For the Wellnitz family it’s basketball, basketball and more basketball

By John Dalton

When Jen Wellnitz took the head girls’ basketball coaching job at Argyle three years ago, she asked four of her younger sisters if they wanted to play for her.  Two of her sisters (Tara and Hailey) were currently on the roster at Black Hawk High School in the South Wayne, WI school district.  

It was a tough decision for the two girls, as Black Hawk girls' basketball has a rich tradition as a basketball program, thanks in part to Jen, and her three oldest sisters (Erin, Kim, and Melissa) who all helped build that tradition at Black Hawk.   

“I told my younger sisters that I’m going to be coaching at Argyle, and if you want to follow me, feel free,” Jen recently told me in an interview.  

Tara and Hailey stayed at Black Hawk as Hailey wanted to play with Tara her senior year in 2022-23 and remains at Black Hawk whose team recently lost in a Regional game last Friday to Wauzeka-Steuben. 

Jen’s two youngest sisters (Brooke and Jade) opted to follow Jen to Argyle.  For the first two years, Jen coached just Argyle, but for the 2023-24 season, Pecatonica joined forces in a co-op move.  Argyle/Pec plays in the Six Rivers-East Conference.  And, so does Black Hawk.  So ironically, in a rare situation, Coach Wellnitz has coached against two sisters and is also coaching two sisters.  

(see the rest of this story in the February 29, 2024 Chronicle issue)