Congratulations to Prescott running duo Breckin Schommer and Jayde Canfield. The recent Cardinal alumni both ran and finished Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn., the first 26+ mile race for both runners. Schommer and Canfield finished with times of 3:18.47 and 3:24.18 respectively. A Middle Border All Conference selection in both cross country and track and field, Schommer qualified for the state tournament in both sports this year and will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison on an ROTC Scholarship and will be majoring in Biology. Canfield, an all-conference performer in cross country, will attend the University of Wisconsin-Superior where he plans to run for the Yellowjackets and major in environmental science. 

Athletic Director Andrew Caudill has scheduled his last bus and set of officials for Prescott High School events. The Union Grove High School graduate has accepted the Athletic Director position at Altoona High School. In his three years at Prescott, Caudill has been the primary person behind facilities upgrades and has been instrumental in significantly enhancing the ways the performances of Prescott High School were recognized in various forms of media. The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse graduate certainly left his mark at Prescott High School. Good luck Mr. Caudill. 

Prescott boys basketball and wrestling camps are being held at Prescott High School this week. 

Although kids will be playing baseball, basketball, football, golf, and running over the next several weeks, we enter a time on the calendar where a break from competitive high school sports leads to feelings of athletic doldrums among many. However, as the days grow longer with each passing day, feelings of anticipation for fall sporting events have already begun to creep into the hearts of athletes, their parents, and fans. Understandably so. The Prescott football team will head into the fall with high expectations with six Middle Border Conference players, Barrett Temmers, Will Rohl, David Regnier, Will Packard, Kobe Russell, and Teddy Bernick all returning to the gridiron for Head Coach Jordan Hansen. The four-time defending WIAA State Champion girls’ golf team returns a strong contingent of players - including Gabby Matzek, Lydia Feran, Jeanne Rohl, Macy Reiter, and Layla Salay. Head Coach Chad Salay’s team is expected to once again be the conference favorite and at tournament time will be required to compete at the Division 1 Level this season. And on the volleyball court, the Cardinals hope to defend their Middle Border and Regional Championship from last season. The Cardinals return San Jose State recruit Natalie Ptacek, along with Aubryn Ennenga, Marisa Cogan, MacKenzie Sterud, and Leah French who were part of a team that finished with an overall record of 33-10. 

Hats off to Firehall Field volunteers Mike Schommer and Dan Erickson for donating countless hours of their time mowing the grass this year. Also, a huge thank you to Taud Hoopingarner, Scott Halverson, Dallas Eggers, and Brad Schommer for manning the PA this season for the Cardinals. Kudos also to Angela and Thad Magee, and Mandy Matzek for organizing, working and scheduling the concession stand this season. Finally, brava to Julie Ryan for game day programs and the thousands of pictures the former Prescott grad took this spring. 

From the WIAA…Four basketball coaches’ recommendations were approved by the WIAA Executive Board. Three of those impact the electronic seeding criteria used for the basketball Tournament Series, effective next season. The first is an amended recommendation that eliminates any forfeited games from being factored into a team’s win percentage. In addition, results versus bordering states of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota will factor in a team’s win percentage and its opponent’s win percentage. Results versus non-bordering states will impact the formula only for a team’s own win percentage. Furthermore, head-to-head results will be introduced into the criteria under two circumstances. The first is when two or more consecutive seeds have a final seeding calculation within a predetermined threshold, they will be considered a virtual tie with a tie-breaker protocol to be applied. The second continues the use of head-to-head results of consecutive seeds to determine the home team in the first-round games for both teams.

Fargo-Moorhead infielder Peter Brookshaw is hitting .315 for the first-place Redhawks as they head into play this week. Brookshaw is a 2018 graduate of Prescott High School. 

From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources… The DNR encourages Wisconsinites to help native pollinators during Pollinator Week, June 17-23, and throughout the rest of the summer and fall. A pollinator is any animal that visits flowering plants and transfers pollen from flower to flower, which helps plants grow fruits and seeds. Most of Wisconsin’s pollinators are insects like bees (Wisconsin has 400 native species, including 20 bumble bee species), butterflies and moths. Wisconsin's pollinators also include hummingbirds and some beetles and flies. In addition to supporting rare pollinators, flowering plants provide food to common pollinators, other insects, people and wildlife. They also support healthy ecosystems that clean the air and stabilize soil. Despite the importance of native pollinators, many are facing population declines.

Headshaker of the week. Whilst attending a local youth baseball game I was struck by the screaming, neck vein shouting performance of a particular fan. The baseball cap wearing supporter was obviously one of the parents of one of the pre-teen participants. With their child’s team up to bat, the zealous fan would scream “Drop it” whenever a player hit a pop up for a routine fly ball. The raspy, spine-tingling bellow would have impressed any ocean banshee. Screaming at opposing juice box sipping little leaguers while they are poised to catch a ball during a game? It’s a headshaker.