Latest news with #MilwaukeeSchoolofEngineering
Chicago Tribune
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Rikka Ludvigson, who also wrestles, feels good about Oswego's chances after Alabama trip. ‘A lot more focused.'
Seeing is believing for Oswego's Rikka Ludvigson. The senior first baseman and Milwaukee School of Engineering recruit is expecting big things for the Panthers coming off a record-setting 29-win season for her team in 2024. It wasn't always the case. 'Last year, when the season started, if you had told me we would place third in state, I probably would have laughed in your face,' Ludvigson said. Who's laughing now? Ludvigson and her teammates went out and captured the program's first regional title since 1987. The Panthers followed that up by winning their first sectional title and then advanced for the first time to the Class 4A state finals in Peoria, where they split a pair of games — losing 2-1 to champion St. Charles North and beating Mundelein 12-7 — to secure that third-place trophy. Can they do it again? Ludvigson, who played a key role a year ago, thinks it's possible. She hit .388 last season and tied for third on the team with 45 hits, tied for second with 40 RBIs and hit three home runs to earn Illinois Coaches Association second team all-state honors. 'She hits it where the ball is pitched,' Oswego co-coach Paul Netzel said. 'If they get it inside, she'll crush it. We have her batting third now just because of her consistency with people on base. 'Rikka will make contact.' Last week, Oswego (5-0) traveled to Gulf Shores, Alabama, and won all four games. Ludvigson is hitting .400 with three doubles and three RBIs. 'She can lay down a bunt and handles the bat really well,' Netzel said. 'She will move runners along, showing off good in-game management.' Ludvigson, who carries a 3.9 GPA, plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. Intrigued with Lego bricks at a young age, she does particularly well in math and science classes. She's one of five returning starters from the middle of last year's lineup who plan on playing at the next level. That list features seniors in catcher Kiyah Chavez (Iowa), third baseman/pitcher Aubriella Garza (Northern Illinois) and left fielder Natalie Muellner (Wisconsin-Whitewater) and junior pitcher/shortstop Jaelynn Anthony (Purdue), who has emerged as the team's ace. During travel season, Ludvigson is Anthony's catcher and also plays third base. She's developed her skills at first base the past two springs with the Panthers. 'We can't afford to not have her playing first,' Netzel said. 'She's got such quick hands and feet.' He did have Ludvigson catch Anthony last week in one of the two games Anthony pitched in Alabama. Netzel and co-coach Annie Scaramuzzi used five pitchers on the trip as Oswego allowed just one run and outscored opponents 29-1. Ludvigson said she came to the sport different from most players. 'When my mom and I were sitting in the car in the grade school drop-off line, I kept seeing Oswego Outlaws decals on car windows and asked her what it was,' Ludvigson said. 'It turned out to be perfect timing because someone had just quit when we asked about it so there was a spot for me and I really liked it.' Curiosity got the best of her again two years ago when she saw a poster about open mat sessions for girls interested in trying wrestling at Oswego. 'Some friends and I thought we should try it for fun,' Ludvigson said. Ludvigson didn't have as much success as Chavez, who finished second in state, but she stuck with it. 'Honestly, I don't like it too much, but it has helped me a lot,' she said. 'There's a lot of running, a lot of working out and training. I love the people and the coaches, but I'm glad it's done.' Not so for softball at Oswego, which has a target this season. 'There's definitely pressure,' Ludvigson said. 'Even in practice, you can sense it. But we're also a lot more focused on making that run again. Last year, we were very loose. 'We're still having fun but we know what we're capable of doing.'
Chicago Tribune
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
In family of soccer players, Kolby Henderlong makes mark for Crown Point basketball. He'll fulfill ‘dream' too.
Crown Point senior Kolby Henderlong has gone his own way in sports. Much of Henderlong's family has excelled in soccer, but he has made his mark in basketball. The 6-foot-5 forward is the top reserve for the Bulldogs, who have won back-to-back regional titles. 'We got great news about him,' Crown Point coach Clint Swan said. 'He's going to play in college, which was his dream. He's wanted to do that since he was little.' Henderlong, who committed to Milwaukee School of Engineering last week, has played no small part for the Bulldogs (22-2). He's averaging 4.8 points and 1.8 rebounds as Crown Point, which is ranked No. 4 in the Class 4A poll by The Associated Press, prepares to play Homestead (22-5) in the semifinals of the Elkhart Semistate on Saturday. 'I strive in things that aren't showed on the stat sheet, just like loose balls, communicating on defense, making sure my teammates are together,' Henderlong said. 'Coming off the bench, making sure I bring a spurt of energy, especially if we start off with low energy. 'I just make sure I'm doing everything, all the little details that no one really pays attention to but are so important to the game.' Henderlong has played more minutes than any other reserve. But Swan doesn't even make that distinction. 'He has just been so steady for us,' Swan said. 'There are a lot of guys in his shoes who would think, 'Well, I'm not starting, so I'm not as valuable as some other guys.' But it's never been an issue for him. 'He plays starter minutes for us. His role is no less important than any starter that we have. He has embraced that role and just been terrific for us.' Henderlong and forward Quinn Begley, the only other senior on the roster, are captains with junior guard/forward Dikembe Shaw and junior guard Kingston Rhodes. 'Kolby is a vocal leader,' Swan said. 'Kolby is very much involved in everything we do. He's such a good leader. He does so many good things for us on and off the court.' Begley understands Henderlong's value. 'He contributes more than he knows,' Begley said. 'I've known him since elementary school, and he was always the most energetic guy on the team. He did the work that nobody wants to do. Nobody wants to go dive on loose balls, especially in practice. You don't want to get that little scar right here (on one's side). But he'll do it.' Henderlong takes his status as a senior seriously. 'We have to step up more,' he said. 'We had five guys last year, so the leadership was more distributed. We have to take on more. We have to make sure the team is working hard, communicating, making sure that each day we're productive and getting better each day.' Henderlong's mother Natalie, sister Malorie and brother Karsen all played soccer for Crown Point. Karsen Henderlong, a 2019 Crown Point graduate, continued his career at Xavier and Indiana and plays professionally. Malorie Henderlong, a 2016 Crown Point graduate, played at Eastern Illinois and Spring Arbor, where she won the 2017 NAIA national championship. She has been a strength and conditioning coach at several high-profile colleges, including her current position at Auburn. Two of Kolby Henderlong's aunts and two of his uncles played soccer at St. Joseph's College, and his father Jon played football, basketball and baseball at Crown Point before playing football and baseball at Wabash. Kolby Henderlong played soccer until sixth grade. He returned to the sport as a sophomore during the 2022 season and ended up being the Bulldogs' starting goalkeeper for their last six games, including sectionals. 'I quit to focus on basketball,' he said. 'I liked basketball more. I just wanted to choose a different path. I went with basketball. I think it's worked out pretty well.'
