Posted: May 11, 2010 |(0) Comments

Shorewood's Peter Drews outsprinted state Division 1 cross country champion Marcus Paulson of Sussex Hamilton to win the 1,600 meters in the Myrhum Invitational track meet at Arrowhead on Friday night in a school record time.

 

Both ran scorching state honor roll times as Drews turned in a personal best of 4:16.09 to Paulson's 4:17.11. Drews' time currently sits second on the state honor roll and broke a 34-year-old school mark of 4:18 held by former state two-mile champion Tom Hoffman (4:18).

Drews has taken off five seconds from his 1,600 time in the last year. He is also ranked second on the honor roll in the 3,200 (9:25.13).

Later in the meet, Drews' teammate Ben Tyler turned in an equally impressive performance in claiming the 3,200 in 9:30.79. He overpowered Arrowhead's Russ Sandvold (9:32.88) for the win.

The twin wins helped the Greyhounds to a ninth place showing in the 14-team meet with 34 points as Arrowhead won with 123.

For the girls, Emily Bachhuber was second in the 3,200 (11:47.84).

Shorewood will be at the Cedarburg Invite on Friday and the Woodland Conference Outdoor meet will be Tuesday in South Milwaukee.

Whitefish Bay girls softball

Whitefish Bay girls softball coach Jeff Trask knows that his team goes in with a competitive disadvantage every time he faces the likes of Homestead, Germantown, Cedarburg and Grafton in the powerful North Shore Conference.

Players in those communities have been raised on high-level youth programs for years and come into high school with knowledge, experience and skill, things Trask's players, many of whom just learned the sport as freshmen, just don't have.

The Blue Dukes youth program is still only in its second year but it is 60 players strong and will help the third-year Trask and his staff soon.

Until that time, he will rely on seniors like pitcher Jo Ruppa, Meredith Ludwig, Rachel Whaley and Hilary Stein and juniors such as catcher Leslie Fuda ("If she does not get some all-conference recognition I will be very upset," Trask said) and Sarah Schwei.

Several of those players showed the competitive fire, if not the experience and skill needed to hold the fort Monday night, when the Blue Dukes could not overcome a five-run first in an 8-4 loss to defending league champion Germantown.

"This is my third year with these seniors and they are just figuring it out and doing the best they can," he said. "The youth program will help, but it'll take a little time. We need to do the same things like the Goliaths of the league (Homestead and Germantown) are doing."

The Bay youth program has teams running for players younger than 12 through younger than 16.

The loss dropped the Blue Dukes to 3-12 overall and 2-6 in North Shore play while Germantown maintained a hold on second place behind unbeaten Homestead.

Someone who represents the future for Trask gave the Blue Dukes the lead in the top of the first as freshman Maggie Hankerd doubled home Ruppa to give Bay a 1-0 lead.

But in the bottom of the frame, the Warhawks put six consecutive batters on base, including a two-run double by third baseman Erika Swoboda that gave Germantown the lead for good.

The inning could have been worse, but Ruppa responded well getting a bases loaded force-out at home off a hard chopper back to the mound for the second out and then Fuda deftly caught a runner stealing to end the inning with Hankerd taking the throw.

Sophomore Kay Burns doubled home Kristin Enea with Bay's second run in the fourth but the Warhawks got two more in the fourth as Swoboda singled home another tally.

The Blue Dukes still showed some fight, scoring twice more in the seventh, including an RBI single by Fuda. Ludwig also walked and scored, stealing two bases in the process.

Hankerd had two hits to lead Bay.

Homestead softball

The Highlanders remained in firm control of the North Shore race with impressive routs of their two main challengers in league play last week.

They hammered Germantown, 10-0, on May 4 and overpowered Grafton, 11-0, on May 5. A tournament at two-time defending league champion Stevens Point on Saturday was postponed until May 29 because of snow.

An 11-1 win over Milwaukee Lutheran on Monday represented the first time anyone has scored on Homestead in a North Shore game this season.

The Highlanders (9-0, 12-0) will entertain Nicolet on Thursday and will travel to Whitefish Bay on Monday. Both games are at 4:15 p.m.

Bekah Rennicke allowed only one hit and, for good measure, added two hits and three RBI as the Highlanders beat Germantown.

"We're hitting on all cylinders right now," said Rennicke. "The defense is just special. I just have so much confidence with them behind me."

Veteran Homestead coach Dave Keel agreed.

"It starts with the pitching and the defense," Keel said.

Homestead scored four times in the first with the help of two errors and a two-run double by Rennicke.

That's all Rennicke would need, because although she had only one strikeout on the night, the Highlanders defense gave the Warhawks no opportunities. She issued no walks and Homestead didn't commit an error behind her.

