August 19, 1998

MORE THAN 100 STOUT ATHLETES EARN WIAC SCHOLASTIC HONORS

More 100 UW-Stout student/athletes were named to the 1997-98 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Scholastic Honor Roll.

Fifty-eight women were named to the honor roll, while 53 men were named to the list. To be eligible for the award, student/athletes must have earned at least a 3.0 grade point average. Approximately 350 students participate in varsity athletics at UW-Stout.

During the 1997-98 academic year, 3329 student/athletes competed in the WIAC, and of that total, 1586 (48 percent) earned at least a 3.0 GPA. For the second consecutive year, women's tennis took the honors for having the highest overall GPA for a single sport in the WIAC, topping the list with a 3.29 GPA.

A complete listing by school and sport of the 1997-98 WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll can be found on the WIAC website at: www.uwsa.edu/athletic/news

Baseball: Kevin Hulsey, New Richmond; Josh Johnson, Oregon; Scott Meyer, Austin, Minn; Eddie Young, La Crosse.

Basketball: Rik Bertin, Fredonia; Eric Dorgan, Cedarburg; Andy Myers, Eau Claire; James (Jerry) Pittman, Superior; Tim Schulte, Sun Prairie.

Cross Country: Joe Anderson, Faribault, Minn; Jamie Block, West Bend; Jason Donovan, Beloit; Josh Johnson, Oregon; Todd Johnson, St. Charles, Ill.; Mike Schumann, Schaumburg, Ill; Chris Stevens, New Richmond.

Football: Bob Anderson, Oak Creek; Jeff Apse, Oakdale, Minn; Jerry Bennington, Marshfield; Bill Berg, Washburn; Jesse Diaz, Cottage Grove; Josh Gawlik, West Bend; Marty Goryl, Greenfield; Eric Hanson, Eagan, Minn; Jeff Hutter, Beldenville; Jeff Jackman, River Falls; Jason Lehman, Bruce; Ben Leslie, Eau Claire; Chris Memelink, Hastings, Minn; Steve Miller, Lodi; Jeff Opichka, Hartford; Ryan Patt, North Fond du Lac; John Pristash, Eau Claire; Mike Purfeerst, River Falls; Joe Verstegen, Little Chute.

Ice Hockey: Barrett Cooke, Superior; Greg Foster, St. Paul, Minn; Johan Sandstrom, Huddinge, Sweden; Todd Sether, International Falls, Minn; Kevin Hulsey, New Richmond, Josh Marklevits, Spring Valley; Luke Murray, Bloomington, Minn; Barrett Olson, International Falls, Minn; Marcus Soderberg, Huddinge, Sweden; Brandon Stanton, Inver Grove Hts, Minn; Brad Weappa, Brooklyn Center, Minn.

Track & Field: Joe Anderson, Faribault, Minn; Jamie Block, West Bend; Bob Cahow, New Brighton, Minn; Kyran Hamill, Brookfield; Jesse Hunter, La Farge; Jeff Jenson, Menomonie; Joe Johnson, Grantsburg; Todd Johnson, St. Charles, Ill; Jason Lehman, Bruce; Corey O'Donnell, Chippewa Falls; Steve Quackenbush, McFarland; Dan Reinert, Eau Claire; Mike Schumann, Schaumburg, Ill; Chris Stevens, New Richmond; Joe Verstegen, Little Chute.

Basketball: Shannon Berg, Ellsworth; Kim Hautala, Crystal Falls, Mich; Kati Purfeerst, River Falls; Staci Rademacher, Cottage Grove; Larissa Sievert, Roberts; Jenny Traynor, Ellsworth; Rachel Traynor, Ellsworth; Dee Ann Walters, Bangor; Angie Wolfe, Stone Lake.

Cross Country: Jennifer Bahr, Forest Lake, Minn; Katie Jacobson, Eau Claire; Joylyn Jans, New Hope, Minn; Heather Kuchinka, Lonsdale, Minn; Tanya Miller, Green Bay; Katy Olsen, Rice Lake; Melissa Schreiner, Winona, Minn; Jessica Schultz, Manitowoc; Robin White, Ladysmith.

Gymnastics: Stacy Annis, Boyceville; Angie Arens, Loretto, Minn; Shannon Bell, Austin, Minn; Shannon Hirsch, St. Paul, Minn; Maren Sand, Arden Hills, Minn; Lori Skotterud, Mounds View, Minn; Amy Stream, Center City, Minn.

