History

Lakeside Lutheran 2013-14 Year in Review

Lake Mills – Lakeside Lutheran High School enjoyed another year filled with blessings, challenges and successes. With a student population of 359, there was never a lack of activity.

 Throughout the school year, the Lakeside A Cappella Choir traveled to 18 area federation churches sharing God’s Word in song during Sunday worship services. The Warrior band and choirs presented four concerts jointly during the school year, two sacred and two secular. The Warrior band also presented its annual Marching Band Concert in November that included grade school players from the Federation elementary school bands.

The Warrior Football team, battling an unusual number of injuries and illnesses, finished a disappointing 4 wins/5 losses. Despite depleted ranks, the players battled hard to the end. Four of the 5 losses were by 7 or less points. Only in the last game vs. Conference Champion Lodi were the Warriors out-manned. The Warriors missed making the WIAA play-offs for the 2nd time in 13 years.

In Cross Country, the Girls finished tied for second place with Luther Prep. Boys finished in the 4th place. Sydney Cody, Natalie Bubolz (1st team all conference; Catherine Hill (2nd team all conference), David Luehring first team all conference; Elijah Tesch second team all conference. No one advanced beyond the sectional meet this year.

The Lady Warriors Volleyball team had a special season, as they dedicated play to Morgan Turnquist, a fellow classmate who may have lost her battle with cancer, but won her journey to heaven! The team had a successful year, ending as Conference Co-Champions with a final record of 25-14. The team made it to the final round of regionals, falling in a tight match to McFarland. They also took 1st place at the Lutheran Invitations Tournament. The depth of the team was shown when 6 players were selected for all-conference honors.

Lakeside boys soccer was blessed with its best season to date, with a 16-2-1 record for 2013. They were the undefeated Capitol Conference North champions. They won their 2nd straight WIAA regional championship. They lost to the Prairie School in the sectional championship.

Homecoming 2013 was celebrated on September 27 with a victory over Luther Prep. With a theme of “Monsters,” the seniors dominated the class competition and took home the Spirit Award.

Teens for Christ were involved in many activities during the fall. November was their busiest month helping the Alpha Resource Center during the Watertown Christmas parade. They also went to Second Harvest Food bank in Madison to help sort food. A school wide cereal drive was held at Thanksgiving time with both Jefferson and Lake Mills Food Pantry's reaping the benefits.

With a tradition of partnering with Lake Mills FFA, Lakeside explored the option of chartering their own chapter this next year. Eleven students traveled to the National FFA Convention in October. Serving as Lakeside's leader was senior Cheyenne Johnson who held the office of student advisor. Two members of Lakeside were part of the State FFA equine judging team who placed first in Madison. Cheyenne Johnson was the 14th place individual while Eliza Griggs placed 17th. The team has qualified for the National FFA Equine Career Development Event.

Lakeside was privileged to host 450 singers from 21 Lutheran high schools from across the nation last November 8-10 for the WELS National Choral Festival. The weekend featured a Pops Concert on Friday night with each school’s show choir performing a choreographed selection. The weekend culminated in the 450 singers joining their voices in a sacred concert. Three Lakeside Alumni served as clinicians working to prepare the singers for the sacred concert: Casey Pufahl (choral director at St. Croix Lutheran High School in West St. Paul, MN), Andrea Oppermann (choral director at Arizona Lutheran Academy in Phoenix, AZ), and Glen Pufahl (band director at Lakeside).

During December the Teens for Christ collected items for the orphanages in Haiti. They held bake sales, sold donuts, and hot cider, donated by Beauty and Bean in Fort Atkinson, on various mornings to raise funds for supplies. Over 1200 pairs of underwear, along with 660 pairs of socks were collected. Homeroom competitions were held for bringing in the most amount of school supplies for the orphanages.

The girls basketball team played 24 games as well this season and ended a ratio of 19-5. The girls claimed the court this year with some really close games. In the end of the season the girls competed in the third round of regionals and lost by two points against Lodi.

The boys varsity basketball competed in the tough Capitol North Conference and finished the regular season 15-7. They proceeded to win the Regional Championship over Edgerton and then lost in a thriller to Marshall in the Sectional semi-finals. Their overall record was 17-8.

Lakeside Warrior wrestling was blessed with youth in 2013-14 with eight freshmen wrestling some varsity experience. Also exciting for next year will be the return of five juniors to lead the team. In 2014, Gavin Loescher placed 1st competed at the sectional level. In looking forward to next year, team highlights include a 3rd at Regionals, a team dual record of 3-4 and team placing of 8th Scramble.

This was the third year that Lakeside hosted the Grand Event. The dinner/auction event was held in February. It was a fun-filled evening offering fellowship and the opportunity to support building debt retirement and student assistance. The event is made possible with the generous support of volunteers, students, Lakeside families and area communities.

In February, Lakeside staff and students hosted the 2nd annual “Kinderfest,” when kindergarteners attended Lakeside for part of the day. The kindergarteners were from local WELS-synod grade schools. They enjoyed roaming the hallways with their adventurous guides (students), who were anything from a safari guide to a firefighter. The children has nine stations to visit where they enjoyed various activities, from storytelling to being heart smart to an obstacle course.

Student publications moved to a new room within the school. It was painted by a group of volunteer students. The new "digs" are spacious. The Warrior Times Weekly took second place by the American Scholastic Press Association, newspaper division. The yearbook, KEMO-Keeping Every Memory Ours, took a third in the same national contest, yearbook division.

The Lakeside forensics team had a remarkable season again. They captured the Capitol Conference Tournament for the 4th straight year, received The Excellence in Speech Award from the state of Wisconsin for the 5th straight year and after finishing in 2nd place the last 2 years they were the top finishers at the State tournament in Madison scoring higher than 350 other schools from all divisions: 1st time State Champions.

Spring activities for Teens for Christ included helping out at Jesus Cares in Watertown, attending a Lutheran Women's Missionary Rock River Circuit convention in Rockford to share the details of the Haiti Christmas project, collecting diapers for the Alpha resource center in Watertown, and again going to Second Harvest Food bank in Madison.

The Warrior mathletes accomplished another Capitol Conference championship in 2014. Over 20% of the student body participate to some degree in the six math meets available to the school, and always show well.

Spring Grandparents Day is held in April for the Sophomore and Senior students and their guests while Freshman and Junior students host their Grands in the fall. Lakeside enjoys sharing the time with these treasured guests.

This year the drama department performed “The Clumsy Custard Horror Show & Ice Cream Clone Review” by William Gleason. The part of Princess Prince was played by senior Lea Parker, while the hero, Swashbuck Valpariso, was played by senior Jordan Gaal. The comedy was an interactive play that involved audience participation.

At the end of April, Lakeside sent nine district starred-first entries to the WSMA State Music Festival at UW-Whitewater. At the end of the day, six entires that involved 10 students came away with gold, and three entries involving 15 students earned silver. Performers included the Warrior Percussion Ensemble, a drum trio, a marimba solo, two vocal competitors and four piano solo/ensembles.

The Capitol Conference Art Show moved to Edgewood College this year, with a reception May 17 from 3–5 pm. The Warrior artists participating are Kristen Tetzlaff, Mallory Reimer, Keri Bachler, Lisa Scott, Olivia Scheiber, Jenna Marti, Jessie Miller and Larissa Stulken.

Warrior girls soccer has improved greatly over the last few years. We ended the year with our first regional tournament win. This year has started out strong and we are looking forward to a great year. We have been winning and being highly competitive in games which have challenged us in the past. We are looking forward to a third straight win at the Clinton tournament. The girls again feel that the strong bond among teammates has been the best part of being a Lakeside Warrior soccer player and that bond has grown this year.

