Sports

When Shawano senior Jack Hanauer went down with a torn ACL in his final high school football game, it affected not only the outcome of the game but also his college prospects.

Schools from the Mid-American, Big Sky and Northern Sun Intercollegiate conferences, who had Hanauer in their top five targets at quarterback for the Class of 2017, all backed out of his recruitment.

All of that led to Hanauer announcing his decision Monday to become a preferred walk-on at the University at Buffalo (New York), a Division 1 school competing in the MAC.

“He’s got a stubbornness about him, a competitiveness that he doesn’t like being told that he can’t do something, that he doesn’t have that ability,” Shawano head coach Al Tomow said. “He really took that challenge after he got the knee injury.”

Hanauer also was invited to walk-on at the University of Illinois or play for a couple smaller colleges on the East Coast.

Speaking in hushed tones, an acquaintance from Chicago once committed interstate sports heresy, admitting to have attended a game at Lambeau Field that didn’t involve the Bears and enjoying it to a point where he wanted to go back.

You could almost see the navy blue and orange draining from the face of his buddy, who suggested to the quisling that perhaps he’d just gotten ahold of some bad Gruyere across the state line and fell into some sort of cheese-induced blackout.

The Second City traitor explained that he hadn’t converted to the dark side. He was still a Bears fan. But there was a vibe in the parking lot, the halls and the stands at Green Bay that led him to a shameful conclusion. The Packers have better fans.

“They’re just … more into it,” he said.

One night after scoring a $10,000 victory, Kyle Strickler won another $5,000 after picking up the win in the IMCA Modified feature during the Fury at the Fairgrounds at Shawano Speedway on Saturday. Elijah Zevenbergen scored a big $1,000 victory in the IMCA Stock Car feature as well. Jordan Barkholtz won his fourth IMCA Sport Mod feature and second in a row, while defending track champion Brett Swedberg scored his first Late Model feature win on the season.

IMCA Modifieds

The Bonduel Legion baseball team jumped all over Menominee in the first inning to dominate Tuesday’s five-inning home contest, 13-3.

The Grizzlies, led by Bailey Dingeldein’s two-run shot, posted nine first-inning runs on seven hits.

“They’re being aggressive at the plate, which I like to see,” Bonduel head coach Jason Boldt said. “If that first one’s there, I tell them, ‘Jump right on it. Hit it hard.’”

Josh Richter had a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in the team’s fourth run and posted the first out of the inning. Bryce Weier doubled to extend the lead.

Jordan Boldt had an RBI in his second plate appearance of the first inning, and then Brent Pieper hit a two-out, bases loaded single to score two runs and make it a 9-0 game.

Menominee committed two errors in the frame.

“All in all, the boys played pretty well after they settled in,” Menominee head coach Karl Peters said.

For the 32nd consecutive year, the Leopolis Triathlon will attract close to 150 participants on the Fourth of July.

This year’s event continues a Fourth of July tradition sponsored by the Leopolis Booster Club.

The race has three divisions: jock, beer belly and youth. Each division has various age categories for awards at the end of the race.

The majority of the competitors are local, especially in the youth and beer belly divisions, with a few Appleton-area participants joining the jock class.

The booster club receives the proceeds from the event, which is followed by a parade at 1:30 p.m. and music in the park from 2-6 p.m.

The club estimates the day will bring in roughly $2,000, which the club uses to sponsor other holiday activities throughout the year and to maintain the park’s playground.

The jocks begin at 11 a.m.; their race includes a 50-yard swim, 12-mile bike ride and 5-mile run.

Menasha 4

Shawano 2

Brett Ainsworth had two of Shawano’s seven hits in Tuesday’s home loss.

Dylan Sumnicht took the loss for Shawano, throwing five innings and striking out four batters for the Patriots (3-5).

Bryce Gagnow had one RBI for Shawano.

Clintonville 11

Shiocton 1

Josh Schroeder went 3 for 3 with two RBIs, and Jordan Koeppen reached base four times as Clintonville won at home Monday in six innings.

Logan Leisenfelder pitched a complete game, striking out six and giving up two hits for the Diamondcats (8-3).

Cory Reimer drove in the game-clinching run with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Clintonville 16

Menominee 1

Clintonville posted 13 runs on seven hits in the fourth inning as the Diamondcats won in five innings Sunday.

Nathan Krueger went 3 for 3 with two RBIs and three stolen bases. Four other players each had RBIs for Clintonville (7-3).

Catch-and-release fishing is a popular option for those who pursue muskies, pike, black bass and other gamefish.

If you finally land a true trophy, the only way you could make the Wisconsin record book was to kill the fish so its weight and length could be recorded for posterity.

Until now.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is establishing a catch-and-release record book, and the initial entries set a baseline for what’s needed to beat.

Rod Eberly of Appleton entered the first-ever application for the new live-release record book: a 17.75-inch white bass caught May 8 from the Fox River in Brown County.

With 20 adaptive skiers showing up Friday afternoon at Smalley Park, the Shawano Ski Sharks thought about running two boats simultaneously to help get as much time on the water.

The Learn to Ski program, which included a morning session for kids and adults looking to pick up the sport and an afternoon session for interested skiers with disabilities, is getting to the point where Ski Sharks President Dave Passehl is looking into raising money for a second adaptive ski and a quadreplegic chair for the wheelchair-bound participants.

“I think they keep coming back because it’s an exciting option for them to fill their day,” Passehl said.

Many of the participants in the afternoon session have participated in at least one of the previous three years the Ski Sharks have held the event.

Five area athletes received All District recognition from the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association.

Bonduel’s Kailee Pedersen earned the top honor among area schools by being named to the District 2 First Team for small schools.

Pedersen played both shortstop and pitcher for the Bears this spring, helping the team compile a 9-11 overall record and a 7-7 mark in Central Wisconsin Conference-8 play.

“Her skills were so natural and she was a very good leader,” Bonduel head coach Chris Reinke said.

Honorable-mention picks for small schools in District 2 also went to Gresham juniors Hailey Hoffman and Mackenzie Hoffman, while Bowler’s Jodi Wolf and Reanne Kietlinski earned the same honors.

Both Hoffmans helped Gresham win a program-record 11 games on the season. The Wildcats finished the year at 11-10 overall and 11-6 in the Central Wisconsin Conference-10.

Mackenzie Hoffman played both as a catcher and shortstop for Gresham.

Shawano senior Colleen McFarlane was named a second-team all-Bay Conference selection by the conference coaches.

McFarlane scored 12 goals to go with seven assists. She was one of only two Hawks to score more than twice in the team’s 21 games.

Defender Savannah Johnson received honorable mention, as did goalkeeper Carlie Hinnefeld. Shawano allowed 3.19 goals per game in large part because of the defensive play of Johnson and Hinnefeld.

Shawano, meanwhile, scored just 2.14 goals per game. The Hawks faced daunting offenses in West De Pere, which outscored its opponents by 66 goals, and Xavier, which posted a +54 mark in goal differential in 12 conference games.

Jenna Rollin, of West De Pere, was named the Player of the Year.

Mari Seidler and Skylar England, both of Xavier, were named the Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively.

Bay Conference

All-Conference Teams