East coach resigns, cites health concern

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: April 16, 2016

GIRLS BASKETBALL

East coach resigns, cites health concern

Suns go 9-13 in Graf’s lone season

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News

Growing health concerns have forced Travis Graf off the sideline for the West Bend East girls basketball program.

Graf revealed his intent to resign during a meeting with East Athletic Director Shane Hansen and West Bend high schools Assistant Principal Ryan Tomczyk.

Graf’s vacancy was posted on the West Bend School District’s website Wednesday. On Friday, Graf revealed his reason for resigning.

Graf denied any allegation that he was forced to resign by any school administrator or parent.

“It turned out to be more serious than I thought,” he told the Daily News, declining to go into specifics about his health.

However, he said the problem was likely keep him away from coaching until at least August at the urging of his doctor.

With that in mind, knowing the Suns were going into the offseason on the heels of seven seniors graduating in June, Graf didn’t believe it was “fair for the program” for him to take time away in a crucial offseason.

“I didn’t feel good for the program,” Graf said. “I decided to step aside and let someone step in.”

Graf coached one season at East, leading the Suns to a 9-13 record — one season

after the program went 3-20.

“I think he did a nice job,” Hansen said. “Travis is a nice person. He’s easy to get along with. He came in and tried to coach the basketball team. I think he did a good job, did the best he could.”

Graf’s hiring came with apprehension by parents and supporters of the Suns’ program after the previous coach — Don Gruber — was fired.

Gruber’s firing started a hurricane of bad publicity, which included the temporary suspension of several athletes’ eligibility. Parents also sent a letter to administration about their distaste of Graf as coach.

On July 27, six groups of parents sent a letter to West Bend School District Superintendent Ted Neitzke demanding answers over the district’s decision to hire Graf.

“The student-athletes believe their progress has been stunted by a coach with limited playing experience, lack of coaching expertise and a general detachment to the school and community,” the letter said.

The letter also questioned why Ron Larson wasn’t hired.

“Why would (West Bend high schools) Principal (Bill) Greymont, an advocate for student-athletes, compare the two resumes of Graf and Larson and deem Graf more qualified merely by the fact he has ’head coach’ listed on his resume and has a teacher’s license?” it said. “Five years as a head JV boys coach at a large high school greatly outweighs one year at a high school of 53 students.”

Greymont stood behind Graf, even if parents didn’t, and Graf reiterated the administration’s support Friday.

“The administration was repeatedly very supportive,” he said.

“I don’t have any regrets,” Graf added. “The only regret I have is I won’t be able to continue it. I think there’s potential for this program to be pretty good going forward. I did the best I could under the circumstances.”

Graf said there was only one parent — whom he declined to name — who had a problem with him. He added several parents hoped he would continue as the coach. It was his intent to do so, but he couldn’t with his condition.

“I hope when they hire a new coach, I hope the people can move on,” Graf said, adding he hopes the coach has more support when he or she arrives.

During Monday’s meeting with Hansen and Tomczyk, Graf said they talked at length about the season and the surrounding distraction that loomed over the program ever since Gruber was fired 13 months ago.

“I hope I got them through the absurd drama that was going on when I got in,” Graf said. “Hopefully I got them through that with a little grace and the next coach won’t have to go through it.”

Graf thanked his coaching staff for their work, including Eric Katz, who filled in for some games as Graf battled his health issue. Graf hopes Katz is considered to replace him.

“He’s a great coach,” Graf said.

Tomczyk will take the lead on the hiring process as Hansen and Greymont are each resigning at the end of the school year.

“Last time we went through this, we had a very good candidate pool,” said Tomczyk, who was on the hiring panel as a coach representative because he was the East boys varsity basketball coach at that time. “I’m excited to see what this next process will bring. We want to get the right candidate for West Bend.”

Tomczyk said steps are being taken to get the girls through the summer offseason programs, such as tournaments and practices. He said the team is signed up for some summer tournaments.

When asked if the hire is a make-orbreak decision for the future of the program, Tomczyk said all coach hirings are important.

“It’s a priority because it’s somebody’s senior year, their last opportunity to enjoy high school athletics,” Tomczyk said. “As long as I’ve been in the West Bend School District, there hasn’t been a priority that wasn’t a major priority. They all carry extreme amount of weight.

“The girls need some stability and hopefully this next person will be able to do that.”

❑

Doornek wants to remain East boys coach

A letter was sent by Hansen on Thursday to parents of players in the East boys basketball program addressing the situation with Kevin Doornek.

Doornek was appointed as an interim coach before last season after Tomczyk accepted an assistant principal position at the high schools.

East went 5-19 with Doornek as the coach.

Doornek said Friday he will apply for the job on full-time basis.

In the letter, Hansen writes, “We would like to sincerely thank coach Doornek for taking on that challenge late in the game, and for his leadership and dedication to the program. His willingness to step up and help is greatly appreciated.”

Doornek said Hansen plans to nominate him for the job.

Reach sports editor Nicholas Dettmann at ndettmann@conleynet.com.

Germantown’s Juwan McCloud

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: April 16, 2016

2015-16 DAILY NEWS ALL-COUNTY BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Germantown’s Juwan McCloud 

Senior keeps tradition going for Warhawks

STORY BY NICHOLAS DETTMANN ■ DAILY NEWS

Juwan McCloud wasn’t intimidated — he was eager to do whatever he could to help his new teammates.

“It wasn’t anything I wasn’t capable of doing,” McCloud said. “I accepted the role.”

Then he got hurt.

