INFOCUS
HAT TRICK! Senior and team captain Baylee Wellhausen celebrated one of her three goals in the Badgers’ 4-1 win over Bemidji State in the semifinals of the 2018 WCHA Final Faceoff last weekend in Minneapolis. PHOTO BY JIM ROSVOLD
INFOCUS
WATCH YOUR HEAD! Khalil Iverson rose up and threw down a powerful reverse, alley-oop dunk during Wisconsin’s game against Michigan State at Madison Square Garden in the Big Ten Tournament last week. Iverson and the Badgers put up a spirited fight, but ultimately fell to the No. 2-ranked Spartans, 63-60, last Friday. PHOTOS BY NOAH K. MURRAY / USA TODAY SPORTS
INFOCUS
WE MEET AGAIN In the third meeting this season between Big Ten rivals, Wisconsin’s Evan Wick took an early lead with a dynamic takedown on his way to claiming a 4-3 decision over Michigan’s Logan Massa in the 165-pound consolation semifinals at last weekend’s Big Ten championships. Wick and six of his fellow Badgers now head to the 2018 NCAA Championships. PHOTO BY WISCONSIN WRESTLING
INFOCUS
SOFTBALL & SUNSETS Can’t beat that golden view! The Badgers picked up four wins on the weekend in sunny Clearwater, Florida, including two dominant shutouts to cap the USF Under Armour Showcase. Wisconsin travels to Arizona this weekend to play its final non-conference tournament. PHOTO BY KELLI GRASHEL
CONTENTS
DARREN LEE
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MARCH 7, 2018 ▪ VOLUME 8, ISSUE 26
NEXT SEASON STARTS NOW Fighting tooth and nail through a challenging season, the Badgers’ last few weeks have shown Greg Gard that his team is determined to make this season the exception.
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IN FOCUS
14 LUCAS AT LARGE 17 BY THE NUMBERS 18 WHAT TO WATCH 21 ATHLETES OF THE MONTH
LUCAS AT LARGE
REDEMPTION
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JOHN FISHER
FEATURES
Shoulder surgery in the rearview, freshman Brad Davison is counting down the days until the 2018-19 season.
23 BADGERING 25 BADGERS GIVE BACK 35 INSIDE HOCKEY 39 INSIDE WRESTLING
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41 INSIDE SOFTBALL 43 INSIDE TRACK & FIELD
48 BADGER HISTORY
JIM ROSVOLD
47 INSIDE GOLF
HOCKEY
NCAA TOURNAMENT
Women’s hockey hosts rival Minnesota for the NCAA Quarterfinal at a sold-out LaBahn Arena on Saturday. 11
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LUCAS AT LARGE BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM SENIOR WRITER
Redemption begins now for Davison
L
ast Saturday afternoon, Brad Davison, Aleem Ford and D’Mitrik Trice had some time on their hands in Manhattan, so they attended the Michigan-Michigan State game in the Big Ten tournament. Absorbing the atmosphere like a fan/tourist, Davison said, “I think it kind of hit me then — just by sitting in the stands and seeing that side of things — that we played in Madison Square Garden. “The place was full. It’s a big rivalry, so the fans were definitely getting into it with each other. It gives you kind of a different perspective of the game.”
The Wolverines held off the Spartans, who had eliminated Wisconsin the day before. More than 24 hours after losing to MSU, Davison confided, “I don’t really think I’m over it yet.” Later that night, Davison and his UW teammates also went to the “Lion King” at the Minskoff Theatre. Beaming, he said, “My first show on Broadway. I love musicals. That was right up my alley.” Largely in part to a winter storm (a Nor’easter), the Badgers didn’t leave New York City until Sunday even though they played the first game on Friday. While waiting to get back to
Madison, Davison tried to keep his mind off other things. And that was completely understandable. On Monday, he would have successful surgery on his left shoulder. “I’m not nervous about the surgery — I have complete faith in Dr. (John) Orwin and the training staff,” said Davison, the rugged, battle-tested freshman guard from Maple Grove, Minnesota. “It’s just not being able to do much for awhile that really scares me because that’s not who I am at all. I’m always busy. I always have to be doing something. DAVE SAFFRAN (MSG PHOTOS)
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“I feel guilty if I’m not in the gym or if I’m not doing everything I can to try to improve. That’s going to be an adjustment for me (during the rehab) especially since I can’t rush it.” On the thought of physically returning to 100 percent, regaining full strength and range of motion with his left arm, Davison said, “That’s going to get me through it. “I’m extremely excited to not have to play with the shoulder brace; to be able to go out there and not have to think about it and to just play the way I know I can play. “I thought I had a lot of limitations this year with what I could do both offensively and defensively. My dad always says, ‘You’ll be playing free again.’ “That’s what is really going to get me through the recovery process.” Once his shoulder popped out the first time in what would be a reoccurring theme — by his own count, it popped out at least eight times — he had to make some obvious concessions with his game. Davison estimated that he scored on just three lay-ups with his left hand. “That was one of my strengths,” he said, flashing back to his prep and AAU careers. “You couldn’t really force me one way because I could go either way to hurt you. “Along with getting healthy is getting stronger with my left hand and getting to the rim. I didn’t attack the rim as much as I have in the past and I know that
I’m able to do that.” Trice’s injury forced Davison to take over as the point guard in early December. That was a change in mindset for Davison, who trained as a 2-guard last summer. “It was a learning adjustment,” he said. “But now I feel comfortable at both spots. We don’t really need a true point guard with the swing (offense) that we run. I’ll play wherever they put me.”
“WE’LL DEFINITELY BE A NEW LOOK TEAM NEXT YEAR. WE’LL HAVE A LOT MORE WEAPONS, A LOT MORE DEPTH. I CAN’T WAIT. I WISH IT STARTED NOW BECAUSE WE CAN DO A LOT OF DAMAGE MOVING FORWARD.” And he’ll do whatever it takes to give his team a competitive edge. Like inviting contact by throwing his body in front of a driver and drawing charges. Nearly 40 in 33 games. But his injury factored into his thinking here, too. “Because I couldn’t take as many risks — whether reaching for the ball or trying to get a steal — that was my way of trying to make a game-changing play, you could say,” Davison revealed. “Taking a charge is kind of an emotional play. I don’t think I’ll take as many next year. I’ll step away from it a little bit. But if the opportunity is there, I’m still going to take it. “Especially if I think I’m there (in defensive position) and I can make a play for the team.”
