Special Achievement Awards

Outstanding sports achievement during the year by an individual or a team from the Madison area.

2023 – Jerry Kaminski, Sun Prairie East Football; Jack Madoch, Middleton High School Swimmmer; Teagan Mallegni, McFarland High School Girls Basketball; Izzi Stricker, Waunakee High School Golfer;  McKenna Warnock, University of Iowa Women’s Basketball

2022 – Drew Bennett, Memorial Diver; Jackson Mankowski, LaFollette Wrestling; Curtrell Robinson, LaFollette Boys Basketball Coach

2021 – Not awarded due to COVID

2020 – Not awarded due to COVID

2019 – Edgewood Athletics; Wes Jekel, Madison West Swimmer; Kiara Lee, Madison LaFollette Track; Hunter Lewis, Stoughton Wrestler

2018 – Kendall Gretsch, Olympic Golf Medalist; Becca Hamilton, Olympic Curler; Keshawn Justice, Madison East Basketball player; Becky Klongland, UW Golfer; Kelly Rodriguez, Edgewood swimmer; Nina Roth, Olympic Curler; Drew Scharenbrock, Sun Prairie wrestler

2017 – Kelly Chadesh/Ben McDade, Monona Grove Swimming; Jada Dayne, University of Michigan Soccer; Tom Kaufman, Madison West Cross Country; Chris Knight, Madison Memorial Basketball; Ginger Lingard, Madison Edgewood diver; Chris Zwettler, Madison Edgewood Athletics

2016 – Finn Gessner, Madison LaFollette Cross Country and Track Athlete; Julie Grutzner, Oregon Girls Soccer Coach; Dan Koch, UW Women’s Hockey Coach; Grace Mueller, Verona basketball, track & volleyball athlete; Beata Nelson, Verona girls swimmer; Justin Temprano, Madison Memorial boys swimmer

2015 – Amy Davis, Edgewood Cross Country and Track Athlete; Paul Eckerle, Madison Memorial Boys Swim Coach; Peggy Gierhart, Edgewood Girls Golf Coach; Martha Koller-Faust, Mt. Horeb Gymnastics Coach; Todd Nesheim, Mount Horeb Boys Basketball Coach; Bo Ryan, UW Men’s Basketball Coach

2014 – Kelly Lagman, Edgewood High School Tennis Coach; Joel Marshall, Verona Boys Hockey Coach; Toby Parker, Madison College Women’s Volleyball Coach; Derek Scheer, Edgewood High School Swimming Coach; Jeff Sauer, Olympic Sled Hockey Coach; Gary Thorton, Edgewood High School Track Coach

2013 – Tony Butler, Sun Prairie High School baseball player; Nate Hoffman, Sun Prairie High School baseball player; James Conner, Monona Grove High School football player; Nick Menninga, Madison Memorial High School swimmer; Josh Williams, Edgewood College track and cross country runner; Madison West cross country team and coach Tim Kaufman.WIAA Division 1 champions.

2012 – Chandler Diffee, Madison La Follette High School cross country champion; Derek Straus, Waunakee High School football and hockey player; Ivan Bruner, 85+ age division winner at the International Masters Racquetball tournament; Former UW men’s hockey coach Jeff Sauer, coach of United States sled hockey team led team to second straight world championship; Madison Edgewood girls soccer team, won 2011 WIAA Division 2 state title; Madison Memorial boys swimming team won WIAA Division 1 title for second year in a row and 12th time overall.

2011 – Pat Rice, Waunakee High School head football coach; Aja Van Hout, Madison East High School swimmer; Steve Collins, Madison Memorial High School boys basketball coach; Meghan Duggan, University of Wisconsin women’s hockey player; Luke Russell, Verona High School track and field athlete; Chelsea Hoff, UW-LaCrosse and former Middleton High School swimmer.

2010 – Blake Geoffrion, UW hockey player and Hobey Baker Award WinnerKassy McCarthy, Wauankee High School football kicker; Rich Cleveland, retired after 22 years as Madison East boys basketball coach; Shana Martin, logroller who took first place in the Boom Run Championships, Boom Run Midwest Championships, Boom Run STIHL Timbersports Series, and Log Rolling Midwest Championships in 2009; Leighton Settle, Madison West All State, All City and City Player of the Year; Edgewood High School athletics, produced four state champions; boys and girls golf, baseball, and girls soccer.

