2004-05 WIAC Women's Basketball Headlines

UW-Stevens Point's Kalsow and Nechuta Both Named D-III News National Players of the Year

RELEASED: Friday, April 8, 2005

Madison, Wis.--Already the first duo in NCAA history from the same school to be named men's and women's basketball Players of the Year by their respective coaches' associations, Jason Kalsow and Amanda Nechuta each added another honor as the D-III News National Players of the Year.

They are each the first UW-Stevens Point players to earn the honor in the 12-year history of the publication. Kalsow shared the men's Player of the Year award with Seth Hauben of Rochester (N.Y.), marking the first co-Players of the Year in the publication's history. In fact, the two went head-to-head in this year's Division III championship game with the Pointers taking a 73-49 victory over Rochester for their second consecutive national title.

Kalsow, a 6-7 forward from Huntley, Ill., was the Most Valuable Player of this year's Division III final four and started all 121 games in his four-year career. This year's WIAC Player of the Year, he is UW-Stevens Point's all-time leading scorer and rebounder with 1,859 points and 883 rebounds. He also had a school record 731 field goals made and was second in school history with 465 assists.

Nechuta, a 5-10 forward from Mosinee, Wis., was the first two-time winner of the WIAC Player of the Year award and set UW-Stevens Point's all-time scoring record with 1,801 points over the past four years. The point total ranks third in WIAC history and Nechuta also set a school record with 681 field goals made. She led the WIAC in scoring for the third straight year by scoring 16.8 points per game.

Both UW-Stevens Point squads captured WIAC championships this season with the men finishing 29-3 overall and the women posting a 21-6 overall record.

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University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point forward Amanda Nechuta scored six points, but her team fell short in the annual Women’s Basketball Coaches Association all-star challenge on Saturday, April 2 in Indianapolis.

Nechuta was the only NCAA Division III player in the game as the division’s national Player of the Year. Her team, the Brickyard 400’s lost to the Indy 500’s 82-72 in the game played at the University of Indianapolis.

Nechuta played 18 minutes and scored six points. She drained a three-pointer in her first shot attempt and finished two-for-four from the field with one rebound, one block and one steal. Nechuta had four points in 10 minutes in the first half and played eight minutes in the second half.

Sandora Irvin of TCU, the NCAA’s all-time blocked shots leader, paced Nechuta’s team in scoring with 14 points, while Sancho Lyttle of Houston had 13 points and Dionnah Jackson of Oklahoma had 12 points.

Kendra Wecker of Kansas State led all scorers with 18 points to lead the Indy 500’s.

Nechuta was presented her national Player of the Year award on Sunday at the WBCA Awards Luncheon.

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UW-Stevens Point's Nechuta Named WBCA National Player of the Year; UW-Oshkosh's Herrick Earns Honorable Mention All-America Honors

RELEASED: Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point senior forward Amanda Nechuta has been named the 2005 State Farm/NCAA Division III women's basketball National Player of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), while UW-Oshkosh's Brittany Herrick was a honorable mention choice to the Kodak/WBCA All-America Team.

Nechuta, a Mosinee, Wis. native, was also named to the Division III Kodak All-American team for the second straight season and was a first-team All-American selection by D3hoops.com for the first time in her career.

She will receive the Player of the Year award at the WBCA Awards Luncheon on Sunday, April 3 at the Indiana Convention Center in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Women's Final Four. Nechuta will also participate in the WBCA College All-Star Challenge game on April 2 in Indianapolis.

Nechuta is the first UW-Stevens Point player to earn the National Player of the Year award and the second Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection in the 23-year history of the trophy. Wendy Wangerin of UW-Oshkosh captured the award in 1996. Nechuta is the second Kodak All-American in school history as Sonja Sorenson was also a two-time selection in 1987 and 1988.

Nechuta was the first two-time winner of the WIAC Player of the Year award and set UW-Stevens Point's all-time scoring record with 1,801 points over the past four years. The point total ranks third in WIAC history and Nechuta also set a school record with 681 field goals made. She led the WIAC in scoring for the third straight year by scoring 16.8 points per game. Nechuta also was an All-American in indoor track and field this winter in the shot put for the second time.

Nechuta ranked fourth in school history in career rebounds and was eighth in the league this year at 6.8 per game. She was a three-time member of the league's All-Defensive team, ranking second in the league with 72 steals and fifth with 27 blocked shots. Nechuta helped the Pointers accumulate a 101-19 record in her four years, including the 2002 national championship and a fourth-place finish at the 2004 final four.

Herrick, a junior forward from Appleton, Wis. (Xavier H.S.), started 26 games this season and led the Titans in scoring in 12 contests. She reached double figures in scoring in 20 contests, including a career-high 23 points against UW-Whitewater on December 1. Herrick ranked second in the WIAC with a 52.0 field goal percentage and fifth with 13.0 points per game. She hauled in 6.1 rebounds per contest and converted 70.8 percent of her free throw attempts, while adding 39 steals, 26 assists and 16 blocked shots.

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Five Named To D3hoops.com All-Central Region Women's Basketball Team

RELEASED: Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Madison, Wis.--Five Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women's basketball players have been named to the 2005 D3hoops.com All-Central Region Team. UW-Stevens Point's Amanda Nechuta and Cassandra Schultz were first team selections, while UW-Stout's Kelsey Duoss was a second team pick. UW-Eau Claire's Rachel Becker and UW-Oshkosh's Brittany Herrick were third team selections.

The D3hoops.com All-Central Region Team had five individuals named to each of three teams and was voted on by sports information directors throughout the region. The central region includes the WIAC, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, Lake Michigan Conference, Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference, St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and University Athletic Association.

Nechuta, a senior forward from Mosinee, Wis., is a three-time all-region selection and a two-time WIAC Player of the Year. She was also one of 10 finalists for the Jostens National Player of the Year award this season. Nechuta led the conference with 16.8 points per game, while ranking fifth with 1.00 blocked shots per contest and seventh with a 48.7 field goal percentage. She finished her career as the school's all-time leader with 1,801 points, 681 field goals made and 120 games played. The 120 games played are a conference record, while the 1,801 career points rank third on the conference's all-time list.

Schultz, a junior guard from Hartford, Wis., ranked second in the league with 3.74 assists per contest, sixth with 12.7 points per game and ninth with 1.96 steals per game. She produced the highest scoring output in the WIAC this season with 31 points against UW-Eau Claire on February 5.

