SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY finished third at the Midwest Conference (MWC) Cross Country Championship in late October. This qualified the Red Hawks to compete in the NCAA North Regional meet where they finished 13th, an increase of eight places from 2021. Sam Forstner ’23 of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, placed 22nd in the regional and was named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association’s North Region Team.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY For the first time in school history, the team claimed the MWC Championship. The team totaled 34 points and placed four student-athletes in the top 10 of the race. They finished 10th at the NCAA North Regional meet. Mikayla Flyte ’23 of Coloma, Wisconsin, received the MWC’s Women’s Cross Country Performer of the Week on back-to-back occasions in late September and led the team at the MWC Cross Country Championship with a second-place finish.

MEN’S SOCCER lost a 2-0 match to Grinnell College in the MWC semifinals, finishing their season with an overall record of 8-8-3. In conference play, the Red Hawks recorded 4 wins, 4 losses and 2 ties, placing them third in the MWC. Abner Contreras ’26 of Round Lake, Illinois, was named a First-Team defender and received Newcomer of the Year honors, while Eli Dietzel ’24 of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and Finley Manning ’26 of St. Johns, Newfoundland, were named Second Team. Head Coach Marco Rhein ’12 was named MWC Coach of the Year. Abner and Dietzel also were selected to the Wisconsin All-State Soccer Team. Kalan Narance ’23 of Waupun, Wisconsin, Jacob Oppeneer ’24 of Hingham, Wisconsin, and Kaleb Schroeader ’24 of Iron Ridge, Wisconsin, were named to the Academic All-District Team.

WOMEN’S SOCCER The team earned the MWC’s Team Sportsmanship Award, the second straight and fourth in the last five seasons for the Red Hawks. The team closed out the 2022 season with an overall record of 4-11-3 and a conference record of 1-6-1. Midfielders Cielo Gutierrez ’26 of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Kaley Kowal ’24 of Carol Stream, Illinois, were voted as Second-Team, All-Conference selections.

VOLLEYBALL went 3-5 in conference with an overall record of 5-21. Named to the 2022 Academic All-District Women’s Volleyball Team were Sophia Brinker ’25 of Wentzville, Missouri, Lydia Ellis ’23 of Dorr, Michigan, Bella Kasuboski ’25 of Racine, Wisconsin, and Arynn Mathieu ’23 of Byron, Illinois. Inesha Wiseman ’23 of Hazel Crest, Illinois, was named Second-Team, AllConference.

FOOTBALL The Red Hawk football team turned in one of its best seasons of head coach Ron Ernst’s impressive career. The team finished 9-1 on the season that saw the Red Hawks average 37 points per game. Ripon began the season with an eight-game win streak and wrapped up the campaign with a perfect 6-0 record at home heading into the playoff tilt. The Red Hawks’ season concluded with a share of the MWC Championship title, the school’s first since 2001.

Fifteen players received All-Conference recognition from the Midwest Conference.

First Team: Running back Cormac Madigan ’22 of Rosendale, Wisconsin, also voted the league’s Offensive Skill MVP; offensive linemen Cameron Bott ’23 of Madison, Wisconsin; wide receiver Kaipo Magsayo ’23 of Chandler, Arizona; quarterback Jarrett Zibert ’24 of Las Vegas, Nevada; defensive line Dylon Ross ’23 of Moline, Illinois; linebacker Damean Netzler ’24 of Redgranite, Wisconsin; and kicker Erik Flores ’24 of Yuma, Arizona.

Second team: Offensive line Keshon Cleveland ’23 of Tolleson, Arizona; wide receiver Parker Campana ’23 of Madison, Wisconsin; defensive line Quincy Di Loreto ’22 of Madison, Wisconsin, and Desmond Murphy ’24 of Bryan, Texas; linebacker Brad Guell ’22 of Tomah, Wisconsin; and defensive back and special teams Zach Bunders ’23 of Wauzeka, Wisconsin, defensive back Fletcher Dallas ’25 of Reedsville, Wisconsin; and defensive back and return specialist Jake Davies ’24 of Ripon, Wisconsin.

Ernst was named the MWC’s Coach of the Year by both the MWC and WFC.