After Friday’s season-ending loss, snapping Wisconsin’s streak of 19 straight appearances in the NCAA tournament, an inconsolable Davison sat at his locker. Legs quivering, he fought back tears. “You always knew about it, but you didn’t really speak about it,” he said. “It stings. I came here and wanted to be part of that Wisconsin tradition. And you kind of feel like you let people down. “But today, and the last month, we proved that we’re an NCAA tournament team. That’s what makes it sting even more. Unfortunately, we didn’t turn it around sooner.” Most assuredly, he predicted, there will be a turnaround. “We’ll definitely be a new look team next year,” he said. “We’ll have a lot more weapons, a lot more depth. I can’t wait. I wish it started now because we can do a lot of damage moving forward.” But first, he took another glance over his shoulder at the Michigan State loss ending whatever faint hope the Badgers had of running the table in New York. “It’s going to stick with me all through March,” Davison said, “because I’m going to have to watch March Madness and know that we’re as good as 75 to 100 percent of those teams. “It’s not something you just get over. It’s something that is going to be with me until March next year when we get our opportunity ….” To start another streak. ▪
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BY THE NUMBERS KIRBY LEE / USA TODAY
MEN’S TRACK & FIELD ▶ Former UW standout Zach Ziemek finished sixth in the heptathlon at the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships last week in Great Britain. The only U.S. athlete to compete in the heptathlon, Ziemek scored 5,941 points in his world indoor debut.
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5,941
◀ SOFTBALL Wisconsin smacked a season-high five home runs at the USF Under Armour Showcase last weekend. Senior Sam Arents had two homers in a pair of wins Saturday, while fellow seniors Brooke Wyderski and Kelsey Jenkins joined freshman Taylor Johnson in tallying one each.
▼ WRESTLING Wisconsin rose to the occasion at the 2018 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, outpacing its projected seeding by a total of +9. Expected to place ninth in the team standings, the Badgers finished sixth overall to improve upon last year’s eighth-place finish. WISCONSIN WRESTLING
DAVID STLUKA
+9
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WOMEN’S HOCKEY ▶ Wisconsin enters Saturday’s NCAA quarterfinal with Minnesota at LaBahn Arena with a 28-game home unbeaten streak, outscoring opponents 130-18 during the run. 17
WHAT TO WATCH ERIC MILLER
INDOOR NATIONALS
TRACK & FIELD AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS FRIDAY, MARCH 9 ▪ ALL DAY COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS ▪ ESPN3
DAVID STLUKA
Several members of the Wisconsin men’s and women’s track and field teams travel to the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships this Friday and Saturday in College Station, Texas. Watch the meet live on ESPN3 on both days.
championship central
SOFTBALL AT WILDCAT INVITATIONAL FRIDAY, MARCH 9 ▪ 11AM TUCSON, ARIZ. ▪ PAC-12.COM Wisconsin travels to Arizona for its final non-conference tournament of the year, the Wildcat Invitational. The Badgers will play five games between Friday and Sunday. Game times and live stream links are available on the softball schedule at UWBadgers.com.
ANDY MANIS
NCAA HOCKEY
WOMEN’S HOCKEY VS. MINNESOTA SATURDAY, MARCH 10 ▪ 2PM LA BAHN ARENA ▪ UWBADGERS.COM Wisconsin returns home to a sold-out LaBahn Arena to face rival Minnesota in an NCAA quarterfinal game on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed live online, with the link available on the women’s hockey schedule at UWBadgers.com.
KELLI GRASHEL
DESERT SUN
WEDNESDAY 3/7
THURSDAY 3/8
MEN’S & WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING at NCAA Zone D Diving Championships Minneapolis All day
FRIDAY 3/9
SATURDAY 3/10
MEN’S & WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD at NCAA Indoor Championships College Station, Texas All day Event info »
MEN’S & WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD at NCAA Indoor Championships College Station, Texas All day Event info »
SOFTBALL at Wildcat Invitational Tucson, Ariz.
SOFTBALL at Wildcat Invitational vs. Arizona Tucson, Ariz. Noon Watch: Pac-12.com
vs. USC-Upstate 11 a.m. vs. Arizona 2:00 p.m. Watch: Pac-12.com
WOMEN’S HOCKEY NCAA Quarterfinal vs. #5 Minnesota Madison, Wis. 2 p.m. Watch: UWBadgers.com SOLD OUT View more 3/10 events »
SUNDAY 3/11 SOFTBALL at Wildcat Invitational vs. San Diego Tucson, Ariz. 11 a.m. Watch: Pac-12.com
ALL TIMES CENTRAL
MONDAY 3/12 MEN’S GOLF at Colleton River Collegiate Bluffton, S.C. All day
TUESDAY 3/13 MEN’S GOLF at Colleton River Collegiate Bluffton, S.C. All day
WEDNESDAY 3/14 WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING at NCAA Championships Columbus, Ohio 5 p.m.