Duoss, a sophomore forward from Janesville, Wis. (Clinton H.S.), was the lone sophomore recognized on the three teams. She led the conference with 3.13 blocked shots per game, while ranking second with 7.6 rebounds per contest and fourth with 13.0 points per game. Duoss' 97 blocked shots this year established a school record and ranked second on the conference's single-season list.

Becker, a junior guard from Gilmanton, Wis., led the league with 5.11 assists per game and ranked fifth with 2.44 steals per contest. She added 10.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest during the 2005 campaign. In one week against UW-Superior and UW-La Crosse, Becker posted double-digit assist totals in each game with 11 and 12, respectively.

Herrick, a junior forward from Appleton, Wis. (Xavier H.S.), started 26 games this season and led the Titans in scoring in 12 contests. She reached double figures in scoring in 20 contests, including a career-high 23 points against UW-Whitewater on December 1. Herrick ranked second in the WIAC with a 52.0 field goal percentage and fifth with 13.0 points per game.

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WIAC Men's and Women's Basketball Officials Selected For Final Four

RELEASED: Monday, March 14, 2005

Madison, Wis.--Five Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) have been selected by the NCAA to work the Division III Men's and Women's Basketball Final Four.

Dick Bestor, Mike Bunge and Brad Pressentin have been chosen to work one of the men's games in Salem, Virgina, while Scott Doberstein and Barbra Fagan will work one of the women's contests in Norfolk Beach, Virginia.

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UW-Stout Falls To Millikin In NCAA Women's Basketball Sectional Semifinals

Grand Rapids, Mich.--UW-Stout raced out to a commanding 30-19 halftime lead, but Millikin University controlled the inside game the second half and the Big Blue bounced the Blue Devils, 59-56, in the first game of the NCAA Division III women's basketball sectional Friday, March 11 at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Stout (24-7) controlled the tempo of the first half and controlled the inside game before the break, but Millikin (26-2) shot out of the locker room to put an end to Stout's season.

The Blue Devils' Lindsey Erichsen (Sr, Spring Valley, Minn) had a solid first half, scoring nine points, but then was held scoreless the rest of the way.

Stout kept their lead through much of the early part of the second half, but the Big Blue slowly, ever so slowly, chipped away at the lead, going on an 18-7 run, tying the game for the first time in the second half, 37-37, with 11:38 remaining in the game. The teams swapped leads for the next few minutes until Millikin's Joanna Conner hit a lay-up and a 3-pointer to give Millikin a 51-47 lead at 6:18. Two free throws by Lindsay Koehn gave the Big Blue a six point lead, their biggest lead of the game.

A jumper by Jenny McDermid (So, Oconto), a 3-pointer by Lindsey Geissler (Fr, Thorp) and a layup by Kelsey Duoss (So, Janesville) gave Stout a 54-53 lead at 4:08. Both teams would go cold for the next two minutes until Millikin's Lindsey Ippel broke the impasse with two minutes left. Duoss gave Stout the lead back, 56-55, but that would be it for Stout. Another layup by Ippel and a jumper by Conner gave Millikin the final score.

“Millikin has won 25 games this season. They're not going to run, hide or quit because things aren't going well,” Stout coach Mark Thomas said. “They created a lot of second chance opportunities in the second half. We played a very good team tonight, one that was three points better than us.”

Erichsen and Geissler led Stout with nine points apiece as no Blue Devil got into double digit scoring. Duoss was held to six points and five rebounds, but also had five blocked shots. Erichsen had six rebounds, five in the first half. Overall, Millikin controlled the boards, pulling down 50 rebounds to Stout's 40. The Big Blue had a number of second opportunities, getting 21 offensive rebounds to 12 for Stout.

Ippel led all scorers with 21 points, popping in 18 in the second half. Conner finished with 16 points, 10 in the second half.

This was Stout's first ever Sweet 16 appearance and the Blue Devils posted their first ever 24 win season.

Millikin will play host Calvin College in the sectional finals game, Saturday, March 12. Calvin defeated conference rival Albion College, 65-56, in the other semi-final game.

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Menomonie, Wis.--No. 11 UW-Stout (24-6), the co-champion of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), and No. 6 Millikin University (25-2), the co-champion of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW), will meet Friday, March 11 at 5:30 p.m.(ET), in the first round of the NCAA Division III sectionals at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The other game in the sectional round will be No. 20 Albion College taking on No. 22 Calvin at 7:30 p.m. (ET). The Friday game winners will meet on Saturday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m. (ET) for a trip to the NCAA Final Four, March 18-19 at Virginia Wesleyan in Norfolk, Va.

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Menomonie, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stout survived a five minute scoring drought from the floor late in the game and went on to hold off a resurgent Ripon College team, 65-57, in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs at Johnson Fieldhouse.

Stout (24-6) held a 55-44 lead after Lindsey Erichsen (Sr, Spring Valley, Minn) hit a bucket with 6:53 left in the game. The Red Hawks (20-7) ever so slowly chipped away at the lead, cutting the lead to 57-52, as Stout converted only two free throws in the stretch. Janine Emmer, and Amanda Guay each hit jumpers and Morgan Roberts canned a 3-pointer to provide the damage to Stout.

Molly Hendricks (Jr, Blaine, Minn) broke Stout's scoring drought with a bucket a 1:43. But Roberts answered back with two free throws to pull Ripon back to within five, 59-54, with 59 seconds remaining.

Stout would not score again from the floor, but did make six free throws in the final 57 seconds to ice the game. Kelsey Duoss (So, Janesville), Erichsen and Amanda Geissler (So, Thorp) each dropped in two free throws.

Stout built an early lead, jumping out to a 15-1 run six minutes into the game. But even that did not make Stout coach Mark Thomas comfortable.

"Early, I thought we did a good job moving the ball," Thomas said. "I thought our transition game went real well.

"But, I for one, never thought that game was over."

And the Red Hawks made a game of it, even though Stout - which held a 36-25 halftime lead - kept up a double digit lead for most of the rest of the game.

Emmer got Ripon going with two free throws and the bucket at 6:53, and Roberts kept it going before Hendricks' shot slowed the Red Hawks down.

Erichsen led all scorers with 16 points, while Duoss scored 14 and Hendricks finished with 10 points. Duoss pulled down nine rebounds, while Erichsen had seven, as did Hendricks.

Emmer led Ripon with 13 points and had seven rebounds. Sara Gustafson had eight points and eight rebounds.