The 2013 Warrior baseball team finished in third place in the Capitol North. The final season record was 13-10. Jason Eternick earned first team All-conference honors while Brock Vredeveld, Conner Brumm, Logan Birkholz, and Collin McBride were second team. The baseball season so far this year has been one of rainouts without much to report. At the start of May, Warriors had 3 wins and 4 losses with a young team slowly maturing at the varsity level.

Girls softball returns five seniors to lead a slightly smaller squad. In the early season the team has notched wins against 3 conference opponents. Senior Bailey Kerr accomplished a rare feat hitting for the cycle in the second game of the year. The team is growing and improving steadily. The program theme of "Immeasurably More" serves as a focus for the teams Christian living and the team approach to softball.

Boys golf finished last season in the top four of the conference with a good showing from our seniors. This year is a building year as we are a very young team with 9 freshmen. Even though we are playing in the bottom half of our conference, we are continuing to make excellent progress that will be a great benefit going into next year’s season.

Sydney Gronemeyer

Special to The Leader

At Lakeside Lutheran High School, students have endless opportunities to succeed — and in the 2014–2015 school year, that they did!

From academics, to athletics, to volunteering, nearly every student in the school got involved in something he or she loved.

In fall, athletics were booming. The football team struggled for much of the season, but won the coveted title of champion of the Slider Bowl as they beat Lake Mills at home. The volleyball team had great success. They finished the season undefeated and also were regional champions. For the second year in a row, the fall dance team made it to the state competition in poms. The boys soccer team had a successful season, winning the majority of their games. Both boys and girls cross country ran the season with full varsity and junior varsity teams.

Winter sports for the Warriors turned out just as well. The girls basketball team finished their season undefeated, and the boys basketball team surprised a highly ranked Luther Prep Phoenix. As for the wrestling team, three members — Dan Borth, Dalton Egli and Zech Schleef — made it to sectionals.

In spring, the girls track team took first at the Marshall Invite, and both the boys and the girls took first at the Watertown Invite and their home meet April 28. The softball team won four of its first six conference games and the baseball team socked three homeruns against Poynette. The girls soccer team took pride in a first match win and tying in the Lake Mills game. The golf team is also off to a good start for the season.

As for academics, in the Conference Academic Bowl, Lakeside brought a full team to the competition. The math team won both the fall and spring conference titles, and saw 1 varsity and 1 JV mathlete make “All-League Team 1,” which consists of the top eight scorers in the entire Madison Math League.

The forensics team, for the sixth year in a row, received the Excellence in Speech Award at the WSHFA State Speech Festival in April — an award given to only the top 5 percent of the 344 competing schools this year. Newspaper and yearbook staffs stayed busy all year, enjoying their newly renovated publications room. The tech club was a great help with Lakeside’s new 1:1 Chromebook Initiative, and consistently did a great job with Livestreaming chapel and other events.

In April, the drama department performed “Murder’s In the Heir,” a mystery/comedy where the audience decided the ending. The May Banquet Committee did a fantastic job organizing the senior dance, themed “The Great Gatsby.”

Students also got involved with homecoming activities. The theme for this event was “Famous Races,” where the freshmen represented the Tour de France, the sophomores represented the Running of the Bulls, the juniors represented the Indy 500 and the seniors represented the Kentucky Derby.

In addition to several other day projects, Teens for Christ, a student education and service group, collected thousands of school and craft supply items and almost $1,000 in donations for a WELS Kingdom Workers sponsored “Christmas for Kids in Malawi” mission trip in December. They ran bake sales and had homeroom competitions for collecting supplies.

The National Honor Society’s project was helping Bethesda Lutheran Communities of Watertown. They had a “penny war” to raise money for Christmas gifts, and helped Bethesda residents move into new homes.

Lakeside also hosted the fourth annual Grand Event. This year, the theme was “Anchored in Faith” and the event involved over 150 student volunteers and raised over $45,000 for student financial assistance and other goals.

Many seniors participated in the Senior Art show and some of them even submitted their masterpieces to the Capitol Conference Art Show.

Lakeside’s FFA made history as the first private school in Wisconsin to establish its own chapter after several years of being in partnership with Lake Mills High School FFA.

Lakeside students are also well-known for their musical talents. Seventeen piano or instrumental solos/ensembles made it to State WSMA competition, including the brass and percussion ensembles and swing choir. The A Cappella Choir sang at 18 federation area congregations throughout the year. It spent spring break touring California and singing at multiple California churches. The Warrior Band is planning its July trip to the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Mich. as well as for seven Wisconsin parades in June.

Lakeside also loves to expand its family feel to grade schools and family members of students. Second and fourth graders from almost every federation school visited Lakeside for a half day of specialized classes and educational fun.

Lakeside’s recruitment team also traveled to these grade schools to entertain students and encourage them to consider Lakeside for their future. During an event called Kinderfest, most kindergarteners of the federation came to Lakeside for food, fun and games.

For an event called Grandparents Day, students’ grandparents were invited to Lakeside for breakfast, chapel, and to attend two of the grandchild’s classes.

Lakeside also hosted events for Veterans Day and hosted the Capitol Conference Large Group Band Festival.

Students at Lakeside are encouraged to be as involved as possible in their school. Almost all students are involved with at least one activity. These activities unify the student body in their common goal of working for Christ.

The 2014–2015 school year was extremely successful and exciting for the entire student body.

Lakeside Lutheran 2015-2016 Year in Review

Matt Gardner

Special to The Leader

Lakeside Lutheran High School, just like many other high schools, gives its students ample opportunity to succeed in whatever it is they are interested in. The class of 2015-2016 did just that.

From academics, to athletics, to volunteering, nearly every student at Lakeside got involved in something they loved.

In fall, athletics were very successful. The football team ended the year 6-3 overall and had numerous players named to the Capitol North All-Conference team. The volleyball team captured its third straight conference title. Mitchel Georgi won the Capitol North title for the boys cross-country team, which nearly won the overall conference championship. Georgi also qualified for the Division 2 State Meet. The girls cross-country team was young but developed into a force by the end of the season. The boys soccer team once again won a conference title thanks to the superb goal scoring efforts of senior Joe Graumann. And in its first season back after an absence, the girls golf team had a solid season.

Winter sports were a great time of the year to be a Warrior. The girls basketball team extended its conference winning streak to 33 games and won its third straight title. The boys basketball team battled teams hard all year and took second in the conference. They took East Troy to the wire in the Regional final before bowing out in overtime. The wrestling team also had a great season and sent one wrestler, Paul Grunewald, to Sectionals.

So far this spring, the Warriors have been doing great things. The girls track and field team won its 15th straight conference title while the boys team also picked up a conference championship. The girls soccer team has won matches against Wisconsin Lutheran and Wayland Academy. The softball team has continued to be successful, winning a majority of its conference games. The baseball team has picked up some big victories over teams such as Marshall and Watertown Luther Prep. The boys golf team has been right in the thick of the conference title race.

As for academics, Lakeside continued to be successful in the Conference Academic Bowl and in mathletes.

The forensics team, for the second time in three years, tied for a State title. Lakeside tied with Darlington for the State title April 15. The team also received the excellence in speech award for the sixth straight season – an award given to only the top 5 percent of the more than 300 competing schools this year.

Newspaper and yearbook staff continued to enjoy their new publications room and the tech club expanded its use of 1:1 Chromebook Initiative and the livestreaming of events.

In April, for the first time since Pastor Clark Schultz became the head of the drama department, Lakeside performed a musical. In front of sold-out crowds, LLHS put on “Princess What’s Her Name.”

The May Banquet Committee did a great job organizing the senior dance, themed “Come to the Ball.” Students also got involved with homecoming activities. The theme for this year was “Cartoons,” where the freshmen represented “Roadrunner,” the sophomores represented “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” the juniors represented “Scooby Doo” and the seniors represented “SpongeBob.”

