INFOCUS
CAPS & GOWNS Wisconsin Athletics celebrated 31 seniors in December 2019 at the department’s bi-annual student-athlete graduate reception held at UW’s Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. The event brings together seniors and their families along with UW coaches and staff to honor these Badgers earning their degrees. PHOTOS BY DAN SANGER
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U-RAH-RAH WISCONSIN! Resilience. Grit. Toughness.There’s no stopping Badgers. Not even a global pandemic. We’re very proud of Wisconsin’s 154 seniors graduating during the 2019-2020 season (December, May and August). (LEFT TO RIGHT) ROW 1: SOFTBALL MEN'S ROWING MEN'S & WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING ROW 2: MEN'S BASKETBALL WOMEN'S SOCCER MEN'S GOLF ROW 3: VOLLEYBALL MEN'S & WOMEN'S TRACK/CROSS COUNTRY WRESTLING
INFOCUS (continued from page 4) (LEFT TO RIGHT) ROW 1: WOMEN'S BASKETBALL MEN'S SOCCER WOMEN'S HOCKEY ROW 2: MEN'S TENNIS WOMEN'S ROWING FOOTBALL ROW 3: MEN'S HOCKEY WOMEN'S GOLF WOMEN'S LIGHTWEIGHT ROWING
CONTENTS
MAY 6, 2020 ▪ VOLUME 10, ISSUE 21
TOM LYNN
20 SILVER LININGS Seniors Kristen Campbell, Madison Cone and Beata Nelson should be tossing their caps at commencement this weekend inside Camp Randall Stadium. Instead they — like all of us — are finding the silver linings in lives turned upside down by COVID-19.
FEATURES
CAPS & GOWNS 12 LUCAS AT LARGE
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IN FOCUS
12 LUCAS AT LARGE 15 WHAT TO WATCH
Undeterred from their academics, Micah Potter and Nate Reuvers ready to celebrate graduation with teammates
17 VIRAL VIDEO
18 TOGETHER APART ACADEMICS
18 FEATURE:
TOGETHER APART
31 FEATURE:
RASHARD GRIFFITH
Tapping into network of alumni is one way multi-faceted Career and Leadership program helps student-athletes 9
Public School Educators We Teach. We Inspire. Erin McCarthy Greendale Teacher 2020 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year
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LUCAS AT LARGE
BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM SENIOR WRITER
Potter, Reuvers celebrate graduation with teammates
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tilizing his old bedroom in his parents’ home as a workplace to complete his final semester as a Wisconsin undergrad, Micah Potter has learned that an ironing board, aligned with his bed, serves nicely as a table top to facilitate remote schooling in Mentor, Ohio. Last week, Potter put the finishing touches on a 10-page paper that symbolized the light at the end of the (academic) tunnel because it moved him all that much closer to a May 9 graduation. Or what will now take the form of a virtual commencement video with the Madison campus closed. Despite not gathering with fellow grads to celebrate the culmination of another stage in his educational journey, one of the sacrifices and by-products of social distancing resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, Potter says that it doesn’t take away from the deed. Or degree. “Having your college degree
is a big stepping stone in someone’s life,” said Potter, who’s moving on to graduate school in the fall. “Being a college graduate is a big thing going forward regardless of your post-college plans. I know it’s a big stepping stone in my life. I’ve worked hard for it.” Work ethic characterized the 2019-2020 Badger basketball team that ended the regular season with eight straight wins and a share of the Big Ten championship. Those strong work habits, and values, extended from the court to the classroom. Eight players from that roster are graduating this weekend. Joining Potter will be Nate Reuvers, D’Mitrik Trice, Trevor Anderson, Michael Ballard, Courtland Cuevas, Samad Qawi, and Brevin Pritzl who has earned his master’s degree. Reuvers has the distinction of graduating in just three years from the school of business in finance investment and banking. In turn, he singled out a for-
mer UW player as one of his inspirations: 45-year-old Rashard Griffith who will also be getting his undergraduate degree on May 9. In so doing, he will bridge a span of 25 years since leaving school after his sophomore season to pursue a career in pro basketball. “Seeing Rashard coming back and getting his degree was really motivating,” said Reuvers, who credited his older siblings (three brothers and a sister) for generating a positive academic environment while growing up in Lakeville, Minnesota. It was all the momentum that he needed to follow their lead. Unlike just about everyone else in his family, including his dad, who attended Notre Dame, he opted for Wisconsin after visiting some Ivy League schools. Graduating 20th in a class of 433 at Lakeville North, he had already picked up 11 college credits through an advance placement curriculum. “I was basically taking the
