By Daniel Schoettler
Correspondent
Several University of Wisconsin-Whitewater athletic teams have helped show their support for Justin Wegner, a freshman catcher on the 2016 UW-Whitewater baseball team, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer last year.
Wegner was diagnosed last summer with soft tissue sarcoma and several of the teams have gone “JWEGSTRONG” by holding benefits to help fund his treatments. On April 8, the Warhawk baseball and softball teams hosted their own JWEGSTRONG benefits, following the lead of the volleyball and women’s soccer teams, who did so last fall.
Ticket sales from the baseball and softball games is going to the Jwegstrong Foundation. People who attended could also donate and leave with a wristbrand that says: “#jwegstrong.”
“I think there are a lot of things in life that don’t make a lot of impact on you until you experience it personally,” UW-Whitewater baseball coach John Vodenlich said. “In the last several years, we have had a lot of people affected by cancer.”
Wegner, who has had ongoing treatment, including a 15-hour surgery, one radiation and six months of chemotherapy, was in the dugout for both games that Saturday as well as at practice on Friday.
“This was a special day,” senior infielder Jordan Kuczynski said. “Just having him here, we just wanted to play well for him.”
“It means the world,” Wegner said. “There is a lot of costs with all my treatments and everything and any little bit helps, and the fact that both programs went out of their way to donate to me shows a lot and the class of the athletic programs here at Whitewater.”
Wegner said that the support he has had at home in Naperville and at Whitewater has been overwhelming.
“Knowing that so many people are pulling for me just helps me get through it every day,” Wegner said. “It just wants me to get back here that much more.”
Wegner had surgery and his radiation in Houston, and for the next 10 months he will be undergoing maintenance protocol, where every three weeks, he will receive chemotherapy five hours a day.
Wagner plans to be back at UW-Whitewater for school in the fall and said he is also looking to get back on the playing field with the team.
“I started doing workouts a few weeks ago, so (am) starting to get some of my strength back,” Wegner said. “The goal is to be on the field in the fall and the spring.”
The UW-Whitewater baseball team has shown support for cancer awareness before by hosting a cancer awareness game every year. Several people close to the program – including late coach Jim Miller – have been affected by cancer in their lives.
Four years ago, the Warhawks baseball team had a benefit for the dad of a junior at the time, Austin Jones.
“Through that we found out how many people were really affected,” Vodenlich said. “You have to have it happen to you and impact you for you to realize the magnitude of it.”
Vodenlich said this is the team’s effort to make a small difference, and he was happy that Wegner was there with them. He said he is hopeful Wegner can return to a Warhawks’ uniform next year.
Show your support
On Saturday, April 29, Wegner will be recognized on the field at the conclusion of the Warhawks first game of a doubleheader against UW-Platteville. The school will also continue to sell merchandise to support cancer research including the wristbands.
