General

Kwik Trip Athletes of the Week - November 2

MADISON, Wis.--Following are the WIAC Kwik Trip Athletes of the Week for the week of October 26 - November 1

FOOTBALL
Offense
Paxton Rothmeier, Sophomore (Medford, Wis./Medford), Running Back of UW-Eau Claire
Rothmeier had a historic performance during UW-Eau Claire's 27-10 victory over UW-La Crosse on Oct. 31. It was the first win over the Eagles since Oct. 22, 2016. Rothmeier ran for 301 yards on 45 attempts, tallied 6.69 yards per carry, and extended his rushing touchdown streak to three games with a 77-yard touchdown run to put UW-Eau Claire up 17-10 before halftime. Rothmeier’s performance placed him fourth all time in Blugold history for single game rushing yards and single game rushing attempts. Rothmeier currently ranks fourth in NCAA Division III in yards per game and third in total rushing yards this season.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Oshkosh, Demir Ashiru, Sophomore, Quarterback, Plainfield, Ill. (Plainfield North)
UW-Platteville, Jaxson Garbisch, Senior, Wide Receiver, Appleton, Wis. (Kimberly)
UW-River Falls, Trevor Asher, Junior, Running Back, Elmwood, Wis. (Elmwood-Plum City)
UW-Stout Polytechnic, Keon Maggit, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, Detroit, Mich. (Downers Grove South)
UW-Whitewater, Justin Klinkner, Junior, Quarterback, Two Rivers, Wis. (Two Rivers)
 
Defense
Max Marty, Junior (New Glarus, Wis./New Glarus), Safety of UW-Eau Claire
Marty helped the Blugolds to their first win over UW-La Crosse since Oct. 22, 2016. In addition to his three solo tackles, he stopped the Eagles' driving offense twice with turnovers. After UW-La Crosse crossed midfield to start the second half, Marty forced a fumble at the UWEC 34 to give the Blugolds control and keep UW-Eau Claire ahead 20-10. In the fourth quarter and in the Blugold redzone, Marty forced his second fumble of the day after ripping the ball out of the hands of the Eagles' receiver to keep UW-La Crosse from answering the Blugolds go ahead 27-10 score the drive before.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Platteville, Ashton Honore, Junior, Defensive Line, Lone Tree, Iowa (Iowa City West)
UW-River Falls, Jared Schultz, Sophomore, Defensive Back, Gordon, Wis. (Northwood)
UW-Stevens Point, Denver Treleven, Senior, Linebacker, Omro, Wis. (Omro)
UW-Stout Polytechnic, Braxton Munnikhuysen, Senior, Inside Linebacker, Claremont, Minn. (Triton)
UW-Whitewater, Noah Moris, Senior, Defensive Line, Union Grove, Wis. (Union Grove)
 
Special Teams
Jeffrey Freund, Sophomore (Juneau, Wis./Beaver Dam), Punter of UW-River Falls
Freund played a pivotal role in UW-River Falls' 35-30 victory over UW-Stout Polytechnic, averaging 44.8 yards on four punts. He landed three punts inside the 20-yard line and recorded punts of 53 and 51 yards, consistently flipping field position during the Falcons' second-half comeback. Two of his four punts pinned the Blue Devils inside their own 10-yard line.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Platteville, Benjamin Younker, Senior, Punter, Genoa, Ill. (Genoa-Kingston)
UW-Stout Polytechnic, Kyler Lamb, Junior, Defensive Back, Plainview, Minn. (Plainview-Elgin-Millville)
UW-Whitewater, Tyler Vasey, Senior, Wide Receiver, Crystal Lake, Ill. (Prairie Ridge)
 
 
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY
Camden Markham, Sophomore (Houghton, Mich.), Forward of UW-Stevens Point
Markham posted a team-best three goals at the Key City Classic on opening weekend. He had the game-winning goal in UW-Stevens Point's 5-3 victory over No. 3-ranked Aurora University (Ill.) in the season opener. Then on Oct. 31, he scored both Pointers goals against University of Dubuque (Iowa). Markham also had an assist in the win over Aurora.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Dayne Hoyord, Senior, Forward, Scandinavia, Wis. (SPASH)
UW-River Falls, Keenan Ingram, Sophomore, Forward, Calgary, Alberta (Bowness)
UW-Stout Polytechnic, Fyodor Nikolayenya, Junior, Forward, Minsk, Belarus
UW-Superior, Jack Boschert, Senior, Florissant, Mo. (Duchesne)
 
 
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY
Blake Schultz, Freshman (East Grand Forks, Minn./East Grand Forks), Forward of UW-River Falls
Schultz led No. 1-ranked UW-River Falls to a two-game sweep of Saint Mary's University (Minn.), totaling five goals and one assist for six points on the weekend. She scored twice in her collegiate debut during a 6-1 victory on Oct. 30, before erupting for a hat trick and an assist in a 7-4 win on Oct. 31.
 
