Looking into the future

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Oct. 17, 2013

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News Sports Editor

Many coaches would love to be in Laura Vraney’s shoes for the coming years.

Vraney’s top-three singles players at West Bend East went a combined 69-10 this season and all are freshmen, led by Lexi Keberle, who went 25-0 this season at No. 1 singles.

“I’m very lucky, especially considering you have West Bend East and West Bend West,” Vraney said. “I mean if their birthdays were different or whatever it could be, they’d be at West Bend West.

“I’m very blessed that we’ve got five really talented freshmen.”

Unfortunately, with the way the WIAA sets up its individual state tennis tournament, only the top two flights of singles and the top flight of doubles advance to state. In rare occurrences, a No. 3 singles player could go to state, but it’s rare.

Keberle and Melina Schaetz will represent the Suns when the WIAA girls tennis individual state tournament starts today and ends Saturday at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison after winning last week’s Neenah Sectional at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively.

“On most other teams, Melina would probably play No. 1 singles,” Vraney said after the sectional. “It just happens that she’s behind Lexi.

“This is really an awesome opportunity for her. I’m really excited just for her to have the opportunity as a freshman to do that and have that experience.”

East will also be represented at No. 1 doubles as Lizzy Bensen and Hailee Dassow received a special qualifier spot at state.

The odd girl out was Meredith Vande Zande.

Vande Zande played No. 3 singles this year for the Suns. She took third at the sectional and finished with a 20-7 record.

Vande Zande is not far from being able to play at No. 1 or No. 2 singles or doubles. She only lacked experience compared to Keberle and Schaetz, but not by much.

“I think in another year I think she will be able to compete at that level,” Vraney said, adding Vande Zande won the No. 2 singles flight at a tournament in Cedarburg this season.

The Suns are slated to have their top three singles players and top two doubles back for next season. Thus it leaves no opening for a player such as Vande Zande to make it to state.

Vraney is disappointed about that, but said her hands are tied with the amount of talent she has in the program, a team that sent six of seven flights to the sectional this year.

East’s top-five flights went a combined 102-30.

The Suns’ only losses to graduation will be Emily Fahrenkrug (No. 4 singles) and Ashley Liebner (No. 3 doubles).

“The lineup will probably be very similar next year,” Vraney said. “The future looks really good for West Bend East the next three years.”

This season, the Suns won the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference championship for the first time since splitting it with Slinger in 2007. East last won the WLT outright in 2006.

“It’s really exciting; it’s really nice to have that security,” Schaetz said.

At state, Schaetz, who went 24-3 this season, will face New Richmond’s Mattie Kidder (20-6) at noon today. The winner will face Keberle at 7 p.m. today. Keberle is the No. 2 seed in the tournament, behind only Homestead’s Elizabeth Konon (25-0). Konon is the two-time defending singles champion.

East has never had a state tennis champion.

Dassow and Bensen (16-10) will face Appleton North’s Kitt Richards and Natalie Sheu (8-5) at 1:30 p.m. today in a rematch.

Dassow and Bensen lost a close match at the sectional to Richards and Sheu, 6-4, 7-6 (6).

Vraney wasn’t worried about the possibility of getting or not getting a special qualifier for Dassow and Bensen as Richards and Sheu went on to finish fourth at the sectional.

Vraney said those players for Appleton North were two singles players converted to doubles.

“They’ve had a great season,” Vraney said of Dassow and Bensen.

Slinger senior a tough, rare matchup for opponents

Daily News (West Bend, Wis).
Published: Oct. 24, 2013

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News Sports Editor

Slinger’s girls volleyball coach Michelle Lastovich thought she had seen it all in more 30 years in the sport.

That was until she met Wynter Elder.

Elder, a senior on the Owls’ varsity team, possesses a unique trait: She’s ambidextrous.

But only in volleyball. Otherwise, she’s right-handed.

“I think it just came out of nowhere,” Elder said. “It probably came from messing around in practice.

“It just eventually came where I could use it in a game.”

Elder can execute a kill with either arm, which gives the Owls an unique weapon on the court.

“It’s a huge advantage for a hitter to be able to hit with both arms,” Lastovich said.

Slinger hopes Elder can use this unique trait to her advantage when the Owls host Sheboygan North in a WIAA Division 1 regional semifinal tonight.

The Division 1 portion of the WIAA state tournament series starts tonight, while Living Word Lutheran will play its secondround match at Hilbert. Kettle Moraine Lutheran’s title defense also starts tonight.

“The girls are super excited and rightfully so, they’ve earned it,” Lastovich said about the Owls getting a home match to start the regional. “They worked hard in the season. In general, the girls have put together a nice season, much better than last year. I’m very proud of them.”

