Sports
RIPON
RECAP RiponPress.com Sports Poll
Last week’s sports question on RiponPress. com asked readers what the Badgers men’s basketball team should do with its head coaching position at the end of the season. Here are the results: ‰ Let Greg Gard continue what Bo Ryan built 17% ‰ Search for a coach with a different philosophy 17% ‰ Let’s see what Greg Gard does this season and then decide 67% This week’s question: How will the Green Bay Packers fare in the playoffs? ‰ They will lose in the Wild Card round ‰ They will lose in the Divisional round ‰ They will lose in the NFC Championship game ‰ They will lose in the Super Bowl ‰ They will win in the Super Bowl To vote, log on to www. riponpress.com and click on Sports. The poll is located on the right side of the page. Poll results will be published in the following week’s Commonwealth.
SPOTLIGHT Athlete of 2015
Thursday, December 31, 2015 - Page 15
Tigers hit rough patch in loss to Marshall by Jonathan Bailey jonathanb@riponprinters.com
A 13-2 run by Marshall to close the first half was too much for the Ripon High School boys’ basketball team to overcome Tuesday as it fell to the Cardinals 56-44. The Tigers were tied with Marshall, which was ranked No. 1 in Division 3 to begin the season, at 13 with six minutes remaining in the opening half before the run started. The game was part of the 11thannual Rick Majerus Wisconsin
Basketball Yearbook Shootout, gles were a result of both poor shot which took place at Concordia selection and shots not falling. “ We g o t a University in little anxious, Mequon, Wis. “I thought thought we played I think, as we weren’t scoring, we played pretty decent defense so we pressed a pretty decent defense during during that stretch, but they little bit,” Dean Vander Plas said. the stretch, but hit a couple shots ...” “But we had a they hit a couple Dean Vander Plas couple pointshots and I think we scored two Ripon boys’ basketball coach blank shots from guys on great acpoints in our last seven minutes,” Ripon head coach tions that we missed. So it was definitely a combination of both.” Dean Vander Plas said. The Tigers (6-3 overall), who He added the offensive strug-
“I
were playing without star junior Luke Loewe for the fourth-straight game due to a foot injury, scored the first five points of the second half to cut the deficit to six. Marshall (5-2 overall), however, responded with six-straight points of its own to stretch the lead out to 12 and were up by 11 at 38-27 with 11 minutes remaining in the game. But as Ripon has done in its last four games, it didn’t give up as it rallied back to within five at 45-40 on Marshall Morrin’s 3-pointer with 3 minutes, 40 seconds left. That was as close as the Tigers
Flipping back through 2015 Feb 4 & 7 Two join 1,000-point club KYLE Loughrin, left, and Ty Sabin, far right, become the 29th and 30th players in the Ripon College men’s basketball team’s history to score 1,000 points. The feat happened in back-to-back games.
Feb 14
Grapplers win regional title
THE RIPON HIGH School wrestling team celebrates its first regional title since 2008, defeating Omro 218-206. It wound up losing to Wittenberg-Birnamwood 45-24 in team sectionals.
Feb 20
Feb 28
New football coach hired
Coaching icon passes away
R O N E L L Hubanks, right, is presented a shirt by Todd Elliott after he was hired to replace Mike Yoder as the Tigers head football coach. The Tigers made strides, but finished 1-8 in his first season.
‰ Tiger grapplers in top 10
of the field after first day of see page 16 OTW Classic ‰ Local hunters fare well in recent deer hunting seasons with big bucks see page 19
BY THE
NUMBERS 13
The number of memorable sports moments from 2015 recapped in the Sports Year in Review. Do you have any other moments that you would like to mention? Or would you like to comment on something you read here? Do so at RiponPress.com. Just click on “Sports” from the home page. Comments may be left for every article.
GORDIE GILLESPIE passes away at the age of 88 at his home in Joliet, Ill. Gordie, the father of long-time Ripon College basketball and baseball coach Bob Gillespie and grandfather of former Ripon Tiger and Red Hawk Scott Gillespie, was the winningest college baseball coach upon his retirement. He coached in Ripon for 10 years of his storied career.
See page 17 for more highlights
Jonathan Bailey graphic
INSIDE
SPORTS
See HIT/ page 22
RC women win pair of close games in California by Jonathan Bailey jonathanb@riponprinters.com
The Ripon College women’s basketball team has shown a knack for winning close games this season. It was on display again this week in Whittier, Calif. The Red Hawks won a pair of tightly contested games at the Purple & Gold Poet Classic. They defeated host Whittier 58-54 Monday and Concordia University Chicago 59-57 Tuesday. With the victories, Ripon improves to 7-3 this season. The seven wins more than triple their win total of two from he team last year. “ I t ’s is gaining nice to get w i n s o n more confidence t h e r o a d , in finishing close especially games. It’s an in a different region important charaagainst a cteristic to taking d i f f e r e n t the next step as a style of play,” Ri- program.” pon head Lauren Johnson coach Lau- RC basketball coach ren Johnson said, adding her team did a great job finishing with defensive stops. “The team is gaining more confidence in finishing close games. It’s an important characteristic to taking the next step as a program.” Against Whittier (2-6 overall), the Red Hawks fell behind early as they were out-scored by the Poets 18-13 in the first quarter. However, they rallied to win the second quarter 22-9 and never relinquished the lead after that. The Poets did cut the deficit to two points on a couple occasions in the fourth quarter, including with 15 seconds left, but couldn’t get any closer as Ripon native Maddie Koster sunk two free throws with three seconds left. Making the win even more impressive was the fact Ripon
“T
Michael Polcyn The Ripon native swung a big bat this past spring, helping the Ripon College Red Hawk baseball team reach the NCAA Regional Tournament. Polcyn led the Red Hawks in batting average (.380), home runs (13), total bases (106), walks (27), runs scored (44), slugging percentage (.746), and on-base percentage (.476). He also finished second on the team in RBIs (40) and third in doubles (11). As a result of his performance, Polcyn was selected to the D3baseball.com All-American Team as an honorable mention, American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-American Second Team and ABCA All-Region First Team. He used that success to sign a minor league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals’ rookie-league affiliate, becoming just the second Ripon native to do so.
