FASTPITCH SOFTBALL
The Blue Devils (3-11) return after a week off to a very busy schedule, a schedule that includes the opening of the WIAC season. Stout will be at Northwestern College (3-11), Tuesday, April 4, then take to the road in the opposite direction to open WIAC play at UW-Whitewater (10-2), Saturday, April 8 and at UW-Oshkosh (8-10) Sunday, April 9. Stout defeated Northwestern last season in one game at Menomonie. The Eagles are coming off 18-0, 11-0 wins over North Central University April 1. The Blue Devils went 1-1 with Whitewater last season and 2-1 over Oshkosh last year. The Warhawks have just returned from their annual spring break trip, while the Titans went 3-1 in a classic format at Olivet Nazarene over the weekend. Last week: The Blue Devils have been idle since playing at the Coe College tournament March 25-26.

BASEBALL
The Blue Devils (1-8, 1-1) hit a very busy part of their schedule this week. First, Stout returns to La Crosse to face the Eagles, Monday, April 3 in a doubleheader that was rained out April 2. Stout will host conference preseason pick UW-Stevens Point (7-5, 3-0) Wednesday, April 5 at 1 p.m., before hosting defending national champion UW-Whitewater (7-5, 0-0), April 8-9. Both games with Whitewater are slated to begin at noon. Stout last season lost all four games to Stevens Point and went 1-3 with the Warhawks. Stevens Point took three games from UW-Platteville over the weekend, with one game washed out due to rain. The Warhawks just returned from their annual spring break trip and will host perennial favorite UW-Oshkosh Wednesday, April 5. Last week: The Blue Devils split with UW-La Crosse, winning 10-6, then falling in eight innings, 16-0, on April 1 in La Crosse. Player of the week: Adam Olson, Sr, Mosinee, Wis. Pitcher of the week: John Englund, Sr, Savage, Minn. (Lakeville)

WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
The Blue Devils return to action Saturday, April 8 when they are at the UW-River Falls Invitational. Last week: The Blue Devils were off last week after opening the outdoor season by placing second, March 24, at the Washington University Twilite meet in St. Louis, Mo.

MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
The Blue Devils will open their outdoor season Saturday, April 8 at UW-River Falls.

TENNIS
The Blue Devils opened their spring season with a 9-0 loss to St. Catherine, April 1. Stout will host UW-Stevens Point, Saturday, April 8 at 9 a.m.

Baseball

STOUT PICKS UP FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON, SPLIT WITH LA CROSSE

LA CROSSE (April 1, 2006) - John Englund (Sr, Savage, Minn) gave up only one earned run and Tanner Kattre (Fr, Abbotsford) hit his first home run and a triple as UW-Stout won their first game of the season, a 10-6 conference opening decision at UW-La Crosse Saturday. Stout lost the second game, 16-0, in seven innings.

Englund scattered eight hits over eight innings of work, striking out seven and walking four to earn his first win.

Kattre opened a three-run sixth inning with a lead off triple, then followed that up in in the seventh inning with a two-our solo home run.

Stout (1-8, 1-1) scored a run in the first on Seth Maier's (Jr, Park Falls) sacrifice fly. Stout added three runs in the third inning on RBIs by Maier, Erik Johnson (So, La Crosse) and a wild pitch to take a 4-0 lead. La Crosse answered with solo runs in the third and fifth.

Johnson drove in Kattre in the sixth inning, then scored on Matt Krause's (So, Bonduel) infield single. Adam Olson (Sr, Mosinee) scored on a passed ball for Stout's other run. Kattre's seventh inning solo shot gave Stout a 8-2 lead, but La Crosse (5-9, 1-1) added two unearned runs in the eighth to tighten the score to 8-4.

Olson drove in two runs in the top of the ninth with a single in the right field gap. La Crosse tacked on two more runs in the ninth. The Eagles stranded 15 runners, including two in the ninth.

Maier and Kattre were both 2-for-4 and Johnson and Olson each had two RBI.

La Crosse had six-run third and fourth innings, batting around in both innings, to bury Stout in the second game. The Eagles blasted Stout for 15 hits as every starter got at least one hit. Stout contributed with by committing five errors. Stout scattered only four hits in the seven inning affair.

Stout's best scoring opportunity came in the fifth inning when Adam Olson had a one-out single to left field, followed by Dan Olson's (Jr, Eau Claire) double to center. The following two runners flied out. Stout stranded a runner at first in the fourth and another at second in the seventh.