same classes that my siblings took in high school,” said Reuvers, who then accelerated his timeline even more by taking courses in summer school. “My goal was to graduate in three years, and I came in here knowing that I had 17 credits, so I could get another semester ahead. “I thought that I was going to redshirt as a freshman. But obviously that didn’t happen.” Instead of two years in grad school, Reuvers will do one year. Through the school of business, he has been accepted for a STEM-designated Master of Science program in supply chain management. “I’m excited,” he said. “Especially with what’s going on right now, the supply chain is a big deal.” At Ohio State, Potter was majoring in business marketing. After transferring to Wisconsin following the first semester of his junior year in Columbus, he switched his major to agricultural business management because of a credit disparity in transitioning from one business school to another. “As they say, a lot of your success has to do with connections and not necessarily your degree,” Potter said. “Creating a good network of connections is super important.” Certainly, it holds true for all of his graduating Badger teammates in the Class of 2020. What has accounted for so many players off one team reaching the finish line together? “The biggest thing is the leadership,” Potter said, “and the
experience behind that leadership and the work ethic behind it, too. Playing basketball at the Division I level, or really at any level in college, is a full-time job added on top of being a full-time student. You’re busy all the time. “Most of the guys who are graduating are coming back to school to play. It will be nice next year with the huge recruiting class to kind of set the tone for what Wisconsin is going to look like moving forward. Hopefully, they’ll pass on the knowledge that we pass on to them.”
“BEING A COLLEGE GRADUATE IS A BIG THING GOING FORWARD REGARDLESS OF YOUR POST-COLLEGE PLANS. I KNOW IT’S A BIG STEPPING STONE IN MY LIFE. I’VE WORKED HARD FOR IT.” ▪▪▪▪ Discipline has been essential to online instruction, Potter has discovered. “Normally when you’re at school,” he said, “you have set class schedules and set times for your classes, whereas now you can record lectures and go back and watch them later. At the same time, you have the tendency to get lazy at home and you can get behind. “But that’s pretty much the biggest thing. Other than that, it’s not too bad. Teachers have done a good job of communicating. Some classes have been a little harder to learn remotely. For me, at least. But the people are giving us the resources and
tools to succeed.” Bedrooms have been converted into study halls in the Potter household since spring break. That not only applies to Micah, but to his younger brother, Noah, a tendered redshirt freshman football player at Ohio State; and to his younger sister Emma, a junior three-sport athlete at Mentor High School. “Whenever we have stuff we need to get done,” Micah said, “we get it done in our own rooms.” Meanwhile, the Potters have turned their garage into a weight room for their off-campus training. A neighbor has helped them with some of the equipment. There are dumb bells, curl bars, a bench and weight plates, a variety of resistance bands and an exercise bike. An outdoor basketball rim is not really functional anymore. “It’s kind of messed up from trying to dunk on it when we were young,” Micah said. “I’ve been doing a lot of ball-handling drills in my garage and driveway. As far as playing (hoops) against my brothers, it wouldn’t be any competition.” He got a good laugh out of that. Although Noah and Micah train differently for football and basketball, weightlifting can get quite competitive among the boys, including older brother, Caleb, who’s now an account executive for Konica Minolta business solutions after playing baseball at West Virginia and Southern New Hampshire. Click to read more »
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WHAT TO WATCH
SUNDAY FUNDAY
DON’T MISS THESE BADGERS CLASSICS! SUNDAY, MAY 17 ▪ ALL DAY ▪ BTN Save the date and tune in for an entire day of Badgers classics on Sunday, May 17 on Big Ten Network. Replays kick off at 5 a.m. and feature Wisconsin classics from football, men’s basketball, volleyball and more!