In his sophomore year at Germantown, McCloud, who played his freshman year at Menomonee Falls, suffered a stress fracture on his tibia in his left leg.

He missed nine games.

Once cleared to play, he had two games to get ready for Brookfield Central, who beat Germantown to end its thennation- leading 69-game winning streak.

Two games later, McCloud was in the starting lineup for the first time for the Warhawks after four teammates were suspended for code of conduct violations. One of the players suspended was the team’s leading scorer, Lamonte Bearden.

McCloud was Bearden’s backup at point guard.

“I wasn’t nervous,” McCloud said. “I was actually really excited. I had a lot of confidence. I felt it was an opportunity to show my work.”

He scored 14 points and it was the start of a legacy for McCloud with the Warhawks.

McCloud, committed to the University of Northern Iowa on a basketball scholarship, was voted the 2015-16 Daily News All-County Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

“He’s a great example for the kids in the program to do what he’s done,” said Mark Adams, who coached Germantown last season but has since retired after he replaced Steve Showalter — the Warhawks’ coach for 15 seasons.

“He’s got some range,” Adams added. “The last few years, he’s put the time in. He’s got a nice little teardrop.

“His 3-point shooting has really evolved. He’s gotten more consistent as far as his scoring.”

Scoring and assists were two things McCloud wanted to improve on, saying those are the aspects that define a point guard.

This season, he scored 577 points — 23.1 points per game.

In his freshman season at Menomonee Falls, McCloud scored 253 points — 11 per game — which was second on the team.

McCloud joined Germantown’s program after his family moved to town because his parents work in Germantown.

When McCloud arrived, it was at the height of Germantown’s reign in high school basketball. The Warhawks were in the midst of a 56-game winning streak and had won the previous two Division 1 state titles.

In addition, it had just graduated the state’s Mr. Basketball award winner — Luke Fischer. But still on the roster was Bearden, among others either committed to Division I programs or being recruited by D-I programs.

Bearden eventually signed with the University of Buffalo and is the Bulls’ leading scorer for a team that made its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance last month.

In a way, it was the right situation for McCloud to come into.

“I think it was a lot easier with the eyes being on Germantown,” he said. “The way it all happened, it helped my game. It allowed me figure out how to be a role player.”

After his first start, which was Jan. 24, 2014, against Whitefish Bay, McCloud did what he needed to do — he averaged 7.5 points in 12 games.

McCloud wasn’t intimidated by what had already happened at Germantown and who was before him.

“Being in that program, everybody has to get used to a pecking order,” Adams said. “I think he was ready for it. One of the reasons he was, it was because of the confidence he built over time.”

Adams was familiar with McCloud; he was the coach of Brookfield Central when the Lancers beat the Warhawks to end the historic winning streak. Plus, Brookfield Central and Menomonee Falls are in the Greater Metro Conference.

“As a sophomore, I thought he had a lot of potential but at that point, from a physical standpoint, he wasn’t close to physical maturity yet,” Adams said. “He was pretty lean.”

Adams also thought McCloud needed to work on his range. He got the chance to help when then-Germantown coach Steve Showalter added Adams to his staff during McCloud’s junior season. Adams worked with McCloud and the other guards for Germantown.

“A lot of what I was trying to get him to do was understand what to do and what not to do as far as shot selection,” Adams said. “He was a very unselfish player before I got there. The desire he had for the importance of getting other people involved — he was very comfortable with that.

“But with his talent, he had to work on doing things himself.”

Adams also worked on Mc-Cloud’s defense.

“I don’t think he ever looked at himself that way,” Adams said. “He had to push himself on both ends of the floor. There’s nothing harder than trying to get someone to play defense.”

Adams helped transform Mc-Cloud into a complete point guard, which included McCloud averaging more than 2 steals per game last season on top of his offensive production.

As for his range, McCloud made seven 3-pointers his sophomore season. This year, he made 61.

McCloud finished with 1,148 points in less than three seasons at Germantown. If you count his Menomonee Falls totals, he had 1,401 points.

“I think I prepared myself in the AAU season,” McCloud said. “I really developed a scoring mentality. It was being ready for that moment.”

HONORABLE MENTION Colin Biesterfeld, sr., Kettle Moraine Lutheran

Jacob Bolwerk, soph., Living Word Lutheran

Tyler Reinhardt, sr., Slinger Derek Sabin, soph., Slinger Charlie Witek, sr., Kewaskum 

Reach sports editor Nicholas Dettmann at ndettmann@conleynet.com.

A natural: Slinger sophomore among nation’s best in 1st season

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: April 12, 2016

A natural

Slinger sophomore among nation’s best in 1st season

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News

Slinger’s Lexi Bullis always had the thought of competitive snowboarding. Instead, skiing and soccer always took precedent. Snowboarding was a recreational activity, something to do on the side.

But when she spotted an unused snowboard in her stepdad’s garage about four years ago, her desire to snowboard competitively was rekindled.

Several times Bullis asked if she could try it.

Each time her stepdad said no, but with a condition.

“He wanted to be there to teach me,” Bullis said.

When Slinger announced snowboarding was added to its list of winter sports offerings, Bullis saw it as the opportunity she was waiting for.

“Snowboard comes around and it makes the two of us get into it,” Bullis said.

Six months later, she is one of the best snowboarders in the country after she finishing fourth in the young women 14-15 division in giant slalom at the 27th annual USASA Snowboard National Championship at Copper Mountain Resort in Copper Mountain, Colorado, about 75 miles west of Denver.

She was also 15th in slalom.

