Terry Anders earned six NCAA Division III individual sprint titles, was a 13-time All-American, captured 15 individual WIAC titles and was part of nine WIAC relay championship teams while competing for UW-Stout. Anders earned WIAC Track Athlete of the Meet honors on four occasions (1995 outdoor, 1996 indoor, 1996 outdoor, 1997 indoor). He was the 1997 WIAC Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete Award winner in track & field and an Academic All-America Third Team selection.

In 1996, Anders was the Outdoor Athlete of the Meet after winning NCAA titles in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter sprints. He won a total of four NCAA 400-meter titles (1995, indoor and outdoor; 1996, indoor and outdoor). During his tenure, Anders dominated the WIAC 200- and 400-meter races, both indoors and outdoors, winning all six championships in 1995, 1996 and 1997. Anders also won the WIAC outdoor triple jump title in 1996.

In 2012, he was named to the WIAC All-Time Men’s Track & Field Team in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

Anders earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and resides in Fall Creek, Wis.

Tom Butler joined the Wisconsin State University Conference staff in 1967 to assist the commissioner with the dissemination of sports information and served the conference faithfully as the sports information director for 30 years until 1996.

After working as sports editor of the Stevens Point Daily Journal and the Daily Jefferson County Union (Fort Atkinson), Butler joined the Wisconsin State Journal as a sports writer in 1953 and retired in 1987. He was voted Wisconsin Sports Writer of the Year by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association in 1964 and 1965.

Butler covered Badger football as his principal “beat” at the State Journal for 25 years and Badger men’s basketball for 20 years. He also covered 34 WIAA state basketball tournaments and was inducted into the Madison Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

The WIAC Tom Butler Award, which is presented annually to a member of the media who is considered to have provided outstanding coverage to WIAC athletics, is named in his honor.

Butler served for three years in the U.S. Navy during World War II and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from UW-Madison.

He passed away in June 2008.

Dr. Patricia Collins was a professor of health and physical education at UW-Platteville from 1960-94 and is considered a true pioneer in the development of high school and college women’s athletics in the state. Collins began the women's athletics program at UW-Platteville in 1966 and served as the Pioneers' first women's athletics director from 1971-84. She also served as the head coach for women's volleyball (1966-84), badminton (1966-84) and women's track & field (1966-80).

Collins helped in establishing the Wisconsin Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Also, by creating a scholarship in her name at UW-Platteville, she fulfilled her wish to assist future professionals in the area of physical education and health and was a 2011 recipient of the UW-Platteville Foundation Distinguished Service Award. Collins was inducted into the UW-Platteville Hall of Fame in 1992.

Nate DeLong dominated college basketball during his playing days at UW-River Falls. He was a four-time letter winner in both basketball and football and led the nation in scoring with 861 points on the basketball court in 1950. DeLong holds the UW-River Falls career scoring record for points. DeLong helped the Falcons to four straight conference basketball championships and three Wisconsin collegiate championships.

He also played in three NAIA championship tournaments and held the single game scoring record of 57 points for 27 years. During the 1947-48 season, he scored an astonishing 72 points in a game against Winona State (Minn.) and his name remains etched into the basketball records book for both UW-River Falls and the WIAC in scoring and rebounding. DeLong finished his playing career at UW-River Falls in 1950 with 2,592 points, a 25.4 average, making him college basketball’s all-time leading scorer at a time when there were no divisional groupings. In 2012, he was named to the NAIA 75th Anniversary All-Star Team.

DeLong was drafted in 1950 in the ninth round by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks of the National Basketball Association, but signed instead with the Sheboygan Redskins of the National Professional Basketball Leauge, playing 45 games and averaging 10.3 points.

He earned an undergraduate degree in secondary education. DeLong passed away in May 2010.

Totaling 22 individual titles and 35 All-America awards, Casey Edwards ranks as one of the finest gymnasts to ever compete at the NAIA and NCAA Division II championships.

