Sports Digest

Retzlaff could make NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend

Rhinelander native Parker Retzlaff appears set to make his first career start in the top-tier NASCAR Cup Series earlier than anticipated. 

Retzlaff’s name appears on the official entry list for this coming Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Va. According to the entry list, he is slated to drive the No. 66 Ford for MBM Motorsports and car owner Carl Long. 

Retzlaff was originally set to make his Cup Series debut later this month during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., driving the No. 62 Chevrolet for Beard Motorsports. According to a report by sportswriter Toby Christie, MBM Motorsports stated that Retzlaff needed another Cup Series event as part of the approval process by NASCAR to race in the top tier at one of the series’s longest and fastest tracks. 

Sunday’s race would be the seventh start of the year for the part-time MBM operation with its sixth different driver. Another Wisconsin driver, Josh Billicki of Menomonee Falls, drove the No. 66 to its best finish of the year, a 28th-place run last month at the Chicago Street Race. 

With only 37 entries for up to 40 spots at Richmond, Retzlaff would be guaranteed a starting spot for Sunday’s race, provided he attempts to qualify. 

Retzlaff qualified on the pole for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond back in March, eventually finishing 16th in that race. He has two top-five and four top-10 finishes in the second-tier Xfinity Series this year driving the No. 31 Chevrolet full-time for Jordan Anderson Racing. He is currently 17th in the Xfinity Series standings.

College volleyball tripleheader in Eagle River Aug. 24

A tripleheader of NCAA Division II college preseason volleyball will take place at the Northland Pines High School fieldhouse Saturday, Aug. 24. 

The triangular will feature Northern Michigan University against Winona State (Minn.) at 3 p.m.; Michigan Tech against Winona State at 5 p.m. and Northern Michigan against Michigan Tech at 7 p.m.

Northern Michigan comes in off a 12-18 campaign in 2023 and an even .500 record (9-9) in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Michigan Tech was 15-16 overall and 10-8 in the GLIAC last year. Winona State was 18-10 last year and went 10-8 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

Tickets for the event are on sale now. Tickets are $10 per person, when purchased in advance at northernextremevb.com. Tickets at the door will be $15 for adults and $10 for students. Kids age 5 and under get in free with a paid adult. 

Gillen named new Hodag Nordic head coach

John Gillen has been named the new head coach of the Hodag Nordic ski team, which oversees the Rhinelander high school and middle school ski programs. The announcement was made last week by the Northwoods Nordic Ski Club’s board of directors.

“Coach Gillen has been with the Hodag Nordic program since 2017, first working with the Sno-Dag (youth) program and then moving onto the middle school and high school teams as an assistant coach,” NNSC president Brian Hegge stated in an email announcing the move. “John has strong relationships with former head coaches Charil Reis and Dave Slette, and our current assistant coaches. Coach Gillen has completed USSA L100 certification, has coached at summer WNSL Northern Conference Camps, and along with Jim Wood has lead the summer roller ski program. John has built and has positive relationships with the Nordic ski families in Rhinelander.”

Gillen will be the third different head coach for the program in the last three years. Andrew Seaman held the position last year before announcing his resignation earlier this spring. Slette oversaw the program for two year prior to that before his family relocated out of the area.