Winter Sports Come to a Fantastic Finish

By Anna Skubal  

    “The winter sports seasons all exceeded expectations,” says athletic director Mr. Newton. Two sports had individual athletes qualify to go to state and one even qualified as a whole team.

    The boys’ swim team had a slow start to the season, placing last in their conference relays held at the beginning of the season. Things quickly improved, with the boys shaving off eight seconds from their 100 freestyle’s average time by the end of the season. (Eight seconds is a lot of time in the world of swimming.) They also had one swimmer go to the state swim meet. Sam Iselin (‘15) placed 13th for his 100 butterfly. A lot of the team’s best swimmers were seniors this year, but there are plenty of great athletes to take their places for next year.

    The girls’ basketball team had a good season. Having Jim Lawinger as a new coach this year certainly helped the girls gain some new skills. They were 4-6 in their conference. The boys’ basketball team placed 3rd in their conference with a record of 4-6. This year’s team consisted of mostly juniors, so next year they hope to come back even stronger.

    Platteville/Belmont Wrestling had a rather unfortunate season this year. It was looking pretty good at the beginning of the season; the team had a higher number of participants than in past years, including a foreign exchange student. However, a couple decided not to finish the season. For many, including Luke Fugate with a torn ligament in his shoulder, injuries shortened their seasons. The others on the team had to work even harder to try and compensate for the loss of their teammates. Isaac Wiegel, an wrestler from Belmont, qualified for state, ranking 9th in his division and weight class.

    Meanwhile, Platteville/Lancaster/Belmont Gymnastics had a fantastic season. The girls didn’t win the conference meet but went to state as a team, placing 8th overall. Grace Hammermeister (‘17) placed 2nd with her floor routine. There was only one graduating senior this year so the girls hope to come back even stronger in hopes of making it to state again and placing even higher next year.