got as the Cardinals made enough shots and their free throws down the stretch to seal the victory. Despite Ripon coming up short, Dean Vander Plas was proud of his team’s willingness to battle. “This group has a lot of fight,” he said. “We figured out a way to get stops. A couple guys made just great offensive cuts and we rewarded them; shared the ball pretty well in that stretch. It was just good team basketball. When we play like that we get some energy going and
See PAIR/ page 18
Catching up with former Tiger Taylor Wurtz by Jonathan Bailey
took some time for “Q&A” with The Ripon Commonwealth Press. Q. What are you up to? Taylor Wurtz made a name A. Currently, I’m playing out for herself on the in Sweden for a hardwood with the city called “OsterRipon Tigers and sund.” Mostly we Wisconsin Badgers stay in Sweden. We women’s basketball play teams around team. the country. The Her success country is actually and passion for pretty big ... We the game has not had our training stopped there. camp out in LithuThe Ripon High ania this year. School all-time Q. What is the leading scorer biggest difference has continued her Taylor Wurtz in playing basbasketball career ketball overseas professionally overseas, where versus in the states? she has picked up from where A. In terms of the game, the she left off in the states. biggest difference would be the Home for the holidays, Wurtz speed of it. Basketball is a lot jonathanb@riponprinters.com
more up-tempo there ... And they shoot a lot of 3-[pointer]s. It’s a lot of draw and kick. The games are high scoring. Q. How would you assess your game compared to those you are playing against? A. Currently our team is undefeated, so I have a really good team. But in terms of level of play, I’m probably one of the better players out on the court
See WURTZ/ page 16 FORMER RIPON Tiger Taylor Wurtz dribbles the ball toward the basket during a game this season in Sweden. She is playing overseas for Ostersund, which currently is undefeated. submitted photo
Thursday, December 31, 2015 - Page 17
Sports
More highlights from 2015
continued from page 15
March 7
April 14
May 9
Back-to-back champs!
Shohoney aces hole
Hawks win 21st MWC title
BROCK Moldenhauer hoists the Ripon Tiger boys’ basketball team’s second regional title in two years. The Tigers defeated Laconia 77-61 for the title. They ended up losing to Poynette in the sectional semifinals.
REED SHOHONEY, right, records Ripon’s first holein-one in at least 22 years on the par-3 third hole at Waupaca Country Club. According to assistant coach Tr a c y O ’ B r i e n , Shohoney used a four iron and didn’t see it go in.
THE RIPON COLLEGE baseball team wins its 21st Midwest Conference title with an 8-0 win over Cornell. It later upset defending champ UW-Whitewater in regionals, before dropping two tightly contested games to end its season.
June 6
June 12
June 13
Long, Baker reach podium
Polcyn signs with Cards
Laconia captures state title
EVAN LONG and Addie Baker race their way to fourth-place finishes at the state track and field meet. Long finished fourth in the 400-meter dash, while Baker did the same in the 300 hurdles. Long also placed sixth in the 200 and ninth in the 100 dash.
FORMER RIPON Red Hawk and Tiger Michael Polcyn signs a freeagent deal with the St. Louis Cardinals’ rookie league affiliate. Just the second Ripon native to sign a deal to play in the minor leagues. Dan Konecny was the first, Polcyn retired from pro baseball 12 days later.
THE LACONIA HIGH School softball team rides back into Rosendale on a fire truck after winning the program’s first state title. It defeated Poynette 2-1 for the Division 3 state championship, one year after falling to Arcadia in the finals 1-0.
Aug 9
Oct 17
Nov 14
All-stars at Miller Park
Harriers win ECC crown
Ernst breaks wins record
KEITH CLUPPERT, left, and Alex Goyette represent the Ripon American Legion baseball team in the all-star game at Miller Park. Cluppert coached the North team, while Goyette was 2 for 2 at the plate.
www.becksmeatprocessing.com
519 Clairville Rd. Oshkosh, WI 54904 920-589-2104 1003 N. Main St. Oshkosh, WI 54904 920-230-3393
Boneless Ribeye Steaks ......................................... $8.49 lb. Boneless Prime Rib Roast ..................................... $8.49 lb. Bone-in Standing Rib Roast .................................. $7.69 lb. Whole Beef Tenderloins - Cut Free! ...................... $7.49 lb. Beef Tenderloin Fillets ............................................. $8.49 lb. Herring In Wine Sauce ............................................ $3.99 lb. Cold Water Lobster Tails ....................................... $20.99 lb. Ho-made Summer Sausage (Regular or Garlic) ......... $3.99 lb. Cooked Shrimp 41-50 ct .......................................... $7.99 lb. 26-30 ct........................................... $9.99 lb.
Have a Happy New Year! We will be open New Years Eve Day from 8:00 AM Til 3:00 PM & Closed New Years Day
THE RIPON boys’ cross countr y team lays by the East Central Conference title it won — its first championship since 2007. Seth Zimdars, front, qualified for state a week later and finished 53rd out of 150 runners.
Want Terrific Heating Service? Call the Rheem Team®. We deliver heating service you can count
on. We’ll be there on time. In uniform and wearing photo ID. We do the job right at a fair price. Call us for the best in customer care.
Brewer Heating, Inc. 920-748-6494
RON ERNST raises the game ball he received after becoming the Midwest C o n f e r e n c e ’s winningest coach with a 27-7 victory over Lake Forest. The win, his 160th, surpasses former Cornell coach Jerry Clark.
