EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.
By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal / Fennimore Times / Boscobel Dial
Brooke Von Glahn, Sr., Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster gymnastics team
PLATTEVILLE — The Platteville/Belmont/Lancater gymnastics finished second at its own 13-team meet Saturday, the 29th Annual Lisa Steger Memorial Invitational.
Senior Brooke Von Glahn finished in the top in three of the four rotations to place fourth in the all-around with a combined score of 35.05 to lead the Hillmen. Von Glahn placed second on the uneven bars (8.525) and tied for second on the beam (8.25), and placed fourth on the floor exercise (9.15).
“The team started on beam and had a fantastic start,” said Hillmen head coach Jessica Hill. “It is always good when you don’t have to count any falls in the beam event score. Our second event was floor. We had routines that continue to improve.
“Vault was our third event. I have been very happy with our vault this year. Macie’s vault continues to improve and Alaina Stader had one of her best vaults of the season. Brooke and Mack always deliver with good execution although their level of difficulty is not a high. Bars was our final event. We struggled a bit. I was happy the team fought to recover when skills didn’t go as planned.”
Von Glahn was also named this year’s Lisa Steger Memorial Scholarship winner.
“Brooke’s dedication to the improving her skills and the joy she finds in teaching others displays the spirit of gymnasts that Lisa showed as a coach,” added Hill.
Lisa Steger, a 1987 graduate of Darlington High School and a former gymnastics coach at Platteville High School, passed away Sept. 11, 1994 at the age of 25. Steger lead the Hillmen to the WIAA Division 2 state title and was named the SWAL Coach of the Year in her final season.
Titus Wunderlin, Jr., Platteville/Lancaster boys swim team
SAUK PRAIRIE — PRAIRIE DU SAC — Not since Dan Islin in 2017 has a member of the Platteville/Lancaster boys swim team qualified for the state meet.
Platteville/Lancaster junior Titus Wunderlin snapped the co-op’s six-year absence from the state meet with a standout performance at Saturday’s WIAA Division 2 Sauk Prairie Sectional.
Wunderlin advance to the 99th Annual WIAA State Championships in both the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle.
The winner of each event at each of the four D2 sectionals, as well as the next 12 fastest times advance to the D2 state championships, which will be held Friday at Waukesha South High School.
Wunderlin opened his sectional meet with a lifetime-best split in the 50-yard butterfly while swimming the third leg of Platteville/Lancaster’s 200 medley relay. The Hillmen quartet of Wunderlin, sophomore Clement Duve, junior Owen Fritz and freshman Mazin Plumb placed eighth in the medley relay at 1:57.08.
Wunderlin went on to place fourth in the 50 free with a time of 22.54 seconds, behind McFarland senior Patrick Zabawa-Lodholz (21.85), Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights’ Sam King (22.07) and McFarland’s Shane TeBeest (22.12).
Two events later, Wunderlin came back to place third in the 100 freestyle with a time of 49.89, behind Zabawa-Lodholz and Mount Horeb junior Angus Best (49.66).
Wunderlin enters the state meet seeded 12th in the 50 freestyle and 11th in the 100 free.
“Titus looked fast during the warm up,” said Hillmen coach Matt Wunderlin (also Titus’ father). “Then he split a lifetime best butterfly time in the medley relay. The 50 is so quick that anything can happen, and even a little error can cost you the race, but he used the pressure to lower his best time. I told him prior to the 100 that he has the speed and endurance to go under 50 seconds, and again he put forth a great effort, showing that he truly is one of the fastest swimmers in the state.”
Wunderlin, sophomore Rusty Wruck, Plumb and Fritz teamed up to place seventh in the 200 freestyle relay at 1:40.33.
The Hillmen scored 77 team points in their seven events at the 11-team sectional. McFarland won the sectional team title with 401.5 points, while Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights (332) finished second.
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Carver Fitzsimons, Sr., F, Darlington boys basketball
Fitzsimons posted a double-double of 14 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks to led the Redbirds (20–2, 11–1 SWAL) SWAL-title clinching 55–53 victory over Mineral Point (17–4, 9–3) Tuesday night.
Ashley Rowe, Fr., G, Cuba City girls basketball
Rowe made four 3-pointers and finished with a game- and season-high 20 points and had five steals to lead the Division 4 #3-ranked Cubans (21–2, 13–0) to a 64–59 SWAL title-clinching victory over second-place Mineral Point (18–5, 11–2) last Friday night. The victory ended the Pointers' three-year reign as SWAL champion.
Tucker Schmid, Jr., G, Boscobel boys basketball
Boscobel outscored visiting Shullsburg 9–8 in triple overtime to pull out a wild 84–83 non-conference victory last Tuesday night. The Bulldogs (4–16, 2–9 SWAL) led by as much as 17 late in the first half after a lay-up by junior Tucker Schmid, who turned last Tuesday. Schmid scored 15 first-place points to help Boscobel build a 36–21 halftime advantage. The Boscobel birthday boy finished the game with a career-high 26 points on 9 of 16 shooting, including 5 of 11 from 3-point land, with four rebounds, three assists and two blocks while playing all 51 minutes.
Ruby Roe, So., G, Potosi/Cassville girls basketball
Cassville sophomore Ruby Roe made 7 of 11 3-point attempts to tied a program record and lead the Potosi/Cassville girls basketball team to a 57–53 Six Rivers West win at Benton Friday night. Roe finished with a game- and career-high 22 points and six rebounds for the Chieftains (8–12, 1–7 SRW), who scored their first league win of the season.