VIEW FULL CALENDAR ON UWBADGERS.COM »
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STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE MONTH Congratulations to UW’s Student-Athletes of the Month for March. These honorees have been recognized ― via nominations from Student-Athlete Advisory Committee members, coaches, advisors and sport administrators ― for their accomplishments in athletics, academics, on campus and in the community.
melissa pick ‖ sophomore ‖ women’s tennis
In her second year at Wisconsin, Melissa Pick has already left a big impression on the Wisconsin women’s tennis team. Her charismatic and infectious personality is joined by a skill and intensity on the court that has her leading the way for the Badgers. The Albuquerque, New Mexico native ranks second on the team in singles wins with a mark of 16-9 and owns an 11-9 record on the doubles courts. A dedicated member of SAAC, Pick maintains an impressive 3.59 GPA with aspirations of becoming an engineer.
josef dodridge ‖ senior ‖ men’s tennis
Senior Josef Dodridge has been one of the pillars of Wisconsin men’s tennis returning to the national spotlight. After notching a career-high 24 wins and helping the Badgers to the 2017 NCAA Tournament, the Bournemouth, England native has his eyes on even bigger things this season. Dodridge and teammate Chema Carranza have climbed to No. 4 in the national doubles rankings, while he is ranked No. 112 in singles. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, Dodridge is majoring in international business, real estate and urban land economics.
ollie hoare ‖ sophomore ‖ men’s track & field
A sophomore from Sydney, Australia, Ollie Hoare has grown tremendously as an athlete this cross country and indoor track season, earning three Big Ten titles this academic year, including winning the 2017 Big Ten Cross Country Championship, and sweeping the distance events at the Big Ten Indoor Championships. Hoare has also qualified for the 3000 meters and as part of the distance medley relay squad at the NCAA Indoor Championships this weekend.
griffin barela ‖ freshman ‖ men’s golf
Freshman Griffin Barela has made an immediate impact on the Badger men’s golf team. He finished eighth in his first career tournament, the Badger Invitational at University ridge, earning Big Ten Golfer of the Week honors. He has been in the lineup in all six tournaments this season and won two head-to-head matches to help UW to a perfect 4-0 record at its most recent event, the Big Ten Match Play. He finished his first semester with better than a 3.5 GPA in the College of Letters & Science.
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FORWARD Be a difference-maker during the University of Wisconsin’s Annual Campaign — it’s what Badgers do. AllWaysForward.org
BADGERING...
BANKE OGINNI
Fresh off setting career bests in the shot put and weight throw for the Wisconsin women’s track and field team, junior Banke Oginni has turned her sights to the NCAA Indoor Championships that run March 9 and 10 in College Station, Texas. A product of Hanover Park, Illinois, Oginni’s big throws last month — 71 feet, 10¼ inches in the weight throw and 55-6½ in the shot — rank second in program history behind Olympian Kelsey Card and put her in contention for national honors. Oginni, who was born in Nigeria and came to the U.S. when she was 2, took time recently to talk about the teammate she admires most, the best place to study on campus and why her performance shoes are adorned with, in her words, “graffiti.” BY ANDY BAGGOT ▪ UWBADGERS.COM INSIDER
Do you allow yourself to think about winning an NCAA title or are you one of those one-step-at-a-timers? “It’s one day at a time, but I like to dream. I always fantasize like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’m going to be on that podium. I could be the top one on that podium.’ I like to think positively in that way.” What constitutes a good practice for you? “It’s a mindset for me. If I’m happy at the end of the day and the end of my practice, no matter how far my throws went, then it was a good practice.” Is there a Badgers teammate you particularly admire? “I’d say Amy Davis. She’s so lighthearted and happy. When I see her my day brightens. She’s so positive and I’ve tried to take her aspect of life into everything I do.” Where’s the best place to study on campus? “Union South because I like the hustle and bustle of everyone being around there, but you can be secluded at the same time.”
WALT MIDDLETON
Are you superstitious? “I always take a shower before I leave the hotel to compete. It’s like a clean slate. I always write on my throwing shoes. ‘Stay Calm.’ ‘Breathe.’ ‘Why Not Me?’ I always do it before I start warmups. I always look down and it’s a reminder. It’s like graffiti.” Click to read more »
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BADGERS GIVE BACK SPOTLIGHT
badgers give back
Spring brings new Badgers math challenge New March challenge offers fun and learning BY BADGERS GIVE BACK STAFF
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way from the basketball court, the Badgers focus on their studies and community service. The spring and summer provide even more opportunities to give back in the community. Last summer, freshman guards Brad Davison and Walt McGrory enjoyed preparing lunch for senior citizens at the Goodman Community Center. “I have always believed that the best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others,” said Davison. “Giving back to our community is a great opportunity for us to do that.” As the basketball season began last fall, men’s basketball also welcomed five new honorary teammates from the American Family Children’s Hospital onto their team. Through the Wish Upon a Badger program, each new teammate had their own unique behind-thescenes experience with the Badgers. Men’s basketball student-athletes have also been mentoring youth at Randall Elementary School. Through a fourth grade pen pal program, Davison
and seniors Matt Ferris and Aaron Moesch were paired with buddies and wrote back and forth to each other bi-weekly in a shared journal. Teammate Ethan Happ also gave back to young Badger fans through The Shoe Project. After every home game, Happ met one Badger fan and surprised them with an autographed pair of shoes. “I’m just giving back to Badger fans,” Happ said. “They’ve supported me my whole career.” In honor of our men’s basketball team, Wisconsin athletics is releasing Bucky’s March Madness Math and Logic Challenge. Starting March 9, kids and adults of all ages are invited to complete Bucky’s math and logic riddle worksheet to earn tickets to a Wisconsin softball game this spring. All worksheets must be filled out with contact information on the back of the worksheet, and submitted before Friday, April 6, 2018 in order to be eligible to receive tickets. Partake in the spring fun this March by putting your mind to the test with Bucky’s March Madness Challenge! ▪
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DARREN LEE
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DAVID STLUKA
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obody has a healthier respect for the value of fundamental guard play than an aptly named Greg Gard. Especially in the difference it can make. “In just depth alone,” said Wisconsin’s head coach. To begin with, the inventory was depleted by the graduation of starting guards Zak Showalter and Bronson Koenig and the transfer of reserve Jordan Hill. Those departures were taken in stride. But season-ending injuries to D’Mitrik Trice, who played in 37 games the year before, and freshman Kobe King in December left the Badgers shorthanded and vulnerable at a most visible and valuable position. “Not that I didn’t realize it before,” said Gard, a veteran of 25 years in the college ranks, “but it’s the first time really in my career where I’ve gone through a season with a huge shortage of guards. “The game is so guard-oriented right now that if you have a shortage, it stands out. And it handcuffs you in so many ways. Trusting the Badgers have “weathered the
storm” with their late-season surge (5-3), Gard is excited about having the backcourt pieces next year to compete again among the Big Ten’s upper tier. “Hopefully we’re through the darkest period,” he said. “That’s my thought here and my vision is that we’re on our way back out. We’re already past the reboot. We went through it this year.” With the healthy return of Trice (foot), King (knee) and freshman Brad Davison (who had shoulder surgery Monday), the Badgers will have the makings of a solid guard corps. Redshirt sophomore Brevin Pritzl started 21 games and had some breakout moments. Transfer Trevor Anderson sat out this season after making 20 starts with Green Bay last season as a freshman. Freshman walk-on Walt McGrory will have to play his way into the mix, but adds depth. Meanwhile, the Badgers have been recruiting conventional point guards and have not ruled out signing one. While better suited to be an off-guard, Davison manned the point ably out of necessity.
