Colby grads succeed in NCAA

Two former student-athletes with ties to the area reached the pinnacle of their respective sports this winter.

Mackenzie Huber and Hailey Voelker, both Colby High graduates, are walking away with some pretty impressive hardware at the conclusion of this winter sports season.

Huber, a Class of 2019 Colby High grad, continues to put her mark on the Blue Devils track and field program, shattering records and shining bright on the biggest stages of her sport for UW - Stout.

A two time state qualifier for the WIAA state tournament, Huber placed second in the shot put as a senior. She’s continued to dominate the throwing events as an NCAA athlete, and recently earned a pair of All-American honors at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in Winston-Salem, N. C. on March 11-12.

“This year was so much more “normal” than last year,” Huber said during an interview with the Tribune-Phonograph.

“It was so great having spectators and full teams at competitions! That made it so much more fun and competitive.”

Huber wasn’t the only Colby grad to make a mark on a sport. Huber’s former teammate and fellow state track and field participant, Hailey Voelker, had a historic season with the UW - Whitewater Warhawks ladies basketball team.

Voelker, a Class of 2020 Colby grad, spent her first season with Lake Superior State University, an NCAA D-II program located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Voelker spent a good portion of her time as a starter with LSSU, but made a choice to return to Wisconsin last fall.

“After being at a Division Two school in Michigan seven hours away, then coming to Whitewater three hours away, and Division Three, it was quite the change,” Voelker said. “But I felt like I made the right decision, and I made the right choice by coming to Whitewater.”

Voelker’s intuition proved right as the Warhawks moved through the 2021-22 season, racking up win after win. The Warhawks compiled a 28-5 record this year, but suffered a disappointing loss to UW - Eau Claire in the WIAC tournament. Nonetheless, they earned an at large bid into the NCAA D-III basketball tournament.

Once there, the Warhawks caught fire, battling back from several deficits to punch their ticket to the NCAA D-III national championship game in Pittsburg. That success hardly came as a surprise to Voelker and her teammates.

“From the beginning, we knew that we could achieve such accomplishments, even going as far as a national tournament,” Voelker replied. “The ride along the way and everything leading up to the national tournament was almost like a

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dream. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Like Voelker, Huber knew exactly what she was capable of. She had already earned two All-American honors prior to this season, placing seventh at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships last spring, and tallying an indoor All-American honor in 2020.

But this was the first time she had won two All-American honors in the same season, and she was ecstatic.

“Being a two time All-American in one season still feels unreal! Someone told me at nationals that I am now a four times All-American . . . It just sounds crazy to me still that I doubled my All-Americans in one meet!”

Huber finished fifth in the weight throw with a career-best mark of 59-feet, two-inches. She was sitting in seventh place going into the final round of competition, when she unleashed her all-time best toss to jump up a couple of spots.

That fifth place result in the weighted throw was joined by a seventh place in the shot put, her third time as an All-American in her favorite event.

Huber said the results were made possible by a grueling training regime, and the trophies she earned were a product and reward of all her hard work.

“It’s the highest reward earned for all of the early morning lifts and afternoon practices every day. I am very excited to get back to work back on campus with the whole team though after a long nationals and spring break trip.”

Like Huber, Voelker put her share of hard work and training. As a newcomer on team, she also had the added burden of proving herself to her new coaches and teammates.

“Coming from Lake State to Whitewater, and being more role player was a little bit of a change but I absolutely loved it,” Voelker answered. “I knew my role, and I felt like I fit right in, and I played my role to the best of my ability and I definitely think it helped us achieve and get to where we were at the end of the season.”

Voelker also brought in a ton of enthusiasm, and could often be seen on the screen jumping, clapping and cheering her teammates on during their run to the title. The Warhawks would eventually lose a hard fought 71-58 decision to Hope College in the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, but Voelker said the experience is one she’ll remember forever.

“Like I said before the season was just a dream. I enjoyed the ride, I enjoyed the winds, and most importantly I enjoyed the team aspect of everything. Going to Pittsburgh and going up on the national stage for the national tournament was absolutely a dream come true.”

Voelker knows a thing or two about achieving dreams, having helped the Colby Hornets earn their first Eastern Cloverbelt Conference titles, while also playing Colby’s first ever WIAA D-4 state tournament.

The same mindset that helped her overcome those challenges is what will help her earn more minutes next year. Voelker said getting to the national championship was one dream, but winning it all, and being a starter, are the others.

“I think next year we have the same goals of getting back to the national tournament and hopefully this time capturing the championship title. As for myself I just hope I can better myself as a person and a teammate and be a bigger role player and into next year helping us achieve our big goal of national champion.”

Huber also harbors national champion dreams. She’s changed her technique, which was a challenge, but the willingness to change paid off.

“I didn’t end where I wanted to for indoor shot at nationals,” Huber says. “But considering it’s been four months of learning rotational, and I’m picking back up where I left off at outdoor last spring, big things are coming.”

Huber also broke her own records at nationals, and aims to do the same during the outdoor portion of the season.

“Our outdoor record is not far from what the indoor record was, so I definitely have my eyes on that, but am setting my goals within myself and my capabilities, not on records specifically. I am absolutely pumped for this outdoor season!”

The future is full of possibility for the former Hornets, but one thing that is never in doubt, is the support from back home, and both ladies highlighted the pride they have as a Hornet.

“The big thing I took out of all this is I have a great support system back home cheering for me no matter what,” Voelker said with gratitude.

“There wasn’t a time where Ariel Oehmichen, Brittani Mertens, even Sarah Steen and my family weren’t cheering me on along the way, or sending a gift baskets and text messages wishing me luck. It just reminds me that I will always be a Hornet at heart.”

I’VE DONE THIS BEFORE -Hailey Voelker, a Class of 2020 Colby High grad cuts down the nets after advancing to the NCAA D-III title game.