Kwik Trip Athletes of the Week

MADISON, Wis.–Following are the WIAC Kwik Trip Athletes of the Week for the week of Feb. 3 – 9.MEN’S BASKETBALL
Sam Grieger, Sophomore (Randolph, Wis./Randolph), Guard of UW-La Crosse
Grieger averaged 21.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 1.5 assists in two games during the week and recorded double-doubles in both games. He had 24 points, 10 rebounds and two steals at No. 4-ranked UW-Platteville on Feb. 5. Grieger then finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and two assists in a win at UW-Eau Claire on Feb. 10. The 10 rebounds in both games were a season-high and Grieger’s five steals against UW-Eau Claire was also a season-high. 
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Andre Renta, Junior, Guard, Hudson, Wis. (Hudson)
UW-Oshkosh, Carter Thomas, Junior, Guard, Neenah, Wis. (Neenah)
UW-Platteville, Joey Fuhremann, Junior, Forward, Waunakee, Wis. (Waunakee)
UW-River Falls, Jack Leifker, Junior, Center, Blaine, Minn. (Spring Lake Park)
UW-Whitewater, Carter Capstran, Senior, Forward, Franklin, Wis. (Franklin)
 
 
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Lexi Wagner, Senior (Galesville, Wis./Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau), Guard of UW-Stout
Wagner shot 61.9 percent from the floor (13-of-21) and 60 percent from 3-point range (9-of-15) to average 18.0 points, and 4.5 rebounds per game in two wins for the Blue Devils. At UW-Eau Claire, she was 7-of-11 (4-of-7 3-point field goals) for 19 points, and added six rebounds, two steals, a block and an assist.  Against No. 22-ranked UW-Whitewater, she led UW-Stout to an 87-60 win going 6-of-10 from the floor and 5-of-8 from 3-point range with three rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal. 
 
Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Lauryn Milne, Senior, Guard, Lodi, Wis. (Lodi)
UW-Oshkosh, Kayce Vaile, Senior, Forward, Greendale, Wis. (Greendale)
UW-Platteville, Ella Mackiewicz, Junior, Guard, Shawnee, Kan. (Mission Northwest)
UW-River Falls, Olivia Hoerl, Junior, Guard/Forward, Chilton, Wis. (Chilton)
UW-Stevens Point, Alexa Thomson, Senior, Guard/Forward, De Pere, Wis. (West)
UW-Whitewater, Kacie Carollo, Senior, Guard, Whitewater, Wis. (Whitewater)
 
 
WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS
Specialist
Kaelyn Tally, Junior (Grants Pass, Ore./Rogue CC), of Simpson College
In a dual meet against UW-Eau Claire on Feb. 6, Tally won her seventh career vault title with a 9.750 – tying both her personal best and the school record set in 2023. She also registered a 9.500 on floor exercise, finishing second on the team.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Kelsey Donovan, Senior, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Glenbard East)
Gustavus Adolphus College, Lili Guy, Senior, Glendale Heights, Ill. (Glenbard North)
Hamline University, Julia Cheely, Senior, Austell, Ga. (East Paulding)
UW-La Crosse, Sarah Pastore, Junior, Rogers, Ark. (Rogers)
UW-Oshkosh, Reanna McGibboney, Junior, Chester Springs, Pa. (Downington East)
UW-Stout, Jessica Qualich, Junior, Buffalo Grove, Ill. (Adlai E. Stevenson)
UW-Whitewater, Kelsey Kollhoff, Senior, Miamisburg, Ohio (Miamisburg)
Winona State University, Kennedy O’Connor, Senior, Roselle, Ill. (James B. Conant)
 
All-Around
Gillian Cummins, Senior (Farmington, Mo./Farmington), of UW-Stout
Cummins won the all-around in a dual meet at UW-La Crosse with a score of 37.450. She scored a 9.450 on the vault and tied for first in the uneven bars with a career-high 9.625. Cummins scored a 9.500 on the balance beam. 
 
Also nominated:
No other individuals were nominated.
 
