WHAT IF ... we had spring sports, part II

Editor’s Note: The WIAA recently canceled spring sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  At the Star-News, we’ve been giving recognition to the athletes and coaches who had their seasons stopped prematurely with a series of stories on the teams that didn’t get a chance to perform in 2020.   Kelby Mack and Noah Wankerl exited Nielsen Tennis Stadium last June as WIAA Division 2 state doubles champions. Little did the Sauk Prairie duo know they would never play another high school match together. Wankerl and Mack, who were both juniors when they won state, had been looking forward to defending their championship for nearly a year now. But that dream died when spring sports were canceled in late-April due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It really would have been a special season for us,” said Eagles coach Sam Mack, who is also Kelby’s father. “We had a state championship at doubles last year and both players were returning, which you don’t always get. Our program was gaining momentum going into this season.” Kelby Mack and Wankerl were set to anchor the lineup. Last season, Wankerl began the year at No. 1 singles, while Mack started at No. 2 singles. The duo paired up at midseason, then went 17-1 and won the Badger North Conference and sectional titles. Wankerl and Mack saved their best for last, though. The duo finished the season by winning their final 32 sets in a row. The Eagles’ tandem also secured Sauk Prairie’s first-ever doubles state championship and second title overall dating back to Todd Bishop’s Division 2 singles title in 1998. Mack and Wankerl, who favor an aggressive approach charging the net, were relentless throughout the state tournament last spring. Wankerl and Mack advanced to the state semifinals with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over University School of Milwaukee senior Matthew Cooper and junior Addison Elliot (12-7) in a quarterfinal match. They used a dominant first set to earn a 6-0, 7-5 victory over Green Bay Notre Dame senior William Schneider and freshman Alan Schneider (22-4) in the semifinals. Then in the finals, Mack and Wankerl made short work of Green Bay Notre Dame senior Josh Jansen and junior Christian Remington with a 6-1, 6-2 victory Wankerl, who will play collegiately at UW-Whitewater, and Mack had both qualified for state each of their first three years. And the duo was expecting this season to be their best yet. “They were hungry to go out on top,” Sam Mack said.  Senior Tarren Nimmow, who reached the state singles tournament last year, was back to anchor that group. Nimmow lost his state tournament debut last season to eighth-seeded Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic Academy senior Nicholas Harron, 6-4, 6-1. But Nimmow (17-9), who made the field as an extra qualifier, proved he belonged with a strong showing. “I’ve seen Tarren play over the winter and he has improved quite a bit, especially learning to dictate points and put some pressure on his opponents,” Sam Mack said. Seniors Alex Kinnamon, Sam Humbract, Isaac Green and Max Sailor also had a chance for big years. “We have a deep and experienced team,” Sam Mack said. “This is my third year as head coach so these guys know how I operate. So, we should have been able to hit the ground running and give some established teams a tough matchup.” Sam Mack said while his team had several gifted individuals, the Eagles’ depth was a concern. “Depth throughout our lineup is our weakness,” Sam Mack said. “We had some top-flight senior players, but some of the younger guys were going to have to come up big at No. 4 singles and No. 3 doubles for us to win head to head matches.” Overall, though, this Sauk Prairie group had a chance to do some special things. Unfortunately for the Eagles — and the rest of the spring athletes across the state — they’ll always wonder, “What if?”     SAUK PRAIRIE TENNIS ROSTER Adam Baier Dennis Brickl Carson Brinkmeier Carter Buss Jordan Chao Clayton Dahlby Isaac Green Zachary Guentherman Hogan Haas Jade Hilden Samuel Humbracht Austin Kaukl Alexander Kinnamon Kelby Mack Marcus Martinez Tarren Nimmow Oscar Ramirez Garrett Ramminger Max Sailor Jasper Thierfelder Noah Wankerl Brody Wolfe Coach: Sam Mack