Wisconsin
Wisconsin kayaker who faked his death and fled to Asia says plan was a ‘crazy, emotional dream’
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin kayaker who faked his own death so he could start a new life with a woman in the country of Georgia texted his wife he loved her on the night he executed the plan, telling her he had gone to the lake to watch the northern lights.
Emily Borgwardt woke up alone the next morning, her desperate texts of “Where are you????” and “Babe?” going unanswered. By that point her husband, Ryan Borgwardt, had already overturned his kayak on Green Lake and biked through the night to catch a bus to Canada, the first leg on his journey to the Georgian capital of Tibilsi to meet a Ukranian woman he was secretly courting online.
The texts were among a massive file of case documents the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office released to The Associated Press this week that offer a glimpse into the couple’s tense marriage. In one included interview, Borgwardt told detectives that he was a failure and called his plan to abscond to the country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia a “crazy, emotional dream.”
Borgwardt, 46, was convicted of obstruction last month. His wife divorced him in May. The AP left a phone message Tuesday for her attorney, listed in online court records as Andrew Griggs.
An elaborate plot and frantic search
The cabinetmaker, who lived with his wife and their three children in Watertown, traveled about 50 miles (80 kilometers) to Green Lake to go kayaking on the night of Aug. 11, 2024. He never came home.
Sheriff’s deputies discovered his kayak on the lake in an area where the water was about 200 feet (60 meters) deep. The search for his body went on for 50 days.
Borgwardt had intentionally overturned the kayak and paddled back to shore in an inflatable raft. He retrieved an electric bike he had stashed nearby and rode 70 miles (112 kilometers) through the night to the Wisconsin capital of Madison, where he caught a bus to the Toronto airport.
He eventually made it to Tibilsi where he met a woman named Katya he’d met on a dating website in December 2023. By February of 2024 they had become close friends and he began researching how to fake his own death that April so he could be with her.
Sheriff’s investigators eventually contacted him via email using information on a laptop he had left behind. They convinced him to return to Wisconsin in December, largely by pleading with him to do right by his family.
‘A door kind of opens up for you’
Before they booked Borgwardt into jail, investigators asked him during a three-hour interview why he did it.
He said he felt like a failure, saying later in the interview that he has accumulated about $75,000 in credit card debt and $130,000 in business debt. He said he didn’t have a good relationship with his wife and his children didn’t want to do anything with him anymore.
“I think just the inability to feel like you could talk to your wife about some of this stuff, and maybe the complete hopelessness that you have in the situation that you’re in,” he said. “And you end up meeting a friend somewhere on the other side of the world who sort of has a somewhat similar story and you just end up becoming friends and the friend thing ends up turning into more, but you didn’t really plan on that.
“It wasn’t your intention. So a door kind of opens up for you in a way to possibly make things work like that,” he added.
He said he hoped that he could avoid detection long enough to be declared legally dead. At that point he planned to apply for citizenship in Georgia but hadn’t figured out how to do that if he was declared dead.
A revealing text exchange
The tension in the Borgwardts’ marriage was evident in their last texts the night he fled.
He told her at 10:36 p.m. that he “may have snuck out on a lake.”
“That would have been nice to know,” Emily Borgwardt responded. “I was beginning to wonder why you weren’t home.”
After he apologized, she responded: “Nothing new. I should be used to it by now. So many nights I have no idea where you are when it’s late.”
He responded that he’ll work on their communication, adding that he saw the northern lights and they were pink. He then texted: “I love you…. goodnight.”
Emily Borgwardt told him that she loved him, too, and to be safe.
“I’ll be heading back to shore soon,” he responded at 10:49 p.m., his final message before his wife’s frantic ones at 5:12 a.m. asking where he was.
Throughout the interview with detectives Borgwardt repeatedly asked whether Katya was in trouble, too. He said he would like to return to her because the cost of living is so much cheaper in Georgia than in the U.S.
At the end of the interview, he asked the detectives if he could use the justice center’s Wi-Fi to let Katya know he was OK. One of the deputies tells Borgwardt he’ll email her for him.
Borgwardt pleaded no contest to the obstruction charge on Aug. 26. He was sentenced to 89 days in jail.
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Associated Press writer Scott Bauer contributed to this report.
After landing three-star edge rusher/defensive lineman Yahzeen Zion on Saturday, the Wisconsin Badgers got another key commitment at the position on Sunday, as three-star Darin Graham committed to the program.
Graham, a native of Illinois, stands 6’5, 220 pounds, and hails from Mount Carmel, which is where the Badgers got running back Darrion Dupree from in the 2024 class.
The three-star edge rusher was a part of Wisconsin’s first group of official visitors last weekend, but left campus without announcing his commitment.