All times CT. Schedule is tentative and subject to change. 5 A.M. Wrestling: Michigan at Wisconsin (Feb. 16, 2020) 7 A.M. The B1G Story: Alex & Eli (Wrestling) 8 A.M. Football Classic: Champ Sports Bowl – Wisconsin vs. Miami (Dec. 29, 2009) 9 A.M. Football Classic: Outback Bowl – Wisconsin vs. Auburn (Jan. 1, 2015) 10 A.M. Football Classic: Holiday Bowl – Wisconsin vs. USC (Dec. 30, 2015) 11 A.M. Big Ten Elite: 1993 Wisconsin Football 12 P.M. Volleyball Classic: Nebraska at Wisconsin (Oct. 19, 2018) 1 P.M.
Volleyball Classic: Wisconsin at Michigan (Oct. 26, 2018)
2 P.M.
Volleyball Classic: Wisconsin at Penn State (Nov. 24, 2018)
3 P.M.
Men’s Basketball Classic: Michigan at Wisconsin (Jan. 19, 2019)
4 P.M.
Men’s Basketball Classic: Michigan at Wisconsin (Feb. 9, 2013) - Enhanced Episode
5 P.M.
Men’s Basketball Classic: B1G Championship Wisconsin vs. Michigan State (March 15, 2015)
6 P.M.
Big Ten Elite: 2015 Wisconsin Basketball
7 P.M.
Football Classic: Rose Bowl – Wisconsin vs. UCLA (Jan. 1, 1994)
8 P.M.
Football Classic: Rose Bowl – Wisconsin vs. UCLA (Jan. 1, 1999)
9 P.M.
Football Classic: Rose Bowl – Wisconsin vs. Stanford (Jan. 1, 2000)
10 P.M. Football Classic: Iowa at Wisconsin (Nov. 9, 2019) 11 P.M. Volleyball: Wisconsin at Minnesota (Nov. 14, 2019) 12 A.M. Volleyball: Penn State at Wisconsin (Oct. 2, 2019) 1 A.M. Men’s Soccer: 2017 B1G Championship – Indiana vs. Wisconsin 3 A.M. Men’s Ice Hockey: 2014 B1G Championship – Wisconsin vs. Ohio State 15
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Together Apart: McGowan empowers Badgers to follow their dreams
Tapping into network of alumni is one way multi-faceted Career and Leadership program helps student-athletes BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM SENIOR WRITER
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t’s safety Reggie Pearson and defensive lineman Isaiah Mullens creating resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles. It’s linebacker Mike Maskalunas updating his. It’s tailback Nakia Watson translating his interest in working with individuals with disabilities from a simple community service opportunity into a dedicated summer internship. It’s wide receiver Jack Dunn and his brother Bobby, a UW grad assistant, starting a charity to help fund meals for Agrace Hospice families in the Madison community. It’s defensive back Madison Cone graduating in three years and pursuing his master’s. It’s nose tackle Olive Sagapolu chasing his pro football dreams while finishing his degree. It’s quarterback Graham Mertz learning more about the business model for sports apparel brands. It’s safety Tyler Mais brushing up on his Spanish or defensive lineman Bryson Williams deep
diving into business and finance books during the coronavirus quarantine. It’s all of the above, and so much more that puts a smile on the face of Brittany McGowan, Wisconsin’s Director of Career and Leadership, who works with UW’s football and volleyball teams. McGowan, a former Big Ten swimmer at Illinois, has a bold mission statement. “I like to elevate lives,” she said, “and accelerate dreams for the teams I’m assigned to.” As far as working directly with the Badgers football program, she was succinct and to the point. “I’m there to help figure out exactly what their passions are, what their interests are in life outside of football and how they can work towards achieving those dreams.” It can start out simply enough by asking what they like to do in their free time. Her follow-up may be, ‘When was the last time you remember getting lost in time?’