Edwards performed for the UW-Oshkosh men’s gymnastics team from 1976-78 and 1980. He captured 14 NAIA titles, including three on both the vault and in the all-around competition. Edwards claimed eight NCAA Division II titles, including three in the all-around event.
Edwards was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American. He earned the distinction after placing fifth in the all-around competition and sixth on the parallel bars in 1980.

Led by Edwards, UW-Oshkosh won NAIA titles in 1978 and 1980 and an NCAA Division II championship in 1980. Edwards then served as the Titans’ interim head coach during their 1983 NAIA championship season.

In 1979, Edwards tested his talents internationally and competed for the United States at the World University Games. In 1980, Edwards qualified as a member of the United States gymnastics squad that would have represented the country at the Summer Olympics in Moscow.

In 2012, he was selected to the WIAC All-Time Men’s Gymnastics Team in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

Edwards resides in Mason, Wis., and earned a bachelor’s degree.

Phil Esten served as head coach of the men’s cross country program at UW-La Crosse for 28 years from 1970 until his retirement after the 1997 season. Esten led the Eagles to an NCAA Division III cross country title in 1996 and was named the Division III Co-Coach of the Year.

The Eagles finished runner-up in either the NAIA or NCAA Division III eight times under Esten. His squads finished in the top-10 nationally in 26 consecutive years and appeared in a national championship in 27 of his 28 cross country seasons.

UW-La Crosse won 20 league titles during Esten’s tenure and never finished lower than third. He was selected the conference coach of the year four times. He also served as an assistant track & field coach at UW-La Crosse for 34 seasons.

Esten has been inducted into the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the NAIA District 14, the NAIA Cross Country, the Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association and the UW-La Crosse halls of fame.

In 2012, he was selected as the WIAC All-Time Coach in men’s cross country in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

A resident of La Crosse, Wis., Esten earned an undergraduate degree from UW-La Crosse, where he majored in physical education with a health education minor. He earned a master’s degree and Ed.D. from the University of Northern Colorado.

Mike Farley revived a proud football tradition at UW-River Falls as the team's head coach from 1970-88. Five years after his arrival, he led the Falcons to their first conference championship since 1958. Farley coached the 1979 team to the NAIA national playoffs, the first time a Falcon football team had ever competed at the national level.

Farley coached the Falcons to eight WIAC championships, including four in a row from 1984-87. He finished his career with a 117-70-3 overall record, which stands as the fifth-highest win total in WIAC history.

Farley was named the WIAC Coach of the Year after the 1986 season, the American Football Coaches Association Region 6 Coach of the Year in 1979 and 1986 and the NAIA District 14 Coach of the Year in 1975, 1979 and 1985. He coached 91 players to All-WIAC honors and three Falcons earned WIAC Player of the Year recognition under Farley's tutelage. He has been inducted into the UW-River Falls and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association halls of fame.

Farley earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Illinois. He resides in Mesa, Ariz.

David Graichen is not just one of the top goaltenders, but one of the greatest hockey players in the history of UW-Superior. During the 1994-95 season, Graichen led the Yellowjackets to a fourth-place finish in the NCAA and received All-America First Team honors. The following season, Graichen earned All-America Second Team recognition as the Yellowjackets again finished fourth.

In his senior season, Graichen posted the best numbers of his career and achieved All-America First Team status once again, while leading the Yellowjackets to a runner-up finish at the NCAA championships. In the national semifinals that year, the Yellowjackets won in double overtime, thanks in part to Graichen’s clutch performance, setting a then-NCAA record with 69 saves. One of five players to play in four straight NCAA tournaments, Graichen led several goaltending categories at UW-Superior, including games played, wins, goals against average and saves at the time of his graduation. He was inducted into the UW-Superior Hall of Fame in 2007.

In 2012, he was named to the WIAC All-Time Men’s Ice Hockey Team in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

Graichen earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and resides in Weston, Conn.