“That’s another component that we didn’t “Brad did a terrific job for what he was handhave without him — we didn’t have another loned and for what he had to deal with personally ger, athletic guy on the perimeter defensively. from his shoulder injury,” Gard said. “Being the “That was the thing with Trice being out, too. only guy really, we had to ride him extremely He’s your quickest guy to get up and into the hard.” ball a little bit. He will give us more versatility Davison led the team in minutes played: an to put pressure on.” average of 31.2 per When the Badgers game, 33.2 in the Big began playing better Ten. Along with being “HOPEFULLY WE’RE THROUGH THE DARKEST defense in February a catalyst, he was the PERIOD,” GARD SAID. “THAT’S MY THOUGHT HERE and March, Gard ofteam’s second-leading AND MY VISION IS THAT WE’RE ON OUR WAY ten used junior Khalil scorer (12.1) and top BACK OUT. WE’RE ALREADY PAST THE REBOOT. Iverson as a defensive 3-point shooter. WE WENT THROUGH IT THIS YEAR.” stopper on the oppo“That’s asking a lot nent’s point guard or for a true freshman to top scorer in the back court. be a point guard at this level and doing it while “I know my role and I just tried to do it the injured,” Gard said. best I can,” said Iverson, who had a spectacular Gard says that he’s comfortable with either dunk on a Davison lob against Michigan State the 6-foot-2 Anderson or 6-foot Trice at the in the Big Ten tournament. point. “Down the stretch, I think the guys got a lit“Trevor may be a little more of a pure point tle closer. We have a good core group and we guard than D’Mitrik,” he said. “But D’Mitrik has knew that we could play with anyone. I feel like played that position most of his career before our mentality changed.” he even got here. “We don’t operate specifically with a pure point guard all the time because we’re not as ball dominant with the ball in one guy’s hands as maybe some other systems. “Both Trevor and Meech (Trice) will add to our depth, let alone the skill set that they will bring to the table. They both have more change of direction, shake and wiggle to them.” The 6-4 King, who has packed on muscle, looms as more of a wing. But he can play the 2 or 3. “He’s a playmaker, he’s a shot-maker,” Gard said. “He can break down defenses; he can score in transition. He’ll be really good defensively because of his Trevor Anderson, D’Mitrik Trice & Kobe King versatility, length and athleticism.
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DARREN LEE
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DARREN LEE
That was reflected in the play of Iverson and Pritzl. Both are members of the 2015 recruiting class that up until their emergence this year had been inconsistent. “They both really took a big jump,” Gard said. “I could see the confidence grow and grow and grow the last two or three weeks. They started to have a little swagger to them.” Pritzl suggested there was a team-wide confidence that stemmed from better practice habits. “For the most part, we practiced with such an intensity and purpose that it translated to the games,” Pritzl said. “Everything we do has to be done with a purpose. “That’s what we did a lot in late season games. We cut with a purpose. We screened with a purpose. We defended with a purpose. That’s what stood out the most to me.” There were some areas where the growth couldn’t be accelerated. For instance, the Badgers struggled at power forward because of inexperience. Aleem Ford was out of position — he’s more suited for the 3 — while Nate Reuvers was physically out of his element. The 6-8 Ford is a redshirt freshman; Reu-
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vers, who was originally redshirting, is a true freshman. “Aleem navigated through ups and downs of a typical freshman,” Gard said. “Experience is a cruel teacher at times. But I think he gained a lot from his minutes. “We expect and need him to take a big jump physically. With his size, combined with his skill set, it gives him Swiss Army knife potential in the future if he capitalizes on what he has learned.” The 6-10 Reuvers’ playing time had to be monitored because he lacked stamina and strength. “He wore down at the end of the season,” Gard said. “His gas tank light was blinking on empty the last couple of weeks. As he gets stronger and has more endurance, fatigue will be less of a factor. “He’s still swinging a tack hammer and eventually he’s going to be swinging a sledge hammer. But the reason we pulled the redshirt was because of his competitive fire and willingness to compete. “We knew that he’d get knocked around a little bit. But this experience is going to show him what he needs to do now that he has gotten
formation as he goes through that process.” some real game experience to draw back on.” Gard isn’t sure what he’ll get out of his inTo this end, Gard will emphasize getting coming freshmen: Taylor Currie (6-8, 210) from stronger and more physical as a team. Clarkston, Michigan; and Joe Hedstrom (7-0, “Part of that is getting bigger in the weight 225), a walk-on from Hopkins, Minnesota. room during the off-season,” he said. “Part of “It’s too early,” he said of any projections for that is through recruiting. We’ve got to get bigCurrie or Hedstrom redshirting. “If you asked ger and more physical and athletic across the me a year ago, I would have said that we’re not board.” counting on Nate (ReuGard is scheduling vers) either. individual exit meet“I didn’t know how ings with players, an “EVERYTHING WE DO HAS TO BE DONE WITH much we could count annual process. Ethan A PURPOSE,” PRITZL SAID. “THAT’S WHAT WE DID on Brad and Kobe. UnHapp is counting on A LOT IN LATE SEASON GAMES. WE CUT WITH A til you get them in here getting invited to the PURPOSE. WE SCREENED WITH A PURPOSE. and you get to work NBA scouting combine WE DEFENDED WITH A PURPOSE. THAT’S with them and see to see where he stands WHAT STOOD OUT THE MOST TO ME.” where they’re at, you with the pros. just don’t know.” The 6-10 Happ, a After last Friday’s loss to Michigan State, first-team All-Big Ten selection, led the BadGard didn’t mince words with his players. gers in scoring (17.9), rebounding (8.0), assists “I was very appreciative of the way they as(122), blocks (35) and steals (49). He has one cended over the last two to three weeks,” he year of eligibility remaining. said. “And I wanted to make sure they under“We’ve had small conversations, but I have stood they were playing like an NCAA tournato sit down and talk with Ethan directly,” Gard ment team. said. “We’ll help him research it. We’ll go to the “Unfortunately, our resume was not going to advisory committee and talk to all the scouts. put us in that position. We didn’t do enough “We’ll get him solid feedback and provide ingood things in late November and early January to put ourselves in that discussion. “But I was appreciative they didn’t fold up shop and kept working… the jumps we’ve taken the last few weeks convinced me that we can compete. “We went toe to toe with Michigan State in two games in five days. It has convinced our guys that when we do things the right way, when we stick together, how good we can be. “At the same time, it still leaves a bad taste in their mouth because we didn’t get what we wanted.” The players rebounded nicely from the in-season adversity of losing eight of nine Big Ten games during one stretch saddling them in early February with a 10-15 overall record, 3-9 in the conference.
