LOOKING INTO THE AFTERMATH OF THE WISCONN DEAL

Wisconsin government could do more to conserve Wisconsin lakes Data shows Mendota is polluted too much and frozen too little, efforts to correct it have been made but are they enough?

by Harry Quick Opnion Editor

Lake Mendota is an iconic and integral part of campus — the University of Wisconsin could be any other Big 10 school without it, and so many people have a special place in their hearts for the memories made there. In the summer and fall people jump in with friends, run along the Lakeshore path or go down to Memorial Union just for the wonderful view. Now that it’s starting to freeze over people are looking forwards to skating, hockey and the Winter Carnival.

But, what if all that stops? What if one winter the Lake doesn’t freeze over?

This is now a real concern for UW and the city of Madison.

The ability to enjoy nature is a big part of every culture, and climate change, as well as pollution, endangers that.

2018 saw Lake Mendota closed for 71 days because of blue-green algae blooms. For over a century, scientists have carefully tracked Lake Mendota’s annual freeze and thaw, and it has been found that Mendota thaws a month earlier than it did 166 years ago.

Conservation efforts are already being made, but further steps must be taken to give Wisconsin its best chance to protect its lakes. This could include instating a state-wide carbon tax and finding solutions to agricultural runoff.

State and local government are doing their part by committing to an overhaul of infrastructure. Governor Tony Evers has committed to switching over to 100% carbon-free, renewable energy by 2050 with Executive Order 38. This is a promise of a lasting and permanent change that will reduce our carbon footprint tremendously by 2050.

The most efficient way to speed up this process while cutting government costs would be a carbon tax. If a carbon tax were to be instated, businesses and households would begin the process themselves, as it would become cheaper for them to make the switch than to pay the tax. A successful implementation of the tax may encourage other states and countries to do the same. This is the best Madison can hope for when it comes to stopping the lake from thawing early and reversing the trend.

When it comes to the algae problem Dane County and the City of Madison, officials are scrambling to find solutions. Phosphorous used in fertilizer tends to run off into nearby waterways streaming into Mendota. Then algae feed off this phosphorous and the population explodes, resulting in an algae bloom. In addition to being harmful to humans, blooms create “dead zones” where the algae on the surface of the water use up all the oxygen before it gets to the bottom of the water, killing lake wildlife.

Attempts to use less phosphorous and keep soil where farmers put it are wide ranging. There has been a pilot project testing manure composting, creation of buffer strips and use of cover crops. However, these methods are not being widely adopted.

Wisconsin has to work closely with farmers to mitigate the runoff, as 80% of phosphorous in the lake comes from them. More grants should be created to encourage farmers to pursue more sustainable practices without worrying about money. Where could this money come from? A carbon tax.

Legislation is not Wisconsin’s only hope to protect the lakes. Students should take advantage of the UW Office of Sustainability, which is committed to educating people on the subject. In addition to that, UW has resources such as the Recyclopedia, the Food Shed and commuter solutions — all designed to help individuals cut down on their waste and to reconsider their impact on the environment.

What now? The government must be held accountable to its 2050 promise to make the switch to 100% carbonfree, renewable energy, and a wealth of sustainability grants and a carbon tax have to be legislated.

Perhaps this will slow economic growth, but it would be in the spirit of conservation. Using up every resource and polluting the air, and every river and lake along the way will ensure that there is no economy at all.

“I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land — but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us,” Teddy Roosevelt said in a speech in Osawatomie, Kansas 1910.

America would do well to remember those words.

Harry Quick (hfquick@badgerherald.com) is a freshman studying economics.

Photo - Lake Mendota is in danger and Wisconsin has a responsibility to protect it Joey Rueteman The Badger Herald

Wrestling: Badgers upset No. 5 Nebraska, fall to Minnesota, Ohio State SPORTS @badgerherald

Impressive contributions from high ranked wrestlers drove Badgers’ solid opening performance in Big Ten duel schedule

The Badger wrestling squad had a small break after the Midland’s Tournament held over the holiday break. Their return to competition brought them to perhaps the most stacked part of their schedule. They dove headfrst into the heart of their Big Ten duel schedule when they traveled to Minnesota to duel the then No. 3 ranked Gophers.

The meet started at 174, making 184 the frst ranked matchup of the night. Wisconsin’s No. 13 Johnny Sebastian lost a close 3–1 decision to Minnesota’s No. 17 Owen Webster.