Stout, which won 24 games for the first time, will be making their first trip to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Stout will face Millikin University, which defeated Washington University, 67-58, Saturday evening. The sectionals get underway Friday, March 11 at a site to be determined.

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UW-Stout Advances To Second Round of NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament

Menomonie, Wis.--Edgewood College absolutely refused to go away. But in the end, UW-Stout clipped the Eagles, 70-59, in the first round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball tournament, Wednesday, March 2 at Johnson Fieldhouse.

UW-Stout advances to the second round of the tournament where they will face Ripon College, which defeated Rockford College, 62-56, in Ripon. The Blue Devils will host the Red Hawks on Saturday, March 5 at Johnson Fieldhouse. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.

Edgewood (21-8) held the lead only briefly to begin the game, taking a 7-4 lead two minutes in. But UW-Stout (23-6) ran off a 12-2 run over the next six mintues as Liz Eldred (So, Wentworth) scored four points in the run and UW-Stout took an 18-11 lead.

Eldred scored eight points in the first half to give UW-Stout a 38-28 halftime lead. The Eagles' Nickie Updike scored 12 first half points.

Erin Churchill (Sr, Plum City) gave UW-Stout a 40-28 lead early in the second half, but the Eagles began to chip away. Jordane Kittoe nailed a 3-pointer and Updike dropped in a bucket to pull Edgewood to seven. An Alicia Roach 3-pointer at 14:32 cut UW-Stout's lead to 44-38, before the Blue Devils went back on top by 11, 49-38, with a basket by Kelsey Duoss (So, Janesville), a free throw by Lindsey Geissler (Fr, Thorp) and a putback off a missed free throw by Lindsey Erichsen (Sr, Spring Valley, Minn).

The Eagles made their move again, this time with a 9-0 run to pull to within two points, 49-47, with 11:45 remaining. Updike scored six points and had a blocked shot in the run, while Roach dropped in another 3-pointer.

"You have to give Edgewood a lot of credit," said Stout coach Mark Thomas. "Edgewood just kept scrapping. They were not going to give in."

An Erichsen jumper broke the run and UW-Stout went off on a 16-3 run for a 64-51 lead and the Eagles never got closer than nine points the rest of the way.

"We were trying to break their will, we were trying to break their will," said Thomas, "but we just couldn't break it. I think, finally, our system did the job to wear them out."

Updike led all scorers with 24 points, 12 in each half. Hensgen had 12 points and 14 rebounds, while Roach came off the bench to score 11 points, hitting three 3-pointers. As a team, the Eagles dropped in seven 3-pointers.

Duoss led UW-Stout with 15 points, while three players - Erichsen, Eldred and Geissler - finished with 10 points. Erichsen completed the double-double with 10 rebounds.

The win puts UW-Stout as deep into the NCAA playoffs as they have ever been.

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UW-Stevens Point's Nechuta Repeats as Player of the Year

RELEASED: Wednesday, March 2, 2005

Madison, Wis.--For the second consecutive season, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point senior forward Amanda Nechuta has been named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Player of the Year to headline the 10 individuals voted to the 2004-05 all-WIAC Women's Basketball Team by the conference coaches.

Nechuta helped UW-Stevens Point to a share of their second straight WIAC regular season title and a 21-6 record, marking the fifth consecutive year the squad has compiled 20-plus wins. She is a three-time all-WIAC first team and all-defensive team selection and becomes the first two-time winner of the Player of the Year award.

Nechuta leads the conference in scoring (16.8), while ranking third in defensive rebounds (5.04), fifth in blocked shots (1.00), seventh in field goal percentage (.487), eighth in rebounding (6.8), 14th in free throw percentage (.707) and 15th in offensive rebounds (1.78).

Nechuta is one of 10 finalists for the Jostens National Player of the Year award and finished her career as UW-Stevens Point's all-time leader with 1,801 points, 681 field goals made and 120 games played. Her 120 career games played are a conference record, while the 1,801 career points rank third on the all-time list.

Nechuta has led the league in scoring the past three seasons and joins Kari Groshek (2002) as Pointers to win the conference's Player of the Year award.

Nechuta is joined on the first team by teammate Cassandra Schultz, who ranks second in the WIAC in assists (3.74), sixth in scoring (12.7), ninth in steals (1.96) and assist/turnover ratio (1.01) and 10th in field goal percentage (.437). She produced the highest scoring output in the conference this season with her 31 points against UW-Eau Claire on February 5.

UW-Oshkosh's Shannon Eggers and Brittany Herrick secured first team status after the squad compiled a 22-6 record for the school's fourth straight 21-plus win season. Eggers places third in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.387), sixth in assists (2.89) and free throw percentage (.760), ninth in blocked shots (.81), 10th in assist/turnover ratio (.95), 11th in scoring (11.2) and 12th in three-point field goals made (1.07).

Herrick led the Titans in scoring in 12 contests during the 2004-05 campaign, while ranking second in the WIAC in field goal percentage (.520), fifth in scoring (13.0), 11th in offensive rebounds (2.11), 12th in rebounding (6.1) and defensive rebounds (3.96) and 13th in free throw percentage (.708).

UW-Stout also landed two individuals on the first team after the squad claimed a share of the WIAC regular season title and registered 10-plus league victories for the ninth straight year. Kelsey Duoss leads the conference in blocked shots (3.07), defensive rebounds (5.36) and field goal percentage (.548), while placing second in rebounding (7.7), fourth in scoring (13.2) and ninth in offensive rebounds (2.32). Her 86 blocked shots this season established a school record.

The Blue Devils' Lindsey Erichsen is fifth in the WIAC in rebounding (7.0), offensive rebounds (2.64) and defensive rebounds (4.39), ninth in scoring (11.9), field goal percentage (.459) and free throw percentage (.730) and 12th in blocked shots (.68). She was a honorable mention pick in 2003 and 2002 and ranks fourth on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,146 points.

UW-Eau Claire's Rachel Becker leads the conference in assists (5.11), while placing second in assist/turnover ratio (1.66), fifth in steals (2.44), 11th in free throw percentage (.727), 14th in defensive rebounds (3.70), 16th in scoring (10.2) and 18th in rebounding (5.0).

UW-La Crosse's Shawna Koss ranks second in the WIAC in three-point field goal percentage (.400), seventh in scoring (12.5) and three-point field goals made (1.36) and 11th in field goal percentage (.388). She led the team in scoring in 11 games this season.

