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MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U GAME OF THE WEEK (Summer Swimming): Platteville Tom Caccia Invitational
Platteville Summer Swim Team dominates own season-ending invitational
Swimming
Platteville’s Anna Wunderlin gets ready on the blocks as teammate Rachel Wunderlin (in the water) complete the lead off leg of the Girls 9–10 Medley Relay, while teammate Bella and Rihanna Peters cheer them on at Saturday’s Platteville Tom Caccia Invitational. - photo by Jason Nihles
Published: Aug 5, 2022, 3:29 PM

MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (July 26–Aug. 2)
PLATTEVILLE TOM CACCIA INVITATIONAL  

By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal, Fennimore Times, Boscobel Dial

PLATTEVILLE DOMINATES OWN SEASON-ENDING INVITATIONAL
PLATTEVILLE — The Platteville Summer Swim team closed out its brief 2022 season in grand fashion by dominating the five-team Tom Caccia Invitational Saturday at the Platteville Family Aquatic Center.

The home team used its overall team depth to pile up 2,344 points to win the invite, while the Suger River Rapids (New Glarus) 1,689, finished second, followed by the Beloit Tide 1,584, Bishops Bay (Middleton) 1,330.5 and the Monroe Area Swim Team 1,029.5.

“Our Tom Caccia Invitational was a success as always,” said first-year PSST coach Sierra Jauch. “We had four visiting teams with a total of 149 athletes. Hosting a big meet entails a lot, so I am so thankful for all our volunteers who made things run smoothly. 

“Our athletes did a great job in both their performance and their good sportsmanship to their teammates and our visiting teams. We coaches are so proud of them! It’s amazing to see how much the swimmers improved even in a short six-week season. In the older athletes, one of the biggest improvements I saw was in their competitiveness and aggression, putting everything you have into a race and caring about doing well. In our younger swimmers it was mostly confidence in all areas: flip turns, diving, distance, and being able to swim all the strokes. Seeing both of these at our last meet makes the races especially fun to watch.”

The highlight of the day for Platteville was junior-to-be Titus Wunderlin winning the 15–18-year-old team record in the 100 individual medley record with a time of 1:09.25. Wunderlin’s winning-time broke Dan Iselin’s previous record of 1:09.25.

“I want to congratulate Titus, who is also my brother and an assistant coach, on breaking the 100 IM record,” added Jauch. “That is an accomplishment that is not easy, especially in the 15–18 age group. Throughout the season Titus was pretty close to a couple other records as well. He still has two years of summer swimming and two years of high school, so no doubt he will continue to improve, and perhaps break a couple more records before his swimming career is over.”

Wunderlin also won the Boys 15–18 50 freestyle (25.37) and the 50 butterfly (28.64), finished second in the 100 freestyle (1:00.10), swam a strong closing leg on Platteville’s 15–18 second-place 200 medley relay team (3:01.28) with Will Hollingsworth, Mazin Plumb and T.J. Pink, and swam two legs on the second-place 200 freestyle relay (2:03.08).

Plumb won the Boys 13–14 100 freestyle in 1:41.04 and the 13–15 50 backstroke in 55.52, and finished second in the Boys 13–14 50 breaststroke (47.32) and the 50 freestyle (37.95). 

Platteville 10-year-old Rihanna Peters won four events in the Girls 9–10 age division, the 50 butterfly with a time of 49.74, 100 individual medley (1:49.50), 50 freestyle (1:41.40) and 50 breaststroke (59.68).

Peters also teamed with sister Bella Peters, Rachel Wunderlin and Annabelle Wunderlin to place second in the Girls 9–10 200 medley relay (3:54.04) and the 200 freestyle relay (3:53.04).

Ezra Lyght won the boy’s 100 individual medley (1:13.35). He also teamed with Will Hollingsworth and Ilija Polebitski to win the Boys 13–14 200 freestyle relay (3:30.37).