The national meet capped a jaw-dropping season for the Slinger sophomore.

This season was the first year snowboarding was offered at Slinger. The conference the Owls competed in — the Milwaukee Metro High School Snowboard Conference — just finished its second year. It’s so new, it doesn’t have a website.

“I wanted to have fun with a bunch of friends,” Bullis said. “I had no goals, no expectations. I had no idea how it was going to go.”

Snowboarding was supposed to be her “fun” sport.

Her curiosity to try competitive snowboarding started during the times she was on the slopes with her park board — used strictly for recreation — saying she’d try to go through the ski gates.

“It was a lot of fun,” Lexi said.

In the Owls’ first meet of the season Jan. 2 at Tyrol Basin in Mount Horeb, Bullis led a 1-2-3 finish.

She was the conference champion on giant slalom and boardercross and led the team to a conference championship in its first season.

On top of that, she was also a state qualifier in skiing for Slinger. The Owls took 12th in conference and qualified for state. She was honorable mention All-Conference.

This was all in her first year of racing on a snowboard. Her coach and her dad, Paul Bullis, was impressed. It was hard to not be.

“(It’s) very difficult,” Paul said about Lexi qualifying for state in skiing and snowboarding. “It’s hard to master one of the sports. To master two is difficult, exemplary. I don’t know the exact word.”

Lexi started skiing when she was 2 years old. She started snowboarding when she was 4.

She’s also a goalkeeper for Slinger’s varsity soccer team.

“She’s got very good athletic talent,” Paul said.

It may be the genes. Lexi’s mom is an avid skier, while Paul is an avid snowboarder.

“I’ve been juggling snowboarding and skiing most of my life,” Lexi said.

When she was in sixth grade, her neighbor coached a club ski team and that’s how she got into club ski racing. She stopped that before her freshman year at Slinger and joined the Owls’ ski team.

“She’s very natural for (skiing),” Paul said. “But she had to learn how to ski competitively. Slalom and giant slalom takes a lot of skill and takes years to master.”

“She caught on to skiing very quickly,” he added. “Snowboarding took a little while to catch on. But after a couple of years she was comfortable with both.”

While the principle is the same for competitive skiing and snowboarding — get down the hill as fast as possible — how that’s done varies drastically.

“In skiing, you have to worry about one ski versus the other and not put too much pressure on a ski or you’ll fall,” Lexi said. “In snowboard, you have to put pressure on the edge and you have to drive power through edge of board.”

There was another challenge for Lexi with snowboarding: The board she had was a park board.

That board sitting in her stepdad’s garage had been in his possession for quite some time. Some of the components on it are from 1996, older than Lexi by more than three years.

So when they hit the slopes for the first time at Little Switzerland in Slinger, Lexi found out how drastic the difference is between a park board and a racer’s board.

“Let’s just say I fell a lot in the beginning,” she said.

One of the key characteristics between a park board and a racer board is foot placement. A park board typically consists of soft boots and the feet are perpendicular.

That’s not true with racer board.

The boots are hard, similar to ski boots, and the feet are turned toward the front of the board at about a 65-degree angle.

“You don’t want to be sideways, you want to face straight down the hill,” Lexi said.

It took some time to get used to.

“It was really, really hard,” she said. “I was not used to how the board responded.

“On the first day (of the season), it can be rough even if you’ve done it for years and years.”

As for the racing aspect, skiers aim to go through the gates. Snowboarders have to be able to flick their legs around the gates, while leaning over them with their her upper body.

“You have to be in good aerobic condition with very quick reflexes,” Paul said. “In order to be successful in snowboard and skiing, you have to have a good understanding on how to read the hill.

“It takes years to master excellent skiing and excellent snowboarding.”

She had to work out some old habits. When she did, she showcased what she could do and put together a memorable season.

“It was a lot of fun,” Lexi said. “I was pretty excited to tell people I qualified in two sports on the same weekend.”

Lexi’s personality, according to Paul, helped her get out to a solid start on a snowboard.

“You have to be very competitive and have no fear,” he said.

Reach sports editor Nicholas Dettmann at ndettmann@conleynet.com.

OUTDOORS: Wisconsin to host 1 of 4 national fundraisers

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: April 9, 2016

Wisconsin to host 1 of 4 national fundraisers

Event set for April 16

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News

Shooting sports are catching on around the nation.

Rick Leach, director of development of the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, pointed to Minnesota as an example.

“It’s No. 2 in Minnesota, only behind football, but ahead of hockey,” Leach said. “Not many would expect that in Minnesota.”

Wisconsin is in a similar position as it has the most participants in the Scholastic Action Shooting Program, which is why the SSSF will have one of its four national fundraisers April 16 at the Ozaukee County Fairgrounds, W67 N866 Washington Ave., Cedarburg.

“The SASP is having four fundraising events across the nation and Wisconsin — because of our high participation, the state with the most athletes — we were selected as one where one would be held,” Leach said. “It supports the national program, which runs all the events in the program, but proceeds also goes to the Ozaukee Scholastic Shooting Sports team.”

The Ozaukee club is the host for the event and Leach is one of the program’s coaches.

“The proceeds will offset operational costs, the regional, state and national championship events, which was in July in Ohio,” Leach said.

Fundraisers will also be in Tennessee, Missouri and Arizona.

The cost is $50, which includes a buffet. There will be a silent auction, live auction and a raffle. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the dinner is at 6:30 p.m.

The SSSF was founded in July 2012 and has quickly become a popular organization, overseeing a rapidly growing sport.

