2001-02 WIAC
Women's Basketball
Athletes of the Week

Week of Feb. 11 - 17
Crystal Stietz, Senior (Argyle), Forward of UW-Platteville
Stietz scored 55 points in two games last week. She scored 31 points in a 74-70 victory over Eau Claire and set a school record by making 14-of-14 from the line. That was the second-best perfect effort from the line in WIAC history, trailing only Whitewater's Vanessa Reider, who was 16-for-16. Stietz added 24 points against River Falls. For the week, she made 16-of-24 from the field and 21-of-23 from the line, while adding 12 rebounds and 5 assists.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Becca Spaeth, Sophomore, Forward, Chippewa Falls
UW-La Crosse, Shelley Bakken, Senior, Guard, Onalaska
UW-Oshkosh, Kay Mikolajczak, Sophomore, Forward, Franklin
UW-Stevens Point, Kari Groshek, Senior, Center, Rosholt
UW-Stout, Erin Churchill, Freshman, Guard, Plum City
UW-Superior, Stephanie Jango, Freshman, Forward, Brule (Northwestern)

Week of Feb. 4 - 10
Shelley Bakken, Senior (Onalaska), Guard of UW-La Crosse
Bekken averaged 21.0 points in two games last week. She led the Eagles in scoring in both games. Bakken scored 22 points with four rebounds in an 82-70 loss at Platteville. She was eight-of-ten from the field, including four-of-five from three-point range. She scored 20 points with five rebounds and three assists in a 95-81 victory over Superior. She was nine-for-11 from the field, including two-of-three from three-point range. Bakken shot 81.0% (17-of-21) from the field in the two games, including 75.0% (six-of-eight) from three-point range.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Katie Murphy, Freshman, Guard, La Crosse (Aquinas)
UW-Oshkosh, Jenny Deuster, Senior, Forward, Green Bay (Southwest)
UW-Platteville, Tiff Flesch, Sophomore, Forward, Potosi
UW-River Falls, Lisa Bartsch, Sophomore, Guard, Vernon Center, Minn. (Lake Crystal-Wellcome-Memorial)
UW-Stevens Point, Amie Schultz, Senior, Forward, Appleton (East)
UW-Stout, Laura Verdegan, Sophomore, Forward, Tony (Flambeau)
UW-Superior, Stephanie Janigo, Freshman, Forward, Brule (Northwestern)
UW-Whitewater, Nya Geschke, Freshman, Forward, Janesville (Parker)

Week of Jan. 28 - Feb. 3
Tanya Halbach, Junior (Janesville/Craig), Guard of UW-Stout
Halbach hit the game-winning free throw with 1.7 seconds remaining to lift Stout to a 72-71 win over Oshkosh, Saturday, Feb. 2. Only four seconds earlier, she tied the score at 71-71 with a free throw. Halbach scored 17 points in the win to keep Stout in sole possession of first place in the WIAC. Earlier in the second half, she scored eight points over a stretch to help the Blue Devils to a 15-point lead. Halbach scored 12 points earlier in the week in a 71-65 win at Eau Claire. On the week, she scored 29 points (ten-for-21 from the floor, four-for-ten from three-point range, five-for-seven from the line), and pulled down eight rebounds with four assists and two steals.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Kristi Channing, Junior, Forward, Fall Creek
UW-Oshkosh, Jamie Turtenwald, Senior, Guard, West Allis (Hale)
UW-Platteville, Tiff Flesch, Sophomore, Forward, Potosi
UW-River Falls, Erin Effle, Freshman, Rochester, Minn. (Mayo)
UW-Stevens Point, Tara Schmitt, Sophomore, Guard, Brookfield (Waukesha Catholic Memorial)
UW-Superior, Heidi McKay, Sophomore, Forward, Mahtowa, Minn. (Barnum)