If a deer runs into you, call us!
We have 24 Hour Towing 920-229-1051 and we have switched to Water-based Paint (Solvent Free) Great for the environment & great for your vehicle!
• Estimates • Loaners
Central Wisconsin - Fox River Valley
All makes & models! Insurance Approved
Prices good thru 1/2/2016 Monday thru Friday 8:00-4:30 Sat 8:00-12:00 Closed Sundays
t1-888-Rheem Team • www.brewer.rheemteam.net WE SERVICE ALL BRANDS
Auto Body
CALL Dean!
1036 W. Fond du Lac, Ripon 920-748-7777 or 888-732-8065
dean.homan@yahoo.com www.homanford.com Auto Body & Service Hours: Mon. thru Fri. 8-5
Thursday, December 3, 2015 - Page 17
Sports
RIPON
RECAP
Tigers waste no time handling Laconia by Jonathan Bailey
RiponPress.com Sports Poll
jonathanb@riponprinters.com
Last week’s sports question on RiponPress.com asked readers where the Ripon High School boys’ basketball team will finish in the East Central Conference. Here are the results: ‰ First place — conference champs! 57% ‰ Second or third place 20% ‰ Fourth or fifth place 5% ‰ In the bottom three 18% This week’s question: Where will the Ripon High School wrestling team finish in the East Central Conference? ‰ First place — conference champs! ‰ Second or third place ‰ Fourth or fifth place ‰ In the bottom three To vote, log on to www. riponpress.com and click on Sports. The poll is located on the right side of the page. Poll results will be published in the following week’s Commonwealth.
LUKE LOEWE MEASURES up a shot in the first half of Ripon’s 85-25 victory over Lomira. Jonathan Bailey photo
Kaden Keenlance 106 pounds
Keegan Nordvold Cody Jacobson 285 pounds 285 pounds
Bradley Gabrielski 106 pounds
by Jonathan Bailey Zach Beck 113 pounds
jonathanb@riponprinters.com
The Ripon High School wrestling team accomplished a feat last season that it hadn’t done since 2008: win a regional championship. Now, with more experience, it is determined to take the next step and advance to the state tournament.
2015-16 Season Preview The Ripon High School boys’ head basketball coach won his 250th game Tuesday night when his Tigers shellacked the Laconia Spartans 76-47 in Rosendale. Vander Plas, who is in his 20th season with Ripon, moves to within 41 victories of Jim Seidl (1943-61, 196379) for the most all-time wins in school history. His teams will need to average 22 wins a season for the next two years to break the record by the end of the 2016-17 season — a feat that is possible as the Tigers have won 21 games in each of their last two campaigns. In his 19-plus years at Ripon, Vander Plas has a record of 250-193 for a winning percentage of .653. His teams have won four conference titles, posted a postseason mark of 30-19 and qualified for the state tournament once (2002).
whom were newcomers, and return seven all-conference wrestlers. “Regional and conference titles are definitely on the radar,” said Ripon head coach Jared Esala, who is entering his fourth season at the helm. “We won regionals last year, and it would be great to improve
upon last year’s performance.” One area the Tigers have grown since last season is their maturity, which Esala views as the biggest difference from a year ago. “We have a team that understands how to perform well and perform in high-pressure situations,” the Tiger coach said. “We need to thrive in those high-pres-
sure situations. We need to be comfortable being uncomfortable.” Another aspect that has stood out to Esala so far this season is the wrestlers’ grasp of the basics. “With only a couple weeks of practice so far, we have really been working on the fundamentals of our system,” he said. “I believe many of our athletes are bored go-
Brandon Kuphal 138 pounds
Nick Retzlaff 145/152 pounds
Cody Mundell 152 pounds
The Tigers graduated just three Ian Schraufnagel seniors from last year, two of 120/126 pounds
Ryan Cody 126/132 pounds
Wilson Agamaite 138 pounds
NICK RETZLAFF, RIGHT, grapples with a teammate during the first day of practice. Retzlaff is one of six seniors on this year’s Tiger squad. Jonathan Bailey photo
Teagan Foth 145 pounds
Former Tigers collide
Joey Kain 145 pounds
Austin Lammers 160 pounds
ing over our fundamentals. That’s a good thing. I know that they already have an understanding of Ryan Socha our system. They know it because 220 pounds they have gone over it many times before. Soon we will be able to expand with our technique and conditioning.” The Tigers also have plenty of leaders this season, due in part to having six seniors on the team and Tucker Bender a couple of accomplished juniors. 220 pounds Among the seniors are Ian Schraufnagel (120/126-pound weight class), Nick Retzlaff (145/152), Cody Mundell (152), Brady Kuphal (160/170), T.J. Beck (182/195) and Ryan Socha (220). Everyone but Mundell, who came to Ripon prior to last season, T.J. Beck has been on the team all four years. 182/195 pounds “We have leadership,” Esala said. “That leadership has helped lay the groundwork for the team’s work ethic ... Our upperclassmen have expectations for practice and competitions that our younger
See HUNGRY/ page 19 Jonathan Ellis 182 pounds
Brady Kuphal 160/170 pounds
Hut Amend 170 pounds
Leo Rivera 170 pounds
Ripon girls rally to force OT, defeat Kewaskum 63-60 by Jonathan Bailey
INSIDE
jonathanb@riponprinters.com
SPORTS
One week after blowing an 11-point lead in a loss to North Fond du Lac, the Ripon High School girls’ basketball team turned the tables Tuesday night. Trailing Kewaskum by 11 points with eight minutes left — and, later, by eight points with three minutes remaining — the Tigers rallied to force overtime and eventually came away with a 63-60 win. The victory in Kewaskum improves their record to 2-3 overall and 1-0 in the East Central Conference. “It was a great team effort,” Ripon head coach Jason Wickstrom said. “Everybody contributed in so many different ways offensively and defensively and I’m really proud of the girls. They deserved to win that game because they didn’t give up and believed in themselves.” The late deficit was not the only one the Tigers overcame. They also trailed the Indians 13-3 early in the first half, before rallying to close the gap to one at 20-19 entering halftime. In the first half, Ripon struggled with foul trouble and making shots, but received contributions from some unlikely sources. “Karissa Niederkorn, Grace
‰ Red Hawk Ty Sabin earns
spot on D3Hoops.com Team see page 18 of the Week ‰ RC women’s basketball team will hold ‘Ball Girl Camp’ in January see page 18 ‰ Seventh-grade girls’ basketball team nets championship see page 19 ‰ Hunters enjoy success during recent gun-hunting season see page 20
BY THE
NUMBERS 89
The number of points by which the Ripon High School boys’ basketball team won its first two games. It began the year with an 85-25 victory over Lomira last week Saturday and followed it up with a 76-47 romp of Laconia Tuesday. For more on the Tigers and their dominating start, see the story on this page.