Teens for Christ continued its volunteering by performing collections once again this year. Students collected for New Beginning, a home for single mothers in Milwaukee and also volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank in Madison.

Lakeside held the fifth annual Grand Event at Windwood of Watertown. This year’s event, themed “Walk by Faith,” raised $50,000 for student financial assistance and other goals. Over 40 students volunteered for the event this year.

Many seniors participated in the Senior Art Show and some them submitted their work to the Capitol Conference Art Show. Lakeside’s FFA program continued its expansion in only its second year of existence.

Lakeside students are also well-known for their musical talents. Lakeside had 14 piano or instrumental solo/ensembles entries, involving more than 50 students, finish in first or second place in their events at the State WSMA competition. The A Capella choir continued to perform at congregations throughout the area, visiting at least a dozen different federation congregations. The Warrior Band is planning its July trip to Calgary, Canada, as well as several Wisconsin parades in June.

Lakeside also loves to expand its family feel to grade school and family members of students. Second and fourth graders from almost every federation school visited Lakeside for a half day of specialized classes and educational fun.

Lakeside’s recruitment team also traveled to these grade schools to entertain students and encourage them to consider Lakeside for their future.

During an event called Kinderfest, many kindergarteners of the federation came to Lakeside for food, fun and games.

Lakeside even held two Grandparent Days this year, where students’ grandparents were invited to Lakeside for a breakfast, chapel and to attend two of their grandchild’s classes.

Lakeside also hosted another Veteran’s Day event and the WELS Regional Band Fest.

Students at Lakeside are encouraged to be as involved as possible in their school.

Almost all students are involved with at least one activity. These activities unify the student body in their common goal of working for Christ.

The 2015-2016 school year was extremely successful and exciting for the entire student body.

Lakeside Lutheran 2017-18 Year in Review

Lake Mills – Lakeside Lutheran High School enjoyed another year filled with blessings, challenges and successes. With a student population of 415 at the start of the school year, there was never a lack of activity.

On the first day of full school, new faculty installed included Mr. Phil Dretske, instructor in Mathematics and Religion, football and baseball coach. Also installed as a full-time Physical Education instructor was Mrs. Jennifer Krauklis, who had served in an adjunct position at Lakeside Lutheran in the Mathematics and Science departments in 2016-17.

Throughout the school year, the Lakeside A Cappella Choir traveled to 19 area federation churches sharing God’s Word in song during Sunday worship services. The Warrior band and choirs presented four concerts jointly during the school year, two sacred and two secular. The Warrior band marched in the annual Gemutlichkeit parade in September and also presented its annual Marching Band Concert in November that included grade school players from the Federation elementary school bands.

On Sept. 30, teacher Jim Bauer was inducted into the WBCA Hall of Fame in the “High School Coach” category. He has coached for 44 years, 17 of those at Lakeside Lutheran, where his basketball team won seven conference titles, three regional titles, and one sectional title, reaching WIAA Division 3 state semifinals in 2011. His 17-year record at Lakeside was 271-125.

When reports came out in fall, the 2017 ACT results placed LLHS in the top 2% in the state. Especially noteworthy: according to ACT Inc., more than 50% of our students are "college-ready"—expected to get B or better in college—in all four areas tested (English Composition, Algebra, Social Science, and Biology). That is double the amount for Wisconsin (25%) and nationwide (27%)

In Cross Country news, after taking 3rd and 2nd respectively in Conference,  the girls finished in fifth place out of 14 teams and the boys took ninth out of 16 teams at sectionals. Tyler Punzel advanced to State.

The Warrior Football team finished with six wins and four losses. The Warriors earned a playoff berth for the first time since 2012. The Capitol North Conference awarded four Warriors to 1st-team honors, five to 2nd team and two received honorable mention.

The Lady Warriors Volleyball team had a successful year—winning the D2 State Championship,  coming back from a 0-2 set deficit. Ellie Westrate and Kaitlyn Gehler earned all-state honorable mentions and hitter Amber Rowoldt was awarded Capitol Conference North Athlete of the Year honors and first team all-state.

Lakeside boys soccer ended their season with a  6-12-1 overall record. Six Warrior kickers received honorable mention in the All-Conference awards.

Freshman golfer Maya Heckmann placed 2nd individually at regionals and headed to sectional competition where she was only 3 strokes away from making state.  As a team, the Warriors girls golfers took 3rd in the Rock Valley Conference and received Honorable Mention in the Team Academic All-State award for WIAA D2. Ashley Fritz received a designation of High Honors as an Academic All-State honoree.

Junior Noelle Gates won the overall medal for the World History category at the Capitol North Conference Academic Bowl—for the third year in a row!

Seniors James Neuberger and Devon Perkins were named Commended Students in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program. This designation places them among the top five percent of more than 1.6 million students who took the 2016 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).

In FFA news, sophomore Matthew Gunst was on the #1 overall team at the National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest on Oct. 2. That team beat out 21 other 4-H teams from across the country. Warrior FFA took first in The Climate Corporation’s Corn Disease Image Contest where they photographed and correctly identify various corn diseases. The students earned $500—and are using those winnings to renovate our existing greenhouse.

Homecoming 2018 was celebrated on September 22. Even though they lost to Lodi, the chance to see our Forever Warriors alum come “home” made it a good night!

This year, 124 students participated in Teens for Christ. This service group brought in baked goods for Volley for Hope, collected for the food pantry and items for the Alpha Center in Watertown, tied blankets for Children’s Hospital, shared with a fellow student whose house was lost in a fire. At Christmas, items were gathered for the “The Joseph Project,” a ministry supporting African refugees and Immigrant outreach at Water of Life, Las Vegas. Students made and served food at the Beacon, a  homeless day center in Madison. In addition, they began a new activity called “New Friends,” where young people with special needs joined together with Lakeside students in a variety of activities three Sunday afternoons throughout the year.

The Operation Go program is in its fourth year and continues to give students the opportunity to follow Jesus’ great commission through summer mission trips. Participants have canvassed neighborhoods, taught VBS, coached in various sports camps, and more throughout the U.S. and in Canada. In December 2018, 38 more students were chosen for 7 teams will help congregations in New Jersey, New York, Alaska, Louisiana, Idaho and Antigua, on a spring break trip and during the summer of 2018.

The Warrior girls basketball team (19-7) went undefeated in conference, winning a fifth straight conference championship. They also won the regional championship and earned the sectional runner-up title. Kalies Birkholz of Watertown and Kaitlyn Shadoski of Janesville received first team all-conference honors. Kelsey Birschbach, DeForest, and Ashley Fritz, Middleton, received honorable mentions.

The boys basketball team finished the season with a record of 19-6, capping the season as regional runner-up. Cameron Paske, Arlington, was selected for first team all conference honors. Will DeNoyer, Sun Prairie, and Jack Monis, Oconomowoc, were voted to second team honors.

The 2017-18 wrestling team finished 4-1 in conference duals. Cole Lauersdorf, Oconomowoc, was the conference runner-up at 182 pounds and so earned 2nd team all-conference honors. Lauersdorf and Wesley McClain, Juneau, were also recognized as regional champs.

In February, Lakeside staff and students hosted the annual “Kinderfest,” when kindergarteners from local WELS grade schools attended Lakeside for part of the day. They visited 10 stations around the school, learning about farm animals, fitness, creation, fire safety, and science. They also made crafts for nursing home residents.

Also in February, the school enjoyed a week of Winter Carnival, where days included costume contests and in-school activities such as dodgeball and lightning competitions and culminated in a Winter Dance. Warrior Student Council organizes and runs these events, as well as Homecoming festivities and the spring Blood Drive, held in March.

