Donnie Manke selected to receive Kevin Stemke Award
Wisconsin Sports Network and WisSports.net are proud to announce Lodi's Donnie Manke as the 2012 recipient of the Kevin Stemke Award as the most outstanding senior kicker or punter in Wisconsin, part of the WSN Senior Football Awards.
Manke has been one of the top kickers in the state for several years now, and put together a huge senior season. As a punter he averaged 40.8 yards per punt, with 8 of his 27 kicks going inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
It was as a kicker however that he really excelled. He connected on 24 of 25 extra points for the Blue Devils, and was good on 13 of 19 field goals, including several of more than 40 yards. Against Watertown Luther Prep he made field goals from 47, 21, 34, and 47 yards, while adding successful attempts of 47, 38, and 38 against Lake Mills. In the final game of the 2011 season he booted a 52-yard game-winner in the final seconds to beat Poynette.
His 13 made field goals this season is tied for third in state history. Today he was named WFCA First Team All-State.
Finalists for the award were Manke, Joel Cretney of Mount Horeb/Barneveld, Greg Ganter of Cuba City, Mitchell Meindell of Catholic Memorial, and Eli Wettstein of De Pere.
Past winners of the award include Menomonee Falls' Kyle French (2009), Arrowhead's Drew Meyer (2010), and Sun Prairie's Lucas Otto (2011).
The award is named after Kevin Stemke, a Green Bay Preble graduate who would go on to play for the Wisconsin Badgers. At UW, Stemke quickly made an impression, setting the record for punting average as just a freshman. After a senior season that saw him average 44.5 yards per punt, Stemke was presented with the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter. Kevin also holds UW records for highest punting average in a career (43.5) and total punting yards (10,660).
The voting panel for the WSN Senior Football Awards consisted of: Travis Wilson, WSN Content Manager and Head Football Writer; Nicholas Kartos, WSN President and Founder; Norbert Durst, WSN Content Producer; Dennis Semrau, Wisconsin State Journal; Justin Hull, WSCO The Score 95.3 in Appleton; John Casper Jr., La Crosse Tribune; Dan Barwick, WSN Associate Content Producer
