Looking Back On Fall Sports

By Emily Landwehr

McFarland started the 2017-18 school year off strong, in more ways than one. McFarland High School has seven fall sports, and though there are always a few bumps in the road, the fall sports thrived this year.

One of the most popular and well known fall sports is, unsurprisingly, football. The McFarland Football Team showed drive and determination on and off the field this season. Despite losing seven games and winning only two, the team displayed exceptional sportsmanship by remaining positive and focused. “The football season was exciting games and exciting plays in all facets of the game.

The seniors did a great job leading this team and many juniors and sophomores contributed in many areas this season,” says Coach Ackley in regard to the overall season. The football team may not have had the best record, but they certainly didn’t back down from any challenges.

The Girls Tennis Team had a strong season, finishing off at sectionals with a runner-up victory. In addition to their second place, the team sent Aeryn Olsen, Victoria Budnar-Chapman, and Alyssa Obremski on to sectionals, where they performed well, but, unfortunately, did not qualify for State. However, the team is incredibly proud of their accomplishments.

The Cross Country Team, consisting of thirty members, experienced several triumphs throughout the season. Andrew Pahnke posted an impressive elite time of 15:58 in his race at Fort Atkinson, which can be considered a highlight of the season. Additionally, during conference, the boys team took home first, while the girls were just edged out and came in third. Both the girls and boys recently finished 2nd at sectionals, qualifying each for State.

Boys soccer brought their season home strong. Junior Caleb Blair led the team to twelve wins, with Ethan Nichols establishing himself as an extremely valuable player. In addition to this, the boys took home the Rock Valley Conference title with a victory over Evansville 2-1. “We found out they had some real weapons on offense, and we had to have more of a defensive plan when approaching the second game,” Coach Ogorzalek said when referring to the conference game versus Evansville. The soccer team was pleased to maintain their winning streak for conference. At the time of printing, the boys had just celebrated a regional title and trip to sectionals after defeating Sparta 5-2.

With eleven wins and only seven losses, the Volleyball team can celebrate their victorious season with pride. Senior Katie Rounds achieved over 1,000 career kills this year. Coach Fortune mentioned she may be the first in MHS history to achieve this milestone. At the conference meet, the team completed the tournament with an impressive runner-up finish behind East Troy. “We played some quality teams and played well against Whitewater and Edgerton,” Fortune reported on the conference competition.

Even though the girls golf season wrapped up earlier in the fall, the still succeeded in sending Nikki Stubbe off to sectionals, who placed sixth overall at regionals. Stubbe finished 10th in the final placing at regionals, with her teammates Kiaana Kass and Alyssa Englade not far behind. Overall, the season was a huge success, and Coach Lundquist mentioned that he was happy with how the girls performed throughout the season.

One of the longest fall sports, which is still ongoing, is girls swimming. The team achieved a fantastic new pool and team record in the 200-meter medley relay, which they are very proud of. Thus far, they have lost only one dual meet against Edgewood with a final score of 89-81. The girls and Coach Garvey are looking forward to the two exhilarating championship meets due to occur soon--sectionals on November 4, and State on November 10th.

While there may be seven different fall sports, one thing is certain: the Spartan athletes know how to succeed, whether that be in the pool, on the field, or on the court. Despite some sports experiencing losses, they rose to the occasion and honored their Spartan Pride. For those who have accomplished impressive wins, the Spartan Spotlight congratulates you!