It’s been a fantastic high school sports season in Manitowoc County, where every school seems to have stories to tell about historical achievements from their student-athletes.
The village of Mishicot is no exception: this spring, the girls’ track and field team won sectionals for the first time; it has some of the most accomplished trap or skeet shooters in the state, and the boys’ golf team has added to the legacy.
They captured a regional title earlier this month for the first time since 1980, and with a second-place finish at sectionals last Tuesday (June 9th), the Indians punched their first-ever ticket to the WIAA State Meet that’ll be held tomorrow (Monday) and Tuesday at University Ridge in Verona, just outside of Madison.
Mishicot will compete in the Division Three field, and their head coach Bob Stroess tells seehafernews.com that he envisioned this success years before it became a reality.
” We knew what he had with the team coming into the season. We have seen a lot of potential and significant improvement over the last several years, which has led to the success we see now. These are great kids who are confident in their abilities to do great things out on the golf course.”
Senior Carson Kowalkski and sophomore Dane Moore have been the catalysts of this golf engine that has won several big meets, including The Big East, Manitowoc County, and Division Three regional titles.
Moore has achieved several individual accolades, including being a regional meet medalist and Big East Conference Player of the Year, and qualifying for state as a freshman in 2025.
Dane (Moore) was runner-up at sectionals, shooting a 4 over 75 at Bass Lake Country Club near Antigo last Tuesday, and says it’ll be nice to have some company at the state meet this time around.
” It’s good to have individual success, but having the entire team with me will be a lot more fun than playing solo last year.” He adds—
“I’ll have four guys right there with me, and we have each other’s backs to carry us through good and rough patches. It’ll also relax me to just go out there and play my game.”
Those four individuals are Elden Stephan, Jacob Wallander, Brock Logan, and senior Karson Kowalski, along with assistant coaches Leonard Kowalski and Matt Wallander.
(Karson) Kowalski has been a part of the ascension of Mishicot golf since his freshman year and is coming off a seventh-place finish at sectionals. He admits that the state meet is a whole “different animal” and today’s (Sunday’s) practice round will be key in his preparation.
” I’m really going to take advantage of that practice round. I’ll walk around the course to get a general layout and put a bit to get a feel of the greens. You can’t always control where the ball goes, but I want to be as prepared as humanly possible. “
Coach (Bob) Stroess says another key to their success is striving to meet the high expectations they have for themselves.
” We have a demanding practice schedule, plus these kids play a lot on their own. A handful of them compete in the summer, and by combining passion with a great work ethic, that’s how, in my opinion, you become better at any craft you choose to be a part of.”
Support for student-athletes in Mishicot is “off the charts,” where tradition has state-bound athletes receiving rousing send-offs in the high school gymnasium and fire truck escorts out of town. Stroess says the experience was priceless.
”Doing it with the track and field team made it that much more enjoyable. The support we receive from the school and community is second to none, and we feel honored and blessed to be a part of it.”
Stroess emphasizes that, regardless of the results, it’s been a fantastic season filled with a lifetime of memories, as does Karson Kowalski as he plays in his final meet representing Mishicot High School.
”It’s been a pleasure to be a part of this team, and I have had a whole lot of fun. The future is bright for Mishicot golf, and I see these guys accomplishing great things in the years to come.”
Mishicot will tee off Monday (tomorrow) afternoon and play their final 18 holes on Tuesday morning.