No. 5 Trent Hillger faced Gopher No. 2 Gable Steveson, the current NCAA title favorite in his weight class, where Gable put on a takedown clinic. Steveson won 10-5 to the favor of five takedowns.

A new addition to the Badgers lineup was freshman Eric Barnett, whose redshirt was pulled in December. A blue chip recruit from Hortonville, Barnett had a hard introduction into Big Ten wrestling. Thirteenth ranked Patrick McKee bested Barnett with a 9-0 major decision. Barnett will look forward to avenging this loss at the Big Ten Tournament, and should be a signifcant point contributor to the Badger lineup moving forward.

After five matches, the Badgers found themselves in a serious hole, as they were down 17–0. Seth Gross looked to right the ship in a return to his home state. Ranked first in the nation in his weight class, Gross managed to secure a tech-fall to get the Badgers back on track.

The 141 pound match was the marquee matchup of the evening, as Badger and No. 9 ranked Tristan Moran took on an opponent who he battled with last year, No. 2 ranked Mitch McKee.

Last year, Moran pinned McKee in overtime when the Gophers traveled to Madison. McKee got his revenge in March when McKee defeated Moran at the NCAA tournament. Tristan Moran was better on that night, however, avenging his NCAA loss and winning 7–6.

In another ranked matchup, No. 12 Cole Martin took on Minnesota’s fourth ranked Brayton Lee, but lost 7–4. In the fnal match of the night, Evan Wick secured a 6–1 decision win. The Badgers lost the border battle 20-14. The Badgers returned to Madison Jan. 12 for their frst home Big Ten duel of the season against the then No. 5 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Barnett opened up the duel against a four time Iowa state champion and blue chip recruit, Alex Thomsen. Barnett showed his explosive nature, securing his second Field House pin in his second appearance.

Gross faced Nebraska’s No. 13 Ridge Lovett. Gross managed a major decision, shooting the Badgers out to a 10–0 lead against the Cornhuskers.

Moran was up against No. 6 Chad Red, his second top 10 opponent of the weekend.

18 • badgerherald.com • January 28, 2020 Moran showed he can score from anywhere with six of his nine points being off near fall points. Moran won a 9–4 decision to cap of an extraordinary weekend for the Badgers which secured him Big Ten Wrestler of the week honors.

Martin, not wanting to get upstaged, sent the Field House into a frenzy by securing the second Badger pin of the duel. Heading into 157, the Badgers had a 19–0 lead over the Cornhuskers.

At 165, No. 6 Wick faced No. 3 Isaiah White. Wick had a dominating performance, as he downed the Cornhusker 10–4.

Jared Krattiger and Tyler Dow both faced top 10 opponents at 174 and 184, respectively. Both wrestlers lost their highly ranked bouts. Taylor Watkins also lost his match at 197.

In the final match of the day, No. 5 Hillger faced No. 16 Christian Lance. Hillger secured the Badger victory with a 4–1 win. The Badgers downed the Cornhuskers 25–18. Last Friday, the newly minted fourth ranked Badgers welcomed the third ranked Ohio State Buckeyes to the Field House. The scheduled matchups were with two ranked wrestlers at 133, 141, 149, 165, & HWT.

The action opened up at 125. Barnett secured an 8–6 decision to start the Badgers of the right way. No. 1 Gross faced Jordan Decatur who was ranked No. 20 for the Buckeyes. Gross got taken down three times but hardly let that afect him as he retaliated with a 15–6 major decision win. Newly appointed No. 4 Moran faced a hard test against the nation’s best in the 141 weight class, Luke Pletcher. Pletcher showed why he’s the top dog in the country and downed Moran 11–3.

No. 12 Martin faced a tough opponent in the 149 pound bought with No. 6 Sammy Sasso. Sasso defeated Martin 12–3. After 157, the Badgers were down 7–11.

No. 4 Wick faced No. 12 Ethan Smith. Smith announced himself to the country last

year against the Badgers when he was at 174, so Wick made sure to avenge that loss. Wick bested Smith 7–4 and put the Badgers back on track.

Wisconsin lost the next three matches, however. Krattiger lost a close 7–3 decision to No. 8 Kaleb Romero. Dow lost in a tech-fall to Rocky Jordan. True freshman Peter Christensen lost in a tech-fall to No. 1 in the country Kollin Moore.

No. 5 Hillger looked to end the dual on a good note. Trent did just that, and won the fnal match of the evening 6-0.

