Nicolet swimmer wins gold, dedicates emotional victory to late teammate
As Nicolet junior Jude Hill stepped to the top of the podium to receive his gold medal for winning the 100-yard backstroke at the WIAA Division 2 state boys swimming and diving championships at Waukesha South Natatorium on Feb. 20, there was a notable difference in his demeanor from other winners that evening.
Hill did not flex or flash gestures at his teammates and other supporters while atop the podium for a career-first gold achieved with his win in 50.23 seconds. His enthusiasm was muted by thoughts of what that moment was missing, his late teammate Grant Freeze.
"I'm really sad that he's not with us right now, and I'd just like to give up this entire season for him," Hill said.
The promising rising sophomore Freeze died from injuries sustained in an Oct. 1, 2025, car crash. He was on his way to swim practice to prepare for a season that Nicolet would ultimately have to swim without him. Freeze and Hill had looked like the pillars of a rising Nicolet program at the 2025 state meet, bookending a third place 400 freestyle relay team and finishing second and third, respectively, in the 200 freestyle. It took a pair of WIAA D2 state tournament records by then-Whitnall senior Ethan Schutten to deny Freeze gold medals in the 200 and 500 freestyle events.
Hill swam the 200 freestyle again Feb. 20 at the state meet, ending up in the exact place Freeze earned one year ago. The parallels made what should have been a swelling moment of pride into a somber moment of remembrance of a friend gone too soon.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Nicolet swimmer Jude Hill dedicates win to late teammate Grant Freeze
Germany's Lochner on bobsleigh double course, Austrians crash
Johannes Lochner claimed the overnight lead in the Olympic four-man bob event ahead of two other German teams after opening runs overshadowed by the Austrian team crashing on Saturday.
The bob of pilot Jakob Mandelbauer topped in turn nine during the second run. His three team members were able to leave the track on their own but Mandelbauer was taken away on a stretcher.
Austrian team officials said that Mandelbauer hurt his neck and would be transferred to hospital for examinations.
The second run was interrupted for around 20 minutes before Lochner consolidated his first run lead with his team of Thorsten Margis, Jörn Wenzel and Georg Fleischhauer en route to a possible two-and four-man double.
Lochner is .43 seconds ahead of 2018 and 2022 winner Francesco Friedrich and it could be the same podium as in the two-man as the third German team of Adam Ammour rose from fifth to third, 12-hundredths ahead of Swiss Michael Vogt.
“It was a really great one, the first. The second one we had problems, especially at the start and in the middle part of the track. In the end, we are really happy with the result right now," Lochner said.
Looking at the crashes, which also befell France and Trinidad and Tobago, he added: “It’s a race sport, it’s part of the game. We hope that all the guys are healthy and nothing big happened to the guys.
“It’s a hard track when there’s so much ice. But I think it’s possible tomorrow no one crashes, and we can have a nice ending for all,” he said, referring to Sunday's final two runs.
Team News: Aston Villa vs Leeds United
Leeds United return to Premier League action this afternoon with a trip to the West Midlands to face Aston Villa.
Ahead of kick-off at Villa Park, Daniel Farke has made a number of changes to the side that beat Birmingham City on Emirates FA Cup duties last weekend.
Karl Darlow returns in goal, playing behind a defence of James Justin, Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk who returns after a spell on the sidelines with injury. Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson provide the support on the flanks.
In midfield, skipper Ethan Ampadu is partnered by Bulgarian international Ilia Gruev, Anton Stach and Brenden Aaronson with Dominic Calvert-Lewin leading the line.
On the bench, goalkeeper Lucas Perri is joined by Daniel James, Sean Longstaff, Joël Piroe, Lukas Nmecha, Jaka Bijol, Ao Tanaka, Sebastiaan Bornauw and Willy Gnonto.
Action from Villa Park gets underway at 3pm.
Starting XI: Darlow (GK), Bogle, Gudmundsson, Ampadu (C), Struijk, Rodon, Calvert-Lewin, Aaronson, Stach, Justin, Gruev.
Subs: Perri (GK), James, Longstaff, Piroe, Nmecha, Bijol, Tanaka, Bornauw, Gnonto.
Villa: Martínez (GK), Cash, Konsa (C), Mings, Buendía, Watkins, Luiz, Maatsen, Onana, Rogers, Bailey.
Subs: Wright (GK), Lindelöf, Barkley, Digne, Torres, García, Abraham, Sancho, Bogardge.