UW-Platteville's Shannon Boatman leads the league in rebounding (8.0) and offensive rebounds (2.96), while placing second in offensive rebounds (5.04), fifth in blocked shots (1.00), sixth in field goal percentage (.498), 10th in scoring (11.5), 12th in free throw percentage (.725) and 13th in steals (1.77). She also registered a conference-leading eight double-doubles.

UW-River Falls' Erin Effle secured first team status for the second straight season after claiming honorable mention honors the previous two years, becoming the first Falcon to receive all-conference honors all four years. She places third in the conference in scoring (13.2), fourth in offensive rebounds (2.71), fifth in field goal percentage (.498), sixth in rebounding (6.9) and steals (2.38), seventh in blocked shots (.95) and eighth in defensive rebounds (4.14). Effle finished her career seventh on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,181 points.

Named to the 2004-05 honorable mention team were: UW-Eau Claire's Michelle Burns and Jessica Dickey, UW-La Crosse's Katy Searing, UW-Oshkosh's Michele Rosicky and Laurie Turtenwald, UW-Platteville's Holly Kaiser, UW-River Falls' Traci Reimann, UW-Stevens Point's Amy Scott, UW-Stout's Erin Churchill, UW-Superior's Stephanie Janigo and Shannon Johannes and UW-Whitewater's Nya Geschke and Jessica Wendt.

The 2004-05 five-member all-defensive team included: UW-Eau Claire's Katie Murphy, UW-Oshkosh's Laurie Turtenwald, UW-River Falls' Chantele Melgaard, UW-Stevens Point's Amanda Nechuta and UW-Stout's Kelsey Duoss. It is the third straight season that Nechuta has been recognized on the squad.

UW-Stout head coach Mark Thomas was voted the Coach of the Year by the conference coaches for the third time in his career (2005, 2002, 1993). He directed the Blue Devils to a share of the WIAC regular season title, the WIAC Tournament crown and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Thomas became the league's all-time winningest coach earlier this season and carries a 308-165 record (.651 winning percentage) in his 18 seasons with the Blue Devils.

2004-05 All-WIAC Women's Basketball Team
First Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Height, Hometown (High School)
Rachel Becker, Eau Claire, Junior, Guard, 5-7, Gilmanton
Shannon Boatman, Platteville, Senior, Forward, 5-11, Darlington
Kelsey Duoss, Stout, Sophomore, Forward, 6-2, Janesville (Clinton)
Erin Effle, River Falls, Senior, Forward, 5-10, Rochester, Minn. (John Marshall)
Shannon Eggers, Oshkosh, Junior, Guard, 5-11, Council Bluffs, Iowa (Lewis Central)
Lindsey Erichsen, Stout, Senior, Forward, 6-0, Spring Valley, Minn. (Kingsland)
Brittany Herrick, Oshkosh, Junior, Forward, 5-11, Appleton (Xavier)
Shawna Koss, La Crosse, Junior, Guard, 5-10, Holmen (Melrose-Mindoro)
Amanda Nechuta, Stevens Point, Senior, Forward, 5-10, Mosinee
Cassandra Schultz, Stevens Point, Junior, Guard, 5-7, Hartford

Honorable Mention
Michelle Burns, Eau Claire, Freshman, Forward, 5-11, Eau Claire (North)
Erin Churchill, Stout, Senior, Guard, 5-8, Plum City
Jessica Dickey, Eau Claire, Senior, Guard, 5-9, White Bear Lake, Minn. (Cretin-Derham Hall)
Nya Geschke, Whitewater, Senior, Forward, 5-10, Janesville (Parker)
Stephanie Janigo, Superior, Senior, Forward, 6-0, Brule (Northwestern)
Shannon Johannes, Superior, Senior, Guard, 5-6, Cold Spring, Minn. (Rocori)
Holly Kaiser, Platteville, Junior, Forward, 5-10, Hazel Green (Southwestern)
Traci Reimann, River Falls, Sophomore, Forward, 6-0, North Branch, Minn.
Michele Rosicky, Oshkosh, Senior, Guard, 5-6, Plover (SPASH)
Amy Scott, Stevens Point, Senior, Center, 6-2, Rosholt
Katy Searing, La Crosse, Sophomore, Forward, 5-11, Mukwonago
Laurie Turtenwald, Oshkosh, Senior, Guard, 5-7, West Allis (Hale)
Jessica Wendt, Whitewater, Sophomore, Forward, 6-1, Greenfield (Whitnall)

All-Defensive Team
Kelsey Duoss, Stout, Sophomore, Forward, 6-2, Janesville (Clinton)
Chantele Melgaard, River Falls, Junior, Guard, 5-8, Lakeville, Minn.
Katie Murphy, Eau Claire, Senior, Guard, 5-5, La Crosse (Aquinas)
Amanda Nechuta, Stevens Point, Senior, Forward, 5-10, Mosinee
Laurie Turtenwald, Oshkosh, Senior, Guard, 5-7, West Allis (Hale)

Player of the Year: Amanda Nechuta of Stevens Point
Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete: Erin Effle of River Falls
Coach of the Year: Mark Thomas of Stout

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UW-River Falls' Effle Receives Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award

RELEASED: Wednesday, March 2, 2005

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-River Falls' Erin Effle has been named the 2005 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Judy Kruckman Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete, it was announced recently by WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner.

Effle, a senior from Rochester, Minn. (John Marshall H.S.), is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry and carries a 3.288 grade point average. She is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and has been recognized on UW-River Falls' Dean's List.

Effle, a two-year team captain, recently secured all-WIAC first team honors for the second straight season after claiming honorable mention status the previous two years, becoming the first Falcon to receive all-conference honors all four years. Effle finished her career seventh on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,181 points. Effle led the team in scoring the last three years and was the squad's leading rebounder in 2002 and 2003.

Effle is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has worked as an Outreach Advisor at her institution.

Effle becomes the fifth UW-River Falls student-athlete to claim the women's basketball scholar-athlete, joining Missy Johnson (1999), Kristin Buhrt (1990), Vicki Johnson (1989) and Linda Christopherson (1988).

Also nominated for this year's scholar-athlete award were: UW-Eau Claire's Rebecca Carstensen, Joanna Leafblad and Emilee Planert, UW-La Crosse's Leah LeFebvre and Jaclyn Powell, UW-Stevens Point's Jennifer Kirchenwitz and Amy Scott and UW-Superior's Shannon Johannes.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is sponsored by Culver's. In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.25 grade point average, be in their last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.

