Sports Wrapups: Aug. 31

Homestead girls tennis

The practice courts remain intense as the two-time state champion Highlanders again swept four opponents without losing an individual match in claiming the Brookfield Central Lancer Invitational Aug. 26 and 27.

"Oh, the practices are key, they are everything," said Highlanders coach Jackie Egelhoff of Homestead's second major meet win of the season. "The whole group is working hard, taking it very seriously and not looking beyond the day."

The Highlanders will move outside the area for competition Friday and Saturday when they head out to the Middleton Invitational.

"There should be some individual challenges there," said Egelhoff.

Homestead buried Sheboygan North, two-time defending state Division 2 champion Green Bay Notre Dame, Brookfield East and host Central, all by 7-0 counts, to win the Lancer Invite. The Highlanders dropped only one set (against Notre Dame) over the course of the two-day event.

Particularly impressive was the finals victory over nine-time team state champion Central as the Highlanders dropped only 15 games in the seven individual matches. Two-time state singles champion Aly Coran and freshman Elizabeth Konon (second singles) both won by 6-0, 6-0 counts.

Shorewood boys cross country

The rebuilding Greyhound boy harriers were encouraged by their runner-up finish in their own Early Season Invite on Aug. 26 at Kern Park.

"This was a great way to get the engines warmed up and for coaches to get a good sense of how the runners are going to develop throughout the course of the season," said Shorewood coach Dominic Newman. "This meet is unique as both the varsity and junior varsity ran together."

The Greyhounds turned in a respectable score of 55 as 2009 state Division 1 runner-up Marquette dominated the event with 18 points. Shorewood had four runners record personal bests on varsity and 10 of 11 on JV.

Joseph Pendleton led the way for the Greyhounds, taking third on the 5,000-meter course in a best of 16 minutes, 53 seconds. Keith Dodd in ninth (17:29) and Gavin Schroeder in 11th (17:38) also had best times.

Aidan Mazur was 14th (17:46) and John Papke in 18th (18:22) rounded out the scoring. Also running were Thomas Treacy in 22nd (PB, 18:27) and Oliver Heywood in 26th (18:42).

The Greyhounds will be at the Rebel Invite at UW-Parkside on Saturday.

University School tennis

The USM girls tennis team invited five teams to play in the Wildcat Invitational. USM then served them all a defeat to win the competition with a perfect 5-0 team record.

Newman Catholic was 4-1, Appleton Xavier, 3-2, Madison Edgewood, 2-3, Shorewood, 1-4 and Kohler, 0-5 during the two-day event.

The Wildcats beat Xavier, 6-1, Shorewood, 7-0, Kohler 6-1, Madison Edgewood, 6-1, and Newman Catholic, 6-1.

Number one singles player Maddy Ecker won all five of her matches as did the first doubles team of Lucy Bartlett and Riley Kelly.

Nicolet football

The era of coach Brian Sommers at Nicolet opened with a heart-stopping, 34-28, overtime loss to host Waukesha South on Friday as a thrilling two touchdown rally in the fourth quarter came up a little short.

"You know, we were discussing this afterward," Sommers said. "We were down, 28-13, in the fourth quarter and when that's happened to us in the past, it usually means its going to be 42-13 soon, but instead, the kids realized that they had a chance, an opportunity here.

"We really tried but just a few too many penalties let it slip away from us. Instead of taking the game, it was taken away from us. The kids were genuinely disappointed. They wanted to win this game. We got some great comments afterward (about being competitive), but it's not enough in these guys' eyes. They want to win games."

The Knights will get another opportunity to do that at home at 7 p.m. Friday as they prepare to take on Wauwatosa East (0-1). The Red Raiders were 34-7 losers to Cudahy on Friday.

It is the first home athletic event for Nicolet since the July flood.

Brandon Kappel threw a 42-yard TD pass to Jordan Griffin and Daniel Torres ran it in from 5 yards out to tie the score for the Knights late in the fourth quarter. Nicolet actually had a chance to win the game when Kappel lined up a makeable field goal attempt only to have the snap and hold go awry.

In overtime, the Blackshirts scored first but Nicolet was encouraged because it blocked the extra point. Nicolet scored on a third down play of its sequence but had the TD called back on a holding penalty. The Knights could not get in the end zone on the two subsequent plays.