Whether playing video games, talking and “Some of the guys have been making music laughing with friends, reading a book, whatevor creating graphic design and photography,” er piques their interest? she said. “They’ve been able to pick up some “I like to start there and see where the light of their hobbies that maybe they haven’t had a in their eyes kind of shines through.” lot of time for. By finding what they’re really interested in “And then we’ve really been trying to focus and enjoy doing, she on getting the guys to assures them, it can connect with alums lead to “finding a way that work in the career “I’M THERE TO HELP FIGURE OUT to making a career out fields of their interest EXACTLY WHAT THEIR PASSIONS of that to where they to learn from former ARE, WHAT THEIR INTERESTS ARE can find a sustainable Badgers athletes and IN LIFE OUTSIDE OF FOOTBALL AND lifestyle.” their career paths.” HOW THEY CAN WORK TOWARDS Today’s reality is not Wisconsin’s ForACHIEVING THOSE DREAMS.” normality. It’s online ward360 app was instruction and social launched to link curdistancing. It’s an ongoing adjustment process rent and past players. The importance of and McGowan has been touching base with which, McGowan said, “Was having these conabout five student-athletes a day. nections in your pocket so that you can reach “We’ve moved from meeting in person to out for any kind of advice.” more of the virtual model,” McGowan said. Real estate is among wide receiver Cam Phil“There’s a lot of texting and FaceTime and lips’ interests. phone calls. The guys really enjoy FaceTime. “Right away, Andy Crooks popped into my “We’re checking in on how they’re doing, how mind,” McGowan said. obviously they’re managing school and training A four-year letterwinner and a team captain from home and also how they’re managing some in 2007, Crooks is a realtor and managing broof the downtime to pursue those career goals.” ker at T.R. McKenzie Inc., a local property manIn that way, the current situation offers an agement firm and real estate brokerage. Click to read more » opportunity.
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risten Campbell was in the midst of a 700-mile car ride last month when she encountered the dual forces of irony and nostalgia. This was a week after Campbell and her fellow members of the Wisconsin women’s hockey team had been dealt a staggering blow. Prompted by a deadly global pandemic, the NCAA shut down all of its winter and spring sports — including postseason tournaments — while schools like the University of Wisconsin closed their campuses indefinitely and employed virtual online classrooms. The crisis not only meant the Badgers were unable to defend their NCAA title and attempt to hang a sixth national championship banner at LaBahn Arena, it brought a jarring halt to Campbell’s college career as well as those of five senior teammates. They were not alone. The end-of-days reality also applied to the seniors competing for Wisconsin in men’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s rowing, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, softball and wrestling. Some were in the middle of their
DAVID STLUKA
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hard-earned postseason berths. The rest were just hitting their regular-season stride. That spring commencement that was changed from a traditional in-person celebration at Camp Randall Stadium to hundreds of small family gatherings via Zoom and FaceTime was another casualty of the coronavirus. So much for pomp and circumstance, indeed. “Obviously it’s tough because there was no closure for anyone,” Campbell said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty right now that extends beyond graduation and stuff.” All UW students, including 800 or so student-athletes, were directed to return to their homes after semester break in March. So instead of taking comfort in close-knit friendships and shared pain — instead of dressing their emotional and psychological wounds together — Campbell and her peers were untethered from their comfort zones just when they need them the most. Which brings us to why Campbell and her parents, Brent and Janet, were making the trek from Madison to their rural home in Brandon, Manitoba. The ride was spread out over a couple days because they were in no great hurry. The car was packed with Kristen’s belongings
