June 4, 2018 at 1:47 p.m.
DeMeyer, Wissbroecker to play on at Whitewater
DeMeyer, Wissbroecker to play on at Whitewater
Jacob DeMeyer and Hope Wissbroecker declared Friday they are heading to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to continue their education and their playing careers. DeMeyer will be playing baseball and Wissbroecker women's volleyball at the southern Wisconsin school.
DeMeyer chooses baseball over wrestling
DeMeyer's announcement came on the same day he was named a first-team All-Great Northern Conference selection in baseball for the third consecutive year. He was not too shabby at wrestling either, leaving Rhinelander as its all-time career wins leader, a four-time state qualifier and a two-time placewinner.
Naturally, DeMeyer said, he had schools looking at him for both sports but his passion for baseball won out.
"I was ready to be done cutting weight and everything else that goes with wrestling," he said. "I like the competing aspect of it, but I love baseball a lot more."
After striking out looking at some larger universities, DeMeyer said he turned his attention to the Division III level and Whitewater immediately stood out.
"I know they're pretty good at basically all of their sports. They're very successful," he said. "I went down there and looked at their campus. It's a gorgeous campus, big facilities, a lot of nice facilities. Right away, I knew that was the spot I wanted to be at."
DeMeyer was one of the top hitters in the GNC this spring, hitting .507 overall with a home run and a team-high 29 RBIs. He also went 3-2 on the mound with a 5.28 ERA.
UW-Whitewater went 33-8 this spring and advanced to the NCAA tournament. The Warhawks were Division III national champions in baseball in 2005 and 2014.
DeMeyer said he plans to study secondary education while at Whitewater.
"They've got a really nice education program down there," he said. "One of the assistant coaches actually he became a secondary education teacher. I had a great talk with him and he said it's a great school to be at. I like being around kids and I hope I can coach one day, too. If I can coach wrestling, baseball or even both, that would be awesome."
Wissbroecker sets her own path
Hope Wissbroecker had a chance to follow in the footsteps of her older sister, Taylor, and compete at the Division II level in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
Taylor Wissbroecker was a standout at Minnesota-Duluth. Hope Wissbroecker said she had an offer to play at Bemidji State, but ultimately sided with the Warhawks who made her feel right at home.
"When I visited Whitewater, I just felt more comfortable at the campus," she said. "The girls all came out and met me. I got along with them right away. The coaches really helped put me over the edge. They made sure they made it to all of my club tournaments. They kept in contact, asked me how I did and just really built a strong relationship with me. They even offered to come here and spend a weekend with me. They're like, 'We want you. We'll do whatever it takes to get to know you.' Just a lot of welcoming people and just a good program. All the sports there are good. I'm really looking forward to being part of that."
Hope Wissbroecker admitted the process was slightly intimidating, given her sister's success in college, but noted it pushed her during her high school career and college search.
"I always knew I wanted to play in college but she helped me along the way," she said. "I know she went Division II, I'm going Division III, but it's no battle, no comparison. She's really happy for me and I'm excited to do what she's been doing."
Hope Wissbroecker was the Great Northern Conference's volleyball player of the year last fall despite playing on a team that finished fifth in the conference. She led the GNC with 5.4 kills per game and a .371 attacking percentage. She was more than just a hitter for the Hodags. Wissbroecker was second in the conference in blocks and fifth in digs.
"Here, I got to play all the way around and be a big leader," she said of her time at RHS. "I think I will become a big leader at Whitewater again. I want to. I enjoy being a leader and I enjoy playing all the way around. I know I won't go there, walk on and be an awesome player, which I'm actually looking forward to. I want to work for my spot and be able to play with other girls that stand out."
Whitewater went 22-8 overall last year and reached the championship match of the WIAC tournament before falling in straight sets to UW-La Crosse.
While she is currently undecided, Wissbroecker said she is leaning toward majoring in special education.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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