Kappel, who also scored on runs of 4 and 72 yards, respectively, had 83 yards rushing on seven carries while Bryce Bowen had 38 yards on nine carries and also caught four balls for 31 yards. Frank Fischer had seven catches for 47 yards. Kappel threw for 164 yards but was intercepted four times.

Brown Deer boys soccer

The fast start of the Falcons so far this season got a little derailed Monday night as they dropped a 3-0 decision to undefeated Pewaukee.

"They got control of the midfield and we weren't able to win the possession battle," said new Falcons coach Leo Eckman. "Still, I think the boys will use this as a learning experience. We're a talented team and we feel we can be competitive."

Brown Deer (5-2 overall), which also has wins over North Shore area rivals University School and Nicolet to its credit, will now host its own eight-team Brown Deer Cup on Friday (3:45 p.m.) and Saturday (9 a.m.). Prairie School, Milwaukee Lutheran, Dominican and New Berlin West are among the featured teams.

Eckman, who has more than a decade's worth of coaching experience on levels from youth to adult, said the fast, athletic Falcons will rely on the offensive punch provided by junior midfielder Kaj Edstrom and senior midfielder Sam Kuchenreuther and by forwards sophomore Jordan Smith and junior David Radtke.

Senior defender Robert Davis has been an anchor in the back and sophomore goalkeeper Sean Stelter has been solid, said Eckman.

"We have a good senior class and a solid block of players overall," said Eckman. "They're a group that wants to get better and who are willing to be coached."

Homestead boys cross country

Nate Routhier won the senior race in leading the Highlanders to a sound showing in the Menomonee Falls Age Group Invitational on Aug. 26 at Rotary Park.

Homestead coach Dan Claussen said that there is a bounce in the step of the 57-member team, as several members got valuable experience and earned medals as part of the state championship boys track team this spring.

"It's been fun," Claussen said. "The kids that came off track are really fired up and really excited. Not a lot of them did serious summer running, but enough of them did."

Enough to get the Highlanders fired up for a chance at knocking off two-time North Shore champion Germantown and earning their first state meet berth since 2001.

Senior leaders include Routhier, who along with fellow senior Mike Cronce, played a key role in the state championship winning 3,200-meter relay team last spring. The other senior is captain Eric Railsback. Routhier was 13th in the state cross country meet last fall.

"He's a legitimate contender (for state honors)," said Claussen.

Routhier ran with and then ran away from Waterford's Aaron Derner and got the win by four seconds in 16 minutes, 15 seconds on the 5,000-meter Rotary Park layout. Routhier was the overall champion while Railsback was 14th (17:57) and Cronce 18th (18:09).

Others looking to contribute include juniors Nikhal Ramnarayan (10th in his race, 18:19) and Alex Greeley (13th, 18:35); and sophomores Alex Vielmetti (10th, 18:09); Kale Mason (13th, 18:24) and Brandon Beschta (18:35).

Homestead girls swim

Defending state champion Arrowhead took the full measure of the 11-time North Shore titlist Highlanders on Aug. 26 in the opening meet of the year, 138-48, but that's more of a reflection on the talent of Arrowhead and not the shortcomings of Homestead.

"We swam some people in off-events because it gets to be a long season and you don't want the kids getting bored," Highlanders coach Mark Gwidt said.

Gwidt will build around four quality state-level seniors including Maiya Hilliard, Kayla Dlugopolski, Mary Gabe and Cheyanne Carbone. Overall, he has more than 70 swimmers on the team this season.

He'll also get hope for the future as freshmen Megan Casey, Brittany Thomas and Molly Zall look like they can make some waves this season.

Dlugopolski took the only win for Homestead against Arrowhead, claiming the 500 free (5:09.95).

Nicolet girls cross country

Lauren Cunningham shook off an injury-plagued freshman year and won the sophomore race at the Menomonee Falls Age Group Invitational on Aug. 26 at Rotary Park.

"She'd had a stress fracture in her hip during the track season but she's feeling good," Knights coach Mike McKenna said. "It was a very nice race."

Cunningham, who was clocked in 15:41 on the 4,000-meter Rotary Park course, will lead the 19-member Knights girls squad. She will get help from juniors Briana Lopez (16th, personal best, 17:24) and Maggie Dykstra (20th, 17:37).