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Providing services to released inmates cuts recidivism and boosts life prospects
Many incarcerated people face a difficult homecoming following their release from the Wisconsin prison system, to say the least. More than 40% return to prison within three years due to reentry challenges that include access to housing, employment, education, support with fines as well as access to health and mental health care. Each year, roughly 2,475 people return to Milwaukee County. This raises a critical question: Who do we want these individuals to be when they return? The answer lies in pathways to empowerment that provide resources and opportunities that meet people where they are. In early 2020, we were part of a team that started working to create an online one-stop shop for reentry resources and events across Wisconsin. The project was a collaboration between faculty and students from Marquette University, the Milwaukee School of Engineering and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; representatives from nonprofits like the Milwaukee Turners and Project RETURN; and philanthropic groups such as the Kohler Foundation. Opinion: Transition from prison is difficult. Wisconsin is pioneering a new approach. After nearly five years, this is now a reality. Home to Stay went live in late November 2024 at Home to Stay is more than the name of the website; it is a guiding principle for our team. We want to ensure that returning citizens can find what they need to succeed for themselves, their families, and society. To that end, the team has always included the voices and opinions of those it would serve: two of the original students were once incarcerated and the final product has been led by two people who spent a combined 40 years in prison. The web developer for the site is Veo Careers, a tech company founded and run by a person who was once incarcerated. We also want to make sure the process of connecting with resources and opportunities is as seamless as possible. It is unacceptable that a consumer can order a blanket designed to look like a tortilla from across the globe and receive it in two days, while someone without housing, employment, or healthcare must navigate a labyrinth of organizations – often located throughout the Milwaukee metropolitan area – just to find guidance, let alone the help they need. addresses these goals in several ways. It offers a comprehensive resource directory of services and resources across Wisconsin that we are constantly updating. also features an events calendar, providing a schedule of reentry and advocacy events, trainings, and gatherings across the state to foster connections and learning. Finally, the website features short videos showcasing people who have rebuilt their lives after incarceration to correct harmful narratives about an often-misunderstood population. We have already seen the power of these stories, indeed of this project, to break down stereotypes and foster relationships between people not accustomed to working together. MSOE Honors Program students, for example, have partnered closely with returning citizens to develop and maintain the website. One of these students began building a mobile app version of Home to Stay. The app, slated to launch in March 2025, was recently turned over to Veo Careers for further development. The timing of the creation of such tools is fortuitous, as there are several exciting developments in the local reentry space that the website and app will be able to amplify. In January 2025, the former St. Anthony's Church, across from the Milwaukee County Jail downtown, re-opened as a 48-unit reentry housing facility. The MacArthur Foundation recently awarded Milwaukee County a $375,000 planning grant to expand housing options for people returning from prison, which is expected to lead to as much as $5 million in capital to invest in more reentry housing. The new year will also see the implementation of a Department of Corrections funded initiative to create a physical, in person version of Home to Stay, where anyone returning to Milwaukee from incarceration will see their agent and have access to support for all their reentry needs at one convenient location. More: CBS58 had no choice but to fire Sam Kuffel for damaging TV station's image | Letters Also this year, Paradigm Shyft, a consulting firm formed by two formerly incarcerated men, in partnership with the Milwaukee Fire Department, will launch the Mobile Office of Reentry Education - an ambulance converted into a mobile office. Just as an ambulance triages medical emergencies, it will triage and address reentry barriers. And the name of the website is an extension of the popular Home to Stay monthly fairs where close to 100 people on supervision connect with the dozens of employers and service providers in attendance. Of course, none of these efforts will succeed without buy-in and engagement from the statewide ecosystem of advocacy and reentry efforts. We encourage people to share with their networks, especially anyone with a record in need of assistance. For the platform to serve its purpose, organizations and supporters must share information and events on the site via the forms, as well as their feedback on ways to improve any aspect of the site. Reentry and the accountability that goes along with such a process looks different in every situation. As a society, we all benefit when individuals returning from incarceration are able to overcome these different situations and succeed. is a step toward realizing that vision. Adam Procell and Shannon Ross manage Paradigm Shyft, a multidimensional justice solutions firm. Michael Carriere is a professor of history at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), where he directs the MSOE Honors Program. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: App can be life changing for inmates released from prison | Opinion
