SPASH
Football: The Panthers showed they will be a football force to be reckoned with after soundly defeating defending state champion D.C. Everest 37-16. The win also broke the Evergreens' 36-game Wisconsin Valley Conference winning streak.
Everest took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter but Cory Flisakowski (eight yards) and Justin Haley (53 yards) both had touchdown runs to give the Panthers a 14-3 advantage. The Evergreens answered with a TD of their own, but SPASH then scored 17 unanswered points to take a commanding 30-10 lead. Flisakowski (two-yard run) and Haley (36-yard interception return) found the end zone for the second time in the quarter. Flisakowski, who finished with 147 yards rushing, completed the scoring for SPASH with a four-yard touchdown run.
Boys cross country: SPASH opened its season with a fourth place finish at the Marshfield Columbus Invitational Saturday, scoring 77 points. White Bear Lake, Minn. was first with 53, Marshfield took second with 66 and Stillwater, Minn. finished third with 74.
Josh Garbe paced the Panthers with a fourth place finish in 16:51. A.J. Moen (20th in 17:42), Chris Solinksy (26th in 17:46), Chris Jahntz (31st in 17:59) rounded out the top five. Curt Mitchell (53rd in 18:39), Scott Winkleman (55th in 18:41) and Kyle Patoka (61st in 18:54) also ran for SPASH.
Girls cross country: The Panthers finished second, 33 points behind rival D.C. Everest, 22-55. Kjersten Johnson led SPASH with a 15th place finish (16:30), while Alexis Sustman (20th in 16:33), Kim Klosno (21st in 16:36), Laine Willkom (23rd in 16:42) and Katie Ziehr (24th in 16:47) completed the scoring for the Panthers. Also running were Becky Wise (43rd in 17:30) and Danielle Gralla (74th in 18:30).
Girls swimming: The Panthers swept La Crosse Central and La Crosse Logan in a double dual meet Tuesday. SPASH, which beat Central 130-40 and Logan 132-37, have a big test Thursday Sept. 9 against Eau Claire Memorial.
Liz Potter (first place in the 200-yard freestyle in 2:08.93), Megan Ziolkowski (third place in 100 butterfly in 1:13.20), Megan Golla (third place in the 200 individual medley in 2:33.04) and Hillary Loomis (second place in the 100 butter fly in 1:06.78) all had their best times of the season.
SPASH opened defense of its Wisconsin Valley Conference title Thursday, Sept. 2 with a 112-58 dual win over Wausau East.
SPASH coach George Klingbail singled out senior Marie Jacobs (first in the 100 backstroke and 200 medley relay), junior Heather Wallner, sophomore Rachel Koehler and freshman Callie Wild.
Girls volleyball: The Panthers took 10th place at the University of Wisconsin-Stout Sprawl. SPASH split its Saturday action in the two-day tournament, beating Webster and Turtle Lake. Rachel Kreuser had 78 kills during the weekend to lead the Panthers.
Pacelli
Football: Touchdown runs from Neil Jurgella and Steve Wiczek, coupled by a stingy defense, gave the Cardinals a big 14-7 win over La Crosse Aquinas.
Pacelli held the Blugolds to just 101 total yards (93 on the ground) while five Cardinal runners combined for 251, led by Jurgella's 164 on 23 carries.
The Cardinals jumped to a 14-0 lead on a 55-yard Jurgella scamper and a one-yard Wiczek run. Aquinas scored in the third quarter on a David Murray one-yard TD.
Boys cross country: Pacelli's Franz Klein led his team at the Marshfield Columbus Invitational with a 28th place finish in 17:48. The Cardinals were seventh in Division 2 with 195 points. Nick Gross (134th in 21:04), Chris Fletcher (143rd in 21:18), Nate Kryshak (146th in 21:25) and Joe Miller (152nd in 21:41) completed Pacelli's top five. Paul Marten (183rd in 23:24), Jason Lepak (192nd in 25:13) and Nathan Herbert (193rd in 25:30) also ran for the Cardinals.
Girls cross country: Pacelli had only one competitor at its first meet of the season, the Marshfield Columbus Invite. Sophomore Katie Hansel finished 65th, covering the 4,000 meter course in 18:15.
Soccer: The Cardinals edged Menasha St. Mary's 3-2 last week in a back-and-forth game. St. Mary's scored first and the team then traded goals. Jamie Friess, Nate Swenson and Steve Baumhofer all found the back of the net for Pacelli. Baumhofer's game-winning goal came in the 40th minute.
Almond-Bancroft
Football: For the second straight game, A-B fell in a close game. This time, the Eagles lost in overtime to Elkhart Lake in a non-conference game Friday. A 21-yard field goal by Josh Henschel in the extra session gave the Resorters the 17-14 win.
Nick Sanchez put A-B on the scoreboard in the first quarter on an 86-yard run and Trevor Dernbach's extra point gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead. Following two unanswered Elkhart Lake touchdowns, A-B rallied at the end of the fourth quarter for a game-tying score. The Eagles covered 65 yards on the drive, which was capped by David Danforth's 9-yard TD pass to Blake Schultz. A-B elected to go for the extra point and the tie, which Dernbach nailed to send the game into OT.