 
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY
Reed Stark, Senior (Suffern, N.Y./Douglas County West), Forward of UW-Superior
Stark helped the Yellowjackets to a two-game road sweep of UW-Stout to keep them atop the WIAC standings. In the Feb. 7 game, he provided the primary assist on both goals as the Yellowjackets rallied for a 2-1 overtime win over the Blue Devils. Stark also had a game-high seven shots on goal. Then on Feb. 8, he scored a pair of third period goals, the first one coming less than a minute after UW-Stout scored and the second in the final minute to ice a 4-1 win. In the sweep, Stark scored 2-2-4 with 10 shots on goal and was a +1.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Connor Szmul, Senior, Forward, Castle Rock, Colo. (Castle View)
UW-River Falls, Jonny Meiers, Sophomore, Forward, Eagan, Minn. (Eagan)
UW-Stevens Point, Sean Bunting, Junior, Forward, Phoenix, Ariz.
 
 
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY
Madison Lavergne, Junior (Warroad, Minn./Warroad), Forward of UW-River Falls
Lavergne helped lead the No. 2-ranked Falcons to a pair of wins during the week, defeating Saint Mary’s University (Minn.) on the road in overtime, before a 9-2 win over nationally ranked UW-Eau Claire on Feb. 8, which was UW-River Falls’ most goals against the Blugolds since 2001. Lavergne totaled four points on the week with three goals and one assist, compiling a goal and an assist at Saint Mary’s on Feb. 4, before scoring twice against UW-Eau Claire.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Stevens Point, Molly Pohlkamp, Freshman, Forward, Baxter, Minn. (Brainerd)
UW-Superior, Taylee Marks, Freshman, Defense, Thunder Bay, Ontario (Hammarskjold)
 
 
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Track
Sam Blaskowski, Senior (Oshkosh, Wis./West), of UW-La Crosse
Blaskowski won the 60-meter dash at the Mark Guthrie Legacy Invitational on Feb. 8, breaking his own NCAA Division III record with a time of 6.62 seconds. He broke his own national record of 6.64 set last season. 
 
Also nominated:
UW-Oshkosh, Nolan Milas, Sophomore, Virgil, Ill. (Burlington Central)
UW-Stevens Point, Logan Murphy, Sophomore, Sheboygan Falls, Wis. (Sheboygan Falls)
UW-Stout, Thomas Casey, Sophomore, New Richmond, Wis. (New Richmond)
UW-Whitewater, Nick McFadden, Senior, Waukesha, Wis. (Pewaukee)Diving
Joanne Banaszak, Junior (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trail), of UW-La Crosse
Banaszak captured the one-meter title (458.55 points) and placed second in the three-meter (460.40) at the UW-La Crosse Diving Invitational on Feb. 8. She set a Richard L. Pein Natatorium facility record in winning the one-meter competition.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Claire Grady, Freshman, St. Paul, Minn. (Central)
 
 
MEN’S TENNIS
West Division – Singles
Theo Billson, Sophomore (Lindfield, England/BHASVIC), of UW-Whitewater
Billson compiled a 3-0 weekend sweep for the Warhawks. He won both of his No. 1 singles matches, topping a Luther College (Iowa) player 6-4, 6-3 before registering a quick 6-0, 6-4 victory over Grinnell College (Iowa) on Feb. 9.
 
Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Tyler Schneider, Freshman, Whitefish Bay, Wis. (Whitefish Bay)
UW-Stevens Point, Malcolm Rice, Freshman, Marion, Iowa (Linn Mar)
 
West Division – Doubles
Theo Billson, Sophomore (Lindfield, England/BHASVIC) & Drew Van Fossen, Senior (Germantown, Wis./Germantown), of UW-Whitewater
Billson and Van Fossen secured a pair of wins at No. 2 doubles during the week. On Feb. 7, the duo won 6-2 over Luther College (Iowa). Billson and Van Fossen were the first to finish on Feb. 9, recording a 6-1 victory over Grinnell College (Iowa) in just 24 minutes.
 
Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Alex Aranda, Sophomore, Fox Point, Wis. (Nicolet) & Nikko Vilwock, Freshman, Sun Prairie, Wis. (United)
UW-Stevens Point, Ayden Knuth, Freshman, Manitowoc, Wis. (Lincoln) & Malcolm Rice, Freshman, Marion, Iowa (Linn Marr)WRESTLING
Zak McPhee, Freshman (Duluth, Minn./Proctor), 184 pounds of UW-Eau Claire
McPhee earned the 184-pound title at UW-Eau Claire’s Don Parker Memorial Open on Feb. 8. He went 4-0 at the tournament, defeating two wrestlers that he had previously lost to this season. McPhee picked up one pin and one major decision on his way to the title. He defeated Andrew McMonagle of North Dakota State University 12-4 in the semifinals and Tyson Meyer of St. Cloud State University (Minn.) by 7-3 decision in the finals.
 
Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Tanner Gerber, Freshman, 165 pounds, Cameron, Wis. (Cameron)
UW-Platteville, Jackson Kirsch, Sophomore, 285 pounds, Germantown, Wis. (Germantown)
UW-Whitewater, Evan Onstad, Sophomore, 141 pounds, Grayslake, Ill. (Warren Township)Field
Joshua Rivers, Junior (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook), of UW-Oshkosh
Rivers set the long jump meet record at the UW-La Crosse Mark Guthrie Legacy Invitational on Feb. 8, jumping 25-3 1/2 (7.71m).
 
Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Caleb Moore, Sophomore, Muskego, Wis. (Muskego)
UW-River Falls, Jacob Balcome, Sophomore, Alexandria, Minn. (Alexandria)
UW-Stevens Point, Austin Reenhack, Senior, Columbus, Wis. (Columbus)
UW-Whitewater, Carson Buser, Freshman, Byron, Ill. (Byron)
 
 
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Track
Anna Plautz, Sophomore (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH), of UW-La Crosse
Plautz won the 400-meter dash with a school record time of 56.63 seconds at the Mark Guthrie Legacy Invitational on Feb. 8. She broke the school record of 56.67 seconds set by Jenna Halvorson in 2014. Her time of 56.63 seconds ranks first on the WIAC Honor Roll and seventh in NCAA Division III. Plautz was also on the first-place 4×400-medley relay (3:52.90) at the Guthrie Invite. 
 
Also nominated:
UW-River Falls, Adison Wilde, Freshman, Baldwin, Wis. (Baldwin-Woodville)
UW-Stout, Lilly Roberts, Junior, Green Bay, Wis. (West)
UW-Whitewater, Hannah Bilodeau, Junior, Machesney Park, Ill. (Harlem)
 
Field
Kayla Behnke, Senior (Appleton, Wis./Kimberly), of UW-Eau Claire
At the Mark Guthrie Legacy Invitational on Feb. 8, Behnke won both the shot put and weight throw. She posted a mark of 43-10 3/4 (13.38m) in the shot put and 60-2 (18.34) in the weight throw. Behnke now ranks first in the WIAC and third in Division III in the weight throw, and third in the WIAC and 15th in the NCAA in the shot put.
 
Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Araceli De Leo Lopez, Junior, Oak Creek, Wis. (Oak Creek)
UW-River Falls, Brenna Schwartz, Junior, Emerald, Wis. (Glenwood City)
UW-Stevens Point, Danielle Lund, Freshman, Manistique, Mich. (Manistique)
UW-Stout, Jenna Driscoll, Senior, St. Croix Falls, Wis. (St. Croix Falls)
UW-Whitewater, Ava Falk, Junior, Kaneland, Ill. (Kaneland)MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING
Swimming
Damen Seremet, Junior (Beaver Dam, Wis./Beaver Dam), of UW-Oshkosh
Seremet won two individual events and swam anchor for a first-place relay team during UW-Oshkosh’s 139-80 win over Loras College (Iowa) on Feb. 8. He took first in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly in 22.45 seconds and 58.35 seconds, respectively. Seremet also swam fourth on the 200-yard freestyle relay that finished in 1:29.99.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Amos Crafts, Freshman, Portland, Ore. (Franklin)
 
Diving
Tony McNiff, Senior (Princeton, Minn./Princeton), of UW-La Crosse
McNiff swept the one-meter (426.75 points) and three-meter (487.65) titles at the UW-La Crosse Diving Invitational on Feb. 8. 
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Blake Wallen, Sophomore, Savage, Minn. (Prior Lake)
 
 
WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING
Swimming
Danika Zablocki, Sophomore (De Pere, Wis./De Pere), of UW-Eau Claire
Competing at the University of Minnesota First Chance Meet on Feb. 7-8, Zablocki swam lifetime bests in five different events. Individually, she set new personal records in the 200-yard individual medley (2:15.62), 100-yard backstroke (1:01.83), 100-yard butterfly (1:02.15) and 200-yard backstroke (2:15.39). She also led off the Blugolds’ victorious 400-yard freestyle relay with a PR at 55.66 seconds for her leg of the relay.
 
Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Megann Jobin, Freshman, Sartell, Minn. (Sartell)
UW-Oshkosh, Rowan Sinclair, Freshman, Temecula, Calif. (Great Oak)