General

Kwik Trip Athletes of the Week - Nov. 3

MADISON, Wis.--Following are the WIAC Kwik Trip Athletes of the Week for the week of Oct. 27 - Nov. 2

FOOTBALL
Offense
Kaleb Blaha, Senior (Coon Rapids, Minn./Fridley), Quarterback of UW-River Falls
Blaha led the No. 9-ranked Falcons to a 52-14 win over No. 8-ranked UW-Whitewater, UW-River Falls’ first win over the Warhawks since 2001. The dual-threat quarterback completed 30-of-51 passes for 492 yards and five touchdowns, while rushing for 63 yards and two more scores, accounting for seven total touchdowns on the afternoon. With his first rushing touchdown on the day, Blaha reached 52 in his career to become UW-River Falls all-time scoring leader, passing UW-River Falls & WIAC Hall of Famer Greg Corning, who scored 51 career touchdowns from 1984-87.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Ayden Helder, Sophomore, Quarterback, Stewartville, Minn. (Stewartville)
UW-La Crosse, Jacob Huber, Senior, Quarterback, Richmond, Ill. (Richmond-Burton)
UW-Platteville, Blake Bangston, Freshman, Running Back, Ringle, Wis. (D.C. Everest)
UW-Stevens Point, Brycen Cashin, Senior, Running Back, Plover, Wis. (Stevens Point Pacelli)
UW-Stout, Davonte Evans, Junior, Wide Receiver, Chicago, Ill. (Argo Commands)
UW-Whitewater, Jacques Brooks, Freshman, Wide Receiver, Franklin, Wis. (Franklin)
 
Defense
Gage Timm, Senior (Shawano, Wis./Shawano), Linebacker of UW-River Falls
In a 52-14 win over No. 8-ranked UW-Whitewater, the Falcon defense held the Warhawks to just 239 total yards, including 46 on the ground. Timm led the way with 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Keagan Christy, Junior, Linebacker, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. (Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln)
UW-La Crosse, Christian Powell, Senior, Defensive Line, Milwaukee, Wis. (University School of Milwaukee)
UW-Oshkosh, Kyle Dietzen, Senior, Linebacker, Omro, Wis. (Omro)
UW-Platteville, Elijah Krantz, Junior, Linebacker, Cross Plains, Wis. (Mount Horeb)
UW-Stevens Point, Joe Berens, Senior, Linebacker, Wausau, Wis. (Wausau West)
UW-Stout, Walker Beyerl, Junior, Defensive Line, Mosinee, Wis. (Mosinee)
 
Special Teams
John Abernathy, Sophomore (Valdese, N.C./Draughn), Punter of UW-Oshkosh
Abernathy recorded a career-high 334 yards on eight punts at UW-Platteville on Nov. 1. With an average of 41.8 yards per punt, he kicked over 50 yards twice, including a personal long of 56 yards and landed one attempt inside the Pioneers’ 20-yard line.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Jack Scheldroup, Sophomore, Linebacker, Glendale, Wis. (Glendale Nicolet)
UW-La Crosse, Sal Balistrieri, Sophomore, Defensive Back, Mequon, Wis. (Mequon Homestead)
UW-Platteville, Brayden Knoll, Freshman, Running Back, Byron, Ill. (Bryon)
UW-River Falls, Justin Scheberl, Senior, Kicker, Fond du Lac, Wis. (Fond du Lac)
UW-Stevens Point, Brycen Cashin, Senior, Running Back, Plover, Wis. (Stevens Point Pacelli)
UW-Whitewater, Dylan Tackett, Freshman, Kicker/Punter, Mentor, Ohio (Mentor)


MEN’S ICE HOCKEY
Keenan Ingram, Freshman (Calgary, Alberta/Bowness), Forward of UW-River Falls
During his collegiate debut weekend, the Falcons split with Lawrence University (Wis.) in a two-game series at Hunt Arena, with Ingram leading UW-River Falls with five points off four goals and an assist. On Oct. 31 in his Falcon debut, Ingram scored a hat-trick with an assist, while the Falcons skated to a 7-1 victory, including a power-play goal and the game-winner. He followed up with another goal on Nov. 1.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Stevens Point, Chris Engelbert, Sophomore, Forward, Whitby, Ontario
UW-Superior, Roope Tuomioksa, Freshman, Forward, Tuusula, Finland (Makelanrinne Sports High)
 
 
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY
Dani Weiland, Freshman (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville), Forward of UW-Stevens Point
Weiland scored two goals and added an assist in UW-Stevens Point’s weekend sweep at St. Olaf College (Minn.). On Oct. 31, she assisted on the first goal of the season and then netted the game-winner in a 2-1 victory. Weiland scored the first goal in another 2-1 win on Nov. 1.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Kenzie Keller, Junior, Forward, Mankato, Minn. (Mankato East)
 

MEN’S SOCCER
Offense
Danny Gutzwiller, Senior (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame), Midfielder of UW-Platteville
Gutzwiller scored the Pioneers lone goal in a 2-1 loss to No. 3-ranked St. Olaf College (Minn.) on Oct. 28. His fifth goal of the season in the 51st minute got UW-Platteville back within one. Gutzwiller played 175 minutes across two contests during the week, and had three shots, all on goal.
 