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DAVID STLUKA
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DAVE SAFFRAN (MSG PHOTOS)
▲ TAP TO WATCH - Experience Will Pay Off
teaching and experiencing things for the first “I think we had the pieces this year,” Pritzl time and understanding, ‘This is how we do it.”’ said, “it just took us too long to realize it, esTo be sure, there were growing pains. pecially after D’Mitrik and Kobe went down. I “But going through a painful experience know we’ll be much better next year.” forces you to take a step out of your comfort “The way we’ve been playing lately speaks zone,” Gard said. “We had to push people befor itself,” Reuvers said. “We bought into what yond where they thought they could go. the coaches have been telling us and working “Eventually, they came to the same vision on it at practice. That’s where we started to as we did, ‘We can be improve.” much better, if we do A, “We’ve really been B, and C.’ I’m proud of buying in on defense “THE WAY WE’VE BEEN PLAYING LATELY SPEAKS the way they’ve been with the little things,” FOR ITSELF,” REUVERS SAID. “WE BOUGHT INTO so resilient when they reasoned Ford. WHAT THE COACHES HAVE BEEN TELLING US AND could have thrown in “Getting over screens, WORKING ON IT AT PRACTICE. THAT’S WHERE the towel.” hedging… a bunch of WE STARTED TO IMPROVE.” When they were at things that we probatheir lowest point, they bly didn’t do as well at never let their Gard down. the beginning of the season or maybe a month “They grew,” he said. “The players knew that ago. I feel like we’ve been growing in all areas.” there wasn’t going to be any conceding to what Gard summarized the approach that the staff we were demanding and eventually we started took to spurring that growth. to show longer stretches of doing things really “We’ve had to reset what we’re about and well.” how we operate every day,” he said. “The culOver the last six games, the only two losses ture has been reemphasized on how we’re gowere by a combined eight points to Michigan ing to do things, what is expected and what State prompting Gard to say excitedly, “We’ll won’t be tolerated. go into the off-season with a good feeling for “It was new for the young guys and there what we were doing.” weren’t many older guys, so there was a lot of
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INSIDE MEN’S HOCKEY
Jan. 13 Michigan State
GREG ANDERSON
SCHEDULE (14-19-3, 8-13-3-1) Home events in bold. All times CT. W, 5-2
Jan. 19 at #1 Notre Dame L, 2-4 Jan. 21 vs. #1 Notre Dame W, 5-0
Chicago
Jan. 26 #14 Penn State
W, 4-2
Jan. 27 #14 Penn State T, 4-4 OT
WON SHOOTOUT 1-0
Feb. 2
at #20 Michigan
L, 3-5
Feb. 3
at #20 Michigan W, 4-2
Feb. 9
#12 Minnesota
L, 2-4
Feb. 10 #12 Minnesota
L, 1-7
Feb. 23 at #6 Ohio State
L, 2-6
Feb. 24 at #6 Ohio State
L, 0-4
Big Ten First Round Playoffs (best of three):
Mar. 2
at (3) Michigan
L, 5-6
Mar. 3
at (3) Michigan
L, 4-7
View full schedule/results »
▲ TAP TO WATCH - Badgers’ Season Ends With Loss at Michigan
THIS WEEK Men’s hockey (14-19-4, 8-13-3-1 Big Ten) will be at home after its season ended last weekend at Michigan in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. LAST WEEK Wisconsin closed out its season with a pair of losses at Michigan, dropping a wild 6-5 contest last Friday, before falling, 7-4, to get swept out of the 2018 Big Ten Tournament first round.
GOOD TO KNOW Senior forward Ryan Wagner led a group of eight seniors this season by leading the Badgers with 33 points on 15 goals and 18 assists.
SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW Wisconsin’s freshmen, led by defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk and forwards Linus Weissbach and Tarek Baker, led the Big Ten and rank sixth in the country with 98 points (33 goals, 65 assists).
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
FOLLOW US:
▶ Consistency and chemistry challenged Badgers ▶ Blockbuster McDonagh trade headlines Badgers in NHL
35
INSIDE WOMEN’S HOCKEY SCHEDULE (30-4-2, 20-2-2) Home events in bold. All times CT.
