'The Badger State 20' showcases the top current athletes hailing from Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s most notable gifts to the world include cheese, beer and cranberries, but who represents the greatest export in athletics?
That’s mostly an unanswerable question, but if we try to gauge which Wisconsin athletes are the biggest sports stars right now, we can at least arrive at a list.
Here’s our best attempt to rank the top 20 Wisconsin natives in sports today. First, a look at what we’re ranking:
- For eligibility, athletes must have attended high school in the state. That rules out athletes who were only born here or live here today, although it does potentially omit a few who are still very much Wisconsinites. You’ll see where we make an exception.
- Athletes must be current, competing within the past year at the college or professional level in their sport.
- The list encompasses off-field notoriety and accomplishments as much as on-field success. Basically, athletes are ranked in a way that encompasses their overall impact in the national sports consciousness.
- The lens is intended to be national (in other words, athletes that are a big deal as much outside Wisconsin’s borders as within), although a higher local profile (such as playing for the Green Bay Packers) definitely doesn’t hurt.
How would you rank them differently, and who do you feel is missing from the list? Email jr.radcliffe@jrn.com or find JR on Twitter at @jrradcliffe.
20. Rose Namajunas (Milwaukee School of the Arts)
When she defeated Joanna Jędrzejczyk for the UFC Strawweight title in November, it was considered a massive upset. Then, she reinforced her title by winning the rematch in April at UFC 223.
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19. Jordan Zimmermann (Auburndale)
It’s been tough sledding for Zimmermann since he joined the Detroit Tigers on a big free-agent deal, with a 5.29 ERA over the past two-plus seasons. He’s fared better this season at age 32, and he’s still one of the rare Wisconsin natives earning regular playing time in Major League Baseball, and he does have a no-hitter under his belt during his days with the Nationals.
ARCHIVE:Jordan Zimmermann throws no-hitter for Nationals
18. Devin Harris (Wauwatosa East)
Though his production has dropped over time, Harris still amassed 8.4 points per game last year for the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets, with 2.1 assists per game. After getting traded to Denver last year, he reached 10,000 points for his career, then resigned with Dallas earlier in August.
17. Joe Pavelski (Stevens Point)
He scored 22 goals with 44 assists in 2018 for the San Jose Sharks – the NHL team with which he has spent his entire career – and continues to produce for one of the best franchises in the league. San Jose reached the Stanley Cup Finals during the 2015-'16 season before falling in the earlier rounds each of the past two seasons. He scored his 300th career goal in December, becoming only the second player in the franchise history of the Sharks to accomplish the feat.
16. Trae Waynes (Kenosha Bradford)
It’s a name Packers fans hear every year. Waynes, a cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings, played in all 16 games last year and finished with 65 tackles and two interceptions, and he’s part of a top-notch secondary that also includes Xavier Rhodes and safety Harrison Smith.
ARCHIVE:Bradford teammates Waynes, Gordon selected together in NFL Draft
15. Allazia Blockton (Dominican)
Blockton was named the Big East women’s basketball Player of the Year after she led the league in scoring (18.9) as a junior and helped the Golden Eagles to their first regular-season title. She’s the first Marquette player to earn the honor, and it wasn’t close – she was the lone unanimous first-team choice.
14. Steve Stricker (Edgerton)
Still going strong at age 51, the name synonymous with Wisconsin golf captured two PGA Tour Champions wins in March and also tied for 20th in the U.S. Open in New York after tying for 16th the year before at Erin Hills. He also hosted the American Family Insurance Championship in Madison again and even brought Shaq along for the ride.
RELATED:D'Amato: Golf and Shaq mix just fine at PGA Tour Champions event in Madison
13. Gwen Jorgensen (Waukesha South)
Jorgensen has only raced sparingly in 2018, winning a 10K and taking seventh in the USA Track and Field Championships in the 10,000 meters, but that remains impressive given that she took all of 2017 off to have her first child. She was a superstar in 2016, becoming the first American to win Olympic gold in the triathlon when she won the event in Rio de Janeiro, and it capped a string of victories in elite triathlon competitions. She’s now turning her attention to marathon running.
12. Beau Benzschawel (Grafton)
The University of Wisconsin junior offensive lineman found himself on the cover of Sports Illustrated with his linemates (including Amherst’s Tyler Biadasz and Seymour’s Jon Dietzen), and he’ll be one of the key figures for a unit that should be incredible in 2018, one year after the Badgers flirted with an undefeated season and their first spot in the College Football Playoff. Benzschawel was named first-team All American last year by SI and has received many preseason accolades this year, as well.
