Whitnall's Rachel Stave Rewrites State Diving Record Books

The Whitnall senior won her third consecutive WIAA Division 2 title in record fashion Friday.

With a sterling effort at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Natatorium on Friday, Whitnall senior Rachel Stave threw her name into the hat to be considered the greatest prep diver the state has ever seen. One year after becoming one of just 15 athletes in the WIAA’s 31-year diving history to claim at least two state titles, Stave joined an even smaller group Friday by winning her third straight title in dominating fashion. She obliterated the Division 2 state record with 497.3 points, far outdistancing herself from Edgewood sophomore Gina Jacobson, the runner-up with 406.15, and became just the third athlete in history to win three WIAA titles. Stave joined Brown Deer’s Gina Ketelhohn, who won four straight D2 titles from 1992-95, …

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Whitnall Diver Rachel Stave Makes it Two Straight

The junior dominated the WIAA Division 2 Diving Meet on Friday to become a two-time state champion.

Rachel Stave continues to etch her name in the Whitnall High School and state record books. Stave, a junior, won the WIAA Division 2 State Diving Meet on Friday at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison with apparant ease, just as she did in 2010. The two-time state champion and one-time state runner-up finished with 444.20 points, far outdistancing herself from the rest of the 16-diver field. River Falls senior Sierra Becker, who was second to Stave last fall, was again Friday with 388.20 points. Of the 16 divers, half were seniors. Of the possible challengers to Stave's crown next year, only Plymouth sophomore Taylor Knuth (third; 339.15) and Pius junior Alex Albrecht (10th; 302.15) finished with more than 300 points. Stave is…

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Whitnall Diver Rachel Stave Looking For Second State Title

The junior won the Division 2 state championship last November.

Rachel Stave was unmatched at the WIAA Cudahy Sectional over the weekend, and might be again Friday in the season's finale. Stave, a Whitnall High School junior and one of the state's best divers ever, will compete in the WIAA Division 2 State Meet at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium at 2:30 p.m. Friday. Stave advanced to the state meet by dominating the sectional with an effort of 454.75 points, nearly 150 points better than the runner-up. Her state qualifying performance was nearly 100 points better than anyone else's statewide. Stave won the school's fourth state diving championship - the first since Samantha Feinauer in 2003 - with a school-record 470.2 points, 99.9 ahead of River Falls junior and runner-up Sierra Becker at last …

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Whitnall Diver is Featured Athlete of the Week

Junior Rachel Stave is one of the top divers in the state.

Whitnall Diver Rachel Stave Does Well in Regional Championship

She won one event and finished sixth in another last weekend.

The WIAA Division 2 state diving champion showed she can compete with the best from other states as well. Rachel Stave, who will be a junior at Whitnall next fall, teamed with Rachel Margis to win the 14-18-year-old synchronized 3-meter springboard competition at last weekend's Region 5 Championships at the Schroeder YMCA. She was also sixth in the 16-18 3-meter dive and 24th in the 16-18 1-meter dive. Region 5 includes Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. 

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Whitnall Triple Jumper Second at State Meet

Rachel Stave headlines successful first day of the meet for Whitnall, Greenfield.

La Crosse – After a tight timetable hindered her performances at the WIAA State Track and Field Meet last year, Whitnall’s Rachel Stave wanted to rebound this year. If Friday was a sign of things to come, the sophomore will have quite the collection of medals by the time she graduates. Stave took home the silver medal in the triple jump at this year's state meet on Friday after landing a distance of 37 feet, 6 1/2 inches, nearly a foot farther than her qualifying mark. “It’s pretty amazing,” Stave said. “I wasn’t really expecting it and I’m pretty happy, excited. It was a ‘PR’ for me. “(Last year) I did pretty bad. I had to run my 400 and then go triple jump and I was really tired and I just jumped really bad. Today, the weather was really…

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Greenfield, Whitnall Athletes Set for State Track Meet

Greenfield junior Michelle Garner looks to repeat as hurdle champion.

Greenfield junior Michelle Garner will attempt to defend her 300-meter hurdle crown when she squares off with Wisconsin's best at the WIAA State Track and Field Meet at Memorial Stadium in La Crosse Friday and Saturday. The Division 2 and 3 meets begin at 9:30 a.m., and the Division 1 meet kicks off at 4:30 p.m. On Saturday, events begin at 9:30 a.m. According to a Greenfield NOW story, Garner's sectional-winning hurdle time of 44.87 seconds was a season best and the fastest time in the state this season. Garner will also compete in the 100 hurdles and will be joined by Matt Brendemihl (triple jump), Ryan Manzuk (hurdles) and the 800 relay team of Reggie Blakely, Bathong Pham, Austin Krytkowski and Arnell Howard as Greenfield's …

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Track Teams Claim Multiple State Berths With Sectional Efforts

Greenfield, Whitnall athletes qualify in 12 events for next weeks season finale.

Greenfield junior Michelle Garner took another step toward defending her state title by qualifying for both hurdle events at the Mukwonago Sectional on Thursday. Garner, the reigning Division 1 champion in the 300-meter hurdles, won that event Thursday in 44.87 seconds. She also finished third in the 100 hurdles in 15.72. Garner was one of many local athletes to qualify for the WIAA State Track Meet, to be held June 3-4 in La Crosse, by finishing in the top three of their respective events. Whitnall’s Mary Erickson claimed a pair of individual state bids by winning the 800 run in 2:19.44 and the 1,600 in 5:32.10. Whitnall also picked up a win in the triple jump as Rachel Stave won with a distance of 36 feet-7 inches, five inches better …

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State Track Hopefuls Slated for Sectional Competition Today

Greenfield, Whitnall athletes will be in Mukwonago with state berths on the line.

Many Greenfield and Whitnall athletes will find themselves in favorable situations at today’s WIAA sectional track meet in Mukwonago. The meet, which will feature athletes from Oak Creek, Muskego, Franklin, Wisconsin Lutheran and a host of others, including the two local schools, is slated for 4 p.m. Thursday. The top three finishers in each event earn an automatic berth to the WIAA state meet, held next weekend in La Crosse, and many Hustlin’ Hawks and Falcons are seeded in the top three of their respective fields. Leading the way is defending hurdle champion Michelle Garner of Greenfield, who is the top seed in both the 100-meter (15.98 seconds) and 300 (45.96) hurdles. Her 300 seed time is nearly a full second better than the next-…

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Greenfield, Whitnall Manage 28 Combined Sectional Track Qualifiers

Those who advanced past Monday's regional meets will compete Thursday in the Mukwonago Sectional.

The WIAA postseason track field was trimmed significantly at Monday’s regional meets, but both Greenfield and Whitnall will be well-represented at the Mukwonago Sectional on Thursday. The sectional is at 4 p.m. and the top three in each event automatically qualify for next week’s state meet. At the South Milwaukee Regional, where the Greenfield boys placed fourth of nine teams and the girls were seventh of eight squads, the Hustlin’ Hawks managed 14 combined sectional qualifiers. Defending state champion Michelle Garner was a two-time winner in the hurdles, claiming the 100s in 15.98 and the 300s in 45.96. Also victorious were Arnell Howard in the 200 dash in 23.14, Matt Brendemihl in the triple jump with a 42-5 ½ and the boys 800 and 3,…

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