WJJQ Radio

Story Details

Hatchets Sports Recap - Weekend Published on 10/25/2021 under Sports

FOOTBALL

The Tomahawk Hatchets Football season came to an end on Friday night with a 54-12 loss to Wittenberg-Birnamwood in the first round of the WIAA Tournament.

The Chargers used more than 580 yards of offense to propel themselves to the blowout win.

The Tomahawk Hatchets finish the season with a 4-7 record. They made their first postseason appearance since 2015.

STATS:

RB Logan Bishop - 7 Carries, 42 Yards

WR Jake Kaminski - 3 Catches, 42 Yards, 1 TD

DB Addison Peissig - 1 INT

CROSS COUNTRY

On Saturday, Tomahawk traveled to Colby High School, the site of WIAA Division 2 Sectional Cross- Country Meet. Ideal conditions greeted the 16 teams as they competed to earn the right to advance to Wisconsin Rapids next weekend for the State Championships.

In the opening event of the day, the Tomahawk boys had one of their best scoring split efforts of the year as they placed 5th overall with 156 points. For the Hatchets, they were led by sophomore Owen Dickrell with his 23rd place finish in a time of 18:17. Sophomore Presley Gutbrod, freshman Sam Zastrow and senior Arden Ziert all crossed together in 18:30 (placing 32,33, and 34 respectively), with a PR for Zastrow.

In the final event of the sectional, sophomore Rachael Reilly led her team and punched her individual ticket to the State Meet in Rapids next weekend with her 7th place overall finish in a seasonal best time of 20:21 for the 5K distance.

Her teammates put together a valiant effort, but couldn't overcome state-ranked teams from Medford and West Salem. Placing for the Hatchets was senior Macey Mann (15th-20:28 SB), freshman Alli Palmer (18th-21:12 PR), seniors Kate Reilly (35th-21:56), Ava Dragosh (40th-22:19 PR) and Emily Lacina (44th-22:22). Junior Serena Reinke had her 2nd fastest time of the year as she placed 46th in 22:35. There were 86 finishers in the girl's race.

With Rachael Reilly's individual Tomahawk continued their rich tradition in being represented at the state meet for the 27th time in the last 30 years (28 qualifying teams and 16 individual qualifiers).

The boys finished their season with a W-94 L-25 (Pct. 790) record and the girls concluded with a W-107 L-8 (Pct. 930).

In Other News

Nina, Lincoln County Sheriff K9 Retiring

Published on 04/24/2026 under News After nearly a decade on the job, one of Lincoln County's most recognizable deputies is trading in her badge for belly rubs and boat rides. K-9 Nina, a longtime member of the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department, is retiring after nine years of service, wrapping up her final shift Thursday. Nina was trained as a dual-purpose tracking and narcotics detection dog, and paired with Deputy Sam Steckbauer. They worked their first shift on June 19, 2017. Over the course of her career, Nina was deployed hundreds of times, assisting in both civil and criminal cases. She helped track lost individuals and played a role in numerous drug-related arrests, becoming a valuable asset to the department. Beyond her work in the field, Nina was also a familiar face at community events, where she quickly became a favorite among residents. In retirement, they said Nina will remain with Detective Steckbauer and his family. They said her retirement will also include plenty of well-earned rest, pontoon rides, barking at the mail carrier, and the occasional treat including a little extra pumpkin mixed in with her kibble.

Published on 04/24/2026 under News While their next production isn't coming until fall, the Tomahawk Community Theater is staying busy. The community theater group was established five years ago as a way for those interested in the fine arts to connect and create. Since that time, they've put on four productions, two children's workshops, and even a talent show, but they're not slowing down. Board Members Jen Turkiewicz and Sherry Hulett have been involved in theater since the first production. Earlier this week, they stopped by the WJJQ studios to talk about an upcoming open house on Sunday that will serve as both a preview of their upcoming calendar as well as an opportunity for more people to get involved. At Sunday's event, they plan to roll out a full year of events and productions including the return of the annual children's theater workshop held each July. Attendees can also meet cast and board members, explore ways to get involved, and learn about opportunities both on stage and behind the scenes from acting and set design to lighting, makeup. They said the open house is designed to be casual and welcoming, whether you're a longtime supporter or just curious about community theater. Those interested in the theater can stop by Sideways in Downtown Tomahawk Sunday from 1pm to 4pm.

Published on 04/24/2026 under News One person is dead, another injured in a two vehicle accident in Langlade County earlier this week. According to the Langlade County Sheriff's office, that crash happened Wednesday night at shortly before 10:30pm. Responders were called to Highway 45 near County X in the Town of Antigo for what appeared to be a head-on collision with serious injuries. The drivers were the lone occupants of their vehicles. One driver, identified as 45 year old Gina Marie Brunner of Wittenberg, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other driver, a 25 year old Antigo man, was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries. His name was not immediately released. According to the release, alcohol is suspected was a factor in the crash. The crash remains under investigation.

+ Read More Garage Fire in Arbor Vitae

Published on 04/24/2026 under News A garage was destroyed, a nearby home damaged following a fire in Vilas County earlier this week. According to Arbor Vitae Fire/Rescue, crews were dispatched to a property on Coons Lane Tuesday morning. They arrived to find a two-car garage that was completely destroyed with debris still smoldering. A home around 40 feet from the garage sustained heat damage. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish any remaining hotspots. No one was home and no injuries were reported. In the news release, the fire department noted the fire spread closer to the home through a layer of leaves on the ground, serving as a reminder to clear yard debris from the areas surrounding structures. Damage is estimated at approximately $50,000 to the garage, contents, and nearby home. It is believed the fire started in the garage sometime during the night, an exact cause wasn't immediately determined.