Jan. 13 Minnesota State W, 6-0 Jan. 14 Minnesota State W, 4-0 Jan. 19 at Bemidji State W, 4-3 OT Jan. 20 at Bemidji State T, 3-3 OT
WON SHOOTOUT 2-1
Jan. 27 St. Cloud State
W, 4-0
Jan. 28 St. Cloud State
W, 3-2
at #6 Ohio State
L, 0-1
Feb. 3
at #6 Ohio State
L, 1-3
Feb. 9
at Minn. Duluth
W, 5-0
Feb. 10 at Minn. Duluth T, 3-3 OT ▲ TAP TO WATCH - Badgers Fall in Championship, Look Forward to NCAA Tournament
THIS WEEK The No. 2 Badgers (30-4-2) continue postseason play Saturday as they take on No. 5 Minnesota in an NCAA quarterfinal at LaBahn Arena. Puck drop is set for 2 p.m. The winner of UW/Minnesota will face the winner of the Colgate/Northeastern quarterfinal in the 2018 Frozen Four next week in Minneapolis.
GOOD TO KNOW This weekend’s quarterfinal matchup marks the sixth meeting between the Badgers and the Golden Gophers this season. Wisconsin has claimed four of the last five contests with Minnesota. With a win this Saturday, the Badgers would advance to their 11th Frozen Four in program history.
LAST WEEK UW fell, 3-1, to the Golden Gophers in the title game of the WCHA Final Faceoff last Sunday at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. Freshman forward Delaney Drake scored the Badgers’ only goal of the contest, the first of her college career.
NEED TO KNOW Saturday’s game sold out within minutes, but fans can listen to the game on 1310 WIBA or watch the game on UWBadgers.com. Fans can also follow the action on Twitter (@BadgerWHockey).
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Badgers to host Golden Gophers in NCAA quarterfinal
WON SHOOTOUT 1-0
Feb. 16 #7 Minnesota
W, 4-3
Feb. 17 #7 Minnesota
W, 1-0
JIM ROSVOLD
Feb. 2
WCHA Final Face-Off, Minneapolis:
Mar. 3
vs. (4) Bemidji St. W, 4-1
Mar. 4
vs. (3) Minnesota
L, 1-3
NCAA Quarterfinal:
Mar. 10 Minnesota
2 p.m.
View full schedule/results »
SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
FOLLOW US:
▶ Campbell, Roque earn WCHA individual awards ▶ In new role, Maddie Rowe shows growth
37
INSIDE WRESTLING SCHEDULE (7-5, 4-5)
Home events in bold. All times CT. Dec. 1-2 at Cliff Keen Invitational Las Vegas Results » Dec. 7
Maryland
Dec. 9
at UW-Whitewater W, 38-3
Dec. 9
at UNI Open
Cedar Falls, Iowa
W, 32-6 Results »
Dec. 29-30 at Midland Championships Hoffman Estates, Ill. Results »
▲ TAP TO WATCH - Highlights: Big Ten Championships (Sessions 3 and 4)
THIS WEEK After a long and tough weekend in East Lansing, Wisconsin wrestling has less than two weeks to rest up and prepare for the NCAA tournament in Cleveland. In total, seven Badgers automatically qualified for nationals, receiving the allocations at the conference tournament this past weekend. LAST WEEK In a rough first session, the Badgers came back to wrestle some of the best matches they have all season in arguably the most difficult conference tournament in the country. Predicted to finish in the ninth to eleventh range, UW ended the championship round in sixth with third place finishes from Hunter Ritter at 197 pounds and Andrew Crone at 157 pounds. Eli
Stickley, Ricky Robertson, Ryan Christensen and Cole Martin also placed in their respective weight classes, taking sixth, seventh, seventh and ninth respectively. GOOD TO KNOW To put into perspective the Badgers’ performance, every wrestler in the ten weight classes finished or placed above their initially given seed. Wisconsin had a seed differential of +9 places above the given seed, which was higher than every team within the conference.
2018 Jan. 12 at Northwestern L, 14-18 Jan. 19 at #8 Michigan L, 10-29 Jan. 21 at Michigan State W, 28-7 Jan. 26 Indiana Feb. 9
#15 Nebraska
W, 24-19 L, 10-24
Feb. 11 at #14 Illinois
W, 19-16
Feb. 16 #21 Rutgers
L, 12-24
Feb. 18 #22 Purdue
L, 15-25
Mar. 3-4 at Big Ten Championships East Lansing, Mich. Results » Mar. 15-17 at
NCAA Championships
Cleveland, Ohio
View full schedule/results »
SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW After 25 years at the helm of Wisconsin’s wrestling program, head coach Barry Davis announced his resignation Monday. Davis will coach the Badgers through the NCAA Championships on March 15-17.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Badgers to host Golden Gophers in NCAA quarterfinal
FOLLOW US:
▶ Campbell, Roque earn WCHA individual awards ▶ In new role, Maddie Rowe shows growth
39
INSIDE SOFTBALL
Home events in bold. All times CT.
GLENN JENSEN
SCHEDULE (11-8, 0-0) at Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Palm Springs, Calif.:
Feb. 22 vs. #12 Auburn W, 3-2 vs. #18 Oklahoma St. L, 2-3 Feb. 23 vs. Fresno State
W, 6-5
Feb. 24 vs. Missouri L, 3-7 vs. San Jose State W, 1-0 ▲ TAP TO WATCH - Extra Innings || Season 1 || Episode 1
THIS WEEK The Badgers compete in their last preseason tournament next weekend, traveling to Tucson, Arizona for the Wildcat Invitational. On Friday, UW matches up with USC-Upstate and Arizona. The Badgers play Arizona again on Saturday before taking on South Dakota. They wrap up tournament play on Sunday with a game against San Diego. LAST WEEK Wisconsin went 4-1 in the USF Under Armour Classic in Clearwater, Florida. The Badgers defeated Central Michigan, 5-2, and College of Charleston, 10-8, before blanking their final opponents, Western Michigan, 7-0, and Wright State, 12-0. Freshman Haley Hestekin had a stellar weekend, picking up three wins with a 0.41 ERA on the weekend.
GOOD TO KNOW Three seniors had big performances over the course of the weekend. Brooke Wyderski led the squad with a .467 batting average, a .933 slugging percentage, four doubles, one home run and six RBI. She was followed closely behind by Kelsey Jenkins, who passed over 150 career runs over the weekend and collected seven hits, including two doubles and home run, accounting for seven RBI. Samantha Arents also had four big hits, including two home runs in one single day.