Also looking to be of assistance are seniors Elle Davis (23rd, 18:17) and Sarah Ogutu (34th, 18:57); juniors Grace Dykstra (27th, 18:18) and Christie Crossman (30th, 18:30); and sophomores Allison (20th, 18:16) and Kristen Maling (22nd, 18:18).

The Knights are still looking for their spikes and they can't find their measuring wheel, items lost in the flood of July 22.

"But other sports are much worse off than we are," said McKenna.

Homestead girls cross country

With virtually a whole new look, but the same winning attitude, the Highlanders began their season well with sound efforts at the Menomonee Falls Age Group Invitational at Rotary Park on Aug. 26.

"It's interesting," Highlanders coach Victor Vilar said. "We graduated 26 seniors, including 14 of the top 20 but of the 49 kids we have out so far, we have 22 seniors again and what's even better, is that we have 10 freshmen out, and last year we got only one."

Vilar, in his second year, will look for a solid rebuilding year on the North Shore second place and WIAA State Meet fourth place finishes of a season ago.

Junior Lauren Holtz will lead the way as she turned in an amazing 4,000-meter personal best of 14:41 in finishing second to Waukesha North's Sammi Donovan.

"It was one of the most impressive races I've seen Lauren run in awhile," Vilar said. "In that last 800, she just decided to go for it."

Meredith Frank was 11th in the same race at 16:51 while Erin Held was 22nd (17:45). In the senior race, Keali Bjork was sixth (16:12) while Erin Kirchner was 11th (17:15). Helen Lewis, the lone sophomore on the team, was ninth (17:28).

Vilar has been most impressed with the improvement that Kirchner has shown so far.

"It's a different mix, a different family this year," Vilar said. "I told them that it's their turn to lift the team this year."

Whitefish Bay boys soccer

The Blue Dukes, working under new coach Kevin Brennan, defeated North Shore rival Nicolet, 1-0, in a league game on Aug. 24.

Bay, which was a WIAA sectional finalist last year (11-8 overall), will have a senior-laden team this season.

They include defender Adam Korte, defender/midfielder Brendan Wolf, defender Joe Connolly, forward Dan Carson, defender Karlan Welstead, midfielder Clyde Giddings, midfielder Noah Talajkowski, forward Jordan Milkie, defender Jimmy Janske and midfielder Andrew Bertran and goalie Will Parnitzke.

"I think we will be strong defensively this year," said Brennan. "We have some experience and youth in the back four which is gelling nicely. We have a solid midfield unit that will be tough to break down and forwards who are quickly learning how to counterattack with venom. We are in a very tough conference where each game is a battle but I expect us to be fighting for the conference championship."

In the victory over Nicolet, the Blue Dukes only goal came at the 58 minute mark from Carson (assist Milkie). Junior goalie Anders Bjella had five saves.

Shorewood girls swim

Greyhounds coach Rob McCabe said the young season has gone on "without a hitch."

Well, almost, if you consider the fact that multi-time returning state place-winner Clare Chamberlain decided not to come out this fall.

Despite that, the Greyhounds looked good in beating Berlin, 100-70, in a nonconference dual Saturday.

The Greyhounds, who finished fourth in the state Division 2 meet last fall, have a cozy (15 overall) and extremely young team (one junior, seven sophomores and seven freshmen) this year.

With Chamberlain's absence and the graduation of state 100-freestyle champ Elli Sellinger, the only returning swimmer with state experience is sophomore Ellen Stello.

Others on the team junior Jordan Teske and sophomores Diana Yakshimamedova, Kayla Story, Giovanna Stern, Lexie Lanphere, Genevieve Hayes and Anna Gruber.

In the win over Berlin, wins went to Hayes in the 200 individual medley and 100 free, freshman Kristin Malone in the 50 free and 100 breaststroke, Stello in the 100 butterfly and 400 free and to all three relay teams, including the 200 medley team of Lanphere, Malone, Stello and freshman Melissa Clausen; the 200 free crew of Hayes, freshman Lucy Petrick, freshman Leila Kane and Malone; and the 400 free team of Stello, Lanphere, Clausen and Hayes.

Nicolet boys cross country

Junior Josh Greenberg finished third in the junior race to lead the short-handed Knights in the Menomonee Falls Age Group Invitational at Rotary Park on Aug. 26.

Greenberg, who missed out on a state meet berth by one place at the sectional last year, was clocked in 17 minutes, four seconds on the 5,000-meter course.

