2005-06 WIAC Wrestling Headlines

UW-Stevens Point's Hayes Named to Academic All-America At-Large Team

RELEASED: Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Madison, Wis.--Three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) student-athletes have been named to the 2006 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division Men's At-Large Team. UW-Stevens Point's Mike Hayes and Garth Newport were second team picks, while UW-Oshkosh's Aaron Burg was a third team selection.

The team is comprised of all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA student-athletes from around the country and is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). It includes the sports of fencing, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, swimming and diving, tennis, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.

Burg, a senior swimmer from New London, Wis., boasts a 4.00 grade point average and is majoring in secondary education with a minor in biology. He finished seventh in the 50-yard freestyle and eighth in both the 100-yard breaststroke and 100-yard freestyle at the 2006 WIAC championships.

Hayes, a senior wrestler from Beaver Dam, Wis., claimed the WIAC Max Sparger Wrestling Scholar-Athlete honor earlier this year. He is majoring in biology with a pre-med emphasis and a minor in chemistry. Hayes completed the 2006 season with a 28-4 overall record in the 285-pound division and finished third at the NCAA Division III championships.

Newport, a senior swimmer from Berlin, Wis., carries a 3.94 grade point average and is majoring in economics and business administration. He was named the conference's swimming and diving scholar-athlete this season. Newport is a four-time individual conference champion and member of six conference champion relays. He has secured All-America status three times and All-America honorable mention recognition on seven occasions.

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UW-La Crosse's Lulloff and UW-Stevens Point's Hayes Named to Academic All-District At-Large Team

Madison, Wis.--Six Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) student-athletes have been named to the 2006 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Five College Division Men's At-Large Team. UW-Oshkosh's Aaron Burg, UW-River Falls' Mike Salmela and UW-Stevens Point's Mike Hayes and Garth Newport were first team selections, while UW-La Crosse's Jason Lulloff and UW-Whitewater's Jordan Shilts claimed second team recognition.

The team is comprised of all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA student-athletes from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota and is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). It includes the sports of golf, ice hockey, rifle, swimming and diving, tennis, volleyball and wrestling.

Salmela, a senior ice hockey player from Duluth, Minn., is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry and maintains a 3.72 grade point average. He was named the WIAC Max Sparger Men's Ice Hockey Scholar-Athlete earlier this year. Salmela secured all-WIAC first team honors this season after compiling three goals and 13 assists for 16 points.

Newport, a senior swimmer from Berlin, Wis., carries a 3.94 grade point average and is majoring in economics and business administration. He was named the conference's swimming and diving scholar-athlete this season. Newport is a four-time individual conference champion and member of six conference champion relays. He had secured All-America status three times and All-America honorable mention recognition on seven occasions.

Burg, Salmela, Hayes and Newport are now eligible for the Academic All-America team, which will be announced on June 13.

Lulloff, a junior wrestler from Kiel, Wis., is an exercise and sports science major with a 3.78 grade point average. He finished third at the national championships in the 184-pound division and compiled a 40-6 overall record during the 2006 campaign.

Shilts, a senior tennis player from Janesville, Wis. (Craig H.S.), is majoring in management computer systems and carries a 3.63 grade point average. He has compiled a 19-13 record at No. 1 singles and 24-6 mark at No. 1 doubles this season.

Oshkosh, Wis.--Former University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh wrestler Mike Farchione died shortly before midnight Tuesday (May 9) after the car he was driving slammed into a moving freight train.

A Wisconsin and Southern train with 34 cars was passing through the Highway 151 crossing near Highway 26 just south of Waupun in the Town of Chester when Farchione's car failed to stop for the signals and struck the 31st car of the train, the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department said.

The engineer was unaware that the train had been struck until contacted by the Sheriff’s Department. Farchione's car finally disengaged itself from the train at the grade rail crossing in the small community of Burnett, seven miles away from the scene of the accident. The dense fog was a contributing factor in the crash.

Farchione, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Dodge County Medical Examiner.

Farchione earned four varsity letters while wrestling for UW-Oshkosh during the 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005 seasons. He compiled a 68-47 record with 26 pins, including a 23-11 mark with eight pins in 2005. Farchione finished fourth at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship twice, competing in the 197-pound weight class in 2003 and the 285-pound weight class in 2005.