Though the Badgers lost the duel 24–13, they have a competitive lineup, and seem poised for a strong Big Ten duel season. The Badgers have a small break, and aren’t back in action until Jan. 31 against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Badgers’ next home duel will be Feb. 7 in the Field House against the current No. 2 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, which is posed to be a fantastic duel.

Volleyball: Badgers look to bounce back in 2020 behind strong core facebook.com/badgerherald

SPORTS

With much of veteran core returning, including seniors Rettke, Hilley, Badgers primed for 2020 NCAA Tournament run

by Harrison Freuck Sports Editor

The University of Wisconsin volleyball team’s storybook 2019 season may have ended in disappointment, but the Badgers are primed to return to form in 2020 with the return of several key players, including Dana Rettke, Sydney Hilley, Dani Hart, Grace Loberg and Molly Haggerty.

After starting the 2019 season with a 4-4 record including losses to ranked teams in Marquette, Baylor and Washington, the Badgers shocked everyone by opening Big Ten play on a 12-game win streak in perhaps the toughest conference in all of NCAA Volleyball.

Wisconsin finished the season with a 27-7 record, closing the season at 23-3 after their poor start, including a conferencebest 18-2 record in the Big Ten. In the NCAA Tournament, Wisconsin dominated nearly every team that stood in their path with sweeps over Illinois State, UCLA, Texas A&M and Nebraska before a 3-1 victory over No. 1 Baylor in the Final Four, their first Final Four win since 2013.

Despite all of their success, the season ended in defeat as the Badgers fell to No. 3 Stanford in straight sets in the NCAA Championship Game. By the end of the match, Wisconsin looked tired and defeated. But expect Wisconsin to make another tournament run in 2020.

Behind soon-to-be senior Dana Rettke, the Badgers will be among the favorites to win the championship this fall, as a few of the top 2019 teams will lose key seniors before the start of the 2020 season, including Stanford star Kathryn Plummer. Despite the return of most of the roster, the Badgers do lose two key seniors in libero Tiffany Clark and outside hitter Madison Duello, as well as fellow seniors M.E. Dodge, Sarah Dodd and Mallory Dixon. The loss of Clark and Duello will be noticed early in the season as the Badgers attempt to find their groove, but we’ve seen Wisconsin’s ability to adjust before under Head Coach Kelly Sheffield.

Following the Badgers’ NCAA Championship Game loss, Sheffield explained just how much these seniors meant to the team.

“We probably graduate the greatest servant leadership class that I’ve ever had,” Sheffield said in a recent interview with the Wisconsin State Journal. “We return a lot of talent, but that doesn’t guarantee you anything, you still have to form a team.”

Like Sheffield said, much of the team’s talent is returning for 2020, providing increased motivation for the Badgers as a team and individually as Rettke, Hilley, Loberg and Haggerty will all graduate at the end of the season. That means the 2020 Wisconsin volleyball team will strive for nothing less than a championship after falling one win short last year.

The experience of the 2020 roster will be an advantage throughout the season as these players, along with other veterans like Hart, understand the fatigue that comes with a full volleyball season. This is especially true in a Big Ten Conference that includes perennial top teams in Minnesota, Penn State, Nebraska, Purdue and Illinois. Coach Sheffield has several options to fill in the absences left by the departing seniors, including current freshmen Izzy Ashburn and Anna MacDonald, as well as incoming freshmen Devyn Robinson and Jade Demps. Wisconsin will also add a beach volleyball player, Deahna Kraft, a grad transfer from Pepperdine.

Sheffield expressed his excitement for the 2020 season as he acknowledged the fact that the team will be a good mix of returning players and new players.

“I’m certainly excited about what’s down the road,” Sheffield said in the WSJ interview. “We’ve got some great pieces that are coming back and we’ve got some great people coming in that have a chance to figure into the equation. And there’s always a spot or two for a potential transfer.”

The fall 2020 season will signal the end of an era at Wisconsin, with this senior class accumulating a record of 74- 24, including a 44-16 Big Ten record, in three seasons. Three players in the class have also earned All-American honors, including Rettke (First team: 2017, 2018, 2019), Hilley (Second team: 2018; First team: 2019) and Haggerty (Second team: 2019).

The 2020 senior class also made the NCAA Tournament each season, improving from Sweet Sixteen berth in 2017 to an Elite Eight berth in 2018 before finishing as NCAA Runners-up in 2019.

