WSAW Hilight Zone Podcast

If you ask Neillsville girls basketball head coach John Gaier the key to winning, he'll likely respond with, "defense wins championships." It's worked wonders this season. The team is allowing just under 25 points per game, holding teams to under 20 points eight times on their way to a 19-2 record. NewsChannel 7's Noah Manderfelds speaks with Junior Delaney Rochester and Senior Emma Moseley, along...

The first-ever WIAA-sanctioned girls wrestling state tournament was held on Jan. 29. The tournament was a milestone for the sport of girls wrestling, which has long competed with the boys in the past. Noah Manderfeld speaks with the Wausau West girls wrestling team (Anya Mueller, Chloe Weisenberger, Savanna Danielson, Sabina Ramos, Ashley Danielson and Alianna Totzke) about the experience, and wha...

297. That's how many rushing yards Wausau West's Colton Geurink had in their season-opening win over De Pere. He also added five touchdowns to that line. Noah Manderfeld talks with Geurink about the game, If he expected to rush for that many yards and what his goals in development are this season.  

Rhinelander football has started to cement itself as a team to be feared. Last season, they won two playoff games and brought success to Hodag country. In a preview of the 2021 season, Noah Manderfeld talks with head coach Aaron Kraemer and quarterback Jacksen Smith about how they continue the successful Rhinelander tradition, how Smith will fill the shoes of outgoing quarterback Quinn Lamers, and...

Wausau East football made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 varsity season. They cited low numbers, which they say just 14 upperclassmen were signed up to play. They do still intend to play 8-man football Noah Manderfeld talks with athletic director Kurt Vanden Heuvel and head coach Henry Kremnitzer about the decision, what this means for the kids and what the future of Wausau East footbal...

Wausau East's Luke Fenhaus put the racing circuit on notice when he finished second in the SRX race at Slinger Speedway. He competed against racers like Tony Stewart and Marco Andretti. Matt Infield talks with the 17-year-old about the experience, what the race was like and where he sees his career going.

Stratford's Derek Kraus has had a difficult sophomore season. It seems like every race, something happens that sets him back. Through it all, he's still been able to capture his first two career poles in the Gander RV and Truck Series. Matt Infield talks with Kraus about the season thus far, and where he sees the rest of the season going on his quest for a first career NASCAR victory.

For the last 44 years, Don Behnke has been at the helm of SPASH cross country. For nearly 20 of those years, Kevin Hopp has been by his side as co-head coach. In 42 of those 44 years, the program has made an appearance at state. They've won 11 titles. Noah Manderfeld speaks with the two about a lifetime of coaching at SPASH, what has made the program so successful for many years, but also how the...

Stevens Point runner Roisin Willis qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials with the best 16-year-old time in 800-meter United States history. She backed that up by qualifying for the semifinal at the trials against the best in the country. Noah Manderfeld talks with the SPASH high schooler about her performance and why she thinks her future is so bright.

The Warrens have known baseball their whole life. The dad, Steve, is the varsity baseball coach. His two sons, Grant and Brock, have been playing their whole life. But because of a three-year age gap, they've never played on the same team together. Until now. In the one year they have together on the same team, Marathon is going to state. Noah Manderfeld talks with Brock and Grant Warren about bas...

In the winter, Phillips girl's basketball lost in the sectional final against Fall Creek. Now in softball, the Phillips advanced to state by beating....Fall Creek. Noah Manderfeld talks with Rachel Callow and Jada Eggebrecht about how good that felt, but also about the group of nine girls who play together in basketball, volleyball and softball. The group that plays together almost year-round fina...

Rhinelander Quarterback Quinn Lamers is going to play football at the University of Montana next year. But that decision didn't surprise anyone. His cousin, Marc Mariani, is Montana's all-time leading receiver and he played seven seasons in the NFL. Matt Infield talks with Lamers about the decision, growing up idolizing Mariani and the process that led him to follow his footsteps.