The 2000 Kewaskum High School graduate was currently a student at UW-Oshkosh. He also was the junior varsity wrestling coach at Winneconne High School.

A memorial mass will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday (May 13) at Holy Trinity Catholic Church (331 Main Street) in Kewaskum. The family will receive visitors at the church on Saturday from 11 a.m. until the time of the service.

For more information, contact UW-Oshkosh head wrestling coach Mike DeRoehn at (920) 424-1201.

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Derek Sikora has been named the 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Wrestler of the Year based on voting completed by the league coaches.

Sikora, a 165-pound senior from Neillsville, Wis., captured the first-ever individual wrestling national title in school history at the NCAA Division III Championships last weekend in Ewing, N.J. His victories at nationals came against individuals that finished second, third, fourth and fifth in his weight class.

Sikora is a three-time All-American, adding a fifth-place finish a year ago and a third-place standing in 2004. He ended his career winning his final 18 matches and completed his senior season with a 31-2 record.

He also secured conference championships in 2006 and 2004, while finishing second at the league meet in 2005 and 2003. Sikora compiled a 101-23 record during his four years with the Blugolds.

Madison, Wis.--Eight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) wrestlers have been named to the 2006 NCAA Division III National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-America Team.

Individuals receiving recognition included: UW-La Crosse's Josh Chelf (174), Jason Lulloff (184), Ross Needham (157) and Patt Parrillo (125), UW-Platteville's Ryan Higgins (149) and Ryan Rozek (285), UW-Stevens Point's Mike Hayes (285) and Lawrence's John Budi (174). It marks the second straight year that Needham, Hayes and Budi have been acknowledged.

In addition, UW-La Crosse was one of 20 teams to be recognized as a team after achieving a 3.325 grade point average, which ranked ninth among the 20 institutions. Messiah College (Pa.) attained the highest mark with a 3.47 grade point average.

FSN North to Televise WIAC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships and Men's Wrestling Championships

Madison, Wis.--FSN North has reached an agreement to televise the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (WIAC) men's and women's basketball championship games and the WIAC's men's wrestling championships.

2006 WIAC Championships Telecast Schedule
Championship Date Time
Women's Basketball--Saturday, March 11, 2006 (tape delay) 1:00 p.m.
Men's Basketball--Sunday, March 12, 2006 (tape delay) 5:00 p.m.
Wrestling--Saturday, April 1, 2006 (tape delay) 1:00 p.m.

All of the WIAC championships on FSN North will be produced by Madison-based When We Were Young Productions.

Mitch Henk will call the play-by-play and former University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point head basketball coach Jack Bennett will provide analysis for the men's basketball championship game. Bob Bradovich (sports anchor for WQOW in Eau Claire, WI) will handle the play-by-play duties and Lois Heeren (head women's basketball coach at UW-La Crosse) provides color for the women's basketball championship game.

The wrestling play-by-play announcer is Joe Miller and former Wisconsin All-America Kevin Black offers analysis.

"The WIAC is extremely excited about the opportunity to showcase three of its premier championships on Fox Sports Net North to a statewide television audience," said WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner. "While the WIAC enjoys great fan support and interest from our statewide media, these telecasts represent a significant step in what we anticipate will lead to many more WIAC championship and regular-season events appearing on FSN North in the future."

FSN North reaches more than 3 million homes throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and North and South Dakota and telecasts nearly 2,600 hours of locally produced programming per year. The Emmy Award-winning regional sports network provides comprehensive coverage of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks, MLB's Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers, the NHL's Minnesota Wild and the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx well as the University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin athletic events.

UW-La Crosse Finishes Second, UW-Stevens Point 11th at NCAA Wrestling Championships

Ewing, N.J.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse finished second and UW-Stevens Point placed 11th to lead four conference teams at the 2006 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships, which were held at The College of New Jersey on March 3-4.

The Eagles posted 106 team points, but fell short of the 145.5 points compiled by Wartburg College (Iowa). Augsburg College (Minn.) finished third with 84.5, while Luther College (Iowa) was fourth with 59.5 and York College (Pa.) was fifth with 51.5. The national title by Wartburg is its fifth since 1996, while UW-La Crosse matched the best finish in school history, which was accomplished in 2001.