The two other top suitors here were Ole Miss, which was expected to get an official visit this weekend, and Purdue, but Graham elected to shut down his commitment this weekend and committed to the Badgers on Sunday.
He caps off quite the weekend for outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell, who now has a loaded room with Graham and Zion (if he sticks at edge) joining three-star in-state recruit Isaac Miller.
Wisconsin also had three-star Texas Tech edge rusher Brody Pfannenstiel on campus this weekend, being a top contender there as well. But, it’s unclear if the Badgers will take another edge rusher after their success this weekend.
Graham becomes commit No. 20 in the class for Wisconsin, and the Badgers still have more to come.
Luke Fickell just landed a massive 2027 commitment that should have Wisconsin stoked for. Yahzeen Zion, a 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive lineman from Arizona, pledged to the Badgers, and the punch line isn’t just his size. It’s who Wisconsin beat to get him.
Zion’s offer list immediately separated this from a routine early-cycle win. He held offers from LSU, Oklahoma, Penn State, Miami and USC, with Georgia interest floating around as well. Wisconsin has lived for decades on developing three-star linemen into NFL players, but that model gets harder when opponents stockpile blue-chip disruptors up front. Pulling a national-recruitment defensive lineman out of Arizona signaled Wisconsin’s recruiting footprint has expanded under Fickell in a real way.
On the field, Zion fits the modern profile Wisconsin has needed more of on the defensive front. He arrived at football as a converted basketball player, and that background showed up in the movement skills on his film. Zion shows versatility at multiple spots on the defensive line, winning both on the edge and inside with speed-to-power and an active motor that didn’t shut off snap to snap. Wisconsin has leaned on scheme and development to generate pressure, but Big Ten games usually swing when a defender can win one-on-one without help.
Zion projects as that kind of disruptor.
The bigger point for Wisconsin is what this kind of pledge can do inside a class. Recruiting builds on itself, and momentum is real right now for Wisconsin. Next up, watch whether Wisconsin can stack more out-of-state wins off Zion’s momentum and turn a splashy 2027 start into a true foundation class.
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LA CROSSE — Several athletes from Central Wisconsin left La Crosse as state champions, and several more snatched podium finishes after a dominant two days at the WIAA state track and field championships at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium on Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6.
From state champions to repeat champions, here is a look at every local track athlete who either won a state medal or notched a top-6 podium finish, separated each day and each of the three divisions.
Day 2, Saturday, June 6
Division 1:
Stevens Point’s Zachariah Zillman took home the silver medal in the long jump event and Salyssa Kellerman took sixth-place in the triple jump event. SPASH’s team of Tessa Bruckhart, Lorena Hill, Emersyn Wavrunek and Taylor Cejka notched a podium finish, taking fourth place in the 4×800 meter relay race.
SPASH’s relay team of Seubert, Hill, Mueller and Wavrunek captured a gold medal in the 4×400 relay.
Wausau West’s Maci Heise took the silver medal in the 300-meter hurdles. Warriors teammate Cullin Quance took home the bronze medal in the long jump.
Marshfield’s team of Adeline Lonsdale, Hailey Klumb, Leann Ledtke and Natalie Scharenbroch took fifth place in the 4×800 relay.
Wausau East’s Mckaea Taylor took fourth place in the pole vault and teammate Elsa Oestreich was right behind, placing fifth.
Marshfield’s Derek Ongna took the silver medal in the boys high jump event.
Division 2:
Colby’s Daelyn Rieck won a gold medal in the discus throw.
Division 3:
Marathon’s Garrett Bracewell brought home a gold medal in the boys 300-meter hurdles and a silver medal in the 110 meter hurdles. Teammates Fred Tylinski, Luke Hoenish, Brady Annis and Bracewell also snagged a gold medal in the 4×200 race. Marathon’s Emma Schult took third place in the discus throw.
Marathon’s Chris Marcell broke the shot put meet record, snagging his second consecutive gold medal. While Berta Bota Palma added to Marathon’s dominance, snagging a sixth-place finish in the triple jump.
Pacelli’s Luke Eiden notched two podium finishes, taking home a bronze medal in the 1600-meter and a sixth place in the 3200-meter.
Assumption’s Michael Dolan brought home a gold medal in the boys 3200-meter and a silver medal in the 1,600-meter. Teammate Bella Thomas took home a gold medal in the 400-meter and a silver in the girls 100-meter and a fourth place finish in the 200-meter. Teammate Reed Hartjes notched a sixth-place finish in the boys 1600-meter.
The Royals relay team of Cullen Thomas, Aiden Daliege, Calen Ott and Trey France finished in fifth place in the 4×400 relay race.