Mark R. Guthrie served as head coach of the men's track & field program at UW-La Crosse from 1988-2006. He led the Eagles to 22 NCAA Division III championships, including 12 indoor and 10 outdoor titles. UW-La Crosse swept the indoor and outdoor national titles in 10 different seasons.

His peers in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) named Guthrie the NCAA Division III Coach of the Year eight times and regional coach of the year on 11 different occasions.

Under Guthrie's direction, UW-La Crosse won 34 WIAC titles, and he was selected the conference coach of the year 16 times.

In 2004, he was awarded the United States Sports Academy's Distinguished Service Award and was inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2012, he was selected as the WIAC All-Time Coach in men’s track & field in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

Guthrie currently serves as an assistant track & field coach at the University of Wisconsin, a position he has held since 2007.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and history from Wartburg College (Iowa) and a master’s degree in physical education from Chicago State University (Ill.). Guthrie resides in Madison, Wis.

Roger N. Harring served as head football coach at UW-La Crosse for 31 years, from 1969 until his retirement after the 1999 season. He posted a 261-75-7 career record, while winning three national championships. His 261 victories are the most in WIAC history.

The Eagles won the NAIA Division II title in 1985 and their first NCAA Division III national championship in 1992 to become the first school in college football to win an NAIA Division II and an NCAA Division III title. The program added another NCAA Division III Championship in 1995. The Eagles made 14 playoff appearances, compiling a 23-11 record under Harring.

UW-La Crosse placed first or second in the WIAC 25 times under Harring, winning 15 conference titles. He was named the WIAC Coach of the Year seven times.

Harring was chosen as the Chevrolet Division III Coach of the Year in 1992 and 1995, and the American Football Coaches Association Division III Coach of the Year in 1995.

He has been inducted into the College Football, the NAIA District 14, the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, the Wisconsin Rapids High School and the UW-La Crosse halls of fame.

In 2012, Harring was selected as the WIAC All-Time Coach in football in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

A letterwinner on the UW-La Crosse football team, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education. Harring resides in La Crosse, Wis.

Rob Jeter served as captain of UW-Platteville’s first NCAA Division III men’s basketball title team in 1991. He also earned All-Final Four honors at the national championship. During his four-year career, the Pioneers compiled an impressive 102-16 record. Jeter averaged at least 12.3 points per game in each of his final three seasons and set the Pioneer career records for field goal percentage (60.1) and most consecutive starts (89). He was a three-time all-conference selection, twice making the first team and also earned two All-Midwest Region honors.

From 1994-98, he served as an assistant coach under Bo Ryan helping the Pioneers to NCAA Division III national championships in both 1995 and 1998. After coaching at Marquette University from 1999-2001, Jeter coached at UW-Madison until 2005, again under Ryan. In 2005, Jeter was named the head men’s basketball coach at UW-Milwaukee. Jeter was inducted into the UW-Platteville Hall of Fame in 2006 and again in 2012 as a member of the 1991 title team.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in business and master’s degree in adult education. Jeter resides in Cedarburg, Wis.

Ray C. Johnson was the athletics director for 31 years at UW-Stout until his retirement in 1969. In the early years, his duties were divided between administration and coaching, and he found success in both fields. As men’s basketball coach, his teams won conference titles and earned playoff berths to the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City in 1942 and 1943. As football coach, his team won the conference title in 1941. In 1965, Johnson was appointed to a two-year term on the Governor's Committee for Physical Fitness.

He was responsible for overseeing the completion of UW-Stout's fieldhouse – later named Johnson Fieldhouse in his honor. Johnson, a 1976 inductee into the NAIA District 14 Hall of Fame, served as NAIA District 14 chairman from 1952-60 and area chairman from 1956-60. He received the NAIA National Award of Merit in 1967 for his long service to athletics and that organization.

Johnson received an undergraduate degree from Moorhead State Teachers College (Minn.) and a master’s degree from Columbia University (N.Y.).