UW-Stevens Point registered 29.50 points for its 11th place finish, while UW-Eau Claire tied for 16th with 20 points and UW-Platteville placed 36th with seven points.

UW-La Crosse had seven individuals secure All-America honors, including two national champions.

Ryan Allen claimed his third straight national title at 285 pounds with a 4-2 decision over Blake Gillis of Wartburg. He is the first wrestler in WIAC history, and ninth in NCAA Division III archives, to win three individual national championships. Allen is the first wrestler to win three heavyweight national titles. He also finished second at the 2003 national meet and completed his career with a 161-14 record.

The Eagles' Jake Larsen claimed the 149-pound national title with a 7-4 decision over Jacob Naig of Wartburg. Larsen claimed his second career All-America honor after finishing fourth last season.

Ross Needham placed third at 157 pounds with a 2-1 decision over Jacob Malone of St. John's University (Minn.).

Josh Chelf claimed a third-place standing at 174 pounds with a 2-0 decision over Robbie Gotreau of Augsburg. Chelf secured his second All-America award after placing sixth last season.

Jason Lulloff finished third at 184 pounds with a 6-1 decision over Brad Tupa of Augsburg. It marks his third career All-America honor after placing fourth at 184 in 2004 and third at 174 in 2003.

Jim Swanson placed second at 197 pounds after being pinned by Delaware Valley College's (Pa.) Jamall Johnson at the 1:28 mark in the championship match. Swanson finished fifth in the weight class a year ago.

The Eagles' Scott Dorn dropped a 9-4 decision to Richard Howard of McDaniel College (Md.) in the seventh-place match at 165 pounds to finish eighth.

UW-Eau Claire's Derek Sikora secured the national championship at 165 pounds with a 6-4 decision over Ryan Valek of Augsburg. His title marks the first individual wrestling crown in school history. Sikora also registered his third straight All-America standing with his performance after finishing fifth last year and third in 2004. He completed his career with a 101-23 record.

UW-Stevens Point's Joel Burdick placed seventh at 141 pounds with a 3-2 decision over Danny Song of Merchant Marine Academy (N.Y.).

The Pointers' Al Stacilauskas earned his second career All-America honor after finishing seventh at 174 pounds with a pin at the 2:27 mark over Ryan Hagerty of Loras College (Iowa). Stacilauskas placed seventh at 184 pounds last season.

Mike Hayes of UW-Stevens Point finished third at 285 pounds with a 7-5 decision over Patrick Bennett of SUNY-Brockport. Hayes earned his second straight All-America prize after placing fifth in 2005.

Also representing the conference at the national championships were: Lawrence's Ben Dictus (184 pounds), UW-La Crosse's Kevin Barber (133 pounds), Patt Parrillo (125 pounds) and Mike Rohowetz (141 pounds) and UW-Platteville's Zach Chambers (141 pounds), Ryan Higgins (149 pounds) and Ryan Rozek (285 pounds).

WIAC All-Americans:
141 pounds--Joel Burdick (UW-Stevens Point-7th)
149 pounds--Jake Larsen (UW-La Crosse-champion)
157 pounds--Ross Needham (UW-La Crosse-3rd)
165 pounds--Derek Sikora (UW-Eau Claire-champion), Scott Dorn (UW-La Crosse-8th)
174 pounds--Josh Chelf (UW-La Crosse-3rd), Al Stacilauskas (UW-Stevens Point-7th)
184 pounds--Jason Lulloff (UW-La Crosse-3rd)
197 pounds--Jim Swanson (UW-La Crosse-2nd)
285 pounds--Ryan Allen (UW-La Crosse-champion), Mike Hayes (UW-Stevens Point-3rd)

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Mike Hayes has been named the recipient of the 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Wrestling Scholar-Athlete Award.

Hayes, a senior from Beaver Dam, Wis., maintains a 3.69 grade point average and is majoring in biology with a pre-med emphasis and a minor in chemistry. He has been named a National Collegiate Wrestling Association All-Academic selection the last two years and is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll. Hayes has been recognized on UW-Stevens Point's Dean's List seven semesters and has received numerous academic scholarships from his institution.