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11. Wesley Matthews (Madison Memorial)
The Dallas Mavericks shooting guard and small forward couldn’t have fashioned a much better career since he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Jazz in 2009. He averaged 12.7 points per game last year with the Mavs, as well as 1.2 steals, 2.7 assists and 3.1 rebounds, in 63 games. He also shot better than 40% from the field.
10. TJ Watt (Pewaukee)
Watt’s high-profile rookie season was a success in Pittsburgh, with his team finishing 13-3 and reaching the playoffs. He was named the starting right outside linebacker early in his rookie season, and recorded seven tackles, two sacks and one interception in a game against the Cleveland Browns. He finished the year with seven sacks and a pick in 15 starts, good for a spot on the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team. He was immediately one of the top 30 NFL jerseys sold (faring even better than his older brother J.J.).
9. Joe Schobert (Waukesha West)
The fourth-round pick with the Cleveland Browns has outperformed expectations … what else is new? Once a lightly-recruited high-school player and a walk-on at the University of Wisconsin who became an indispensable asset, Schobert became a Pro Bowl linebacker in just his second NFL season. He recorded 144 tackles in 2017, tied for the most in the league with Green Bay’s Blake Martinez and Buffalo’s Preston Brown.
8. Kevon Looney (Milwaukee Hamilton)
Looney’s stat line may not jump off the page – even as his playing time has increased to more than 13 minutes a game this year, he’s still averaging just 4.0 points per contest. But the Golden State Warriors have relied a lot on his defense, and he wound up serving as the sixth man when the Warriors won the 2017-'18 NBA title. The 6-9 big man who attended UCLA for one season now has two rings, and he re-signed with the Warriors this summer.
7. Melvin Gordon (Kenosha Bradford)
The Los Angeles Chargers running back continues to ascend as one of the bright young talents in the NFL, finishing last year with 1,105 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. It was his first 1,000 yard season in the pros, and it netted him an alternate spot on the Pro Bowl roster after making the team in 2016. The former Doak Walker Award winner at the University of Wisconsin has the potential to be a huge breakout star in 2018, and Pewaukee native Derek Watt will be among those leading the block at fullback.
6. Matt Hamilton (McFarland)
The 29-year-old became a national sensation when his men’s curling team surprisingly took the gold medal in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. With his sister, Becca, he qualified as the first-ever mixed doubles curling team from the U.S. The American men defeated three-time defending Olympic gold medalist Canada twice, then upset Sweden in the final to stage the stunner.
RELATED:D'Amato: Olympic curler Matt Hamilton is enjoying his 15 minutes of fame
5. Alex Rigsby (Arrowhead) and other members of the U.S. women’s hockey team.
We’re cheating here a little, and we admit it (although not with the goalie Rigsby, who did graduate from AHS). Other players on the team (Brianna Decker, Amanda Kessel) hail from Wisconsin (Delafield and Madison, respectively) but played high-school hockey in Minnesota. The U.S. hockey team defeated Canada in a thriller to win Olympic gold in Pyeongchang, capping an important stretch for the women that also featured a successful campaign to achieve gender equality in pay and treatment from USA Hockey. The threat of boycott in 2017 was followed with triumph in the 2017 World Championships. It was the first time the U.S. women won Olympic gold since 1998.
RELATED:Dream comes true for U.S. women's hockey, fans across America
4. Travis Frederick (Big Foot)
Most outlets looking at the NFL’s offensive linemen will tell you that Frederick is the best center in football, not allowing a sack last year for the Dallas Cowboys and solidifying a line that is routinely regarded as one of the best in football. Frederick carries on a great tradition of offensive linemen from the state succeeding in the NFL, including now-retired former teammate Doug Free and future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas.
3. Joe Thomas (Brookfield Central)
He’s announced his retirement from the NFL, so this will be his final appearance on a list like this, but if we’re going by our stipulation that he needed to play within the past year, then he belongs up here (for 2018, anyway). Thomas capped off his remarkable Hall of Fame career with the Cleveland Browns with the recognition as an NFL ironman (10,363 consecutive snaps before an injury in October ended his season), not to mention continued status as one of the best offensive tackles ever. The injury meant this would be the first year in his career when he wasn’t chosen for the Pro Bowl. He’s quickly pivoted to becoming a visible media personality, including co-hosting a popular podcast.
