Prescott wrestler Benny Olson enters this weekend’s regional tournament with an overall record of 28-7. The 106-pound senior is ranked #5 in Division 2 as he and teammates prepare for the WIAA Division 2 Regional in Neillsville. Junior Nolan Thomley will enter Saturday with an overall record of 17-6 in the 152-pound division.

Jordan Malmlov has now scored 1,710 points during his Prescott Cardinal career. The boy’s all-time leading scorer is Peter Brookshaw whose 1,756 points during his prep career remain the standard. For the girls, Isabella Lenz is at the top with 1,811 points in her high school career.

The WIAA girls basketball tournament brackets will be released on Monday, Feb. 13 and boys one week later on Feb. 20. For the girls, St. Croix Falls (17-2) appears to be the favorite to grab the #1 seed with Northwestern (15-5), Prescott (12-5) and Somerset (155) vying for seeds 2, 3, and 4. For the boys, Osceola (18-0) is the odds on favorite to grab the #1 seed with Northwestern (15-1) and Prescott (16-3) hoping for the second seed.

University of Minnesota-Duluth junior Meg Gilles won the 60-meter hurdles at the Lake Superior Challenge hosted by the College of St. Scholastica on Saturday. A 2020 Prescott Cardinal alumna, Gilles won with a time of 9.31 and was one of 13 Bulldogs competitors who took home first place ribbons. Madison Matzek, a 2022 Prescott graduate, finished in third place in the mile at Saturday’s Ted Nelson class at Minnesota State – Mankato and helped the top ranked women’s team in Division 2 cruise to the home indoor meet victory.

The 41st Annual Northwest Wisconsin Baseball Clinic was held last Saturday in Cumberland and hosted by former Cumberland Coach and Hall of Famer Mark Fuller. One of the speakers at the popular event was St. Mary’s University-Winona, Minn. Head Coach Nick Winecke. During his presentation, Winecke spoke about past players and specifically mentioned 2010 Prescott graduate Mike Feriancek. Winecke called Feriancek one of the best “team players I have ever had the pleasure of coaching.” This month Winecke plans to invite Feriancek back to campus to speak to the 2023 team about teamwork and selflessness. “Mike was just a great kid and person,” concluded Winecke. Bravo Mike Feriancek on being a wonderful ambassador for Prescott High School.

One of the messages shared by nationally renowned University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Head Baseball Coach John Vodenlich was this. “Team Culture is very hard to build, but it is very easy to break.” Another powerful epistle from the two-time NCAA Division III Champions was about accountability. “Holding players accountable is not something coaches do to you. Holding players accountable is something coaches do for you.” According to Vodenlich, the coach who holds his players accountable “believes the player can do better and isn’t that what all coaches and players want? To get better?”

What about Prescott High School student Emelia Berg? This past weekend the busy ninth grader participated in the USSA Alpine Super-G Speed Camp and Race Michigan. Berg has been racing with Team Afton for eight years and in two weeks will be competing in the Central Championship races Feb. 24-26 at Snowriver Mountain near Wakefield, Mich. Berg will square off with top racers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Missouri in an attempt to qualify for the Rocky/Central Championship race during the first part of March. Additionally, Berg is also a competitive swimmer. And one last thing, Berg is also a high honors student.

The Prescott Baseball (CAB) and Fastpitch Association banquet will be held on Friday, March 24 at the Old Ptacek’s Event Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. with KFAN Radio Personality Dan Cole serving as the featured speaker. Cost is $25.

The Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association State Clinic will take place this Friday and Saturday in Madison.

From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: The DNR is now hiring seasonal staff for Wisconsin’s state parks, forests, trails and recreation areas. These limited-term seasonal positions are responsible for outdoor maintenance, groundskeeping work and customer service for property visitors. Recruitment for these positions is underway now for work that starts in the spring and early summer through late summer and fall, with some flexibility depending on availability and property need. Positions are available across the state, from the forests of northern Wisconsin to the islands and shores of the Great Lakes. The following positions are open at various locations: Park rangers, parks and recreation specialists, visitor services associates, natural resources educators, facilities repair workers. To apply, visit Wisc. Jobs and search “Parks.”

Every year, the DNR recruits about 400 seasonal employees to work at state properties during the summer season. Ideal applicants enjoy working in scenic landscapes, maintaining pristine natural resources and serving a diverse customer base.

Isabella Lenz scored a team-high 22 points and team-leading six assists Thursday as Michigan Tech defeated Saginaw Valley State in Houghton, Mich. by a score of 69-49. The Huskies are a perfect 10-0 at home, 11-2 in conference play, and 19-4 overall. Michigan Tech plays #6 ranked Grand Valley State with first place on the line in the conference standings.

UW-Stout Senior forward Haylee Yaeger finished with a double-double on Saturday when the Blue Devils defeated UW-Platteville by a score of 70-61. Yaeger scored a high 17 points and pulled down a team-leading 11 rebounds in the road win over the Pioneers. At 8-3, Stout is tied with Whitewater atop the conference standings. The Blue Devils host La Crosse on Wednesday and travel to Whitewater for a first place showdown with the Warhawks.

Headshaker of the week. Hilariously the Super Bowl Preview shows have already begun. I understand all the hoopla surrounding the NFL’s marquee event of the season, but it is difficult to comprehend the attraction of seemingly countless pre-game analysis shows days before the “big game.” And let’s not forget all the scripted in-game entertainment that takes place in professional sports nowadays. It takes place at halftime, at the end quarters, between innings, during pitching changes, team timeouts, television timeouts, and during every stoppage of play. Many of today’s fans have the attention span of a 2-year-old and for many in the stands the game itself is boring, a distraction. The fan experience in the NFL, the NBA, and MLB today has begun to resemble the actions and antics of professional wrestling. It has also found its way into the college game. I will rue the day when the same sports fan shenanigans invade prep sports. Sadly, I believe it’s only a matter of time…and it’s a headshaker.