from her apartment, although she admits ansure since the last time I was there.” other U-Haul’s worth was left behind for anCampbell redshirted for the Fighting Hawks other day. in 2015-16. Her second collegiate game in One of their stops for a meal took place at a 2016-17 came at — of all places — LaBahn ArePanera drive-thru in Grand Forks, North Dakona against the Badgers. A year later, she was ta. Irony and nostalgia were waiting. enrolled at Wisconsin, starting every game for Grand Forks is home a team that advanced to the University of to the NCAA FroNorth Dakota, where zen Four for the fifth “YOU’RE GIVEN THESE SITUATIONS Campbell began one straight season. WHERE YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME of the most starWhen the Badgers ADVERSITY... IT’S FAR FROM PERFECT, crossed college athletwon the national title BUT WE CAN ALL DO WHAT WE CAN ics experiences imaglast March, Campbell DO AND WE CAN CHOOSE TO HAVE A inable. A world-class starred, shutting out POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND A POSITIVE goaltender, she spent every opponent in the OUTLOOK ON EVERYTHING.” two years there beNCAA tournament fore, without warning, and being named the the school dropped women’s hockey and two Most Outstanding Player. other sports in a cost-cutting move. Campbell and her teammates took the news “It was weird, surreal,” Campbell said of the of their aborted title defense hard. It was destop-over. “I don’t even know how to explain livered two days before second-ranked UW how it felt there. It was a different feeling for was to host Clarkson in an NCAA quarterfinal game. Shortly after head coach Mark Johnson made the announcement, players tearfully donned their practice gear and took the ice together for one last time. They brought the 2019 championship trophy with them. Campbell recalled the practice session from one day earlier. It involved a skating drill that she didn’t particularly like. “I would do anything to be able to do that now,” she said ruefully. Back home, Campbell finished up her studies toward a degree in rehabilitation psychology and is working out with the idea of playing for Team Canada in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. “Just trying to focus on what I can do with my school work and with my training,” she said. “Doing the best I can with the situation that I’m in.” Campbell was really looking forward to the graduation ceremony at Camp Ran-
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dall. Instead, her mother cancelled a block of ▪▪▪▪ hen safety Madison Cone came hotel rooms reserved for the moment. Instead, from Kernersville, North Carolina, the family was waiting for a cap and gown to to play football for Wisconsin in arrive in the mail. 2017, he brought with him an impressive goal. “My plan was to savor those moments with Of course, he hoped to develop into an all the friends that I’ve made down there, but NFL-caliber prospect, obviously we’ll have to but Cone had somefind a different way,” thing grander planned. she said. “IT’S A BLESSING HAVING THE WHOLE “I had it in my mind What’s the lesson in FAMILY HOME. HOWEVER MUCH that if I could graduate all this chaos? LONGER IT LASTS, I’M LOOKING in three years, I would,” “Life isn’t always FORWARD TO HANGING OUT AND he said. perfect,” Campbell BONDING WITH THEM SOME MORE.” He will. said. “You’re given Before Cone enters these situations where his fourth season with the Badgers, he will own you have to overcome adversity and that’s a degree in community and non-profit leadsomething that comes out of this whole sitership in the School of Human Ecology. He’s uation. It’s far from perfect, but we can all do already been accepted to the school’s Educawhat we can do and we can choose to have tional Leadership and Policy Analysis program a positive attitude and a positive outlook on — designed for future teachers who want to everything.” be leaders and make a difference — for graduOne more thing. ate school that begins this summer. “Never take any moment for granted,” CampThe plan is similar for a fellow defensive back bell said. who has earned a bachelor’s degree on the same impressive three-year schedule, life sciences communication grad Deron Harrell. He plans to enroll in the ELPA graduate program, as well. Cone has his eye on coaching and college athletic administration once he secures his master’s degree next May. “I’m definitely proud of what I’ve accomplished so far,” he said. In addition to playing in a high-demand, high-profile sport and being an Academic All-Big Ten selection, Cone has been highly involved in campus and student activities, including the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Student-Athletes Equally Supporting Others
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TOM LYNN TOM LYNN
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(SAESO), Athletes in Action and Badgers Give Back. That was part of his plan as well. “When I got to Wisconsin, my mindset going into it was I just understood that with the sport that I was playing that I was going to have a huge platform and I’ve always been a guy where I’ve always thought about it being bigger than myself,” Cone said. Cone, who has played in 31 career games — including two starts — for the Badgers, has a distinct appreciation for teachers. His father, Harold, has been a basketball skills instructor for nearly three decades, while his mother, Alicia, is currently teaching seventh-grade English with an eye toward becoming an assistant principal in 2020-21. She’ll graduate with a master’s certificate from High Point University in North Carolina this month. “She was one of those ‘Do your schoolwork or you won’t play’ kind of moms,” Madison said with a laugh. “She definitely instilled that in me at a young age.” Madison will join his older brother, Drew, with college degrees. Another brother, Jalen, is a freshman at Virginia Tech, where he estab-