2009 – Madison Memorial Boys basketball coach Steve Collins (guided Spartans to 2009 WIAA DI Basketball title). Madison East swimmer Ruby Martin (50 & 100 yard freestyle winner at 2008 WIAA Girls Swimming & Diving championships). Madison West cross country athlete Brett Kelly (DI runner up at 2008 WIAA Cross Country championship). Wisconsin Badger men’s and women’s lightweight rowing teams (won national championships in 2008 season). Wisconsin Heights Girls Volleyball team (2008 WIAA D3 State Champions). Deb McCormick, curler (skip of curling team that won U.S. trials and qualified for 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada)

2008 – Madison Memorial H.S. Athletics, DeForest H.S. Girls Swimming, Madison East H.S. Girls Swimming,
Madison Edgewood H.S. Girls Golf, Madison LaFollette H.S. Boys Cross Country, McFarland H.S. Boys Swimming, Steve Stricker

2007 – Steve Collins, Madison Edgewood H.S. Girls Golf, Madison Memorial H.S. Boys Swimming,
Madison Memorial H.S. Boys Soccer, Madison LaFollette H.S. Boys Cross Country, Karen Greuel, UW Athletics

2006 – Steve Bentin, Adam Burish, Nikki Burish, Deb McCormick Rink, Ellie Radke, UW Cross Country Team, UW Men’s Hockey,
UW Women’s Hockey, Jesse Vetter

2005 – Maureen Brunt, Madison Edgewood H.S. Baseball, Madison Edgewood H.S. Girls Golf, Ryan Jefferson,
Madison Memorial H.S. Boys Basketball, Madison Memorial H.S. Boys Swimming, Nick VanSicklin, Mike Vergeront

2004 – Peter Amundson, Gavin Ball, Ed Blumenthal, Madison Edgewood H.S. Girls Golf, Middleton H.S. Baseball,
Monona Grove H.S. Girls Soccer, Madison Memorial H.S. Athletics

2003 – Madison Edgewood H.S. Girls Track & Field, Madison Edgewood H.S.Girls Golf, Madison LaFollette H.S. Boys Track & Field, Dewey Stendahl, Nathan Brown, Jonte Flowers

2002 – Tim Alexander, Bob Haffele, Eric Nelson, Jeff Schweitzer, Jason Treutelaar, Jason Verhelst, Chris Zwettler

2001 – Lee Kraemer, Alex Nelson, Ryan Proctor, John Powless

2000 – Jim Kesserling, Vic Levine, Donal Kaehler, Jane Evans, Mike Wilkinson, Dewey Stendahl, Pat Rice, Tok Kim

1999 – Reece Gaines, John Klement, Sue Murphy, Tim Rothering, Candas Smith, Jon Turcott

1998 – John Boyle, John Cook, Vic Levine, Donald Hayes, Juli Veloff, Liz Reusser

1997 – Todd Bishop, Roy Boone, Tonya Crum, Gabe Jennings, Ed Nutty combe, Jean Raprager, Caroline Spencer, Roger Wiebe

1996 – Leo Kalinowski, Jerry Kelly, Gary Kolpin, Eric Morel, John Powless, Matt Rice, Samantha Reeves, Peter Tegan

1995 – Tim Beasley, Bill Howard, Heidi Munson, Jim Myers, Kim Reid, Heidi Roh, Jeff Sauer

1994 – Otto Breitenbach, Paige Freiman, Steve Larson, Scott Nelson, Dennis Tiziani, Mitch Wainwright

1993 – Jim Grady, Damon Harrell, Michelle Jesperson, Matt Nelson, Jim Nye, Chad Powell, Barry Richter, Max Sparger

1992 – Duane Derksen, Gary Kolpin, Martin Smith, Heather Taggart, Robin Threatt, Mario Tiziani, Troy Vincent, Roger Wiebe

1991 – Tom Bennett, Otto Breitenbach, Erika Brown, Matt Demaray, Spencer Johnson, Steve Lowe, Marc McDowell, Greg Ryan

1990 – Chris Dold, Phil Downs, Sue Ela, Suzy Favor, Danny Jones, Dave Stuart

1989 – Steve Bentin, John Byce, Ken Keryluk, Mark Paulson, Jeff Seifriz, Roger Wiebe

1988 – Sandy Botham, Mary Docter, Kathy Dortzbach, Wendy Heineke, Jay Mortenson

1987 – Rob Andringa, Jill Hutchinson, Jay Mortenson, Kevin Kull, Rex Watson, Kelly Ferguson, Jim Webster

1986 – Gary Kolpin, Jack Young, Alicon Barney, Peter Tegan, Greg Schroeder, Rick Olson

1985 – Cindy Bremser, Tim Gillham, Neil Gwynne, Vic Levine, Karen O’Malley, Dan Niebuhr, Dick Rundle

1984 – Marc Behrend, Sandy Botham, Kurt Gundlach, Tom Hargraves, Katie Ishmael, Mark Johnson, Lee Kemp, Sherri Steinhauer, Christi Vedejs

1983 – Joe Baldarotta, Dave Gerry, Brad Fischer, Tom Hargraves, Brad Horner, John Klement, Dan McClimon, Brad Minter,
Peg Mueller, Jerry Roelke, Jeff Sauer

1982 – Steve Brown Rink, Tom Brown, Rick Olson, John Powless, Val Quarles

1981 – Marc Behrend, Dave Goodspeed, Pam Moore, Craig Zirbel

1980 – Dan Immerfall, Mary Docter, Sarah Docter, Diane Holum

1979 – Joe Gerlach, Dorothy Goldsworthy, Bob Suter

1978 – Burt Hable, Tom Hargraves, Diane Holum, Lee Kemp, Dick Rundle