Hayes, a team captain this season, recently finished second in the 285-pound bracket at the WIAC Championships for the third straight season and claimed an at-large bid to the national championships. He secured All-America honors a year ago and was named his team's MVP. Hayes was also named his squad's Outstanding Freshman in his first season.

Hayes has been a member of UW-Stevens Point's football team the last four years, claiming the starting nose guard role during the 2005 campaign. He has served as an assistant in his school's electron microscopy lab and been a volunteer for Beaver Dam wrestling clinics.

UW-La Crosse's Adam Kuchnia was also nominated for this year's scholar-athlete award.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger, who served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference from July, 1971 - July, 1993.

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.

Eau Claire, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse secured its ninth consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Wrestling Championship on February 19 at the McPhee Physical Education Center.

The nine straight league crowns for the Eagles is the longest streak in conference history and is the 10th title in school history. The Eagles also won the conference championship in 1994.

UW-La Crosse totaled 159 team points to outdistance UW-Stevens Point for the fourth straight season. The 159 points are the most for a league champion since the 2000 meet when the Eagles registered 163.50 points.

UW-Stevens Point compiled 119 points, followed by UW-Whitewater (84), UW-Platteville (78), UW-Eau Claire (72), UW-Oshkosh (60) and Lawrence (58).

UW-La Crosse captured seven individual titles at the conference championships. Ryan Allen won his fourth straight 285-pound title with a 4-1 decision over UW-Stevens Point's Mike Hayes. It was the third consecutive season that Allen defeated Hayes in the conference finals. Allen also became the third wrestler in league history to win four straight 285-pound crowns, joining UW-Stevens Point's Perry Miller (1995-98) and UW-Whitewater's Tim Carmin (1979-82).

The Eagles' Ross Needham claimed the 157-pound title for the second straight year with a 9-2 decision over UW-Stevens Point's Chris Brown. Jim Swanson received the 197-pound championship for the second consecutive season with a 5-3 decision over UW-Eau Claire's Justin McAuly.

UW-La Crosse's Patt Parrillo won the 125-pound crown with a 6-4 decision over UW-Stevens Point's Jake Calhoun, while Kevin Barber captured the 133-pound title with a 4-3 decision over UW-Platteville's Dane Droessler.

UW-La Crosse's Josh Chelf claimed the 174-pound championship with a 6-5 decision over UW-Stevens Point's Al Stacilauskas. Chelf finished second a year ago. Jason Lulloff won the 184-pound crown for the second time in his career with a 10-1 major decision over defending conference champion Ben Dictus of Lawrence. Lulloff claimed the title in 2004 and finished second at 174 pounds in 2003.

UW-Platteville had two individuals upend defending league champions enroute to a pair of individual crowns. Zach Chambers secured the 141-pound trophy with a 10-4 decision over Joel Burdick of UW-Stevens Point, while Ryan Higgins captured the 149-pound title with a 9-3 decision over UW-La Crosse's Jake Larsen. Chambers also received the John Peterson Wrestler of the Meet award for his performance.

UW-Eau Claire's Derek Sikora claimed the 165-pound championship for the second time in his career with a 8-3 decision over UW-La Crosse's Scott Dorn. Sikora won the title in 2004 and finished second in 2005 and 2003.

UW-La Crosse's Nate Skaar was voted the Mertz Mortorelli Coach of the Year for the second straight season.

All of the league champions, along with eight at-large qualifiers advance to the NCAA Division III Championships at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, New Jersey on March 3-4. Individuals receiving at-large bids based on voting by the conference coaches included: UW-La Crosse's Scott Dorn (165 pounds), Jake Larsen (149 pounds) and Mike Rohowetz (141 pounds), UW-Platteville's Ryan Rozek (285 pounds), UW-Stevens Point's Joel Burdick (141 pounds), Mike Hayes (285 pounds) and Al Stacilauskas (174 pounds) and Lawrence's Ben Dictus (184 pounds).

The league also voted on three alternates for the national meet including: UW-Eau Claire's Justin McAuly (197 pounds), UW-Oshkosh's Adam Dorner (174 pounds) and UW-Whitewater's Mike Schmidt (184 pounds).

