Congratulations to the Prescott High School track and field athletes for an impressive showing at last week’s WIAA State Track Meet at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. The 4x100 relay team of Andrew Lesso, Wyatt Budworth, Andrew Russell, and Reese finished third in Division 2 and the 4x200 relay squad of Lesso, Russell, Budworth, and Jaylen Fleming finished strong in sixth place. Last week’s state meet also marked the conclusion of stellar track careers for seniors Andrew Lesso and Andrew Russell, whose remarkable performances over the past two years have left an enduring legacy at Prescott High School. Special congratulations to junior long-distance standout Kyra Dix. The school record-holder in the 3,200 meters finished fifth at state, continuing a season in which she repeatedly shattered her own record. Hats off to Coaches Emily and Carl Calabrese for guiding the team through another remarkable spring season. Prescott Track and Field has much to celebrate!

Players from the 2026 Prescott softball team put up some impressive numbers this season. Senior mainstay Cadyn Hillebrand wrapped up an impressive prep career, hitting with a .383 batting average and scoring a team leading 38 runs and stealing 10 bases. Junior Izzy Thoen hit an eye popping .506 and was the team leader in hits, doubles, runs batted in, and on base percentage. Senior Talli Roth hit .360 and was among the team leaders in hits, doubles and runs batted in. Prescott softball fans are looking forward to next spring as the Cardinals will return eight players from this year’s team, including #1 pitcher Grace Ptacek who also hit well over .300 this season. 

Prescott senior infielder Max Monteith finished his high school baseball career by hitting over .300 for the third consecutive season. The slick fielding first baseman, who lettered all four years, led the Cardinals this spring in runs scored and stolen bases and finished the season with a .314 batting average. Monteith was one of three Cardinal hitters who eclipsed the .300 plateau this spring. Senior pitcher/infielder Jackson Matzek hit a team leading .377 for the Cardinals, collected eight doubles, paced the team with 21 RBIs, and picked up four saves on the mound. Sophomore Zac Murphy was impressive in his first varsity season finishing with an average of .333 and a team leading 11 doubles. Murphy also tossed 33 ⅓ innings for the Cardinals and finished with a 1.47 ERA and three saves. On the mound it was senior Brody Temmers who finished 7-2 on the year with an exceptional ERA of 1.33.  A three-year starter at catcher, Temmers became one of the top hurlers in the Middle Border Conference finishing with a league record of 6-1. 

When it comes to prep sports, June means tournament time in Wisconsin. Teams across the state spend months dreaming of winning regional and sectional championships in hopes of earning a chance to compete for a state title. It is a difficult journey, and when teams reach those milestones, both players and coaches deserve to celebrate. What players don't deserve is having their moment hijacked. Over the years, I've watched more than a few trophy presentations where coaches seemed far more interested in being the center of attention than allowing their players to enjoy the accomplishment they earned. One recent presentation was particularly uncomfortable to watch. The coach held onto a plaque as though it were his personal possession, reluctantly surrendering it to the players only after making sure he had soaked up every possible second of attention. It brought to mind Charlton Heston's famous quote "from my cold, dead hands" from a few years back. It was embarrassing and entirely unnecessary. Unfortunately, what may be most disappointing is that many coaches don't seem embarrassed by such behavior. In fact, some appear to think it's perfectly appropriate. That's why what happened last week on the baseball diamond in Fall Creek was so refreshing. After the Crickets defeated Durand-Arkansaw 1-0 to win the Regional Championship, Head Coach Matt Prissel was handed the championship plaque during the postgame presentation. Prissel briefly accepted it, held it low at his side, and immediately handed it to his players. Then he quietly stepped aside and let the team celebrate. No grandstanding. No spotlight seeking. No attempt to make the moment about himself. The players earned the right to raise that plaque and celebrate the regional title. Coach Prissel understood that and allowed them to enjoy every second of it. It was a small gesture, but it spoke volumes about his character and his understanding of leadership. Well done, Coach. Well done. How wonderful it was to see an adult let the kids have their moment.

Headshaker of the Week. As NCAA Division I baseball teams battle for a coveted trip to Omaha and the College World Series, one thing has become crystal clear: sportsmanship appears to have entered the transfer portal. These days, pitchers aren't content with simply striking out a hitter. No, that would be far too old-fashioned. Instead, many feel compelled to unleash a barrage of vulgarities after every strikeout, foul tip, and even a swing-and-miss in the middle of an at-bat. And we're not talking about harmless barnyard language. We're talking the kind of dialogue that would make a longshoreman blush. Perhaps television networks should begin each college baseball broadcast with a warning: "Due to mature language, viewer discretion is advised." Or maybe, "Parents strongly cautioned: this program may be unsuitable for children under 16." Who would have imagined that America's Pastime at the college level would feature language more commonly associated with an Andrew Dice Clay comeback tour or a vintage Redd Foxx nightclub routine? Remember when moms threatened to wash your mouth out with soap? If today's college baseball broadcasts had existed back then, Mom would have needed a warehouse-sized supply of Zest and Irish Spring just to get through a single regional tournament. Unbelievable. It's a headshaker.