“We’ve got teams across the country who are competing in piston and rifle competitions, local, regional, national and virtual,” said Tammy Mowry, the SSSF national director.

When the organization started in 2012, it was pistol only. In January, rifle was added to the mix and the

organization has seen a growth it thought it could get — just not at this level.

“We’re very pleased with it,” Mowry said. “With adding rifle, we know it’s going to really grow.”

In the last several years, many area high schools have added trapshooting as a club sport.

In 2013, West Bend high schools added trapshooting to its list of extracurricular activities. More than 80 kids — boys and girls — signed up.

“It’s a lifelong sport,” Leach said. “It starts with the safety aspect, handling firearms. Then it’s learning the skills for competition.”

The other appealing aspect, according to Leach, as to why shooting sports are rising is because there is no strength element.

“It’s about learning fundamentals and skills — willingness to practice,” Leach said.

“We’ve seen huge growth the last few years,” he added. “Kids are finding out about it because of how programs are run. It’s a very safe sport. The shooting sports are safer than recreational walking.”

There are clay shooting teams in all 50 states. Pistol and rifle shooting teams are not yet in all 50 states, but they’re getting close. Plus, the SSSF is the official feeder system for the U.S. Olympic program.

The SSSF is open to shooters in grade school, middle school, high school and college, while also providing scholarship opportunities for college.

The Ozaukee team started five years ago in pistol shooting and has won three national championships in that time.

“It’s truly one of the level playing-field sports,” Leach said. “It’s a coed sport. A lot of the girls shoot better than the boys.”

There have been discussions about the possibility of adding trapshooting or other forms of shooting sports to the WIAA. The discussions have been preliminary.

“We’re looking forward to coming to Wisconsin,” Mowry said. “We’re looking forward to a great banquet.”

For more information, contact Leach at 262-8944284 or rleach@sssfonline. com.

OUTDOORS: DNR postpones rule change proposals

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: April 8, 2016

DNR postpones rule change proposals

Local legislator believes one rule violates state law

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News

Responding to overwhelming criticism, including from Rep. Bob Gannon, R-Slinger, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has decided to table its rule packages proposal which was to go in front of the Natural Resources Board next week.

More than 30 rule changes were to be presented to the NRB at its Wednesday meeting in Madison. Among those rule changes included removing the ban of possessing or discharging a weapon — gun, crossbow, etc. — in state parks and replace it with a ban in designated campsites, and create universal rules for shooting ranges, which include the possession and consumption of alcohol at shooting ranges.

“As of (Thursday) morning, we’re delaying consideration, based on the number of comments that we received, the input we received,” DNR spokesman George Althoff said Thursday. “It became evident that some people were misinterpreting our intention.”

Among those not a fan of some of the rule changes was Gannon.

“I’ve been disappointed with some of the rules,” he said Thursday. “This is a shining example of packing more restrictions without thinking them through.”

On Wednesday, Gannon released a statement about his disappointment with the DNR, specifically pointing to the possession or discharge of a weapon in a state park or campsite.

“As the Legislature is the elected body of the government, we have been designated the power to create the laws of the state,” he said in the statement. “The DNR should not be promulgating any rule or regulation that moves that power away from the officials elected to fulfill it.”

The DNR’s proposal was to “remove state parks from and add designated campsites to the list of locations where no person may take, catch, kill, hunt, trap or pursue any wild animal or bird, or discharge any firearm, or have in possession or under control any uncased firearm or air gun or any bow, crossbow, slingshot or springload device designed for shooting a projectile unless the same is unstrung or enclosed in a carrying case.”

According to the DNR’s proposal, “state parks are being removed from the list to be consistent with a statutory change, which expanded hunting in state parks.”

In addition, “designated campsites are added to the list for public safety consideration.”

Gannon wrote in his statement, “This seriously concerns me because the Legislature purposely wrote state statutes giving its citizens some of the broadest (concealed- carry weapon) rights in the nation.”

Althoff said the DNR’s proposal wouldn’t override state law. Gannon disagreed.

“That directly conflicts with the concealed carry laws in the state of Wisconsin,” Gannon said. “You can go to the Capitol with a concealed (weapon), but not in the middle of a forest?”

Althoff admitted there was a “lack of clarity” with the rules proposal package.

“This package of rules, I thought, was pretty clear and that it didn’t impact open carry,” he added. “But (opponents) thought it did.

“We thought we would pull it off the agenda for next week, gather feedback, listen to concerns and make adjustments.”

Gannon prefers it not come up again.

“Don’t pass laws that are not truly clear or absolutely on point,” he said. “We’re cluttering the rules and regulations.”

As far as the shooting range regulations, some of the proposed rules included no malt, fermented or alcoholic beverages are permitted within the area maintained as the shooting range; no exploding, glass or other breakable materials may be used as targets, except clay targets; and firearms should be unloaded and their actions open except while on the firing line.

Gannon said he’d support a rule prohibiting alcohol at shooting ranges.

“I don’t like people intoxicated and hunting,” he said. “It’s not a good mix.”

The argument against outlawing alcohol at shooting ranges is range businesses want to host fundraisers, which include alcohol sales and consumption.

Gannon said state law prohibits one going to a restaurant where alcohol is served and have a gun.

“There’s got to be common sense,” Gannon said.

The DNR will revisit its proposals, reach out to advocacy groups and the public, and collect more information about its ideas. The hope is to have a more concise set of rule proposals where there is no confusion.

“We’re not going to rush it,” Althoff said. “We want to do it right.”