February enjoyed the fourth -year FFA chapter hosting another National FFA Week with many ag-related contests and activities. The almost 50-strong group held its annual banquet and recognition night in early March, with many plans in place to hone student leadership and service work.

This was the seventh year that Lakeside hosted the Grand Event, with this year’s theme a “Back to School” vintage school look. The dinner/auction event was held in April—a fun-filled evening offering fellowship and the opportunity to support building debt retirement and student assistance. The event is made possible with the generous support of volunteers, students, Lakeside families, and area communities.

The Warrior Times Weekly was awarded first place by the American Scholastic Press Association, newspaper division. They also won Best Weekly Newspaper (under 500).

Warrior Forensics took the Capitol Conference title for the 8th straight year, received The Excellence in Speech Award from the state of Wisconsin for the 9th straight year and finished in second place—out of 341 schools—at the State WHSFA tournament in Madison.

Both Varsity and JV Warrior mathletes took first in both the the Fall and Spring Capitol North Conference Math Meets. Several other Lakeside teams placed in the top 5; over 80 teens participated.

Nineteen selected band students traveled to Evergreen Lutheran High School in Tacoma, Washington, for a weekend of Regional Band Festival, with the clinics culminating in a patriotic-themed concert on Sunday, March 18.

Spring Grandparents Day is held in April for the sophomore and senior students and their guests while freshman and junior students hosted their Grands in the fall. Lakeside enjoys sharing the time with these treasured guests.

This year the drama department performed the musical comedy, “The Nifty Fifties.” Almost 30 students were talent for the sold-out stage shows April 27-28, and as many other students participated in sound and light crew, set construction or painting, costuming and make-up, photography or stage managing.

Twenty-five Class A entries from Lakeside Lutheran High School performed at the WSMA State Festival at UW-Whitewater Saturday, April 28. Fifteen of those entries, from piano, instrumental and vocal solos, to piano and instrumental ensembles, were awarded a first place there as well. The 24-member Warrior Percussion ensemble was awarded the prestigious WSMA Exemplary Performance Recognition Award from their judge.

The Capitol Conference Art Show was displayed at the Pyle Center with a closing reception held on April 29. Junior Abigail Buxa won best of school. The other Warrior artists participating were Grace Loesher, Katharina Schleef, Janelle Arndt, Molly Sturgill, Katrina Stratman, and Sadie Matthews.

May brings another season of preparation for the summer marching band season. In spring 2018, more than 75 instrumentalists, flag and honor guard members begin rehearsals and choreography for four Wisconsin parades in June and a 7-parade trip through Canada and U.S. East Coast.

The final concert of the school year is the Commencement Concert on May 20, featuring bands and choirs performing popular songs. After this year’s concert, a reception will be held in the school cafeteria to celebrate the ministries of and say goodbye to two faculty members, Mr. Jim Bauer and Mr. Lance Johnson.

Pastor Caleb Davisson is leaving Lakeside this summer after 12 years, as he accepted a call to teach at Divine Savior Academy in Miami. The Lakeside family will welcome Pastor Michael Helwig to teach Junior and Senior Word of God classes, and also plans to welcome Mr. Justin Vanderhoof in the English and Social Studies departments for the 2018-19 school year.

On May 27, 100% of the 85 seniors are expected to graduate. Co-valedictorians are Kelly Koch and James Neuberger, and the salutatorian is Sarah Taylor-Evert. Almost 90% of the class of 2018 are headed to post-secondary education, while one is entering active military and several to the workforce.

Rounding out a year of news with 2017 spring sports results, Warrior girls soccer finished with a record of 5-14-1. They built on a youthful team and had enough participants to field a JV team as well as varsity.

The 2017 Warrior baseball team finished with an overall record of 7-11. Our Warrior baseball team had two players named to the Cap North All-Conference 1st team: senior infielder Jacob Constien and freshman outfielder Alex Ryan. Junior pitcher Trey Roth and senior infielder Austin Schultz were awarded 2nd team. Junior infielder Eric Pillard received honorable mention.

Girls softball finished the 2017 season with a record of 11-12. Two girls earned 1st team All-Conference awards, and two were voted to 2nd team. Junior catcher Kelsey Birschbach received Honorable Mention in the Small School section on the All-District team.

Boys golf placed second in the conference for the 2017 season. In addition, two Warrior golfers/brothers medaled at the state meet. Isaac Heckmann tied for third and Lukas placed fifth.

The 2017 Girls Track team won the Capitol North Conference title for the 16th year in a row. They finished 1st in the Region and 5th at the Sectional. Podium performances at state included Danielle Schilling taking fourth in pole vault and Amber Rowoldt placing fourth in the triple jump. Danielle Schilling also set a new school record of 11’3 for the pole vault.

The Boys Track team also won the Capitol North in 2017. They finished 1st in the Region and 4th at the Sectional meet. The team broke three school records: Mitchell Georgi ran the 3200m in 9:36.96. The men’s 400m relay—made up of Zech Schleef, Casey Ponyicsanyi, Brevin Jegerlehner, and Eli Gartner—ran in 43.63. And the 800m relay—made up of Schleef, Ponyicsanyi, Nick Chesterman, and Gartner—ran in 1:30.24.

Lakeside Lutheran 2018-19 Year in Review

This year Lakeside Lutheran High School theme celebrated "Decades of Faithfulness," recognizing the completion of 60 years of education.

During the summer of 2018, students kept busy. For the 16th year, the girls track team were conference champs. The boys’ team joined them at the top of the Capitol North. Danielle Schilling broke the school record in pole vault at 11’3 and Collin Schulz set the school record for high jump at 6’9 and placed first at State with a jump of 6’6.

Junior Lukas Heckmann became the 2018 WIAA D2 State Champ in golf.

Warrior baseball finished 12-6 and made an exciting comeback attempt at the regional championship. First team conference honorees included Dustin Pampel, Eric Pillard, and Alex Ryan. Warrior softball ended its season with a 10-7 overall record and saw Shannon Jones awarded 1st-team all-conference honors.

For two weeks, the Warrior Marching Band traveled to the East Coast, performing in parades in Ontario, Canada, and several U.S. cities. At the Enfield, Conn., parade they received Best Marching Band Award.

When school began in August, we had 427 students and four new faculty: Hannah Uher, Science; Nate Sievert, Math and Phy Ed; Michael Helwig, Religion; and Justin Vanderhoof, English and Geography.

Lakeside A Cappella Choir traveled to 20 area churches sharing God’s Word and also spent spring break in California singing in four churches and two schools. Warrior Band and choirs presented four concerts during the year. The band also marched in the annual Jefferson Gemutlichkeit parade and presented its annual concert in November with Federation elementary school bands.

2018 ACT results placed LLHS in the top 2% in the state. Of 85 members in the 2018 class, 73, or 86%, wrote the exam. Based on a 36-point scale, the composite score of these students was 24.2, which is above the state composite of 20.5.

Three students participated in Wisconsin's Youth Apprenticeship program, working in farming and manufacturing. This allows them to receive hands-on learning in an occupational area at a worksite.

Lakeside Lutheran boys cross country team saw junior August Gresens earn 1st team all-conference honors. Former cross country coach and current German teacher Gerry Walta was inducted into the Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame in January.

With a record of 11-1 Warrior football took conference and made the longest trek in program history, reaching Division 4 semifinals. Brevin Jegerlehner, Cam Paske, Caleb Raymond, Tyler Holzhueter, Casey Ponyicsanyi, Will DeNoyer, and Charlie Miller all received first-team honors. Casey Ponyicsanyi was named conference Offensive Player of the Year. Coach Paul Bauer was named Wisconsin State Journal/WisconsinPrepZone.com All-Area football coach of the year.