Feb. 25 vs. #1 Washington L, 1-4 at USF Under Armour Invitational, Clearwater, Fla.:
Mar. 2 vs. Central Michigan W, 5-2 vs. South Florida L, 1-3 Mar. 3 vs. Coll. of Charleston W, 10-8 vs. W. Michigan W, 7-0 Mar. 4 vs. Wright State W, 12-0 at Wildcat Invitational, Tucson, Ariz.:
Mar. 9 vs. #24 USC-Upstate 11 a.m. vs. #9 Arizona 2 p.m. Mar. 10 vs. #9 Arizona vs. South Dakota Mar. 11 vs. San Diego
Noon 4 p.m. 11 a.m.
View full schedule/results »
SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW Fans and media can follow the action in Arizona via the team’s Twitter (@BadgerSoftball). Additionally, live statistics and live stream links will be provided on the softball schedule page on UWBadgers.com.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Badgers roll over the Raiders to win 12-0
FOLLOW US:
▶ Arents’ two home runs lift Badgers over Cougars, Broncos ▶ Badgers split games on opening day of USF Invitational
41
E N ZORAGE
E V CO
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INSIDE MEN’S TRACK & FIELD SCHEDULE
Home events in bold. Feb. 2-3 at Frank Sevigne Husker Invite Lincoln, Neb. Results » Feb. 9-10 at Iowa State Classic Ames, Iowa Results » Shell Shocker Results »
Feb. 17
at Alex Wilson Invitational Notre Dame, Ind. Results »
Feb. 23-24 at Big Ten Indoor ▲ TAP TO WATCH - Hoare Caps Big Win in 5000M at Big Ten Championship
THIS WEEK Six qualifying Badgers will compete on the national stage at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend at College Station, Texas. Wisconsin will send Trent Nytes and Zach Lorbeck to compete in the heptathlon, and sophomore Ollie Hoare will compete in the 3000 meters. The school record-holding distance medley relay team of Joe Hardy, Corbin Ellis, Eric Brown, and Ollie Hoare will also make an appearance at the national meet. LAST WEEK At the 2018 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships, the men’s team saw a weekend full of successes from across the board. Trent Nytes won the heptathlon events with a personal best score of 5,810. On the track,
Ollie Hoare swept the distance events, earning him Big Ten Track Athlete of the Championships honors, and Corbin Ellis set a new school record in the 600 meters. GOOD TO KNOW At last year’s NCAA Indoor Championship, three Badgers competed in the national meet. In his NCAA Indoor Championship debut, senior Riley Budde capped off a stellar indoor season, throwing the shot a remarkable 71 feet to secure a spot in the finals, where he placed eighth thanks to a toss measuring 69-8 in the finals. Budde earned firstteam All-America honors for his eighth-place overall finish.
Championships Results »
Geneva, Ohio
WALT MIDDLETON
Feb. 16
Mar. 9-10 at NCAA Indoor Championships
College Station, Texas
OUTDOOR March 31 at UC San Diego Invite San Diego, Calif. April 6-7 at Spec Towns Invite
Athens, Ga.
April 13
at UW-Platteville Invitational
Platteville, Wis.
April 14
at Musco Invite
Iowa City, Iowa
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW Fans can watch the action on ESPN3 and follow along on Twitter (@BadgerTrackXC).
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Six Badgers prep for NCAA Indoor Championships
FOLLOW US:
▶ Hoare named Big Ten track athlete of the championships ▶ Ziemek takes sixth in IAAF World Indoor Championships
43
We don’t like the cold. We love the cold.
WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN, WE’RE HAVING FUN.
VIEW the SNOW CONDITIONS Report At
INSIDE WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD SCHEDULE
Home events in bold. All times CT. Feb. 2-3 at Frank Sevigne Husker Invite Lincoln, Neb. Results » Feb. 9-10 at Iowa State Classic Ames, Iowa Results » Feb. 16
Shell Shocker Results »
Feb. 23-24 at Big Ten Indoor
Championships Results »
Geneva, Ohio
▲ TAP TO WATCH - Ellenwood Wins Big Ten Indoor Pentathlon Title
THIS WEEK Four Wisconsin women’s track and field athletes will travel to College Station, Texas for the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships. Georgia Ellenwood, Banke Oginni, Amy Davis and Alicia Monson will take on competition from around the nation at Gilliam Stadium starting with Ellenwood in the pentathlon on Friday at 12:15 CT. LAST WEEK The Badgers rounded out conference competition at the Big Ten meet in Geneva, Ohio. The team finished in seventh place with a score of 61 points lead by a number of medal finishes. Ellenwood won her second straight indoor conference title in the pentathlon while pole-vaulter
Taylor Amann also took home her second straight gold and secured her 11th straight indoor victory. GOOD TO KNOW Ellenwood and Oginni competed at last year’s national indoor meet. Ellenwood finished seventh in the pentathlon and looks to lock in her fourth straight indoor All-American honor at this year’s meet. Oginni competed in the weight throw and finished in 17th.
College Station, Texas
OUTDOOR March 31 at UC San Diego Invite San Diego, Calif.
WALT MIDDLETON
Mar. 9-10 at NCAA Indoor Championships
April 6-7 at Spec Towns Invite
Athens, Ga.
April 13
at UW-Platteville Invitational
Platteville, Wis.