See HANDLING/ page 21
Grapplers hungry for more success
Trenton Keplin 113/120 pounds
Dean Vander Plas
when you do that to a team that is missing quite a few shots, I think that bodes well for you.” One of the areas Dean Vander Plas was most pleased with was the defensive effort on Drew Gunnick. The Laconia senior was limited to just 11 points in the contest. “I thought Luke [Loewe] just started on him very, very well,” Dean Vander Plas said. “And then after that, we really put Hunter [Merrill] on him for a large portion of the next 10 minutes and tried to keep people fresh.” While Ripon dominated the first half and the game as a whole, it did struggle a bit in the second half. The Tigers barely out-scored
Ripon’s projected weight classes
LOCAL
SPOTLIGHT
The Ripon High School boys’ basketball team has had some great battles with neighboring Laconia the past couple of seasons. Tuesday was not one of them. Ripon jumped out to a 16-2 advantage a few minutes into the game and led by as many as 37 points late in the second half en route to an easy 76-47 victory over Laconia in Rosendale. “We talked before the game about our desire to raise the level of intensity and come out and just play well from the get-go,” Ripon head coach Dean Vander Plas said. The Tigers did just that as they connected on their first three
3-pointers and added a three-point play by Ben Vander Plas to take early control of the game. According to Dean Vander Plas, Ripon moved the ball well in the contest’s first 10 minutes and took advantage of its opportunities, especially in the transition game. He also was pleased with the defense, which allowed Laconia just two points in the first six minutes. The Spartans also did not score their 10th point until late in the first half and finished the first 18 minutes with just 15 points. “Our half-court defense was solid,” Dean Vander Plas said. “We contested shots. We gave them one shot and we rebounded their misses. They had one offensive rebound in the first half and
MICHAEL POLCYN, RIGHT, is fouled by Kyle Wiggs as he attempts a layup during the first-ever Ripon High School basketball alumni game last week Saturday. For more information and pictures from the game, see page 18. Jonathan Bailey photo
OLIVIA LEWIS RELEASES an underhand shot. Behind her are Jonathan Bailey photo Marissa Bunge, left, and Emma Loewe. Rondorf and Olivia Lewis really ignited us off the bench,” Wickstrom said. “Ava Moldenhauer and Marissa Davis had two fouls and we were trying to rest them.” Kewaskum once again pulled away early in the second half to take the 11-point lead, but the Tigers cranked up the pressure and created turnovers to get back into the game, eventually forcing overtime. “The girls really did a great job of hanging in there and anticipating getting some steals,” Wickstrom said.
In overtime, the Indians made the first basket, but Ripon answered and then won what turned out to be a battle for both teams at the free-throw line. Free throws were a big difference not only in overtime, but for the game. The Tigers finished 19 of 28 from the line, while the Indians made just 11 of their 27 attempts. Another factor was the play of Marissa Bunge and Erin McNeill. The duo combined to scored 37 of Ripon’s 63 points, with Bunge
See RALLY/ page 19
Thursday, December 3, 2015 - Page 19
Sports Ripon girls’ team nets championship
RALLY/Ripon’s defense struggles in 65-49
loss to Lomira; KML up next Friday
continued from page 17
accounting for a game-high 25 and McNeill chipping in with 12. “She really led us back in the second half,” Wickstrom said of Bunge. “Erin McNeill also played a big role. Both of those girls did a lot of their damage in the second half.” RIPON CAN’T STOP LOMIRA IN 65-49 LOSS
THE RIPON SEVENTH grade girls’ basketball team shows off the first-place medals it won at a tournament in Pardeeville, Wis., last month. The Tigers went a perfect 3-0 at the competition, defeating Adams-Friendship 24-8, Princeton/Green Lake 21-17 and Winneconne B Team 37-12. Making up the championship-winning team are, front row, from left, Aubrey Kwakkel; middle row, Cassidy Mader, McKenzie Nodolf, Grace Tobin, Avery Downs; back row, coach Chelsea Moldenhauer, Artesa Elliott, Hadley Neper, Susan Kutz and Lexi Miller. submitted photo
The Tigers had no answer for Lomira’s offense in the first half last week Saturday as they fell behind 36-17 en route to a 65-49 loss. “I don’t think we were pressuring the ball like we should, but from the scouting report, they had some girls that ... didn’t even attempt shots in previous games that hit shots,” Wickstrom said. “They just changed our defense a little. They did a nice job and put us behind.” The Lions were receiving contributions from a lot of different players as 10 of them managed to work their way into the scoring column. Their leading scorer — Natalie Geiger — scored just 14 points. Ripon did fight back a bit in the second half as it out-scored Lomira 32-29, but never could manage to cut the deficit to single digits. “This team is not going to give up and they’re going to play as hard as they can,” Wickstrom said. “I just think we need to execute a little better. We just kind of hunted our shots more in the second half and were more dedicated to running our offense. We just had some shots fall.” Much like the Lions, the Tigers also received scoring production
AVA MOLDENHAUER SEARCHES for a teammate to pass the ball to in the first half of Ripon’s loss to Lomira. Jonathan Bailey photo from multiple players. Bunge led the way with a gamehigh 16 points, but was complemented with 11 points from Emma Loewe, seven apiece from McNeill and Davis and six from Lewis. “I think we have the ability to do that,” Wickstrom said of the balanced scoring. “I think the thing that we really need to work on moving forward is getting stops and our defense. We were more aggressive with our defense in the second half and it definitely showed, so that’s something I have to be on them more about.” UP NEXT
Ripon will try to build off the
momentum from its win over Kewaskum Friday, when it hosts Kettle Moraine Lutheran. Wickstrom knows it won’t be easy, however, as the Chargers have been to state the last two seasons. “They’re obviously a very good team and they have a rich tradition,” Wickstrom said. “They lost a few girls from last year’s team, but they just reload. They’re coming into the game 1-3, but they’re an extremely good team. They play all Division 1 [schools]. It’s going to take an effort just like this to play with them. We’re going to have to match their intensity.” The game is scheduled to get underway at 7:15 p.m.