Team Scores:
1. UW-La Crosse 159
2. UW-Stevens Point 119
3. UW-Whitewater 84
4. UW-Platteville 78
5. UW-Eau Claire 72
6. UW-Oshkosh 60
7. Lawrence 58

Championship Match Results:
125--Patt Parrillo (LC) dec. Jake Calhoun (STP), 6-4*
133--Kevin Barber (LC) dec. Dane Droessler (PLT), 4-3
141--Zach Chambers (PLT) dec. Joel Burdick (STP), 10-4^
149--Ryan Higgins (PLT) dec. Jake Larsen (LC), 9-3
157--Ross Needham (LC) dec. Chris Brown (STP), 9-2
165--Derek Sikora (EC) dec. Scott Dorn (LC), 8-3
174--Josh Chelf (LC) dec. Al Stacilauskas (STP), 6-5
184--Jason Lulloff (LC) major dec. Ben Dictus (LAW), 10-1
197--Jim Swanson (LC) dec. Justin McAuly (EC), 5-3
285--Ryan Allen (LC) dec. Mike Hayes (STP), 4-1

*Calhoun finished third, Whitewater's Andy Livingston placed second
^Burdick finished third, La Crosse's Mike Rohowetz placed second

John Peterson Wrestler of the Meet: Zach Chambers of UW-Platteville
Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete: Mike Hayes of UW-Stevens Point
Mertz Mortorelli Coach of the Year: Nate Skaar of UW-La Crosse

Whitewater, Wis.--Randy Meyer, a former Warhawk wrestler and a 1991 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater graduate, will receive the Medal of Courage from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame June 3 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The Medal of Courage is presented annually to a wrestler or former wrestler who has overcome what appear to be insurmountable challenges, which may be physical, mental or other handicaps that make his or her achievements all the more uplifting.

Meyer, who was blinded by retinal cancer as a two year old, was successful on the mat for UW-Whitewater, and has continued that success in his professional life. While at UW-Whitewater, Meyer earned four letters. In his freshman season, 1986-87, he went 16-13 and qualified for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III championship, where he helped UW-Whitewater finish seventh. He was 15-10-1 as a sophomore. In 1988-89, his junior year, Meyer compiled a 22-8 mark that included the WIAC championship and All-American honors with an eighth place finish in the national championship, helping the Warhawks place thirteenth. He was also a NCAA III Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American in 1989. Meyer rounded out his career with a 23-8 record his senior year and another trip to the NCAA III championship, where the team placed seventeenth.

Meyer, owner of RM Financial Resources in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, was also elected mayor in 2004 after serving five years on the city council. In September of 2005 he was one of the year's Ten Outstanding Young Americans by the U.S. Junior Chamber (Jaycees).

The Wrestling Hall of Fame will also recognize Pat Day of Louisville, Kentucky as its Outstanding American; Larry Sciacchetano of Baton Rouge, Louisana will receive the Order of Merit; and Sam Williams of Fall Creek, Pennsylvania is the 2006 Outstanding Official. All four honorees will be recognized at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame annual Honors Weekend, which includes a banquet and induction ceremony. Newcomers to the Hall of Fame will include Terry Brands, Josh Henson, Tricia Saunders and Pat Smith.

Oshkosh, Wis.--Former University of Iowa wrestling coach and Olympic champion Dan Gable will speak Friday (Jan. 13) at UW-Oshkosh's Kolf Sports Center.

Gable, a noted speaker on topics such as overcoming adversity and motivation, is making the appearance to support the UW-Oshkosh wrestling program's "Commitment to Excellence" Endowment Fund.

Admission to Gable's 9:30 a.m. lecture is $10 for adults and $5 for students. The price also includes free admission to the Dan Gable Collegiate Open that begins at 9 a.m. that day in Kolf Sports Center. Tickets for Gable's lecture can be purchased in Kolf Sports Center on the day of the event.

All proceeds from Gable's speaking engagement and the Dan Gable Collegiate Open will go to the endowment fund that supports the UW-Oshkosh wrestling program.

Nearly 150 athletes are expected to take part in Friday's Dan Gable Collegiate Open, including competitors from Central Michigan University, Lakeland College, Purdue University (Ind.), University of Michigan, University of Missouri, University of Wisconsin, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Oshkosh and UW-Parkside.