Johnson passed away in 1988.

Dave L. Kachel, a Whitewater community leader for many years, was a long-time supporter of UW-Whitewater, including its intercollegiate athletics department. Kachel and his wife Lolita backed the university in many ways, most noticeably with their support for a number of renovation and construction projects, including the main gymnasium, the Williams Center, the Kachel Fieldhouse, the Student-Athlete Center, the Coulthart Family Pavilion, and Perkins Stadium. This support also included upgrades to the UW-Whitewater track and soccer facilities and ancillary areas that were later combined into the Kachel Family Sports Complex.

Kachel was also concerned about the welfare of the entire university, as well as the surrounding community. UW-Whitewater’s Kachel Center is part of its College of Arts and Communications, and the Kachel Innovation Center was included in the new Hyland Hall for the College of Business and Economics.

The Kachels, both UW-Whitewater graduates and long-time Whitewater residents, were honored with induction into the UW-Whitewater Athletic Hall of Fame for Distinguished Service in 1998.

Kachel passed away in February 2011.

Clint Kriewaldt dominated at linebacker and running back for UW-Stevens Point from 1995-98 and earned All-WIAC First Team accolades all four seasons – the only player in program history to accomplish the feat.

A perennial All-American, Kriewaldt was named the WIAC Player of the Year following the 1998 season after registering 115 tackles, including 20 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, one interception and eight rushing touchdowns. Kriewaldt also recorded a career-best four rushing touchdowns against UW-Oshkosh in 1998.

His career totals consisted of a school-record 416 tackles (second-highest total in conference history), including 54 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, three interceptions, 11 fumble recoveries and 16 rushing touchdowns.

Kriewaldt was selected in the sixth round (177th overall) of the 1999 National Football League Draft by the Detroit Lions. In nine NFL seasons with the Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers, he accumulated 141 tackles and two interceptions, and he was a member of the Steelers' Super Bowl XL championship team.

In 2012, Kriewaldt was selected to the WIAC All-Time Football Team in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in interior architecture. Kriewaldt resides in Freedom, Wis.

Judy Kruckman served as commissioner of the Wisconsin Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC) from 1984-96 and assistant commissioner of the WIAC from 1996-98.

She served as the women’s athletics director at UW-Eau Claire from 1974-84. Kruckman also coached the Blugold women’s tennis team and women’s swimming squad. In 1983, the Blugold women captured the NAIA All-Sports Championship with Kruckman as athletics director.

Kruckman was one of the original representatives to the WWIAC when it formed in 1971 and served as its president from 1974-76. She was beginning another term as president when she was appointed WWIAC Acting Commissioner for the 1984-85 academic year. Kruckman was selected as the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators District 6 Administrator of the Year in 1991 and received the Women’s Sports Advocates of Wisconsin, Inc. Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993.

She was inducted into the UW-Eau Claire Hall of Fame in 1988 and the NAIA District 14 Hall of Fame in 1992. The WIAC Women’s Scholar-Athlete Award is named in her honor.

Kruckman earned a bachelor’s degree in history from UW-Eau Claire and master’s degree in physical education from UW-Madison. She resides in Madison, Wis.

The 1993 WIAC Scholar-Athlete for women’s basketball, UW-Stout’s Julie Maki was a three-time All-WIAC first team selection, the 1993 WIAC Player of the Year, a 1993 All-American and a two-time NAIA District 14 honoree. Maki, a point guard, dominated the UW-Stout women's basketball record book upon graduation.

Maki held career records for points (1,620), scoring average (15.1), field goals made (638), field goals attempted (1,424) and assists (469). During her senior year, Maki averaged a school record 23 points per game, tossing in 575 points, ranking her ninth on the current WIAC single-season list. Maki ranks second in the WIAC in career field goals attempted, fourth in assists, 10th in field goals made, and 12th in points. Maki was also a member of the UW-Stout cross country team and the track & field team, where she was part of two record-setting relay teams.

