EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.
Josh Hentrich, Sr., Lancaster boys golf
Lancaster senior Josh Hentich finished his fantastic career with a seventh-place finish at the WIAA Division 3 State Boys Golf Tournament on Tuesday at University Ridge in Madison. Hentrich shot a 3-over-par 75 on Tuesday to finish with a two-day score of 157 to climb to seventh out of 52 golfers in Division 3. Henrtich finish seven strokes back of champion Mathew Higley of Eleva–Strum (78-72=150) and six shots back of Sheboygan Area Lutheran Drake Wilcox (73-78=151).
Last Tuesday at Lawsonia Golf Course, Hentrich battled stiff winds and large undulating greens, finishing at the front of the 71-golfer pack to win medalist honors with an impressive 7-over-par 79 at the WIAA Division 3 Markesan Sectional. He punched his fourth straight trip to the WIAA state tournament. Hentrich was a member of Lancaster’s state qualifying teams in 2014 and 2015 and was an individual state qualifier his final two years. He finished tied for 14th as a junior with a two-day 164 (+20). He tied for 25th as a sophomore with a 175 (+31) when Lancaster finished third as a team in 2015 and he finished in a tie for 16th with a 166 (+11) as a freshman when the Arrows won the 2014 Division 3 state championship.
“In the sport of golf, you get a close coach/athlete relationship, and it’s hard to explain just how happy I am for him,” said Lancaster head coach Brad Sturmer of Hentrich’s four straight state tournament appearances. “Iv’e see how hard he works at it and I know the pressures that could potentially be on him and for him to overcome all of that with solid mental play is extremely rewarding for him, I’m sure, but it’s also rewarding for me to be a slight part of that.”
Hentrich was also this year’s SWC Player of the Year edging out River Valley senior Derek Wedige in the season-long individual conference points standings.
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Jeremiah Bailey, Sr., Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg track & field
Bailey won the boys’ Division 3 high jump state title by clearing 6’4” on his first attempt Saturday morning at the WIAA State Track & Field Meet. Bailey tied his own Shullsburg and tri-op record with his winning mark, while becoming the first Shullsburg male to win a state title in 32 years.
Emma Lawrence, Jr., Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg track & field
Lawrence teamed with senior Pagie Murphy and freshmen Calli Jerry and Chloe Mathews and ran the final leg of the 4x100 relay to lead BSMS to the state title Saturday at the WIAA State Track and Field Meet with a winning time of 50.31 seconds. Lawrence also finished third in the 100-meter hurdles (16.28) and fourth in the 300-meter low hurdles (46.14) to bring her career total to seven state medals, and placed 10th in the triple jump with a personal best jump of 35’3.5”.
Grady Rielly, Jr., Darlington track & field
Rielly placed fourth in the boys’ Division 3 300-meter hurdles with a school-record time of 40.38 seconds on Saturday at the WIAA State Track & Field Meet, after he placed fifth in the D3 boys’ 110-meter high hurdles in 16.01 seconds earlier in the day.
Kordell Stillmunkes, Sr., Cuba City track & field
Stillmunkes won a pair of state titles at last weekend’s WIAA State Track & Field Meet at UW–La Crosse, winning the boys’ Division 3 long jump with a mark of 21’7.75” and the 200-meter dash in 22.63 seconds. Stillmunkes also teamed with Anthony Zillion, D’Angelo Robinson and Mason Reuter to place 12th in 45.36 seconds. Stillmunkes’ 20 team points gave the Cuba City boys a seventh-place finish in the Division 3 standings.
Jacob Wedig, Jr., Belmont track & field
Wedig won a pair of state medals over the weekend, finishing second in the boys’ Division 3 shot put on Saturday with a career-best throw of 53’7.75” a day after placing sixth in the D3 discus with a toss of 144’2” at the WIAA State Track & Field Meet.
Sadie Willborn, So., P, Belmont
The Belmont ace pitched four shutout innings and allowed just two hits in Thursday’s 13–0 five-inning victory over Black Hawk in the WIAA Division 5 Belmont sectional to lead the Braves to their sixth state tournament appearance, and first since 2009. Two days earlier Willborn (19–2) struck out 11 batters and allowed just one run to lead Belmont to a 3–1 sectional semifinal victory over Southwestern, the same Wildcats that ended the Braves’ season a year ago on their way to a state runner-up in Division 4.
