hey, I’ve got a couple of innings in me.’ Because nobody else is really a proven pitcher out there.”

The Grizzlies put up 13 runs on Clintonville in a season-opening victory at home Monday, with the offense improving on its three-run showing in Shawano on Thursday.

“We didn’t hit the ball well last week, and we made some stupid mistakes that these guys normally don’t make,” Boldt said.

Boldt wants to clean up the fielding and base-running mistakes before his starting pitchers return.

The majority of the team’s roster played on the BHS squad that had a 16-win season in the Central Wisconsin Conference-8.

“We’ve got two other players who didn’t play high school that were able to come back, in Travis Wollenberg and Austin Siolka,” Boldt said. “Two good ball players for years past with the high school team, so they’re going to be helping us out.”

Wollenberg played in the outfield on Monday. Siolka was the shortstop during the nine-run victory over the Diamond Cats.

Once the team is back at full strength, Boldt hopes the Grizzlies show up to play in the postseason.

“Get healthy as we move along here,” Boldt said. “Get our other pitchers back and ready to go by the time regionals roll around at the end of July.”

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By: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Shawano junior Saige Henning, who led the Bay Conference in batting average and home runs, and senior Alli Raddant were named this week to the all-conference first team.

Henning and Raddant were also among the 24 players selected to the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association’s Northeast Wisconsin district team.

Batting 1-2 in the Hawks lineup when healthy, they helped Shawano to an 11-3 conference record and an 18-10 mark overall. Over the duration of the season, Raddant and Henning were tied atop the team in batting average.

Shawano sophomores catcher Brandi Gueths and and pitcher Erin Cerveny were named to the all-conference second team, and junior third baseman Sarah Petry was an honorable mention selection.

Cerveny and Gueths were honorable mention selections to the Northeast Wisconsin district team.

Raddant also was chosen to play in the WFSCA senior all-star game Tuesday at the Woodside Sports Complex in Wisconsin Dells.

Shawano advanced to a WIAA Division 2 regional final, losing to in Luxemburg-Casco, 5-4.

All-Bay Conference

First team: Abby Eisholtz, New London; Leah Porath, New London; Deja Morrow, Green Bay East; Madeline Brown, Menasha; Saige Henning, Shawano; Raven Vanden Langenberg, Seymour; Alli Raddant, Shawano; Julia Rhodes, Menasha; Sara Dombrowski, Xavier; Jaida Reynen,* Green Bay East; Molly O’Connell, New London; Paige Weyer, Seymour.

Second team: Jayci Mansfield, Menasha; Zoe Moehring, Seymour; Faith Carothers, New London; McCoy Mix, New London; Abby VanDeHei, West De Pere; Ashlee Moeller, New London; Isabella Kelley, Green Bay East; Cassie Zaves, Menasha; Brandi Gueths, Shawano; Brady Resulta, Green Bay West; Danian Danitz, Menasha; Erin Cerveny, Shawano; Alaina Greetan, Green Bay West.

Honorable mention: Sarah Petry, Shawano; Karly Weycker, Xavier; Savannah Thielbar, Seymour; Erin O’Connell, New London; Anna Young, West De Pere; Anna Schenk, Seymour; Maddie Ruckdashel, New London; Joeley Bluma, Seymour; Erin Powers, Xavier.

* = Player of the Year

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By: 

Scott Owen, Leader Columnist

Well, last week brought the dreaded rainout. Obviously, Mother Nature did not want us to race. So this week, I want to take some time to focus on two big events set to take place at Shawano toward the end of June.

Coming up on June 18, the IMCA Stock Car division will take center stage. The class that is too tough to tame will race for $1,000, a pretty substantial top prize in the world of IMCA Stock Cars. The race is once again sponsored by Hammond Farm and Greenhouse of Shawano.

Mike and Nancy Hammond are both big-time supporters of local racing. I can recall seeing Mike at the races each week as far back as I can remember. This race is certain to bring in some additional talent to the already impressive talent on display weekly.

This year, Travis Van Straten has once again been the man to beat. Van Straten is the defending national champion, as well as the two-time defending track champion. Among track regulars look for the likes of Dan Michonski, Mike Schmidt and Rod Snellenberger with favorable odds to win this race.

