Sports Wrapups: Oct. 25

Whitefish Bay boys soccer

The feisty Blue Dukes had a good game plan, but in the end, just not enough firepower to keep up with defending state champ and unbeaten Marquette in a season-ending 2-0 WIAA sectional final decision last Saturday.

It was a tough loss and the last game always feels like it's come too early," said Bay coach Kevin Brennan, "but I feel like we've been beaten by the future state champs.

"I couldn't fault the boys for their work-rate and effort. We had a game plan which we stuck to and kept it even, but Marquette has an abundance of quality and it showed with two clinical finishes in two minutes.

"In the second half, we began to settle and get on the ball more. Paul Gwidt hit the crossbar with a shot from 25 yards and TJ Schmidt hit one just wide too but time was running out."

The Hilltoppers (21-0-1) scored twice within 1:30 late in the first half for the only goals of the game in ending the Blue Duke campaign at 17-6. Bay had advanced to the sectional final with an impressive 4-1 victory over Milwaukee City Champion Ronald Reagan last Thursday.

"It's never easy to accept a loss but Marquette is unbeaten for a reason," Brennan said. "Seniors Austin Middleton and Joe Harris put in a fantastic amount of work and Anders Bjella made some great saves on the night."

Marquette will play in the state tournament at Uihlein Soccer Park Thursday.

Shorewood girls swim

The Greyhounds won the Woodland Conference dual meet championship with a narrow 92-91 decision over Wauwatosa West last week.

"We had a really good late season meet Wednesday," said Shorewood coach Rob McCabe. "These girls have keen sense of competitiveness knowing when a big race is needed or raising their performances against stiff competitors. However we found ourselves being on the wrong end of the close finishes more often than not. Even with that hurdle, we were able to pull out a one point victory."

The Greyhounds will now look forward to the Woodland Conference meet at Greenfield on Saturday.

McCabe said that despite all the close losses in the West meet, a strong start was able to carry the day, as they took first and second in the 200 medley relay. The winning team included Melissa Clausen, Chloe Borut, Ellen Stello and Kristin Malone (2:00.03) and the second-place crew was made up of Leila Kane, Rachel Munson, Lucey Petrick and Diana Yakshimamedova (2:02.84).

Ellen Stello was an individual winner in both the 200 individual medley (2:14.41) and the 100 butterfly (1:02.16). Other individual wins went to Kristin Malone in the 100 free (55.25), Genevieve Hayes (season best 5:20.24), and Munson in the 100 breast stroke (1:11.74).

The Greyhounds were able to clinch the meet with a second and third-place showing in the closing event, the 400 free relay as the group of Stello, Hayes, Hannah Miller, Malone (3:51.88) was second and the team of Borut, Kane, Petrick, Yunny Youm was third (4:09.23).

Miller had a personal best in the 200 free and Kane in the 200 individual medley.

"I really thought we had several inspiring swims from the girls that didn't compete last weekend at the (State) Small Schools meet," said McCabe. "Its races like those that energize the girls for their next swim. Yunny Youm came up huge were by stealing a crucial fifth place in the 100 free and a third place in the 100 breaststroke."

Whitefish Bay girls tennis

Blue Duke coach Ingrid Hagerup was very pleased with how Bay's state qualifiers closed their season in the individual tournament held Oct. 13-15, especially that of sophomore fourth-place singles finisher Lily Hayes.

"Lily has made remarkable strides since last year," said Hagerup. "She's made the entire community of Whitefish Bay proud by placing fourth at State. Every time Lily steps on the court, she shows persistence and determination."

"Our first doubles team, Jackie Comerford and Elena Ouimet, peaked at state," said Hagerup. "I was very impressed with their play. They lost a heartbreaking third set tiebreaker (in their first round match). It will be tough to lose Jackie (as a senior) next year."

Hagerup also noted that singles qualifier Asia Butler "played her heart out and almost came away with a victory" before dropping her first round match.

Shorewood girls tennis

The Greyhounds' fine season ended quietly with three first-round losses in the WIAA D2 State Individual Tournament in Madison, Oct. 13-15.

Shorewood, the Woodland Conference dual meet champion, saw top singles player Saabirah Abdullah (15-9 season record) drop a 6-3, 6-3 decision to a Whitewater opponent, while second singles player Victoria Nelsen (20-7) fell to eventual runner-up Grace Larrain of Newman Catholic, 6-3, 6-2.

The all-senior doubles team of Mary Matoba and Lizzy Tews (16-11) finished their fine careers with a 6-4, 6-3 loss at the hands of a Green Bay Notre Dame duo.

Homestead boys soccer

The talent pool wasn't as deep as it usually has been for the Highlanders this season, but in the mind of coach Rich Dorn, the Highlanders still showed great character in concluding a 6-10 season.

Homestead, which lost its last five games in row, ended its season in a recent 2-1 WIAA regional loss to North Shore rival Cedarburg.

"It really was a great group of guys," said Dorn. "They showed up everyday and always did their best whether they were one-up or one-down. They acquitted themselves well."

Dorn said the program continued its recent trend of diminishing numbers this season and fielded just two teams.

Seniors included captain Mike Skow, Spencer Hosseini, Aaron Garza, John Lundeen, Sean Burke, Mitchell Milaitis, Chris Mayer, Sean Browne, Alex Tanner and Joe Wacha.

Shorewood-Brown Deer boys soccer

The Greyhounds avenged a 1-0, Oct. 5 loss when they defeated the Falcons, 2-0, in a WIAA division 2 regional semifinal on Oct. 11.

With the loss, Brown Deer ended its season at 5-16-0. Shorewood ended its season at 8-8-3, when it dropped a 2-1 regional final decision to Catholic Memorial on Oct. 13.

In the win over Brown Deer, the Greyhounds got two first-half goals from Henry Kruger and Simon Miller.

Seniors for Shorewood included Justin Carter, Dante Giocabassi, Kruger, Alex McMurtry, Simon Miller, Ari Romero,Vitaly Tufeld.

For the Falcons, seniors included Alan Haney, Nicky Bersch, Zach Johnston, David Radtke, Ali Saleem, Nick Michels, Eric Kessler, Mohamed Camara, Kaj Edstrom, and Corey Sczepanski.

Nicolet girls swim

The Knights won a recent 104-81 North Shore dual meet decision over Germantown.

In the meet, Nicolet got firsts from Christa Rumbaugh in the 200-yard freestyle (2:01.01) and the 100 free (54.98), Sophie Jokumsen in the 200 individual medley (2:27.61), Kim Charles in diving (171.3 points),and the 400 free relay team that included Sarah Zelazoski, Jokumsen, and Grace Wilkie (4:09.58).

Zelazoski was second in both the 50 free (26.17) and the 100 butterfly (1:04.42) as was Claire Kopetsky in the 200 individual medley (2:33.14) and the 100 breaststroke (1:20.03).

Sophie Cohen and Hanah Keckeisen were double JV winners.

The Knights will be at the North Shore Conference meet at Cedarburg on Saturday.