FOOTBALL
The Blue Devils (1-0) will hit the road when they travel to Franklin, Ind, to take on the Franklin College Grizzlies, Saturday, Sept. 8 at 1:30 p.m. Last week: Stout defeated Lakeland College, 48-24, in the season opener, Aug. 31. Players of the week: Offense: Matt Lonergan (QB, Jr, Hartford); Defense; Rob Weinstein (DB, So, Racine/Horlick); Special teams: Tony Beckham (DB, Sr, Ocala, Fla/Forest); Offensive scout player: John Hendricks (RB, Fr, Ramsey, Minn/Coon Rapids); Defensive scout player: Bobby Langston (DL, Fr, Milwaukee/Pulaski)

VOLLEYBALL
The Blue Devils (3-1) be at Macalester College, Tuesday, Sept. 4, then will travel to head coach Jill Jolliff's alma mater to participate in the Ohio Northern University Invitational, Sept. 7-8. Teams involved in the tournament are Ohio Norther, Mt. St. Joseph, Muskingum, Thomas More, Allegheny and Manchester. Last week: The Blue Devils got their first look at the new scoring system - rally scoring to 30 points - as they downed Luther College, Upper Iowa and Marian College, and fell to St. Olaf at the UW-River Falls Invitational. Player of the week: Kim Roshell (OH, Sr, Cornell/Cadott).

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
The Blue Devils will open the season when they participate in the Luther All-American Invitational at Luther College, in Decorah, Iowa, Saturday, Sept. 8 at 11 a.m.

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
First year Blue Devil head coach Keith Ellingson will get his first UW-Stout meet under his belt when he travels to his alma mater, Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, to particpate in the Luther All-American Invitational, Saturday, Sept. 8 at noon.

TENNIS
The Blue Devil women's tennis team does not open until Saturday, Sept. 15 when they travel to UW-Eau Claire. Luther Olson takes over as coach.

THE SERIES: This will be second meeting between the two teams, with Stout winning last year's only meeting, 47-3. Mark Bergman scored twice on the ground, and Tony Beckham returned an interception 24 yards and Eric Moe returned another 34 yards for the bulk of Stout's scoring. Luke Bundgaard, who rushed for 155 yards, scored as did tight end Brian Johnson and fullback Ben Tarkowski. Franklin's only score came in the second quarter on a 36-yard field goal by Jeremy Skura.

STOUT PLAYERS TO WATCH: (2000 statistics) RB Luke Bundgaard (So, Weyerhauser) 270 carries (school single season record), 1366 yds (school record), 5.1 y/car, 12 TD, 7 receptions, 79 yds, 11.3 y/rec, 1 TD (13 total TDs); RB Eric Baker (Sr, Sarona) 70 car, 365 yds, 5.0 y/car, 14 rec, 81 yds, 3 TDs; DB Eric Moe (Jr, Hixton) 7 int for 50 yds, one TD, 61 tackles, 44 solo; DB Tony Beckham (Sr, Ocala, Fla) one int for 24 yd TD, 14 pass break ups, 17 kickoff returns, 22.5 y/ret, 1 TD, preseason All-America; DB Rob Weinstein (So, Racine) 66 tackles, 40 solo, 3 int for 50 yds, 5 pass break ups; Jamie Spielman (Jr, Menomonie) 82 tackles, 37 solo, 23 tackles for losses of 75 yds, 5 sacks for 44 yds, 4 pass break up, 2 int for 35 yds; DB Kevin Dewey (So, Burnsville, Minn) 61 tackles, 32 solo, 6 int for 38 yds; Blue Devils avg 344.2 total ypg, 221.4 rushing, 122.8 passing; gave up 253.0 total ypg, 56.3 rushing, 196.7 passing. Stout outscored opponents, 305-177. Against Lakeland last week, Stout totaled 392 yards of offense, 145 rushing, 247 by pass; gave up 305 total yards, 15 yards rushing, 290 passing.

FRANKLIN PLAYERS TO WATCH: (2000 statistics) RB Brandon Gillard (Jr, Indianapolis, Ind) 123 carries, 679 yds, 5.5 y/car, 5 TDs, 18 rec, 43 yds; WR Eddie Tucker (Sr, Indianapolis, Ind) 65 rec, 998 yds, 15.4 y/rec, 8 TDs, 13 punt returns, 13.2 y/ret, 10 kickoff returns, 20.2 y/ret, scored 50 total points; WR Andy Mamula (Jr, Hammond, Ind) 32 rec, 356 yd, 11.1 y/rec, 2 TD; WR Craig Thompson (So, Franklin, Ind) 25 rec, 227 yds, 9.1 y/rec, 1 TD; DB Adam D'Angelo (Sr, Indianapolis, Ind) 55 tackles, 30 solo, 6 tackles for losses of 31 yds, 2 sacks for 13 yds; LB Josef Kapitan (Sr, Dyer, Ind) 68 tackles, 24 solo, 7 tackles for losses of 22 yards, 2 sacks for 13 yds, 2 int;DL Josh McMillin (Jr, Franklin, Ind) 83 tackles, 34 solo, 11 tackles for losses of 42 yards, 4 sacks for 17yards; DB Eric Shields (Sr, Veedersburg, Ind) 26 tackles, 18 solo, 1 int; Grizzlies avg. 334.3 total ypg, 71.1 rushing, 263.2 passing; gave up 382.6 total ypg, 158.9 rushing, 223.7 passing.