Published on 04/24/2026 under News After starting off the week with Earth Day activities and education, today is focused on the trees. The last Friday of April is Arbor Day. The observance was started in Nebraska more than 100 years ago and continues to this date. The DNR continues to take part in their annual mission of providing tree education to young learners. Along with classroom lessons, many students can get their hands dirty by planting a tree themselves. This gives kids a chance to follow the growth of the tree through their schooling. The DNR has once again donated tree seedlings to fourth-grade classrooms around the state for students to plant, more than 50,000 trees in all. Wisconsin is home to around 17 million acres of forest lands that offer numerous benefits through the forest industry, outdoor recreation, wildlife habitat, and protecting the environment. DNR Applied Forestry bureau director Carmen Hardin says Arbor Day is a good time to reflect the importance of both urban and rural forests. She added, "Everyone has a role in ensuring that both continue to serve a vital role in the ecological, cultural and economic health of our state, our local communities and our individual lives."

Published on 04/24/2026 under News When taking care of spring cleaning, people are encouraged to check their medicine cabinets as well. The first of two scheduled drug-take back events takes place on Saturday across the state of Wisconsin. Ridding your home of unused and unwanted prescriptions not only clears clutter, but also eliminates the chance of misuse while also offering an environmentally safe way to dispose of medications. More and more communities are featuring permanent drop-off locations available year-round, and the semi-annual Drug Take Back day serves as a good reminder to utilize the service. Residents here in Lincoln County have 4 permanent drop-off locations including the Marshfield Clinic-Merrill, Tomahawk Pharmacy, and the Merrill and Tomahawk Police Departments. The Tomahawk Police Department, alone, collected more than 21,000 pills, along with liquid, cream and gel medications, and over 6000 syringes last year. The Wisconsin Department of Health website features an interactive map listing drop-off locations. Wisconsin is annually a nationwide leader in these efforts.

Published on 04/24/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's baseball squad put up double-digit runs for the third time this year, dominating the Antigo Red Robins at TK Field Thursday night, 16-8. The Hatchets scored at least two runs in every inning, including ten in the final three. Cash Olsen finished three for five with a double, a triple, and a home run, along with six RBIs. Olsen also picked up the win on the mound, giving up just one run and striking out eight. Max Larson finished with three RBIs, improving the Hatchet record to 4-3 on the season, and 4-1 in Great Northern Conference play. Tomahawk is back in action Tuesday for another home GNC Battle against Northland Pines. Alex Koch and Keith Hanse will be in the broadcast booth with the Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Pregame Show at 4:35 and first pitch at 5:00 on Sports Talk 810 AM/97.7 FM WJJQ.

Published on 04/24/2026 under Sports The Hatchet Softball Squad was swept in their Great Northern Conference Doubleheader at Antigo Thursday. Game 1 Saw Tomahawk come back from down 7-1, but came up just short, losing, 8-7. Ellie Micke finished two for three. Kylie Peissig finished with a two-run single. Camryn Kraklow picked up the loss, giving up seven runs in two innings. As for Game Two, the Hatchets surrendered nine runs in the final inning, losing, 17-9. Tomahawk would allow three home runs in Game Two, including a grand slam in the seventh. Aubrey Seubert would hit her first home run of the season, one of two hits she finished with. Anita Ziert would go two for four with three runs scored. The losses drop Tomahawk to 3-5 on the season and in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets are back in action for a tournament down in Monroe Saturday. Game One is against Madison East/LaFollette.

Published on 04/24/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's track and field squads competed in the Raider Outdoor Invite at Medford Thursday. The Hatchet girls placed second, only eight points behind first place Medford. Elise Gibeault and Alicia Voermans each placed first in two different events. Gibeault placed first in the 200 and 400 meter dashes. Gibeault's time of 57.93 seconds in the 400 meter dash broke her own school record. Voermans placed first in the 100 meter dash and the Pole Vault. Tomahawk's boys placed seventh overall. Tomahawk's top finish was the 4x200 meter relay team of Jack Reilly, Mason Reibe, Braxton Stromberg, and Henry Nieman, placing third with a time of 1:44.54. Tomahawk's next meet is today in Eagle River at Northland Pines. Events begin at 4:00.

Published on 04/23/2026 under News Preparations are ramping up for an event set to bring local business leaders and community members together. The Lincoln County Economic Development Corporation is hosting its 2026 Economic Summit next Tuesday where they'll focus on the theme "Energizing the Small Business Spirit." Continuing the alternating city format, they'll return to Merrill after last spring's event was in Tomahawk. LCEDC Executive Director Sara Guild says the full-day event will highlight ways to strengthen local businesses and grow the regional economy. It is designed to spark collaboration and support long-term economic success across Lincoln County and the surrounding region. The morning will feature updates from local leaders, economic partners, and experts. In the afternoon, attendees will take part in interactive sessions focused on practical strategies from improving marketing efforts and connecting with support resources. The summit will wrap up with a presentation centered on community-driven growth in small towns, aimed at turning ideas into action. Guild says they already have more than 100 attendees registered. There are still some seats available with options including half-day, full-day, and group opportunities. Visit the LCEDC website for more information.

+ Read More