Pacelli softball has one expectation at the beginning of the year: They are going to make the state tournament. They've done so in three straight seasons and they are knocking on the door of a fourth straight appearance. Noah Manderfeld speaks with head coach Ann Molski, along with players Sami Miller and Briar Armatowski about the weight of those expectations. They also talk about the offense and...

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood Softball team has a saying after every win. They say "we don't suck." This year, they've had plenty of chances to say that. They sit at 12-1 and have already clinched at least a share of the Central Wisconsin Conference-East. Noah Manderfeld speaks with head coach Charity Fraaza, along with players Abi Fraaza and Jasmin Duranceau about the season and the turning point in...

D.C. Everest Lacrosse was 4-1 through five games and had their sights on a Bay Valley Conference title. They would lose the final four games of the regular season. Noah Manderfeld talks with players Devin Gumz, Dominic Tilton and Parket Hurt about the start and what happened the last for games, plus they talk about how they look to turn the page ahead of the postseason.  

Marshfield's Gary Varsho has almost 40 years of professional baseball under his belt, 15 of those as a player. A longtime coach and scout as well, Varsho has seen close to everything the game has to offer. Matt Infield talks with Varsho about his decision to retire, and walks through Varsho's experience in professional baseball.

SPASH's Roisin Willis had one goal in mind entering 2021: She was going to qualify for the Olympic Trials. However, what seemed like an achievable goal seemed just out of her grasp after many attempts. Just last week, Willis ran a personal best time of 2:00.78, which was the fourth-fastest in 800-meter history and fastest time ever for a 16-year-old.  Noah Manderfeld talks with Willis about coming...

Jordan Zimmermann pitched 13 seasons in the major leagues, establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball during part of that span. But before he took the mound in Washington D.C, Zimmermann started here in Central Wisconsin at Auburndale and UWSP. In part two of discussing Zimmermann's career in our area, Matt Infield talks with Zimmermann's high school coach at Auburndale, Mark Bro...

Jordan Zimmermann pitched 13 seasons in the major leagues, establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball during part of that span. But before he took the mound in Washington D.C, Zimmermann started here in Central Wisconsin at Auburndale and UWSP. In part one of discussing Zimmermann's career in our area, Matt Infield talks with two former college teammates Mike Thrun and Jake Fromb...

Former UWSP standout swimmer Jack Englehardt has qualified for the Olympic Trials in June.  Noah Manderfeld talks with him about what it felt like, plus they walk through his UWSP years, the successes and the lows that brought him to this point.   

Marcus Jaworski was a key part of the Iola-Scandinavia Team that was a win from going to state. He is one of four players from that team that hasn’t graduated. Noah Manderfeld speaks with Jaworski about how it feels to be the only returner on the rotation and one of a few on the team, how much it hurt when they lost in 2019 to Stratford, a game he feels was his last chance to advance to state.

Garrett Groshek signed with the Las Vegas Raiders just minutes after the NFL draft concluded. Matt Infield sits down with the Amherst native to talk with him about the deal with the Raiders, how excited he is and what he thinks about playing under head coach Jon Gruden

Cole Caufield is one of the best hockey talents to come out of central Wisconsin. Just days after making his NHL debut with the Montreal Canadiens, we look back at where his career started--in a SPASH uniform. Noah Manderfeld talks with Caufield's former linemates at SPASH Barrett Brooks and Dayne Hoyord about the "crazy" ability Caufield showed as a sophomore, and how the rink rat couldn't get aw...

Amerst native Garrett Groshek is preparing for the NFL draft after four seasons in five years with the Wisconsin Badgers.  The running back has gone through an extensive training process and now will sit and wait for draft day. Matt Infield talks with Groshek about the journey he's taken to get to draft day and what those three days will be like waiting for a phone call.

There's a new person in charge of the WIAA and it's Steven's Point native Stephanie Hauser. Last Friday, the former SPASH athletic director was voted the executive director of the WIAA, becoming the first woman to do so. Matt Infield talks with Hauser about making history and the challenges that lie ahead for the WIAA.