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UW-Stout To Host NCAA Women's Basketball First Round Contest

RELEASED: Sunday, February 27, 2005

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stout will host a NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament First Round Game.

The Blue Devils will host Edgewood College on Wednesday, March 2 at Johnson Fieldhouse. The winner of the UW-Stout/Edgewood game will face the winner of Ripon College/Rockford College (Ill.) in a second round matchup on Saturday, March 5 at a site to be announced.

UW-Stout (22-6) received an automatic bid into the 50-team national field by winning the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament title. The Blue Devils are making their seventh trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament (2005, 2002, 1997, 1996, 1994, 1993, 1992) and own a 1-6 all-time mark in postseason competition.

Edgewood (21-7) won the Lake Michigan Conference Tournament title to earn a spot in the national tournament for the first time in school history.

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UW-Stevens Point's Kalsow and Nechuta Named Finalists for Jostens National Player of the Year

RELEASED: Wednesday, February 23, 2005

Salem, Va.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point seniors Jason Kalsow and Amanda Nechuta are both finalists for the Josten’s Award presented to the NCAA Division III men’s and women’s basketball Players of the Year.

The duo is among 10 finalists for each award that is given annually by the Salem (Va.) Rotary Club. The awards are presented during the men’s championship weekend in Salem on March 17.

This marks the fourth consecutive season that the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has had a finalist for the women's award. UW-Oshkosh's Kay Mikolajczak and UW-Eau Claire's Becca Spaeth were finalists a year ago, with Mikolajczak winning the award. UW-Eau Claire's Kristi Channing was a finalist in 2003 and 2002, while UW-Stevens Point's was also a finalist in 2002.

Kalsow and Nechuta each set UW-Stevens Point’s all-time respective scoring records within 15 days of each other earlier this season. Buena Vista (Iowa) is the only other school with both a men’s and women’s finalist.

Kalsow, a Huntley, Ill. native, has 1,745 career points and is also the school’s all-time leading rebounder with 823 for his career. He is fourth in school history with 431 career assists and needs one more field goal to match Tim Naegeli’s school record of 689 for his career. Kalsow hit the game-winning shot with 0.2 seconds left in last year’s Division III championship game.

This season, Kalsow ranks among the leaders in all 12 of the league’s statistical categories. He leads the WIAC in scoring at 19.9 per game and assists at 4.3 per contest. Kalsow also is shooting a league-high 51.5 percent from three-point range and is third in the league in rebounding at 7.1 per game. He ranks 39th in the country in scoring and has scored in double figures in 59 straight games.

Nechuta, a Mosinee native, has 1,780 points to rank third in WIAC history and just 54 points behind the league’s career record. She holds the school record for career field goals made and ranks fourth in school history with 747 rebounds. Last season, she scored a single-season school record 617 points.

Nechuta is currently leading the WIAC in scoring for the third straight year, averaging 16.6 points per game. She is also an outstanding defensive player, ranking second in the league at 2.6 steals per game.

In addition to their basketball ability, the award also recognizes academic prowess and community service, recognizing those who fit the ideal of a well-rounded Division III student-athlete.

The other men’s finalists are J.D. Byers, Lebanon Valley (Pa.); Russ Churchwell, Oglethorpe (Ga.); Seth Hauben, Rochester (N.Y.); Adam McCoy, Aurora (Ill.); Jon Nielson, Wheaton (Ill.); Tyler Rhoten, Trinity (Conn.); Andrew Schiel, Amherst (Mass.); Tommy Stolhandske, Texas Lutheran; Eric Wiebers, Buena Vista (Iowa).

The other women’s finalists are Alyssa Antolick, DeSales (Pa.); Amy Argetsinger, DePauw (Ind.); Ashley Edwards, Concordia-Austin (Texas); Katie Maguire, Buena Vista (Iowa); Diana Martinez, Hardin-Simmons (Texas); Tara Rohde, Trinity (Texas); Megan Vig, Carleton (Minn.); Siobhan Zerilla, Wilmington (Ohio); Olivia Zurek, Bates (Maine).

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Madison, Wis.--For the second time in as many seasons, two schools will share the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women's basketball championship. UW-Stevens Point and UW-Stout claimed a share of the 2005 crown with victories on February 19. The Blue Devils beat UW-Platteville, 68-54, at Johnson Fieldhouse in Menomonie, while the Pointers beat UW-Oshkosh, 63-59, at Kolf Sports Center in Oshkosh.

This marks the third time in the last five years, that the conference title has been shared. UW-Oshkosh and UW-Stevens Point split the crown last year, while UW-Eau Claire and UW-Oshkosh were co-champions in 2001.

It also denotes just the second season since 1982 that the league champion has had four losses. The last time it happened was during the 2000-01 campaign when UW-Eau Claire and UW-Oshkosh split the crown.

UW-Stevens Point secured its second consecutive conference title and third in school history (2005, 2004, 1997).

UW-Stout claimed its first conference championship since 2002 and third in school history (2005, 2002, 1997). The Blue Devils also became the first WIAC team to ever come back from a 1-3 conference start to win a league title.

UW-Stevens Point shot 46.7 percent from the field in the first half and claimed a 34-28 halftime advantage against UW-Oshkosh. The Titans used a 14-0 run in the second half to claim a 55-51 lead with 6:30 remaining in the game. UW-Oshkosh then had 0 points, seven turnovers and three missed shot in the next 4:58.

Amanda Nechuta scored a game-high 21 points for the Pointers and also hauled in 11 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season. Amy Scott added 16 points and nine rebounds, while Cassandra Schultz chipped in 11 points.

UW-Oshkosh received 13 points each from Laurie Turtenwald and Michele Rosicky. Brittany Herrick added 12 points for the Titans.

UW-Stevens Point was 1-of-12 from the three-point line in the game, but converted 14-of-17 free throw attempts. UW-Oshkosh was 4-of-4 from the free-throw line in the contest.

UW-Stout built up a 17-point lead late in the first half against UW-Platteville and carried a 37-22 advantage into the locker room. The Blue Devils expanded the lead to 19 points six minutes into the second half.

UW-Platteville threatened midway through the half, cutting the lead to 10, 54-44, with nine minutes left. UW-Stout built the lead back to 15 points, 61-46, but the Pioneers went on a 6-0 run to pull to within nine, 61-52, at the three minute mark. UW-Stout's Erin Churchill and Lindsey Erichsen hit back-to-back buckets and the game was virtually over.