Week of Jan. 21 - 27
Kari Groshek, Senior (Rosholt), Center of UW-Stevens Point
Groshek established a new school record for points in a game in the Pointers’ 83-50 victory over Whitewater on Wednesday. She shot 80 percent from the field (16-for-20) on her way to a 38-point night. She broke the record previously held by Jessica Ott (2000) and Sonja Sorensen (1986). Groshek also pulled down 12 rebounds, had five steals, two blocked shots and one assist. Her 16 field goals made also tied the school record held by Sonja Sorensen.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Kristi Channing, Junior, Forward, Fall Creek
UW-La Crosse, Karen Berg, Junior, Forward, Edgar
UW-Oshkosh, Melissa Schweitzer, Junior, Guard, Amherst
UW-Platteville, Crystal Stietz, Senior, Forward, Argyle
UW-River Falls, Melissa McKernon, Senior, Forward, Owatonna, Minn.
UW-Stout, Laura Verdegan, Sophomore, Forward, Tony (Flambeau)
UW-Superior, Lindsey Anderson, Freshman, Guard, Superior (Senior)

Week of Jan. 14 - 20
Brooke Wozniak, Sophomore (Stanley/Stanley-Boyd), Center of UW-Eau Claire
Wozniak keyed a critical victory over a veteran Oshkosh team by recording her second double-double (points and rebounds) of the season with career highs of 17 rebounds and 16 points. The 17 rebounds are the third-highest single game total in the conference this season. Against the Titans, she hit five-of-nine field goals and six-of-seven free throws with two steals, one assist and one block. The win brought the Blugolds even with the Titans in the WIAC standings, one game behind league-leading Stout. Against Whitewater Saturday, Wozniak contributed seven points and seven rebounds in a 63-38 Blugold victory. For the week, she hit 8-of-17 from the field, seven-of-nine free throws, grabbed 24 rebounds, had two assists, one block and four steals while playing 65 minutes.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Brooke Croshier, Senior, Forward, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Washington)
UW-Oshkosh, Kay Mikolajczak, Sophomore, Forward, Franklin
UW-Platteville, Tiff Flesch, Sophomore, Forward, Potosi
UW-Stevens Point, Amanda Nechuta, Freshman, Forward, Mosinee
UW-Stout, Lindsey Erichsen, Freshman, Forward, Spring Valley, Minn. (Kingsland)

Week of Jan. 7 - 13
Andrea Kraemer, Sophomore (Waukesha/North), Guard of UW-Stevens Point
Kraemer helped the Pointers to a 2-0 record with an all-around performance this week. On Saturday, she notched her career-high in points, scoring 22, hitting four three-pointers, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing seven assists in a 79-75 overtime victory at Oshkosh. Kraemer scored seven of her 22 points in the extra period. She had seven offensive rebounds, 11 total rebounds, eight points and three steals in the Pointers’ 65-45 win over River Falls. The game marked the third straight WIAC opponent the Pointers had held to 45 points or less. For the week, Kraemer scored 30 points, on 10-for-18 shooting, including four-for-nine from the three-point line, had 19 rebounds, 11 assists and five steals.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Janel Soppeland, Junior, Guard, Cadott
UW-La Crosse, Shelley Bakken, Senior, Guard, Onalaska
UW-Oshkosh, Jenny Deuster, Senior, Forward, Green Bay (Southwest)
UW-Stout, Laura Verdegan, Sophomore, Forward, Tony (Flambeau)
UW-Superior, Stephanie Janigo, Freshman, Forward, Brule (Northwestern)