Soccer: Carrie Blaska, Ramsey, Minn; Shannon Camp, Blaine, Minn; Becca Carlson, Rosemount, Minn; Marni Grass, Waukesha; Aimee Grimm, Apple Valley, Minn; Jamie Jester, Beloit; Karen Merry, Maplewood, Minn; Sonja Paul, Waupaca; Jennifer Roberto, Oakdale, Minn; Stephanie Vorpahl, Bloomington, Minn.

Softball: Jodi Annis, Boyceville; Cara Fenhouse, Superior; Kristin Liberty, Tomahawk; Shelly Milbauer, Muskego; Tanya Petrie, Menomonie; Angie Pinnow, Bruce.

Tennis: Carrie Kish, Anoka, Minn; Lauren Mader, Neenah; Cecily Marx, Thiensville; Shannon Seppala, Maplewood, Minn.

Track & Field: Jennifer Bahr, Forest Lake, Minn; Laura Froehling, Maple Lake, Minn; Shelly Hawro, Mosinee; Katie Jacobson, Eau Claire; Tanya Miller, Green Bay; Katy Olsen, Rice Lake; Gretchen Patterson, Prescott; Jamie Schwabenlender, Bristol; Abbie Sempf, Clear Lake.

Volleyball: Michaela Burr, Hastings, Minn; Monica Cyrus, Farmington, Minn; Tori Feit, Rushmore, Minn; Katy Haas, Sparta; Karen Hatfield, Menomonie; Nikki Kenyon, Rockland; Jenny Kraczek, Blaine, Minn; Stacy Stoddard, St. Paul, Minn.

Volleyball

August 20, 1998

WIAC VOLLEYBALL TEAMS APPEAR TO BE STRONG AGAIN

MADISON - As many as six teams, or more, could realistically challenge for the top spots of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) 1998 volleyball title.

But with restructuring eminent in the NCAA, this could be the final year more than two WIAC teams advance to the NCAA playoffs. Last year five teams, and almost six, headed into the NCAA playoffs.

League champion UW-Whitewater advanced out of the Midwest Regionals and lost to eventual national champion, University of California-San Diego, but the Warhawks were joined in the regional meet by UW-Eau Claire, UW-Platteville, UW-Oshkosh and UW-La Crosse. UW-River Falls was left on the outside looking in, even though they finished ahead of Oshkosh and Platteville in the league standings.

The NCAA is looking at a restructuring that will give automatic bids to all 29 Division III conference champions, leaving only 19 at-large berths.

"The new restructuring will definitely hurt this conference," Whitewater coach Kris Russell said, adding the WIAC is considered by many around the country to be the strongest overall conference.

UW-La Crosse's Sheila Perkins agreed with Russell.

"If the new restructuring had been in place last year," Perkins said, "we would not have gotten in (to the NCAA playoffs.) If they go with all of the things they put in, the toughest teams will not be in the tournament."

The restructuring will put a renewed interest in the conference standings, coaches agreed. At times in the past, the main goal of teams was to get into the NCAA playoffs, taking an emphasis off the conference race.

Coaches refused to pick a conference favorite, but Eau Claire and Whitewater were named the most often as top contenders.

Following is a brief summary of the nine WIAC teams, in alphabetical order.

All-America pick Maria Jensen and all-region choice Kelly Arndt lead the returners, but Jensen will not be able to return until about midway through the season. Jensen averaged 4.44 kills per game, ranking ninth in Division III, while Arndt was fourth in the country in assists with 12.

"Because we are in this conference, we know it will be a tough schedule," coach Lisa Herb, last year's WIAC and Midwest Region coach of the year, said. "I think we will be up there, but we can't let our guard down at all."

Angela Muenkel exploded onto the scene during her sophomore year, pounding out 448 kills, earning all-conference honors. Muenkel will team with outside hitter Sara Tappa, an honorable mention pick, for a solid attack.

Perkins, in her 11th year, said the Eagles will need to find a replacement setter and beef up the right side attack.

"We have a lot of kids who can swing and hit the ball," Perkins said. "Our defense is good. We just need to get the ball to them."

But 16th year coach Marty Peterson has done the job before and returns with six letterwinners to take on the offensive load. Peterson may have to rely on a talented group of incoming freshman to provide support.