RELATED:Wisconsin officials rave about Joe Thomas as a football player and friend
2. J.J. Watt (Pewaukee)
Watt only played sparingly this past NFL season with the Houston Texans after a grisly leg injury cut short his season. But that’s only a fraction of his story. He also spearheaded an effort that raised $37 million for hurricane relief in the Houston area, the latest charitable pursuit that earned him the title of Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year, among several other acknowledgments. He’s been prepping for the 2018 season, where he looks to resume his Hall of Fame career and perhaps even add a fourth NFL Defensive Player of the Year trophy to his collection.
RELATED:J.J. Watt named to Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people in 2018
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1. Arike Ogunbowale (Divine Savior Holy Angels)
Perhaps this is a bit of an upset, since JJ Watt is definitely a greater national brand. But though Watt’s humanitarianism garnered him national attention unlike anything he’s seen before, Ogunbowale accomplished something that will almost certainly never be duplicated in the history of college basketball. She hit game-winning buzzer beaters both in the national semifinal and national final, with the former coming against powerhouse UConn, and lifted her Notre Dame women’s basketball team to the NCAA Division I title. Her incredible performance netted her a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated, a visit to The Ellen Show and, most notably, an appearance on Dancing With the Stars, where she ultimately left the show the same week as former Milwaukee Bucks star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. She’ll be a senior at Notre Dame this year, where she’ll have the crazy task of figuring out how to stage an encore.
JUST MISSED
Vince Biegel (Wisconsin Rapids). After overcoming an injury last year, he played in nine games with the Packers, and now he’ll get a shot to leave his mark at the linebacking position.
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Brandon Brooks (Milwaukee Riverside). The offensive lineman was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2017 after starting all 16 games at right guard for the Philadelphia Eagles. He didn’t get to play in the Pro Bowl, however, since he was preparing to win his first Super Bowl.
Sam Dekker (Sheboygan Lutheran). One of the best players in Wisconsin high-school basketball history, Dekker was recently traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged 4.2 points per game last year with the Los Angeles Clippers, and has cultivated a lasting presence in the Wisconsin zeitgeist.
RELATED:Check out photos from the wedding of former Badgers star Sam Dekker and Olivia Harlan in Door County
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Marwin Evans (Oak Creek). The Green Bay Packers found an undrafted gem in Evans, who has played safety and served a role on special teams.
Sam Hauser (Stevens Point). The potential first-team All Conference performer in the Big East had a splashy year for the Marquette men’s basketball team. He was named Marquette’s most valuable player after averaging 14.1 points per game and shooting 49 percent from 3-point range.
RELATED:Marquette's Sam Hauser one of nation's most efficient offensive players
Lance Kendricks (Milwaukee King). The tight end caught 18 passes in his first year with the Packers last year, including one touchdown, though he’s in a battle for a roster spot this time around.
Simone Lee (Menomonee Falls). The Penn State volleyball dynamo was named first-team All American for the second time, playing for the nation’s powerhouse program. She earned Big Ten Player of the Year, reached the Final Four and was also named as one of four outside hitters on the U.S. National Team.
RELATED:Former Falls star Simone Lee played a key role in helping Team USA win Pan-American Cup gold
Chris Maragos (Racine Horlick). Though he was on injured reserve late in the season, he won his second career Super Bowl ring after the Eagles defeated the Patriots for the 2017 NFL title. One of the best special teams players in football.
Brad Nortman (Brookfield Central). The punter made it all the way to the AFC Championship game with the Jacksonville Jaguars last year, and more big things are expected this season.
Ryan Ramczyk (Stevens Point). First-round draft choice by the New Orleans Saints was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Game after starting 12 games at right tackle and four at left tackle in 2017.
Ricky Wagner (West Allis Hale). He played in 13 games for the Detroit Lions this past season at right tackle after signing a lucrative free-agent contract last offseason.
Kevin Zeitler (Wisconsin Lutheran). He signed a big contract with the Cleveland Browns that made him the highest-paid guard in the NFL at the time last offseason. He played in all 16 games.