"When I get an early lead like that, I just have all the confidence in the world," she said.

And the Highlanders just kept expanding the advantage, as the hard-hitting Schlaeger roped a solo home run in the second and in the third, Rennicke came up with another RBI single and Hannah Young knocked in two runs with a single of her own.

Siena Mitman then put the "mercy rule" into effect with a laser-beam, two-run homer to left in the fourth.

The Grafton game had been moved up a day due to the funeral for one of their students, who tragically died the previous week.

Homestead scored in every inning, as Rachel Behnken allowed just two hits with eight strikeouts. Schlaeger had four hits including a double, a triple a home run, four runs scored and three RBI. Mitman also had four hits with a triple, a home run and five RBI. Erica Reetz also added a home run.

Nicolet girls track

After a disappointing fifth-place finish in the North Shore Relays on May 5, the Knights bounced back to have Gaby Bronson win the shot put and then have both the 400- and 800-meter relays hit the line first in taking second in the Homestead Highlander Invitational on Saturday.

"It was a fun meet even though it seemed like the weather changed every three seconds," said Nicolet coach Brian Sommers. "All the kids were battling, and we were really pleased with the relays. It was only the second time we'd put the full teams together."

"We still have some hand-off issues but we'll keep working on them."

The Knights will be at the Oconomowoc Invite on Friday and then will ready themselves for the North Shore Conference Outdoor on Tuesday at Whitefish Bay.

Nicolet scored 79 1/2 points at the Highlander as host Homestead won with 95.

Bronson turned in a personal best of 36-11 in winning the shot by just 1 1/2 inches while the relay teams of Surya Chionesu, Ashley Green, Roni Thompson and Ashley Green turned in times of 51.84 in the 400 and 1:46.97 in the 800 in earning their victories.

"Gaby just had a perfect release today," said Sommers of Bronson. "We're still working on her form yet."

Bronson got support in the shot from Rachel Morello in fourth (34-11 1/2 ) and Brianna Achs in fifth (34-3 1/2 ).

Earning seconds were Chionesu in the 200 (26.29) and Thompson in the triple jump (35-4) with Rachel Morello taking third in the discus (116-8) and Laura LeBrun taking fourth in the pole vault (9-0).

In the relays, Nicolet got a first from the discus trio of Achs, Morello and Bronson while seconds went to the 800 relay team of Jones, Green, Thompson and Allison Marling (1:47.03); to the triple jump team of Thompson (individual best 35-8), Bronson and Kim Charles; and to the pole vault trio of Lebrun, Charles and Gwen Davis.

Nicolet, Whitefish Bay softball

Erin Miller had three hits with three runs scored, while Carli deFelice had two hits, two runs and two RBI and Lanoira Duhart three hits, a triple and three RBI as the Knights beat Bay, 12-6, on May 6.

Emily Gadzichowski had two hits and scored four runs as the Knights scored in five of six frames and rapped out 14 hits.

Amy Popp picked up the win for Nicolet. Bay was led by losing pitcher Jo Ruppa, Hilary Stein and Kristin Enea, all of whom had two hits apiece.

Nicolet will visit league-leading Homestead at 4:15 p.m. Thursday and then will be at Kenosha St. Joseph's for a 10 a.m. tournament on Saturday.

Homestead golf

Homestead eased past Germantown to win the North Shore nine-hole event it hosted at Ozaukee on Monday.

The Highlanders turned in a four-man score of 162 as Jordan Niebrugge (37) and Dylan Drozdowicz (38) went one-two, respectively.

Germantown had a 164 and Nicolet 168. Both Homestead and Nicolet have two league mini-meet wins this season.

The teams will be back at Fire Ridge on Monday for another mini-meet.

Shorewood girls soccer

The Greyhounds improved to 5-2 in the Woodland and 8-2 overall with a 2-1 win over Whitnall on May 6.

Shorewood got second half goals from Haley Howlan and Emma Caird and then withstood a late Falcons rally that resulted in a goal with less than four minutes remaining.

Joanna Baisch had five saves for the Greyhounds, who will visit North Shore rival and area power Whitefish Bay at 6 p.m. Friday.

Brown Deer boys tennis

The Falcons held their own, going 1-2 in the rain-splattered Greendale Martin Luther Invite on Saturday.

Brown Deer beat Whitefish Bay Dominican, 5-2, and fell to Brookfield Academy and Catholic Memorial by matching 6-1 marks.

"The sun made an appearance and by all rights we did luck out a little bit," said Falcons coach Jim Matousek. "The kids are working hard but they need to put it in perspective. We had a good year last year (13-3 in duals), and though we're certainly not the best team out there, we're far from the worst."