In 2012, she was named to the WIAC All-Time Women’s Basketball Team in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

Perhaps no one individual played a greater role in the growth and development of athletics at UW-Superior than Americo “Mertz” Mortorelli. A three-sport athlete at UW-Superior, Mortorelli parlayed a college football career into a professional contract with the New York Giants in 1949. Years later, in 1954, Mortorelli returned to UW-Superior to assume the roles of coach and athletics director. He coached a combined 109 seasons in baseball, basketball, football, golf, gymnastics, tennis, track & field and wrestling, compiling a career record of 862-534-26.

Along the way, Mortorelli led teams to four conference championships and helped more than 50 athletes receive conference and national honors. Mortorelli would spend 31 years (1954-85) as athletics director at UW-Superior and would take a department with four varsity sports and grow that number to 16, all the while helping to recruit more than 1,500 student-athletes.

Mortorelli served on several boards and committees, including a position on the United States Olympic Wrestling Committee. Mortorelli’s dedication to college athletics left an indelible mark on UW-Superior that led to his induction into 13 halls of fame as well as other honors – UW-Superior’s gymnasium and the road outside both bear his name.

Mortorelli passed away in 1985.

Don Page served UW-River Falls as a coach of several sports and as athletics director from 1970 until his retirement in 1992. Page was hired at UW-River Falls as the head men’s basketball and baseball coach in 1957. He coached the Falcon basketball team until 1966 and the baseball team until 1974. He was also an assistant football coach and coached the Falcon men's tennis team for 15 years.

Page also served the WIAC as the supervisor of men's basketball and football officials for several years. His contributions and service to the WIAC spanned 50 years.

He is a member of the NAIA District 14, the UW-River Falls, the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association and the Madison Sports halls of fame.

Page earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UW-Madison. He passed away in September 2010.

Forrest Perkins was named head football coach at UW-Whitewater in 1956, the start of what became the longest coaching tenure in UW-Whitewater history. Over the next 29 years, Perkins’ teams won 11 conference titles, with his 1966 team finishing second in the NAIA championship. His career record at UW-Whitewater was 190-88-8, including 149-58-5 in WIAC play. When he retired as head football coach in 1984, he ranked second among active NCAA Division III coaches, in terms of victories, and he had won more football games than any coach in WIAC history. He was named NAIA Football Coach of the Year in 1966 and NAIA District 14 Coach of the Year in 1966, 1967 and 1978.

Perkins also coached baseball at UW-Whitewater from 1960-65, with his squads winning two WIAC titles. His 1965 team advanced to the NAIA national tournament, a first in school history, finishing fifth. He also started the men’s track & field program, coaching the team for the 1956 and 1957 seasons.

Perkins served as the UW-Whitewater men’s athletics director from 1971-83, and the institution’s football stadium was renamed for Perkins in 1996.

Perkins has been inducted into the UW-Platteville Hall of Fame as an alumnus, and the NAIA District 14, the UW-Whitewater and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association halls of fame.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from UW-Platteville and master’s degree from UW-Madison. Perkins resides in Whitewater, Wis.

Tim Petermann
UW-Eau Claire
1971-2007
Administrator (sports information director/assistant athletics director/interim athletics director)

Tim Petermann has been recording Blugold and conference athletics history since he stepped onto the UW-Eau Claire campus as a freshman in 1967.

Petermann became the school’s first fulltime sports information director when he graduated in 1971 and remained in that position until his retirement in 2007. In 1977, he became assistant to the athletics director with administrative duties including compliance, event management, fund-raising and the Blugold Hall of Fame. He even spent two years as the interim athletics director (2002-04) and continues to serve as a department consultant.

He organized the state SIDs in 1977 and served as an officer in the NAIA SID organization from 1979-89, including a term as president. He spent 10 years as the NAIA District 14 information director, promoting WIAC schools that dominated district competition.

