Karen Mueser
As the first four-year female athlete at Stout, Karen Mueser has to be considered a groundbreaker in women's athletics at the university. Mueser participated in gymnastics from 1966-70 when there were five all-around events -- vault, uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise and trampoline. A native of Chicago where she competed in the German Athletic Club, Mueser led Stout to the state intermediate gymnastics championship, beating perennial favorite La Crosse State. Mueser went on to coach gymnastics while teaching junior high school in the Chicago area, and has been employed by Sears, Roebuck & Company as a senior product engineer.
Scott Fredrickson
The all-time leading career scorer and receiver in Stout football history, Scott Fredrickson was a four-time all-conference pick at three different positions - return specialist (1986), tight end (1987) and wide receiver (1988, 89). Frederickson was a two-time NCAA Division III All-American and was a first team NAIA All-American in 1989. Fredrickson holds a commanding lead for career reception yards, hauling in 233 passes for 3390 yards, which was second in NCAA Division III when he hung up the cleats. He had two 1,000 yard receiving years, setting a school record with 1,185 yards as a sophomore and racking up 1,102 as a senior. Fredrickson scored 29 touchdowns - including 23 receiving touchdowns - for a total of 178 points. Fredrickson held eight school records and currently holds seven.
Chris Larson
A three-time honorable mention All-American, Chris Larson was one of the Blue Devils' leaders during a four year stretch that saw Stout on the top of the conference baseball standings. Larson, a first baseman, was a four-time all-conference pick, and three times was named to the NAIA Area 4 all-region team as Stout qualified twice to the NAIA World Series, placing fifth in 1989 and seventh in 1990. Stout swept the WSUC Northern Division title all four years of Larson's career and was the WSUC overall champion in 1990. The team captain in 1989 and 1990, Larson's name appears on almost every Blue Devil statistical record list and is the career leader in runs batted in (141) and doubles (37). Larson is currently fourth on the career list in hits (174), home runs (26), at-bats (485) and walks (79). Currently residing in Menomonie, Larson is employed by Celestica in Chippewa Falls as a production operations manager.
Dan Doucette
A two-time national runner-up, Dan Doucette set the stage for an up-and-coming Blue Devil track program. After transferring to Stout from Eau Claire where he placed in the top three in the WSUC outdoor meet as a freshman, Doucette went on to win the WSUC 400-outdoor hurdle title in 1986, then defended his title in 1987. Doucette went on to place second at the NCAA Division III outdoor championships that season, then redshirted the following season. Doucette qualified to the national meet again in the 400-hurdles, and took his second runner-up award. Doucette won conference titles in the indoor 200-hurdles in 1989, indoor 220-hurdles in 1987, the outdoor 400-hurdles in 1986 and 1987 and 400-meter run in 1986. Doucette also qualified to the national indoor meet in 1989 in the open 400 and the 55-hurdles. Upon graduation, Doucette held five school records, of which three are still standing - the outdoor 400-hurdles (52.52), and the indoor records of the 55-hurdles (7.71) and 200-hurdles (24.76). Doucette is a packaging engineer at Oscar Mayer Foods in Madison.
Dale LaViolette
A 10-time all-conference swimmer, Dale LaViolette scattered his conference titles around, winning at least one WSUC title during each of his four years, topping his career as a senior when he qualified to the NAIA national meet in four events - the 100 and 200-yard backstroke, 400-medley and 50-freestyle. During his career, LaViolette, who qualified to nationals all four years, earned seven NAIA All-America titles. A two-time team captain and most valuable swimmer, LaViolette set school and conference records in the 100 and 200-yard backstroke. The 1977 WSUC scholar-athlete with a 3.9 GPA, LaViolette taught at Neenah High School for three years where he began the swimming program as a first-year teacher. After working four years in the construction field, LaViolette returned to the classroom in 1984 at Gibraltor High School where he coached boys and girls cross country teams, taking a team to state all nine years and finishing with two runner-up titles. LaViolette began the High Tech program at the high school in 1994 and currently coaches summer swimming programs at the local YMCA in Sturgeon Bay.
Orv Nelson
A member of the 1954-55 football teams, Orv Nelson, a 1956 Stout graduate, returned to the university in 1963 to join the faculty. That same year, Nelson joined the athletic committee and went on to become one of the Blue Devils' biggest supporters over the years. Upon the retirement of faculty athletic representative (FAR) Dwight Chinook three years later, Nelson was appointed Stout's FAR and served in that capacity for more than 25 years. During his tenure, Nelson, who three times served as the conference FAR chair, was part of a group that wrestled with a wide variety of issues, including eligibility cases, budget reductions, campus budget issues, UW-Stout enrollment caps and the explosion and popularity of women's athletics. Over the years, Nelson has been an active member of university booster clubs, helped to establish the UW-Stout Athletic Hall of Fame and also helped to establish the Menomonie Area Youth Baseball Association.