OUTDOORS: It’s the public’s time to shine for deer hunt

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: April 6, 2016

It’s the public’s time to shine for deer hunt

Feedback session goes through April 17

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources officials are confident for a good deer population for this season’s bow, crossbow and gun hunts later this year.

“We’re seeing recommendations in the north that were down a few years ago,” said Kevin Wallenfang, DNR deer and elk ecologist. “That’s a good sign of herd growth.”

The confidence stems from the recommendations from the County Deer Advisory Councils throughout the state. And now it’s time to find out what the hunters think — Monday was the first day of the public feedback period.

The purpose of the public feedback is to collect notes on potential deer tag limits, permit sales and deer harvest caps.

The public feedback period goes through April 17.

After that, the DNR will collect all the surveys and submit them to each of the CDACs in the state — 72 counties. Then, based on that information, the CDACs will host public meetings April 18-21 and make final recommendations. The DNR will put together a package for review by the Natural Resources Board and decide on the deer hunt regulations.

It’s a process, Wallenfang said, that is not taken lightly and he encouraged hunters to participate in it so the DNR can collect the most precise data as it prepares for the upcoming deer seasons in the fall.

“The council values them,” he said.

“The charge is quite specific,” he added about the role of the CDAC. “The councils are an advisory body for the DNR. We want them to kick off the quotasetting goals. Those vary across each county.”

The Washington County’s council has suggested a buck plus anterless by permit for one tag.

Last season, 1,181 antlered deer or bucks were harvested, along with 1,452 non-antler deer across the gun, bow and crossbow seasons. That is the most deer harvested in the county in more than eight years.

Other data released for Washington County include the number of deer seen per hour went down from 1.25 to 1.2, but deer population has steadily increased since 2009. In 2015, there were an estimated 8,000 deer in Washington County.

Because of the back-toback mild winters, Wallenfang said he expects deer population to be strong with “higher-than-average fawn production.”

According to CDAC data, most of the northern forest zone wants to increase deer population, while most of the western, central and southern counties of the state want to maintain the deer population.

Marinette, Oconto, Door, Buffalo and Milwaukee counties are hoping for a decrease. Dodge, Winnebago, Sheboygan and Fond du Lac counties want an increase in deer population.

In Waukesha County, a holiday hunt is suggested where there’d be an additional deer hunt season Dec. 24-Jan. 1.

Waupaca County is recommending a holiday hunt plus antlerless only hunt, which Wallenfang said is “taking a fairly drastic measure to reduce the deer numbers.”

For farmland zone permits, Washington County is recommending one buck tag plus one antlerless and that’s the case for most of southeastern and southcentral Wisconsin. In Waupaca and Door counties, the recommendation is one buck tag plus three antlerless.

The public feedback meeting for Washington County is April 19 at Daniel Boone Conservation League, 4694 Highway 167, Hubertus.

“The councils are having public meetings and they will put aside time for public comment, gather as much information as they possibly can,” Wallenfang said. “This is just a way on a bigger scale to provide the opportunity to get feedback from all over the state.”

Last gun season, the DNR introduced electronic registration.

“It worked beautifully,” Wallenfang said. “We registered almost 310,000 deer. The vast majority or 97 percent on opening weekend had no troubles.”

The troubles that were there were on the hunter’s end, minor data entry problems that were quickly corrected, such as incorrectly punching in numbers.

Wallenfang acknowledged some hunters weren’t fans of the electronic registration because of the tradition of a hunter going to his or her favorite registration station to meet up with old friends was compromised.

But convenience was the key with the new system and it couldn’t have gone better, Wallenfang said.

“We planned it to go great,” he said with a laugh. “It was the first year and it went pretty doggone good.”

To participate in the public feedback survey, visit the DNR’s website — www.dnr.wi.gov — and search keyword “CDAC.”

Hey, beer man!

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: April 5, 2016 (A1)

Hey, beer man!

A lifetime around the diamond

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News

MILWAUKEE — One after another, donning bright neon green T-shirts, folks walk up to Dan McKinney’s table on wheels near the north loading dock at Miller Park ready to check in for their assignment.

On Opening Day, it’s like a family reunion. It’s time to catch up with old friends. What’d you do in the offseason? How’d your surgery go?

McKinney, 78, of Germantown, he remembers so many by name — past and present. This is his 62nd season of working with professional baseball in Milwaukee. He started as a 16-year-old in 1954 as a food vendor at Milwaukee County Stadium, a year after the Braves moved from Boston to Milwaukee. In 1954, peanuts and soda was 15 cents, and hot dogs were 20 cents. On Monday at Miller Park, peanuts were $4.25 and bottled soda was $4.75.

“I enjoyed it,” McKinney said.

McKinney started going to baseball games in the 1940s when the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association baseball league played at Borchert Field on Milwaukee’s upper East side, 3000 N. Eighth St., which is now Interstate 43. McKinney remembered San Francisco Giants Hall of Famer Willie Mays having eight or nine hits in a doubleheader at the field in 1951.

“I was a fan, for one,” McKinney said.

Then he needed a part-time job. “I had some of friends of mine who worked at the game,” McKinney said. “It worked out well,” he said.

In addition to his dedication to baseball fans in Milwaukee, he was a biology teacher for more than 30 years.

McKinney attended Milwaukee Juneau High School. He ran track during the spring season but in the summer, he played baseball. After practice — usually in the mornings for baseball — he’d head over to County Stadium,

which wasn’t a far walk.