Petermann has been involved in hosting 168 post-season events over the past 45 years, including 11 national championships, 81 conference, district, regional, sectional or area tournaments and 76 conference or district playoff games. He was part of the SID evolution from utilizing slide rules, ditto machines and typewriters to computers, the internet and live stats. He has served as a mentor to many in the SID profession and been inducted into a number of halls of fame.

Petermann earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from UW-Eau Claire. He resides in Eau Claire, Wis.

One of the most famous names in WIAC basketball history, Terry Porter was a guard on the UW-Stevens Point men’s basketball team from 1982-85.

Porter garnered NAIA All-America First Team honors and was the WIAC Player of the Year in 1984 and 1985. He led the Pointers to four WIAC championships and a runner-up finish at the 1984 NAIA Championship.

His career totals included 1,585 points and a .589 field goal percentage - a mark that ranks sixth on the conference’s all-time list. His 600 points in a season (1983-84) and 638 career field goals made each rank fourth in the school’s record book. He averaged 16.7 points per game over his final three seasons.

Porter was selected 24th overall by the Portland Trailblazers in the 1985 National Basketball Association Draft. He appeared in 1,274 games in 17 seasons with the Trailblazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs, totaling 15,586 points, 7,160 assists and 1,583 steals. Porter’s teams compiled a record of 815-547 during his career and only once failed to make the postseason.

In 2012, he was named to the NAIA 75th Anniversary All-Star Team and the WIAC All-Time Men’s Basketball Team in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

Porter earned a bachelor’s degree in communications.

William “Bo” Ryan made UW-Platteville the premier men's basketball program during his 15-year tenure, which included four NCAA Division III national championships. He recorded a 353-76 record at UW-Platteville from 1985-99, and his 82.2 winning percentage was the best in the history of NCAA Division III basketball.

Ryan guided the Pioneers to eight conference titles and nine straight NCAA Division III playoff appearances. UW-Platteville won national titles in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 1999. His 1992 squad also advanced to the Final Four, where it placed third. In all, his Pioneer teams compiled a 30-5 record in NCAA tournament play.

In his final 12 seasons as the Pioneers’ leader, Ryan guided his team to a 314-37 record, including a phenomenal 157-7 home record. UW-Platteville was the winningest team in all of college basketball during the 1990s, with a 266-26 record – a 90.9 winning percentage. Ryan’s 1996-97 club set the all-time NCAA record (all divisions) for fewest points allowed at 47.5 points per game. He was named NABC National Coach of the Year four times and WIAC Coach of the Year on six occasions.

After coaching at UW-Milwaukee for two seasons, Ryan was named the head coach at the University of Wisconsin. In 2012, he was selected as the WIAC All-Time Co-Coach in men’s basketball in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

Ryan earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Wilkes University (Pa.). He resides in Middleton, Wis.

Leah (Juno) Salzmann was a member of UW-Stevens Point’s women’s cross country and track & field squads from 1997-2001.

Juno was a three-time NCAA Division III champion, winning the 2001 indoor and outdoor 800-meter run titles. She also won the outdoor 800-meter run in 2000 and was the 2001 UW-Stevens Point Female Athlete of the Year. The six-time All-American was the 2001 Midwest Region Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Juno won six WIAC titles while setting a conference record in the outdoor 800-meter run.

In cross country, the two-time All-American (16th place in 2000 and 24th in 1999) led the Pointers to a ninth-place team finish in 2000. Juno was the WIAC individual champion as a senior and finished fifth as a junior.

She was a two-time Verizon Academic All-American and was named the 2000 WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award winner in cross country.

In 2001, Juno was the recipient of the NCAA Top VIII Award, the most prestigious student-athlete honor bestowed annually by the NCAA. In 2012, she was named to the WIAC All-Time Women’s Track & Field Team in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

Juno earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. She resides in Kaukauna, Wis.