If you’re a fan of Wisconsin volleyball or if you followed the Badgers in their 2019 tournament run, watch out for a repeat performance behind Rettke and Co. that might just result in a championship in 2020, the first championship in school history.

Men’s Golf: Lack of depth greatest challenge for Badgers in 2020

Young talent must be developed alongside existing leaders if Badgers are to improve on promising fall season performance

by John Spengler Sports Editor

The beginning of the second academic semester brings a slew of new opportunities for the Wisconsin men’s golf team. An impressive lineup of tournaments throughout multiple Southern states awaits the Badgers who, in a few respects, are lagging behind last year’s performance.

In tournaments during the 2018 and 2019 fall seasons, the Badgers have underperformed their finishes by a slight margin if you consider the total number of teams they beat. In the Badger Invitational, the Badgers’ home event that kicks off their fall season, they placed 11th out of 16 teams in 2019. In 2018, they were one spot ahead as they fnished 10th out of 12.

At the Marquette Intercollegiate, the Badgers fell from eighth place out of 11 teams to dead last from 2018 to 2019. The other tournaments the team competed in were absent from their 2018 schedule, making it more difficult to directly compare their performances in the three other events the Badgers felded a full team.

Even with this being the case, the diference between this year’s and last year’s performances is quite clear. It took a career best from Sam Anderson, the team’s best scorer on average, to propel the Badgers to an 11th place finish. Anderson carded a six under par aggregate score over three days. In 2018, Jordan Hahn shot even par over three days, which was enough to carry the Badgers to a 10th place fnish.

The team was successful in 2018 at the Badger Invitational not because their lead scorer at the time had a career weekend, but because they had more consistent scoring as a team. Both Griffin Barela and Brett Robinson fnished within 10 strokes of Hahn. The Badgers lost Brett Robinson as he was a

Photo · Behind Griffn Barela, Sebastian Iqbal and Sam Anderson, Badgers showed promise late in fall season

senior competing in his last season in 2018.

When Anderson secured his career best performance, there was not a single player on the Badger team who scored less than 10 strokes higher than Anderson’s. In this tournament, it was not the lack of a star that hampered the Badgers, but rather a lack of tight grouping around the top score. In other words, Anderson’s anomalous scoring propelled the Badgers to a higher position than they might normally expect to achieve. At the Marquette Intercollegiate, the Badgers’ team score was once again highly stratifed. Anderson and freshman Sebastian Iqbal carded scores of two over par and five over par for the tournament, respectively. The next best was Coalter Smith with a tournament aggregate score of 13 over par. Nick Robinson also shot 13 over par for the tournament.

Anderson fnished the tournament in 19th place individually and Iqbal also carded an impressive performance. Their aggregate score over par, if they were to constitute the entirety of the Badger team, would be good enough to finish in a respectable sixth place for the tournament.

But it takes more than two guys to build a team. And the Badgers did not finish sixth, they finished last. It stands to reason a large part of the Badgers’ continued struggle in tournament play is due to a lack in depth.

Their top talent, when competing at the top of their game, is good enough to stand toe to toe with the best in the game. In order for the team to stand toe to toe with the best, they will have to procure greater depth either from receiving more recruits in the same vein as Iqbal and Smith, or develop existing talent. The Badgers may actually have some quality time over the upcoming spring season and the following year to develop a very solid team. The top two scorers for the team, Anderson and Barela, are both juniors. Iqbal and Smith just completed their first fall season ever for the Badgers.

Current sophomore Cameron Frazier had a solid showing at the Marquette Intercollegiate as an individual, carding an eight over par score that was good for third best on the team. He will continue to build on his experience as a Badger as the team moves forward to the spring season.

The first tournament in the Badgers’ spring schedule is the Big Ten Match Play. Last year, they had a very strong relative showing, capturing a sixth place finish out of 14 total teams. This finish was a stark contrast to their last place finish in the Big Ten Championships at the end of the 2019 spring season.

Even if this year’s team is not able to replicate the sixth place finish of last year, they have the chance to make a statement as a unit. If they are able to do so, it will be an indication the Badgers are building on fresh talent and senior leadership in order to move in the right direction.

Football: 2020 recruiting class marks best for Badgers since 2001

With fve recruits ranked in top 300 nationally, Badgers set to receive uncommonly strong class of commits, including 4-star Jalen Berger

by Will Whitmore Associate Sports Editor

While Wisconsin has been one of the most dominant teams in college football over the past ten years, their biggest “weakness” is arguably their lack of flashy recruiting classes, but that trend is set to change in 2020.

