Exploring local faces in North Central Wisconsin Sports, WSAW’s Hilight Zone Podcast aims to tell the stories of athletes, coaches, and programs from around the region.
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 why it is consistently good, as well as the traditions the team has on the field.
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 the middle of the year. They also talk about some of those traditions they have at the beginning and the end of games.
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 agonizingly close to qualifying for the trials, all the way up until she broke the time she needed just two weeks before the deadline.
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 Brost. He talked about seeing Zimmermann's talent in elementary school and how he turned from a catcher to a pitcher in his days at Auburndale.
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 Frombach. They talk about the run to the college world series with Zimmermann and what it was like to watch a former D3 teammate tear through the big leagues.
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.