Max R. Sparger served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference for 22 years from 1971-93. The conference came to national prominence during Sparger’s tenure, and he oversaw the transition of the conference from NAIA to full NCAA membership.

He arrived at UW-Stout in 1959 and served the institution in a variety of capacities, including as an assistant football and basketball coach, head wrestling coach and head football coach. He served as UW-Stout’s athletics director from 1969-71.

Sparger directed the football team to the 1965 conference title and was named the NAIA District 14 Coach of the Year for his efforts. In 2010, the press box at UW-Stout’s Don and Nona Williams Stadium was dedicated to his memory.

Sparger was inducted into the UW-Stout Hall of Fame in 1980 and the NAIA District 14 Hall of Fame in 1985. The WIAC Men’s Scholar-Athlete Award is named in his honor.

A football and wrestling student-athlete, Sparger earned a bachelor’s degree from Dubuque University (Iowa) and master’s degree in education from Macalaster College (Minn.). He passed away in September 1993.

Lisa Stone took the UW-Eau Claire women’s basketball program to a level of national prominence during a record-setting 12-year career at the institution (1989-2000).

For a program that had never won more than 17 games in a season or finished higher than third in the conference, Stone raised the bar in her first year and never let it slip. She guided the Blugolds to 20-win seasons and first or second place conference finishes in 11 of her 12 campaigns.

She also took her team to the NCAA playoffs 11 times. Six of her teams advanced to the Elite Eight, including a runner-up finish in 1997 and third place in 1994. Her 1999-2000 team won its first 28 games before losing to eventual national champion Washington University (Mo.) in the second round of the NCAA tourney. She had an overall winning percentage of .824 (277-59), and her teams were nearly unbeatable in Zorn Arena where they won 90 percent of their games.

Stone was named the WIAC Coach of the Year five times and earned the WBCA Division III National Coach of the Year honor in 1997. In 2012, she was selected as the WIAC All-Time Co-Coach in women’s basketball in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

Following her stint at UW-Eau Claire, Stone served as head women’s basketball coach at Drake University (Iowa) (2001-03), UW-Madison (2004-11) and is currently the head coach at Saint Louis University (Mo.).

A member of the women’s basketball team, Stone earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and master’s degree in athletic administration from the University of Iowa.

With speed and athleticism rarely seen in someone his size, Doug Sutherland became one of the greatest athletes in the history of UW-Superior. Playing on the offensive and defensive lines, Sutherland employed speed and quickness and grew into one of the conference’s top all-around players. In 1969, he established school and conference punting records and earned all-conference and All-America honors.

Sutherland was also a track & field standout at UW-Superior, claiming six conference championships and qualifying for three NAIA national meets in the shot put and discus, twice bringing home a third-place finish. His school shot put record stands to this day.

Following his senior season, Sutherland was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 14th round of the 1970 NFL Draft, starting a professional football journey that would last 12 seasons with the Saints, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks. Sutherland would appear in three Super Bowls with the Vikings as part of the acclaimed “Purple People Eaters” defensive line and was named one of the franchise’s 50 greatest players in 2010.

Sutherland was enshrined in the UW-Superior Hall of Fame in 1983 and the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1986. In 2012, he was named to the WIAC All-Time Teams in both football and men’s track & field in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

Sutherland earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He resides in Duluth, Minn.

Marty van Steenderen served UW-Whitewater as its first athletics director for women from 1971-86.

She joined the faculty of UW-Whitewater in 1961 as an assistant professor of physical education with the special assignment of directing the Women's Recreation Association. It was this fortuitous hiring that van Steenderen seized to create, and expand, athletic opportunities for women.

Under van Steenderen’s leadership, the women's program grew from play days to sports days to intercollegiate contests, from an intramural program to a full-fledged intercollegiate athletic program, and from a few sports coached by volunteers in the Physical Education Department to nine varsity sports with paid head and assistant coaches.