Lastovich, who is in her second season as Slinger’s head coach, saw Elder dabble hitting with both arms a bit during the summer. Then as the high school season got going, Lastovich’s eyes were opened by Elder’s ability.

Then she had to figure out if she’d ever seen it in her volleyball life which dates back to when she was in fifth grade.

So she called friends and former teammates just to see if they could remember ever playing with or against someone who could do what Elder could do. Nobody could remember it.

Elder said it probably helps her stand out.

Opposing coaches have noticed and have asked Lastovich to make sure they were seeing it right.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with those coaches,” Lastovich said.

The ability to be able to swing with both arms came to fruition during the club season last year. She noticed her left arm was getting stronger. She wouldn’t work on it in practice all that much.

Her right arm is her dominant arm, but being able to swing with both arms keeps opponents guessing when Elder goes up for a kill.

“When you’re looking at somebody who’s hitting out of the middle, they might set up the block for someone who is right-handed then have to adjust,” Lastovich said.

There is not much planning as to which side Elder will utilize; it’s a spur-of-the-moment thing. In a just a second or two, Elder will dissect where the ball is being set, how the block is being set up and how the defense is set up. That dictates which arm she’ll swing with.

Sometimes, she’ll even change it in mid-flight.

“It gives the other team something to think about,” Elder said, adding it keeps other teams guessing.

“It’s very surprising to me. It’s something I got used to where I could use my left arm as a safety. It’s not something I can work on. It’s become a habit.”

Bucher Turns Racing Dream Into Reality

Published on National Speed Sport News on Oct. 15, 2013

http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/racing-nation/plains/bucher-turns-racing-dream-into-reality/

By Nicholas Dettmann

BEAVER DAM, Wis. – Jim Bucher watched race cars whip around the short tracks of southeastern Wisconsin with much admiration for those people behind the wheel for many years.
He never thought he’d be one of those people. And for four-plus seasons now, Bucher, 38, of Richfield, Wis., is one of them, which by itself is an impressive accomplishment for the real estate broker.
As of five years ago, he had no idea how to change the oil on his car, let alone did he know what the parts underneath the hood of his car did. He’d tell you he’d be the last person to ask for car advice.
But he loved the sport so much, he knew it was something he wouldn’t mind trying if he was afforded the opportunity.
Then one day his wife gave him the go-ahead.
“My wife and I were done having kids, so she said, ‘Go ahead, buy a race car,’” he said.
And he did.
Bucher’s “spectacular” racing career, he said, started at the end of the 2007 season. Growing up, he admired the drivers at Slinger Super Speedway, which was less than 30 minutes from his hometown of Menomonee Falls, Wis., a northwest suburb of Milwaukee.
“I had been going to tracks in the area trying to figure out what to get into, saw the Legends, and knew right then what I was going to race,” he said.
As one would imagine, it wasn’t easy. However, Bucher was prepared to do his homework.
After the 2007 season, he took apart his entire Legends car, piece by piece, just so he could learn what each part was and what it did. To help him through the process, he took pictures at each stage that he took a part off the car so he knew where it needed to be returned on the car.
He did most of his learning by himself. He did have some outside help, though. Dan Troyan and Chris Johnson were there and willing to help.
“It gave me people to bounce ideas off of,” Bucher said. “I had a lot of self-doubt. It’s nice to have someone to call at any time and give you a pointer.”
He made a lot of phone calls at the start. At times, he felt a bit guilty about how often he’d bug them. Troyan was good with engine setup and tuning, while Johnson, a former modified driver, was good with the suspension.
With more work, a lot of hours of consultation and practice, Bucher began to figure it out. He was able to figure out how to change the oil on the car.
Bucher thought when he showed up at the race track for the first time as a driver, not as a spectator, he was going to be embarrassed.
To his surprise, Bucher was welcomed with open arms by the people he was going to race against and try to beat. That was enough of a reason to stick with it.
“It’s just a great group,” Bucher said. “I can’t imagine racing anything else.”
Racing provided a solace for Bucher, a way to get away from the hustle and bustle of owning a business.
“To me, I guess it’s more of a relaxation thing,” he said. “It’s a time where I need to completely focus on what I’m doing.
“It’s just a time away where I can clear my head and not worry about the everyday financial business stuff.”
Racing put him at ease. He couldn’t chance focusing on anything else but racing once strapped into his car. If he let his focus just slip a little bit, it could’ve been disastrous. After a while, he felt more at ease in his car, whipping around area dirt tracks, sometimes racing on the edge of disaster.
That still holds true to this day, even after a scary accident in 2008, just about a year after his racing career began.
“It was the second lap,” he recalled. “I remember that somebody got down into the infield and everybody checked up. I was on the high side and I clipped them. I was feeling nauseous. I opened my eyes and I was spinning. Next time I opened my eyes, I saw feet (from the safety workers outside the car).”
Since then, the crashes haven’t been as scary and he’s figured out how to win races, too.
In 2012, he took his first checkered flag in a heat race at Beaver Dam Raceway.
This year, he added another heat race victory. And he had a strong 2013 season on the third-mile dirt oval about an hour northwest of Milwaukee.
Bucher finished seventh in the points standings at Beaver Dam and in the top 10 of the national standings in the pro division. At one point this season, he had 14 top-10 finishes, including 10 in a row. His best finish was fourth July 13. Combined in heat races and features, Bucher averaged a seventh place finish.
As the season’s laps clicked away, Bucher decided to continue to learn so he experimented with different car setups to no avail.
“It was consistent until the last month,” Bucher said about the season. “I tried a couple things that didn’t work out.”
He experimented with different car setups, such as spring and suspension combinations. In his first 14 starts of the season, he had just one finish outside the top 10. He had five in the final six weeks of the season.
Going into the INEX Dirt Legends Nationals, which was held last weekend at Bucher’s home track, Beaver Dam, Bucher was nervous.
“It’s exciting to have it here,” Bucher said. “But then there’s the added pressure that I race 25 times a year (at Beaver Dam) so it’s expected for me to do well. It’s expected the guys from Wisconsin should do well because we’re here all the time.”
“I’m nervous just because I know I need to perform well and with the way I ended my season, it wasn’t how I wanted it to end,” he added. “I did change everything back.”
Bucher went on to finish 15th in the 16-car field after being caught up in a crash just short of the halfway point.