HUNGRY/Ripon has three wrestlers who are ranked in the top-10 in Division 2 poll wrestlers are picking up on. We have definitely had a no-nonsense vibe in the practice room.” The seniors are not where the experience and leadership ends. Ripon also has several talented and dedicated wrestlers in its junior class, which includes Zach Beck (113) and Cody Jacobson (285). Beck and Jacobson, along with Socha and Retzlaff, were ranked in the state in their respective weight classes by www.wiwrestling.com. Jacobson, Socha and Retzlaff are ranked to begin this season as they are slotted fourth, seventh and 10th, respectively, in Division 2. While those four have achieved plenty of regular-season success, they haven’t been able to parlay that to the state tournament. Esala is hoping that will change for them, as well as other wrestlers on the team, this season. “There is no denying we are in one of the toughest sectionals in the state,” Esala said. “I believe our individual mind-sets have to change from being happy qualifying for the state tournament to having goals of placing at the top of the podium at the state tournament. It comes down to perspective. I want our athletes to convince themselves that they will perform well in high-level competitions. If an athlete has the goal of winning a state title, there should not be any mental roadblocks at the sectional tournament.” That mentality is one area the Tiger coach noted could improve. “We have a positive attitude on the team right now,” Esala said. “We need to continually look into the future in order to keep the positivity going. We would like to start positive and end the wrestling season with the same positive and winning attitude.”
RENT BASED ON 30% OF INCOME! 1 BR APT AVAILABLE NOW!
• Open to those 62+ or disabled of any age. • Pet friendly for your small dog or cat. • Laundry on site.
FOXBRIDGE A P A R T M E N T S • PRINCETON, WI •
CALL TODAY AT
(285). Esala noted each will have a chance to compete at the varsity level and that wrestle-offs are going to take place today (Wednesday) to determine the lineup. Other wrestlers vying for positions for the Tigers are juniors Bradley Gabrielski (106) and Wilson Agamaite (138), and sophomores, Trenton Keplin (113/120), Ryan Cody (126/132), Austin Lammers (160), Jonathan Ellis (182) and Tucker Bender (220). GOALS AND UPCOMING MEETS
CARRYING TEAMMATES DURING a strength and endurance drill are, from left, Hut Amend, Jonathan Bailey photo Austin Lammers, Brandon Kuphal and T.J. Beck. In addition to having several accomplished wrestlers, Ripon also will welcome several newcomers
to the team. Among them are Kaden Keenlance (106), Brandon Kuphal
G r e e n L a k e M e rc h a n t
Green Lake Flooring Gallery BAV BLAZER AUDIO VIDEO offers a large selection of brand name
Plasma & LCD HD TVs & Electronics Custom installation, security systems, remote starters & more
803 W. Fond du Lac St., Ripon
745-2255 • (920) 428-0084
Egbert
EXCAVATING Inc.
Residential & Commercial
294-6668
Green Lake egbertexc@centurytel.net
Kitchen & Bath Design Showroom
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
Ripon Orchard Hills Apartments 1 BR apartment available now in Ripon! Rent based on 30% of income. Great views, quiet setting, laundry in building. Ask about heat included! Some income restrictions apply.
CALL TODAY 920-748-2796 Horizon Management Group is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Equal Housing Opportunity.
W1740 North St., Suite 200 - Green Lake, WI (920) 294-0385 — www.AllWoodGreenLake.com Open M-F 9 am-5 pm; Sat. 9 am-1 pm; evenings by appt.
“Serving Green Lake and Surrounding Counties”
Residential & Commercial
Todd Weir - Owner ■ MP #227612 Green Lake ■ Fax: 920-294-0151
Office: 920-294-0150 EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
talent to make that happen. We are fairly familiar with many of the teams in the new conference.” Esala added that he believes Kewaskum will be the Tigers’ main competition, but added Campbellsport is traditionally strong and Waupun has given them battles over the past few seasons. “Winning the conference title won’t be an easy feat, but it is definitely attainable,” Esala said. Before getting into conference play Thursday, Dec. 10 against Waupun, the Tigers will have a pair of non-conference competitions. They will travel Saturday to Lomira for an invitational, before hosting Menasha Tuesday night. “We are starting the season with highly competitive competitions,” Esala said. “On Saturday, we will see three other teams that won regional titles last year. Those are the types of teams we need to be competitive with in order to get to the next level. Menasha will bring over a good team on Tuesday, as well.” Saturday’s invitational is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., while Tuesday’s duel is set for 6:30 p.m.
