College Highlights (March 19)

Winona State

Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School graduate Maddy Pietz helped the Winona State University (Minnesota) women’s 4x400 meter relay team to a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, over the weekend.

Pietz and the relay team posted a time of 3 minutes, 48.58 seconds, the sixth-fastest time in the event in Winona State history.

Des Moines Area

Gresham graduate Christian Haffner and the Des Moines Area Community College (Iowa) men’s basketball team continued their strong season with two more wins last week.

In a 78-74 victory over Iowa Lakes Community College on March 10, Haffner contributed 16 points. He made three 3-pointers, four total field goals and five free throws. Haffner also posted four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 32 minutes of action.

In a 74-66 victory over Ellsworth Community College (Iowa) on March 13, Haffner tallied five points, two assists, a rebound and a block.

North Iowa Area

Oconto Falls graduate Samantha Coron played in a pair of matches for the North Iowa Area Community College women’s volleyball team last week.

In a 25-19, 25-16, 25-23 loss to Kirkwood Community College on March 11, Coron posted 12 digs and three attack kills.

Coron contributed three digs and two attack kills in a 25-15, 25-18, 25-8 loss to Indian Hills Community College on March 14.

St. Norbert

Oconto Falls graduate Mason Sefcik and Bonduel graduate Noah Beilfuss each pitched during St. Norbert College baseball games last week.

Beilfuss got a pair of outs without surrendering a run during the team’s 10-9 win over Wisconsin Lutheran College on March 13. He allowed a hit but also struck out a batter.

Sefcik started and pitched four innings during the team’s 8-7 loss to Marian University on March 14. He was in position to win the game before Marian scored five times in the seventh inning to rally for the win. In his time on the bump, Sefcik allowed two runs on three hits and five walks while striking out three.

Edgewood

Gresham grad Mackenzie Hoffman and the Edgewood College softball team finished 1-3 over a pair of doubleheaders last week.

In a 5-4 win in the first game of a doubleheader against Dominican University (Illinois) on March 13, Hoffman drove in a run and also walked and scored a run. In the second game that day, a 3-2 loss for Edgewood, the Gresham graduate scored a run.

In another doubleheader against Dominican on March 14, Hoffman walked, scored a run and reached on an error in an 8-4 loss in game one. Edgewood lost 12-2 in the second game.

Hamline

Shawano grad Peyton Buerman came up short in her singles and doubles matches while competing for the Hamline University (Minnesota) women’s tennis team during a 9-0 loss to Minnesota State University on March 14.

Buerman and her doubles partner dropped a tight 8-6 match at No. 3 doubles. The Shawano grad was defeated 6-1, 6-2 in her No. 6 singles match.

Rockhurst

Shawano grad Averi Vomastic helped the Rockhurst University (Missouri) volleyball team to two wins last weekend.

In a 25-18, 25-17, 25-21 sweep over the University of Illinois Springfield on March 13, Vomastic led the team with 13 attack kills. She also had five digs.

In a 22-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-22 comeback win that same day, Vomastic contributed eight attack kills, four digs, six block assists and a solo block.

Bryant & Stratton

Shawano grad Bayleigh Laabs turned in several strong games during a busy week for the Bryant & Stratton softball team last week.

In the first game of a doubleheader against William Penn University (Iowa) on March 8, Laabs had three hits — including a double, an RBI and a run scored in a 7-0 win. In an 8-2 win in game two, the Shawano grad had one hit and a run batted in.

Bryant & Stratton was swept by Lake-Sumter State College (Florida) on March 9. In a 7-3 loss, Laabs doubled and homered among her three hits. In a 5-4 loss, she homered again and also walked.

Bryant & Stratton lost two games to Indian River State College (Florida) on March 10. Laabs had a hit in an 11-0 loss, while adding a hit and walking once in a 7-2 loss.

Laabs drove in a run and walked once in a 6-5 loss in the first game of a doubleheader against St. Petersburg College (Florida) on March 11. She doubled in a run in a 9-3 loss in game two.

In the team’s final game of the week, a 3-1 victory over Eastern Florida State College on March 13, Laabs had a hit and RBI.

Ripon

Witt-Birn graduate Lauren Bahr competed in five events for the Ripon College women’s swim team during a dual against Lawrence University on March 13.

Bahr placed first in the 100 backstroke (1:06.95) and 200 backstroke (2:33.48) and fourth in the 50 freestyle (27.37) as an individual.

She helped the 200 medley relay (2:02.28) and 200 freestyle relay (1:49.58) to second-place finishes.

Bahr earned 20 points as an individual and eight more on the two relays. Lawrence won the dual 160-93.

UW-Madison

Shawano grad Brandi Gueths competed in a pair of races for the UW-Madison women’s rowing team at the Cardinal Invitational on March 13-14 in Tennessee.

Gueths was on the Wisconsin varsity eight team that placed second in 6:18.971, just behind Virginia (6:15.442), on March 13.

The next day, Gueths was on the varsity eight team that placed first in 6:23.906, ahead of Notre Dame (6:28.485) and Tulsa (6:32.226).