Girls golf took third in the Rock Valley Conference. Sophomore Maya Heckmann was named conference Golfer of the Year, topping it off with a trip to State.

With a record of 9-1, Warrior Volleyball took the Capitol North Conference for a sixth straight year and also won region. Ella Collins and Kaitlyn Shadoski received first-team all-conference honors.

Lakeside boys soccer ended its season with a 7-9-0 overall record.

The varsity math team took first in the highly competitive Madison LaFollette meet and first in both fall and spring Capitol Conference Math Meets.

Senior Noelle Gates won the overall medal for the World History category at the Capitol North Conference Academic Bowl—for the fourth year in a row!

Senior Abby Buxa was named a Commended Student in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Our STEM Academy began this year with 19 students enrolled in Introduction to Engineering Design. LLHS is also one of the first high schools in the state to start a chapter of the Society of Women Engineers.

Boys basketball finished as conference champions with an overall record of 17-4. Jack Monis and Cameron Paske received first-team honors, and Monis was named Conference Player of the Year.

Girls basketball finished with an 11-11 overall record; Kaitlyn Shadoski of Janesville received first team honors.

In wrestling, the team went 10-4 overall and Cole Lauersdorf (182) and Austin Meyer (220) were Capitol Conference Champs.

Dance team was the WACPC Regional Champ and placed fifth in the state after competing in D3 jazz for the first time in school history.

This year, 127 students participated in Teens for Christ. The group held three “New Friends” events, where young people with special needs join with Lakeside teens in fun activities such as human bowling, karaoke, basketball, crafts, and devotion. Students also visited residents at London Lodge, Cambridge, on several Mondays after school. At Christmas, Teens held a bake sale with proceeds funding a foosball table for the ROC in Watertown. Teens hosted a school-wide “Life Day” and heard from speakers about life-related issues to youth today.

In February, students enjoyed a week of costume contests sponsored by Student Council, which also organizes Homecoming festivities and a blood drive in March.

In February, Warrior FFA celebrated National FFA Week with many ag-related contests and activities. The almost 50-strong group held its annual banquet and recognition night in early March. In addition, they joined forces with the construction class and renovated the school’s greenhouse.

The 8th annual Grand Event dinner/auction “Called to Serve” featured a WWII era military theme. Generous supporters raised over $90,000.

The forensics team took its ninth straight conference championship and received The Excellence in Speech Award for the 10th year at State WHSFA Festival in April.

Six Warriors attended the WELS National Band Festival at Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Milwaukee, from March 15-17.

In April, the drama department produced “Murder in the House of Horrors.” Almost 20 students performed while many other students participated behind the scenes.

Sixteen Class A entries earned a starred-first rating at the WSMA Solo-Ensemble District level held in February at Lakeside, qualifying them to perform at State. Overall, Lakeside had 53 solo/ensemble entries involving more than 75 students.

At the Capitol Conference Art Show at the Madison Pyle Center, eight Warrior artists displayed their work.

Warrior Times Weekly was again awarded first place by the American Scholastic Press Association, newspaper division.

On May 26, 100% of the 111 seniors are expected to graduate. Co-valedictorians are Abigail Buxa, Will DeNoyer, and Brevin Jegerlehner, and the salutatorian is Kaitlyn Shadoski.

Seven Operation Go mission trips made up of 60 students will travel around the United States this year to help with church activities and summer camps.

For the 2019-2020 school year, Kirk DeNoyer will become Executive Director, while Todd Jahns joins the school as the Activities Director and boys varsity basketball coach.

Lakeside Lutheran 2020-21 Year in Review

In June, Warrior Band members and alum performed 25-minute “pep band” outdoor mini-concerts for nursing homes and similar facilities, bringing joy to students and residents alike.

On July 1, we celebrated 92 Class of 2020 graduates with an outdoor graduation ceremony. 

August 18 marked the beginning of our 63rd school year with 426 students attending in-person. Shelly Coron was installed as a full-time teacher in the Extended Learning Center. Kristi Bredendick (Family and Consumer Science and Health) and Sara James (German) joined as part-time faculty.

Lakeside added two more courses to its STEM Academy—Engineering Essentials, the introductory course, and Aerospace Engineering, an upper-level elective. 

Lakeside remains in the top 1 percent of published area high schools for ACT composite scores. With a total possible of 36, the current Wisconsin composite score average is 19.6. LLHS has a four-year average of 24.1. (2018-19 stats)

Over 100 students participated in Teens for Christ this year. They wrote cards to shut-ins, volunteered at Twice is Nice, held a drive-through baby shower to benefit Alpha Resource Center in Watertown, dropped off Blessings Bags to people in the community with special needs, held a bake sale to raise money for Kwik Trip gift cards for those in need. In April they held their first in-person event, welcoming friends with special needs for an afternoon of outdoor fun.

The 2019-20 Warrior Times Weekly received a First Place with Special Merit award in the 2020 newspaper competition, one of twelve schools around the country honored in this way. The newspaper staff also received recognition for Best High School Weekly Newspaper.

Lakeside has been designated a “Grief-Sensitive School,” receiving a grant to create a bereavement support plan and encourage ongoing staff development to support grieving students.

Lakeside chose to go forward with fall sports, while some in the conference did not. A new scoreboard replaced the old on the field, in time for the delayed soccer and football seasons. 

Lakeside girls golfers were regional champs and qualified for the State Meet as a team, a first in program history. Maya Heckmann was the sectional medalist. At state, Heckmann tied for sixth and the team placed sixth.

Boys soccer (7-6-1) were regional champions. Three seniors were given the United Soccer Coaches Senior Excellence Award.

Four CC runners went to sectionals and three continued to the WIAA state meet: Abigail Minning, Paige Krahn, and Cameron Weiland. 

After taking regional and sectional titles, the volleyball team continued to the State Finals, placing second. Three players earned all-state team status. 

Football (6-1) reached the regional title game and five players were named to the All-Region Team.

Instead of an in-person fall Grandparents Day event, close to 200 sets of grandparents sent cards and photos to students. In spring, students returned the favor by mailing cards and letters to their grandparents. 

Using National Honor Society students to organize, Lakeside held six sessions of resiliency training for the student body. Christian Family Solutions brought a three-person team of counselors to address resilience, crisis survival, reality acceptance, mindfulness, emotion control, and thought distortion. 

The 15-member Academic Bowl team placed 4th in the Conference competition, which was held virtually.

At Fall and Spring Conference Math Meets, both Varsity & JV Teams took 1st.

At the virtual Capitol Conference forensics tournament, Lakeside won its 11th straight conference title.

Lydia Buxa is a Finalist in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing her in the top 1% of participants.

Wrestlers Riley Schmidt, Dane McIlvain and freshman Sam Schmidt earned sectional berths. Elijah Grow, Hunter Sommer and Noah Weidner also made regional podiums, placing third in their weights.

Boys basketball (19-4) took the conference title. Soph Levi Birkholz broke the school single-game scoring record (43). Coach Todd Jahns marked his 300th career win. Five Warriors were named to all conference teams and Birkholz to all-state.

Girls basketball ended the season 9-11 and three players were named to all-conference. 

The Warrior Dance team were named regional champs in both D3 jazz & kick and earned a trip to state.

Lakeside Bowling Club senior Connor Slattery went to the state high school bowling tournament in March.

National FFA Week Feb. 22-26 was like a mini Winter Carnival on campus. To culminate the week-long events and meeting the fundraising goals for families in need, six faculty members did the chicken dance. 

The Society of Women Engineers at Lakeside Lutheran held a STEM workshop for 40 girls in grades K-8. The Tech Ed department held a Makers Camp, introducing 20 elementary students to woods and metals. 

