2006-07 WIAC Women's Basketball
Athletes of the Week

Week of Feb. 12 - 18
Lindsey Buechner, Junior (Cross Plains/Middleton), Center of UW-Whitewater
Buechner led UW-Whitewater to wins over UW-Oshkosh and UW-Eau Claire as the Warhawks earned the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament and finished with the most league victories (12) since the 1998-99 squad also had 12.  In a 68-51 win over UW-Oshkosh on Feb. 14, she registered 11 points aided by five-of-seven shooting from the field and also added six steals, five rebounds, two blocked shots and one assist.  Against the Blugolds, Buechner tallied a game-high 18 points on five-of-13 shooting from the field and eight-of-10 shooting from the free throw line.  She also contributed five rebounds and two blocked shots in the contest.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Brittanni Hakanson, Sophomore, Forward/Center, Wheeler (Boyceville)
UW-La Crosse, Nicole Palmer, Senior, Guard, Random Lake
UW-Oshkosh, Jessica Abitz, Sophomore, Forward, Franksville (Shoreland Lutheran)
UW-Platteville, Lisa Grantman, Sophomore, Forward, Lomira
UW-River Falls, Chantele Melgaard, Senior, Guard, Lakeville, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, Janell Van Gomple, Sophomore, Guard, DeForest
UW-Stout, Kelsey Duoss, Senior, Center, Janesville (Clinton)

Week of Feb. 5 - 11
Liz Tesch, Senior (Dorchester/Colby), Center of UW-Platteville
Tesch recorded the third-highest scoring game in UW-Platteville history, pouring in 36 points during a 75-73 win against UW-La Crosse on Feb. 7.  She made 11-of-17 shots from the field and 12-of-14 from the free throw line.  Tesch also knocked down two-of-three three pointers and added nine rebounds in 37 minutes.  Her 36 points were the most in the conference since UW-Stevens Point’s Amanda Nechuta had 36 points against UW-Oshkosh on Feb. 18, 2004.  Tesch added 15 points and 10 rebounds against UW-Superior on Feb. 10.  For the week, she made 17-of-25 shots from the field (68.0 percent), including three-of-four three-point shots and 17-of-18 free throws (94.4 percent).

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Rachel Mueggenborg, Junior, Guard, West Salem
UW-Oshkosh, Whitney Tyriver, Junior, Oshkosh (West)
UW-Stevens Point, Nathalie Lechault, Senior, Center, Chavannes de Bogis, Switzerland (International School of Geneva)
UW-Stout, Julie Hirssig, Freshman, Forward, Rochester, Minn. (Mayo)
UW-Whitewater, Trisha Thill, Junior, Guard, Belgium (Ozaukee)

Week of Jan. 29 - Feb. 4
Melanie Preiner, Senior (Stillwater, Minn.), Guard of UW-River Falls
Preiner helped UW-River Falls to a pair of victories last week, including a 79-68 win over No. 10-ranked UW-Stout on Jan. 31.  Against the Blue Devils, she scored 15 points and added three assists, one rebound and one steal.   In a 61-48 triumph at UW-Platteville on Feb. 3, Peiner poured in a game-high 18 points and matched her season high with seven rebounds.  She also contributed four assists.  In the two games, Preiner was 11-of-20 (55.0 percent) from the field, including seven-of-11 (63.6 percent) from three-point range.  She also hit all four of her free throw attempts and added eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals. 

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Michelle Burns, Junior, Forward, Eau Claire (North)
UW-La Crosse, Katy Searing, Senior, Forward, Mukwonago
UW-Oshkosh, Arin Lane, Freshman, Forward, Stevens Point (Pacelli)
UW-Platteville, Lisa Grantman, Sophomore, Guard, Lomira
UW-Stevens Point, Haley Houghton, Junior, Guard, Wausau (East)
UW-Stout, Kelsey Duoss, Senior, Forward, Janesville (Clinton)
UW-Whitewater, Lindsey Buechner, Junior, Center, Cross Plains (Middleton)

