Five student-athletes from New Glarus to play in college
NEW GLARUS - Five New Glarus High School student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent and were honored Wednesday as they continue their athletic careers in college.
In addition to New Glarus senior Maddie Hammer signing to join the swim team at the University of Illinois-Chicago, four others signed Letters of Intent. The other New Glarus seniors who will compete at the next level are Cole Runde, who will be on the golf team at Clarke University, Noah Zimmerman, who will play baseball at the University of Dubuque, and Jared Carney and Andrew Nimtz, who both will play baseball at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville next year.
Runde averaged a 46 in nine-hole matches last season. He's one of six returning golfers for the Glarner Knights this spring. Both Zimmerman and Carney were first-team all-conference players for the New Glarus baseball team last year. Zimmerman was all-conference as an outfielder and Carney as a pitcher. Carney finished with a 2.33 ERA last season, and Zimmerman had a 3.88 ERA as a pitcher.
Nimtz led the Knights in batting average last year, hitting .385.
"We are happy to be here to celebrate these five men and women who plan to continue their athletic careers in college," said Brittany Spencer, New Glarus activities director.
- Mark Nesbitt
Hammer signed to attend UIC along with four other New Glarus High School athletes at the high school auditorium with parents and students in attendance. She's a three-time WIAA Division 2 state qualifier on the Monroe-New Glarus girls swim team.
"I'm super excited to continue my career in college," Hammer said. "I definitely feel relieved, of course, knowing exactly where I'm going now. I'm very competitive and I wanted to be at the highest level. Going Division I is something I never thought I would be able to do. Going to the city of Chicago is great. I'm excited to push myself farther and farther."
Hammer, the daughter of Chris and Cheryl Hammer of New Glarus, helped lead Monroe-New Glarus to eighth place at the WIAA Division 2 swimming and diving meet last fall. She finished seventh in the 50-yard freestyle and ninth in the 100 freestyle and was part of the Cheesemakers' eighth-place finishes in the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay at the state meet.
Hammer wasn't always convinced she would swim at the next level in college.
"If you would have asked me a few years ago if I would swim in college, I would have not even wanted to swim," she said. "It's pretty physical. The sport is so mental. I went through a point where I wasn't close to my times even though I was working hard. I had to overcome it. I had to cope with it, and I learned to cope with it better if it happens again."
It served as motivation. Hammer said she will always remember not qualifying for state as a sophomore.
"I think the one thing that stands out in my head is not making it to state my sophomore year," she said of what she will remember from high school. "It may seem negative, but it's helped shape me into the athlete I am today."
Hammer made her first visit to UIC last April and took a tour of the campus. She had an official visit to UIC early in her senior year and developed a connection with the swim coaches for the Flames and her future teammates.
"All of the coaches and swimmers are like family and that made me want to go there even more," she said.
Monroe-New Glarus swim coach Linda Moser understands the commitment it takes to compete at the next level. She's thrilled for Hammer.
"It's a huge accomplishment coming from a team our size," Moser said. "Maddie just proved it can be done. She has a nice attitude and work ethic. It wasn't always easy for her. We've talked about this the last couple of years. I'm so excited for her."
In addition to her high school swim team, Hammer swam on the Green County Golden Gators team for seven years. Green County Golden Gators coach Emily Paradis was in attendance for her signing.
Paradis, who at the time was Emily Pisula, swam at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
"Emily has really helped Maddie reach her full potential," Moser said.
After overcoming some adversity in her sophomore year, Hammer was driven to excel in the pool, leaving no doubt she wanted to swim in college.
"I definitely always wanted to continue my swimming after high school," Hammer said. "I definitely wanted to swim Division I. It's something I'm really proud of."