Week of Dec. 31 - Jan. 6
Kristin Steckmesser, Senior (Two Rivers), Guard of UW-Oshkosh
Steckmesser had a pair of 20-plus scoring games to help Oshkosh move into sole possession of first place in the WIAC standings. In Oshkosh’s 100-48 win over Whitewater on January 2, Steckmesser scored 20 points, dished off six assists, grabbed five rebounds and recorded three steals. She was 7-for-10 from the field and made all three of her free throw attempts. In Oshkosh’s 88-60 win over Stout on January 5, Steckmesser scored a career-high 25 points, grabbed three rebounds, dished off three assists and recorded three steals. She was 10-for-18 from the field and 3-for-3 shooting from the charity stripe. Steckmesser currently ranks 11th on Oshkosh’s all-time scoring list with 1,091 career points.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Kristi Channing, Junior, Forward, Fall Creek
UW-La Crosse, Brooke Croshier, Senior, Forward, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Washington)
UW-River Falls, Sarah Pollock, Senior, Guard, Durand
UW-Stevens Point, Andrea Kraemer, Sophomore, Guard, Waukesha (North)
UW-Stout, Sara Kahl, Sophomore, Guard, Menomonie
UW-Superior, Heidi McKay, Sophomore, Forward, Mahtowa, Minn. (Barnum)

Week of Dec. 17 - 30
Crystal Stietz, Senior (Argyle), Forward of UW-Platteville
Stietz earned all-tournament honors at the Clarke (Iowa) Holiday Classic after leading the Pioneers to second place. Platteville beat Briar Cliff (Iowa) by a 71-58 count in the first game as Stietz scored 23 points. She added 21 points and 12 rebounds in a 71-61 victory over Clarke and had 17 points and ten rebounds in the title game, 59-46 defeat against Millikin (Ill.). The WIAC’s leading scorer averaged 20.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest, while adding nine assists and nine steals.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Kristi Channing, Junior, Forward, Fall Creek
UW-La Crosse, Brooke Croshier, Senior, Forward, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Washington)
UW-Oshkosh, Brenda Utech, Junior, Guard, Howard (Bay Port)
UW-Stevens Point, Kari Groshek, Senior, Center, Rosholt
UW-Stout, Tanya Halbach, Junior, Guard, Janesville (Craig)

Week of Dec. 10 - 16
Stacie Anderson, Senior (Clayton), Guard of UW-Stout
Anderson ignited Stout several times in the Blue Devils’ 87-79 win over Eau Claire. She started the game with seven of the Blue Devils’ first nine points as Stout ran off to a 20-6 lead. After the game became a nip-and-tuck affair late in the second half, Anderson hit a three-pointer with two minutes remaining to break a tie and give Stout a 74-71 advantage. She connected on 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch and also had a key steal to seal the win. Anderson finished with a season-high 20 points, hitting 5-of-11 from the floor, 3-for-8 from three-point range and 7-for-8 from the line, with four rebounds, two steals and one assist.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Kristi Channing, Junior, Forward, Fall Creek
UW-Oshkosh, Melissa Schweitzer, Junior, Guard, Amherst
UW-Platteville, Grace Foster, Senior, Guard, Oshkosh (North)
UW-Stevens Point, Amanda Nechuta, Freshman, Forward, Mosinee
UW-Superior, Lindsey Anderson, Freshman, Guard, Superior (Senior)

Week of Dec. 3 - 9
Janel Soppeland, Junior (Cadott), Forward of UW-Eau Claire
Soppeland scored a career-high 23 points with a career-high 13 rebounds as the Blugolds remained unbeaten with a conference win over Whitewater Saturday. Her effort on the boards helped the Blugolds gain a 52-27 advantage in that area to control the game. In two conference wins last week, she totaled 33 points with 19 rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals. She shot 13-of-28 from the field, 3-of-8 from three-point range and 4-of-4 from the foul line while playing 61 minutes.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Amy Greil, Freshman, Center, Waterford (Waterford-Union)
UW-Oshkosh, Melissa Schweitzer, Junior, Guard, Amherst
UW-Platteville, Grace Foster, Senior, Guard, Oshkosh (North)
UW-Stevens Point, Amie Schultz, Senior, Forward, Appleton (East)
UW-Stout, Lindsey Erichsen, Freshman, Forward, Spring Valley, Minn. (Kingland)
UW-Superior, Lacey Catanzarite, Senior, Forward, Esko, Minn.