Another former track champion, Nate Michonski, may be back on the track soon also.

As far as what other racers might attempt to take the money, it’s anyone’s guess.

The following Saturday night, it will be the IMCA Modifieds division racing for big money. The Shawano Speedway will host the third leg of the Cheesehead Triple Crown. The 141 Speedway will host the first leg, with a two-night $10,000 show on Wednesday and Thursday. The next night, the traveling circus will move to the Oshkosh Speedzone and will pay the winner of the race $5,000. The show at Shawano will also pay the winner of the IMCA Modifieds feature $5,000.

The race, sponsored by Lusier Well Drilling, will feature many of the top modifieds drivers in the nation. Northeast Wisconsin has been a hotbed of modifieds standouts for many years.

The likes of Benji LaCrosse, Brian Mullen, Mike Mashl, Mike Mullen, Julie McDermid, Marcus Yarie, Jeremy Christians and Jerry Wilinski, among others, have shown throughout the years that they could compete with anyone. In years past, Wisconsinites had to travel out of state to run in the big shows. The Cheesehead Triple Crown will bring the best to our turf.

Arkansas racer Jeff Taylor, Iowa’s Darrin Duffy and Minnesota’s Dale Mathison will be among the national talent planning to run the series. Look for more drivers to make announcements in the coming weeks. Both of these events are not to be missed.

Make your plans now. See you at the speedway.

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

Shawano shut out in sectional semifinalBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Shawano Community High School junior Colleen McFarlane chases down a ball from Seymour’s Alyssa Wendorff. Wendorff recorded a hat trick as the Thunder defeated Shawano, 5-0, in a WIAA Division 3 sectional semifinal Thursday.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Shawano Community High School senior Teagan Monfils tries to defend a pass late in the Hawks’ 5-0 loss to Seymour in a WIAA Division 3 sectional semifinal Thursday.

Seymour tallied three goals, all on breakaways, in a 17-minute stretch of the first half en route to a 5-0 victory over Shawano in a WIAA Division 3 sectional semifinal Thursday.

“We were playing a better team,” Shawano head coach Bob Croschere said. “We made mistakes, and they took advantage of it. That’s just the way it works out some days.”

Trailing 3-0, the Hawks put together a strong comeback effort in the second half but couldn’t find the back of the net. An open Megan Klitzke could not finish a Sarah Dickmann cross in the box, for example, and Dickmann’s a long-range shot hit off the crossbar.

“Most of this year has been the same story,” Croschere said. “We could have done this. We should have done that. This is how our season ends, where again, we’re in a position, we could have done this.”

After the Hawks and Thunder played even for the opening 13 minutes, a shot by Seymour junior Sophie Skenandore deflected off Shawano goalkeeper Carlie Hinnefeld, who was rushing out of the net, for the game’s first goal.

In the 22nd minute, Kyla Ryan received a cross from just past midfield, settled the ball and shot past Hinnefeld. In the 31st minute, Alyssa Wendorff got past the Shawano defense for the first of her three goals.

“If you don’t score, they can come back and hurt you, so that was big, getting those three goals — boom, boom, boom,” New London head coach Todd Messner said. “That was pretty key.”

Wendorff put two goals into the back of the net in the final two minutes of the game to seal the win.

Croschere said fatigue could have played into Thursday’s loss. Shawano needed overtime to win both of its previous playoff games, pulling out a 4-3 victory in New London and a 3-3 (3-2) shootout victory over Mosinee.

Seymour had four full days off between the regional title and sectional semifinal, while the Hawks had two.

“It kind of showed defensively for them, and offensively, they took advantage of the things they got, and also shut us down a little bit offensively,” Croschere said.

The Hawks (8-10-2, 4-5-2 Bay Conference) and Thunder (11-3-6, 5-1-3 Bay) met twice in the regular season. The first game, on April 26, end in a 2-2 draw, and Shawano won the rematch, 5-0, on May 19.

The Shawano offense, which averaged over four goals per game, took eight shots in 90 minutes Thursday.

“If you make a mistake, they are ready to capitalize,” Messner said. “We were pretty focused in on that, and I didn’t have to try to pump them up much, so they seemed ready.”