Erichsen led the Blue Devils with 15 points, while Jenny McDermid scored 12 points and Kelsey Duoss added 11 points and 10 rebounds.

UW-Platteville got 20 points from Holly Kaiser, 11 in the second half, and 12 from Lisa Wubben.

UW-Stout hit 24-of-67 from the floor (35.8 percent), while UW-Platteville connected on 18-of-59 shots (30.5 percent). Rebounds were even, with UW-Stout snaring 47 and UW-Platteville, 46. Free throws were basically a wash with UW-Stout dropping in 16-of-29 and UW-Platteville, 15-of-23.

UW-Stout secured the top seed for the WIAC Tournament due to their 1-1 record against UW-River Falls compared to the Pointers' 0-2 mark against the Falcons. The Blue Devils will host No. 8 seed UW-La Crosse, while the Pointers claimed the No. 2 seed and will host No. 7 seed UW-Platteville. Additional quarterfinal matchups include No. 5 seed UW-Eau Claire at No. 4 seed UW-River Falls and No. 6 seed UW-Whitewater at No. 3 seed UW-Oshkosh.

The WIAC Tournament quarterfinals begin on February 21 with the championship game being held on February 26. The tournament winner receives the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.

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UW-Platteville's Kaiser Named To Academic All-District Women's Basketball Team

RELEASED: Thursday, February 17, 2005

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Holly Kaiser has been named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Five College Division Women's Basketball Second Team.

The team is comprised of all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA players from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota and is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Kaiser, a junior from Hazel Green, Wis. (Southwestern H.S.), is majoring in biology/pre-physical therapy with a minor in French and carries a 3.92 grade point average. She has started all 24 games this year and averages a team-leading 13.3 points per game, while adding 5.1 rebounds per contest. Kaiser also leads the team with a 51.8 field goal percentage.

Kaiser has been named to the Dean's List all five semesters, is a member of Beta Beta Beta honor society and is a UW-Platteville Academic National Student-Athlete Day Honoree.

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UW-Oshkosh's Ruder Secures 200th Career Win

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh head coach Pam Ruder secured her 200th career win at the school with a 71-66 victory over UW-Platteville on February 8 in Platteville.

Ruder, who was named UW-Oshkosh's third head women's basketball coach on May 2, 1996, has guided the Titans to a nine-year record of 200-44. She is the sixth women's basketball coach in WIAC history win at least 200 games, joining UW-Stout's Mark Thomas (303), UW-Oshkosh's Carol Anhalt (288), UW-Eau Claire's Lisa Stone (277), UW-Stevens Point's Shirley Egner (268) and UW-Whitewater's Dianne Jones (229).

Kelly O'Keef scored 18 points to tie a career high and help UW-Oshkosh (19-4/10-4 WIAC) clinch a home game in the first round of the upcoming WIAC Tournament. She scored 18 points on six-of-nine shooting from the the field, including four-of-five shooting behind the three-point line, and two-of-two shooting from the free-throw stripe. O'Keef also grabbed four rebounds and dished off one assist during her 25 minutes of playing time.

UW-Oshkosh also received 16 points, three rebounds and three steals from Brittany Herrick, 13 points, four rebounds and two assists from Michele Rosicky and six points, seven assists and two rebounds from Shannon Eggers.

UW-Oshkosh concluded the game shooting 57.1 percent (24-42) from the field, including 72.7 (8-11) behind the three-point line, and 62.5 (15-24) from the free-throw stripe. The Titans shot 66.7 percent (10-15) from the field in the second half while making four of their five three-point tries.

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UW-Stevens Point's Nechuta Becomes School's All-Time Leading Scorer

Amanda Nechuta became University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's all-time leading scorer and the Pointers extended their winning streak to 10 straight games with a 68-48 victory over UW-Platteville on January 25 at Williams Fieldhouse.

UW-Stevens Point's victory kept the Pointers tied atop the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings with UW-Oshkosh at 8-2 in league play. The Pointers, ranked 22nd in the NCAA Division III, are now 15-3 overall after opening the year 5-3.

Nechuta reached the milestone with 11:23 left in the first half and finished the night with 19 points. She now has 1,666 points for her career, surpassing Sonja Sorenson as the all-time leader. Nechuta needed six points to tie Sorenson, who posted 1,653 points during her career from 1984-88.

The forward from Mosinee had 292 points in a reserve role her freshman year and then totaled 439 points as a sophomore before setting the single-season school mark with 617 points as a junior. This season, she has scored 318 points through 18 games. She has played in all 111 games of her four-year career.

Nechuta is the first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference player to set a school scoring record since 1996 when Wendy Wangerin became UW-Oshkosh's all-time leader. Nechuta still has a chance to become the league's all-time leading scorer, chasing the record of UW-Eau Claire's Arlene Meinholz, who scored 1,834 points from 1991-95.

Nechuta finished the game with 19 points and eight rebounds.

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UW-Stout's Thomas Becomes All-Time Winningest WIAC Women's Basketball Coach

UW-Stout didn't make it easy on their coach, but in the end the Blue Devils got the win and coach Mark Thomas became the winningest women's basketball coach in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) history with a 74-71 overtime win over Northwestern (Minn.) on November 23 at Johnson Fieldhouse in Menomonie, Wis.

The win gave Thomas his 289th career win, pushing him past Carol Anhalt of UW-Oshkosh, who had a 288-127 record from 1971-89. Thomas began coaching at Stout for the 1987-88 season and owns a 289-159 record (64.5 winning percentage) at the school.

After Stout controlled the first 10 minutes of the game with a tenacious defense, the tide turned and the Eagles (1-2) went on a 17-4 run over the final 10 minutes of the first half, holding Stout to 2-for-14 shooting from the floor in that span, and held a 41-28 halftime lead.

Stout came back in the second half with a 22-10 run and took a brief 50-49 lead before the Eagles grabbed the lead back, building up to as much as a seven point lead twice.

The Blue Devils cut the lead to three, 64-61, on a free throw by Lindsey Geissler and a 3-pointer by Joanna Bird. A jumper by the Eagles' Katie Luecke pushed the lead back to five points. Liz Eldred grabbed a wide rebound and drove the length to score and cut the lead to three.

Lindsey Erichsen scored the next four points to tie the score, but Hannah McEvoy gave the Eagles a 68-66 lead with 41 seconds left. Erin Churchill sent the game into overtime with a jumper with 19 seconds remaining.