BLUE DEVIL SOFTBALL SCHEDULED FOR SIX GAMES THIS WEEK

MENOMONIE (April 2, 2006) - UW-Stout resumes play after a more than 10 day hiatus as the Blue Devils will travel to Northwestern College, Tuesday, April 4, then open the WIAC season Saturday, April 8 at UW-Whitewater. Stout will close out the weekend at UW-Oshkosh, Sunday, April 9. The Blue Devils will open the home portion of their schedule, Friday, April 14 when they host UW-Superior at noon.

WOMEN'S TRACK OPENS OUTDOOR SEASON WITH 2ND PLACE FINISH AT WASH U

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (March 24, 2006) - Nikki Sims (Jr, Becker, Minn) won two events and led a UW-Stout sweep in the triple jump as the Blue Devils opened their 2006 outdoor season with a second place finish at the Washington University Twilite Meet, Friday.

Sims captured the top spot in the long jump, capturing the event with a jump of 16-feet, 7.25-inches. She took the triple jump with a leap of 33-10.25. Stout took the top four spots in the event. Erin Berg (Fr, Sheboygan) was second (32-9.75), Sam Strunk (Jr, Athens) was third (32-5) and Jackie Bruchez (Fr, Apple Valley, Minn) was fourth (32-4.25).

Carrie Peterson (So, Luck) was first in the high jump (5-2.25) and Katee Rosburg (Fr, Superior) narrowly took the 1500-meter run, edging out Washington University's Kate Pentak by .34-seconds. Rosburg finsihed in a time of 4-minutes, 42.32-seconds.

Bridgette Crozier (So, Winona, Minn) finished second (18:53.35) in the 5000-meter run, as was Abbey Ring (So, Manitowoc) in the steeplechase (12:27.92), Pam Sellberg (Fr, Brooklyn Park, Minn) in the pole vault (9-6) and Taylor Mayo (So, Iron River, Mich) in the high jump (4-9).

Third place finishes went to Leah Karaliunas (Sr, Oconomowoc) in the 5000 (19:30.95), Rachel Richardson (So, Weyerhauser) in the steeplechase (13:04.60), Jasmine Patzner (So, Taylor) in the 100-hurdles (16.76), Amelia Treptow (Fr, Wells, Minn) in the pole vault (8-6) and Kelly Schachtner (Fr, Deer Park) in the shot put (38-9.50).

Stout return to action Saturday, April 8 at UW-River Falls.

Individual Results (First place, all Stout finishers)
100: 1. Inga McIntyre (GMTC) 12.53; 4. Lindsay Kjolsing 13.19; 6. Oriana Zens 13.47; 8. Abby Ekman 13.63; 9. Amanda Matchey 13.76; 10. Erin Eipers 13.97; 11. Kristin Ferris 14.09; 12. Andrea Race 14.58; 200: 1. Inga McIntyre (GMTC) 26.04; 4. Oriana Zens 28.38; 6. Erin Eipers 29.85; 7. Andrea Race 30.10; 400: 1. Iantha Burke (McKendra) 57.90; 9. Steffanie Irwin 1:05.82; 10. Nikki Sims 1:07.41; 12. Marissa Parkman 1:15.99; 800: 1. Bethany Pettit (Greenville) 2:29.48; 5. Bonnie Wold 2:35.32; 6. Christine Anderson 2:35.43; 7. Lindsay Enger 2:35.76; 9. Chanelle Bailey 2:37.74; 10. Karla Kultgen 3:38.67; 1500: 1. Katie Rosburg (Stout) 4:52.32; 8. Stephanie Nichols 5:10.22; 11. Christina Anderson 5:15.12; 13. Erica Schweikert 5:33.84; 5000: 1. Eliza Davis (Wash) 18:51.98; 2. Bridgette Crozier 18:53.35; 3. Leah Karaliunas 19:30.95; 5. Michelle Lewis 19:40.81; 3000-steeplechase: 1. Abbey Hartmann (Wash) 11:35.88; 2. Abbey Ring 12:27.92; 3. Rachel Richardson 13:04.60; 100-hurdles: 1. Clarissa Jennings (McKendra) 15.25; 3. Jasmine Patzner 16.76; 8. Taylor Mayo 18.24; 400-hurdles: 1. Angie Holmes (Greenville) 1:06.63; 4. Jasmine Patzner 1:13.36; 4x100-relay: 1. Greenville 50.20; 2. Stout 52.13; 4x400-relay: 1. Greenville 4:07.80; 3. Stout 4:23.36; 5. Stout B 4:56.54;

