By Rich Palzewic
Contributing Writer
GREEN BAY – With the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) sanctioning lacrosse for the first time this season, one area player is taking that momentum to the collegiate level.
Katelyn Wisneski, a Green Bay Southwest senior playing for Notre Dame Academy (NDA), recently signed her National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play lacrosse at Lewis University, a Division II college in Romeoville, Illinois.
“I’m so excited to play at the next level,” Wisneski said. “It was exciting signing (my NLI) in front of all my friends, family and teammates and seeing that hard work pays off.”
Wisneski said LU felt like home when she visited.
“Being Division II is one thing that stood out but also how open the coach was when she offered me a spot on her team,” she said. “Coach (Colleen) Kincaid was genuine with our conversation, and it felt like the right fit. It’s only 35 miles away from Chicago, and the campus was the perfect size for me.”
Wisneski said she had three other offers besides LU and at least 15 other schools that were interested in her.
“I’m glad the recruiting process is over,” she said. “The most stressful thing about it was making a decision and letting coaches know I wouldn’t be committing to their schools. Most of the schools gave me encouraging and supportive feedback, which made me feel not as bad. All the offers were in the Midwest area, and I tried to keep my options to the Midwest — although, some East Coast schools were tempting.”
Diving deeper into the recruiting process, Wisneski said it was rewarding and draining at the same time.
“Sending college coaches your film, emails with game times and the tournaments you would be at — and telling them you were interested in their program was overwhelming,” she said. “You play under a lot of pressure when you know college coaches and scouts are watching you. The nerve-racking moments of coaches coming up to me after a game to talk were a little scary, but the reassurance, feedback and them stating they thought I would be an incredible addition to their team was rewarding.”
Katelyn, the daughter of Phillip and Xong Wisneski, said LU reached out to her in July of 2022 after her last summer club tournament.
“The visits to all the schools were fun,” she said. “The work you put into the process determines what you will get out of it.
How it began
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wisneski didn’t play an official high school lacrosse game until her sophomore year with Green Bay United (GBU).
“After my sophomore year playing for GBU, I was left without a team,” she said. “That’s when I latched on to NDA — I’m grateful for the opportunity to play there. (NDA) Athletic Director (Matt) Koenig, Coach Kilabrew (VanDyke) and Coach Hailey (Anderson) worked hard to make NDA’s first lacrosse season possible.”
Wisneski, who will study psychology at LU, said she thought a collegiate lacrosse career might be possible after her sophomore year playing with GBU.
“I got defensive all-conference after my first official season,” she said. “I knew if I put in the work, anything was possible. After my junior year — my first season playing for NDA — I was again selected for defensive all-conference and selected to play in the Wisconsin Lacrosse Federation all-conference game. It’s basically like an all-star game for Wisconsin girls’ lacrosse. Playing against the best of the best was crazy — I’m so thankful for that experience. I didn’t know what to expect going into that game, but once the game started, my confidence grew as I started to make some plays and hold my own.”
Future at LU
Wisneski said Coach Kincaid hasn’t had any specific talks with her about redshirting her freshman season.
“We haven’t gone into detail about my plans there besides that I would be a great addition to the team,” she said. “I’m excited to step up to any opportunity I’m given.”
The Flyers finished the 2023 season 4-9, including an 0-6 conference record.
LU plays in the Great Lakes Valley Conference with the likes of the University of Indianapolis, Maryville, McKendree, Rockhurst, Missouri Western State University and Quincy University.