SHOTS from the Hip

How about high school golfer Ava Salay? Wow … tremendous … incredible … and all words in between. The soon to be senior and member of the two-time defending WIAA Division 2 State Championship golf team added more to her accomplished prep golf career by winning the 2022 Wisconsin Match Play Golf Championship at the Watertown Country Club in Watertown, Wis. last week. It is believed Salay’s name, which will be engraved on a trophy whose first winner was in 1917, is the first belonging to a high school golfer since 1988 when Sarah Miley of Menomonee Falls won both the state women’s match-play championship and the Wisconsin state girls matchplay championship in the same summer.

Salay can accomplish the same feat in July when she competes in the Wisconsin state girls matchplay championship in Hartford, Wis. In the final match, Salay, reigning WIAA Division 2 state champion, rallied from 3-down after six holes to defeat Loyola University Golfer Lorenza Martinez, the No. 2 golfer for the NCAA Division I Ramblers. Salay played her last 13 holes in even-par to capture the title.

Congratulations to graduating seniors Arianna Temmers, Maddie Miller, Liz Rohl, and Grace Franco who culminated their high school softball careers on being selected to play in the Wisconsin High School Fastpitch All Star games held earlier this week in Wisconsin Dells. A total of 18 teams including the top 156 seniors in Wisconsin were chosen to play in the annual June event held at the Woodside Sports Complex in Wisconsin Dells. Nick Johnson was also selected to serve as the Head Coach of the Red Team, made up of players from Division 2 and 3 schools. Hats off to all of you.

The 2022 Middle Border All Conference softball team was loaded with Cardinals this year. First team all conference selections went to Liz Rohl, Maddie Miller, and Taylor Graf. Arianna Temmers and Izzy Matzek were named to the second team and Leah French was named Honorable Mention. Rohl was also named Co-Middle Border Conference Player of the Year.

A trio of Cardinal baseball players were named Middle Border All Conference. Seniors Justin Syverson and Phil Seifert received first team accolades and senior Mason Bartsch was named to the second team. Syverson was named Second Team All District by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association. The leadoff hitter and center fielder for the Cardinals, Syverson was also named Prescott High School’s May Athlete of the Month. But that is not all for Justin Syverson. The two-time all conference outfielder was named First Team All District by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association over the weekend. Teammate Phil Seifert was named Honorable Mention All District by the WBCA.

The WBCA Northwest District Players of the Year are senior Dylan O’Connell from Eau Claire Memorial in Division 1, junior Keegan Yohnk from Bloomer in Division 2, junior Brayden Olson from St. Croix Falls in Division 3, and sophomore Abraham Ahlberg from Northwood/Solon Springs in Division 4.

Speaking of the above trio, Syverson, Bartsch, and Seifert made their Prescott Pirates debuts this weekend against Bay City and Spring Valley. Bartsch, Seifert, and Syverson each had multi-hit games for the town team locals as they bested Bay City and Spring Valley by scores of 6-2 and 8-3. Cardinal alumni Matt Langer and Evan Bayer shared the pitching in Saturday’s victory over the Bombers.

From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: The department announced last week that preliminary totals show Wisconsin turkey hunters registered 39,007 birds during the 2022 spring turkey hunting season, a 5% increase from the 37,266 birds registered in the spring 2021 season.

Approximately 50 youngsters attended a two-day youth baseball clinic at Firehall Field Field. Instructors included two former Middle Border All Conference baseball players: Bemidji State outfielder Hunter Daymond and University of Wisconsin-River Falls lineman Austin Fox.

The WIAA returns to state tournament scheduling silliness this week with games beginning on Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 a.m. and on Thursday at 9 a.m. And the second Division 2 semi-final game usually extends well past 10 p.m. A year ago, the WIAA State Tournament was held during the month of July and featured a four-day tournament schedule featuring one division each day. Fans raved about the four-day, three games a day format. Sadly, the WIAA has gone back to a men’s slow pitch tournament like schedule with games beginning just as the morning paper is delivered. Mind you, there is room on the schedule. There are other impressive venues available, and plenty of WBCA volunteers who have offered assistance with staffing. But to no avail. Spring sports has always taken a back seat at the WIAA and that coupled with association laziness doesn’t do the tournament series any good. Four days, four divisions, with three games a day. Time to make it reality.

Headshaker of the week: NCAA Division 1 baseball. For me it’s almost unwatchable. The theatrics, the walk-up music, face paint, pyrotechnics, players flexing, incessant jumping up and down, the screaming, the yelling, the dancing, the choreographed celebrations, the player necklaces and other body adornments … I don’t know if I am watching an NCAA Division 1 baseball game or a World Wrestling Federation production. It appears we care more and more about what is happening outside the foul lines than within them. What is even more remarkable is that many fans look forward to and applaud the aforementioned tomfoolery. What a sad state of affairs it is if this is what it takes to keep people interested in America’s pastime. In fact, it’s a headshaker.

By Cripe Olson