lished himself as one of the top 3-point shooters in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Madison’s sister, Joy, is a high school junior whose basketball skills are drawing scholarship offers. Like the rest of his Wisconsin teammates, Cone had a specific plan for the spring that went awry. Not only were 15 football practices canceled, access to campus weight training and conditioning facilities was prohibited. That will continue until at least June 1. “I was looking forward to spring ball, to really go out and work with the guys and really emerge as one of the leaders of our team,” he said. Instead, Cone is at his family’s home working out and reveling in the close-knit atmosphere. “It’s a blessing having the whole family home,” he said. “However much longer it lasts, I’m looking forward to hanging out and bonding with them some more.” Like the rest of his fellow Wisconsin seniors, Cone had to call a graduation audible. Instead of having his mother and grandmother join him for commencement at Camp Randall, Cone will be on hand for his mother’s ceremony May 9. Cone has a pragmatic view of the diminished
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graduation itinerary. For one thing, there’s his expectation for Senior Day during the final home football game of the upcoming season. There’s also the opportunity to participate in commencement exercises next May. “I’m not heartbroken,” Cone said of the scaled-back version of graduation this month. “Like I said, there’s positives in everything. I’m just enjoying being home with my family. “But I’m definitely looking forward to all the senior stuff going into next year.” Cone reached his prescribed 120-credit plateau by taking multiple classes in the summer and a minimum of 15 credits each semester. Time management is one of the pillars of that process. So is diligence. Cone said another is discipline. “The way that I’ve always looked at it is these four years are really huge in shaping my life, shaping who I want to become,” he said. “I came in and knew what I wanted. When you have vision, it’s always easier than if you’re just coming in and not knowing what to expect. When you have a target goal and a sense
of direction, that helps.” Another pillar is defined by the company you keep. For the last three years, Cone has shared living quarters with running back Jonathan Taylor, who left for the NFL last month as one of the most admired individuals in program history and one of the most accomplished players in college football history. “We’ve always pushed each other,” Cone said. “We were there for each other, whether it was academically or it was on the field. It was like having a brother.” Taylor, a two-time Doak Walker Award winner and the only back in Football Bowl Subdivision history to top 6,000 rushing yards in just three seasons, was a second-round NFL draft pick of Indianapolis last month. Cone said he always looked forward to practice segments where he lined up opposite Taylor. “Coach (Paul) Chryst used to make jokes all the time that whoever lost had to do the dishes when we got back home,” Cone said. The college football landscape currently re-
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▪▪▪▪ eata Nelson was looking to put an exclamation point behind the greatest swimming career — men’s or women’s — in Wisconsin history. A season after winning three NCAA individual titles — the 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke and the 200 individual medley — and being named national swimmer of the year, Nelson was eyeing an encore before ramping up her training to try and make the U.S. Olympic Team for the Summer Games in Tokyo. But the homegrown wunderkind, a seven-time All-American from Verona, Wisconsin, got shut down like all her peers across the sporting spectrum. “Obviously the news of my senior season being cut short was really disappointing, but I’m trying to work through the perspective of realizing the grand scheme of things,” Nelson said. “I’m not going to lie and say it’s all been great and all happy and having a good perspective. Some days it hurts a little more than others. BEATA NELSON “But we can only do what we can and that’s to follow the protocol, stay safe and do the mains a mystery due to the coronavirus. Will best to curb this crazy pandemic. One of the there be a season? When will student-athletes things that makes it a lot easier is that everyand coaches be reunited? What has to happen body’s world is turned upside-down right now for the Badgers to take the field at Camp Ranand things could be a lot worse.” dall in 2020? When the global Cone and his teamhealth crisis hit the U.S. mates are anxious and in mid-March, Nelson “I KEEP REMINDING MYSELF THAT hopeful like everyone moved from her downTHIS IS JUST