Before Easter, seniors in A Cappella Choir took a spring mini-tour, singing at two churches in the Northwoods.

A young Warrior robotics team qualified for a trip to state and earned a respectable 17th place among much more experienced teams. 

For the virtual WSMA competition, Warrior instrumentalists, pianists, and vocalists recorded 27 entries. Five class A entries are moving on to state. 

The 10th annual Grand Event fundraiser was held at The Hay Loft, Watertown, on April 10 and raised over $95,000 for Christian education.

Celebrating that we are Better Together, we experienced only nine virtual days of school and over 150 in-person. 

April 19 began the first WIAA-sanctioned spring sports competitions since the 2019 state baseball tournament concluded 22 months prior.

104 seniors will graduate. Co-valedictorians are Lydia Buxa, Brendan McKenna, Julia Neuberger, Carter Roekle, and Joy Thompson-Wurz. The salutatorian is Kaylee Raymond. 

This summer, over 90 Warrior teens are headed on 15 mission trips through Operation Go. The Warrior Band is preparing for its summer season with several parades planned for June & July, including the America’s Birthday parade in St. Louis.

Lakeside Lutheran 2021-22 Year in Review

Ten track & field members made it to state in June 2021, with senior Christian Schmidt taking 2 place in D2 110m hurdles. The 2021 boys track team was awarded the D2 Power Rankings from the Wisconsin Track Coaches Association.

Over 70 Warrior Band members traveled to St. Louis for America's Birthday Parade on July 3—as well as other parades in Illinois & Wisconsin. The Band also earned first place at the always-popular Gemütlichkeit Days Parade in October.

Held at Kestrel Ridge on July 9, The Warrior Club Golf Outing hosted 124 golfers and 175 for dinner, raising over $17,000 for Warrior athletics.

By the start of the school year, almost 90 teen-witnesses had gone on 16 mission trips across the U.S. with Operation Go.

Lakeside began its 64th school year on Aug. 18. This year welcomed 459 students and 5 new teachers: John Dorn (Science), Erin LaPointe (Extended Learning Center), Cathy Meier (Family and Consumer Science), Nicholas Trebesch (Math), and Jake Ziel (Science).

Lakeside renovated its study hall/media center and the boys locker room.

At the Sept. 17 football game, Lake Mills EMS, first responders, police, and fire departments were honored for saving the life of junior Jonah Heyerholm who was seriously injured in a boating accident on Rock Lake in August.

LLHS honored retiring Lake Mills Officer and Forever Warrior Troy Oestreich ('88) on Sept. 30 for his 25+ years as a police officer.

The girls golf team were Conference champs for the first time in program history and won the D2 Regional Championship. Junior Ava Heckmann placed 15th at State and earned Honorable Mention All-State. The team won Honorable Mention in Team Academic All-State.

The boys Cross Country team were Conference Champs and girls were runners-up, so both teams advanced to sectionals. The boys won the sectional championship with sophomore Cam Weiland winning the 1st place medal. The team placed 10th at State, and Weiland placed 13th, the highest place in program history. The boys also earned an All-State Academic Award.

Football ended the season 4-5 and clinched a playoff spot with their HoCo win. Junior Ben Buxa received Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year and all-region honors.

Boys soccer went 9-6-4 and earned #3 seed for playoffs. They received the "Team Ethics Award of Merit—Gold," given to teams who have no red cards and a very low percentage of yellow cards.

Volleyball went 6-4 conf; 26-11 overall and took the #6 seed for postseason. Lily Schuetz and Ella DeNoyer earned Honorable Mention All-State.

Overall, thirty fall sports athletes were awarded postseason all-conference honors.

At the Fall Grandparents Day, 170 grandparents of freshmen & juniors came to campus for the morning. In Spring, 155 grandparents of sophs and seniors visited.

On Oct. 22, more than 50 presenters from dozens of professions—more than half being Warrior alum—came for Career Day to share their experience with students.

The 14 Swing Choir members participated in the 2021 National WELS Choral Fest. Over 500 teens from 23 Lutheran high schools across the country participated in this 4-day biennial event.

For Veterans Day, LLHS welcomed more than 80 veterans and guests for breakfast, a message from retired Marine CWO4 Dr. Judith Wade, and a school-wide chapel service.

Dozens of teens participated in Teens for Christ this year. On October 17, a record-number 24 friends participated in New Friends, a program for those with special needs. They also held a school-supply drive for students at St. Philip’s, Milwaukee. The annual Bake Sale raised over $1,200,  proceeds to New Beginnings Home for Mothers. At the March 6 New Friends event they said a bittersweet farewell to director Ruth Hirschfeld, who is retiring.

The Varsity and JV teams took first place at both the Fall and Spring Conference Math Meets.

LLHS hosted 55 FFA students from seven schools to compete in District 29’s Leadership Development Events.

On Dec. 7, 16 NHS members helped with a blood drive at Lake Mills City Hall in tribute to Jonah Heyerholm's recovery journey.

During December, LLHS held a non-perishable food collection competition between classes and donations supported the Lake Mills Police Department’s annual food drive.

Freshman Caleb Studnicka was named to the State All-Star Trapshooting team.

For the 12th straight year, Lakeside Lutheran’s Forensics Team and coach Steve Lauber earned the Capitol Conference Championship. They culminated their season by participating in the Wisconsin Forensics Coaching Association state tournament in Eau Claire on April 2 where they placed second in Division 2.

Warrior girls basketball finished 16-10 and reached the regional final. Three girls earned All-Conference team selections. Senior basketball player, Lily Schuetz will represent the south team in the D3 WBCA All-Star game in June.

Boys basketball ended 17-8 and three players were given all-conference selections. Junior Levi Birkholz earned an All-State honorable mention after a season that saw him reach over 1,000 career points. The team received the Academic All-State award.

Warrior wrestlers had 5 of 9 place-winning wrestlers at the Capital Conference Tournament. Sophomore Sam Schmidt made it to sectionals.

After 22 years as the athletic trainer, Julia Neppl stepped aside for a more administrative position within Fort HealthCare, and Nikki Rowland started as our trainer.

National FFA week was celebrated with “Drive Your Tractor to School” Day, pedal tractor races, and a breakfast for the teachers.

Student Council hosted a blood drive with more than 100 donors stepping up.

The Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association announced Mr. Tim Matthies is to be inducted into the WBCA Hall of Fame in the “High School Coach” category. He coached LLHS girls for 27 years, 22 of those varsity head coach.

Twelve Class A solos and ensembles earned a starred-first rating at the WSMA Solo-Ensemble District level event. Overall, Lakeside had 32 solo or ensemble entries, involving over 55 students. The percussion ensemble, Swing Choir, and musicians performed at the State Festival on April 30, with eight entries earning a first rating there as well.

The girls varsity co-op club bowling team earned D1 Top 5 qualifier status at the Bowling Centers Association of Wisconsin high school state championships in Menasha.

57 K-8 girls from 17 public and private elementary & middle schools joined Society of Women Engineers at Lakeside Lutheran members for a girls-only STEM Workshop in March.

The state-qualifier robotics team participated in the VEX championship in Appleton with Bubba the robot.

At the March testing, junior Isaac Winters scored a perfect 36 on his ACT.

A Cappella Choir took a Spring Break Midwest Tour to Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. This was the Last Hurrah tour for retiring director Jim Buege.

15 Warrior instrumentalists participated in the West Regional WELS Band Fest in March.

On April 1, the freshman PE classes took part in an "in-house" field trip for Ballroom Dancing.

Allen and Paige Lester, Elizabeth Gunst, and Natalie Clark placed 11th out of 27 teams at a regional FFA judging contest. They earned a spot in a contest of the top 69 teams in the state where Gunst placed in the top 4 and participated in the live State FFA Career Development Event.