What else stood out to him was in the 1950s, access to and from the stadium was limited, so it was commonplace for the lines of cars to be long. On top of that, almost every game was a sellout.

“Cars, a lot of the time, were overheating,” McKinney said. “You’d see cars off to the side with steam coming out of their radiator because they overheated. It was mind-boggling that almost every game was a sellout.”

Then there were the people fans paid to watch.

“I don’t know how many Hall of Famers I got to see,” McKinney said.

Listening to him reel off name after name was like a who’s who of baseball lore.

“Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Willie Mays, Stan Musial,” he said.

And those Hall of Famers weren’t just baseball players. Football Hall of Famers came through the gates at County Stadium when the Green Bay Packers played games in Milwaukee.

McKinney worked the World Series in both 1957 and 1958 — the Braves won it in ’57. After the Braves moved to Atlanta after the 1965 season, the Seattle Pilots moved to Milwaukee in 1970 and became the Brewers.

In that five-year span without full-time professional baseball, the Chicago White Sox played several games at County Stadium. When they did, McKinney was there hauling beer up and down the stairs of the stadium.

When the Packers were at County Stadium, McKinney was there.

If there was a concert or some other special event at County Stadium, McKinney was there.

In 1955, the Braves hosted the All-Star Game and Milwaukee’s Gene Conley was the winning pitcher. Conley is best known for being one of only two people to win championships in two of the four major American sports, one with the Braves in 1957 and three Boston Celtics NBA championships from 1959-61.

Essentially, if the gates of County Stadium were open, McKinney was there with his beer carrier.

In 1957 at the World Series, he sold programs for $1. They were 25 cents during regular season. They were kept in pillow cases.

McKinney started selling beer in 1958. It was 30 cents. On Monday, it was $7.50 for a Miller Lite.

He did that until 2008.

“A lot of memorable moments through the years,” McKinney said, adding it was good exercise. “I enjoyed doing it,” he said. “I enjoyed interacting with the fans. You could sneak a peak at the games. You could see what was going on.”

In the process, it eventually became a family thing.

Three of McKinney’s four daughters, plus two sons-in-law, a sister-in-law and his late wife of 58 years, Elaine, all worked at the stadium, whether it was County Stadium or Miller Park. They also frequented the concession stands at Wisconsin State Fair Park for more than 40 years.

“For me, it was a great summer job,” said Luann, one of Dan’s four daughters. “I met a lot of great friends when I was working there.”

Luann worked in the VIP area during the 1982 World Series between the Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals, and also worked in concessions through high school and college.

“It’s something we were always kind of around,” she said. “It’s fun to interact with people.”

Dan hardly missed a game in more than 40 years serving professional baseball fans in Milwaukee. But he had three knee-replacement surgeries, including a dual-knee procedure in 1998, missing out on Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs’ historic home run battle when both players made late-season appearances in Milwaukee. Still, he’s seen his fair share of baseball.

“He’s a people person,” Luann said. “He loves talking to people, loved hearing their stories, connecting with people in some way.”

Out of the stands since 2008, McKinney now works underneath the stadium on the service level, often several hours before the first pitch. On Monday, he arrived at Miller Park five hours before the first pitch. He sets up near the door of the north dock, which is underneath the Hot Corner entrance, the northeast side of the stadium. He directs nonprofit groups working concession stands for fundraising, and then the beer vendors, assigning them locations to sell beverages.

He has a special place in Brewers history. When he reached his 55th season, the team gave him a jersey with “55” on it. They did the same for his 60th season. He’s also thrown out the first pitch twice and helped flip the countdown meter at County Stadium that showed how many games were left before it closed prior to the opening of Miller Park.

“I still enjoy interacting with people,” Dan said. “One of the things we pride ourselves on is making it an enjoyable experience for the fans and a safe experience to enjoy the game.”

OUTDOORS: Look out for whooping cranes

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: March 30, 2016

Look out for whooping cranes

Counting event planned for April

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News

A whooping crane can tell a lot about a piece or area of land.

“Crane on your landscape can indicate the environment is healthy,” said Sara Gavney Moore, communications specialist for the International Crane Foundation, which is based in Baraboo.

“A healthy wetland means it can support a variety of animals, it has clean water and has diversity of plants as well,” she added.

That’s where an eager counter comes in handy.

The ICF will sponsor the 41st annual Midwest Crane Count from 5:30-7:30 a.m. April 16 throughout Wisconsin, along with Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota. Organizers are asking for more than 2,000 volunteers to count cranes which will help organizations such as the ICF gather information on crane population.

“This is opportunity to get people involved and enjoy local wetlands,” Gavney Moore said.

There are 15 species of crane in the world. Of those 15, four are either endangered or critically endangered, according to the ICF’s website — www.savingcranes.org. The whooping crane is one of the endangered species and has been since 1970 in the United States and since 1978 in Canada. The Siberian crane, which is primarily in northern Europe and Asia, is critically endangered.

The whooping crane has population settings in northwestern Canada and central Wisconsin in the summer and along the Gulf Coast of Texas in the winter.

The whooping crane was placed on the endangered species list because of loss of habitat, which could be because of a natural disaster or farmers emptying wetlands, and over-hunting.

Sandhill cranes was once nearly extinct but has recovered after years of hard work. That’s what is going on with the whooping cranes.

The recovery plan for whooping cranes, considered a flagship species for the North American wildlife conservation movement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, began in 1980. On Jan. 23, 1980, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published the “International Recovery Plan for the Whooping Crane.”

There were as few as 21 whooping cranes in 1954 in North America. Today, there are nearly 600 worldwide, including more than 100 in Wisconsin.