High jump: 1. Carrie Peterson (Stout) 5-2.25; 2. Taylor Mayo 4-9; 4. Becky Monyhan 4-9; 6. Camelle Meyer 4-7; Pole vault: 1. Morgan Leonard (Wash) 11-0; 2. Pam Sellberg 9-6; 3. Amelia Treptow 8-6; Long jump: 1. Nikki Sims (Stout) 16-7.25; 3. Erin Berg 14-8.25; Triple jump: 1. Nikki Sims 33-10.25; 2. Erin Berg 32-9.75; 3. Sam Strunk 32-5; 4. Jackie Bruchez 32-4.25; 7. Tessa Rohl 30-8.25; 8. Katie Kronebusch 29-10.25; Shot put: 1. Delaina Martin (Wash) 40-2.75; 3. Kelly Schachtner 38-9.50; 8. Christa Leesman 30-5.50; Discus: results to follow; Discus: 1. Christina Niehaus (Greenville) 136-6; 9. Alyssa Klinkenberg 98-5; 11. Kelly Schachtner 96-3; 13. Christa Leesman 77-9; Hammer: 1. Delaina Martin (Wash) 129-11; 5. Alyssa Klinkenberg 106-11; 9. Kelly Schachtner 81-1.75; 13. Christa Leesman 62-6.75;

Men's Track & Field

NEITHER LEECH OR GONZENBACH ADVANCE AT NATIONALS

NORTHFIELD, Minn. (March 10, 2006) - Neither Steven Leech (Fr, Lake Geneva) or Derek Gonzenbach (Jr, Milbank, SD) advanced out of the preliminaries rounds of the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, Friday.

Leech placed ninth in the 55-hurdles in a time of 7.75 seconds, while Gonzenbach finished 11th in the 400-meter dash in a time of 50.00 seconds. Gonzenbach was a late entry, finding out only the day before that he would be running in the meet.

BLUE DEVILS TENNIS OPENS SPRING PORTION OF SCHEDULE

EAU CLAIRE (April 2, 2006) - UW-Stout opened the spring portion of their schedule with St. Catherine Saturday, a team that has already played 13 matches this spring. The Wildcats blanked the Blue Devils, 9-0 at the Eau Claire YMCA Tennis Center.

Michelle Hohl (So, Portage) took her opponent, Jamie Weber, to three sets at No. 4 singles. Hohl dropped the first match, 6-1, but bounced back for a 7-5 second set win, before falling, 10-3 in the final set.

Stout will host UW-Stevens Point, Saturday, April 8 at 9 a.m.

Doubles: No. 1: Miller/Bebler (St. Kate) def. Czech/Farchmin, 8-2; No. 2: Hallquist/Weber (St. Kate) def. Streich/Mirenda, 9-7; No. 3: Sinell/Abby Beytien-Carlson (St. Kate) def. Lynch/Duchac, 8-0.

Women's Cross Country

BRIDGETTE CROZIER EARNS NATIONAL ACADEMIC HONORS

MENOMONIE (March 31, 2006) - Bridgette Crozier (So, Winona, Minn) was one of 157 women's cross country runners named to the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic cross country team.

Crozier, an industrial design major, posted a grade point average of 3.558 and was named to the national team for the second consecutive year. To be eligible for the team, individuals had to have a GPA of 3.50 or better and finish in the top 25 percent of the regional championships.

The UW-Stout women's cross country team as a whole was also selected. The Blue Devils had a combined GPA of 3.162. Four other University of Wisconsin teams were honored.

Women's Basketball

DUOSS, HENDRICKS SHARE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM MVP HONORS

MENOMONIE (April 2, 2006) - Center Kelsey Duoss (Jr, Janesville/Clinton) and guard Molly Hendricks (Sr, Blaine, Minn) shared team most valuable player honors of the UW-Stout women's basketball team, head coach Mark Thomas announced at the team's annual awards banquet Sunday.

Duoss and Hendricks finished one-two in scoring for the Blue Devils, who won their second consecutive regular season and tournament Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) titles. Stout (22-8, 12-5 WIAC) also made their second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

Duoss averaged a conference best 19.0 points and was also named the team's most valuable offensive player. Hendricks, who has played in a school record 115 consecutive games, was the team's defensive leader, leading the team in steals with 73 and assists with 115. Both Duoss and Hendricks were WIAC first team selections and both were picked to the All-WIAC defensive team.

Conference & National Awards - Kelsey Duoss - Kodak/WBCA First Team All-America; D3hoops.com First Team All-America; D3hoops.com All-Central region team; First team all-WIAC; All-WIAC Defensive team; 3X WIAC player of the week; Molly Hendricks - All-WIAC First Team All-America; All-WIAC Defensive Team. Mark Thomas - WIAC coach of the year.

Updated: April 3, 2006