Meet Your
1-920-748-2796
Equal Housing Opportunity
(138), Teagan Foth (145), Joey Kain (152), Hut Amend (170), Leo Rivera (170) and Keegan Nordvold
The Tigers hope the competition within the team will help them reach new heights this season. In addition to wanting to defend the regional championship it won last year, they also would like to win their conference for the first time since the 2006-07 season, when it won its fourth-straight. If Ripon is able to do so, it will be in a new conference as it moved to the East Central from the Eastern Valley at the start of the year. “It would be great to finish at the top in the East Central Conference,” Esala said. “We have the
continued from page 17
E-Mail: Todd@PinnaclePlumbing1.com
With 40 years combined experience under their belts, Green Lake Flooring Gallery owners Nate Mirr and John Voigt consistently please customers with their exceptional craftsmanship. “We take pride in completing the project in a timely and professional manner,” Nate said. “We believe that the referrals of satisfied customers speaks the loudest.” “We're proud to say that a majority of our work comes from return work and/or recommendation from previous customers,” added John. John and Nate have a practiced eye for matching just the right flooring options from wood to tile, tile to carpet, and everything in between. The transition from room to Nathan Mirr, left, and Jon Voigt stand in their room will flow throughout customers’ homes flooring store: Green Lake Flooring Gallery, 536 seamlessly — and affordably. Mill St. in Green Lake. From the beginning of your flooring project to completion, you will feel that you have put your design ideas into very competent hands with the full-service Green Lake Flooring Gallery. Whether you're looking for new or replacement flooring for a home, rental units, commercial area, tenant build-out, offices or restaurant, we have the product that will fulfill your needs. Green Lake Flooring Gallery customers order from people who have lived in the area their whole lives. When customers come in to order carpet, hardwood or vinyl floors, they typically speak with the people who will do the installation, too. Green Lake Flooring Gallery is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. Call 920-294-6471. You’ll be glad you did!
Downtown Green Lake 920.294.6471
Water Softeners
Salt also available Delivery or Pick Up
Buy or Rent!
Best price in town! Call for details:
294-2940
621 Commercial Ave. • Green Lake ©1995 Culligan International Company. Dealers are independently operated.
Downtown Green Lake 920.294.6471
www.greenlakerealestate.com
610 SOUTH ST., GREEN LAKE
920-294-3004
Mechanical Auto Repairs & Body Work
on all makes & models between 1909 - present
W1287 N. Lawson Drive, Green Lake
294-0102
OPEN: Mon. thru Fri. 7-5 • Sat. 8-Noon
Thursday, August 11, 2016 - Page 19
Sports
RIPON
RECAP RiponPress.com Sports Poll
Last week’s sports question on RiponPress.com asked readers which Ripon High School fall sport are they looking forward to the most. ‰ Boys’ soccer 12% ‰ Cross country 16% ‰ Football 56% ‰ Girls’ tennis 4% ‰ Volleyball 12%
Gold or bust
This week’s question: What is your favorite Summer Olympics sport to watch? ‰ Basketball ‰ Gymnastics ‰ Soccer ‰ Swimming ‰ Tennis ‰ Volleyball ‰ Other To vote, log on to www. riponpress.com and click on Sports. The poll is located on the right side of the page. Poll results will be published in the following week’s Commonwealth.
LOCAL
SPOTLIGHT
Team USA schedule
Date Thursday, Sept. 8 Friday, Sept. 9 Saturday, Sept. 10 Sunday, Sept. 11 Monday, Sept. 12 Wednesday, Sept. 14 Thursday, Sept. 15 Saturday Sept. 17
Opponent Time (CDT) Brazil 3:15 a.m. Germany 9:30 a.m. Iran 3:45 p.m. Algeria 6 p.m. Great Britain 3:45 p.m. Quarterfinals TBD Semifinals & TBD 9th/10th-place game 7th/8th-, 5th/6th- TBD bronze & gold games
Games will be webcasted live on www.paralympic.org
Andrew Rodriguez The Ripon Community Swim Club member swam to a second-place finish in the 15-16 age group at the 2016 Wisconsin 13 & Over Long Course State Championships last weekend. He was just four points shy of the first-place total. Rodriguez finished second due in part to winning the 400-meter individual medley, 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley. He also placed second in the 200 butterfly and 200 backstroke and finished fourth in the 100 backstroke. For more on Rodriguez, see the story on page 26.
INSIDE
SPORTS ‰ Ripon’s future racqueteers take to the court for summer see page 20 camp (photos) ‰ RC men’s basketball team recognized for academic see page 22 excellence ‰ Diverse Options midweek golf outing will take place Aug. 26 see page 22 ‰ Rodriguez swims at Long Course State Championships see page 26
BY THE
NUMBERS 4 The number of Ripon College men’s basketball players who were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honor Court. Doing the honors were class of 2016 graduates Ty Ketz and Justin Leistikow and incoming seniors Jordan Stiede and Brendan McCoy. In order to qualify, they had to be an upperclassmen varsity player with at least one year at their current institution and a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher during the academic year. The Red Hawk team also received academic honors. For more, see page 22.
Ripon teacher will represent USA at Paralympic Games by Jonathan Bailey jonathanb@riponprinters.com
ago was to make the team and now we’re here.”