IndyCar’s Future Looks Bright In Milwaukee

Posted on National Speed Sport News on Oct. 16, 2013

http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/indy/izod-indycar/milwaukee-indyfest-has-new-sponsor/

by Nicholas Dettmann

WEST ALLIS, Wis. — An immensely popular track by its competitors, with history deeper than Indianapolis, is staying on the IndyCar schedule for at least another two seasons.
Andretti Sports Marketing announced Wednesday morning it reached an agreement with ABC Supply Company to sponsor the IndyCar race at the Milwaukee Mile for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The event will be called the ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 at Milwaukee IndyFest.
The dates will be Aug. 16-17 next season.
“We’re very excited to sponsor the race in our home state of Wisconsin at the historic Milwaukee Mile,” said Diane Hendricks, ABC Supply Founder and Chairman of the Board. “We have a large number of associates and customers in the Wisconsin area and are happy for the opportunity to support the oldest and longest operating motor speedway in the world.
“As a sponsor of A.J. Foyt Racing for almost 10 years, we’re thrilled to play a small part in open-wheel racing in Wisconsin.”
ABC Supply Co. Inc. is the largest wholesale distributor of roofing in the United States and is one of the nation’s largest distributors of siding, windows and other exterior building products.
The full IndyCar schedule is scheduled to be released at 8 p.m. (ET) Oct. 17 on the NBC Sports Network.
The Milwaukee Mile got back onto the schedule in 2011 after a one-year hiatus. The track has gone wholesale changes as it tries to recover from poor business management, which left the track’s future in jeopardy.
Dario Franchitti won the race in 2011. The last two years have seen the event run and promoted by Andretti Sports Marketing, led by five-time Milwaukee winner Michael Andretti. Ryan Hunter-Reay has won the last two races at the Mile, the first to win back-to-back races at the Mile since Tony Kanaan (2006 and 2007).
Andretti is also a five-time winning car owner at the Mile.
“We love Milwaukee; I can tell you that,” Andretti said after Hunter-Reay’s victory in June. “As a team, it was great. As a driver, it was great for me. Now as a promoter, it’s great.
“I’m excited about how today went obviously went with the win, but also with the people that showed up to support the race. I think it’s a great day. I think a lot of people had a lot of fun out there with the Indy festival. Hopefully we can get this figured out and get this thing to stay on the map.”
The race weekend will also feature the Indy Lights Series and the Pro Mazda Championship Series, along with an infield midway, beer garden and live music. Tickets go on sale Nov. 13.
“Racing at the Milwaukee Mile, the world’s longest running race track, is always exciting,” said Kevin Healy, managing director for Andretti Sports Marketing. “We’re thrilled to announce the ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 at Milwaukee IndyFest, a new title sponsor and a new date to continue the tradition of IndyCar racing at the Mile.”
Andretti was also part of one of the most iconic races in IndyCar history, which was at The Milwaukee Mile. In 1991, Andretti finished ahead of is cousin, John Andretti, and his father, Mario Andretti. It was the first time in worldwide racing history three members from the same family finished a race 1-2-3. A poster of the three celebrating the moment still hangs inside the media center at the track.
The Milwaukee Mile, which is located on the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds just west of Milwaukee, opened in 1903, six years before the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In addition to auto racing, dirt and asphalt, the Mile also hosted Green Bay Packers games from 1934-1951. The 1939 NFL Championship was played at the Mile.
The track also hosted the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series from 1995-2009 and the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 1984 and 1985, then again from 1993-2009. And for the past two years, it has hosted an ARCA Midwest Tour special, the Howie Lettow 150, attracted about 100 late-model stock car drivers from around the country, including NASCAR’s best.
Pat Flaherty won the first USAC race run at The Milwaukee on June 10, 1956.
Babe Stapp won a AAA Series race Aug. 27, 1939.
From 1983 until 2009, the race at The Milwaukee Mile was run the weekend after the Indianapolis 500. At that time, the popularity of the track and for the IndyCar Series was high. But a change in management forced IndyCar to pull the track off the schedule for 2010.
Many drivers have said Milwaukee is a track that has the speed of an oval, but drives like a road course, especially with its long, looping and flat turns. Side-by-side racing is also a frequent occurrence.
“The Milwaukee Mile always gives a fantastic race,” Helio Castroneves said in June.

