The Marquette Tribune campus news since 1916
Volume 109, Number 16
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
www.marquettewire.org
MU hurdler charged with child sex crimes
Photos by Clay Ellis-Escobar clay.ellis-escobar@marquette.edu
21-year-old William Waterstradt is not listed on the Marquette track & field team's 2025-26 roster.
Track & field athlete no longer at the university By Jack Albright & Sophia Tiedge
jack.albright@marquette.edu sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu
A
Marquette track & field athlete has been charged with 12 felony counts of child sex crimes in Langlade
County, Wisconsin. Prosecutors on Jan. 13 charged 21-year-old William Waterstradt, a senior in the College of Communication from Green Bay, with: - Three counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child - Three counts of using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime - Three counts of exposing genitals to a child
- Two counts of child enticement - One count of child sexual exploitation Each of the three counts of sexual assault of a child alone hold a prison sentence of up to 40 years and/ or a $100,000 fine. Waterstradt, who identified himself as a 17-yearold “Connor O’Neill,” was communicating with the 13-year-old victim through
Snapchat, according to the criminal complaint. He has been accused of going to Langlade on three occasions between July and October of 2025. The victim told prosecutors that once she told “Connor” her age she “expected that he would limit or cut off contact, but that he continued with no issues,” the complaint said. Detectives reviewed messages between Waterstradt and the victim in which he acknowledged the victim was 13 years old and described having had sexual intercourse with them. Officers also found that Waterstradt was using his fake identity on eight different Snapchat accounts where he claimed to be 1617 years old. As of Jan. 17, Waterstradt is not listed on the Marquette track & field team’s 2025-26 roster. His 2024-25 profile said he ran unattached at Northern Michigan prior to joining the Golden Eagles as a hurdler. He attended De Pere High School in Green Bay. When asked to comment, Marquette athletics spokesperson Scott Kuykendall directed the Marquette Wire to the university’s office of marketing and communication. University spokesperson Kevin Conway wrote in a statement that Marquette “does not comment on
ongoing legal matters,” noting Waterstradt is no longer enrolled at the university. Waterstradt attended his Jan. 14 initial hearing virtually from Langlade County Jail, according to online court records. The cash bond was set at $500,000. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 21. Waterstradt is being represented by Jonathan LaVoy, who graduated from Marquette Law School in 1999. His profile says he has been a guest lecturer on the subject of trial advocacy at the university’s law school. “William and his family are taking these allegations seriously and I am in the process of obtaining police reports and other evidence,” LaVoy said in a statement to the Wire.
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
William Waterstradt (above)
Yik Yak post about NMD confirmed as false Message made claims about 2026 policies By Sophia Tiedge
sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu
A post made Jan. 15 about National Marquette Day on the anonymous social media app, Yik Yak, was inaccurate, according to the university. The post from an alleged dorm floor group chat claimed Marquette University police officers would be working in plain clothes and ticketing every student they found in possession of alcohol. The post currently has 1,200 upvotes
www.marquettewire.org
and 25 comments of people asking questions like, “Is this legit?” or “Where is this screenshot from?” The screenshot was also posted on the Instagram account @barstoolmarquette. “The post is not the result of anything sent out by MUPD,” University Spokesperson Kevin Conway said in a statement Jan. 16. “Officers will have a larger presence in the neighborhoods and, like always, will enforce the laws to keep people safe.” MUPD Assistant Police Chief Jeff Kranz said this post was just one person’s interpretation of MUPD’s plan. “Without going into
specific measures, there will be an increased police presence and officers will address illegal behavior they observe,” Kranz said in a statement. The Wire has asked Kranz if the claims are entirely false and is waiting on a response. There has been speculation about MUPD’s plan after it received 29 alcohol-related calls on NMD in 2025. Students were waiting for ambulances for up to an hour and Marquette staff were triaging students in the lobbies of dorms. The influx in emergency calls has been widely attributed to Marquette Men’s Basketball’s 7 p.m. tipoff,
Index
News
SPORTS.......................................................5 OPINIONS..................................................9 FUN & GAMES.......................................10 A&E.................................................................11
MKE Roots receives new federal grant funding
The project, led by an MU professor, focuses on developing education. PAGE 3
Photo by Owen Weis owen.weis@marquette.edu
Campus police received 29 alcohol-related calls on NMD 2025.
giving students all day to drink on NMD 2025. This year, the Feb. 7 NMD game is scheduled for 1 p.m. University officials discussed the issues at a February 2025 University Academic Senate meet-
ing and said the approach to NMD 2026 would be an ongoing conversation at the administrative level. However, an official plan or list of policies has not been released.
Sports
Arts & Entertainment
Skate then study
Marquette students competed in U.S. Olympic speed skating trials. PAGE 5
'Mels After Dark' returns in 2026
The all-female a cappella group's performance is open to the public. PAGE 11