"Our conference is always a dogfight," Peterson said. "We may be the youngest pups this time around, but I'll bet we can compete with anybody in the conference."

Coach Deb Schulman will also be looking at her incoming class to beef up the program, which lost nine seniors and one regular player to transfer.

Schulman will pull in 10 freshmen - "the largest and hopefully one of the best classes," Schulman said - and also brings back four letterwinners, including starters Rachel Huza, the setter, and Lori Lambert, an outside hitter.

"We will definitely take our lumps this year," Schulman said.

"We have some quality players returning this year," said coach Patty Ford of Sara Tibesar, Sarah Carlson, Carrie Schwane and Melissa Mattson. "They are all powerful hitters. We should have more offense out of this team.

"By not getting in at the end, I think, makes the team anxious for this season."

The Falcons will have to replace setter Alicia Klinger.

Kelly Anderson, Emily Hanka and Sarah Kuhl combined for 65 percent of the Pointers' scoring punch, with Kuhl leading the way with 3.19 kills per game. Setter Erin Carney also returns.

"Our goal will be to finish in the top four," Geiger said. "I see a lot of competition in the conference. Point is at the level to pull it off, but we just didn't have what it takes to pull it over the edge."

Stoddard will have a solid supporting cast in Monica Cyrus, a senior hitter who's goal is to make All-America, and Jenny Kraczek, who ranked 11th in the country last season in assists with 11.04 per game.

"We have a great nucleus back," Jolliff, who is coming off a 17-14 record, said. "They know the ins and outs of the conference players. We have the ability to finish in the top three or four.

"I have an older group of players and the they know what it takes to get there."

"Our goal is to improve our win-loss percentage," Krug said. Superior was 5-23 last season. But Krug is upbeat about the team she inherits.

"This is not a rebuilding year," Krug said. "We return eight, and lost only one. We bring in a strong freshman class. Superior will take a big jump. This will be a different team than last year."

The Yellowjackets will gain with the return of Mandy Giffen, a multi-sport standout who took last year off.

The Warhawks, who took the league title with a 7-1 record and finished with a 33-6 overall record, return four starters, including second team All-America picks Stephanie Everett and Lynn Olsen.

Everett, who may be slowed by shoulder surgery, is a magnet for the ball, leading the team in digs and is the Warhawks career leader in digs. Olsen, a steady hitter, is currently the school career leader in hitting percentage with a .358 hitting percentage.

Dana VanZeeland and Sarah Kay round out the returners.

"I see the conference four, five, six deep," Russell said. "Depending on who keeps their kids healthy will determine who contends for the conference title."

Football

August 21, 1998

QUARTERBACK DOMINATES FIELD IN WIAC FOR 1998

MENOMONIE - If offense is your forte', 1998 is your year for Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football. Seven of the eight teams averaged more than 30 points per game last season and the majority of the teams have their field leaders - the quarterback - returning for the 1998 season.

This may be the best crop of quarterbacks at one time in the conference, say observers. Those attending the WIAC Media Day in early August dubbed 1998 as the "Year of the Quarterback," and coaches followed suit as four of them brought their signal callers to the event.

"There are some of the best quarterbacks in the league since I have been associated with the conference," said UW-Whitewater coach Bob Berezowitz, who has either played or coached in the conference since 1963.

This league "has brought in some hellish quarterbacks," said UW-Oshkosh coach Ron Cardo. "This league is unbelievable in quarterbacks. (Scoring was so high not) because the defense was bad, but rather there are some unbelievable quarterbacks."

Six quarterbacks are being pegged as the players to watch: UW-Oshkosh's Brian Tomalak, UW-Stout's Matt Bunyan, UW-Eau Claire's Sean Hoolihan, UW-Whitewater's Ty Grovesteen, UW-Stevens Point's Ryan Aulenbacher and UW-River Falls' Randy Johnson.

Hoolihan and Tomalak were first team all-conference picks last season, while Bunyan was second team and Grovesteen honorable mention.

The quarterbacks come in all different sizes, from Bunyan and Aulenbacher, who come in listed at 6-foot, 6-inches, to the elusive Hoolihan, who may be 6-foot, if he gets a boost.

Tomalak, a southpaw, and Bunyan can throw the ball a country mile. Between the two of them, they threw for 64 touchdowns last season, Tomalak for 31 and Bunyan for 33, both school records.