Hinnefeld had 43 combined saves in the first two meetings and added 17 more Thursday.

With the victory, New London will face Osceola (14-2-3, 10-2-3 Middle Border Conference) at 3 p.m. Saturday in Rice Lake for a berth in the state tourney. Osceola defeated Ashland (17-7-1, 10-3-1 Great Northern Conference), 1-0, Thursday.

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Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Christian Laettner concludes his middle-school camp Thursday in Shawano by discussing the major points he wants the athletes to take away from his three-day camp.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Campers at the Christian Laettner Basketball Academy scrimmage to work on various skills taught at the camp. Thursday was the final day for the boys camp; the girls camp begins Friday.

Former Duke University standout Christian Laettner brought his basketball camp to Shawano for the second time in nine months this week.

From Tuesday through Thursday, the Christian Laettner Basketball Academy worked on basic skills with boys in various age groups. The girls camps will take place on Friday.

About 160 area athletes signed up to participate in the camps, which are open to parents and coaches who want to watch the various drills.

The camp for third- through fifth-grade girls will run from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Friday. The middle-school camp will run from 12-2 p.m. The high-school camp will run from 2:30-4:30 p.m.

All of the sessions are being held in the Shawano Community High School gymnasium.

Campers can register up to the beginning of each camp.

Discussions have already begun to bring the camp back to the area in October, organizers said.

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Shawano 6

Bonduel 3

Shawano’s Nate Laude picked up the victory at home Thursday in the opening game of the Fox River Valley American Legion Baseball League season for both teams.

Tasa Grignon picked up the save for Shawano.

Bonduel starting pitcher Trevor Pedersen took the loss.

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By: 

Gary Seymour, [email protected]

One of the perceptions of last year’s Green Bay Packers is that the team never got untracked after losing its best wide receiver.

How that perception translated to reality became clear as the season wore on. When Jordy Nelson went out with an ACL injury in a preseason game, a chain-reaction was triggered throughout the offense that resulted in the Packers’ falling from the NFL’s top-scoring team in 2014 to No. 15 last year. They also dropped from No. 6 in total yards gained per game to No. 23.

Equally grim was their plummet from the league’s third-best percentage in converting third downs, to fifth-worst.

A universal reality around the NFL is that the team that stays healthy will have the better shot come playoff time. Nelson, whose recovery from ACL surgery was considered excellent, says he feels good enough to play in a game next Sunday, were there one scheduled.

The Packers, to their credit, are insisting on limiting even Nelson’s non-contact workouts until training camp begins next month.

They will need the full wide receiver crew on hand to make a run at the Super Bowl. That group also includes Randall Cobb, who made news last week in saying that he will never again agree to be “mic’d-up” for another game, this after having suffered an injury in the Packers’ divisional-round playoff loss to Arizona last year.

In the final minute of the first quarter of the 26-20 overtime loss to the Cardinals, Cobb had made an outstanding catch for an apparent 51-yard game that would’ve given the Packers first-and-goal on the Arizona 2-yard line.

Offsetting penalties on the play wiped out that long gain, but worse for the Packers was that Cobb left the field for the evening with an injured lung.

Cobb believes that the wiring done on his body to accommodate the microphone he was wearing was the culprit in the lung injury. He says he landed in such a manner that the microphone – or the accompanying battery pack he wore to keep the microphone charged – dug into his lung on the awkward impact.

In any case, he won’t be wearing a microphone during any more games, and thank goodness. What those contrived moments ever brought to the viewing audience in terms of “reality” was dubious from the start.

In reality, a player may have to prepare more than normal for a game in which he’s “mic’d-up,” in terms of sorting out what kind of cool things he might say– within FCC guidelines, of course – to what degree he might instigate any trash talk, to whom it would be directed, etc.

All of this is done, supposedly, to create for the fans the actual, on-the-field game experience – as if the very notion of one of the players being heard by viewers at home doesn’t dramatically alter the calculus of “swag” interplay.

The only way to create the “realism” they seek in that regard would be to hook up a player without his knowing it. Only then would you get to hear what you’re not supposed to be hearing when the 22 guys on the field are carrying out the usual business of trying to beat each other’s brains in.

