Five fort athletes sign letters of intent

By Chris Spangler

Five Fort Atkinson High School seniors were recognized Thursday as they signed letters of intent to pursue college athletics following graduation.

Saluted at the OneTeam Signing Event in the school auditorium were Emma Mans, Cory Pfeifer, Caden Klingbeil, Alexa Dahnert and Maddie Miles.

Unable to attend was Shane Jordan, who will be attending Minnesota State University-Mankato, where he will bowl.

“Today is a reflection of all the hard work and determination of everybody in this room,” said athletics and activities director Steve Mahoney. “The players, the coaches, the parents, the teammates, the administrative team, everybody that’s made these days possible, are definitely reflected in the success.”

He announced that Emma Mans will be going to Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y., where she will play women’s volleyball.

The daughter of Dawn and Paul Mans, the 6-foot-4 senior plays the outside, middle blocker and right side positions on the court. 

She helped the Fort Atkinson High School Blackhawks claim a Division 1 regional title and was named second-team all-conference as a sophomore, and was named first-team all-Badger South Conference as a junior.

A member of the Sting Volleyball Club, Mans and her team captured 14 top three finishes in club volleyball tournaments, including fifth place at the USA Volleyball nationals.

“I’d like to thank my family and coaches for helping me get this far, and my amazing support system of friends and teammates,” Mans said Thursday.

“I started my recruiting process freshman year and I got to visit a lot of cool colleges, but I ended up deciding on Canisius because my dream was to be playing volleyball, and obviously they have that, and I fell in love with the school and coaching staff.”

Canisius College competes at the NCAA Division 1 level in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in most sports, including volleyball. 

Cory Pfeifer will be attending the University of Wisconsin-River Falls to participate in cross-country and both indoor and outdoor track.

The son of Gregg and Sherry Pfeifer, he has competed in the 5,000-meter run all four years of high school.

“I would like to thank my parents; my coaches …; and all my teammates throughout the years,” he said Thursday.    

“When I went into high school, I really didn’t like running at all, but throughout the culture of cross-country and track, I just slowly started loving the sport and now here we are,” he added.

Pfeifer said that at the start of his senior year, he had doubts that he was capable of running at the college level,

“I started talking to the River Falls coach, among (coaches at) other schools, and he really was the first one to reach out to me and tell me that I was capable of running in college and willing to give me a chance,” Pfeifer said. “From there, we made a really positive relationship and a bunch of teammates have reached out to me and it’s been all positivity, so I am excited to see what’s going to happen in the coming years.”

Caden Klingbeil will be attending Maryville University in St. Louis, Mo., where he will play men’s volleyball.

A two-year varsity player, he was team captain this year, leading the Blackhawks in kills and blocks.

Head coach Mark Hacker told Fort Atkinson Online that Klingbeil played an active role in recruiting and revitalizing the boys volleyball program at the high school.

“He always maximized his practice time, was the first one back from drinks and working out during down times,” Hacker said. 

He added that Klingbeil “continuously worked to improve his skills — adding to his game each year and embracing any role he was placed in throughout the two years on varsity” — and is passionate about the sport. He wants the best of his teammates and the program.”

On Thursday, Klingbeil thanked Coach Hacker and Coach Manson Morris; his mother, who encouraged him to play volleyball as a freshman, and his friends. 

He also thanked his grandmother, Agnes Schroedl, for always being there for him. 

“I’d also like to thank all of my teammates throughout the years, for pushing me to be better,” he said. 

Klingbeil, the son of Sheila Schroedl and Dennis Klingbeil, said he originally was going to attend Miliken University until Maryville’s coach contacted him.

He recalled being told, “I really like your stuff; what are your future plans?

“I told him I was kind of committed, but he said, ‘let’s just get you down here and see if you like this place,’” Klingbeil said. “I ended up going to the school, seeing the coach, ended up liking their program better and I could see myself in Maryville better, so I decided to switch.”

Alexa Dahnert will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to play women’s soccer. 

He daughter of Kim and Randy Dahnert, she has been playing girls’ soccer this spring as one of the Blackhawks’ team captains.

“So far this year, she has scored three goals along with two assists,” Coach Murphy told Fort Atkinson Online. “She’s an amazing young lady with her eyes set on UW-Whitewater this upcoming fall.”

“I would like to especially thank my dad for starting me at a young age,” Dahnert said Thursday. “In all honesty, I really didn’t want to play soccer in college, but my dad told me I couldn’t give up now, and I am happy that I decided to keep playing.

“Whitewater was one of the last places I toured, and I ended up loving it the most …,” she continued. “I’m thankful I got to play with awesome girls throughout the years.”

Maddie Miles will be attending Edgewood College in Madison, where she will play soccer.

On Thursday, the daughter of Amy and Brian Miles thanked Fort Atkinson Youth Soccer Association Coach Rudy Kessler and Blackhawks Coach Robert Murphy.

“Rudy, I’ve known for a really long time; he’s the first person that convinced me to play soccer in Fort Atkinson, and Coach Murphy, I just met last summer, but he’s been a great help, especially with my recent injuries,” she said.

She also thanked her parents and fellow players for their support.
“I’d like to give my most thanks to my teammates for always pushing me,” Miles said. “I probably wouldn’t be playing soccer if I hadn’t had the opportunity to play with that exact team, so I can give you guys all the credit for this.”

She chose to attend Edgewood, she said, because she liked its smaller size compared to some universities.

“I wasn’t planning on playing soccer because I was going to go to a bigger school in Texas, but then I fell in love with the campus;I got the opportunity to meet Coach Derrick,” Miles said. “Right away, I could just tell that’s where I wanted to be. He made me feel very welcome and I already feel a part of the team. I’ve already talked with some of the girls and spent some time with them when I toured the college.”

Coach Murphy told Fort Atkinson Online that Miles has been unable to play due to an ACL tear that occurred during her club soccer season last month.

“Nonetheless, she is cheering us on and giving advice to others to build them up! It’s like having another coach out there,” he said.

Rounding out the program, Mahoney told the athletes that they have been instrumental to the Fort Atkinson athletic club culture. 

“That’s especially the case this year,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of success and that starts with the people who are sitting right in this room. 

“You have become leaders,” he added. “Continue to grow the leadership skills you have endured and created. I think that will set you apart.”