The Falcons were led by the second doubles team of Steve Lederman and Aaron Blumberg, who won all three of their matches. The top team of Torrian Ricks and Nick Korth also played well while Matousek said that the second singles players Andrew Elliott is coming around nicely.

Brown Deer will be at Greenfield for the Woodland Conference crossover dual on Thursday and then will be at the league tournament May 18 and 19 at Greenfield and Greendale.

Homestead and Whitefish Bay girls soccer

Both of the North Shore Conference leaders had showdowns with defending state champion DSHA last week in preparation for their North Shore Conference first-place match-up that was played on a soggy Tuesday night (see WhitefishBayNOW.com or MequonNOW.com for details).

Homestead fell, 2-0, to DSHA (8-3-2) on Saturday as the Dashers got two second half goals, while the Blue Dukes (11-3-2) tied DSHA, 1-1, on May 6 as goalie Sarah Platzer came up huge with 21 saves.

Following their showdown, Homestead will take part in the Gusho Memorial Invite at Brookfield East. Homestead will challenge Muskego at 6 p.m. Friday in one quarterfinal game. The tournament will run all day Saturday with the title match at 3 p.m.

Bay will then host Shorewood in a 6 p.m. tilt on Friday.

Whitefish Bay boys track

Bay, which was still slowed by two disqualifications in the sprints, got victories from the 400 relay team of Paul Davis, Alex Jamerson, Javontae Merriwether and Davontae Johnson (state honor roll time of 43.34) and from the 6,400 team of Casey Easterday, Devon Lawler, Mike Camirelli and Tommy Koehn (19:07.34) to lead it to a tie for third in the North Shore Conference Relays on May 5.

Bay, which also got a second from the 800 sprint medley team of Brandon Threats, Jamerson, Merriwether and Johnson (1:34.23), will now host the North Shore Conference Outdoor on May 18 (see separate article).

"We're still a work in progress," said Blue Dukes coach Joe Saggio.

Whitefish Bay girls track

Bay was led by first-place finishes from the high jump team of Frankie Carroll (individual best 5-1) and Camille and Hannah Schwartz and the pole vault unit of Camille Schwartz (individual best 11-0), Hannah Schwartz and Nawoo Kim in taking third in the North Shore Relays on May 5.

Seconds went to the 400 crew of Kim, Maddie Cohen, Jayda Watkins and Monica Mitchell (52.36); the 3,200 team of Ally Spiroff, Arden Stewart, Emma-Lisa Murphy and Megan Palmer (10:01.72); and the 800 sprint quartet of Alissa Foley, Mitchell, Cohen and Mady Vicker (1:55.9).

The 3,200 relay team's time was also under the old conference record that was broken by Homestead.

In the Lady Highlander Invite at Homestead on Saturday, Bay got seconds from pole vaulter Schwartz (9-6), Murphy in the 800 (2:31.14) and from the 1,600 relay team of Kenzie Vicker, Stewart, Spiroff and Palmer (4:19.2).

Mady Vicker was third in the 400 (1:02.05).

Shorewood girls softball

The Greyhounds split a pair of games last week, beating Milwaukee South, 17-3, and falling to St. Thomas More, 7-4.

In the win over South, Ceia Carroll, Kaitlyn Wick and Quincy Rice all had two-run doubles while Addie Prochnow added a single and two stolen bases. Wick pitched a complete game, allowing only three hits.

Against More, the Greyhounds stranded nine runners in scoring position as Raifeh Saqer had three hits in a losing effort. Meredith Behm stopped a potentially big inning with a beautiful backhand stab down the line at third base.

"Despite the record being under .500, we're still playing with energy and enthusiasm," said Shorewood coach Dave Berghaus. "We're looking to improve every time we step onto the field."

The Greyhounds will host Pewaukee today and Greenfield on Friday in a pair of 4 p.m. Woodland games.

Brown Deer girls soccer

The Falcons got a hat trick from Kristy Reichmann in routing Woodland rival South Milwaukee on May 6.

Reichmann scored twice in the first half and got her final score in the last minute of the game. She also had two assists in the contest. Vicky Rivera also scored two goals and had an assist. Dani Gross and Erin Sellers also had assists for the Falcons.

Brown Deer will be at the Kettle Moraine Lutheran Tournament on Saturday.

Nicolet boys track

The Knights took seventh in the North Shore Relays on May 5.

Nicolet was paced by a second from the 400 relay team of Lamar Johnson-Harris, Winston Hermann, Brandon Kappel and Christian Smith (43.41) and thirds from the sprint medley team of Johnson-Harris, Hermann, Smith and Jeff McClain (1:35.6) and the long jump trio of Kappel, Johnson-Harris and Hermann.

Nicolet will be at the Monona Grove Invite on Friday and then will take part in the North Shore Outdoor on May 18 at Bay.

 

- Steven L. Tietz