After winning bronze at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, the goal is simple for Nate Hinze as he prepares to embark on the 2016 Rio games. “It’s definitely gold or bust,” the Ripon Middle School physical education teacher said. Hinze will make his second appearance in the Paralympics as a member of the USA wheelchair basketball team next month. The games begin with an opening ceremony Wednesday, Sept. 7 and end with a closing ceremony Sunday, Sept. 18. “I was very excited and also very humbled,” Hinze said of the chance to represent United States. “It’s always an honor to be able to compete for your country. Obviously, the goal we set out to accomplish four years
One of 12 players to earn a spot, Hinze was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his leg as a junior in high school and underwent surgery and chemotherapy. A titanium rod that went from his ankle to his knee replaced the bone that was causing problems. While the procedure allowed Hinze to walk again without assistance, complications prevented him from running and jumping. It didn’t, however, put him on the sidelines as he picked up the sport of wheelchair basketball. After competing collegiately at the University of WisconsinWhitewater, Hinze competed for Team USA and won gold in the ParaPan American Games in 2011 and performed well enough there and in training camps to earn a spot in the 2012 Paralympics in
ROAD TO RIO
ABOVE, NATE HINZE (15) watches as an opposing team’s player attempts a shot. Top, Hinze shoots a layup during warmNational Wheelchair Basketball Association photos ups. for the Team USA tryout in JanuLondon. While he had experience on his ary, Hinze estimates. From there, side, he then had to make the cut the roster was cut to 16 and then to for this year’s squad — which he 12 during the last week of May. didn’t take for granted. He was at a tournament in ToProbably 30 guys showed up ronto when the team was selected.
Ripon netters swing back into practice
“I think you never are 100-percent sure,” Hinze said of making the squad. “I think you always have to put your effort in and play your hardest and play your best. The coach challenges us to make his decision as hard as we can and that’s what you’ve got to set out to do. I wouldn’t say I always thought I was a lock. Just like last time, I just put my best effort forward and hopefully coach sees I’m an asset to the team.” Since the 2012 Paralympics, Hinze had to stay sharp both mentally and physically. That’s easier said than done, he noted. “Living in Oshkosh, there are not a lot of wheelchair basketball players around,” he said. “So ... it’s a lot of lonely and hard training because you’re usually in the gym by
See REPRESENT/ page 21
THE RIPON HIGH School girls’ tennis team swung into action Tuesday afternoon under new leadership as Brent Sanderfoot, the husband of Barlow Park Elementary School Principal Tanya Sanderfoot, took over for co-coaches Ann Brumley and Becki Baird. Tennis becomes the second fall sport to get underway, joining football. The rest of the fall sports — boys’ soccer, cross country and volleyball — will begin Monday, Aug. 15. Pictured left, Nicole Magin prepares to swing at the ball, while teammates, from left, Alaina Salas, Maddie Huseboe, Dayton Coehoorn and Riley Neper watch. Below, Sanderfoot addresses his team. Listening are, from left, volunteer coach Baird, Huseboe, Olivia Reiter, Neper, Salas and Alyssa Schmuhl. Jonathan Bailey photos
Thursday, August 11, 2016 - Page 21
Sports
REPRESENT/Hinze will depart for Rio in late August, start play Sept. 8 yourself, you’re in the weight room by yourself.” Making matters more difficult for Hinze is he sat out 2013 after having knee surgery, which is unrelated to the cancerous tumor he got in his leg as a child. The Ripon teacher did note a benefit of playing wheelchair basketball is the lower body doesn’t effect you as much. “I was able to get in my chair pretty soon after the surgery and push around and shoot around a little bit,” Hinze said. “It was a lot of the individual stuff that’s really the hard stuff. That winter, I started swimming laps for my cardio. I went to Ripon early to swim laps. It’s a lot of hard work in the morning and at night that a lot of people don’t see.” In between individual workouts, he attends training camps and also competes for Team USA in other competitions. Among them were the 2014 World Championships in Incheon, South Korea, and the 2015 ParaPan Games in Toronto, at which the team won silver and gold medals, respectively. GOALS AND CONCERNS
Hinze, who is at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs this week for the final training camp before the games, will fly to Houston Aug. 26. He and the rest of his team then will go through processing and have a short practice there. Together, they then departing for Rio Aug. 30, arriving the following morning. With games not starting right away, the team will have almost a week to take in the sights and the sounds of Brazil, before taking part in the opening ceremony Sept. 7 and its first competition Sept. 8. While a lot of attention has been placed on the health and safety concerns in advance of the on-going Olympics, the Ripon teacher is not too worried about them. “I don’t think as an athlete I’m overly concerned,” Hinze said. “We have really great security when we’re down there. We have people escorting us around that help keep us out of trouble ... I think a lot of the concern is more for our fans and our spectators coming to watch us, because they’re not quite as secure as we are ... I don’t have any family going. [My wife] Ashley and [daughter] Reese are staying home. I’ve got a little bit of a piece of mind about that.” He did note that had the games been taking place in London again this year or somewhere else, his family most likely would go. “Ashley and I were looking at potentially growing our family in the near future, so instead of two of us possibly getting Zika, it’s probably better that only one of us possibly gets it,” Hinze said. “A lot of our games are at night, so traveling from the arena to the place they’re staying isn’t going to be as easy as it was in London. We just had to make the conscious deci-
RIPON MIDDLE SCHOOL physical education teacher Nate Hinze, back row, fourth from left, sits with the rest of his USA wheelchair basketball teammates. National Wheelchair Basketball Association photo sion that it probably just would be better to sit this one out and we’ll see what happens.” The fact his family will not join him hasn’t put much of a damper on the games for Hinze. If anything, it might allow him to focus more on the goal at hand. He already will be aided in that mission due to the 2012 games. “I think having the experience of going to London kind of changes what you look forward to,” Hinze said. “With London, I was looking forward to the village and the clothing and the apparel and the sights and the sounds — just taking in the whole experience. But I can honestly say that this time around, I am 100-percent focused ... and helping our team to the best of my abilities get that gold medal.” He added he believes it is an attainable goal, despite a roster featuring five first-time Paralympians. The team does have one athlete who will be competing in his fourth Paralympics and six making either their second or third. “We definitely have a great combination of veteran players and leadership ... mixed in with some youth and some excitement about what their first Paralympics are going to look like,” Hinze said. “We have a great group of guys who are all on the same page and all in on the same mission. This is easily the best team talent-wise that I’ve ever been a part of, so that’s extremely exciting to see and build on.” It is because of that optimism that the bar is set high for Hinze and the rest of the Team USA wheelchair basketball squad. “We definitely have the team and group of guys to do it, and we’re really chomping at the bit to get down there and fight for that gold medal,” he said. “I think ... if we come up with anything short of a gold [medal], we’re going to be really upset with ourselves and wondering what went wrong.”