West thanks longtime supporter

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Oct. 3, 2013

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News Sports Editor

Tammy Schinker was worried, just like any mother would be when her son needs emergency care.
One year later, she and a handful of other West Bend West football parents said their thanks for the man who often held their hands throughout those tough times with their sons on the gridiron.
Before Friday’s game against Watertown, the parents of the Spartans’ football program paused and honored Dr. Gary Herdrich, the man who has been the team doctor since 1984.
It was a brief ceremony, but one that was needed, Schinker said.
“It’s amazing because he has such dedication for the program,” she added.
Herdrich felt a bit guilty about all the hoopla. It was his job.
“My job is to be the team doctor,” he said. “It’s not about me, it’s about them. It’s about the kids.”
Herdrich has helped hundreds, maybe even thousands of West football players throughout his tenure. When it started in 1983 on a part-time basis, he had no loyalty to West or West Bend East. It was just the West spot became open for him. It’s a spot he hasn’t let go of since.
In 30 years at his post, Herdrich has missed three games — all in the past two years.
On countless occasions, Herdrich will go to more than one game in a day, if it is possible, just to be with the kids. He wanted to be able to look out for them and also be there ready to help.
Before 1988, the team doctor wasn’t required to travel with the team. It still isn’t. However, Herdrich didn’t like that. The protocol at that time was medical coverage for road games would be by the host team medical staff.
As no disrespect to the other doctors, Herdrich believed he needed to be there because nobody would know the West players better than he did.
“I was always concerned with the players when they were away,” he said.
Plus, he didn’t think it was fair for kids to keep getting passed from doctor to doctor, wasting valuable time, just to find out what was wrong and what needed to be done.
So when Tammy Schinker’s son, Jordan, broke his leg early last season for the Spartans, Herdrich knew what happened, knew what needed to be done and knew the right people to help get the job finished as soon as possible.
Having that expertise right alongside her in the emergency room that night was a blessing for Schinker. He was a sight for sore eyes.
“I knew somebody was there if I had questions,” Schinker said.
Having Herdrich around was also a benefit after Jordan Schinker had his surgery and was released to go home. Herdrich helped get Schinker home and into his house. Then he stopped by frequently to check in on him, offering moral support.
“He was very thoughtful,” Tammy Schinker said. “He stopped in more often than when the coaches had the opportunity to. He didn’t have to do that. He went out of his way numerous times.”
He even brought over some ice cream. Not because he had to. It was because he wanted to.
“It’s just a rewarding experience and just do it to help them,” Herdrich said.
When Jordan Schinker broke his leg, it came early in a season where he had high hopes on the gridiron. It was supposed to be his big season in hopes of working toward playing college football.
In the hours, weeks and months following the injury, Schinker and his family were crushed.
“I was very concerned about how he would take this mentally,” Tammy Schinker said.
No fear, Herdrich was there.
“I was suprrised he came out of his way to stop at our house,” Schinker said, adding he would talk to Jordan about keeping his spirits up and, like he’d tell all the players on the team, to make sure their grades stay up.
Herdrich decided to pursue medicine when he was in third grade as his neighbor was a doctor.
“I thought he could do everything,” Herdrich said. “When I was really young, I wanted to be like him.”
Before that, Herdrich thought he’d go into priesthood.
“I decided there was women in the world,” he joked.
Herdrich got his bachelor’s degree and his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin.
“It’s rewarding to see guys come back that I took care of or helped,” he said.
He’s also a big football fan at heart.
During the game, West public address announcer Bill Albrecht read off various factoids about Herdrich. One of them was Herdrich once received a 15-yard penalty. He loves football.
So during the ceremony, all he could think about was getting the team into the locker room and get ready for the game.
“It was very touching to me,” he said. “I didn’t really know what to say. I didn’t know it was happening.”
“I felt like I was not as appreciative as I should’ve been,” he added.
The second the ceremony ended, he quickly said let’s play football. The team has a job to do and so does he.
“It was pretty overwhelming,” Herdrich said.

