The 23rd Annual Spring Softball/Baseball banquet was well attended last Friday as Dave Sinykin of KFAN Packer Preview fame entertained guests at the annual event. The Whitefish Bay native spoke about his 29 years working for the Minnesota Viking Flagship Station and shared how his Sunday morning program on the Twin Cities sports station leader is unlike any other in the country. 

“Do you think the radio home of the Pittsburgh Steelers gives an hour's worth of air time devoted to the Philadelphia Eagles? Or the Cleveland Browns provide a media slot to the Cincinnati Bengals? Nope,” said Sinykin.

The popular Sinykin reminded attendees one of his children, his 21-year-old son, is a Minnesota Viking fan.

Congratulations to Prescott High School teacher and former coach Lori Pedretti and current Assistant Baseball Coach Duane Miller for being recognized for their impact on the respective programs. Pedretti, the former Prescott head softball coach, led the 1993 Cardinals to the WIAA Division 2 State Tournament for the first time in Prescott softball history. Pedretti and her Assistant Coach Cherly Tousley were also recognized by presenters MacKenze Rohl and Angela Magee. Miller, who is in his 20th year as assistant high school baseball coach, was recognized for his commitment and years of meritorious service to the baseball program. Hats off to both of you. 

Congratulations to Dallas Wallin on being named to the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Honorable Mention All State Team. Certainly well deserved. 

And congratulations to Nolan Thomley on his appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. A high honors student and three-sport athlete, Thomley will become the first Prescott graduate since Prescott Hall of Fame Member Brady Behrendt to attend the prestigious military academy located in Colorado Springs, Colo. A 2005 Prescott graduate, Behrendt currently lives in Manassas, Va. and works at the Pentagon.

UW-Stout infielder Arianna Temmers is hitting .294 for the Blue Devils thus far this spring and has been flawless defensively. Temmers is a 2022 Cardinal alumna. Another 2022 Cardinal alumna, Liz Rohl is also off to a solid start hitting .333 for the Blue Devils who enter the week with an overall record of 13-7 on the season. Prescott 2023 graduate and Macalester College infielder Rebecca Heinze is hitting .333 for the 11-5 Scots. And St. Catherine University Pitcher Taylor Graf has made nine appearances for the Wildcats this spring. Graf is a 2023 graduate of Prescott High School. 

This spring marks the 30-year anniversary of the 1994 Division 2 State Baseball Championship. Led by Head Coach Steve Block and Assistants John Schommer and Roger Hendrickson, the Cardinals finished with a 20-5 overall record, culminating with a record setting 24-3 victory over Jefferson in the state championship game. In the title game the Cardinals clobbered Jefferson pitching with 18 hits and scored 15 runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by a towering homerun to center field by Dusty Schommer. Jason Bayer equaled a Division 2 record by scoring four runs in the championship game. Plans are underway for the 1994 team to be recognized this season during the month of May. 

From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: Attention Prescott elementary teachers and students. The DNR is now accepting entries from third to fifth graders for the “Air, Air, Everywhere” poetry contest. Now in its 13th year, the annual DNR-sponsored contest is designed to raise awareness of the importance of good air quality in honor of Clean Air Month in May. The DNR encourages teachers and parents to submit original poems and riddles created by their students. The three winning poets will have their work featured on the DNR website and social media channel. The contest is open to all third, fourth and fifth grade students in Wisconsin. The deadline to submit entries is Friday, May 3, 2024. Contest entries will not be returned and will become the property of the contest sponsor.

Congratulations to junior Ethan West on finishing first in 55-meter dash at the UW-Stout Badger Invitational last weekend. Earlier in the week, West set the school record in the same event and also set a school record in the pole vault at the UW-River Falls Invitational. On Saturday, Head Coach Carl Calabrese and his Cardinal thinclads finished second in the Badger Invitational.

Headshaker of the week. The NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament continues to mirror the professional game in negative ways. The constant football-like contact inside everywhere on the court has created a game where there is just as much hand checking, pushing, and shoving as there is at the line of scrimmage in an NFL game (I still blame Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo). And what about traveling? Four and five step layups are not uncommon along a three or four “step back” three pointer. Just imagine if NCAA and NBA officials applied the rule book. But, that would be asking way too much. Now that’s a headshaker.