With a stellar 112-37 record, the Badgers have won more games than storied programs like Florida State, Michigan and reigning national champion LSU.

But while the team has enjoyed a lot of success on the field, the Badgers continually struggled to land top recruiting classes year after year. Coming off a Rose Bowl appearance, though, the Badgers have successfully secured a top-25 class that includes four-star running back Jalen Berger.

Procuring such a talented recruiting class just one year after they nabbed Graham Mertz could indicate the Badgers are capable of not only competing on the gridiron, but also in a cutthroat recruiting landscape.

This year, the Badgers did a tremendous job bringing in talent to replace impact players who are graduating and moving on to the NFL. After three storied years and over 6,000 rushing yards, two-time Doak Walker award winner Jonathan Taylor declared for the NFL draft. The Badgers addressed Taylor ’s departure by signing four-star running back and 2020 AllAmerican Bowl participant Jalen Berger.

Berger enjoyed a solid senior year, running for 840 yards and 16 total touchdowns. He was ranked as the 87th best prospect nationally, holding offers from blue chip programs like Alabama, Florida and Ohio State. Impressively, the Badgers were able to lure Berger away from those top schools. With any luck, Berger will have an immediate impact in Wisconsin’s ground and pound offense.

After losing multiple seasoned offensive linemen, including center Tyler Biadasz who declared for the draft, the Badgers felt the need to address the offensive line in their upcoming recruiting class. Wisconsin continued their trend of adding talented in-state lineman to their class with the signings of four-star prospects Jack Nelson and Trey Wedig.

Nelson is a towering six foot seven inch offensive tackle from Stoughton, WI who chose the Badgers over Jim Harbaugh and Michigan. Wedig, another talented recruit from Wales, WI could make an impact sooner rather than later. The six foot seven inch, 302 pound offensive tackle is the 75th ranked prospect according to 247 Sports and chose the Badgers over top SEC programs including Georgia and Tennessee.

While Wisconsin returns the vast majority of their defensive unit, they faced the challenge of replacing linebackers Chris Orr and Zack Baun. Combined, the two had 24 sacks and both received 2019 All-Big Ten conference selections. With both players graduating and moving on to the NFL, the Badgers needed to replace their two defensive stars.

Linebackers Kaden Johnson and Nick Herbig will try to help fill the void left by Baun and Orr. Herbig, a four-star recruit from Honolulu, HI enjoyed a stellar senior season at St. Louis High School.

Herbig is an athletic six foot two inch, 215 pound outside linebacker who can rush the passer but also does a great job of dropping into coverage.

Herbig’s partner in crime will be six foot two inch, 235 pound outside linebacker Kaden Johnson. Johnson was a key contributor to Minneapolis, Minnesota high school Minnehaha Academy. Poaching Johnson from Minneapolis is a great get for the 2020 Badgers, as P.J. Fleck’s impressive season with Minnesota threatened to cut into the Badgers’ influence there. Photo · With a recruiting class led by Kaden Johnson, Jalen Berger, Badgers are prepared for another strong season in 2020 Justin Mielke The Badger Herald

During his senior season, Johnson was a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, tallying 54 tackles and seven sacks. Johnson is extremely athletic and also dominates on the basketball floor as a quality role player for Minnehaha Academy, one of the nation’s best high school basketball teams.

Aside from these five standouts, Wisconsin’s wellrounded class of 20 prospects should help the Badgers compete for yet another Big Ten West title. On top of this, this class also addresses fans’ concerns about the Badgers past struggles with recruiting.

Though the class is not ranked in the top 10 nationally, these players fill areas of need for Wisconsin’s team. While certain members of the fanbase may complain about Wisconsin’s slow style of play and lack of creativity compared to high-powered passing offenses, it is difficult to complain about Wisconsin’s results with what they have.

Since Barry Alvarez took over as head coach in 1990, his run-heavy offensive formula has been the reason behind nine New Year ’s Six bowl appearances and six conference championships. While some fans may complain, Wisconsin did enough in their recruiting class to sustain this continued success.

With five prospects ranked in ESPN’s top 300 recruiting rankings, Badger fans should look forward to Wisconsin’s latest recruiting class. As things currently stand, the Badgers have secured their first top 25 recruiting class since 2001.

With what the Badgers have been able to accomplish when receiving lesser classes, this should be extremely exciting for Badger nation.