It’s been a special year for me.
I became a dad for the first time back in May, and life couldn’t be more of an adventure.
Coraline Rose is a beautiful seven-month-old who is crawling fast and standing on whatever she can climb.
She is eating big people food, singing sweet jibberish and smiling and playing with everyone she meets.
She is an absolute doll, and I couldn’t be more proud of her evolution.
On Monday, she crawled to her new, full-size rubber kickball, picked it up, gave it a taste and rolled it to me. We proceeded to play “catch” for about 10 throws.
I could’ve cried, for she is shaping to be a supreme athlete just like her daddy and mommy.
Every time she looks in my face and smiles, my heart wants to explode out of my chest. It’s the most incredible feeling, and you truly don’t know what love is until you have a child.
I apologize, that was my shameless attempt to pull on the heart strings and get your attention.
Now that I have it, I’d like to say sorry there won’t be any updated high school sports in this week’s paper.
A special edition with Christmas upon us, we will take a moment to reflect on 2014, including an unforgettable run for Burlington football, local athletes who won state hardware and a plethora of coaching changes.
In years past, I would number stories 1-10 as the top stories of the year.
This year, since I’m a new parent and life is completely changed, I will simply list my favorite stories of the year. While I won’t number them, the first thing I list will probably be the most important, so use your imagination.
Without further adieu, here come my top stories of the year.
Wrestling community rallies around Tiedt
It’s a story that started out tragic but became heartwarming thanks to the support of a town.
Burlington resident Darin Tiedt, who suffered two strokes in April but is recovering nicely, was shown overwhelming love and care from the community in his time of need.
Tiedt is a former college wrestling standout and coach. His son, Hegeman, is currently tearing it up for the Burlington High School wrestling squad.
Here’s an excerpt from News Editor Jen Eisenbart’s story, which ran in late May.
“Darin Tiedt has been described as many things.
A loving husband, a terrific father, a dedicated wrestler (and wrestling coach) and the kind of person you want around when the going gets tough.
“He always keeps things light,” said friend and fellow wrestler Kevin Bird. The two competed for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. “I’ve never seen him riled up.”
On April 8, suffering from severe dehydration after a bout with ulcerative colitis, Tiedt suffered a pair of strokes. He has been hospitalized since, and is paralyzed on his left side, though he is improving with rehab and therapy.
“His progress has been very encouraging,” said Tiedt’s wife, Heidi. “Our long-term prognosis is still unknown.”
Unknown, but not without support. Friends and family – stretching as far away as North Carolina – have stepped up to make June 7 into a series of fundraisers for Darin and his family.
In addition, there will be a 5K run/walk beginning and ending at BHS.
“The outpouring of generosity has been a humbling experience,” said Heidi. “To say ‘thank you’ would never seem like enough.”
Football glory days return
It started in March when former Burlington High School and UW-Whitewater standout receiver Steve Tenhagen came home to coach his alma mater.
From day one, the 36-year-old instilled a new culture for the football program, equipped with mandatory offseason workouts, team building and explosive offense – lots of explosive offense.
Tenhagen’s reputation of high-octane passing carried over nicely from Delavan-Darien, and the Demons reaped the benefits to the tune of the school’s first Southern Lakes Conference championship since Tony Romo donned the orange and black in 1996.
Tenhagen was Romo’s top target on that ’96 squad, of course, and the 6-foot-4 big-play guru turned quarterback Brad Burling into a star.
The 6-foot-2 senior won Racine County player of the year, along with SLC POY and honorable mention all-state.
Receivers like Frankie Hozeska, Ty Wiemer and Brian Dankle had big years, and Hunter Melby provided a nice complement in the run game. Led by beastly junior defensive end Hegeman Tiedt, first-year defensive coordinator Mike Deans’ unit wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks.
Burlington also won its first playoff game in a decade, and the football stadium was officially named Don Dalton Stadium after the legendary former Demon football coach and athletic director.
With Tenhagen in tow, Burlington is once again a football town.
Taylor signs D1 scholarship
Just one year after the tragic death of her father Mark, Burlington senior Teagan Taylor found somewhat of a silver lining – a future in volleyball.
The 17-year-old overcame a major injury and landed a Division 1 commitment with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Here’s an excerpt from my story, which was published in December:
“For three straight months from last September to December, Teagan’s daily routine consisted of school, a hospital visit, volleyball practice, back to the hospital, dinner, another hospital visit and then sleep.
A little back pain wasn’t going to stop her. She eventually healed and was ready for the high school season. Early in the campaign, Division 1 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee coach Suzy Johnson sought out the talented libero.
Taylor couldn’t help but think the values and work ethic learned from her father helped out with what she called a “miracle.”