COLUMN: Making sense of mess ... maybe

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Oct. 1, 2013

When you’re looking at upward of more than 100 schools scattered across at least eight conferences, it’s going to be impossible to make everybody happy.
That was evident at last week’s final WIAA Area Meeting at Fox Valley Lutheran High School in Appleton. Whenever a school representative stepped up to one of the microphones scattered throughout the auditorium where the meeting was held, there was some disagreement about that person’s proposal. This went on and on.
And that’s what this Green Bay Realignment Plan is going to do, go on and on.
Kettle Moraine Lutheran Athletic Director Len Collyard said he wants the Chargers to stay in the Wisconsin Flyway Conference.
“I think the travel issue for us, if we go to that new conference, would be too big to overcome,” he said after last week’s meeting. “I think it would hurt us in terms of our enrollment and the interest in our athletic programs.
“It would not be a good fit.”
He had support from other Flyway schools, including Winnebago Lutheran Academy.
This proposal, which began about three years ago, has KML joining a newly formed conference, joining Kewaskum, Berlin, Campbellsport, Plymouth, Ripon, Waupun and Winneconne.
Kewaskum Athletic Director Jason Piittmann is OK with the proposal. His only worry was between the new conference and the proposed new Eastern Wisconsin, there is a mix of spring and summer baseball teams. He believes the schools will be able to come together and assemble a summer baseball-only conference.
As for Collyard, he plans to be firm to keep KML in the Flyway. The new conference, which doesn’t have a name, would draw schools from the Eastern Valley, the Eastern Wisconsin and the Flyway.
Collyard said he will appeal if a proposal has KML in any other conference than the Flyway. He likely won’t be the only one as many schools are disappointed with their proposed placement.
Fox Valley Lutheran and Xavier weren’t fans of being split into separate conferences as they play in one of the state’s longest-running rivalry football games, the Apple Bowl, which has been played annually since the 1960s.
There is also the problem of what’s going to happen to the schools requesting to leave their respective conferences in southeastern Wisconsin, such as West Bend East and West Bend West, Wisconsin Lutheran, Wauwatosa East and Milwaukee Lutheran, to name a few.
When you put all these requests together, you may be looking at a complete realignment shift with schools from Green Bay south to the Racine area or, in other words, almost 40 percent of the state’s high schools.
Conference realignment is not unprecedented. It’s more common than most people think. But what we’re seeing right now is unprecedented. It is quite possible we’ll see a different layout of the state and its high school athletic conferences within the next 2-3 years.
Will it happen? It doesn’t appear so. The plan is just too complicated.
There are too many variables and too many schools to make everybody happy or even satisfied and willing to compromise. Declining enrollments throughout the state is what’s triggered these discussions. Geographic location is the next most important factor as tight budgets make it tough for teams to travel extensively, especially in a conference season.
If the WIAA’s Board of Control gives the OK and the realignment plan moves forward, you can bet there will be an appeal by a school, and don’t be surprised if there are multiple appeals, which will surely drag on the plan. Each school is trying to do what’s best for its particular situation and you can’t fault them for that. Every school has a different situation.
There is a reason why this realignment plan has been on the table for three years. There are too many schools involved. Scaling it back may be the best solution.