PERENNIALS • 4½” Pots - $4.99 ea. $4.79/10 or more W13196 Hwy. 23 East & Douglas St.
RIPON, WI • 920-748-2360
Open 7 days a week
HOUNSELL’S
Small Engine • ATV • Snowmobile • Light Truck & Auto • Marine
REPAIRS • SALES • SERVICE For reliable, fast & friendly service, call Pat today!
PC
920-428-4608
FUTURE BEYOND RIO GAMES
Whether this will be Hinze’s final chance to win a gold medal at the Paralympics is unknown. He will be 32 when the next games roll around in 2020. “I don’t know,” Hinze said. “We’ve got to see what the future holds. There are a lot of changes on the horizon [with the addition of possibly another child] ... I’m pretty focused on Rio and just going down there and competing and trying to bring back the gold. “Once I get home and everything settles down, I will talk it over with my family and see what our next moves are and we’ll go from there ... I can’t tell you I’ll be in Tokyo and I can’t tell you if I am going to retire. I have no idea.”
What you need to know With the 2016 Rio Paralympics just around the corner, here are 12 facts to know about wheelchair basketball. 1. PARALYMPIC HISTORY
Wheelchair basketball was one of the eight Paralympic sports played at the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960. Only four countries participated in the sport’s two medal events. 2. CLASSIFICATION
Wheelchair basketball consists of eight different classifications numbered 1.0 through 4.5. Higher numbers indicate an athlete with more ability. Athletes classified in the 4.5 class can perform basketball skills easier than athletes in the 1.0 classification. 3. TEAM USA
Since the Rome 1960 Paralympic Games, the U.S. has won 10 gold, two silver and seven bronze medals for wheelchair basketball for a total of 19 medals.
Trusted Quality since 1991
W13061 Locust Rd. — RIPON —
from tipping over backwards. 5. DRIBBLING
Wheelchair basketball and able-bodied basketball are very similar; however, rules for dribbling are different. In wheelchair basketball, the ball must be dribbled at least once every two pushes of the wheelchair, otherwise the referee will call a traveling penalty. 6. THE COURT
The court for wheelchair basketball measures the same as an able-bodied court. All lines within the court have the same rules, and scoring lines are worth the same amount of points. 7. STAY INSIDE THE LINES
If a wheelchair basketball player has the ball and is touching or is outside of the court’s outer boundary lines with his or her body or wheelchair, then the player will be called out-of-bounds. If this happens, possession of the ball goes to the opposing team. 8. FALLING OUT OF A WHEELCHAIR
4. EQUIPMENT
Wheelchair basketball athletes are required to have a calf-strap on their chair in order to stop players from using their feet to control their chair. Wheelchairs can also have anti-tip casters, which are used to prevent the wheelchair
If a player falls out of his or her wheelchair during a game and is in the path of play, the referee will blow the whistle and pause the game. This allows the player to safely get back into his or her
chair. 9. LOSING POSSESSION
If a player with the ball touches the floor or leans back enough to the point that the wheelchair’s anti-tip casters touch the floor, the referee will award the ball to the opposing team. 10. PLAYING TIME
Wheelchair basketball is played for a total of 40 minutes, which is split into four 10-minute quarters. Teams have four timeouts per game. 11. OVERTIME
If a score is tied by the end of the regular 40-minute game, overtime will be issued. Overtime for wheelchair basketball lasts for five minutes. If the score is still tied by then end of the overtime, overtimes will be issued until one team scores more points. 12. HISTORY OF WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL
After World War II, many injured veterans took up wheelchair basketball thanks to Ludwig Guttmann’s rehabilitation program. The sport became very popular for veterans using wheelchairs and has continued to be a popular sport for even more athletes who use wheelchairs.
Source: www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics/
H TANNIVERSARY
5
PUTTING THE “CARE” IN AUTO CARE FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS!
GOING ON NOW!
OIL CHANGE
SPECIAL BUY NOW. USE LATER!
We also service Chain Saws
POWER CENTER
Another reason why Hinze believes the team can succeed is the mental training the USA basketball organization has provided. “One of the biggest and probably greatest things that we’ve done is we’ve included a sports psychologist and mental training, which is something that I don’t think a lot of athletes really take seriously,” Hinze said. “But when you sit down and focus and you look at your routine and how you approach a game, it helps an unbelievable amount. I think it helps keep you positive on the court whether you make a mistake or whether you are losing.”
continued from page 19
19
$
95
PLUS TAX
Full Synthetic: $34.95. Limit 2. Purchased coupon expires December 31, 2016
MUST BUY A COUPON FOR AN OIL CHANGE BEFORE SEPT. 10! (Up to 5 quarts of oil & a new filter) For most vehicles except diesel.
WIPER BLADES Pair of Anco
20”- 26” Windshield Wiper Blades (Fits most vehicles)
Premium Contour Blades
19 95
$
9
$
BUY A SET OF 4 TIRES
95 PAIR
FREE
MOUNTING & BALANCE Offer expires September 10, 2016
W1287 N. Lawson Drive, Green Lake
920-294-0102 OPEN: Mon. thru Fri. 7:30-5 Sat. 8-Noon • Closed Sun.