EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.
Zach Hentrich (Lancaster), So., Madison Edgewood men’s golf
Zach Hentrich was in a grove. The former Lancaster High School standout, who recently finished his sophomore year at Madison Edgewood, shot a sizzling 8-under-par 64 Sunday and also converted nine birdies to finish third at the 50th Ray Fischer Amateur Championship, held last Thursday through Sunday at Riverside Golf Course in Janesville. By virtue of his sensational showing at the four-day event, Hentrich is this week’s Mast Water Technology swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week.
Hentrich’s amazing finishing round was two strokes off the course record of 62 set by Matt Beam in 2006 and vaulted Hentrich ahead of three golfers for a third-place finish of 271. Hentrich shot back-to-back 68s on Thursday and Friday and was in a four-way tie for sixth-place heading into Sunday’s final round after carding a 1-under par 71 on Saturday.
Milwaukee’s Brandon Clote defeated Colgate’s Thomas Halla in a one-hole playoff for the title, after the two tied at 269 (-19).
Hentrich, who led Lancaster to four straight WIAA Division 3 state tournament appearances (2011–14) and the D3 state team title in 2014, was named All-NACC for the second-straight year with a fourth-place finish overall (305, +17) at the four-day NACC Championships in late April. He finished the season with the best scoring average in the NACC with a mark of 75.7, which was the third-best single-season mark in school history.
Hentrich recorded five top-five finishes on the year. He was runner-up out of 85 golfers at the WLC Fall Invitational on Sept. 20–21 with a two-day total of 145 (+1) and finished third of 167 golfers one weekend later at the Midwest Region Classic by firing a two-day total of 145 (+1). Hentrich then took third of 78 golfers at the MSOE Invitational on Oct. 4–5 with a two-day total of 144 (+1). He then finished at the NACC Championships and concluded his sophomore season with a 1-over 73 at the Edgewood College Spring Invitational on April 29 to take 2nd of 31 golfers.
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Bryce Arneson, Sr., Barneveld boys basketball
Arneson knocked down the go-ahead basket with 1.3 seconds left to lift the East over the West 82–81 in the Six Rivers Conference Boys All-Star Basketball Game Friday night at Juda High School. Arneson finished with 11 points.
Maddie Hawes, Sr., Potosi girls basketball
Hawes scored six of her game-high 19 points during an early 14–0 run that propelled the West All-Stars over the East, 55–37, in the 2016 Six Rivers Conference All-Star Classic at Juda last Friday night. Hawes hit five 3-pointers in the game and also teamed with Cassville’s Andrea Okey, Belmont’s Lane Kamps and and Cassville’s Colton Reynolds to win the 3-point Challenge 138–117 in between the girls’ and boys’ all-star game.
Colton Reynolds, Sr., Cassville boys basketball
Reynolds scored a team co-high 17 points to lead the West All-Stars in a 82–81 loss during Friday night’s Six Rivers Conference Boys All-Star Basketball Game Friday night at Juda. Earlier in the night he teamed with Belmont’s Lane Kamps, Potosi’s Maddie Hawes and Cassville’s Andrea Okey to help the West win the 3-Point Challenge 138–117.
Aleisha Sigafus, Sr., Black Hawk girls basketball
Sigafus scored 11 of her team-high 18 points over the final 12 minutes of the opening half to help the East All-Stars pull within single digits, but it wasn’t quite enough as the West prevailed 55–37 in last Friday’s Six Rivers Conference Girls All-Star Basketball game at Juda High School.
Tyler Udelhoven, Sr., Potosi boys basketball
Udelhoven made a game-high five 3-pointers and finished with a team co-high 17 points to lead the West All-Stars in a 82–81 loss during Friday night’s Six Rivers Conference Boys All-Star Basketball Game Friday night at Juda.