Massive realignment imminent for WIAA

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Sept. 26, 2013

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News Sports Editor

APPLETON — The WIAA will move forward with the Green Bay Realignment following a lengthy discussion Wednesday at Fox Valley Lutheran High School.
“I thought it went very well,” WIAA Associate Director Deb Hauser said about the discussion.
After a handful of school administrators expressed their opinion about the proposal, which looks to impact about 90 schools in northeastern and eastern Wisconsin, including Kewaskum and Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Hauser said the plan is ready to move forward.
Hauser added she will re-draft the proposal and have it ready for all those involved by Oct. 11. From there, it will go to the WIAA’s Board of Control for its Dec. 6 meeting. If approved, teams will have up to 40 days to appeal. If there are no objections, the plan would go into effect for the 2015-16 school year.
If there are objections after an OK from the Board of Control, the target date of implication would still be possible.
If the Board of Control rejects the plan or modifies it at December’s meeting, a re-draft would then be required and the target date may be extended.
Hauser said this is a plan that has been in the works for about three years. It will happen, she added. When it’ll happen may still need to be determined.
The proposal combines Kewaskum and KML into one conference, which doesn’t have a name as of now, with Berlin, Campbellsport, Plymouth, Ripon, Waupun and Winneconne.
The Eastern Wisconsin Conference, which Kewaskum is a member of, would have Brillion, Chilton, Kiel, New Holstein, Roncalli, Sheboygan Falls, Two Rivers and Valders. The Flyway Conference, which KML is a member of, would have Laconia, Lomira, Mayville, North Fond du Lac, Omro, Saint Lawrence Seminary, St. Mary’s Springs and Winnebago Lutheran Academy.
Kewaskum athletic director Jason Piittmann supports the change.
KML athletic director Len Collyard doesn’t support it.
“We’re better off staying in the Flyway Conference and figure out some other options for that new conference,” Collyard said.
Collyard had support from other Flyway schools, such as Winnebago Lutheran.
“We like the rivalries we’ve built over the years,” WLA Principal Dave Schroeder said, adding it doesn’t want KML to leave the conference.
If the plan, which has KML in any other conference other than the Flyway, is OK’d by the Board of Control, Collyard said expect KML to appeal it.
“I think the travel issue for us if we go to that new conference would be too big to overcome,” he added. “I think it would hurt us in terms of our enrollment and the interest in our athletic programs.
“It would not be a good fit.”
The other conferences involved are the Fox River Classic, the Fox Valley Association, the Eastern Valley, the Bay, the Marinette-Oconto, the Olympian and the Packerland.
Also jumping into the mix Wednesday was the Central Lakeshore, which consists of Cedar Grove, Elkhart Lake, Howards Grove, Kohler, Oostburg, Ozaukee, Random Lake, Sheboygan Christian and Sheboygan Lutheran.
“I was very pleased with the Central Lakeshore folks coming up to engage and maybe provide a solution we hadn’t considered before,” Hauser said.
Representatives from the CLC suggested to combine its conference with Hilbert, Manitowoc Lincoln, Mishicot, Reedsville and St. Mary Central as the CLC is down to six schools which have 11-player football.
“They’re trying to help themselves and I applaud them for doing that,” Hauser said.
Geographic location and enrollment were the biggest factors into how Hauser and the WIAA setup the proposal. It was also those two elements that were heavily discussed by the members.
The other area of concern was being able to schedule football games, specifically nonconference games. Maintaining rivalries was a hot topic as well. Hauser said those rivalries were not considered in the draft of the plan.
Collyard said the new alignment would create a number of trips longer than 45 minutes, one way. The Flyway already has Omro, which is a stretch for travel as it is, he added.
“It’d be a problem for our students,” Collyard said, adding being competitive wouldn’t be a problem.
Travel doesn’t bother Kewaskum as much.
One concern Piittmann had was summer baseball as the new EWC and the proposed new conference have a mix of spring and summer baseball teams, but believes it is an easy fix.
“I think we’ll be able to make a summer baseball-only conference,” he said.