Last Tuesday, the Platteville swim team traveled to Jefferson for a dual. 

No team scores were kept, but the visiting PSST won 13 events.


Platteville Tom Caccia Invitational
(from Saturday, July 30 @ Platteville
Team Scores — 1.Platteville 2,344, 2.Sugar River (New Glarus) 1,689, 3.Beloit Tide 1,584, 4.Middleton Bishops Bay 1,330.5, 5.Monroe 1,029.5. 
Platteville top-6 finishers
(Girls 8 and under)
100 medley relay — 3.Platteville (Eve Wunderlin, Kenzi Bendorf, Sarah Pulkrabek, Juliet Alcalay) 3:12.55. 25 freestyle — 3.Kenzi Bendorf 22.81. 25 butterfly — 5.Kenzi Bendorf 35.02. 50 freestyle — 3.Pulkrabek 1:27.63. 25 backstroke — 4.K. Bendorf 31.51. 25 breaststroke — 5.Bendorf 36.08. 100 freestyle relay — 3.Platteville (Hadley Bartelme, Pulkrabek, E. Wunderlin, Alcalay) 3:11.72.
(Boys 8 and under)
25 freestyle — 6.Arlo Polebitski 34.69. 25 breaststroke — 5.Polebtski 1:00.84, 6.Jacob Pronschinske 1:19.54.
(Girls 9–10)
200 medley relay — 2.Platteville (Rachel Wunderlin, Annabelle Wunderlin, Rihanna Peters, Bella Peters) 3:54.04. 50 freestyle — 4.Gabriella Bendorf 44.87. 50 butterfly — 1.R. Peters 49.74, 6.Jessa Bartelme 1:18.30. 50 butterfly — 1.R. Peters 49.74, 6.Bartelme 1:18.30. 100 individual medley — 3.G. Bendorf 2:06.42, 4.A. Wunderlin 2:20.87, 5.B. Peters 2:21.20, 6.Bartelme 2:23.84. 100 freestyle — 1.R. Peters 1:41.40, 2.G. Bendorf 1:49.70, 4.B. Peters 2:05.51, 5.Addison Holland 2:45.83, 6.R. Wunderlin 2:47.66. 50 backstroke — 5.B. Peters 1:00.71. 50 breaststroke — 1.R. Peters 59.68, 4.G. Bendorf 1:01.55. 200 freestyle relay — 3.Platteville (R. Wunderlin , G. Bendorf, B. Peters, Bartelme) 3:53.45.
(Boys 9–10)
50 freestyle — 6.Paxton Butcher 1:11.18. 50 backstroke — 4.Butcher 1:19.25. 200 freestyle relay — (Butcher, Arlo Polebitski, Jacob Pronschinske, Butcher) 6:08.52.
(Girls 11–12)
200 medley relay — 3.Platteville (Zoe Xiao, Kinley Bendorf, Lauryn Pennekamp, Pari Patel) 3:42.52. 50 freestyle — 6.Kinley Bendorf 38.75. 50 butterfly — 5.Pennekamp 1:08.47, 6.Allison Hilfer 1:16.12. 100 freestyle — 3.Hilfer 1:23.32. 50 backstroke — 5.Zoe Xiao 57.59, 6.Patel 1:00.94. 200 freestyle relay — 2.Platteville (Patel, Xiao, R. Peters, K. Bendorf) 3:05.33, 3.Platteville (K. Plumb, Jillian Fielder, Hilfer, Pennekamp) 3:53.56.
(Boys 11–12)
50 freestyle  — 5.Ezra Lyght 43.23. 100 individual medley — 1.Lyght 1:13.35. 100 freestyle — 2.Lyght 1:39.63, 3.Ilija Polebitski 1:57.02. 50 backstroke — 4.Polebitski 1:07.65. 50 breaststroke — 4.I. Polebitski 57.71.