Rosholt’s Alex Wierzba took home the gold medal in the boys 100-meter and a silver medal in the 200-meter while the Hornets team of Isabelle Trzebiatowski, Evelyn Bablitch, Kaitlyn Dombrowski and Liliana Losinski notched a podium finish, taking fourth place in the 4×800. Teammate Evelyn Bablitch notched a sixth-place finish in the 3,200.
Stratford’s Zander Zawislan snagged the gold medal in the boys 200-meter and 400-meter aces while teammate Brianna Sherden notched a sixth-place finish in both the 100 and 200-meter races. Teammate Connor Kreft took home a bronze medal in the triple jump.
Nekoosa’s team of Austin Czappa, Darion Boswell, Finlei Krcmar and Jarrett Wilcox took the silver medal in the 4×100.
Athens Ava Ford finished fifth in the pole vault.
Spencer’s Breckin Miller finished fifth in the 110-meter hurdles.
Trevor Trowbridge of Auburndale notched a podium finish, taking sixth place in the 110-meter hurdles. Teammates Logan Nagel finished in fourth in the shot put while Gracie Hasenohrl took sixth in the pole vault. The Eagles team of Marti Anderson, Alivia Wolf, Rose Hasenohrl and Iris Galetto placed fifth in the 4×400.
Tomahawk’s Elise Gibeault claimed the bronze medal in the 400.
Adams-Friendship’s Molly Johnson took fourth place in the 400.
Edgar’s team of Mav Butt, Graham Streit, Landon Lukasko and Dawson Bornheimer took fourth place in the 4×100 relay race. Then Edgar’s team of Lukasko, Tucker Streit, Streit and Isaiah Kraft notched a silver medal in the 4×400.
Day 1, Friday, June 5
Division 1:
Xavier Edwards of D.C. Everest returned to state but this time walked away with a silver medal, taking second place in Division 1’s triple jump. His teammate, Ethan Whitmore finished tied with Wisconsin Lutheran’s John Gehl for sixth place in the boys pole vault.
Stevens Point relay team of Dash Kvatek, John Jazdzewski, Ben Hopp and Cooper Erickson snatched fourth place in the boys 4×800. On the girls side for SPASH, Lorena Hill, Alivia Koback, Riley Mueller and Jada Seubert placed fifth in the first round of the 4×200. While the team of Hill, Seubert, Mueller and Wavrunek placed first in the first round of the 4×400.
Wausau East’s Parker Schmitt finished in third place in the first round of the boys 400-meter.
Crosstown-rival Wausau West’s Heise walked away with second place in the first round of the Division 1 girls 300 hurdles.
Division 2:
Colby’s Rieck finished first in the first round of the Division 3 shot put.
Division 3
Marathons’ Marcell went back-to-back taking gold in the shot put event. Teammates Bracewell took first place in the first round of Division 3’s boys 110 meter hurdles. Teammates, Tylinski, Hoenish, Annis and Bracewell finished second place in the second round of the boys 4 xv200 Division 3 race.
Spencer’s Breckin Miller took a gold medal in the pole vault and sixth place in the 110 meter hurdles
Athens’ Sy’Rih Hartwig brought home a gold medal in the shot put.
Edgars 4×800 relay team of Dillon Sondeleski, Emitt VanOrnum, Dom Contreras and Kraft took home a silver medal in Division 3’s race with Marathon’s team of Etan Huesbsch, Logan Peters, John Kahon and Annis finishing in fourth place. Kraft earned a bronze medal in the 800-meter race.
Assumption’s Lucy Dolan took home a silver medal in Division 3’s 1600 meter.
Thomas of Assumption finished first in the first round of the 400-meter race and third place in the first round of the girls Division 3 100-meter race. Teammate Lucy Dolan snagged a fourth-place finish in the 800-meter race.
Auburndale’s Trowbridge finished fourth in the first round of the boys 110-meter hurdles.
Abbotsford’s Carter Cihlar notched a podium finish, taking fourth place in the pole vault.
Wierzba of Rosholt finished in second place in the boys 100-meter race.
Stratford’s team of Wynn Schoenherr, Brye Shaw, Samantha Frick and Sherden finished in fifth place in the first round of the girls 4×200. Then the Tiger group of Carter Foster, Austin Niehaus, Mason Miller, Austin Foster took sixth place in the first round of the boys 4×100. Teammate Zawislan took second place in the first round of the boys 400-meter. Sherden also finished sixth in the first round of the girls 100-meter dash.
Nekoosa’s Czappa, Boswell, Krcmar, and Wilcox took fourth place in the first round of the 4×100.
Adams-Friendship’s Molly Johnson took third place in the Division 3 girls 400-meter race, followed by Gibeault of Tomahawk in fourth.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Reporter Alfred Smith III at alfred.smith@usatoday.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AlfredS_III.
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