At the 11th annual Grand Event social fundraiser held on April 9, guests and other donors raised over $101,000 for LLHS.

Juniors Ben Buxa and Grace Korth and sophomores Kooper Mlsna and Maria Vik were selected to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy in May.

Representing Lakeside at this year’s Boys & Girls Badger State Conferences in June are juniors Jack DePrey, Isaac Winters, and Rose Hissom and senior Morgan Mlsna.

Lakeside Theatre presented School of Rock -- The Musical. The crew included more than 55 students in the cast and crew, and several alumni in the pit band and behind-the-scenes.

In May, 15 seniors displayed their artwork at the annual senior art show.

On May 29, 100% of the 94 seniors are expected to graduate. Valedictorian is Douglas Weittenhiller III of Sun Prairie. The salutatorian is Alyssa Reinke of Watertown.

Retiring at the end of the school year are three long-time faculty, including Mr. James Grasby after 19 years as Principal, Mr. James Buege, who has served at Lakeside for 28 years in various teacher and Choir Director roles, and Mrs. Ruth Hirschfeld, Director of the Extended Learning Center (ELC) for the past 17 years.

Lakeside Lutheran 2022-23 Year in Review

Twelve track and field athletes made it to 2022 state in 8 events. Kyle Main placed 6th in 200m and Ben Buxa took 6th in discus. Softball (13-6) saw 4 nominated to all-conference; baseball (12-11) and girls soccer (8-12-2) each saw five make all-conference.

Warrior Band showcased 74 marchers in eight local June parades and five more on a trip to northern Wisconsin for July 4th celebrations and the Michigan Cherry Festival. They earned 1st place at the always-popular Gemütlichkeit Days Parade in September.

Almost 80 teen-witnesses went on 9 mission trips across the U.S. with Operation Go.

Our 65th year commenced Aug. 18 with 511 students and six new full-time faculty: Dennis Leckwee (religion), Tanya Tomfohrde (math), Katelyn Edwards (English), Steven Springborn (Choir/English), Rebecca Johnson (ELC), Dustin Yahnke (religion) and part-time Jason Fry (religion/math). New staff include Bruce Davis (Development) and Hannah Uher (counselor). Pastor Don Schultz is interim principal and John Dorn assistant principal.

Facility renovations included the West Gym, varsity locker and mud rooms, and visitor bleachers on competition field and track bleachers. 

Sophomore Bella Alvarez won Grand Champion in Division D at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Horsemanship Association District 2.

Boys Soccer (13-7-3) won regional championship. They received “Team Ethics Award of Merit—Gold,” given to teams with no red cards and fewest yellows.

Volleyball (28-12) tied for conference. Senior Olivia Bartels reached 1,000 sets and Cheyenne Johnson notched 1,000 digs. Both made all-state. 

Girls golf placed 2nd in Rock Valley Conference and advanced to sectionals. Academic All-State Girls Golf: seniors Ava Heckmann and Chloe Berg, sophomores Reagan Gebhart and Tessa Schmocker.

Football (8-3) advanced to level 2 playoffs. Senior Ben Buxa received Offensive Lineman of the Year, all-region, Academic All-State, WFCA all-state 1st team & HM defensive line, and AP 2nd team all-state. 

Cross country boys were conference and sectional champs, and the team was D2 State Runner Up. Conference Performer of the Year, junior Cameron Weiland, was sectional medalist and 12th at state. Girls were conference and sectional runners-up, earning a team berth at State for the first time since 2010. Both teams earned Academic All-State honors.

37 fall athletes were awarded 40 post-season conference honors, including 16 first team all-conference spots, nine 2nd team and 15 honorable mentions. 

At Fall Grandparents Day, 240 grandparents of freshmen & juniors visited campus. In spring, 145 soph/senior grandparents joined us.

Isaac Winters was named a National Merit Finalist. Jack DePrey and Rose Hissom are Commended Students.

18 Swing Choir members performed “Human” and “Dance Monkey” at the 9-school West Regional Choral Fest in Mankato, Minn.

Teacher Tim Matthies was inducted into the 2022 class of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. 

Our Cultural Awareness Group held its first public event, celebrating Hispanic Heritage in Oct. Over 100 students, families, and businesses sampled authentic food, and enjoyed ethnic displays and a message about gospel work south of the U.S. border.

For Veterans Day, more than 90 came for breakfast, a message about Honor Flight experiences from Aaron Meyer (Army National Guard) and a school-wide chapel service.

50+ were Teens for Christ and hosted a clothing drive for Girl Power in Liberia; a bake sale raised $800 for shipping. New Friends, a tri-annual event welcoming special needs friends to campus with LLHS students, is in its 6th year. TfC raised autism awareness in the spring with bracelets.

Twice is Nice Resale Store granted over $57K in wishes in 2022/23, over and above the more than $500K gifted to general operating this school year.

Lake Mills Optimists hosted 25 Warriors at its 21st Annual Leadership Breakfast. Teens were nominated by teachers and coaches. 

Our Academic Bowl team placed 5th in the conference. Rose Hissom took first in English for the 4th year. Maria Vik placed 1st in English for juniors.

Varsity took first place at both the Fall and Spring Conference Math Meets.

In December, two athletes signed to play D1: Levi Birkholz for basketball at The Citadel and Ben Buxa for football at the University of North Dakota. 

National Honor Society collected for the Lake Mills PD’s annual food drive, cleaned the highway twice, and held a car wash to help tornado victims.

Senior Jordan Genz and junior Maria Vik were awarded the Certificate of Merit from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at Michigan Technological University. 

December 18 was National Twin Day and we celebrated 13 sets of students and one teacher twin.

Sophomore Natalie Clark received a $500 Start-Up SAE grant for certification classes with her therapy mule Willard. Elana Litherland will participate with her dog, Buddy. 

For the 13th straight year, Forensics were conference champs. They placed third in Division 3 at the Wisconsin Forensics Coaching Association state tournament in Oshkosh.

Girls basketball (16-10) reached the regional final. Three girls were all-conference selections. Junior Ava Stein broke the school single-season rebound record.

Boys basketball (25-4) shared a three-way tie for conference, won regionals and sectionals and took the second trip to WIAA state in school history. Four players were all-conference. Levi Birkholz, who broke the school scoring record, was Conference Player of the Year and made the all-state team. Ten players were Academic All-State.

Freshman wrestler Colten Schultz (170#) took conference championship. Schultz and junior Sam Schmidt (152#) advanced to sectionals. Three earned Academic All-State.

FFA week was celebrated with “Drive Your Tractor to School” Day, ag-related contests, and breakfast for teachers. As part of an FFA Week fundraiser, assistant principal John Dorn won the privilege of kissing a calf. 

Student Council hosted a blood drive with 117 donors stepping up, 56 of them first-time donors.

8 instrumentalists participated in the West Regional WELS Band Fest at Luther High in Onalaska in March.

42 girls from 20 public and private elementary & middle schools joined Society of Women Engineers at Lakeside Lutheran members for a girls-only STEM Workshop.

VEX robotics team “Code Red” finished in the top 16 at the State Robotics Tournament in March at the Resch Center. 

The boys bowling club team qualified for state competition in Weston, Wis. 

24 class A solos and ensembles earned a starred-first rating at WSMA District festival, including percussion ensemble, jazz ensemble, and Swing Choir. Overall, Lakeside had 54 entries, involving over 75 students. At state in April, 19 entries earned another 1st, and Jack DePrey’s piano solo and a piano trio by DePrey, Jonah Heyerholm and Isaac Winters were nominated for Exemplary Performance Recognition.

Elizabeth Gunst, Allen Lester, and Lily York earned their State FFA degree.

