Let's go to the replay: 2011

Waukesha teams once again enjoyed massive success in 2011. A look back at some of the year's top stories:

Free birds

The Waukesha South/Mukwonago swimming and diving team had never won the WIAA Division 1 state meet, but the Blackshirts were battling perennial powerhouse Arrowhead stroke for stroke in November at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison. When the team of Abby Jagdfeld, Molly Manchon, Natalie Clausen and Sara Zemonovic won the 400-yard freestyle in the final event of the meet, the co-op edged the Warhawks, 293-291.

Kayla Skenandore won the butterfly for the second year in a row, finishing in 55.14, and was a major part of the state-championship run.

It was far from the only success in the water. Anna Meinholz of Catholic Memorial not only won the title in the breaststroke but set a new Division 2 state record in the process, swimming in 1:03.06. She won by one one-hundredth of a second in a race where the top three finishers all broke the old record.

Noah Potratz won the 500 free on the boys side last winter, winning in 4:37.59, one of three Waukesha South/CMH finishers in the top four of that event. South/CMH took second with 192 points, while Madison Memorial (234.5) took first.

Three times, all charms

The Catholic Memorial girls volleyball team continued to own the podium at the WIAA Division 2 state meet, again winning the title for a third consecutive year. Despite a semifinal push from Big Foot, CMH rebounded and throttled Tomahawk for the title, part of another season in which the Crusaders coasted to a Classic 8 Conference crown.

Joers to the world

Emily Joers was consistent and powerful at the WIAA Division 1 state girls golf meet this past fall, shooting 73 both days at University Ridge in Madison and collecting her second state championship. Joers, who won the title as a freshman and took second as a sophomore, won by three strokes over two players, including conference rival Leighann Cabush of Kettle Moraine. Both golfers will be back for a senior year next fall.

Second wind

Soccer teams just missed hoisting the gold ball this year.

On the girls side last spring, Waukesha West made the most of its one goal in regulation and advanced to the state title game. After beating Kenosha Tremper, 1-0, and advancing with a shootout victory over Grafton following a scoreless tie, West fell to Appleton North in the championship, 1-0.

The Catholic Memorial boys also tasted silver with a 1-0 loss to Mount Horeb in the title game of the Division 2 title game. The Crusaders beat Fox Valley Lutheran in the semis, 2-0. Also qualifying for state last spring, the CMH girls fell in the semis of the Division 2 tourney to Madison Edgewood, 1-0 in overtime.

He shoots, he scores

In what might have been the single most amazing game of the year, the Waukesha West boys basketball team scored a flurry of late points to stun conference rival Arrowhead in last winter's sectional semifinal, 58-57. Joe Schobert, coming off an amazing football season in which he led West to the state title, hit an off-balance 3-pointer at the buzzer at the Al McGuire Center, and West finished the year 19-6. Arrowhead, defending state champion at the time, did not lose in the Classic 8 Conference.

Tracking them down

Catholic Memorial won two relay championships in the Division 2 state track and field meet. The 4x400 boys crew of Sam Tiahnybik, Kyle Deneen, Broc Kocour and Peter Gottsacker won in 3:22.46, and the girls 4x200 crew of Mara Aparnieks, Emily Kern, Madeline Davis and Kaitlyn Hastings won by 15 hundredths of a second in 1:45.35.

Waukesha West's Kristin Heckel also took gold in the triple jump, clearing 35 feet, 8 ½ inches.

Last gasp

In another candidate for game of the year, Waukesha West's baseball team was down to its last batter against Franklin in the state summer baseball quarterfinals at Bukolt Park in Stevens Point, when Alex Lawrence launched a game-tying two-run homer to cap a three-run rally in the seventh. The magic was short lived when Franklin went on to win in extras, 14-7, but West made a memorable push, including a 5-4 win over Muskego in a nail-biting sectional final.

No repeat

The West football team came into the year ranked No. 1 in the state coming off a state-championship run, and an undefeated run through the regular season didn't do anything to discourage that standing. But West, which won yet another thriller at Arrowhead in the league season, wound up a surprising Level 2 upset victim to Sun Prairie, 17-14, and the entire Classic 8 was out of the playoffs before Level 3 for the first time in league history.

Elsewhere on the gridiron, Carey Venne became the coach at Waukesha North, and Catholic Memorial lost to Pewaukee in the opening round of the playoffs coming off a trip to the state-championship game in Division 3.

No repeat, part 2

If only Marquette hadn't been in the way. The Catholic Memorial boys volleyball team lost to only one opponent all year - Marquette - but the Hilltoppers were there waiting for the Crusaders in the state quarterfinals, and CMH fell by a 3-1 score. Trevor Novotny repeated as the state's Player of the Year, but the Crusaders couldn't repeat last year's state championship magic.

Others to know

Brad Woodford took sixth for the South cross country team, finishing the Ridges Golf Course layout in Wisconsin Rapids at the 15:51 mark, and South took 11th overall.

Sammi Donovan of North was the top local finisher in the girls state CC race, finishing 13th in 14:47. The West girls qualified for state and took 17th.

Seth Gantz (West) took fourth place at 112 pounds, and Bill Prochniewski (South) placed fifth at 103 when the two competed at the state individual wrestling meet in February.

Catholic Memorial's Matt and Mike Mirsberger and South's Eric Schneider and Tyler Prater each won a match at the boys state tennis tourney.