“Oh, God,” Taylor said in a recent interview. “He would definitely be extremely proud of me. He will always be a part of us and a part of our lives.””
Girls volleyball stunned in state semifinal
The Burlington girls volleyball team was ranked at the top of the state in Division 1 all season.
The Lady Demons dominated most opponents and seemed well on their way to a third state title in four years.
Muskego had other plans.
Despite falling behind 2-0, the Warriors won the final three games for the dramatic victory.
Here’s part of the story, which ran in early November:
“It was the biggest upset of the state tournament so far, as the Demons have been ranked No. 1 or 2 in Wisconsin all season and had manhandled the Warriors in previous meetings.
The 21-25, 18-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-12 victory was the first for Muskego in three tries this season.
Burlington coach Teri Leach said it was the best she’s seen the Warriors play this year.
“We wish we could have game three back,” the co-coach said moments after the loss as the downtrodden Demons were cheered on by their contingent of fans. “Muskego played extremely well tonight, but we errored in games three, four and five. You have to execute. Tonight we didn’t.””
Boys volleyball out-performs expectations
After program pioneer Tim Gesteland stepped down after 17 years, numerous state appearances and several conference championships, first-year coach Kayla Uhlenhake had big shoes to fill for the Burlington boys volleyball team.
After a slow start that included off-the-court suspensions, bad losses and a struggle to find any chemistry, Burlington played its best at the end of the season.
The Demons swept through their sectional and even stormed back from an 0-2 hole to win a state match, 3-2, over heavily-favored Middleton. For their efforts, they met eventual state champion Milwaukee Marquette in the state semifinal and were beaten, but you get the picture.
The Demons refused to quit, even though obstacles throughout the season could’ve caused a severe meltdown.
Senior Josh Ketterhagen became the All-Area Volleyball Player of the Year, and Burlington finished with a winning record.
Uhlenhake did an outstanding job in her first season, and the boys volleyball program should stay atop state hierarchy.
Here’s a clip from my original story, which ran in mid-November:
“Burlington started the season with six off-the-court suspensions and a 2-4-1 record but shaped up and came together around the beginning of October. After their first win streak, the Demons finished the season 10-4 including a four-game streak.
“It was a great year. Nobody expected us to be here,” Ketterhagen added. “We definitely exceeded expectations, and that feels really good. There’s no shame in losing to a great team like that.”
“We really bonded as a team. We didn’t care that people didn’t think we could make it this far. We were one of the four best teams in the state. I made a lot of friendships in my career. This is a second family for us.”
Catholic Central coach lands D1 college gig
If I could make this stuff up, I would. But I simply can’t.
When I heard a head coach from a high school of 180 kids was leaving for a Division 1 college job, I didn’t believe it.
But in March, just a few days after the Toppers’ strong season ended in a Division 5 sectional semifinal, then-coach Eric Henderson was given the chance of a lifetime.
Here’s an excerpt from the story:
“Henderson will go from a Division 5 high school basketball coach to a full-time assistant coach with Division 1 North Dakota State University.
Yes, that North Dakota State University, the one that knocked off fifth-seeded Oklahoma as a No. 12 seed during this year’s March Madness.
Henderson was an assistant coach for three years at Wayne State, where he helped the Wildcats to back-to-back NCAA Division 2 tournament appearances as a player. He averaged 11 points and 11 rebounds in his senior season.
Then, Henderson was a graduate manager for three years at Division 1 Iowa State University. At both Wayne State and Iowa State, Henderson worked under head coach Greg McDermott.
“It is a great opportunity to get back into Division 1 basketball,” Henderson said via email. “My college coach (McDermott) and Coach Richman thought I would be a great fit on the staff, and it kind of evolved from there.”
Benavides, Fitzpatrick win state titles
It was another banner year for Burlington Combined gymnastics.
And while then-junior Bailey Fitzpatrick missed out on an opportunity to notch a state-record third straight all-around state title, her older sister Jenna picked her up at the state meet in Wisconsin Rapids in March.
Jenna closed her career in style with a state championship on uneven bars (9.633). Teammate Molly Benavides won state titles on the vault (9.617) and beam (9.617) and just missed the all-around championship.
It was the second beam and second vault titles for Benavides, and Jenna Fitzpatrick continued the family’s uneven bars tradition.
The state performance was a storybook ending to the “Big 3” of the Fitzpatricks and Benavides, who led the Demons to three straight state runner-up finishes and won 26 individual state medals.
Here’s more from the March story:
“Jenna, who has competed in gymnastics ever since she was a toddler, took to the mats for the last time in her career. Jenna is one of three Burlington seniors.