The Lakeside Loop team produced 22 episodes of this school news video, archived on the school YouTube channel.

At the 12th annual Grand event held on April 22, donors raised over $142,000 for ministry.

Boys & Girls Badger State representatives include juniors Kooper Mlsna, Kylie Roekle, Sam Schmidt, and Maria Vik.

At the annual senior art show, 28 seniors displayed their artwork. Eight displayed work at the Conference Art Show at the Madison Pyle Center.

Disney’s Newsies, the spring musical, included more than 50 students in the cast, crew, and pit band, performing four times over three days.

Junior Karsten Grundahl broke the 1982 school 800m record with a time of 1:55.38.

On May 28, 100% of 98 seniors are expected to graduate. Hadley Wendorff is valedictorian and Salutatorian is Jack DePrey. 

Faculty member Damon Tracy, a ‘83 alum, is retiring. He has taught science, chemistry, and physics since 1996 and is A/V Club director.

This year-in-review summary and senior photo collage are provided in early May to the Lake Mills Leader weekly newspaper for publication in its annual graduation insert, available at the LLHS graduation service on campus, on May 28, 2023. We couldn’t fit all the memories into one collage, so check out more photos on our SmugMug page.

• The 2023 boys track team won conference, regional, sectional and D2 State Championship. 18 boys earned 32 all conference awards and set seven school records. For girls, 11 athletes earned 15 all conference awards.
• Softball (14-10, regional champs) saw 4 all-conference awards, baseball (12-13) seven, girls soccer (12-7-4 and #5 ranking in D4) six. Boys golf (6th in conf) had one.
• Warrior Band showcased 90 marchers in seven local parades and seven more on a trip to South Dakota and Canada,including the Calgary Stampede Parade. They took 1st at Gemütlichkeit Days in September.
• 31 teen-witnesses went on 4 mission trips across the U.S. with Operation Go.
• At the 94th State FFA June convention, officers Hank Goessling and Paige Lester represented.
• The 66th school year began Aug. 17 for 538 teens, up 6.95% from previous year—an all-time enrollment high. Five new full-time teachers make for a 40-member faculty: Denice Burger (Extended Learning Center), Sophia Dorn (ELC), Austin DeNoyer (PhyEd), Justin Gut (Science), and Craig Sonntag (Math & English).
• Boys Soccer (17-3-4) had most season wins in program history, and 11 players were all-conference. Volleyball (16-17) were unbeaten conference champs, and #3 seed postseason. Ella Schuetz was named volleyball Conference Player of the Year and 2nd team all-state. 
• Girls golf were 2nd in Rock Valley Conference and advanced to sectionals. 
• Football (8-4), with a #5 seed, advanced to level 3 in playoffs.
• Three years straight saw boys Cross Country take conference, sectional champs and Team Academic All State Award. They also won the D2 State Championship. Senior Cameron Weiland set a school record with 15:19, was 3-time Conference Runner of the Year, sectional medalist, and came in 5th at state. He signed to run D1 at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Girls were conference champs and freshman Hannah Minning set a program record (20:03, 5K).
• 40 fall sport Warriors were awarded 44 post-season honors, including 18 first team all-conference spots, 17 2nd team honors, and 9 honorable mentions. 
• Kristen Kapler from Christian Family Solutions led an audience of 130+ students, parents, community members, health care workers, and first responders through the “QPR” suicide prevention technique.
• At Fall Grandparents Day, 226 grandparents of freshmen & juniors visited campus. In spring, 226 soph/senior grandparents joined us.
• Joshua Hecht and Maria Vik are Commended Students in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program.
• FFA competed in judging events at the World Dairy Expo. Vivian Stahl, Emma Wiedenfeld, and Mara Skalitzky placed top 20 of 116 teams evaluating dairy cattle. Vivian was 17th individually among over 350.
• Swing Choir joined 500 other WELS choral students at the National Choral Fest at Wisconsin Lutheran College in November.
• We welcomed 88 veterans and guests to a Veterans Day observance. Sophomore Natalie Popp, Miss Madison Teen 2024 and Teens for Heroes organizer, ran a “Mail Call” for veterans. 
• At our biennial Career Day, 57 presenters from dozens of industries and professions spoke to students in their fields of interest.
• 76 active Teens for Christ hosted a bake sale, a Penny War for charity in addition to another year of New Friends, a tri-annual event welcoming special needs friends to campus (7th year). 
• Twice is Nice Resale Store, celebrating its 30th anniversary benefitting the LLHS ministry, granted $61,752 in wish list items and gave $428,766 to general operating since July 2023.
• Warriors placed 2nd at the Capitol Conference Academic Bowl, the best showing in team history. Three Warriors took individual firsts: Lexi Krahn-English 9, Malachi Fredenberg-English 10, and Bella Alvarez-Biology.
• Varsity took first place at the Fall and Spring Conference Math Meets. Junior Joseph Metzger has taken first in the spring math meet all three years. 
• Our first-ever Children’s Theatre performed Rainbow Fish in October. 
• National Honor Society collected for the Lake Mills FD’s annual food drive, cleaned the highway twice, and held a car wash to support single mothers. 
• For the 14th year, Forensics were conference champs. They placed fourth in Division 3 at the WFCA state tournament.
• Winter sport Warriors were awarded 8 post-season all-conference honors, including 2 first team all-conference spots, 4 second team honors, and 2 honorable mentions.
• Boys basketball (27-3) were the regional and sectional champions—and the Division 3 state tournament runner up, the first boys team to reach the state championship game and the winningest season in program history. Lakeside also received the WIAA-Rural Mutual State Sportsmanship Award.
• Girls basketball (11-14) reached the regional final. Freshman Paige Murphy was Conference Player of the Year. 
• Wrestler Samuel Schmidt (165 lbs) took 3rd at D2 sectionals and advanced to the individual state tournament. Soph Sabastian Murray also competed at sectionals at 190#.
• The FFA spring banquet celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Lakeside Lutheran chapter and thanked advisor Jeff Meske for establishing LL as Wisconsin’s first parochial school FFA chapter.
• Student Council hosted a blood drive with over 100 people giving 86 total units.
• Twelve students participated at the 2024 WELS West Regional Band Festival March 15-17 at Great Plains Lutheran High School, in Watertown, S.D. 
• 50 elementary girls attended LL’s Society of Women Engineers chapter’s girls-only STEM workshop.
• Warrior 53551A robotics team earned a berth in the state tournament in Green Bay in March. 
• Boys bowling club team finished 12th among 55 competitors at state tournament in Ashwaubenon. 
• Thirty-four WSMA entries earned a starred-first rating at district, and 23 of them earned another 1st at state. Three soloists were nominated and Grace Zhou won the judges’ “exemplary award” for her piano solo.
• The music department performed five concerts over the course of the year.
• The Lakeside Loop video newscast team produced 15 episodes, archived on the school YouTube channel.
• Donors at the 13th annual Grand Event on April 13 raised over $161,000 for ministry.
• Boys & Girls Badger State representatives include Brooklyn Lenz, Kate Thiele, Reilly Jobke, and Josh Kutz.
• At the annual senior art show, 20 seniors displayed artwork. Seven displayed work at the Conference Art Show in Madison.
• Disney’s High School Musical On Stage, the spring musical, included 50 students in the cast, crew, and pit band, performing four times over three days.
• Cameron Weiland broke the 24-year-old school 1600m record with a time of 4:26.42 and the 3200m record with a time of 9:30.17.
• On May 26, 100% of 118 seniors are expected to graduate. Cole Teteak is valedictorian and Salutatorian is Maria Vik. 
• Three faculty members are retiring. Paul Bauer after 30 years, Jeff Meske after 11, and Pastor Mark Toepel after 42 years at Lakeside.