Also nominated:
UW-River Falls, Josh Villanueva, Freshman, Midfielder, Richmond, Calif. (Summit Tamalpais)
UW-Whitewater, Aidan Glancey, Junior, Forward, Milwaukee, Wis. (Whitnall)
 
Defense
Ramzi Ouro, Senior (Minneapolis, Minn./Minneapolis Southwest), Defender of UW-Eau Claire
Ouro helped UW-Eau Claire secure the top seed in the WIAC Tournament during the week with his first career hat trick. With three goals on the road against UW-Stevens Point, Ouro netted his fourth, fifth, and sixth goals on the season. During his 76 minutes played, Ouro and the Blugold defense tallied their eighth clean sheet of the season and limited the Pointers to just two shots on goal.
 
Also nominated:
UW-River Falls, Danny Acevedo, Freshman, Defender, San Francisco, Calif. (Salesian College Prep)
UW-Stout, Isak Rollins, Sophomore, Defender, Onalaska, Wis. (Holmen)
UW-Whitewater, Zeke Healy, Senior, Defender, Mukwonago, Wis. (Mukwonago)
 
 
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Offense
Aubree Caya, Junior (Oregon, Wis./Oregon), Forward of UW-La Crosse
Caya had a pair of goals in UW-La Crosse's 3-0 victory over UW-Whitewater on Nov. 1. The two goals gave her a total of 21, setting a single-season school record. She broke the record of 19 set by Jennifer Tischaefer in 1997 and 1999. Caya’s goal at 26:23 gave UW-La Crosse a 2-0 lead and she added a penalty kick goal at 30:01 to make it 3-0. 
 
Also nominated:
UW-Oshkosh, Maddie Daigle, Sophomore, Midfielder, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy)
UW-River Falls, Lauren Gregory, Junior, Defender, Elk River, Minn. (Elk River)
UW-Stevens Point, Cass Klitzke, Senior, Forward, Reedsburg, Wis. (Reedsburg)

Defense
Mallory Kerhin, Senior (Green Bay, Wis./Green Bay East), Goalkeeper of UW-Oshkosh
Kerhin recorded her WIAC-leading sixth shutout of the season on Nov. 1, as the Titans closed out the regular season with a 2-0 victory over UW-River Falls at J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium. She saved all three shots the Falcons put on goal in the contest across her 90 minutes on the field.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Olivia Lukrafka Varassin, Freshman, Midfielder, Woodbury, Minn. (Eastview)
UW-La Crosse, Monica Wawrzyn, Freshman, Midfielder, Delafield, Wis. (Kettle Moraine)
UW-River Falls, Sarah Wagner, Junior, Midfielder, Mendota Heights, Minn. (Two Rivers)
UW-Stevens Point, Piper Hanley, Junior, Defender, Farmington, Minn. (Farmington)

 
MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING
Swimming
Derek Stadheim, Freshman (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury), of UW-Eau Claire
Stadheim found the top of the podium four times as the Blugolds defeated UW-La Crosse on Nov. 1. He placed first in the 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, and 400-yard freestyle relay, collecting 385 team points.
 
Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Jacob Ketterling, Senior, Oak Creek, Wis. (Oak Creek)
UW-Oshkosh, Damen Seremet, Senior, Beaver Dam, Wis. (Beaver Dam)
UW-Stevens Point, Camden Barwick, Junior, Weston, Wis. (D.C. Everest)
UW-Whitewater, Ethan Bergman, Senior, Kenosha, Wis. (Kenosha Bradford)
 
Diving
James Stadler, Senior (Madison, Wis./Madison West), of UW-Stevens Point
Stadler finished second in the one- and three-meter dives on against Green Bay on Oct. 31, with scores of 252.55 and 226.60, respectively. He also took second in the one- and three-meter dives against St. Norbert College on Nov. 1, with scores of 286.30 and 247.80.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Tait Johnson, Freshman, Richfield, Minn. (Richfield)
UW-La Crosse, Aanav Patel, Junior, Germantown, Wis. (Glendale Nicolet)
UW-Oshkosh, Charley Cook, Freshman, West St. Paul, Minn. (Two Rivers)
 
 
WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING
Swimming
Callee DeBruin, Freshman (Kimberly, Wis./Seton Home Study School), of UW-Oshkosh
DeBruin won three freestyle events at Albee Hall & Pool on Nov. 1, as the Titans defeated UW-Whitewater 158-141. Her first win came in the 1,000-yard freestyle (11:03.65), followed by a first-place finish of 5:27.33 in the 500-yard freestyle and a 55.85-second time to win the 100-yard freestyle. She was also a member of the second place 200-yard freestyle relay squad (1:43.77).
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Molly Hosack, Senior, Cedarburg, Wis. (Cedarburg)
UW-La Crosse, Zoey Rank, Sophomore, Fort Atkinson, Wis. (Jefferson)
UW-Stevens Point, Hollyn Ambre, Sophomore, Batavia, Ill. (Batavia)
UW-Whitewater, Jenna Denton, Sophomore, O’Fallon, Ill. (O’Fallon)

