WSAW Hilight Zone Podcast

If you ask Neillsville girls basketball head coach John Gaier the key to winning, he'll likely respond with, "defense wins championships."

It's worked wonders this season. The team is allowing just under 25 points per game, holding teams to under 20 points eight times on their way to a 19-2 record.

NewsChannel 7's Noah Manderfelds speaks with Junior Delaney Rochester and Senior Emma Moseley, along with Gaier about how important defense is and how they hope their style of play will win a championship.

The first-ever WIAA-sanctioned girls wrestling state tournament was held on Jan. 29. The tournament was a milestone for the sport of girls wrestling, which has long competed with the boys in the past.

Noah Manderfeld speaks with the Wausau West girls wrestling team (Anya Mueller, Chloe Weisenberger, Savanna Danielson, Sabina Ramos, Ashley Danielson and Alianna Totzke) about the experience, and what the tournament means for the sport.

297. That's how many rushing yards Wausau West's Colton Geurink had in their season-opening win over De Pere. He also added five touchdowns to that line.

Noah Manderfeld talks with Geurink about the game, If he expected to rush for that many yards and what his goals in development are this season.

Rhinelander football has started to cement itself as a team to be feared. Last season, they won two playoff games and brought success to Hodag country.

In a preview of the 2021 season, Noah Manderfeld talks with head coach Aaron Kraemer and quarterback Jacksen Smith about how they continue the successful Rhinelander tradition, how Smith will fill the shoes of outgoing quarterback Quinn Lamers, and what the team will look like with a strong senior class after losing another strong class last year.

Wausau East football made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 varsity season. They cited low numbers, which they say just 14 upperclassmen were signed up to play. They do still intend to play 8-man football

Noah Manderfeld talks with athletic director Kurt Vanden Heuvel and head coach Henry Kremnitzer about the decision, what this means for the kids and what the future of Wausau East football holds.

Wausau East's Luke Fenhaus put the racing circuit on notice when he finished second in the SRX race at Slinger Speedway. He competed against racers like Tony Stewart and Marco Andretti.

Matt Infield talks with the 17-year-old about the experience, what the race was like and where he sees his career going.

Stratford's Derek Kraus has had a difficult sophomore season. It seems like every race, something happens that sets him back. Through it all, he's still been able to capture his first two career poles in the Gander RV and Truck Series.

Matt Infield talks with Kraus about the season thus far, and where he sees the rest of the season going on his quest for a first career NASCAR victory.

For the last 44 years, Don Behnke has been at the helm of SPASH cross country. For nearly 20 of those years, Kevin Hopp has been by his side as co-head coach. In 42 of those 44 years, the program has made an appearance at state. They've won 11 titles.

Noah Manderfeld speaks with the two about a lifetime of coaching at SPASH, what has made the program so successful for many years, but also how the two co-head coaches work so well together.

Stevens Point runner Roisin Willis qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials with the best 16-year-old time in 800-meter United States history. She backed that up by qualifying for the semifinal at the trials against the best in the country.

Noah Manderfeld talks with the SPASH high schooler about her performance and why she thinks her future is so bright.

The Warrens have known baseball their whole life. The dad, Steve, is the varsity baseball coach. His two sons, Grant and Brock, have been playing their whole life. But because of a three-year age gap, they've never played on the same team together. Until now.

In the one year they have together on the same team, Marathon is going to state. Noah Manderfeld talks with Brock and Grant Warren about baseball in their family, how special this year has been and how excited they are to represent Marathon at state.