HEARD ABOUT HAZ?: Former UW-Stout defensive end Jeff Hazuga, who was the 2000 WIAC player of the year, made the regular season roster of the Minnesota Vikings. Hazuga is believed to be the first UW-Stout player to make an NFL regular season roster.

August 31, 2001

MENOMONIE - UW-Stout cornerback, Tony Beckham (Sr, Ocala, Fla), scored three touchdowns as the Blue Devils downed Lakeland College, 48-24, in a shootout Friday, Aug. 31 at Nelson Field.

Beckham played offensively, defensively and on special teams, grabbing two first half passes for touchdowns, then capped off his 18 point night with an 89-yard kickoff return late in the third quarter. Beckham also added four solo tackles, five assisted tackles and a couple of pass break ups.

The Blue Devils looked like they would roll over the Muskies, scoring three times in the first 19 minutes of the game.

Luke Bundgaard (So, Weyerhauser) got the Blue Devils on the board on Stout's first drive of the game when he scored from four yards out. The run was set up by a 30-yard pass completion from Matt Lonergan (Jr, Hartford) to Brian Johnson (Sr, Hudson) and an unusual play where offensive lineman Jerrod George (Jr, What Cheer, Iowa) picked up a fumble and lived the lineman's dream by rumbling 10 yards with the ball.

Stout struck quickly again when Lonergan hit Beckham for a 30 yard score with 7:23 remaining in the first quarter. Beckham added his second TD of the half when he hooked up with freshman quarterback Nick Ohman (Glenwood City) for a 56-yard strike two minutes into the period.

Then it would be Lakeland's turn as the Muskies drove 65 yards in eight plays to score midway through the period. Lakeland added a 42 yard field goal as time expired in the half.

Stout came out of the blocks quickly in the second half as fullback Eric Baker (Sr, Sarona) snagged a pass from Lonergan and dashed 58 yards down the home sideline at 14:03.

Lakeland took advantage of a Stout turnover - Stout would lose three fumbles and throw an interception - and scored two plays later. But the momentum would quickly shift away from Lakeland as Beckham returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards up the middle of the field.

Lakeland added a score just before the end of the third quarter. The Blue Devils needed eight plays to move 63 yards in three minutes to score and take Stout to a 41-24 lead.

Eric Moe (Jr, Hixton) gave Stout the final score when he returned an interception 88 yards for a touchdown with 7:04 remaining in the game. The return was only seven yards short of the school record.

Stout held a 392-305 lead in total yardage, picking up 145 yards on the ground, 247 through the air. Lonergan accounted for 155 yards, completing 7-of-11 passes. Ohman finished with 86 yards, completing 4-of-6. Baker pulled down five passes for 90 yards, while Beckham's two grabs netted him 86 yards.Bundgaard rushed for a game-high 66 yards.

The Muskies racked up 290 yards through the air, but were held to 15 yards ont he ground. Starting quarterback Brent Luebke completed 17-of-33 passes for 186 yards and Kevin Cox racked up 104 yards by completing 11-of-19 passes.

Stout will be at Franklin College, Saturday, Sept. 8.

Soccer

September 1, 2001

NEW ULM, Minn. - In one day, Kristi Field (So, Bloomington, Minn) tripled her career goals total as she led the UW-Stout soccer team to a 5-0 non-conference win over Martin Luther College, Saturday, Sept. 1 at New Ulm, Minn.

Field, who scored one goal last season as a freshman, collected the three-goal hat trick as Stout collected their second consecutive shutout of the short season. Stout blanked Bethel College, 2-0, in their opener. Field also added two assists in the Martin Luther contest.

Nellie Sivertson (Jr, River Falls), the Blue Devils' top returning scorer, added two goals for Stout's cause to run her season total to three.

Goalkeepers Jessie Sutherland (Sr, Duluth, Minn), Melissa Ballweg (Fr, Merrimac) and Liz Rea (So, Bloomington, Minn) shared in the shutout. Sutherland, who picked up the win as the starting goalkeeper, also played in the field and notched her first career assist. Krista Hight (Fr, Brookfield) also recorded an assist.