Hoolihan can scramble in and out of the pocket, buying time for his receivers or just looking for the right hole to run through. Johnson led the Falcons, which runs a wishbone offense, in rushing and the Falcons led the NCAA Division III in rushing for the fourth time since 1990.

Aulenbacher is the only junior of the bunch, but can zing the ball.

Grovesteen may be the most underrated quarterback of the sextet. While Hoolihan, Bunyan and Tomalak have been sharing the honors of being named to various preseason All-America teams, Grovesteen has simply led the Warhawks to last year's WIAC title and to two consecutive NCAA playoff berths. Grovesteen is a consistent player, tossing an NCAA record 25 consecutive pass completions over three games last fall. He threw for 16 touchdowns and ran for 12.

"We may have the best quarterback, but he doesn't get any recognition because he doesn't put up any stats," Berezowitz said. "I'll put Ty up with any of the best quarterbacks. He can run, throw and is very unselfish."

"The best quarterback in the league would be Ty, because he won all of his games," said Tomalak.

Because of their shear size, Tomalak and Bunyan have been attracting the attention of NFL and other pro scouts. Tomalak is 6-3, 215-pounds, while Bunyan is 6-6, 230.

"There have been an awful lot of NFL people who have called up and said 'Be ready, because there are a lot of people who are going to come and see him,'" Cardo said about Tomalak.

Tomalak was named to the first team of the Don Hansen Football Gazette preseason All-America team, while Bunyan was a first team preseason All-America choice for Street & Smith's College Football magazine.

Bunyan, who led the NCAA Division III in total offense last year with 321.6 yards per game, led the Blue Devils to second place in the WIAC with a 5-2 conference record, Stout's best finish since 1965. While Tomalak led a high powered offense that averaged 34.5 points, the Titans finished 1-6 and in seventh place in the WIAC.

Tomalak tosses all of the accolades aside.

"I am not here for Brian Tomalak to go to the next level," Tomalak said about his chances in the pros. "I'm here to win Titan football games. The numbers don't matter, its the wins that matter."

Bunyan was tickled by the preseason attention, but also pushed off the publicity.

"It's very nice to see your name, but even nicer for the university," Bunyan said. "If you have good people around you, you are going to get noticed."

"Never say die" may be Hoolihan's battle cry.

"One thing I admire most about Sean is he never gives up on a play," said Blugold receiver Steve Crutchley, who pulled in 34 of Hoolihan's passes. "He makes sure everything goes until the whistle blows."

Whitewater all-conference defensive lineman Art Gutierrez paid Hoolihan the ultimate compliment.

"Sean, I hate playing against you," Gutierrez said. "You always leave me huffing and puffing."

The Pointer's Aulenbacher showed the potential last season to be mentioned as a top quarterback. At 6-6, 195-pounds, Aulenbacher can look over his tall offensive line in search of his receivers, and last year piled up up 2048 yards passing and threw for 20 touchdowns.

Stevens Point coach John Miech praised his quarterback's competitiveness.

"He is a competitor," Miech said. "If the quarterback is not a competitor, you can't get it done. Ryan is a student of the game. He is always quizzing us about this and that."

The Falcons' Johnson doesn't quite fit into the mold of the rest of the WIAC quarterbacks, but neither does the Falcons' wishbone offense.

Johnson rushed for 1060 of the Falcons' nation leading 3656 yards and also passed for 466 yards and nine touchdowns.

"Johnson is a very good athlete," said Falcons' coach John O'Grady. "We hope he will run for 1000 yards and he throws a nice ball."

Stout's Bunyan assessed the quarterback situation around the league.

"Is it the year of the quarterback?" Bunyan said. "Yes or no. The kid from Eau Claire is a great player. The Oshkosh guy has been doing it. It's him against the world. Stevens Point? He is a big kid. Whitewater had great stats, but he had a great line."

With the glut of quality quarterbacks, the league should be wide open, or will it be?

Stout coach Ed Meierkort expects the defensive units around the league to step up and accept the challenge.

"I expect the league average in scoring and yardage to go down," Meierkort said.

"The team that does the best job of stopping the quarterbacks will be the best team in the league," said O'Grady.

"I don't like quarterbacks," said Whitewater defensive lineman Dave Vitel. "I will do my best to make this a defensive league."

But La Crosse's Roger Harring, who is entering his 30th season with the Eagles likes the offensive spin being put on the league.