East, West ask out of Little Ten

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Sept. 19, 2013

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News Sports Editor

OCONOMOWOC — First Wisconsin Lutheran, now West Bend East and West Bend West have decided its time for a change.
East Athletic Director Jeff Rondorf and West Athletic Director Scott Stier made a request to the WIAA on Wednesday to withdraw from the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference and join the North Shore Conference. The request was made during the fourth of seven area meetings throughout the state. The meeting was at Oconomowoc High School.
The move comes a week after Wisconsin Lutheran also requested to leave the Little Ten, citing geographic location as the biggest problem.
What might work in East's and West's favor is the schools play North Shore summer baseball, and both play schools from the conference in nonconference play in the other sports.
"The reality is that this has been talked about for the last few years," Stier said. "Transportation always seemed to make sense with the North Shore.
"Then last year it came back on the plate as far as conversation when our boys swim co-op was denied by the Little Ten."
Stier and Rondorf said they've enjoyed the relationship they've had with each of the Little Ten schools.
Milwaukee Lutheran, a member of the Little Ten in spring baseball and the North Shore in other sports, requested to leave the North Shore as well Wednesday. In addition, the Rock Valley Conference requested realignment, as did Johnson Creek High School. Milwaukee Lutheran would like to move to the Woodland Conference, which is believed to be a possible destination for Wisconsin Lutheran.
Milwaukee Lutheran principal Matt Pankow made the request. According to the 2013-14 enrollment figures provided by the WIAA, Milwaukee Lutheran has 606 students, the lowest in the North Shore.
"It's been difficult for us to be competitive," Pankow said.
With Milwaukee Lutheran potentially leaving the North Shore, at least two teams want into the North Shore.
More of these requests could be on the way with three more area meetings yet to be held, including one Wednesday at Fox Valley Lutheran High School in Appleton. After that meeting, the WIAA will meet with more than 80 schools from nine conferences about a massive realignment, which includes Kewaskum and Kettle Moraine Lutheran and almost all schools from Green Bay to Milwaukee. That plan is called the Green Bay Realignment.
The WIAA's Associate Director Deb Hauser said there are at least six other requests from schools and/or conferences requesting realignment. On Friday, the WIAA's Board of Control approved the realignment of four conferences, including giving the OK for Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam to move from the Midwest Classic Conference, which has Living Word Lutheran, to the Trailways Conference, and move St. Francis from the Woodland to the Midwest Classic.
Per WIAA rule, membership schools have a 40-day window to file an appeal. Final action will be made Oct. 23.
With changes on the horizon, Hauser said she couldn't say if and when East's and West's request will be granted.
The request leaves the Little Ten with five teams still committed to the conference. WLT commissioner Becky Blank declined comment.
After Wednesday's meeting, Slinger Athletic Director Dan Karius said he and the administrative staff will look at possible options as a precaution, but have no plans to do anything right now.
Hartford Activities Coordinator Jill Stobber was not available for comment.
The WIAA oversees more than 500 senior high schools. If all these proposals go through, more than 100 schools would be affected, or at least one-fifth of the schools in the state, if not more.
"It's so much up in the air who knows what's going to happen," Karius said. "It's just a request right now. Probably in a year or two, (the WIAA) will look at realigning the southeastern (Wisconsin) area.”

No fear of the water

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Sept. 13, 2013

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News Staff

Edith Schultz loves the water, even if it scared her almost three generations earlier.
When she was 6 years old, she and her family were vacationing at a lake. She sat on her father's shoulders as they walked into the lake. When they came to a small ridge under the surface, her father stumbled and she fell off his shoulders and into the water. A friend quickly pulled her out.
She didn't want to be afraid.
When she was 10, she taught herself how to swim by hanging to a rope in deep water and pretending to swim. When she let go of the rope, she floated and swam.
"I just always loved the water," she said. "I've always loved to swim."
She only likes to swim in a pool, not a lake.
"I don't like the weeds touching my legs," she joked, adding with a whisper she doesn't like to swim with the fish ... er, leavings.
"I really should be afraid of the water," she added with a smile.
Schultz turned 90 in April, but it doesn't show. She doesn't have a sedentary lifestyle. She swims about three times a week for an hour, she walks, stretches and eats healthily.
Growing up she didn't have a lot of reasons to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Her father smoked and died of lung cancer, but was 80 when he died. He quit smoking at 50.
"I always try to do the right thing and stay healthy," she said.
On Saturday, she'll compete in the Wisconsin Senior Olympics at the Shorewood Recreation and Community Services VHE Community Pool, where she'll swim in three events. She's been doing the event each year since 2006 and has won 20 medals.
The Senior Olympics is for athletes 50 and older.
"I wanted to defy that," she said about what happened to her when she was 6. "I'm not going to be afraid of the water."
Schultz loves what swimming has to offer: physical and mental relief.
Swimming is a low-impact exercise because it doesn't cause stress to one's joints. It is also one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise as it is a full-body workout.
"I love to swim," Schultz said.
Schultz grew up in Lodz, Poland, about four and a half hours east of Berlin, but is of German ancestry. Throughout her childhood, she swam whenever she could find the time, whether it was at school or at the local YMCA.
She moved to the United States in 1948 and lived in Douglas County. She was 25 at the time.
She moved to the U.S. because she met this good-looking guy who was stationed at an airport outside of Munich, which was controlled by the U.S. She left Poland when Russia invaded the country during the early weeks of World War II and she went to Germany.
At that time, there was no civil, or private, mail from Europe to the U.S. So she asked a young man, an American soldier, if he could mail a letter for her. She'd write the letter and he'd mail it back to the U.S., where she had family in New Jersey. The family would then write back to him and he'd deliver the letter to her, as a messenger.
Some time later, the young man was discharged and returned home to the U.S. She asked him to introduce her to another soldier who could continue their agreement.
That man, Robert, became her husband and they were married for 52 years. He died in 2000.
"He was watching me all the time," she said with a smile.
For the next three years, Schultz lived alone in a big place at Voyager Village in Webster. She got lonely.
"It got too much for me to take care of the outside," Schultz said. "So I was looking for a place to move to retire."
While there, she became friends with a couple that went on to retire and move to Cedarburg. They discovered Cedar Ridge in West Bend.
"She said, 'You have to come down and see this,'" Schultz recalled.
Schultz took the tour and liked what she saw. She was convinced Cedar Ridge was the place for her the moment she saw the pool.
"My mind was made up," she said. "That was it. I wanted to live here."
She moved in March 2003.
For the next three years, she swam recreationally, but often.
"It's relaxing," Schultz said. "My doctor always tells me it's the best exercise I can do."
At 90, Schultz doesn't take any medications and doesn't need any canes or walkers to help her get around.
A neighbor, who was 91 in 2006, introduced her to the Senior Olympics. She was a competitive swimmer.
"When they met me, they said, 'Come on. Do it,'" Schultz said. "So I did."
She won two medals in her first attempt.
"I always just did it for fun," she said.
She also likes being the unofficial spokeswoman for healthy living. She eats fresh vegetables and doesn't drink soda. She also walks a lot and encourages people to not quit if you feel a little pain. That's a good sign.
"I just go to the doctor once a year and my tests are always normal," Schultz said.
"I always feel rejuvenated," she added about what she feels after a good swim. "It makes me feel good."
She wants you to feel good, too.

