Former Packer shows you can chase your dreams

ANTHONY MCCULLEY Staff Writer

Former Packers’, 49ers’ and Falcons’ quarterback Kurt Benkert proves why you shouldn’t give up on your dreams and fight through adversity.

Benkert played college football at Eastern Carolina and Virginia. Benkert went undrafted during the 2018 NFL draft and has faced adversity throughout his NFL career.

At East Carolina, Benkert redshirted during his freshman season in 2013. He played in three games during the 2014 season against N.C. Central, North

Badgers

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 the Oregon Ducks. Despite an injuryplagued year, Dana Altman always has the Ducks ready to compete, but the Badgers yet again pulled out a close victory.

Just like that, the first team out of the Big Ten tournament was the conference’s last man standing. All that stood in the way of the Badgers’ chances of an unlikely postseason trophy was the North Texas Mean Green and the UAB Blazers.

The Badgers came roaring from the opening tip against North Texas, scoring 41 first half points led by Chucky Hepburn’s 15 points, including 5 of 5 from three. Wisconsin led by 12 at halftime and seemed like they were well on their way to the title game.

Then the second half happened. Scoring 13 points in 11 minutes isn’t the worst thing in the world, but not scoring over the final nine minutes just might be, at least in the basketball world.

North Texas scored just 10 points over those nine minutes of game time, but that proved to be just enough to overcome the eight-point lead the Badgers had built with a Connor Essegian three with 9:08 left in the game.

The Mean Green didn’t even score a point over the final 2:08 of the game when they took a 56-54 lead, but Wisconsin just couldn’t get one bucket to make up the two-point deficit. Their final possession ended with nobody on Wisconsin even being able to get a shot off, which is honestly a fitting way for the 2022-23 season to end.

This season is a hard one to gauge, all of the positives and negatives seem to somehow balance out. An 11-3 record in non-conference play was impressive, but 9-12 against Big Ten opponents doesn’t get you anywhere.

Missing the big dance was very disappointing, yet the Badgers won 20 games for the 18th time in the last 21 seasons, something that not too many programs can say.

The rest of the Big Ten really can’t do too much bragging either, even Big Ten regular season and tournament champion Purdue suffered one of the most embarrassing losses that I’ve ever seen to 16-seed Fairleigh Dickenson.

We could also check in on future Big Ten members USC and UCLA, who each also lost before the Sweet 16 ended. UCLA even went on an 11-minute scoring drought in the second half against Gonzaga to boost the Bulldogs to the Elite Eight.

So, if you throw geography out the window, I guess they’ll fit in just fine in 2024.

The bright side to any disappointing end in sports is that there’s always next season. Many teams are in a worse position and Wisconsin at least remained consistent in how they competed this year.

The Badgers are still a very young team going into next season and all eyes will be on Greg Gard to see how he does in the transfer portal and whether he can get some more consistent offense out of his team.

Carolina and Florida.

Benkert started all 13 of Virginia’s games during the 2017 season. He also got a piece of history as he became the first Virginia player to hit 3,000 pass yards during a season.

Unsurprisingly, Benkert went undrafted during the 2018 NFL draft. But he signed a contract with the Atlanta Falcons and saw himself as a backup for Matt Ryan.

Later, he was released from Atlanta and then got signed to the Green Bay Packers.

Benkert posted an Instagram photo of him achieving an NFL snap by kneel-

Baseball

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 five innings to hold on for a 10-9 victory on March 30.

Madison College jumped out to an 8-0 lead, scoring four runs in both the first and second innings. But Highland battled back to take a 9-8 lead, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second, one run in the third and five runs in the fourth.

Nick West earned the win in relief, pitching 4.1 innings without allowing a run. Grant Ross pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his second save of the season. Nowak led the offense with three hits and three runs scored.

Madison College 9, College of Lake County 3

A three-run third inning gave Madison College a lead it would not surrender in a 9-3 victory against the College of Lake County on March 29.

The WolfPack then added one more run in the fourth inning and four more in the sixth innning to take control.

Kasten started the game on the

Fame

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

Elskamp was a starting guard on Madison College’s 2009-2010 National Championship women’s basketball team that went 31-3 and won the conference title for the first time. She averaged 8.7 points, six rebounds, 3.4 steals and three assists that season, earning all-conference, all region and NJCAA all-tournament honors.

That spring, she joined the WolfPack softball team and led the team with a .444 batting average, still good for sixth place in career batting average. In addition, she had four home runs, seven triples and 21 stolen bases. She earned both all-conference and all-region honors.

A season-ending injury cut short her basketball season in 2010-11, but she came back the next year even stronger. She finished the season with a teamhigh scoring average of 11.4 points a game and 7.3 rebounds a game. Elskamp again earned all-conference and all-region honors. She now ranks second in career steals with 227 and is 15th in both assists and blocked shots.

Goetz played two seasons for the Madison College baseball team and currently ranks second in program history for hits with 143 and fourth in career ing down for the final snap of a game.

Benkert was briefly on the San Francisco 49ers during the 2022 NFL season. He was then released by the 49ers and kept putting in the work and recently found himself signing a contract for the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL.

This just goes to show that no matter how much adversity you face, you should always keep going and not give up on your dreams because it will pay off.

In Benkert’s case, it did as he will be starting for the Brahmas as they are hungry at the quarterback position.

Mcsports

Madison College schedules and results.