(Girls 13–14)
200 medley relay — 3.Platteville (Nicole Peterson, Grace Wruck, Kate Pronschinske, Anna Pennekamp)        3:11.48. 50 freestyle — 2.Pronschinske 33.90, 6.Peterson 41.67. 50 butterfly — 4.Pronschinske 39.61, 5.A. Pennekamp 52.22. 100 individual medley — 3.Pronschinske 1:31.71. 100 freestyle — 2.Pronschinske 1:19.31, 4.Peterson 1:31.50. 50 backstroke — 4.Peterson 48.51, 5.Wruck 54.28. 200 freestyle relay — 2.Platteville (A. Pennekamp, Wruck, Peterson, Pronschinske) 2:39.09. 
(Boys 13–14)
50 freestyle — 2.Mazin Plumb 39.31, 4.Will Hollingsworth 48.09. 100 freestyle — 1.Plumb 1:41.04, 2.W. Hollingsworth 1:49.18. 50 backstroke — 1.Plumb 55.52, 2.W. Hollingsworth 1:00.66. 50 breaststroke — 2.Plumb 51.27, 3.W. Hollingsworth 1:12.38. 200 freestyle relay — 1.Platteville (W. Hollingsworth, Lyght, I. Polebitski) 3:30.37.
(Girls 15–18)
Open 200 freestyle — 2.Caroline Gates 2:44.08, 4.Eva Hollingsworth 2:59.31. 200 medley relay — 3.Platteville (Emilia Bohlken, Hollingsworth, Gates, Mya Kreul) 2:49.84. 50 freestyle — 3.Gates 31.61. 50 butterfly — 2.Kreul  42.53. 100 individual medley — 2.Gates 1:22.87, 3.Kreul 1:38.95, 4.Bohlken 1:51.07. 50 backstroke — 3.Gates 39.16, 5.E. Hollingsworth 45.92. 50 breaststroke — 4.E. Hollingsworth 49.51. 200 freestyle relay — 4.Platteville (Bohlken, Kreul, E. Hollingsworth, Gates) 2:27.55.
(Boys 15–18)
200 medley relay — 2.Platteville (Will Hollingsworth, Mazin Plumb, T.J. Pink, Titus Wunderlin) 3:01.28. 50 freestyle — 1.T. Wunderlin 25.37, 5.Pink 32.37. 50 butterfly — 6.Pink 39.65. 100 individual medley — 1.T. Wunderlin 1:09.25, 5.Pink 1:32.04. 100 freestyle — 2.T. Wunderlin 1:00.10, 6.Pink 1:21.90. 200 freestyle relay — 2.Platteville (T. Wunderlin, Plumb, Pink, T. Wunderlin) 2:03.08.
MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U GAME OF THE WEEK (Six Rivers Baseball): #10 River Ridge 5, #5 Belmont 2
#11 Timberwolves upset #4 Braves to win a share of first baseball conference title
Blake Reynolds
Sophomore Blake Reynolds collected the win on the mound, limiting #4 Belmont to two runs, one earned, on four hits, while striking out five batters and walking four over six innings to lead River Ridge to a 5–2 win over the Braves last Thursday. - photo by A.J. Gates
Updated: May 29, 2025, 5:54 PM
Published: May 29, 2025, 5:55 PM

MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (May 20–27)
SIX RIVERS BASEBALL: #10 River Ridge 5, #5 Belmont 2

By A.J. Gates, Herald Independent

#10 Timberwolves upset #5 Braves to win a share of first baseball conference title
PATCH GROVE — Coming into the 2025 prep baseball season, coach Andrew Redman had a hunch his Timberwolves would be a strong contender for this year’s Six Rivers Conference baseball title.

“We have big goals to compete for our first-ever conference title,” coach Redman said this past April in the Grant County Herald Independent’s Spring Sports Preview.” We expect to finish high in the conference standings and rely on our experience from last season to lead us to a successful season.”

After finishing fourth in the conference standings a year ago with a league record of 4-8, the Timberwolves did in fact secure a share of this year’s conference baseball title with a victory in their final regular-season game of the year played last Thursday night.

With a 5–2 victory over visiting Belmont last Thursday night, coach Redman’s Timberwolves (16–7) team concluded the regular season with a league record of 14–2, claiming a share of this year’s conference title along with the Braves (17–5, 14–2).

Belmont, who entered the contest with a league mark of 14–1, could have taken sole possession of the conference crown for themselves with a win Thursday night, but the Timberwolves had other ideas.

“Coming out on top is a great feeling, knowing how much work our players and coaches have put into this,” said third-year head coach Andrew Redman. “My first two years as a head coach we won a total of seven conference games combined. This season alone we doubled that total with 14 conference wins, which was good enough to tie for the top spot.”

“The Six Rivers conference is loaded with great teams, and for us to claim one of the top spots is truly remarkable,” Redman added.

Aside from winning the first conference baseball title since the school’s inception in 1995, this year’s baseball team has also won the most games in a single season, and currently holds an overall record of 16-6 heading into the WIAA postseason tournament.

As they have done all season long, the trio of Blake Reynolds, Carter Copsey and Cael Koenig were at the forefront of last Thursday night’s win over Belmont, doing with their bats, their fielding and their arms.

Reynolds, who pitched the first six innings and collected the win on the mound, limited the Braves to two runs, one earned, on four hits, while striking out five batters and walking four.

Copsey came in to finish the game, pitching a scoreless seventh, striking out one batter and walking one.

At the plate, it was Koenig who led the Timberwolves, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. The team’s other four hits were scattered among Carter Copsey, Andre Nies, Noah Copsey and Brandon Davis.

After a scoreless tie for two and a half innings, the Timberwolves got on the board in the bottom of the third when Koenig’s one-run single scored Carter Copsey, who led off the inning with a double. Noah Copsey then followed with a one-run single of his own to score Koenig.

The Braves plated a run in the top of the fifth to make it a 2–1 River Ridge lead, but the Timberwolves responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Following back-to-back singles by Nies and Koenig, and an intention walk to Reynolds, Brandon Davis came up big with a bases-loaded two-run single to right field, scoring Nies and Koenig. Reynolds later scored on a wild pitch to give River Ridge a 5–1 lead.

The Braves added one run to their total in the top of the sixth, but couldn’t put anything together in the seventh with Copsey on the mound and the River Ridge defense behind him.

The Timberwolves are no strangers to close games this season, and have won a total of five conference games this season by one-run. They have also proven that, while Reynolds, Copsey and Koenig are undoubtedly the leaders of this team, they also have a stable of other role players that have come up big throughout the season.

“What makes this team special is that everybody takes their turn coming through in big moments,” said coach Redman. “We rely heavily on Blake, Carter and Cael, but three players alone doesn’t make a team. We’ve had several players who took on new or bigger roles this year and they contributed in big time spots.”

“This year our guys really focused on doing their jobs and accepting their roles on the team, which led us to having a successful season,” Redman added. “I’m proud of all our players and this program.”

Heading into the WIAA postseason tournament, the Timberwolves (16–7) hold the No. 2 seed in their division 4 sectional bracket. Following a first-round bye, coach Redman’s squad will host the winner between No. 7 seed North Crawford (10–9) and No. 10 seed Hillsboro (10–7) next Tuesday, June 3. The No. 1 seed in the bracket belongs to Seneca (20–2).

River Ridge 5, Belmont 2
(from Thursday, May 22, at Patch Grove)
Belmont..........000 011  0 — 2 4 2
River Ridge....002 030  x —  5 8 1
Leading hitters - RR: Cael Koenig 4x4. 2B — Carter Copsey (RR). W — Blake Reynolds (6IN,4H,1ER,5K,4BB). L — Austin (4IN,7H,5ER,4K,3BB). Other pitchers - RR: Carter Copsey (1IN,0H,0ER,1K,1BB).