DUFFEL BAG PREP NEWS AND NOTES

AROUND THE AREA

Departing: Steve Kujawa resigned as the boys basketball coach at Whitnall after five seasons. His teams went 74-46 (.617) during that stretch with a state tournament appearance last year and a share of the Woodland East Division title this season.

“I’ve been coaching 23 years and I’ve been traveling 50 miles each day — I live in Illinois — and I just think right now it’s best for me. What I’m looking forward to professionally is taking a year off. … I just think right now I need to take a break for a year.”

His departure opens up what could be considered a desirable position. Kujawa’s replacement will coach Tyler Herro, a Wisconsin recruit who will be a senior next season.

Before becoming head coach, Kujawa coached at the freshmen and junior varsity levels and was a varsity assistant to former coach Kent Kroupa.

Kujawa, 46, announced his decision March 31. He said he’ll continue to teach at Whitnall and he left open the possibility that he’ll return to coaching.

Named: Sara Blaiser is the new girls volleyball coach at West Bend East. She replaces Colleen Hasse, who led the program to the 2007 state final.

Blaiser, a Slinger graduate, played her first two years of college ball at Rice and her final two seasons at Marquette. She has coached in the Milwaukee Sting Club as well as worked numerous NCAA camps. WHERE THEY ARE NOW

All-American: Former Racine Park standout Andrew Suchla, a senior diver at LSU, earned honorable mention All-American honors after finishing 14th at the NCAA Division I championships last month. The WIAA Division I state record holder posted a one-meter score of 324.30 at the national meet and became the school’s first All-American diver in 12 years.

Suchla holds the ninth-highest score in LSU history for three-meter diving (377.70) and the sixth-highest score on one-meter diving (369.53).