Week of Jan. 22 - 28
Kelsey Duoss, Senior (Janesville/Clinton), Forward of UW-Stout
Duoss helped UW-Stout to pair of league victories over second-place teams in the WIAC standings.   In a 65-52 win over conference rival UW-Eau Claire on Jan. 24, she tallied a game-high 16 points and nine rebounds, while adding two blocked shots.  Against UW-Whitewater on Jan. 27, Duoss set a school single-game record with 10 blocked shots and added a team-best nine rebounds to go along with eight points.  UW-Stout has won nine straight games overall and 10 consecutive WIAC contests.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Heather Witt, Sophomore, Guard, Kendall (Royall)
UW-La Crosse, Katy Searing, Senior, Forward, Mukwonago
UW-Oshkosh, Kayla Sharpee, Freshman, Forward, Rio (Lakeside Lutheran)
UW-Platteville, Liz Tesch, Senior, Center, Dorchester (Colby)
UW-River Falls, Melanie Preiner, Senior, Guard, Stillwater, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, Haley Houghton, Junior, Guard, Wausau (East)
UW-Superior, Carissa Nord, Sophomore, Guard, Duluth, Minn.
UW-Whitewater, Trisha Thill, Junior, Guard, Belgium (Ozaukee)

Week of Jan. 15 - 21
Heidi Arciszewski, Sophomore (Thorp), Guard of UW-Eau Claire
Arciszewski helped the Blugolds take sole possession of second place as they defeated UW-Superior, 72-43, and UW-La Crosse 66-49.  Against the Yellowjackets, Arciszewski tallied 15 points and three assists to go along with three rebounds and two steals.  In the victory over the Eagles, Arciszewski led all scorers with 19 points, including 10-of-11 free throw attempts, and grabbed six rebounds.  For the week, Arciszewski averaged 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game making 10-of-18 field goals, three-of-eight three-point field goals and 11-of-13 free throws.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Nicole Palmer, Senior, Guard, Random Lake
UW-Oshkosh, Kayla Sharpee, Freshman, Forward, Rio (Lakeside Lutheran)
UW-Platteville, Lisa Grantman, Sophomore, Guard, Lomira
UW-River Falls, Melanie Preiner, Senior, Guard, Stillwater, Minn.
UW-Stout, Savanah Oeltjen, Senior, Guard, Spring Valley, Minn. (Kingsland)
UW-Whitewater, Lindsey Buechner, Junior, Center, Cross Plains (Middleton)

Week of Jan. 8 - 14
Traci Reimann, Senior (North Branch, Minn.), Center of UW-River Falls
Reimann had two solid games for the Falcons during the week as she posted a pair of double-doubles.  In a tough 56-55 loss at No. 15-ranked UW-Stout on Jan. 10, she poured in a game-high 22 points and grabbed a game-best 12 rebounds, while adding two assists and one steal.  In a 47-32 victory over UW-Oshkosh on Jan. 13, Reimann recorded game-highs with 20 points and 12 rebounds.  She also contributed three blocked shots, two assists and two steals as the Falcons held the Titans to their lowest point total in 787 games.  In the two games during the week, Reimann shot 52.6 percent from the field (20-of-38), was two-of-three from the free-throw line and grabbed 24 rebounds with four assists, three steals and three blocked shots in 60 minutes of playing time.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Heather Witt, Sophomore, Guard, Kendall (Royall)
UW-La Crosse, Katy Searing, Senior, Forward, Mukwonago
UW-Oshkosh, Kayla Sharpee, Freshman, Forward, Rio (Lakeside Lutheran)
UW-Stevens Point, Jessi Sporle, Sophomore, Forward, Mineral Point
UW-Stout, Dani Boese, Sophomore, Forward, Alma
UW-Superior, Katie Moench, Senior, Guard, Carlton, Minn. (Maranatha Academy)
UW-Whitewater, Trisha Thill, Junior, Forward, Belgium (Ozaukee)