HOW IT IS. THIS IS else, but Cone is taking town apartment to the WHERE WE’RE AT AND THIS IS an upbeat view of his family home in VeroWHAT’S GOING ON IN THE WORLD career and the future. na. Both her parents, AND I WILL DO MY PART. IT’S TOUGH, “It’s definitely been dad Andrew and mom BUT YOU MAKE THE BEST OF IT.” a fun three years,” he Loree, are there shelsaid. “I wouldn’t trade tering in place. Two them for the world, from all the different peosisters, Sammy and Madeleine, share a nearby ple I’ve met to just the different experiences apartment. that we had. “It’s a silver lining in all this,” Beata said of her “It’s been a great experience and I’m looking time with family. forward to making year four the best one.” Nelson will graduate this week with a de-
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gree in psychology. She intends to go to grad school, but not before taking some time off to train for the Tokyo Games, which have been pushed back to 2021. The psychology background is coming in handy. So is the extra year between Olympic Games. Nelson, a two-time Big Ten Swimmer of the Year, said it’s important to embrace an upbeat mindset during these uncertain times. “As I’ve learned a lot more about psych and the human mind and just the way that it works — how you process things or how your personality and emotions develop — it’s pretty cool that I can use that not only for my own self-progression, but help people around me live a better and more fulfilled life,” she said. Nelson said the one-year delay between Summer Games is a blessing in disguise. It will allow her to train at the new Olympic-sized pool in the Soderholm Family Aquatic Center, which is scheduled to open later this year as part of UW’s new Nicholas Recreation Center. For now, it’s strictly dryland conditioning for her. “It’s kind of a bonus for me in that way,” Nelson said of the facility, which is located adjacent to the Kohl Center and LaBahn Arena.
As for the extra 12 months leading up to the Tokyo Games, Nelson is excited for the opportunity. “It’s one more year for me to get better,” she said. The understated nature of commencement is just something you have to deal with, Nelson said. “I’ll eventually get my pictures in the places I want to in order to commemorate my time at UW,” she said. “We’re just trying to make the best of it and realize the circumstances; do what’s safe, but still be able to celebrate this awesome accomplishment.” Nelson said she’s mostly at peace with her academic and athletic career at Wisconsin, the chaotic finish line aside. “I think it’s hard,” she said. “It’s hard for everybody. Everybody’s circumstances are different. “Most of the time I keep reminding myself that this is just how it is. This is where we’re at and this is what’s going on in the world and I will do my part. “It’s tough, but you make the best of it,” Nelson said.
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Rashard Griffith has earned his Senior Night Former Badger on path to graduate this spring after 22 years away from college BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM SENIOR WRITER This article originally was published on UWBadgers.com on March 3, 2020. wenty-five years ago, Michael Finley, Andy Kilbride, Brian Kelley, Chris Conger and Howard Moore were recognized on Wisconsin’s Senior Night at the Field House. Despite getting 18 points and 11 rebounds from sophomore Rashard Griffith, the Stan Van Gundy-coached Badgers lost to Bob Knight and Indiana, 72-70, the 29th consecutive loss to the Hoosiers. Finley left Madison as the UW’s all-time leading scorer with 2,147 points and went on to play 16 seasons in the NBA. In 2007, he won a championship with the San Antonio Spurs. Moore, a fan favorite, got his undergraduate degree and worked in sales for a couple of years before joining the coaching ranks as an assistant at his alma mater, Chicago Taft High School. Meanwhile, the towering 6-foot-11, 280-pound Griffith never made it to a Senior Night. After the 1995 season, he turned pro
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and was a second-round draft pick of the Milwaukee Bucks. To hone the rough edges in his game, the Bucks encouraged Griffith to get some experience in Europe and that opened the door to a successful run of over 17 years playing basketball overseas. In 2017, Griffith returned to Madison to complete some unfinished business, namely to get his undergrad degree from Wisconsin, thereby keeping a promise to his late mom, Elaine. On Wednesday, the 45-year-old Griffith will finally get his Senior Night. Along with Wisconsin’s two graduating seniors, Brevin Pritzl and Michael Ballard, he will be recognized before the Badgers final home game against Northwestern at the Kohl Center. Upon being introduced, Griffith will be joined by his younger brother from Chicago and they will be accompanied by Moore’s parents, Trennis and Howard Sr., in what should be a touching moment. Click to read more »
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