She served as president of the Wisconsin Division for Girls and Women's Sports with a goal of improving the athletics opportunities for high school girls and college women in Wisconsin. She also served as president of the Wisconsin Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC) in 1978 and nationally with the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. By the mid 1980’s, van Steenderen had helped to make the WWIAC one of the top NCAA Division III conferences in the nation.

She was inducted into the UW-Whitewater Hall of Fame in 1987, and the university’s softball complex is named in her honor.

A resident of Bonita Springs, Fla., van Steenderen earned a bachelor’s degree from UW-Madison and master’s degree from Indiana University.

Deb Vercauteren achieved unprecedented success as head coach of the UW-Oshkosh women’s cross country and track & field teams. She won a total of 18 NCAA Division III titles while coaching cross country from 1981-2010 and track & field from 1982-2009.

In cross country, Vercauteren led the Titans to four NCAA national championships and 15 WIAC titles. She was named National Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996.

Vercauteren coached UW-Oshkosh to eight NCAA outdoor track & field titles and six NCAA indoor track & field crowns. Vercauteren, who was selected as the National Outdoor Coach of the Year in 2004 and the National Indoor Coach of the Year in 2006, led her track & field teams to a total of 21 WIAC titles.

In 2005, the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association selected Vercauteren as its NCAA Division III Cross Country Silver Anniversary Coach. In 2007, Vercauteren was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame. One year later, the association named the NCAA Division III Program of the Year Award in her honor.

In 2012, she was selected as the WIAC All-Time Coach in both women’s cross country and women’s track & field in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

Vercauteren received a bachelor’s degree from UW-Stevens Point and master’s degree from UW-Madison. She resides in Omro, Wis.

Jarrod Washburn played baseball at UW-Oshkosh in 1994 and 1995. In 1994, he helped the Titans to a 41-4 record and the NCAA Division III title. He threw a complete-game victory in the championship contest as the Titans defeated Wesleyan University (Conn.). In 1995, Washburn received NCAA Division III All-America honors after leading the Titans to a third-place national finish. Washburn finished his UW-Oshkosh career with a 15-2 record, 141 strikeouts and a 1.97 earned run average in 118.2 innings pitched.

Following the 1995 season, the Anaheim Angels drafted Washburn with the 31st overall selection. He went on to play for the Angels, Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers during a career that spanned 12 major league seasons. His 2002 campaign featured an 18-6 record with a 3.15 earned run average. Washburn finished fourth in that year’s Cy Young Award balloting as the Angels won the World Series.

Washburn started 300 games in the major leagues, while becoming the best professional pitcher to ever attend UW-Oshkosh. He concluded his major league career with 107 wins, 1,103 strikeouts and a 4.10 earned run average in 1,863.2 innings pitched.

In 2012, he was selected to the WIAC All-Time Baseball Team in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

Washburn resides in Webster, Wis.

Frank Wrigglesworth developed the UW-Eau Claire men’s golf program into a conference power and regular national tournament participant during a 22-year period from 1975-97. During the final 18 years in which golf was played as a conference championship, the Blugolds won eight titles with four runner-up finishes. He took 10 teams to the NAIA or NCAA national championships. Despite competing against scholarship programs in the NAIA, the Blugolds had five top-14 finishes.

Wrigglesworth was a standout Blugold athlete in football, basketball and baseball. He earned All-Conference honors in football and played on two conference championship teams in basketball as well as the first Blugold team to qualify for the NAIA championships in Kansas City.

“Wrig” spent 11 years as an assistant football coach, one year as an assistant basketball coach, and nine years as head and assistant baseball coach before taking over the golf program, which he handled until his retirement at age 80. In 2012, he was selected as the WIAC All-Time Coach in men’s golf in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.

After 23 years of service in the U.S. Air Force, Wrigglesworth retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education from UW-Eau Claire and master’s degree in physical education from UW-Madison. Wrigglesworth passed away in November 2004.