Girls volleyball: After dropping the first game in its match against Bowler, 15-5, A-B rebounded for a 15-5 victory. But Bowler took the deciding game, 15-10, for the Central Wisconsin Conference win.
"Game three was close early on, then we opened a 10-6 lead. Bowler then took over with good serves and offense," A-B coach Roger Young said.
"The team is making improvements. We need to be consistent and have more confidence in ourselves," he said after his team dropped to 0-2 in the CWC and to 1-6 overall.
The Eagles fell to 0-1 in the conference Thursday, Sept. 2 when Tigerton swept A-B in three games, 15-6, 15-9, 15-6.
Amherst
Football: Amherst dropped a non-conference contest at Rosholt, 27-12. (See Rosholt football below)
Boys cross country: In a tune-up for Saturday's SPASH Invitational, the Falcons took top honors at the Wittenberg-Birnamwood Invite. Amherst scored 58 points, enough to top second place Bonduel (66) and third place Port Edwards (67).
Jordan Sellio was Amherst's first finisher, taking fourth in 18:21. Dan Ehr was right behind (5th in 18:31), and Jonathan Bronk (11th in 18:43), Dan Werner (17th in 19:21) and Jeremy Leck (21st in 19:28) completed the top five.
While the win was nice, Amherst coach Rob Sparhawk looking to Saturday.
"I'm really going after the SPASH meet," he said. "Spencer's probably the team to beat in our division."
Girls cross country: Amherst finished third at the Wittenberg-Birnamwood Invite, behind Rosholt and Edgar, after scoring 30 points.
Jane Ovanin led Amherst with a third place finish, covering the 4,000-meter course in 16:07. Samantha Diver (5th in 16:20) also cracked the top five, while Ashley Bavery (15th in 18:46), Jenny Woyak (20th in 19:24) and Leah Hunter (27th in 20:07) also scored for the Falcons. Karen Ehr (28th in 20:08) also ran for Amherst.
Rosholt
Football: The Hornets had to wait a week before hitting the field for an actual game Friday, but led by quarterback Ryan Zdroik, Rosholt handed Amherst its second loss of the season, 27-12.
Zdroik was in on three of Rosholt's touchdowns - a pair of runs and a 34-yard pass to Luke Lane. The Hornets' other score came from Jon Betker's 4-yard run.
Amherst was hurt by four turnovers, three of which led to Rosholt scores. The Falcons were led by running back Paul Konkol, who finished with 82 yards and one touchdown. Amherst quarterback Matt Mehne hit Jason Heinz for a 22-yard score.
Boys cross country: Rosholt only had four runners at it's first meet of the season Tuesday, the Wittenberg-Birnamwood Invite. The Hornets were led by Pat Knutson (13th in 18:55). Joel Skornia was 25th in 20:23, Bob Omernik was 29th in 20:56 and Bart Butler took 44th in 22:11.
"Pat Knutson was with the top six halfway through but faded a bit, (which was) probably due to not (having) enough miles under his belt," Rosholt coach Mike Trzebiatowski said. "Joel and Bob looked improved, especially Bob, who works hard."
Girls cross country: The Hornets wasted no time getting to the winner's circle, edging Edgar 43-44 for the title in their first meet of the year, the Wittenberg-Birmamwood Invite.
Tami Scott paced Rosholt and the rest of the field, winning the 4,000-meter race in 15:38. Jen Zdroik was sixth in 16:29, while Lindsey Peplinski (11th in 17:56), Lisa Yenter (12th in 17:57) and Pirjo Eelmaa (13th in 18:14) rounded out the scoring. Jacki Yenter (14th in 18:34) and Amy Scott (18th in 19:08) and Angela Ryan (29th in 20:21) also competed for the Hornets.
"We ran conservative the first part of the race. We moved up to edge Edgar, who proved to have a good Division 3 team," Trzebiatowski said.
UW-Stevens Point
Women's golf: The Pointers improved to 2-0 in dual matches with a win over Carthage College Tuesday, 364-387. Kathryn Carlson and Jessie Johnson both shot an 18-hole round of 90. Rachel Sime (91), Abby Hall (93), Jenny Roder (93) and Brenda Mason (97) also competed for UW-SP. Playing as individuals for Point were Jill Brenegen (96), Kelly Rogers (96), Katie Walbrandt (108) and Kelly Schroeder (114).
Women's soccer: UW-SP got its second straight win Monday with a 4-1 win over Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. The Pointers fell behind 1-0 before SPASH graduate Marie Muhvic, Brwynn Maas (2), Jenny Davis combined to score four straight goals. UW-SP outshot Gustavus Adolphus 12-7, but Pointers' goalies Brianna Hyslop and Abby Rabinovitz weren't forced to make any saves.
Women's volleyball: The Pointers dropped all four of their matches last weekend at the Elmhurst Invitational. The team also lost one of its top players, Raina Gagnow, who suffered an ankle injury in the team's third match. She is questionable for this weekend's Pointer Invitational, which is Friday and Saturday.