Week of Nov. 26 - Dec. 2
Wendy Gagnon, Senior (St. Francis), Guard of UW-Whitewater
Gagnon helped Whitewater to a pair of wins last week. In an 81-65 conference-opening road win at River Falls, she had 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, including 5-of-8 from three-point range. She also added six rebounds in the win over the Falcons. Earlier in the week against Concordia (Wis.), Gagnon had 23 points and six rebounds. She shot 8-of-14 from the field and 3-of-3 from the free throw line.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Kristi Channing, Junior, Forward, Fall Creek
UW-La Crosse, Amy Greil, Freshman, Center, Waterford (Waterford-Union)
UW-Oshkosh, Kay Mikolajczak, Sophomore, Forward, Franklin
UW-Platteville, Katie Oliver, Senior, Guard, Genoa
UW-River Falls, Nicole Harberts, Junior, Guard, Rochester, Minn. (Mayo)
UW-Stevens Point, Kari Groshek, Senior, Forward, Rosholt
UW-Stout, Amy Zelinger, Senior, Guard, Racine (Park)
UW-Superior, Heidi McKay, Sophomore, Forward, Mahtowa, Minn. (Barnum)

Week of Nov. 19 - 25
Crystal Stietz, Senior (Argyle), Forward of UW-Platteville
Stietz scored 36 points, including two free throws in the final seconds, leading Platteville to an 80-77 overtime victory at St. Ambrose (Iowa) Tuesday. She had the third-highest single-game point total in Pioneer history. Stietz hit 11-of-20 from the field and 13-of-14 from the line. She rebounded a St. Ambrose miss and was fouled in the final seconds. Her 13 free throws tied the school record set in 1979 by Barb Curtis against UW-Green Bay. Stietz added three assists, three steals and a game-high 11 rebounds. She also had 16 points in a 79-72 overtime loss at Coe (Iowa) Saturday night.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Emilee Planert, Freshman, Guard, Eau Claire (North)
UW-La Crosse, Shelley Bakken, Senior, Guard, Onalaska
UW-Oshkosh, Melissa Schweitzer, Junior, Guard, Amherst
UW-River Falls, Melissa McKernon, Senior, Forward, Owatonna, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, Carry Boehning, Senior, Forward, Auburndale
UW-Stout, Lindsey Erichsen, Freshman, Swing, Spring Valley, Minn. (Kingland)
UW-Superior, Heidi McKay, Sophomore, Forward, Mahtowa, Minn. (Barnum)

Week of Nov. 12 - 18
Kristi Channing, Junior (Fall Creek), Forward of UW-Eau Claire
Channing scored 35 points in 35 minutes in a 74-64 victory over Millikin at Decatur, Illinois as the Blugolds handed Millikin its sixth loss in the last 118 home games. She hit 14-of-18 from the field and all seven of her free throw attempts in coming within a single point of the school record of 36 points set by Vanessa Schley last year. Channing helped the Blugolds to a 35-21 advantage on the boards with eight rebounds. She also had three steals, one block and one assist in the game. In a one-sided 65-37 win over Illinois College Saturday, Channing chipped in 11 points. In the two games, she was 18-of-25 from the field (72%) and 10-of-13 from the free throw line for 46 points. She also added 11 rebounds, four steals, two blocks and one assist.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Nicole Hayes, Freshman, Guard, Red Wing, Minn.
UW-Oshkosh, Kristin Steckmesser, Senior, Guard, Two Rivers
UW-Platteville, Crystal Stietz, Senior, Forward, Argyle
UW-Stevens Point, Kari Groshek, Senior, Forward, Rosholt
UW-Stout, Tanya Halbach, Junior, Guard, Janesville (Craig)

Back to the WIAC home page