“I performed my routine just about as good as I could do it, and I stuck my dismount,” Jenna Fitzpatrick said of her bars routine. “I went in there ready to lay everything out on the floor one last time. Since it was my last gymnastics meet ever, I really just wanted to have fun because I had nothing to lose.”
Jenna said it won’t be easy to lose Bailey as a teammate.
“She has been my teammate all my life and it’s such a strange feeling knowing I’ll never be competing out there again with her,” Jenna said. “Bailey has been the best teammate I’ve ever had with how much she’s pushed me and been there for me since day one.”
Lady Toppers take home state track hardware
Back in June at the state track meet in La Crosse, the Catholic Central girls track squad enjoyed a historic day.
Here’s more from the June 16 article:
“Despite lightning delays at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse which caused action to last past 10 p.m. both Friday and Saturday nights, the Lady Toppers snatched four medals, including a second, third and two sixth-place finishes.
The Toppers saved their best for last. The 1,600 relay team of Cassie Reesman, Shelby Frederick, Alexis Reesman and Kathleen Straube almost brought home state gold.
Catholic Central took second in Division 3 in a time of 4:05.36, falling by a mere .56 seconds to champion Wild Rose.”
Gesteland steps down as boys volleyball coach
The man who started the Burlington boys volleyball program, Tim Gesteland, a science teacher at the high school, decided it was time.
In April, the long-time coach finally put down the clipboard.
In 17 seasons, Gesteland turned the starter program from a whipping post into an elite state power.
Sons Joey and Zach were star players under Tim, and daughter Annie became team manager. Don’t forget about wife Julie, who did the score book and was the glue for the family coaching unit.
“For Gesteland, whose team is coming off back-to-back Southeast Conference championships, it was time.
“Put a fork in it, she’s done,” he joked. “It’s time for the younger guys to take charge. I kind of started feeling it last year. It was a lot of time away from my family.”
Ironically, it was family that was the driving force behind Gesteland all these years. It started with wife Julie running the scoreboard while sons Zack and Joey and daughter Annie were still traveling in car seats.
Eventually, Joey and Zack would become star players and Annie a team manager.
“It’s always been a family-run thing,” Tim said. “Every good coach needs an incredible wife. In the early days, the kids were in the car seats and would be running around on the court. I wouldn’t have been as successful without Julie.”
Joslyn nabs wheelchair state track title
Burlington freshman Leah Joslyn will never forget her experience at June’s WIAA state track and field meet at UW-La Crosse.
Here’s more from the June article by Sports Correspondent Mike Moore:
“The freshman won a state title in the girls shot put wheelchair event Friday at the WIAA State Track and Field Championships in La Crosse. Only, at first, she didn’t realize it.
Despite easily outdistancing the other girls with a best toss of 9 feet, 2 inches, Joslyn had resigned herself to a fourth-place finish. That’s because the competition was conducted jointly, with three boys throwing in the same group as the girls.
Then she learned separate medals would be handed out. Instead of leaving with nothing, she brought back a gold medal.
“It actually came as a huge shock,” Joslyn said.
Her best throw was her last. So dominant was she among the three girls in the shot put that, between the preliminary and final rounds, five of her six throws would have won the gold.
Joslyn added a silver medal in the girls 100-meter wheelchair dash on Saturday. That came after she spent several hours waiting at a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse dormitory, while thunderstorms passing through the area delayed the competition.
She set a personal best with a time of 37.39 seconds in the 100. That left her less than three seconds behind winner Andi Minster of Franklin.
Competing against all upperclassmen, she felt nervous going into the meet at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
“Once I got through that and tried my hardest, it got better,” she said.
Born with spina bifida, she has limited movement in her legs. Joslyn said Burlington teammates welcomed her from the start.
“They’re all really supportive,” she said. “They all really accepted me right away.”
Most-viewed sports stories of 2014
1. “Teagan Taylor overcomes tragedy, injury, signs with D1 UWM,” 3,323 views
2. “Waterford senior two years cancer free,” 2,981 views
3. “Burlington volleyball drops heartbreaker in five games,” 1,786 views
4. “Tenhagen takes over as Burlington’s football coach,” 1,730 views
5. “Why are Catholic Central sports so successful?,” 1,498 views
6. “Elks stun Burlington, forge 4-way tie for SLC title,” 1,435 views
7. “Local principal accepts D1 college coaching gig,” 990 views
8. “Thrilling TD pass, last-second missed kick propel Burlington past Wilmot,” 910 views
9. “Gesteland steps down after 17 years,” 869 views
10. “Wrestling community rallies for a friend (Darin Tiedt),” 868 views
-
-
-
-
-