Talk around the league turned from Cobb’s individual experience to the greater question of whether there is any merit for a player to continue this “realism” charade by wearing a microphone during a game.

The answer is no. It was scarcely worth the effort before the injury factor was raised. Now, only the negligent – or the megalomaniacs whose posts on social media just aren’t enough food for the id – would agree to go “mic’d-up.”

There are enough cameras and microphones everywhere today as it is. A few less on the football field is no great loss to humanity, or to the game.

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

Contributed Photo Participants prepare for last year’s inaugural Paddle and Pedal event on the Wolf River. This year’s event, put on by Shawano Pathways and Mountain Bay Outfitters, will take place June 25.

For the second consecutive year, Shawano Pathways and Mountain Bay Outfitters will bring a biking and kayaking event to the community.

The Wolf River Paddle and Pedal will take place on June 25.

Participants can paddle their canoe or kayak down the Wolf River, from Lieg Avenue in Shawano to County Road CCC, just north of the Navarino State Wildlife Area, a section that is all flat water, through natural areas, and usually takes about two hours to complete.

From there, the participants can pedal their bike on an 8-, 12- or 22-mile route back to Mountain Bay Outfitters, 620 S. Main St. The boats will be shuttled back to the store.

For those interested in adding a run/walk to the course, 1- and 4-mile routes are available.

From 7:15-8:45 a.m., participants can drop off bicycles at the CCC boat landing and canoes or kayaks at the Judd Park boat landing. They are asked to check in at Mountain Bay Outfitters by 9 a.m., and then can walk or take a shuttle to Judd Park. The group launch will occur at 9:15 a.m.

The cost of registration is $15 per person. For Shawano Pathways members or those renting equipment from Mountain Bay, it is $10 per person.

Equipment rental cost are $20 for a bike, $30 for a kayak and $40 for a canoe. T-shirts are also available; $9 for cotton shirts and $14 for cool tech shirts.

Organizers ask that T-shirts and equipment be ordered at least seven days in advance. To register, call Tim Conradt at Mountain Bay Outfitters at 715-526-8823.

The registration fee covers the cost of shuttling boats back to Shawano, bike security, emergency vehicle, water, maps and snacks. Remaining funds go to Shawano Pathways to support new and improved biking and walking trails.

Walks-ins are welcome the day of the event, but rental equipment might not be available.

Basic kayak instructions and yoga will be available from 8:30-9 a.m. at Judd Park.

Mountain Bay Outfitters will host a brat fry throughout the day.

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Coach appreciates time in ShawanoBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

BRIAN BEYER

Former Shawano tennis coach Brian Beyer, who spent one year in the school district coaching both the boys and girls teams over the 2015-16 season, has resigned from his coaching positions as well as his fifth-grade teaching position at Olga Brener Intermediate School, effective June 3.

The boys tennis team had seven first-year players on its roster and managed to take third place in the Bay Conference. Over the course of the season, Beyer said he was able to see improvements, especially in the No. 2 (Carter Peplinski/Ceasar Ramirez) and No. 3 (Chris Black/Donald Chen) doubles teams, both of which placed third at the conference meet.

“These guys came out to practice every day and enjoyed practice. It’s something that’s contagious,” Beyer said. “They wanted to get better. They wanted to be out here and have fun.”

The fall he spent with the girls tennis team will also follow Beyer wherever he goes next, he said.

“What you mostly remember is the time you spent with them and even as something as simple as going out to dinner after a weekend meet,” Beyer said. “Those are the things you always remember how you felt about a group, and I always felt respected and appreciated when I worked with the girls.”

Beyer, who completed his sixth year as a varsity tennis head coach, believes he might be back coaching as soon as next fall, if he’s able to find a position that suits him.

“My goal is to figure out what I want to do professionally and keep tennis a part of my life,” Beyer said.

With a few more years in Shawano, Beyer believes he could have turned the Shawano tennis program into conference contenders.

It also bodes well for the future coach, as Beyer said the the teams both competed in every single match at the end of the season, not letting the opposition dominate them.