The Blue Devils will host St. Thomas, Tuesday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. at Nelson Field. Stout plays two games next weekend, entertaining Aurora University, Saturday, Sept. 8 at 2:30 p.m. and Washington University, Sunday, Sept. 9.

August 31, 2001

MENOMONIE - Clinging to a tenuous 1-0 lead late in the game, UW-Stout's Rachel Anderson (Fr, Victoria, Minn) got a pass over the middle to Nellie Sivertsen (Jr, River Falls) who put the ball into the net to give the Blue Devils a 2-0 season opening win over Bethel College Friday, Aug. 31 at Nelson Field.

With less than four minutes remaining, Sivertsen found herself wide open as Anderson's pass went over the Bethel defense. Sivertsen moved to the Bethel goalkeeper's left and shot the ball to the falling goalkeeper's right.

The Blue Devils' got off on the right track early when Kate Knoespel (Jr, Green Bay) got an assist from freshman Krista Hight (Brookfield) who passed the corner kick from Sarah Geiger (So, West Bend) eight minutes into the game.

Stout held the upper hand most of the game, outshooting the Royals, 15-8. Jesse Sutherland (Sr, Duluth, Minn) and Melissa Ballweg (Fr, Merrimac) split time in the net to earn the shutout with Sutherland picking up the win. Each goalkeeper recorded a single save. Bethel's Gretchen Bratnober had five saves.

The Blue Devils had an opportunity to take a 2-0 lead earlier in the second, but a missed penalty kick dribbled just wide of the net.

Volleyball

September 1, 2001

RIVER FALLS - After splitting in their first day of action at the River Falls Volleyball Tournament, UW-Stout swept both games of the second day.

The Blue Devils defeated Luther College, 30-18, 30-23, 30-18, then needed four games to get past a pesky Marian College team, 30-19, 30-32, 30-18, 30-27.

Outside hitters Kim Roshell (Sr, Cornell) and Rachel Eidet (North Mankato, Minn) were named to the all-tournament team.

Roshell had 21 kills against Marian and 13 against Luther.

Stout will be at Macalester College, Tuesday, Sept. 4 and then will travel to Ada, Ohio, to participate in the Ohio Northern Invitational. Ohio Northern is coach Jill Jolliff's alma mater.

August 31, 2001

RIVER FALLS - After dropping a tight three game match to St. Olaf, the UW-Stout volleyball team bounced back to cruise past Upper Iowa in the opening day of the UW-River Falls Invitational Friday, Aug. 31.

Despite 22 kills from Kim Roshell (Sr, Cadott), the Blue Devils fell, 30-26, 33-31, 31-29, to St. Olaf. Roshell and Brooke Palmer (Sr, Mantorville, Minn) led the offensive charge in the second match as Stout downed Upper Iowa, 30-20, 30-20, 30-16. Roshell had 10 kills with Palmer, last year's kills leader, picking up 13.

Rachel Eidet (North Mankato, Minn) had 19 digs in the loss to St. Olaf, and Lindsay Mensink (Fr, Ostrander, Minn) finished with two solo blocks and two assisted blocks against Upper Iowa.

Women's Cross Country

September 3, 2001

MENOMONIE - The UW-Stout women's cross country will sport one of the largest teams in Blue Devil history with more than 25 competitors reporting for training camp.

Men's Cross Country

August 21, 2001

MENOMONIE - UW-Stout has named Keith Ellingson as the Blue Devils' men's cross country and men's track & field coach.

Ellingson spent the last 15 years at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, where he headed up the men's cross country team for 15 years, the men's track and field team for 13 years and the women's cross country and track and field teams for seven years. Ellingson replaces Chris Hall, who left to coach the men's and women's cross country and track programs at the University of Chicago.

While at Simpson, Ellingson guided 56 student-athletes who have earned All-America status in cross country and track and field and has produced four individual national champions. In addition, his cross country and track & field squads have earned numerous academic honors, including being listed among the NCAA Division III all-academic top-20 teams several years. He has had 39 individuals in cross country and track receive academic all-conference honors in the past five years.

"This is an opportunity and great challenge to be in the Wisconsin system," Ellingson said. "Within the NCAA Division III, there is no better conference than the Wisconsin league, whether it is cross country, track or any other sport. That was very appealing to me."

A graduate of his hometown Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, Ellingson was familiar with the Wisconsin schools before he began his coaching career.

"For as long as I remember, the Wisconsin schools would come over and they were always competitive," Ellingson said. "That competitiveness was always exciting. I believe if our teams can respond to that competitiveness favorably in the conference, we will be competitive nationally."

During his Simpson tenure, Ellingson's men's cross country teams have finished in the upper half of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) eight of 15 years and the womens team has finished in the top half five of seven years.

