These Wisconsinites had a huge sports year in 2021
Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association have a higherthan-usual number of Wisconsin natives shining in their ranks. Throw in the summer Olympics held in 2021, and it's easy to identify a flurry of Wisconsinites with huge sports years in 2021. These were some of the best.
Molly Seidel (University Lake School), Kenny Bednarek (Rice Lake) and Madelynn Bernau (Waterford)
Seidel stunned the world by taking third place in the marathon in the Summer Olympics held in Japan, Bednarek raced to a silver medal in the 200 meters and Bernau took a bronze in trap shooting while representing the United States.
Steve Stricker (Edgerton)
The fixture in Wisconsin's golf scene had to wait a year as captain of the United States Ryder Cup team to watch his charges compete at Whistling Straits along the shores of Lake Michigan in Sheboygan County. It was worth it; the U.S. crushed Europe, 19-9, giving the U.S. just its third win in the last 10 Ryder Cups.
T.J. Watt (Pewaukee)
In a year when older brother (and future NFL Hall of Famer) J.J. signed a highprofile offseason deal with the Arizona Cardinals, it was T.J. who stole the show. The Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker signed a lucrative five-year deal to stay in Pittsburgh (with $80 million guaranteed and a contract worth up to $112 million overall). He also finished second in the league's defensive player of the year voting unveiled early in the year (for the 2020 season), and he's put himself right back in the running for the next one with a big 2021 season.
Cole Caufield (Stevens Point)
Caufield's whirlwind year included winning the 2021 Hobey Baker Award as the nation's best men's hockey player, and after finishing at the University of Wisconsin, he joined the Montreal Canadiens for a wild ride to the Stanley Cup Final. Caufield scored four goals in the playoffs and had eight assists, and he also won a gold medal with the United States team in the IIHF World Junior Championship.
Braelon Allen (Fond du Lac)
Just 17 years old, Allen reclassified to join the Badgers for this season, then rescued a depleted UW running back room with a sensational freshman season, posting seven straight 100-yard rushing games as the Badgers turned their season around. For a player who initially came to campus as potentially a defensive prospect, the year took an unexpected turn.
Chris McIntosh (Pewaukee)
McIntosh ascended to the head athletic director position at the University of Wisconsin, his alma mater, where he played football and worked under retiring AD Barry Alvarez.
Tyler Herro (Whitnall)
His second NBA season with the Miami Heat wasn't as highly regarded as his rookie year, but his numbers nonetheless got better, and then he took a step forward in the early part of the 2021-22 season, averaging more than 20 points per game as one of the league's best bench players.
Tyrese Haliburton (Oshkosh North)
Haliburton was named a finalist for the NBA's rookie of the year and made the All-Rookie Team with the Sacramento Kings.
Jordan Poole (Milwaukee King)
The Warriors are out to a blistering start, and Poole is the team's third-leading scorer at 17.9 points per game, with starts in every contest. Poole's teammates include fellow starter Kevon Looney (Milwaukee Hamilton) and Marquette University alumnus Juan Toscano-Anderson.
Johnny Davis (La Crosse Central)
Davis took a star turn at the start of the 2021-22 UW men's basketball season, earning Maui Invitational tournament MVP in the same year he won a gold medal with Team USA at the FIBA U19 World Cup. He scored 10 points in an NCAA Tournament second-round loss to Baylor in March to cap his freshman year.
Arike Ogunbowale (Divine Savior Holy Angels)
The Dallas Wings star was named secondteam All-WNBA and captured the WNBA All-Star Game MVP honor after her squad defeated a team of players ticketed for the Olympics.
J.P. Feyereisen (River Falls)
Feyereisen was dealing out of the gate with his home-state Milwaukee Brewers, registering a 1.086 WHIP and 3.26 ERA in 21 games. But then he was traded to Tampa and played a key bullpen role for a team that posted the best record in the American League, with a 2.45 ERA.
Jarred Kelenic (Waukesha West)
His overall numbers in his first big-league season weren't spectacular, but he had a promising September and remains one of the most exciting young players in baseball, competing for a Seattle Mariners team that made a surge before falling just short of the playoffs.
Joe Pavelski (Stevens Point)
Playing with the Dallas Stars, Pavelski became the 10th American-born NHL player to record 400 career goals.
Nick Bellore (Whitefish Bay)
After a decade in the NFL, the multi-faceted Bellore was named to his first Pro Bowl as a special-teams contributor and signed a two-year, $4.4 million deal to stay with the Seattle Seahawks.
J.J. Watt (Pewaukee)
OK, we can't forget the oldest Watt, who relocated to the desert after a decade with the Houston Texans. An injury ended his season after seven games, however.
Ryan Ramczyk (Stevens Point)
The offensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints signed a five-year, $96 million extension ($60 million guaranteed).
Gavin Lux (Kenosha Indian Trail)
Lux perhaps didn't live up to expectations that he would be a rookie of the year candidate with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he still played in 102 games for the National League powerhouse, batting .242 with a .692 OPS, including seven homers. He continues to be one of the biggest rising names in baseball.
Daulton Varsho (Marshfield)
Somewhat quietly, the first UW-Milwaukee alumnus in the big leagues had a solid season for the Arizona Diamondbacks, playing in 95 games and batting .246 with a .755 OPS, including 11 homers and serving as both a catcher and outfielder. One of his homers was of the walk-off variety, and he also caught a no-hitter this season.
Quinn Meinerz (Hartford)
The UW-Whitewater offensive lineman became a darling of the ramp-up to the NFL draft and backed it up with superb play once he was taken by the Denver Broncos in the third round, working his way into a starting role.
Others
Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Sussex Hamilton). The high-profile basketball recruit chose to stay home and play for his father at UW-Milwaukee, and he'll be one of the top prospects in the 2022 NBA draft.
Leo Chenal (Grantsburg). The UW junior linebacker recorded 17 tackles for loss and 106 total tackles with two forced fumbles, earning the Big Ten linebacker of the year honor.
Jake Ferguson (Madison Memorial). The tight end was named first-team allBig Ten in what was likely his final season with the Wisconsin football program. Natisha Hiedeman (Green Bay Southwest). The Marquette University alumna was part of a Connecticut Sun team that had the best regular-season record in the WNBA.
Jalen Johnson (Nicolet). The basketball star was taken in the first round of the NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks.
Nate Oats (Maranatha Baptist in Watertown). Oats was named the SEC men's basketball coach of the year for his work in leading Alabama to a 16-2 league record and conference crown, and the Crimson Tide are among the nation's best teams again this season. T.J. Otzelberger (St. Thomas More). The NCAA basketball coach was hired away from UNLV by Iowa State in March, and now he has the Cyclones out to a red-hot 10-0 start.
Scott Servais (Westby). He nearly led the Seattle Mariners to the playoffs and finished second in the American League manager of the year voting. In September, he agreed to a long-term extension.
Kevin Zeitler (Wisconsin Lutheran). The veteran offensive guard is having a Pro Bowl worthy season for one of the AFC's best teams, the Baltimore Ravens.