Sports Digest

Retzlaff finishes 8th at ‘The Rock’

Rhinelander native Parker Retzlaff continued his string of strong performances in NASCAR’s second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with an eighth-place finish in a 250-lap race Saturday, April 4 at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway. 

Retzlaff rolled off third after a strong qualifying effort and raced in the top 10 much of the way. He picked up bonus points in both stages, taking 10th in Stage 1 and seventh in Stage 2. 

“We had a good day at Rockingham here for the No. 99 Funkaway, Viking Motorsports Chevorlet,” Retzlaff said in a post-race video on social media. “Got stage points in both stages and an eighth-place finish, so just something good to build on. I think we had a really good car, just couldn’t get the track position to run a little bit better than that. But, overall, just a very good building day, and something to build on going into next week.”

It was Retzlaff’s second consecutive top-10 at the 0.94-mile quad oval in the North Carolina sandhills. He scored a career-best second-place finish at the track in 2025. The finish was Retzlaff’s third top-10 run of the season and second in the last three races. He remained ninth in the drivers’ standings a third of the way through the regular season, 57 points ahead of 13th-place Sam Mayer. The top 12 in series points after 24 races will qualify for the nine-race championship chase. 

The series is back in action this Saturday with at 300-lap race at the short track in Bristol, Tenn.

WIAA names winter tournament sportsmanship winners

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, in cooperation with Rural Mutual Insurance, has chosen the recipients of the team sportsmanship awards for the 2026 winter state tournaments.

The winners are Reedsville in boys’ basketball, Fall River in girls’ basketball, Auburndale in team wrestling, Marshfield in gymnastics and River Falls Co-op in girls’ hockey. There was no recipient of the award for the state boys’ hockey tournament.

Bonduel, Prentice, Eau Claire Regis and Seymour received honorable mention in boys’ basketball. Barneveld, Eleva-Strum and Pewaukee received honorable mention in girls’ basketball.

The WIAA/Rural Mutual Insurance Sportsmanship Award is presented to one school and community in each of the state team tournaments that exhibits exemplary sportsmanship. The award recipients are determined by the sportsmanship displayed by athletes, coaches, cheer and support groups, mascots, bands and spectators. Additional consideration is given for the effort of school administrators and chaperones to ensure support for their teams are positive and that the highest ideals of sportsmanship are showcased. Award winners receive a trophy and banner in recognition of the honor. Schools receiving honorable mention are acknowledged with a certificate of recognition.

The selection process includes contributions and evaluations from contest officials, tournament management, event security and WIAA staff members. Rural Mutual Insurance has been a sponsor of this award since 1965, and its partnership contributes to the promotion of sportsmanship in education-based athletics as a valued corporate partner of the WIAA.