"It's one of those years where if people don't get out to see us, they never will," Harring said.

August 20, 1998

NEW NAMES COME TO SURFACE IN WIAC FOOTBALL RACE

MADISON - Either my ears must be deceiving me, or there could be a changing of the guard in the football race of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC).

For the last 15 years, only four names have generally come to the top when picking a preseason favorite - UW-La Crosse, UW-Whitewater, UW-Stevens Point, and UW-River Falls. UW-Eau Claire was the last outsider to win the conference title, and that was in 1983.

Now, the Blugolds return to the forefront as a preseason favorite, along with UW-Stout, which finished last season in a tie with UW-La Crosse for second place.

But by no means can any of the "Big Four" be ruled out of the race, which is too close to call for many of the coaches, so close that several coaches thought the league champion could suffer two losses and still take home the trophy.

"The gap has closed," said Whitewater's Bob Berezowitz, "Stout has shown that. I'm not so sure there won't be a top team with two losses."

"Everybody is going to have to play every week," said La Crosse's Roger Harring. "You could have two losses and still win the league."

"We're not talking about one or two teams battling anymore," said Stevens Point's John Miech, "it's all of them. This league is as tough as it has always been."

The league is expected to experience another offensive explosion this season. All but one of the teams averaged more than 30 points last season, and most of the teams return their starting quarterback.

With so many top quarterbacks returning that ranked statistically high in the NCAA final rankings, fans should be able to see an exciting brand of football this year.

"With so many quarterbacks, there are going to be a lot of points scored," Miech said.

"If anyone doesn't get out to see us (teams around the league) this year," Harring said, "they will never see us. Quarterback is the prominent thing to look at."

"We have some of the best quarterbacks this league has seen since I have been associated with it," said Berezowitz, who has either played or coached in the WIAC since 1963.

While the focus will be on the offensive units, the defensive corps will need to step up for a team to win a conference title.

"I would expect the league average (scoring and yardage) to be down," said Stout coach Ed Meierkort.

"The team that does the best job of stopping the quarterbacks," said River Falls' John O'Grady, "will be the best team in the league."

Dave Vitel, a defensive lineman for Whitewater, would like to see some changes in the league.

"All of the offenses in this league will give you fits," Vitel said. "But, I don't like quarterbacks. I will do my best to make this a defensive league."

Following is a brief summary of the eight WIAC teams, in alphabetical order.

"We made some progress last season and have now gotten across the lake," Nielson said, "but the lake is awfully deep and you can drown at anytime.

"We return a good offensive team, but there are eight awfully good football teams."

Leading the Blugolds will be senior quarterback Sean Hoolihan, an all-conference pick last season. Hoolihan, who finished fifth in the country in total offense with 314.8 yards per game, is a shifty quarterback who never seems to give up on a play and will give the defense fits.

But Hoolihan doesn't want the Blugolds to wear the preseason favorite hat either.

"I honestly feel we haven't proved anything yet," Hoolihan said. "Last year, we were 7-3, but we showed up against the big dogs and they beat us."

The Blugolds will miss running back Chad Hoiska who scored a conference record 128 points and a school record 176 points, but Hoolihan will have a quartet of talented receivers to throw to led by senior Steve Crutchley, who averaged 23 yards per grab.

Nielson said the key to any success will be to balance the offensive attack.

"The key to our success was to be balanced," Nielson said. "We were No. 1 in total offense and had a hard time finishing in the top of the conference."

Harring will be looking at sophomores Jason Wucki and Ryan Larson to replace Jeff Baker, who is now with the NFL's San Diego Chargers.

"I don't care who our quarterback is, but our kids really like these two," Harring, who begins his 30th year, said. "If we can satisfy the quarterback problem, we will be a good squad."

Beau Coulter could be the conference's top running back, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. "We feel he is a very prominent running back," Harring said. "Now, we just need to find somebody to block for him."

Harring looks around the league and sees the potent offensive units. "This is a great year to have a great secondary," Harring said.

The Eagles have a good place to start in All-America cornerback Mike Scheuer, who led the WIAC in interceptions with seven.

Tradition has always played into any La Crosse football season. How successful has Harring been? Since 1978, La Crosse has finished below second only once, winning or sharing the title 10 times, and winning three national titles.

And that spells good news for coach Ron Cardo. "We will have one heckuva offensive unit," Cardo said. "Our destiny is based on stopping the run."

