Knights Update: Girls Still Unbeaten; Swimmers, Wrestlers Eye Tournament

Here is this week's update on Nicolet High School athletics from Athletic Director Kirk Krychowiak:

The girls basketball team stayed unbeated (16-0) by winning a pair of games last week and has moved to the No. 1 spot in the area and AP rankings.

On Tuesday, the girls defeated Milwaukee Lutheran on the road 54-36 with Briana Gray leading the way with 21 points Brittney Fair scored 18 and five other players scored as well: Courtney Smith, Becca Olin, Brooke Silverberg, Jasmine Stacy and Lanoira Duhart. On Friday, the girls cruised past Port Washington 72-37. Fair led with 26 points. Gray and Smith scored 15 each. Tiffany Pigg and Chelsea McDowell also got in on the scoring action.

This week, the girls will host Milwaukee Riverside on Tuesday and travel to Grafton on Friday. Senior point guard Courtney Smith has verbally committed to play basketball at NCAA Division II Lincoln University (Philadelphia, PA). 

The boys basketball team put in some extra time splitting a pair of double overtime games last week. On Tuesday, the Knights fell 72-68 to the visiting Red Knights of Milwaukee Lutheran. Tyler Miller led all scorers with 21 points. Greg Pigg scored 16 and Corey Smith added 10.

Then on Friday against Port Washington, the Knights played two extra quarters again but this time came out on top. Down 48-47 in the first overtime, Nolan Wagner made the first of two bonus free throw attempts with 12 seconds left to send the game into the second overtime.  Wagner then opened the second session with a 3-point basket followed by free throws by Eugene Bonner and Corey Smith to help ice the game, 59-54. Tyler Miller led with 19 points while Bonner added 15 and Greg Pigg had 11. This week, the boys will host Racine Park (varsity only) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Then on Friday, they will host Grafton.

The boys swim/dive team competed in the North Shore Conference championships this past weekend.  On Friday, the JV boys swim team placed third.  The Knights won five of 11 events.  On Saturday, the varsity placed second.  Placing in the finals were Kyle and Evan Siverhus, Nick Harris, Matt Bootsman, Roman Hoffman, Zach Pagel, Jamie Degraff, Mike Mills, Grant Wilkie, Roman Hoffman, Charlie Abram, Danny Lerner, and Idan Ben-Yitschak.   Next up: this Friday and Saturday as they host the WIAA Sectional Championships.

The wrestling team competed in the North Shore Conference Championships on Saturday.  Individually, the team had some great performances from senior Keondre Walton-Cooper at 182 who took second, sophomore Jack Kalloch at 106 who took third and junior Nate Patton at 285 who took third.  As a team they ended in seventh place due to absences from two of their best wrestlers: 2011 state qualifier Jon McKay, who is unfortunately out for the season with a leg injury, and Wilhelm Fehlhaber who took ill and was unable to wrestle.  This coming saturday Nicolet will be hosting the regional tournament starting at 10:30 a.m.

The Nicolet/University School girls hockey co-op team seniors were celebrated last Saturday night as part of "Senior Night." Nicolet senior Abby Berman helped make it a successful night with an 8-0 win over Beaver Dam.  Nicolet junior Laine Tomesch scored a goal in the win as the team improved its record to 15-7-1 (6-3-1).  The team will play a crossover game against a conference member on Thursday with the time and venue still to be determined as they prepare for another playoff run in the WIAA tournament.

The Nicolet/Whitefish Bay/Shorewood boys hockey co-op team went 2-1 last week with wins over Oregon and Grafton and a loss to Waukesha.  This week, the team will play Friday (6pm) at the Kern Center against New Richmond.  It will be Senior Night and Nicolet's three seniors — Jack Rabenn, Jacob Frazer and Danny Waldman — will be honored.  On Saturday the team will skate against Monona Grove at the Kern Center at 12:45pm.

The gymnastics team beat rival Homestead 131.825 to 131.7 in a conference dual meet last Thursday at NHS.  Both the JV and varsity teams reached milestones: 100 for the JV team and 130 for the varsity team.  Amazing performances by all.  Individual scores: On the floor: Jessica Kloehn took first with a score of 9.375.  Rachel Rabenn finished third.  On beam: Valerie Whittle took third with a score of 8.575.  On bars Valerie Whittle took first with an 8.35. On vault: Whittle took second.  In the all-around Whittle took second and Rabenn took third.  This week, the team will travel to Mukwonago for the Nordy Inviational on Saturday.

The ski team had another great performance last Thursday night at Heiliger Ski Hill in Hartford.  Mike Noonan took another gold medal with the boys varsity taking second, remaining in sixth place in the conference. Claire Kopetsky took silver and Megan McMahon bronze, also keeping the sixth-place spot for the girls.  Boys JV teams won with Westen Groh taking silver with Evan Walsh bronze and George Wilson fourth. JV boys are also in sixth in the race for conference and the JV Girls also won with Ellie Mittlestadt taking fourth. Girls are in eighth the conference.  Their next race is at Alpine Valley on Thursday vs. Lake Geneva, Waukesha, Oconomowoc and Brookfield East.

The Spring Sports Sign-Up Day will be at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 15.  Please check with the Athletic Department or the varsity coach for more details.

The Nicolet All-Sports Booster Club is offering a Free Athlete Workshop titled "Becoming a Triple Impact Competitor" on Wednesday, March 21 at 6 p.m. in the community room at NHS (room F106).  This workshop is for all high school or aspiring high school athletes and is in cooperation with Postive Coaching Alliance (PCA).

Please mark your calendars for Nicolet's Annual Golf Outing Fundraiser scheduled for Saturday, June 16 at the Silver Spring Country Club.  We are looking for more golfers, hole sponsors and donations.  Please contact Nicolet Athletic Director Kirk Krychowiak at kirk_krychowiak@nicolet.k12.wi.us for more details.

The Nicolet Athletic Hall of Fame is accepting nominations.  In order to get in the Hall of Fame you must be nominated.  For more details on how to nominate someone, please consult the Nicolet Athletic Department website.