Baseball

Schedule

MAR. 9 vs. Chandler-Gilbert CC, 8-7 WIN, 3-2 WIN

MAR. 10 vs. Mesa Community College, 17-5 WIN

MAR. 11 vs. Williston State College, 4-1 WIN; vs. MIles Community College, 12-1 WIN

MAR. 12 vs. Western Nebraska CC, 6-5 WIN

MAR. 14 vs. Glendale Community College, 2-1 LOSS, 6-2 LOSS

MAR. 17 vs. Paradise Valley Community College, 6-4 WIN, vs. GateWay Community College, 6-1 WIN

MAR. 24 at Morton College, 11-1 WIN

MAR. 26 at Carl Sandburg College, 9-0 WIN, 13-12 LOSS

MAR. 29 at College of Lake County, 9-3 WIN

MAR. 30 at Highland Community College, 10-9 WIN mound for the WolfPack and posted a career-high nine strikeouts. Ross and Shepard combined for six of the team’s 13 hits in the game.

APR. 2 at Elgin Community College, noon, 3 p.m.

APR. 3 at home vs. College of DuPage, 1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.

APR. 4 at home vs. Rock Valley College, 3 p.m.

APR. 6 at Rock Valley College, 3 p.m.

APR. 7 at Waubonsee Community College, 2 p.m., 5 p.m.

APR. 8 at home vs. Milwaukee Area Technical College, noon, 3 p.m.

APR. 11 at home vs. Bryant & Stratton College, 3 p.m.

APR. 12 at Bryant & Stratton College, 2 p.m.

Madison College 9, Carl Sandburg College 0

Madison College scored nine runs on eight hits as it shutout Carl Sandburg College, 9-0, for a victory in the first game of a doubleheader on March 26.

Byhre pitched the first six innings, allowing six hits and striking out seven. Will Johannes had two hits, including his first home run.

Carl Sandburg College 13, Madison College 12 batting average at .413. He has the most triples in team history with 10 and is eighth in stolen bases with 35.

Carl Sandburg College exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning with their third home run of the game and then held off a rally to beat Madison College, 13-12, in the second game of the doubleheader.

Nine different players had a hit for the WolfPack, led by Carter Stebane’s two for three effort with a season-high three runs batted in and two runs scored.

For his career at Madison College, Mike and his teammates won two conference titles, two state titles and one regional crown with a combined record of 61-45. During his time as a player he was named all-conference, all-region, all-district and an NJCAA second team All-American.

After Madison College, he played two seasons for UW-Milwaukee and was an NCAA First Team All-American selection his senior season after leading the entire nation in batting average. He spent four seasons playing professional for the Brewers and the Pirates in the minor leagues.

Irwin and Robert Goodman via their Irwin A. & Robert D. Goodman Foundation have continued to show their generosity well past their deaths in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

The Goodman Foundation provided a $6.7-million donation to create the Irwin A. & Robert D. Goodman Sports Complex at the Madison College Truax Campus in 2015. At the time, it was the largest financial contribution in the school’s history.

For their spirit of community, generosity, dedication to Madison College and beyond, they are Madison College Athletic Hall of Famers.

APR. 13 at home vs. Sauk Valley CC, 2 p.m., 5 p.m.

APR. 15 at Kankakee CC, noon, 3 p.m.

APR. 21 at home vs. Carl Sandburg College, 1 p.m. 4 p.m.

APR. 22 at Harper College, noon, 3 p.m.

APR. 23 at home vs. Triton College, noon, 3 p.m.

APR. 25 at home vs. College of Lake County, 3 p.m.

APR. 26 at McHenry County College, 3 p.m.

APR. 27 at home vs. McHenry County College, 3 p.m.

APR. 29 at home vs. Joliet Junior College, noon, 3 p.m.

APR. 30 at Black Hawk College, noon, 3 p.m.

MAY 2 at Oakton CC, 3 p.m.

MAY 6 at home vs. South Suburban College, noon, 3 p.m.

MAY 7 at home vs. Oakton CC, noon.

Softball

Schedule

MAR. 1 at Rochester CTC, 21-0 WIN, 17-3 WIN

MAR. 9 vs. Mott CC, 8-0 WIN, vs. Jackson College, 9-8 LOSS

MAR. 10 vs. Lake Michigan College, 8-7 WIN, vs. Hocking, 5-0 LOSS

MAR. 11 vs. W. Virginia Wesleyan JV, 5-4 LOSS, vs. Mid-Michigan, 9-5 WIN

MAR. 12 vs. Iowa Lakes CC, 19-8 LOSS, 4-0 LOSS

MAR. 13 vs. Heartland Community College, 5-4 LOSS vs. Spoon River College, 3-1 WIN

MAR. 14 vs. St. Louis CC, 9-1 LOSS; vs. Cuyahoga CC, 6-2 LOSS

APR. 2 at College of DuPage, noon, 2 p.m.

APR. 4 at Illinois Valley CC, 3 p.m., 5 p.m.

APR. 6 at Harper College, 3 p.m., 5 p.m.

APR. 7 at home vs. Sauk Valley CC, 3 p.m. 5 p.m.

APR. 14 at Highland CC, 3 p.m, 5 p.m.

APR. 15 at Waubonsee CC, noon, 2 p.m.

APR. 16 at home vs. Dakota County Technical College, noon, 2 p.m.

APR. 18 at home vs. Kishwaukee College, 3 p.m., 5 p.m.

APR. 21 at Black Hawk College, 3 p.m., 5 p.m.

APR. 22 at McHenry County College, noon, 2 p.m.

APR. 23 at home vs. Triton College, noon, 2 p.m.

APR. 27 at home vs. Joliet Junior College, 2 p.m., 4 p.m.

APR. 28 at Carl Sandburg College, noon, 2 p.m.

APR. 30 at Kankakee CC, 2 p.m., 4 p.m.

MAY 2 at home vs. Bryant & Stratton College, 3 p.m., 5 p.m.

MAY 5 at home vs. College of Lake County, 3 p.m., 5 p.m.

MAY 9 NJCAA Region 4 Tournament Quarterfinal