BELOIT — Beloit Memorial athletic director Jon Dupuis said that the Purple Knights who had gathered in the cafeteria of the high school on Wednesday afternoon were especially exceptional because of the example they were setting for further graduating classes.
That’s because the seven Beloit athletes were there with friends and family decked out in an array of sporting merch for a collegiate signing ceremony, a sign of the development that many of the programs at Beloit Memorial are seeing.
“We have seven athletes that are representing five different sports, so that’s amazing,” Dupuis said. “Last year we only had three. So, kudos to this senior class going on to the next level.”
Most importantly, these seven student-athletes get a chance to continue their athletic careers and play a sport that they’ve grown to love.
Samantha Regnier will play volleyball at Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville. Devin Froemming is headed to Cornell College to be a part of the football program. Toby Robinson will continue to showcase his “run it at you” mentality on the football field for the College of Dupage. Ethan Lulinski will play football at Carroll University. Allie Gustafson will take to the diamond for the Beloit College softball team. Kori Burnett hopes to make a splash as part of the women’s swim team at UW-Oshkosh while Aidan Donovan hopes to do the same as part of Grinnell College’s men’s swim team.
• REGNIER: The 5-foot-7 setter hopes to continue to put her outside hitters in a position to deliver booming kills as part of the Talons. Regnier will be a part of the inaugural sports department at the school in Janesville. The college, which will compete in the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association (NJCAA) in Region 4 at the Division II level, is offering students a chance to compete in sports for the first time ever this fall, with five different ones set to debut.
“Blackhawk Tech is blessed to have Sam attend,” Beloit volleyball head coach Kim Gamble said. “She has been a wonderful part of our program for four years. She is an aggressive player that makes an amazing effort and really developed into a solid leader. She cares about her teammates and what she does.”
Regnier plans to major in nursing.
• FROEMMING: The 6-foot, 291-pound aggresive bruiser of a lineman earned Honorable Mention as an offensive tackle in the Southern Lakes Conference and was a member of the 2023 BDN All-Area football team as a defensive lineman his senior season.
“Devin is a prime example of a hard worker,” Knights’ head coach Brad Dement said. “He busted his butt to play defense and offense for us. He worked hard in the weight room and is one of our strongest kids. When you go to the next level, however hard you worked here, you’re going to have to work harder to succeed at the next level”
Froemming plans to major in kinesiology.
• ROBINSON: The 5-foot-9 running back, who also saw some time in the secondary, wasn’t afraid to barrel towards and over a defender to pick up extra yardage for the Knights. Robinson earned a special mention on the SLC All-Conference team and BDN All-Area team his junior season.
“I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Toby,” Dement said. “He’s worked hard and had some great and explosive plays and returns for us. He’s a spectacular athlete. I’m looking forward to him attending DuPage. Our old athletic director (Joel Beard) is the offensive coordinator there so he’s got someone that knows him and can push him. DuPage is a national champion JUCO college, so he’ll have some great competition.”
Robinson plans to major in business.
• LULINSKI: Dement was especially excited to see his 6-foot, 250-pound lineman choose to attend his alma mater and become a Pioneer. In addition to helping clear the way for Beloit’s formidable rushing attack as a guard, Lulinski also frequently got after the quarterback and running backs in the backfield as a defensive lineman.
“These are all guys that have been here since I became the head coach, so it’s hard to see them go,” Dement said. “Ethan came in as a scrawny little freshman, and he’s put on 30 or 40 pounds of muscle. He’s really the prototypical guy you want in the weight room. He’s busted his butt, he’s everyone’s teammate and a leader.”
Lulinski plans to major in business administration.
• GUSTAFSON: The 5-foot-10 third baseman for the Knights paced the team with her .403 batting average. A power hitter who blasted seven home runs and five doubles, she knocked in 28 runs and scored 20 to help Beloit win multiple games and advance to the regional championship for the first time since 2019. She earned a spot on the SLC First Team this season.
“Allie has been a huge leader and spark for us over the last four years,” Davis said. “I hate to see her go, but luckily we get to watch her further her future with Beloit College softball. We wish her all of the best of luck.”
Gustafson will major in psychology
• BURNETT: A specialist in the freestyle and fly, Burnett finished her prep career with two strong finishes at a tough Racine Case sectional, where she placed third in the 100-yard fly with a time of 1:00.77. She also had a solid performance in the 50 free, where she finished eighth (24.85).
“Kori has been a part of our swim program since middle school,” head coach Kim Waite said. “We will miss her leadership and the hard work ethic she brought. Swim is very physically and mentally tough, it takes up a lot of your time. We’re here at 6 a.m. and still here at 6 p.m. every single night for 15 weeks.”
Burnett is undecided on a major.
• DONOVAN: The multiple-time state qualifying Donovan plans to compete in the sprint and freestyle events as part of the Pioneers. He placed 22nd in the 200 free after finishing in 1:47.63 at the state meet his senior season, and was 14th in the 100 free (47.38) his junior year.
“As a captain, Aidan went out of his way to make sure we did a great job not only in the pool but outside of it,” head coach Brian Michels said. “As a first year head coach, I came in with a core of six very talented swimmers, and Aidan was one of them. (Our relay, which Aidan was a part of,) actually won sectionals in the 200 free. It was great to have him for his leadership and his swimming ability.”
Donovan, who plans to go into pre-med biology, will be a part of a Grinnell team which has won eight consecutive Midwest Conference titles.
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