“They’re beautiful birds,” Gavney Moore said.

The ICF was created in 1973. The first survey was in 1976.

Gavney Moore hopes others will enjoy seeing a whooping, or any kind of crane, as much as she does.

“I care deeply about cranes,” she said. “They represent a broad aspect that they’re a part of our lives that we may not pay attention to it.”

Gavney Moore, who has been with ICF since 1999, said a healthy wetland is beneficial to humans.

“If we have healthy wetlands and landscapes, that means we have access to clean water, air pollution is limited,” she said.

Counters will be sent to a designated area to observe and report any sightings of cranes. At the time designated, most cranes are waking up for the day.

Gavney Moore said a counting event is a great way to help out science and to also enjoy the outdoors.

Sites are available throughout Washington County.

If interested in participating, contact Gavney Moore at 608-356-9462, Ext. 155 or cranecount@savingcranes.org, or contact Washington County coordinator Patty Keuck at 262-334-0619 or pattycountingcranes@gmail.com.

Holding their own

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: March 30, 2016

Holding their own

Slinger, Plymouth, Beaver Dam tracks making it work

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News

Ten years ago, race track owners and promoters were stubborn, reluctant to share information.

Now, they have almost no choice.

Otherwise, an “out of business” or “closed” sign may soon hang on the entrance gate to their race tracks and it may never come off.

Economic hardships and instability continue to make short-track racing an expensive hobby, but the thrill of competition continues to aid this addiction. The drivers, crews, promoters and owners hang on for as long as possible.

The same goes for fans.

Luckily for area racers, tracks like Slinger, Plymouth and Beaver Dam are confident with their positions.

“Slinger Superspeedway has survived through the economic downturn by diversifying the business,” said Todd Thelen, the track’s cop ro moter along with Rodney Erickson. Other tracks haven’t been so lucky.

Recently, Illiana Speedway, an asphalt track in Schererville, Indiana, closed.

Columbus 151 Speedway, an asphalt track about 30 minutes northeast of Madison, is marred in a legal dispute. Madison Area Technical College agreed to purchase the property for more than $580,000 to convert it to an emergency vehicle training facility. The track’s ownership backed out of the agreement and MATC sued to force the sale.

Chilton Speedway, a dirt track, closed as a full-time track after last season and will run one race — The Chilton Fall Invitational — this season.

“It saddens me,” said Carolyn Mueller, general manager at Beaver Dam Raceway, of tracks closing. “I’ve been in the racing community all my life. It’s too bad they have to close.”

Thelen compared race tracks to drive-in movie theaters.

“Only the strong will survive,” he said.

Knowing that, area track owners and promoters decided they had to put aside any stubbornness there was in order to protect what’s dearest to them: racing.

About five years ago, the Promoters of Wisconsin Auto Racing group was formed. Several tracks from around the state got involved, including in Slinger, Oshkosh, Wisconsin Dells and Madison. The purpose of the group is for promoters and owners to get together and discuss ideas on several topics, including fan promotion.

Ten years ago, it’d be a surprise to see any two track promoters discussing ideas on how to improve their product. It’d be a bigger surprise if they were on pleasant terms.

“It’s been practiced more,” said Warren Luedke, member of the race committee at the Plymouth Dirt Track. “We’re pretty close together. We talk about a lot of issues almost on a weekly basis. We share a lot of stuff with other tracks. We feel it’s good for the industry as a whole.”

Other things that are discussed include what are the dates of special events. Fair rules and consistent enforcement is another hot topic at these meetings.

Mom-and-pop-type teams are falling by the wayside, unable to remain competitive because their funds can’t stack up against others who are more fortunate in the billfold. So when cars aren’t in attendance, fan attendance dips with it.

“If you have the cars, then you’ll have fans,” Luedke said. Maintaining affordability is a challenge for drivers, teams and the race tracks.

“There is no margin for error,” Luedke said. “It keeps you on your toes.”

Keeping drivers happy is also a challenge.

“Having a good and fair tech, that’s always a challenge. It keeps the car count up,” Mueller said. “We try to be as fair as we can.”

“It’s an ongoing fight with the rules to keep it affordable,” Luedke said. “You’ve got to make it affordable.”

So what are these tracks doing about that?

Beaver Dam and Plymouth have targeted kids as their audience of interest.

“That’s our future,” Luedke said. “Stay family-oriented, cater to the kids so they come back and support when they get older.”

At Plymouth, the track organizers have started a kids club.

“We offer bus rides on the track every Saturday night and they can tour the pits,” Luedke said. “It seems to go over very well.”

This season, Plymouth will have two new divisions — micro sprints and sport modifieds. The track has stopped the outlaw compact and super modified divisions.

“There was a fair amount of cars,” Luedke said. “We just couldn’t keep them consistent.”

New divisions will hopefully change that.

“We think that’s going to bring new life into the show,” Luedke said.

Beaver Dam also has a kids club where youngsters can win a bicycle or wave the green flag during a heat race. The track also offers a carload admission discount, $20 for one car-load of people. If there is five people in the car, admission is $4 each.

That promotion, Mueller said, started five seasons ago and has nearly doubled the track’s attendance.

Plus, when Mueller started the Kids Club, there were about 45-50 members. That number has swelled to more than 200.

“I have a lot of people with younger families, regenerating the fan base,” Mueller said.

At Slinger, there is SlamFest, an all-night demolition derby in August, outside of the normal seven-division program on Sunday nights.