Stout never trailed in overtime as Erichsen gave the Blue Devils the lead 30 seconds into the extra stanza. A free throw by Northwestern's Jen Adamson cut the Stout lead to one, but a 3-pointer by Molly Hendricks took the lead back to four points, 73-69. A jumper by Joni Parrish cut the lead to 73-71 with 2:30 left. Neither team would score for the nearly two minutes until Churchill hit the final free throw and point for the game with 42 seconds remaining.

Hendricks and McEvoy each scored 17 points. Erichsen finished with a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. The Eagles got 12 points form Julie Ross and 10 points from Katie Tuseth and Grace Anderson.

Stout held a 54-41 advantage on the boards. Turnovers were fairly even with Northwestern committing 26 and Stout, 24. Northwestern held a decided advantage on the line, hitting 25-of-39, while Stout was 11-of-25.

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RELEASED: Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Stevens Point, Wis.--The top Division III collegiate basketball coaching awards in Wisconsin will both be presented to UW-Stevens Point as men’s basketball coach Jack Bennett and women’s basketball coach Shirley Egner will be honored as the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division III Coaches of the Year for the 2003-04 season. Additionally, former UW-River Falls coach and administrator Don Page, along with former UW-Whitewater women's basketball coach and administrator Dianne Jones are among the 2004 inductees for the WBCA Hall of Fame.

The two Pointer coaches will be honored at the WBCA Hall of Fame banquet on Sat., Oct. 9 at the Madison Marriott West hotel. In addition to the coaching awards, former Pointer men’s basketball assistant coach John Schell and former official Ken Kulick, who attended UW-Stevens Point and has served the university in many capacities, will be inducted in the WBCA Hall of Fame.

Bennett guided the men’s basketball team to its first NCAA Division III championship and a school record for victories with a 29-5 record last season. The Pointers captured the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament title and then won six straight NCAA tournament games, knocking off defending champion Williams (Mass.) 84-82 in the national title game in Salem, Va.

Bennett currently ranks third on UW-Stevens Point’s all-time wins list with a 171-53 record through eight seasons. He needs eight wins to surpass Hale Quandt as the school’s all-time winningest coach. For his career, Bennett has a 451-172 overall record, including 19 years as a high school coach.

Egner is receiving the award for the second time in three years after leading the Pointers to their first WIAC championship since 1987. She also received the WBCA award in 2002 when the Pointers won the national title. In 2003-04, UW-Stevens Point made its second Division III Final Four appearance in three years and finished 28-5 overall. Egner is the winningest coach in UW-Stevens Point history with a 250-138 record over 15 seasons, claiming her 250th victory in last season’s sectional championship victory over Hardin-Simmons (Texas).

Egner has experienced tremendous success in recent seasons, posting a 100-19 record over the past four seasons. She was named the WIAC Coach of the Year for the first time in her career during 2003-04 and owns a 379-188 overall career record, including six seasons as a high school coach.

Page is one of six officials being inducted this year and has been a registered football official with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) since 1949 and just completed his 42nd year of helping organize the WIAA rules interpretation meetings. He has served as the Supervisor of Officials for the WIAC for the last 12 years.

Page is believed to be the only person in Wisconsin history to have played, coached and refereed in the WIAA Boys State Basketball Tournament. He has been active as a coach or official in the state for over 50 years and served as UW-River Falls' athletic director from 1970-92.

Jones is the only college coach being inducted in this year's ceremony. She won more games than any other women's basketball coach in UW-Whitewater history, has the best career winning percentage, directed the Warhawks to the most victories in a single season (25 in 1981-82), and had more winning seasons (all thirteen of her years).

Jones also served UW-Whitewater as director of women's athletics from 1987 until June 1999.

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Kuhle Named UW-Platteville Women's Basketball Coach

RELEASED: Monday, May 24, 2004

Platteville, Wis.--Tina Kuhle is the new women's basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Athletic Director Mark Molesworth announced today.

Kuhle, an assistant for the Pioneers for the past two seasons, replaces Denise Dunbar, who resigned May 18 after six seasons.

Besides her two years on the Pioneer bench, Kuhle has plenty of basketball coaching experience. While at Clarke College, she earned two Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference basketball coach of the year awards and led the Crusaders to three league championships.

In six seasons, Kuhle guided the Dubuque school to an 84-59 record, including a 45-11 conference mark. She had five winning campaigns in her six years and had 14 all-conference selections and five academic all-conference student-athletes.

Kuhle also earned two NIIC coach of the year awards in softball after leading Clarke to a pair of conference championships. In addition, she guided the Crusaders to a softball title in the Midwest Classic Conference. Kuhle, who assisted the UWP softball program for two years, helped the Pioneers to the 2003 WIAC championship.

A 1994 graduate of Clarke College, Kuhle was a four-time Crusader basketball team MVP and is the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,773 points and assist leader with 425. She still holds the Clarke single-game assist record with 16 vs. Cardinal Stritch. Kuhle earned her bachelor of arts degree with a major in business administration/accounting.

To follow state regulations, Kuhle will serve as the interim head coach until a national search can be conducted after the 2004-05 season, Molesworth said.

The Pioneers were 73-82 in Dunbar's six years and were 8-8 in each of the last three seasons in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. They lose three all-conference seniors from last year's 14-12 club.

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UW-Oshkosh's Mikolajczak Receives NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

RELEASED: Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Oshkosh, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh women's basketball player Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. o Franklin) has received a postgraduate scholarship of $7,500 by the NCAA.

The NCAA recently awarded 58 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes who participated in winter sports, which included women's archery, men's and women's basketball, women's bowling, men's and women's fencing, men's and women's gymnastics, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's rifle, men's and women's skiing, women's squash, men's and women's swimming and diving, women's synchronized swimming, women's team handball, men's and women's indoor track and field, and wrestling.

After playing her freshman campaign (2001) at UW-Eau Claire, Mikolajczak transferred to UW-Oshkosh and eventually led the Titans to three 20-plus win seasons and a share of the WIAC championship in 2004. Her 80-game career at UW-Oshkosh included 67 starting assignments and participation in 62 victories. UW-Oshkosh's all-time statistical listings finds Mikolajczak ranked first with 127 career blocked shots, ninth with 643 career rebounds and 11th with 1,124 career points.

