Sports

Bangor head football coach Rick Muellenberg (left) and his son, Theo, have been on the sidelines together for 10 seasons - the past four as coach and player. Herald photo by J.P. Schaller.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

Thursday, August 10, 2017 - 8:47am

It’s always been special for Theo Muellenberg to share the sidelines with his father, Rick. The Bangor senior was first allowed on the gridiron 10 years ago to serve as water boy for a pretty good Cardinal football team that just happened to be coached by Rick Muellenberg. Those first years...

Pagee Finley tapped as first coach of Sparta-Tomah swimming team

Thursday, August 10, 2017 - 8:44am

Pagee Finley is no stranger to starting new sports programs. Sparta’s gymnastics coach for the past four seasons got that program up and running after a two-decade hiatus, and was instrumental in fostering the Sparta Parks and Recreation Department youth gymnastics and starting the Rebels...

The Sparta father-son duo of Scott (right) and Austin Erickson (left) fired a four-under-par 68 last week to capture the title at the 106th annual Pater-Filius Championship at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Contributed photo.

Ericksons capture father-son golf championship in Lake Geneva

Monday, August 7, 2017 - 8:44am

It’s been quite a summer on the golf for Sparta’s Austin Erickson. The 2017 Mississippi Valley Conference boys golf medalist and Player of the Year made history just over a week ago when he became the first junior golfer to capture the club championship at Sparta’s River Run Golf Course. Erickson...

Shortstop Taylor Gular and the Tomah Stix U16 fastpitch softball team wrapped up its 2017 summer season with a win and two losses at a tournament in Arkdale over the weekend. Contributed photo.

Stix softball squad bows out early in season finale

Monday, August 7, 2017 - 8:42am

The Tomah Stix U16 squad opened with a lopsided victory, but struggled with back-to-back losses that lead to an early exit in a summer fastpitch softball tournament at Arkdale over the weekend. Tomah brought the big bats in the pool play opener Friday night, hammering 17 hits – including five for...

The Tomah Stix U16 fastpitch softball team won three straight to capture the team title in their own tournament at Gerke Field Saturday. Front row, from left – Journey Smith, Abby Sherwood, Grace Pokela, Shay Lyden, Charli Schueler and Josie Mathison. Back row, from left – Taylor Gular, Meghan Perry, Savannah Murphy, Reis Derousseau, Allysa Whaley, Ivey Lyden and Ella Plueger. Contributed photo.

Plueger, Derousseau pitch Stix to title

Thursday, July 27, 2017 - 8:32am

The Tomah Stix U16 softball squad eclipsed double digits three times to score three straight victories en route to capturing the team title in its own tournament at Gerke Field Saturday. Tomah opened the round-robin tourney with a 13-6 victory over Reedsburg and moved to 2-0 on the day with a 12-0...

More than 800 archers will be on hand this weekend to compete at the Rinehart R100 shoot at the Sparta Rod and Gun Club. Herald file photo.

Sparta Rod and Gun Club hosts Rinehart R100 this weekend

Thursday, July 27, 2017 - 8:30am

It’s the premier archery shoot of its kind – and it’s headed for Sparta this weekend. The Rinehart R100 - dubbed The Greatest Archery Shoot In The World – will return to the Sparta Rod and Gun Club Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30. The shoot is entering its 12th year in Sparta after a brief...

Tomah’s Madison Lindauer (center) drives the ball past the outstretched hands of two opponents during a 16-team tournament at Black River Falls. The Lady Timberwolves finished second in their pool, but turned it up a notch in the final round to capture the team title with a 2-1 victory over Hillsboro. Herald photo by Delaney Schaller.

BUILDING MOMENTUM

Monday, July 24, 2017 - 10:00am

Because they’re played in the off-season, summer league sports are sometimes less intense than those contested during the regular high school season. But don’t tell that to Teri Derousseau and the Tomah High School volleyball team. The Lady Timberwolf spikers brought all kinds of intensity to the...

Lady Cardinal spiker Cora Kostuch (center) blasts a spike past a pair of Viroqua opponents during Friday’s summer volleyball tournament at Black River Falls. Herald photo by J.P. Schaller.

Bangor fares well in summer volleyball action

Monday, July 24, 2017 - 9:58am

Bangor won its pool and posted a top-eight finish in a summer volleyball tournament in Black River Falls Friday. The Lady Cardinal spikers finished with a 4-2 mark in pool play and advanced to the quarterfinals, before falling to eventual champion Tomah in the varsity tourney. Bangor opened play in...

Sparta Legion Juniors finish in third at state tournament

Monday, July 24, 2017 - 9:56am

A heartbreaking loss in the semifinals forced the Sparta Juniors to settle for a third-place finish at the American Legion U16 State Baseball Tournament in Nekoosa over the weekend. Holding a 3-2 lead over Bayport in the bottom of the seventh inning, Sparta committed a pair of errors that led to a...

Sparta’s Knoll lands head baseball job at WTC

Thursday, July 20, 2017 - 8:48am

It’s always been a dream of Josh Knoll’s to coach baseball, so landing his first coaching job at his alma mater at the age of 25 has got to be the icing on the cake. Knoll, a 2009 graduate of Sparta High School, was selected as Western Technical College head baseball coach earlier this summer. He’s...