Others to know
Ben Askren (Arrowhead). His last MMA fight came Nov. 24, 2017; he never lost a match and finished at 18-0 with one no contest before calling it a career. But the former U.S. Olympic wrestler has always left the door open for a return.
Allie Barber (Cedarburg). Just a sophomore, Barber was named Big East Player of the Year for Marquette University in women’s volleyball. She was named honorable-mention All American.
Nick Bellore (Whitefish Bay). The linebacker was a special teams whiz with the Jets and 49ers but signed with the Lions before the 2017 season, where they converted him to fullback. He caught a touchdown Dec. 3 for the first score of his career and resigned with Detroit in March.
Ben Bredeson (Arrowhead). Guard for the Michigan football team was second-team All-Big Ten last year as a sophomore. He's on the 2018 Outland Trophy watch list.
Dezerea Bryant (Bradley Tech). Superb sprinter who attended Kentucky took the gold medal in a relay at the North American-Central American-Caribbean Championships in August. She was a 17-time All American in track and field in college.
Alex Dieringer (Port Washington). The three-time NCAA wrestling champion is ranked third in his weight class by USA Wrestling.
Katie Drabot (Cedarburg). Swimmer at Stanford has won two NCAA championships with her team the past two seasons and served on two national-championship relays.
Henry Ellenson (Rice Lake). The Detroit Pistons first-round draft pick two seasons ago saw action in 38 games this past year, bringing in 4.0 points per game.
Natisha Hideman (Green Bay Southwest) and Amani Wilborn (Milwaukee Riverside). Both key components of the Marquette women’s basketball team that has enjoyed upward momentum over the past three seasons.
Danny Jansen (Appleton West). Top catching prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays organization was recently recalled to the team and belted his first home run Aug. 14.
RELATED:Danny Jansen: 'The last few days have been crazy'
Jarred Kelenic (Waukesha West). Drafted in June by the New York Mets with the sixth overall pick and is ranked No. 67 among baseball prospects by MLB.com.
RELATED:Jarred Kelenic of Waukesha West High School becomes highest MLB drafted prep player from Wisconsin
Jerry Kelly (Madison East). Like Stricker, Kelly keeps going strong into his 50s, with three wins on the PGA Champions Tour in the past year (most recently in January).
AJ Klein (Kimberly). Linebacker started the first 12 games of 2017 with the New Orleans Saints, recording 54 tackles and two sacks. He played in Super Bowl 50 with the Panthers.
Gavin Lux (Kenosha Indian Trail). In his second year with the Dodgers organization after becoming a first-round MLB pick, as well. Hitting .333 in first 11 games at Double-A.
Jake McCabe (Eau Claire Memorial). Collected 12 points this year in 53 games with the Buffalo Sabres and has been an NHL regular the past three seasons.
Alex McRae (New Berlin Eisenhower). Pitcher in the Pirates organization just made his Major League Debut.
RELATED:New Berlin Eisenhower graduate Alex McRae on his way to big leagues with Pittsburgh Pirates
Jordan Niebrugge (Homestead). The golfer took first place on the Mackenzie Tour’s Freedom 55 Financial Open in June, one of many career accomplishments for the emerging pro golfer (including a top-six finish at the British Open as an amateur in 2015 and a top-35 showing at the U.S. Open at Erin Hills in 2017.
Andrija Novakovich (Muskego). The soccer forward has been thriving overseas, and he’s now earned two caps playing with the U.S. Men’s National Team.
RELATED:Muskego native Andrija Novakovich appears in first match for U.S. men's national soccer team
Anthony Pettis (Dominican). Pettis was a small part of the drama surrounding UFC 223 (highlighted by Conor McGregor throwing a dolly through the window of a bus and causing Pettis’ scheduled bout to get canceled). But Pettis won his fight at UFC 226 in July and earned Performance of the Night. His professional record stands at 21-7.
Jordan Poole (Milwaukee King). The Michigan men’s basketball player reached the NCAA Division I championship game with the Wolverines and saw his profile surge when he hit a game-winning shot against Houston in the second round.
RELATED:Milwaukee native Jordan Poole hits unlikely buzzer beater to lift Michigan into Sweet 16
Brevin Pritzl (De Pere). Scored 8.9 points per game last year for the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team that looks to return to the tournament this year after a rare “down” season.
Derek Watt (Pewaukee). The fullback for the Los Angeles Chargers played in all 16 games each of his first two seasons in the league and also carried the ball six times last year.