Mikolajczak began the 2004 campaign as a pre-season NCAA Division III All-America third team selection by the internet site D3hoops.com. She went on to lead UW-Oshkosh to a 21-6 record, a share of the WIAC title and a pair of top-20 national rankings by averaging 17.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 blocked shots per game. Mikolajczak led the WIAC in 2004 with 12 double-doubles, including 20 points and 15 rebounds in a 79-77 overtime loss to UW-Stevens Point. She also scored a career-best 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in an 85-79 victory over UW-Stout.

Mikolajczak's 2004 post-season honors included All-America first team awards by D3hoops.com and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. She also was named to the All-WIAC first team for the second straight year. However, her most prestigious post-season honor came when she was presented the 2004 Jostens Trophy, an award recognizing the most outstanding female student-athlete in NCAA Division III basketball.

In 2003, Mikolajczak helped UW-Oshkosh to a 22-6 record and a pair of top-20 national rankings by averaging 13.4 points, 7.6 rebounds. 2.7 steals and 1.9 assists per game. In 2002, Mikolajczak helped UW-Oshkosh to a 21-7 record and a pair of national top-20 rankings by averaging 11.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.6 steals per contest.

Mikolajczak owns an astonishing 3.928 cumulative grade point average in the classroom. She graduated on May 15 with a degree in biology and minor in pre-physical therapy. Mikolajczak was selected to the 2004 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America College Division Women's Basketball second team, an honor that marked the first time a women's basketball player from the UW-Oshkosh was nationally-recognized by the organization. She also was one of three recipients for the WIAC's 2004 Judy Kruckman Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award.

Mikolajczak has been a member of the WIAC's Scholastic Honor Roll all four years of college, making UW-Oshkosh's Dean's List every semester. She is a past recipient of the UW-Oshkosh Governor's, the UW-Oshkosh Chancellor's and the Brady Corporation scholarships. Recently, Mikolajczak was announced as one of the 2004 recipients of the UW-Oshkosh Chancellor's Award For Excellence and the UW-Oshkosh John Taylor Senior Scholar-Athlete award.

Mikolajczak has volunteered numerous hours with the Special Olympics, Senior Day Care, youth camp and clinics and serves an active role with ADVOCAP. She currently is president of UW-Oshkosh's Student-Athlete Advisory Board and is active with the campus's Gender Equity Committee. Mikolajczak is a three-year member of the UW-Oshkosh women's track and field team, where she placed fifth in the heptathlon at the 2002 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship to receive All-America honors.

In addition to the winter sports honorees, the NCAA also presents 116 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes participating in fall and spring sports in which the NCAA conducts championships or designates as an emerging sport, for a total of 174 postgraduate scholarships annually. Mikolajczak is the second WIAC student-athlete to receive a NCAA postgraduate scholarship this year, following Curt Johnson of the UW-Stevens Point men's cross country team who received one of the fall scholarships.

To qualify for a NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade point average of 3.200 (on a 4.000 scale) or its equivalent and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated. The student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics. The student-athlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time or part-time graduate student.

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UW-River Falls' Page and UW-Whitewater's Jones Named To State Basketball Hall of Fame

RELEASED: Tuesday, May 11, 2004

Whitewater, Wis.--Former University of Wisconsin-River Falls coach and administrator Don Page, along with former UW-Whitewater women's basketball coach Dianne Jones are among the 2004 inductees for the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Hall of Fame.

Page has been a registered football official with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) since 1949 and just completed his 42nd year of helping organize the WIAA rules interpretation meetings. He has served as the Supervisor of Officials for the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) for the last 12 years.

Page refereed the state's second Shrine Football Game in 1978 and worked the state playoff finals in 1982 and 1989. Despite stepping down from a full officiating schedule in 1986 and having hip-replacement surgery in 1989, he's worked every year since as a sub when needed.

Page developed the 'Football Course Outline' for the WIAA and is a member of the National Federation Interscholastic Officials Association. He has also received Distinguished Service awards from the Wisconsin High School Football Coaches Association, the National Federation of Interscholastic Coaches Association and the Pierce/St. Croix Officials Association. He was inducted into the Madison Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.

A five sport star at Madison West High School, Page is believed to be the only person in Wisconsin history to have played, coached and refereed in the WIAA Boys State Basketball Tournament. He has been active as a coach or official in the state for over 50 years and served as UW-River Falls' athletic director from 1970-92.

Jones is the only college coach being inducted in this year's ceremony, while Page is one of six officials being honored. The 2004 inductees include eight high school coaches, three in the friends of basketball category and six officials. The induction ceremony will take place Saturday, October 9 at the Madison Marriott West (Middleton). For tickets to the banquet contact Duane Updike in Evansville (WI) at (608) 882-5471 or Jerry Mortimer at Black Hawk High School in South Wayne at (608) 439-5371 extension 112.

The WBCA has elected twenty-two college coaches to its Hall of Fame. Jones is the first woman to be honored by the group.

Jones came to UW-Whitewater as women's basketball coach and an instructor in the physical education department in 1975. She took two years off (1978-78-, 1978-79) to obtain her doctorate, then returned to UW-Whitewater. She coached thirteen years (1975-77, 1979-1990), compiling a 229-103 (.690 winning percentage) record. Her teams won three conference championships and earned eight postseason tournament bids, including a third place finish in the 1982 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Division III championship. Athletes earned All-American honors a total of twelve times under Jones' guidance. She was named conference coach of year twice (1981, 1986), regional coach of the year twice, and All-American Coach by the American Women's Sports Federation in 1984 and 1987.

Jones won more games than any other women's basketball coach in UW-Whitewater history, has the best career winning percentage, directed the Warhawks to the most victories in a single season (25 in 1981-82), and had more winning seasons (all thirteen of her years). There have been six head women's coaches since basketball became an intercollegiate sport at UW-Whitewater for the 1966-67 season.

Jones served on the AIAW and NCAA women's basketball committees, the NCAA committee on committees, the national Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-America committee, and numerous other committees and study groups related to basketball and girls and women in sport. In 1995 Jones received the Women's Sports Advocates of Wisconsin Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jones also served UW-Whitewater as director of women's athletics from 1987 until June 1999.

Jones graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 1974, obtained her master's degree from Western Illinois in 1975, and a doctorate from West Virginia University in 1979.

Jones is a professor in UW-Whitewater's Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Coaching.

Jones is the second UW-Whitewater basketball coach to be honored by the WBCA. Former men's coach Dave Vander Meulen, coach at UW-Whitewater from 1978 to 2001, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association web site: www.wisbca.org/hof.asp

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