Ticket prices for the Dan Gable Collegiate Open are $7 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and $3 for elementary, middle school and high school students. UW-Oshkosh students are admitted free to the wrestling tournament, but not to Dan Gable's lecture.

Dan Gable's records as an athlete and coach speak for themselves. In the history of sport, no one has been so dominant in both avenues.

As an athlete, Gable was a championship wrestler at every level. He was a three-time Iowa high school state champion at Waterloo West and a two-time NCAA Division I champion at Iowa State University. His career as an athlete culminated in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, where he won the Gold Medal by holding all of his opponents scoreless. The Soviets came to the Olympics with one goal in mind, defeat Gable. They were unsuccessful.

As head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa from 1977 to 1997, Gable was even more dominating as he led the Hawkeyes to an unprecedented 15 NCAA Division I titles. He compiled a career record of 355-21-5 and coached 45 national champions, 152 All-Americans, 106 Big Ten champions and 10 Olympians, including four gold, one silver and three bronze medalists.

Gable was named to the U.S.A. Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980 and to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1985. He was selected the nation's outstanding wrestler by the AAU in 1970, and the U.S. Wrestling Federation in 1971. Gable was the Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year in 1970. Some of his more recent accolades include being named the top wrestler of the 20th Century by Gannett News Service, listed as one of the top coaches in the 20th Century by ESPN and named Iowa's top "sports figure" in the past 100 years. In 1996, Gable was named one of the "100 Golden Olympians," an honor bestowed to the top 100 U.S. Olympians of all time.

In June 2002, he was appointed to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Several networks, including ESPN and HBO have aired documentaries on Gable's life and accomplishments.

Since 1997, Gable has served as an Assistant to the Athletic Director at the University of Iowa. Aside from helping out with University of Iowa athletics, he is also aiding the school in their fundraising efforts and promoting the sport of wrestling worldwide. Gable also coaches potential Olympic wrestlers in the local sports club, gives motivational and performance speeches nationwide and does color commentary of televised college wrestling.

Gable's success as an athlete and coach is a direct result of his dedication and ability to get the very most out of himself and others. Gable is a renowned speaker on the topics of overcoming adversity, team building, performance enhancement and motivation. He has spoken to diverse audiences, ranging from high school students to Fortune 500 executives.

Gable's speaking style is dynamic and entertaining. He relates his life experiences and gives his formula for success, which his listeners can apply in their daily lives.

La Crosse, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has named Nate Skaar (pronounced score) as its interim head wrestling coach for the 2005-2006 season. Skaar served as the Eagles’ head coach in 2004-2005, leading UW-L to its eighth straight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship and a fourth-place finish at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships. For his efforts, Skaar was named the WIAC Coach of the Year and the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Rookie Coach of the Year.

UW-L’s eight consecutive league titles is the longest streak in conference history, surpassing UW-Whitewater’s string of seven crowns from 1974-80. The Eagles have won nine WIAC Championships (2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1994) in school history. Seven individuals captured conference titles under Skaar last season.

The Eagles fourth-place finish at the national championships was their 11th top-10 finish in school history. Seven wrestlers earned NCAA III All-America honors in 2005, including Ryan Allen who captured his second straight 285-pound national title and was named the Wrestler of the Meet. The seven All-America honors for UW-L are the most in school history at one national championship.

Skaar served as the head assistant wrestling coach at Upper Iowa University from 2000-2004. The Peacocks finished ninth at the 2003 NCAA III Championships, second in 2002 and 11th in 2001. He also served as the director of the McCready Open Wrestling Tournament since 2000 and worked as the Outdoor Pursuits Coordinator at Upper Iowa.

A native of Hayward, Minnesota, Skaar wrestled at Albert Lea (Minn.) High School, finishing third at the 1992 state championships. He was a four-time Minnesota High School National Freestyle Team Member and three-time Northern Plains Regional Finalist.

Skaar, who earned his bachelor of arts degree in English and philosophy from Luther College (Iowa) in 1992, was an NCAA All-American at Luther in 1995 and was named an NCAA Academic All-American in 1997. A three-time national tournament qualifier, Skaar was also a three-time Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) finalist, winning a conference championship in 1993.

After graduating from Luther, Skaar served as head wrestling coach at Estancia High School in Costa Mesa, California from 1997-2000.