Slinger, Beaver Dam and Plymouth each report positive happenings.

“We’re doing wonderful,” Mueller said. “I have a lot of people that help me out, volunteer their time and talent, which is huge.”

But they’re also conscious of what’s going on around them.

“It’s tough to see it, because you know sooner or later, it’s going to be you,” Luedke said. “I always say ‘The bandwagoners can only lead if the band is a good band,’” Mueller said.

A rare feat

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: March 29, 2016

A rare feat

West graduate puts himself among nation’s elite

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News

How unique is Matt McHugh? So unique that veteran Ohio State men’s swimming coach Bill Wadley can’t think of another swimmer — or person — like the 2013 West Bend West graduate.

“He’s a unique guy,” said Wadley, who has been the Buckeyes’ coach for 26 years. “He’s an impressive young man. He’s a standout.”

Wadley’s comments come on the heels of a performance he said is “darn near impossible” to do, but McHugh “handled it like a champ.”

McHugh finished sixth in the 100-yard butterfly and eighth in the 100 backstroke at the NCAA Division 1 championship, which concluded Saturday in Atlanta.

Those swims garnered McHugh All-American status in each race.

He became the first swimmer in Ohio State history to be named an All-American in more than one stroke since 1971, and McHugh did it on the same day.

“He’s the only person in the meet that was a two-time All-American on the same day in individual races,” Wadley said. “That’s what makes it special. He was the only one that did that. It’s extremely hard. ... It’s darn near impossible to do it at this level.”

McHugh was also honorable mention All-American in the 200 freestyle relay.

What impresses Wadley about McHugh, a junior construction management major at OSU, is his humility.

When asked what it meant to him to be an All-American in two events on the same day, it was almost like he shrugged it off as he kept his answer short.

“It’s cool to say I did that,” McHugh said, adding he didn’t believe he swam that fast.

“I was a little tired,” he said.

Wadley wasn’t surprised at McHugh’s response.

“He doesn’t put himself out in front of everybody,” Wadley said.

Instead, it’s McHugh’s swimming that’s doing more of the talking and putting the former state champion in the same group as some of the nation’s — and even the world’s — top swimmers.

“I hope one day he can represent Team USA in some capacity,” Wadley said. “He’s an Olympian in my mind.”

McHugh is a seven-time All-American at Ohio State, including twice in the 100 fly. He

holds two school records (100 back and 400 free relay), and is among the top five in school history in the 100 fly, the 200 free relay, the 200 medley relay and the 400 medley relay.

Once overweight and slow with no clue how to be a competitive swimmer going into his freshman year at West, McHugh is becoming one of Ohio State’s greatest swimmers.

“He’s really done a lot of cool things in short order,” Wadley said. “There’s no doubt about it. He’s got a good work ethic.”

When McHugh arrived at his first swim practice at West about seven years ago, he weighed 220 pounds and maintained what he described as an awful diet. He joined the Spartans at the urging of his neighbor, Matt Parks — a four-time state qualifier at West.

Four years later when he arrived at Ohio State, fresh off a state championship in the 100 fly, Wadley and his coaching staff proceeded with caution. However, it didn’t take long for them to recognize talent.

“He just went to work,” Wadley said. “He’s always been a ‘whatever you want me to do coach’ kind of guy. He’s one of the hardest workers on the team. He’s always worked hard, been humble.”

This season, McHugh won his second straight 100 fly Big Ten championship, which was the first time the conference had a repeat champion in that event since 2009-10, and won the 100 back title — the program’s first title in that event since 2010.

“I had a really good year,” McHugh said. “I was pretty happy (with it).”

As good as McHugh has been, his coach believes he could be even greater.

“He has plenty of room to get better,” Wadley said. “I think he’s as good of a swimmer as there is out there.”

McHugh proved it, swimming against many of the best swimmers in the country and, in some cases, the world.

On Friday at the NCAAs, McHugh swam in preliminary races in the 100 fly and the 100 back. Once out of the water from the 100 fly where he was fourth quickest, he had about an hour of rest before he got back into the water for the 100 back. He was eighthquickest in that event.

A few hours later, McHugh was back at it in the championship final for both races, which were about an hour apart.

“It’s an amazing challenge to put forth four great performances at the highest level,” Wadley said. “It was pretty impressive.”

The biggest improvement McHugh has made since Day 1 of his freshman year with the Buckeyes, Wadley said, is his ability to handle several races on the same day — and do it at a championship level. “That’s not an easy task,” Wadley said. “There’s a reason why he was the only one to do it.”

“(You’ve) got to have the ability and have done the work, then you have to do it back-to-back,” he added. “(The) NCAA meet will bring a weak man to his knees. If they’re not mentally strong, you’re going to be in trouble and it’s going to be a long weekend.”

Again, McHugh is doing this in about half the time of his teammates’ experiences.

“Most of the kids have been swimming since they were kids,” McHugh said.

McHugh was seeded in the top four in both the 100 fly and 100 back. Wadley believes if McHugh swam one or the other at the NCAAs, he probably would’ve won a national title.

But Wadley loves McHugh’s dedication to his teammates and it is why he considers McHugh to be one of the team’s leaders.

“He’s a great team player,” Wadley said. “He sacrifices his own individual performances to score for the team.”

This summer, McHugh will get a chance to see where he stands against the world’s best at the U.S. Olympic Trials, June 26July 3 in Omaha, Nebraska.

He will compete in three events — the 50 free, the 100 fly and the 100 back.

“(I’m) really getting into it without any goals, but to just do my best,” McHugh said.