Ellingson began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Western Illinois, where he was an assistant coach for two then took over as head cross country and a track and field for a year. As a collegiate competitor, Ellingson ran on four IIAC championship squads for Luther College. He was named most valuable cross country performer of the 1977 league championship. Also a successful prep athlete, Ellingson ran on three Iowa high school state championship teams for Decorah High School.

After many years working with both men's and women's programs, Ellingson looks forward to focusing on one program.

"Working with just one gender will allow me to focus on the men's program," Ellingson said. "The needs of individuals changes considerably."

Ellingson earned his undergraduate degree from Luther College in Physical Education and his masters degree from Western Illinois University in Physical Education with an emphasis in sports management and human performance.

Ellingson and his wife Kristi have three daughters, Jessica, Catie, and Bailey. The Ellingson family currently resides in Indianola, Iowa, but intends to relocate to the Menomonie area.

Baseball

August 29, 2001

MENOMONIE - The University of Wisconsin-Stout has selected one of the winningest baseball coaches in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) history to take over the Blue Devil baseball program.

Craig Walter has been named as the 26th Stout baseball coach, UW-Stout athletic director Steve Terry announced today. Walter replaces Joe Vavra who returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers organization as the professional baseball club's minor league director.

Walter coached at both UW-Eau Claire and UW-River Falls, posting a 143-124 overall record, ranking him sixth on the WIAC all-time wins list, according to records compiled by the WIAC office.

After two seasons as the assistant coach at Eau Claire, Walter was the head coach for the Blugolds from 1990-95, leading the Blugolds to four consecutive WIAC Northern Division titles from 1992-95. In 1996, Walter coached River Falls to a Northern Division title and advanced the Falcons to their only NCAA Division III playoff game. At both schools, the Walter-led teams set school records for most wins in a season, winning 28 at Eau Claire in 1994 and 23 in his single year at River Falls.

"This is a great opportunity here because of the commitment the University has made to athletics," Walter said. "Baseball has always been my passion. I love to be out on the field."

Walter is optimistic about the program he inherited, realizing the program is in good shape.

"We do need to find out all of the good things Joe (Vavra) installed here," Walter said. "We don't have to reinvent the wheel.

"Our initial goal is to get back into the conference tournament, because that gets us into a position to get into the NCAA tournament."

Walter said his teams will put pressure on the opponent.

"I like to run, but I don't like to give up outs," Walter said. "We will hit and run. When we are on the move, we must make the opponent make a perfect play (to get an out). We will always go for the jugular."

Walter, who was the NAIA District 14 coach of the year in 1992, and three times was named the Louisville Slugger conference coach of the year, likes what he sees in Division III baseball programs.

"Division III is very good baseball," Walter said. "The kids play because they want to. There are no dollars hanging over their heads. Many of these players could go to play at Division II or small Division I programs but chose to play here."

Prior to accepting the Stout position where he will also be an instructor in the Department of Physical Education, Walter was the Risk Control Coordinator/Safety Consultant at UW-Eau Claire.

Walter has kept on top of the local baseball scene as primarily an umpire for high school and American Legion teams, giving him an inside and up-close look at the local talent.

Walter, a native of Wadena, Minn., played his college ball at Waldorf Junior College and Mankato State. Walter was drafted in the seventh round by the New York Mets in 1981, but didn't sign with a pro team until 1983 when he inked a package with the Kansas City Royals.

A right handed pitcher, Walter played two years in the Royals' farm system, notching 15 career saves and was voted to the South Atlantic League All-Star team in 1984. Outside of his coaching experience, Walter is perhaps best known in local baseball circles for his play with the Eau Claire Cavaliers where he posted a 155-31 record over 14 seasons. Walter also played with the Menomonie Eagles for two seasons.

Walter and his wife, Kari, live in Eau Claire with their son, Park.

Hall of Fame

August 30, 2001

MENOMONIE - Longevity is a key word for the Class of 2001 UW-Stout Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. Five of the six inductees made immediate impact on the Blue Devil athletic landscape as first year performers and continued to put their names out front throughout their careers. The sixth, Orv Nelson, who was named to the Hall of Fame as an honorary member, was an athlete at Stout, but it was his work as a faculty athletic representative and Blue Devil backer for nearly 40 years that earned his way into the Hall.

Hall of Fame Day is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 29, with the induction banquet to begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Memorial Student Center. The six inductees, along with Michael Ritland, the UW-Stout Distinguished Service Athletic Award recipient, will be introduced at halftime of the football game between UW-Stout and UW-Platteville at 6 p.m. Tickets for the banquet are $10. For more information or to order tickets, call 715-232-2224.

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). Packaging engineer Associate technology principal R & D Packaging 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 the wrestled with a wide variety of areas, 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.