Diving
Maya Indiraraj, Senior (West Bend, Wis./West Bend West), of UW-Oshkosh
Indiraraj swept the diving events in the Titans’ 158-141 win over UW-Whitewater at Albee Hall & Pool on Nov. 1. She won the one-meter with a score of 208.05 points and took first in the three-meter with 214.5 points.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Jordan Kuhn, Senior, Waukesha, Wis. (Waukesha West)
UW-La Crosse, Joanne Banaszak, Senior, Kenosha, Wis. (Kenosha Indian Trail)
UW-Stevens Point, Kayla Warpechowski, Sophomore, Oak Creek, Wis. (Oak Creek)
 
 
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Offense
Samantha Perlberg, Junior (Chippewa Falls, Wis./Chippewa Falls), Pin Hitter of UW-Oshkosh
Perlberg averaged 5.27 kills, 3.45 digs, and 5.86 points per set and hit .295 as the Titans went 2-1 against three top-six opponents during the week. She recorded at least 10 kills in each match and finished two matches with double-doubles. Kicking off the road trip at UW-Whitewater on Oct. 29, Perlberg tied the program’s single match record of 32 kills, added two assists and four blocks, and registered a season-high 20 digs at the Titans defeated the Warhawks in five sets. She followed the career performance up with a 16-kill, 12-dig double-double at Illinois Wesleyan University on Oct. 31, also serving an ace and notching a solo block. Perlberg finished the week by recording 10 kills, an assist, a service ace, six digs, three blocks, and a flawless reception percentage to help UW-Oshkosh hand Juniata College (Pa.) its first three-set loss since 2019.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Bailey Leeke, Senior, Rightside, Lakeville, Minn. (Lakeville North)
UW-Platteville, Kennedy Wenger, Junior, Outside Hitter, Mineral Point, Wis. (Mineral Point)
UW-River Falls, Blessing Adebisi, Junior, Middle Blocker, White Bear Lake, Minn. (White Bear Lake)
UW-Stevens Point, Carly Thomka, Junior, Middle Blocker, Muskego, Wis. (Muskego)
UW-Whitewater, Abbie Dix, Junior, Middle Hitter, Brodhead, Wis. (Brodhead)

Defense
Audrey Petersen, Sophomore (Glencoe, Minn./Glencoe-Silver Lake), Defensive Specialist/Libero of UW-River Falls
Petersen and the Falcons defeated UW-Stout 3-1 for their first WIAC win of the season on Oct. 29, as she led the defensive effort with 28 digs (averaging 7.0 per set) and a .968 receiving percentage, eclipsing 1,000 digs in her career.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Kaitlyn Erickson, Sophomore, Libero, Champlin, Minn. (Champlin Park)
UW-Oshkosh, Callie Panasuk, Freshman, Libero, Oak Creek, Wis. (Oak Creek)
UW-Platteville, Kelsey Ewert, Senior, Libero, Hustisford, Wis. (Hustisford)
UW-Stevens Point, Abby Nevins, Sophomore, Defensive Specialist/Libero, Muskego, Wis. (Muskego)
UW-Whitewater, Abbie Dix, Junior, Middle Hitter, Brodhead, Wis. (Brodhead)
 
Setter
Alex Kiebel, Freshman (Maple Lake, Minn./Maple Lake), Setter of UW-Eau Claire
Kiebel helped UW-Eau Claire to a pair of wins during the week against teams receiving top-25 votes. While averaging 11 assists per set with 77 helpers in seven sets, Kiebel helped the Blugold offense hit at a 0.252 rate in the two victories. In addition to facilitating the offense, she added three service aces and two block assists.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Oshkosh, Izzy Coon, Senior, Setter, Fond du Lac, Wis. (Fond du Lac)
UW-River Falls, Cora Sayotovich, Sophomore, Setter, Harris, Minn. (Rush City)
UW-Stevens Point, Hannah Strege, Freshman, Setter, Shakopee, Minn. (Shakopee)
UW-Whitewater, Aubrie Krzus, Junior, Setter, Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton Warrenville South)
 
 
WRESTLING
Easton Hull, Senior (Waupun, Wis./Waupun), 184 pounds of UW-Stevens Point
Hull won the gold 184 bracket at the UW-Stevens Point Pointer Open on Nov. 1. He went 4-0 with two wins by fall, including one in the championship match, and another by 5-3 decision.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Ethan Struck, Junior, 165 pounds, Marengo, Ill. (Marian Central Catholic)
UW-La Crosse, Tyler Dormanen, Junior, 197 pounds, Boyceville, Wis. (Boyceville)
UW-Oshkosh, Ryan Hanson, Freshman, 133 pounds, McHenry, Ill. (McHenry)
UW-Platteville, Kain Killmer, Sophomore, 197 pounds, Perry, Iowa (Perry)
UW-Whitewater, Logan DeFilippo, Freshman, 165 pounds, Burlington, Wis. (Wilmot)
 
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