Week of Jan. 1 - 7
Whitney Tyriver, Junior (Oshkosh/West), Guard of UW-Oshkosh
Tyriver averaged 19.0 points, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game as UW-Oshkosh posted wins of 61-49 over UW-Platteville on Jan. 3 and 48-42 over UW-Eau Claire on Jan. 6.  Tyriver totaled 39 points in the two contests while shooting 45.8 percent (11-of-24) from the field, 50.0 percent (3-of-6) behind the three-point line and 92.9 percent (13-of-14) from the free-throw stripe.  In UW-Oshkosh’s win over UW-Platteville, Tyriver scored a game-high 17 points, dished off a game-best seven assists and grabbed six rebounds while playing all 40 minutes of the contest.   In the Titans’ victory over UW-Eau Claire, Tyriver scored a game-high 21 points, dished off a game-best six assists and collected five rebounds while playing 36 minutes of the contest.  She committed only two turnovers in 76 minutes of playing time in the two games.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Michelle Burns, Junior, Forward, Eau Claire (North)
UW-La Crosse, Nicole Palmer, Senior, Guard, Random Lake
UW-Platteville, Lisa Wubben, Sophomore, Forward, Kieler (Southwestern)
UW-Stevens Point, Haley Houghton, Junior, Forward, Wausau (East)
UW-Stout, Kelsey Duoss, Senior, Center, Kieler (Southwestern)
UW-Whitewater, Lindsey Buechner, Junior, Forward, Cross Plains (Middleton)

Week of Dec. 18 - 31
Katie Moench, Senior (Carlton, Minn./Maranatha Academy), Guard of UW-Superior
Moench led UW-Superior to a 72-55 victory over Minnesota-Morris on Dec. 30 after totaling 29 points and 12 rebounds.   She shot 50.0 percent (eight-of-16) from the field, including 70.0 percent (seven-of-10) from the three-point line.  Moench also contributed four assists and four steals in the contest.  Her 29 points and seven field goals made are the most in the league this season.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Heidi Arciszewski, Sophomore, Guard, Thorp
UW-La Crosse, Mackenzie Hunter, Sophomore, Forward, Eau Claire (Regis)
UW-Platteville, Liz Wisdom, Freshman, Center, Cuba City
UW-River Falls, Megan Lindman, Senior, Forward, Rochester, Minn. (Mayo)
UW-Stout, Kelsey Duoss, Senior, Center, Janesville (Clinton)
UW-Whitewater, Tiffany Morton, Sophomore, Forward, Beloit (Memorial)

Week of Dec. 11 - 17
Liz Tesch, Senior (Dorchester/Colby), Center of UW-Platteville
Tesch totaled 29 points to lead UW-Platteville to a pair of victories during the week.  She scored 18 points, making 8-of-13 from the field, in leading the Pioneers past Trinity International (Ill.), 64-59, on Dec. 16.  Tesch also scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds in a 79-50 victory over Edgewood on Dec. 13.  She added two steals, one assist and one blocked shot against the Eagles.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Rachel Mueggenborg, Junior, Guard, Salem
UW-La Crosse, Katy Searing, Senior, Forward, Mukwonago
UW-Oshkosh, Becky Knapp, Senior, Guard, West Allis (Hale)
UW-Stevens Point, Chelsea Kranz, Junior, Forward, Columbus
UW-Stout, Kelsey Duoss, Senior, Center, Janesville (Clinton)

Week of Dec. 4 - 10
Tiffany Morton, Sophomore (Beloit/Memorial), Forward of UW-Whitewater
Morton led UW-Whitewater to a pair of wins on the week, including a 62-61 victory over No. 20-ranked UW-Stevens Point on Dec. 6.  She totaled a game-high 12 points against the Pointers on five-of-nine shooting from the field, while grabbing two rebounds and dishing out one assist.   Morton followed that performance with a game-high 21 points in a 72-61 win at UW-Superior on Dec. 9.  She was seven-of-11 from the field and seven-of-11 from the free throw line in the contest, while adding a game-high nine rebounds.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Heidi Arciszewski, Sophomore, Guard, Thorp
UW-La Crosse, Katy Searing, Senior, Forward, Mukwonago
UW-Oshkosh, Becky Knapp, Senior, Guard, West Allis (Hale)
UW-Platteville, Lisa Wubben, Sophomore, Forward, Kieler (Southwestern)
UW-River Falls, Kim Sorenson, Junior, Guard, Blaine, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, Katie Webber, Sophomore, Guard, Reedsburg
UW-Stout, Dani Boese, Sophomore, Forward, Alma