The left-handed Tomalak recorded a school record 31 touchdown passes on his way to racking up 2877 yards. Against River Falls, Tomalak tallied school records by throwing for 460 yards, five touchdowns and 12 consecutive pass completions. But Tomalak lost his two top targets in Ryan Hinske and Tony Church.

The Titans, who finished at 1-6 in the WIAC, 3-7 overall, racked up big numbers offensively, but also allowed big numbers defensively. Cardo will turn much of his attention to run defense, where the Titans finished last.

The Pioneers played young players last year, and the same will be true this year.

"The best part about playing a lot of young players is they get one more year of experience," Kinder said.

And Kinder will be working with younger players for the next couple of years. "Our goal was to recruit numbers and better quality," Kinder said.

The Pioneers will need to replace quarterback Forrest Paul and all-purpose back Eric Newton. Kinder said the Pioneers will look to add more variety into their offense and need to improve their defense.

Running out of the wishbone, the Falcons have been historically a strong running team and last year was no exception with River Falls leading the country in rushing with 365.6 yards per game, the fourth time since O'Grady has taken over as head coach.

Randy Johnson ran the offense for the Falcons out of the quarterback spot, tallying 106 yards per game.

"We hope Johnson will run 1000 yards," coach O'Grady said. "He is a very good athlete and throws a nice ball."

Ben Kolstad, who was the backup quarterback and a starting running back, averaged 65.3 yards, but he will move to defensive back. Michael Grant and Andrew Kruger return as the other backs with Grant netting 68.1 yards and Kruger 60.8.

"We should have a great backfield," O'Grady said. "We should have no excuses. Our offensive line has the potential to be one of our best."

The Falcons will have to replace kicker/punter Jesse Egner.

"We are not there yet," O'Grady said, "but I do think we will be a better team than a year ago. The only way we have a chance to be near the top is these other guys beat the devil out of each other and we get lucky."

"Our quarterback didn't have the protection needed to be successful," Miech said. Miech returns four of his five starting offensive linemen, but wants to get the line more mobile.

"I tried to get these guys to lose weight," Miech said. "We are about 320 (pounds) across the line."

Aulenbacher, at 6-6, has the advantage that he can see over the massive line, and last year tossed for 20 touchdowns and 2048 yards during his sophomore year.

The Pointers have always managed to build strong linebacking crews, and 1998 will be no exception. Three-year all-conference pick Clint Kriewaldt will lead the defense.

Miech would like his team to rebound from last year's 3-4 WIAC record, the first time a Miech-led team finished below .500 in the conference. The Pointers were 6-4 overall.

The Blue Devils will lead with preseason All-America quarterback Matt Bunyan, who threw for a school record 33 touchdowns and led the country in total offense with 321.6 yards per game.

Stout returns all but one of their starting offensive line, and return all of their backs. The Blue Devils will need to find replacements for receivers Scott Wojcik and Jim Pillars. Jesse Witcraft proved to be a top-notch receiver last year, recording a touchdown every 2.6 times he caught the ball.

"A lot of people think we are a throwing team," Meierkort said. "We try to be a 50-50 team."

While Stout posted the top defensive backfield in the league against the pass, Meierkort said his team needs to improve its defensive game against the rush.

About being picked as a contender, Meiekort took it all in stride.

"With this group, we feel we can compete in this league," Meierkort said. "We are new to this. We know that record could very easily flip around in this league."

The defense returns in pretty good shape, with seven starters, but the offense could be a problem for the Warhawks.

The quarterback spot is sown up with the steady play of Ty Grovesteen, who threw for 16 touchdowns, and 1363 yards in 146 attempts. Grovesteen tossed 25 straight completions over three games last fall. He also ran for 12 touchdowns.

The backfield is in need of replacing, but coach Berezowitz is not overly concerned there. His biggest concern will be in replacing the offensive line, where only Jason Bartolotta and tight end Andy Weber return.

"We are going to be a competitive football team," Berezowitz said. "How good depends on the development of the offensive line."

Women's Gymnastics

June 15, 1998

Richards brings along an attitude that reflects the relationship of the student and the athlete. Richards doesn't just talk about the importance of the student/athlete, he lived it while at Southern Utah. During his tenure, the Thunderbirds were named the Academic National Champion twice by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches and finished in the top five during the last five years. Last season, every team member carried at least a 3.10 grade point average, while five members were above 3.70.