“I think both the girls and the boys teams are poised to compete for conference titles next year,” Beyer said. “We have some good competition in our conference, but I really felt like we could have turned this into a winning, championship program, just given a little more time.”

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Hawks hit 3 of 4 PKs to clinch 1st regional titleBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Shawano Community High School junior Carlie Hinnefeld dives for a save on a shot from Mosinee’s Michelle Weinberg in a WIAA Division 3 regional championship match Monday at Mosinee. Shawano won 3-3 (3-2).
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale The Shawano Community High School soccer team poses with its WIAA Division 3 regional title plaque after defeating Mosinee 3-3 (3-2).

After making a game-saving diving save to her left with just five minutes remaining in extra time Monday, Shawano goalkeeper Carlie Hinnefeld knew the pressure was on her to make saves in the shootout.

She got the biggest save of the game to end the contest, as the Hawks won the penalty shootout, 3-2, after the WIAA Division 3 regional championship match with Mosinee went into overtime at 3-3.

Hinnefeld, who recorded 13 saves, wasn’t going to let the penalty kicks get into her head.

“I knew that when I got to the bench, everybody was going to be like, ‘Carlie, you’ve got this.’ And I didn’t want that,” Hinnefeld said. “I just wanted them to leave me alone so I could focus. So, I was like, nobody talk to me. I’m just going to try to stay in the zone here.”

Mosinee started the shootout with a miss over the crossbar, but goalkeeper Claire Nievinski kept Mosinee in the match with a save against Morgan Klitzk.

Devon Youles got Mosinee’s first penalty scorewith a shot to the right, but Colleen McFarlane answered for the Hawks.

The Indians’ next shot sailed wide, and Megan Klitzke sunk hers to give the Hawks the 2-1 advantage.

Mosinee’s Kate Gulan tied the match again, but senior Sarah Dickmann put Shawano ahead, 3-2.

Hinnefeld dove to her left to save Mosinee’s final attempt, by Michelle Weinberg, to give Shawano to its first regional title in the history of the program.

Weinberg almost tricked Hinnefeld into diving to the wrong side.

“She looked at the right post, so I was like, ‘She’s probably going to the right, so I took a little step over.’ And I was like, ‘Crap, so I just like fell, and I got it,’” Hinnefeld said.

Hinnefeld didn’t realize she had won the game until the team rushed toward her as she stood in the box.

“I wasn’t keeping track of the PKs in my head,” Hinnefeld said. “Everyone’s cheering, and everyone ran at me, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, we won.’

For the second consecutive game in the tourney, Shawano got on the board first. On a Dickmann corner kick, the ball bounced through the Mosinee defense to senior Teagan Monfils, who possessed the ball and calmly put it past Nievinski in the 16th minute.

The Indians (16-3-3, 9-2-1 Great Northern Conference) countered just three minutes later when a Shawano clearance went off a Mosinee player for a breakaway. Mosinee scored again in the 21st minute to take its first lead of the game, 2-1.

But Megan Klitzke equalized the game in the 22nd minute, scoring on a pass from Dickmann.

In the 35th minute, Dickmann took a deep shot, from about 25 yards out, that floated over the outstretched arms of Nievinski for the 3-2 lead.

Mosinee tried to make an defensive adjustment on Dickmann after her role in the first three goals.

“We felt (Dickmann) was going to be damaging us,” Mosinee head coach Pat Youles said. “We played a little closer to that.”

The final goal of regular time came in the 43rd minute, when Mosinee junior Madison Hromek put a rebound into the back of the net after Weinberg’s shot was saved by Hinnefeld.

The second half included many chances for both sides, but neither team was able to score.

“We played our game all day,” Shawano head coach Bob Croschere said.

Shawano had six shots directly at Nievinski in the second half and extra time.

Hinnefeld ran out to make a sliding save late in the second half and did the same in the 105th minute to keep the game tied.

Shawano (8-9-2, 4-5-2 Bay Conference) will head to Seymour (10-3-6, 5-3-1 Bay) for the sectional semifinal at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. In their regular season matches, the Hawks drew with the Thunder 2-2 in the first meeting on April 26 and fell 5-0 on May 19.

With four consecutive wins under their belt, the Hawks know what they need to do.

“Got another game to win, I guess,” Hinnefeld said.