Week of Nov. 27 - Dec. 3
Mackenzie Hunter, Sophomore (Eau Claire/Regis), Forward of UW-La Crosse
Hunter averaged 15.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists in two WIAC victories last week.  She was 11-of-20 from the field, including two-of-three from three-point range, and hit all six of her free throw attempts.  Hunter had 16 points, three steals and two rebounds in a 65-61 win over UW-Whitewater and 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 68-51 victory over UW-Eau Claire.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Amanda Zenner, Junior, Guard, Medford
UW-Oshkosh, Whitney Tyriver, Junior, Guard, Oshkosh (West)
UW-Platteville, Liz Tesch, Senior, Center, Dorchester (Colby)
UW-River Falls, Chantele Melgaard, Senior, Guard, Lakeville, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, Laura Neuenfeldt, Junior, Guard, Two Rivers
UW-Stout, Kelsey Duoss, Senior, Forward, Janesville (Clinton)

Week of Nov. 20 - 26
Michelle Burns, Junior (Eau Claire/North), Forward of UW-Eau Claire
Burns was named the Most Valuable Player at the UW-Eau Claire Thanksgiving Showcase as she helped lead the Blugolds to the championship of the two-day tournament and a 3-0 record on the week.  In a 63-55 victory against St. Norbert on Nov. 21, Burns led all scorers with 21 points and nine rebounds.   In the opener of the Thanksgiving Showcase against Otterbein (Ohio), she was second on the team with 12 points and seven rebounds in a 76-67 triumph.  The following night, Burns scored 20 points to go with nine rebounds and two steals in a 76-65 championship game win against Morningside (Iowa).  For the week, she made 20-of-33 field goals (60.6 percent), two-of-three three-point field goals, 11-of-16 free throws and hauled in 25 rebounds (8.3 per game) with three steals.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Katy Searing, Senior, Forward, Mukwonago
UW-Oshkosh, Kayla Sharpee, Freshman, Forward, Rio (Lakeside Lutheran)
UW-Platteville, Brianna Klaas, Freshman, Guard, Lancaster
UW-River Falls, Megan Lindman, Senior, Forward, Rochester, Minn. (Mayo)
UW-Stevens Point, Jesirae Heuer, Junior, Center, Wisconsin Rapids (Lincoln)
UW-Stout, Joanna Bird, Junior, Guard, Boyceville
UW-Whitewater, Trisha Thill, Junior, Forward, Belgium (Ozaukee)

Week of Nov. 13 - 19
Kelsey Duoss, Senior (Janesville/Clinton), Forward of UW-Stout
Duoss played nearly identical games - at least statistically-wise - in leading UW-Stout to the championship at the Kilgour Tournament hosted by Carroll College on Nov. 17-18. Duoss, who was named the tournament MVP, scored 21 points and pulled down nine rebounds in an 86-60 season opening win over Benedictine (Ill.), then backed that up with a 21-point, 11-rebound performance the following afternoon in a 70-50 win over Edgewood in the championship game.  Against Benedictine, Duoss shot 7-for-14 from the floor and 7-for-8 from the line, with four offensive rebounds, five defensive rebounds, two blocked shots and one steal.  Against Edgewood, she shot 8-of-13 from the floor, 5-of-7 from the line, had two offensive boards, nine defensive rebounds, one assist and four blocked shots.  Duoss, who transferred to UW-Stout after her freshman season, now has 998 career points with the Blue Devils.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Michelle Burns, Junior, Forward, Eau Claire (North)
UW-La Crosse, Abby Johnson, Senior, Center, Prescott
UW-Oshkosh, Whitney Tyriver, Junior, Guard, Oshkosh (West)
UW-Platteville, Lisa Wubben, Sophomore, Forward, Kieler (Southwestern)
UW-Stevens Point, Haley Houghton, Junior, Forward, Wausau (East)

Back to the WIAC home page