USM Athletes Compete at State Championships

Girls' Hockey

An exciting 1–0 overtime victory in the semifinals led to the girls’ hockey team competing against the Chippewa Falls/Menomonie team in the state championship in February. This time, however, the number-four ranked USM girls’ team fell to the number-three-ranked Sabers 3–2 in another overtime match. The Wildcats finished the season 12-6 and 7-3 in the Midwest Classic Conference.

Boys' Hockey

After defeating Kettle Moraine in the WIAA sectional final game, the number-one ranked USM boys’ hockey team went on to the WIAA state semifinal game, where they lost to number-four ranked Verona 5–1. The Wildcats finished the season 27-3-0 and 6-0-0 in the Classic Eight Conference.

Skiing

The Wildcats varsity boys skiing team placed 10th in the Wisconsin State High School Ski and Snowboard Championships on Sunday, Feb. 14 at Mt. La Crosse in La Crosse. Porter Westveer ’21 placed 11th individually in the combined results among all disciplines with a score of 46. He finished in the top 20 in all three events, and placed ninth in the slalom with a time of 42.96.

Boys' Tennis

Andrew Bechthold ’21 and Shaan Sharma ’22 represented USM in the WIAA Division 2 doubles individual state championship, where they lost to Brookfield Academy in the finals. Peter Ells ’21 and Joe Zimmerman ’22 also competed in the Division 2 doubles individual state championship, and Max Watchmaker ’23 competed in the Division 2 singles individual state championship.

Golf

The boys’ golf team competed in the WIAA Division 2 State Boys Golf Tournament and finished in fifth place, with a two-day team score of 680. The team won the Midwest Classic Conference championships in May, and Owen Gardner ’22 was named Midwest Classic Conference Player of the Year and honorable mention All-state by the Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin.

Track and Field

Drew Stephens ’22 took third place in the 3,200-meter run at the WIAA Division 2 State Track and Field Championships, with a time of 9 minutes, 26.24 seconds, earning All-state distinction in that category.

His brother, Thomas ’22, also ran the 3,200-meter run and finished 14th. Audrey Ferrer ’21, Brynn Fitzsimmons ’24, Emme Foster ’21, and Sydney Moore ’22 earned 10th in the 4x100-meter relay, with a time of 51.64 seconds. Ferrer and Fitzsimmons also competed in individual events.