Also nominated:
Beloit College, Alex Venning, Junior, Goalie, Courtice, Ontario
UW-Stevens Point, Molly Pohlkamp, Junior, Forward, Baxter, Minn. (Brainerd)
 
 
MEN’S SOCCER
Offense
Aidian Martin, Senior (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls), Midfield of UW-Whitewater
Martin recorded his first career brace in the Warhawks 2-2 draw against UW-Platteville on Oct. 30. He scored the opening goal of the match to put the Warhawks up 1-0. After two unanswered goals by the Pioneers, the Warhawks found the equalizer to secure a first round bye in the WIAC Tournament. Martin scored the equalizer off his backheel in the 65th minute. He put four shots on target in the game, two of them past the keeper. 
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Noah Malcook, Senior, Forward, Fitchburg, Wis. (Oregon)
UW-Platteville, Aiden Hatleberg, Junior, Forward, Belleville, Wis. (Belleville)
UW-River Falls, Sam Everakes, Junior, Defender, Villa Park, Calif. (Villa Park)
UW-Stout Polytechnic, Sven Oberg, Sophomore, Midfield, Pine Island, Minn. (Pine Island)
 
Defense
Tommy Slater, Freshman (Northville, Mich./Northville), Defense of UW-Eau Claire
Slater recorded three points on a goal and an assist, while helping lead the Blugolds to a 1-0-1 record during the week, securing the No. 3 seed in the WIAC Tournament. He played all 90 minutes in both contests, providing a strong defensive presence, while also contributing offensively. Against #RV Luther College (Iowa) on Oct. 27, Slater recorded an assist to help UW-Eau Claire earn a 2-2 tie. He followed with the game-winning goal against UW-Stevens Point on Oct. 30, converting a penalty kick in the 27th minute to lead UW-Eau Claire to a 2-0 victory.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Platteville, Westley Hankes, Junior, Defense, Edgerton, Wis. (Edgerton)
UW-River Falls, Greyson Shiek, Freshman, Goalkeeper, Andover, Minn. (Andover)
UW-Stout Polytechnic, Lucas Biederman, Senior, Goalkeeper, Hudson, Wis. (Hudson)
UW-Whitewater, Mason Diercks, Senior, Defense, Oregon, Wis. (Oregon)
 
 
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Offense
Nadia Epshteyn, Junior (Cedarburg, Wis./Cedarburg), Forward of UW-Oshkosh
Epshteyn powered the Titans' regular season finale 5-1 win over UW-River Falls on Oct. 31, with her first career hat trick. On five on-goal shots, she scored three times to double her point total on the season and help the Titans secure a spot in the WIAC Tournament. She tallied her first goal in the 14th minute on a penalty kick and dribbled an unassisted goal to the net 10 minutes later to give the Titans a 3-0 lead before opening the second half scoring with her third goal by weaving through a pair of Falcon defenders. Three of her six goals have turned into the game-winning scores this season.
 
Also nominated:
UW-La Crose, Ella Opie, Sophomore, Midfield, Pewaukee, Wis. (Pewaukee)
UW-Stevens Point, Rita Danner, Junior, Midfield, West Des Moines, Iowa (Waukee)
UW-Whitewater, Ryan Kadlec, Freshman, Midfield, Lakemoor, Ill. (Grant)
 
Defense
Bella Jones, Senior (Neenah, Wis./Neenah), Goalkeeper of UW-Eau Claire
Jones allowed just one goal across 180 minutes in net over two matches, recording 15 saves. She made seven saves against St. Olaf College (Minn.) on Oct. 27, before turning in an eight-save performance against UW-Platteville on Oct. 31. Against the Pioneers, Jones earned her eighth shutout of the season in the 0-0 tie, helping UW-Eau Claire secure the No. 4 seed in the WIAC Tournament.
 
Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Summer Nicolai, Junior, Goalkeeper, Onalaska, Wis. (Onalaska)
UW-Oshkosh, Jamaya Mariner, Freshman, Goalkeeper, Green Bay, Wis. (Green Bay East)
UW-Platteville, Marguerite Mueller, Senior, Goalkeeper, Bolingbrook, Ill. (Bolingbrook)
UW-Stevens Point, Jocelyn Blahnik, Sophomore, Goalkeeper, De Pere, Wis. (De Pere)
UW-Stout Polytechnic, Kristen Silenzi, Senior, Goalkeeper, Carpentersville, Ill. (Harry D. Jacobs)
UW-Whitewater, Isabella Torres, Junior, Defense, Joliet, Ill. (Joliet Central)
 
 
MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING
Swimming
Carter O’Leary, Freshman (DeForest, Wis./DeForest), of UW-Eau Claire
O'Leary won both the 1,000-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle events against UW-La Crosse on Oct. 30. He took first in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 9:57.19, finishing more than 26 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. He followed with another first-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle, posting a time of 4:49.52 to earn nine points in each event. O’Leary’s two event victories helped lead the Blugolds to a 169.5-130.5 road victory over the Eagles.
 
Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Tyler Hartmann, Senior, Wales, Wis. (Kettle Moraine)
UW-Stevens Point, Ruslan Bayuk, Freshman, Eagan, Minn. (Two Rivers)
 
Diving
River Reeves, Freshman (Wautoma, Wis./Oshkosh North), of UW-Stevens Point
Reeves won the one-meter diving event with a score of 458.15 in a dual win over St. Norbert College (Wis.) on Oct. 31.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Tait Johnson, Sophomore, Richfield, Minn. (Richfield)
UW-La Crosse, Ethan Pedersen, Junior, Burlington, Wis. (Burlington)
 
 
WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING
Swimming
Shefali Ramakrishnan, Junior (La Crosse, Wis./La Crosse Logan), of UW-La Crosse
Ramakrishnan won a pair of individual titles and was a member of a first-place relay in UW-La Crosse's dual victory over UW-Eau Claire on October 30-31. She captured the 100-yard backstroke (1:00.26) and 100-yard butterfly (58.61 seconds), while being a member of the winning 200-yard medley relay (1:47.58). Ramakrishnan was also on the second-place 400-yard freestyle relay (3:41.46).
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Anwen Smith, Sophomore, Prescott, Ariz. (Prescott)
UW-Stevens Point, Holly Ambre, Junior, Batavia, Ill. (Batavia)
 
Diving
Abbey Thornton, Senior (Valley City, N.D./Valley City), of UW-La Crosse
Thornton swept the one (228.55 points) and three-meter (234.60) diving events in UW-La Crosse's dual victory over UW-Eau Claire on Oct. 30-31. 
 
Also nominated.
No other individuals were nominated.
 
 
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Offense
Cora Sayotovich, Junior (Harris, Minn./Rush City), Setter of UW-River Falls
Sayotovich directed the UW-River Falls offense to a 3-0 week, averaging 10.9 assists per set while totaling 109 assists in 10 sets. She guided an attack that hit .251 for the week and produced 15.6 kills per set, including a 46-assist performance in a four-set WIAC win over UW-Stout Polytechnic. Sayotovich also contributed 13 kills, 17 digs and five blocks, recording double-digit assists in all three victories as the Falcons earned three wins over four days.
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Mya Cinnamo, Senior, Outside, Rosemount, Minn. (Rosemount)
UW-La Crosse, Ali Dehnicke, Freshman, Outside, Andover, Minn. (Andover)
UW-Oshkosh, Grace Juergens, Senior, Pin Hitter, Lockport, Ill. (Lockport)
UW-Stevens Point, Ella Trieloff, Senior, Outside Hitter/Rightside, Park Ridge, Ill. (Arlington Heights St. Viator)
UW-Stout Polytechnic, Brooke McCune, Senior, Outside Hitter, Osseo, Wis. (Osseo-Fairchild)
UW-Whitewater, Abbie Dix, Senior, Middle Hitter, Brodhead, Wis. (Brodhead)
 
Defense
Megan Jasperson, Junior (Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa), Libero of UW-La Crosse
Jasperson helped lead the Eagles to their best defensive performance of the season in a 3-1 win over UW-Whitewater. She tied for the team high in digs with 23, while also recording a service ace. Jasperson also passed with a .909 serve receive efficiency. The win over UW-Whitewater was the Eagles first since 2017, snapping an eight-game losing streak to the Warhawks. 
 
Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Alia Schlimgen, Graduate Student, Defensive Specialist, Sauk City, Wis. (Sauk Prairie)
UW-Oshkosh, Callie Panasuk, Sophomore, Defensive Specialist/Libero, Oak Creek, Wis. (Oak Creek)
UW-River Falls, Audrey Petersen, Junior, Defensive Specialist/Libero, Glencoe, Minn. (Glencoe-Silver Lake)
UW-Stevens Point, Tessa Erlandson, Senior, Defensive Specialist/Libero, Kenyon, Minn. (Kenyon Wannamingo)
UW-Stout Polytechnic, Kailey Kline, Senior, Libero, Genoa, Ill. (Genoa-Kingston)
UW-Whitewater, Amanda Hillmann, Junior, Middle Hitter, Cedarburg, Wis. (Kettle Moraine Lutheran)
 
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