April 14
at Musco Invite
Iowa City, Iowa
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW The meet will stream live on ESPN3. Fans can follow the action on Twitter @BadgerTrackXC for live updates of the meet and catch a recap following the meet on UWBadgers.com.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Badgers secure four spots at NCAA Indoor Championships
FOLLOW US:
▶ Davis leads Badgers on final day of Big Tens ▶ Small moments matter deeply for Badgers
45
INSIDE MEN’S GOLF SCHEDULE
Home events in bold. Sept. 10-12 Badger Invitational Results » Sept. 24-25 at Northern Intercollegiate Sugar Grove, Ill. Results » Oct. 1-3
at Marquette Invitational Erin, Wis. Results »
Oct. 8-9
at Windon Memorial Skokie, Ill. Results »
Oct. 23-24 at Pinetree Intercollegiate Murfreesboro, Tenn. Results » 2018 Feb. 9-10 at Big Ten Match Play Palm Coast, Fla. Results »
LAST TIME OUT The Badgers shocked the field at the Big Ten Match Play in Palm Coast, Florida on Feb. 9-10. UW defeated No. 12 Illinois and No. 44 Northwestern on Day 1 before beating Nebraska and No. 39 Penn State on Day 2 to take third place in the 14-team event. THIS WEEK Wisconsin travels to Bluffton, South Carolina to take part in the Colleton River Collegiate on Monday and Tuesday, March 12-13. Junior Jordan Hahn tied for sixth place at last year’s event, leading the
Badgers to a sixth-place finish as a team. OF NOTE Sophomore Pete Kuhl and Nick Robinson both won three of their four matches at the Big Ten Match Play. Each Badger accounted for at least 1.5 points at the event. GOOD TO KNOW In addition to Hahn, Kuhl and Robinson, senior Eddie Wajda competed at the Colleton River Collegiate last year. Those four will be joined in South Carolina by freshmen Griffin Barela and Sam Anderson.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
Bluffon, S.C.
DAVID STLUKA
Mar. 12-13 at Colleton River Collegiate Mar. 25-27 at Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate
Awendaw, S.C.
Mar. 31-Apr. 1
at D.A. Weibring Invitational
Normal, Ill.
Apr. 14-15 at Boilermaker Invitational
West Lafayette, Ind.
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
FOLLOW US:
▶ AmFam Championship extends agreement at U-Ridge ▶ New kids on the block dominate Big Ten Match Play
47
THIS WEEK IN BADGER HISTORY
CAMP RANDALL 100 SPOTLIGHT:
DON GEHRMANN
The Camp Randall 100 honors a prestigious group of 100 people who shaped the first century of Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin Athletics revealed a new honoree every day from May 24 through the Badgers’ 2017 opening game vs. Utah State Sept. 1.
BY ANDY BAGGOT UWBadgers.com Insider
D
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on Gehrmann, one of the greatest student-athletes in Wisconsin history, has a unique relationship with Camp Randall Sta-
dium. For one thing, it was once his home. “Room 408,” Gehrmann recalled. Back in the 1940s, the Works Progress Administration, initiated by President Franklin Roosevelt in an attempt to spur economic growth, constructed dorms underneath the east bleachers. In addition to room for 150 residents there was a rifle range as well as boxing and wrestling rooms. The facilities were initially occupied by Naval trainees preparing for combat in World War II. When the conflict was over, the dorms were assigned to UW student veterans.
The quarters were subsequently named for Dave Schreiner and Bob Baumann, former Wisconsin football players killed in the Pacific Theater, before being transitioned to administrative offices starting in 1951. Gehrmann, a record-setting distance runner in track and cross country, lived in the dorms as a freshman in 1946. His roommate was Don Kindt, a halfback and defensive back for the UW football team who would go on to be a first-round NFL draft pick of the Chicago Bears in 1947. Gehrmann said their small room featured bunk beds and overlooked the football field. They were relatively humble accommodations for Gehrmann, whose reputation as one of the premier teenage milers in the nation preceded him from Pulaski High School in South Milwaukee. Gehrmann competed for the Badgers from 1947 to ’50 and distinguished himself in a variety of ways.
He was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in ▪▪▪▪ 1948, placing seventh in the 1,500 meters at the Don Gehrmann’s favorite day at Camp Randall tender age of 19. was his last as a student-athlete at Wisconsin. He won three NCAA outdoor titles — 1,500 in It was June 20, 1950, when the best of the Big 1948 and the mile in ’49 and ’50, respectively — Ten faced their counterparts from schools on the and twice finished second in the NCAA cross counPacific Coast. try meet. Posters featuring Gehrmann, trumpeting the 5 He won 14 Big Ten Conference titles — 12 in p.m. event, were found all over Madison. Reserved track and two in cross seats were $1.50, genercountry — and did so in al admission $1 and high “I HAD A LOT OF EMOTION. THERE four different track events: school kids paid 50 cents. WASN’T ANYBODY IN THE WORLD THAT 880 yards, mile, two-mile Gehrmann was asked COULD HAVE BEATEN ME BECAUSE YOU and mile relay. what he remembered of GET YOURSELF UP SO HIGH AND Gehrmann, who lives in the day. I WAS VERY COMPETITIVE.” Sun Prairie, turned 90 in “It’s hard to say what November. “It was a good career,” he said, sitting on a sofa with his dogs, Katie and Charlie. “A young kid coming out of Pulaski High School, the south side of Milwaukee. Out of our 400 people who graduated, four went on to (college). I wouldn’t have if it weren’t for track.”
NEIL AMENT
the highlights would be,” he said of that senior moment. “I remember the day because it was a very nice day. I remember the crowd because it was the largest crowd they’ve ever had. “The big thing is I remember thinking this is my last meet at Camp Randall. I wasn’t going to be a university student anymore.” According to Gehrmann, the Badgers staged two or three dual meets at Camp Randall every outdoor track season. He said they typically drew 5,000 to 6,000 spectators. How many were there to see Gehrmann do his thing one more time? “Fifteen thousand to 18,000,” he said matter-of-factly. The crowd contributed to Gehrmann’s already heightened state. “The last day was the toughest day,” he said. “I had a lot of emotion. There wasn’t anybody in the world that could have beaten me because you get yourself up so high and I was very competitive.” Gehrmann won the 880 in 1 minute, 52.9 seconds, the mile in 4:13.9 and anchored the winning mile relay in 3:20.9. “That was a great day,” he said. “It worked out very well.” Gehrmann shared the “big man on campus” marquee with Robert “Red” Wilson, a standout in football and baseball, and Don Rehfeldt, an All-American center in basketball. To read the rest of the story, click here. For the complete list, visit CampRandall100.com.
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