Coach Mike McKenna is working with only 13 runners this season.

Others he will count on this fall include seniors Zach Shires (31st, 19:12), Michael Brennan (37th, 19:25), Aaron Strouse (34th, 19:15) and Jeff Pigg (38th, 19:30). Pigg is a transfer from Milwaukee Vincent who was a state track place-winner last spring in the 800.

McKenna expects a steep learning curve out of Pigg, and he's very pleased with the race that Greenberg ran.

Whitefish Bay girls volleyball

A youthful Blue Dukes girls volleyball team will build around 6-2 senior outside hitter and setter Frankie Carroll this season.

Bay participated in the West Allis Central Invitational on Saturday.

"Our senior leadership will be one of our greatest strengths," said Beth (Haberli) Stecklein. "Frankie will lead the team both in stats and in court presence. Our other two captains Katie Marks (middle blocker) and Chelsea Frenn (outside hitter) have already been great leaders to help in the growth of the team."

Overall, the Blue Dukes lost six seniors last season, but still have six on the roster this year including outside hitter Dana Gunderson, defensive specialist/setter Sarah Weiss and outside hitter Erin Lehrmann.

Stecklein is hoping that the Blue Dukes can be competitive in a North Shore that lost a great many seniors overall last season.

Homestead girls volleyball

The youthful Highlanders fought hard, but could not win a match at the 24-school Milwaukee Lutheran/Thomas More Joust last weekend.

Still, new coach Adam Hietzkey does not feel that that effort is indicative of how good the Highlanders will be this fall.

He takes over a team that was gutted by graduation last season. He will rely primarily on junior outside hitter Claire Raddatz, senior right side hitter Maddie Sabec and junior setter Megan Sarles. ("The hardest working person on the team," said Hietzkey).

"They're getting along incredibly well, no rifts or breaks," said Hietzkey. "We expect to come along pretty quickly."

Hietzkey has extensive experience with area club teams and with the Greendale boys volleyball team. The Highlanders beat Brookfield Central in their season opening match Aug. 25.

North Shore girls golf

Homestead won the latest North Shore mini-meet at Brown Deer Golf Course on Monday with a nine-hole score of 189 as Whitefish Bay was second with 193 and Nicolet third with 204.

Lauren Olson of Homestead Molly Baron of Bay shared medalist honors with scores of 45 apiece.

Nicolet boys soccer

The Knights are young this fall and are off to a 2-4 start.

"It's been difficult to say the least," Knights coach Bryan Weisse said. "We're still trying to figure out things like formations, but the kids have been extremely coachable, so we're not overly worried."

Nicolet will build around seniors Max Fantle (defender) and Samm Karshenas (midfielder/defender), junior Dan Carpenter (midfielder/forward) and sophomore Mike Yarmulnik (center midfielder).

The Knights lost recently to Brown Deer and Whitefish Bay.

Shorewood girls cross country

The Greyhounds, performing without top runner, senior Emily Bachhuber, were sixth in its own season-opening meet at Kern Park on Aug. 26.

Shorewood scored 150 points for its place as Muskego won the six-team event with 38.

Bacchuber, who led the Greyhounds to state last season, will lead the team against this fall. The key for coach Sarah Kopplin is depth and keeping everyone healthy.

Others expected to be key performers are seniors Nora Waters and Jenny Vrobel (eighth Aug. 26, 16:37).

Also expected in the varsity mix are sophomore Angela Sperry, freshman Lyndsey Morris and sophomore Grace Corry.

The Greyhounds have nearly 30 runners out this fall.

Shorewood girls volleyball

The young Greyhounds team is working hard to be competitive, but is still looking for its first match win of the season.

They went 0-4 in the Milwaukee Riverside Invitational against Burlington, Pius XI, Greenfield and Wauwatosa East on Aug. 25 and fell Friday to University School, 25-21, 25-20, and 25-11.

They will open Woodland play Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Greendale and play at the Milwaukee Riverside Invitational at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Seniors on the team include Bailey Johnson, Katie Krieger and Myra Werner; while juniors include Sydney Cross, Molly Hopkins, Maja Ivanovic, Paige Mackin, Montana Morris, Bella Nassif, Addie Prochnow and Brigette Sellinger.

Sophomores include Meredith Behm and Margaret O'Brien and freshmen who have been called up include Paige Clingaman and Abby Pech.

- Steven L. Tietz