"The goal of college is to graduate," Richards said, and he will continue to push that attitude as he takes over the reigns of the Blue Devils, an NCAA Division III school.

Richards inherits a team that set school records for team scoring last season, but still finished at the bottom of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Richards, who held a large recruiting role at Southern Utah, will rely on recruiting to continue to build the Stout program.

Southern Utah is one of the smallest NCAA Division I schools in the country, so Richards said there was some selling of the school involved in his job.

"We had to teach the recruits about the university and how good it is here," Richards said. "We talked to them about what they could get from the area."

Richards will plan to utilize the same recruiting techniques at Stout, noting the University's 97 percent placement rate.

A high school diver, Richards, 28, never competed in gymnastics, but took an interest in the sport after enrolling at his hometown Utah State.

"I took some classes, became interested and started watching," Richards said. Richards worked with a club and was tabbed as an assistant by Scott Bauman when Bauman took over at Southern Utah. Richards said the Thunderbirds improved their team scores by nearly 20 points over the first four years.

Richards considers the uneven bars as his specialty, which should help the area where Stout has traditionally been week the last several years.

"My true love has been the bars," Richards said. "I played on the bars and they fascinated me."

About coming to Menomonie, Richards said, "I liked the area and I have the chance to be a head coach. I wanted to stay at the collegiate level."

Richards and his wife, Cynthia, have two daughters, Kanyon and Kennedy.

Women's Tennis

May 30, 1998

Monson, an Eau Claire native, didn't waste any time in improving the Macalester program. In his first season with the men's program, he directed the Scots to a fifth place finish at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) tournament, Macalester's best finish in more than 25 years. His women's team accomplished the same feat last spring.

While at UW-Eau Claire from 1989-92, Monson, 28, was an NAIA District 14 doubles champion in 1992 when the Blugolds also won the District 14 title to advance to national competition. The Blugolds were also the Wisconsin State University Conference (WSUC) champion that year. Monson stayed on at Eau Claire as an assistant coach in 1993 and 1994, and the Blugolds repeated as District 14 champion in 1993.

Monson believes in working hard and will work right along side with his charges.

"I will be out there doing the work with them," Monson said. "When they do the drills, I will do the drills."

While Monson has not had a chance to review his team, he expects improvement from the team.

"I would like us to move up at least one spot in the conference," Monson said. "We will work to become more aggressive and will also work on fundamentals."

But working at an NCAA Division III school is not lost on Monson.

"I know they are here for school because they are at a Division III school," Monson said. "While at Macalester, which has a high standard of academics, we learned to balance academics and athletics."

A graduate of Eau Claire Memorial, Monson was a three-time conference doubles champion, three-time sectional doubles champion and was ranked in the top ten of the state for three years.

Monson was an assistant coach at Memorial for both the boys and girls programs from 1990-93 and has also been a teaching professional in Eau Claire, St. Paul, Minn., and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Softball

July 17, 1998

The former Menomonie High softball standout is excited to be returning to coach in her hometown.

"I am real excited to get going," Stainer said. "It will be gratifying to be able to work and give back to the community that once sparked my own softball abilities."

Stainer was the interim softball coach at River Falls last spring, and posted an 18-22 record with the Falcons. Previous to that, Stainer was an assistant coach for five years at River Falls, her alma mater, as the Falcons twice qualified to the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Serving as the interim coach at River Falls should give Stainer a head start in her coaching career. The River Falls coach was off for a semester to study abroad.

"Being the head coach, I was the one that got to make the decisions," Stainer said. "Even though I was in contact with her alot, (head coach) Faye (Perkins) allowed me to make the calls. Some of the decisions, you lose some sleep about."

A pitcher while playing at River Falls, Stainer was named all-conference three years and as a senior was named to the Midwest Region All-American team. She also served as team captain.

Besides coming back to coach in Menomonie, Stainer was very interested in coaching in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), one of the toughest Division III leagues in the country.

"This conference is very, very competitive," Stainer said. "In Division III, if you want to be anywhere, this is it. The opportunity was there, and so I took it. I have a great advantage in that I am familiar with the conference. I know the strategy (of the conference teams) after having scouted the teams for many years.

"Stout has a good base of players, but I would like to take the program to another level. If they are willing to work in the offseason, if they can improve on what they have, we can get there."

Stainer will be the third head coach for the Blue Devil softball program which began in 1992.