Proposed bill could affect high school athletics

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published:  Sept. 25, 2013

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News Staff

A proposed bill would allow non-public school students to participate in extracurricular activities, including sports, at a public school.
Supporters said it’s a way to get more students involved in activities, while others believe the pending bill is not necessary and there are concerns people will abuse the law, if enacted.
WIAA Executive Director Dave Anderson is urging the organization’s membership to call their state representative and vote no.
Act 118.133 sparked controversy for high school sports in Wisconsin, forcing one delegate at a recent WIAA area meeting to say the bill will be an assault on public schools. The proposed legislation was drafted by Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, R-Fond du Lac.
If passed as a bill, it would allow students from private, home, independent charter and virtual schools to participate in public school extracurricular activities.
“I’d hear from parents that they don’t have an opportunity to get involved in extracurricular activities and I don’t think that’s fair,” Thiesfeldt said.
In addition, pupils, “who are enrolled in a private school or independent charter school, the bill applies only to those sports that the private school or charter school does not offer.”
The bill is in its infant stages and is going through a re-draft to “close some loopholes,” said Hariah Hutkowski, Thiesfeldt’s chief of staff, adding the hope is to get it ready for discussion within another week.
There was one point Thiesfeldt wanted to make clear to those who are apprehensive: “There’s no guarantee they’ll make the team,” he said.
“Ultimately I think the kids don’t worry too much where the kids come from,” he added. “They’re there to compete and sometimes you lose in competition. ... I think it’s a positive thing when we get more kids involved in athletics.”
That isn’t sitting well with the WIAA, which consists of more than 500 high schools in the state.
“We have concerns,” Anderson said during a WIAA area meeting last week in Oconomowoc. “Do not sign on to this bill.”
“I don’t think the bill is necessary,” he added.
If passed, it would go into effect July 1.
“The WIAA has taken a historical position on this and it’s a strong belief students need to be full-time students of that school,” Anderson said, adding this has been the WIAA’s position since the organization’s founding almost 120 years ago.
The bill would also, ”prohibit a school district from being a member of an athletic association unless the association requires member school districts to allow such pupils to participate in interscholastic athletics.”
If that happens, schools would ultimately be forfeiting the possibility to compete for a WIAA state championship if they don’t comply.
“I’m supportive of the WIAA on that without a doubt,” Slinger Athletic Director Dan Karius said. “I think if you’re going to be participating in a school’s extracurricular activities, which are a privilege, then you need to be a student of that school.”
Thiesfeldt and his staff are working on making sure the system isn’t abused, such as a student becoming academically ineligible at a school then deciding to go into homeschooling just to become eligible.
Athletic directors at the WIAA meeting immediately raised concerns about policing a student’s eligibility. Thiesfeldt’s office said that won’t be a problem as those applying to take advantage of the bill would have to submit a letter to a school board and it would act as a statement under oath. If the statements prove to be false, the offending party could face legal punishment.
“What we’re hoping to do is make it less burdensome for everyone involved,” Hutkowski said.
Pointing to rural schools which may struggle to field full teams, this bill could help increase participation.
“This could be an opportunity to field a team whereas that couldn’t before,” Thiesfeldt said.