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Gresham ends season 1 game away from stateBy: 

Chris Caporale, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Gresham Community School junior Neal Cerveny tags out Rib Lake’s Dalton Strebig attempting to steal second base in Gresham’s 11-1 loss in a WIAA Division 4 sectional final Tuesday in Rosholt.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Gresham Community School junior Derek Bowman fields a ground ball early in the Wildcats’ 6-2 victory over Niagara in a WIAA Division 4 sectional semifinal Tuesday in Rosholt.

Gresham’s run through the WIAA Division 4 baseball playoffs finally came to an end Tuesday night.

The Wildcats, after winning the sectional semifinal contest against Niagara, 6-2, earlier in the day, fell to Rib Lake, 11-1, in six innings in Rosholt.

Gresham (16-6, 13-5 Central Wisconsin Conference-10) finished the season one win away from advancing to state for the first time since 1961.

“We’re playing with 10 kids, and no excuses, but that presents challenges in and of itself,” Gresham coach Scott Cerveny said. “So really proud of the kids. It really was a great season. To go 16-6 on the season and make it to the sectional finals, that’s awesome.”

The Wildcats managed three hits off winning pitcher Jerod Arkola, but many hard-hit balls, including two in the first inning, were right at the defense.

“The kids did a pretty nice job, just happened to be hitting right at them,” Cerveny said.

Arkola struck out three batters and walked one.

“You’ve got to step out of the box for a little bit to take him out of his rhythm,” Cerveny said. “Hopefully it’s little things like that that the kids have to learn and understand.

“We talk about it, but sometimes, they get in that box and they want to stay in that box and get a hit. It’s part of maturing as a hitter, too.”

Rib Lake opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the third on back-to-back RBI singles by Dalton Strebig and Noah Weinke.

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the third, Gresham scored its only run on a wild pitch with the bases loaded.

In the fourth inning, one batter after Austin Ewan drove in a run for a 3-1 lead, Rib Lake senior Austin Zondlo ripped a shot to center field. When center fielder Derek Bowman slipped on the grass, the ball fell, and two Redmen crossed the plate.

“It’s not his fault, but things happen out there,” Cerveny said. “That’s the game, you’ve got to field the ball, you’ve got to make the play on the ball.”

Arkola held the Wildcats scoreless for the next three frames.

The Redmen then put up six runs on five hits, two hit batters and two walks in the top of the sixth inning.

Gresham, which had only two seniors — third baseman Beau Hoffman and outfielder Dustin Tomason — on the roster, could not post a run in the bottom of the sixth, giving the Redmen (15-4, 8-2 Marawood-North) the trip to state.

Drew Haffner took the loss for the Wildcats, allowing nine runs over 5 1/3 innings. He gave up 15 hits while striking out one batter and walking three and hitting another.

Second baseman Nathanial Juga had two hits to lead with Wildcats, while Legacy Skenandore had the other hit.

Sophomore catcher Todd Otradovec threw out two Rib Lake players attempting to steal second base, ending the first inning with his throw, as well as keeping the Redmen off the board in the fifth inning.

The story was different in the first game of the day, when the Wildcats posted runs in four different innings against Niagara pitcher Hunter Kaldor.

Gresham’s fifth and sixth batters, Hoffman and Otradovec, did the most of the damage, pushing across five of the team’s six runs. Hoffman and Ray Creapeau each had two hits.

Haffner also scored in the third inning on a wild pitch.

The Wildcats allowed two runs on three hits and two errors with Bowman on the mound. He finished with seven strikeouts and four walks.

Bowman walked two batters and hit another in the third inning but settled down to pitch four more scoreless innings against Niagara (14-7, 7-5 Marinette & Oconto Conference).

“I’m glad he regathered himself, but they never should have scored on us,” Cerveny said. “Good enough to win the game.”

“I thought (Kaldor) threw better than Rib Lake’s pitcher did,” It just happens they didn’t find the holes,” Cerveny said. “It comes down to that. They didn’t find the holes out there.”

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E

Rib Lake 0 0 2 3 0 6 11 15 2

Gresham 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 0

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Gresham 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 6 7 1

Niagara 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 2

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