For the week of October 13-19Back to Athletics Home Page | Back Issues Blue Devil FootballOctober 20, 1997BLUE DEVILS, TITANS CLASH IN POTENTIAL THROWING CONTEST
UW-Stout Blue Devils (3-3, 2-2) at UW-Oshkosh Titans (2-5, 0-4) LAST WEEK: Stout: UW-Whitewater put a serious crimp in any Stout thought of a conference title, downing the Blue Devils, 35-14, at Nelson Field. While Stout held the Warhawks to 60 yards under their average running game, Whitewater still ran roughshod over the Blue Devils, gaining 342 yards on the ground. Whitewater was particulary effective on third down, converting eight of 12 times. Whitewater took an early 14-0 lead, but Stout came back with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Matt Bunyan (Jr, Janesville) to Scott Wojcik (Sr, Marshfield). The Warhawks scored twice more before the Blue Devils could answer in the fourth, this time a 12-yard Bunyan pass to Jim Pillars (So, Chicago, Ill). Bunyan finished the day completing 21-of-34 passes for 171 yards, well under his average. Stout tallied 253 total yards, while giving up 433. Oshkosh: The Titans got into a scoring battle with UW-Stevens Point, but allowed the Pointers to score the final 33 points of the game in the final 23 minutes of the game to suffer a 50-33 loss at Oshkosh. Brian Tomalak (Jr, Green Bay) completed 22-of-52 passes for 269 yards and three TDs. Ryan Hinske (Sr, Menasha) was on the receiving end of eight passes for 94 yards, while tight end Tony Church (Sr, Appleton) pulled in six passes for 59 yards. Oshkosh, which led 19-17 at halftime and 33-17 midway through the third quarter, totalled 370 yards and gave up 388 - 309 of those yards in the final 23 minutes. In the game, Tomalak became the Titans' all-time leading passer with 5463 career yards. LAST YEAR: Both Stout and Oshkosh play in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) and are affiliated with the NCAA Division III. Stout was 4-6 overall, 1-6 in the conference last season and finished seventh. Oshkosh was 4-6 overall, 2-5 in the conference, good for sixth. THE SERIES: The Titans hold a 23-16-1 lead in the series that began in 1947 with a 19-12 Oshkosh win. Oshkosh has won the last two games, including last year, taking a 12-7 win out of Nelson Field. Stout held the TItans to four yards rushing and 149 yards total, but Oshkosh made two first quarter TDs stand up. Brian Tomalak tossed a 17-yard TD pass to Rob Stoltz and Todd Skarban returned a Matt Bunyan pass 49 yards for the score. Stout scored in the fourth quarter when Shawn Lund scored on a seven yard run.
STOUT PLAYERS TO WATCH:
OSHKOSH PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Brian Tomalak (#9, 6-2, 215, Jr, Green Bay) 271-140-4, 1946 yds (278/game), 23 TDs OFFENSIVE LOOK: Titans: Pro-set Stout: multi-pro set which incorporates a West Coast style offense. DEFENSIVE LOOK: Oshkosh: Mulitple 5-2 Stout: 4-3 COACHES: Stout's Ed Meierkort (16-30 career) is in his fifth year, while Oshkosh's Ron Cardo (50-83-4) is in his 13th season. STOUT COACH ED MEIERKORT SAYS: "(Against Whitewater) I thought our kids were prepared for the battle, but it was like taking a switchblade to a gun fight. With injuries, we were overmatched up front and had to move our defensive ends (Mike Olson, Andy Wickstrom) in. It was robbing Peter to pay Paul. They were the best team we have played so far this season. They did not allow us the big play. They did a good job of keeping us in the box. "Oshkosh is a very good throwing team. We must pressure (Brian) Tomalak - he has no fear. We will have to make them put the ball on the ground. Oshkosh has been playing hard and have some good offensive players in Tomalak, (receiver Ryan) Hinske, (tight end Tony) Church and (running back Colyn) Bruss. We held them to 149 yards last year, and lost. We will always have to know where Hinske is. I think our defensive ends should feel better playing against the pass." October 18, 1997WHITEWATER TURNS BACK STOUT, 35-14MENOMONIE- UW-Whitewater showed UW-Stout why they were picked as one of the top teams in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) as they toppled the Blue Devils, 35-14, Saturday, Oct. 18 at Nelson Field. The Warhawks, (6-0, 4-0) amassed 433 total yards, while holding the Blue Devils (3-3, 2-2) to 253 yards, including allowing only 201 passing yards. Stout was averaging 326 yards in the air. The Warhawks destroyed the Blue Devils on the ground, with John Damato rolling up 133 yards and Eddie McKinnie 122 as the entire Whitewater team notched 342 yards by the rush. Even though Whitewater rolled to a 28-7 advantage in the third quarter, the Blue Devils bounced back early in the fourth, driving 63 yards in 10 plays and pulled to 28-14 when Matt Bunyan (Jr, Janesville) connected with Jim Pillars (So, Chicago, Ill) for a 12-yard touchdown. But Stout penalties in the ensuing Warhawk drive took the wind out of the Blue Devils' sails. Stout was assessed personal foul penalties that tallied 36 yards on the drive and McKinnie strolled into the end zone from the 11 for the final 35-14 score. The Warhawks scored twice in the first quarter, first on a 28-yard pass from Ty Grovesteen to tight end Chris Korff at the 9:55 mark, then at the 4:20 mark when Grovesteen bulled his way over from the 1. Stout tightened the contest at the 14:12 point of the second quarter when Bunyan found Scott Wojcik (Sr, Marshfield) for an eight yard touchdown pass in heavy traffic over the middle. Whitewater ground up 80 yards on their next drive, taking a 21-7 lead when Damato scored from 5 late in the first half. The Warhawks put together another long drive to start off the second half, methodically moving 85 yards in 12 plays, with Damato carrying the ball to paydirt from the 14. Dennis Lane (Fr, Ocala, Fla) showed flashes of brilliance for the Blue Devils in the first half, gaining all 36 of his yards before halftime to lead Stout on the ground. Ryan Patt (So, North Fond du Lac) finished with 26 yards. Bunyan had his poorest showing of the season in terms of yardage, connecting on 21-of-34 passes for 171 yards. His two touchdown passes does pull him to within one TD pass of tying the school record of 20 touchdown passes in a single season. Wojcik, ranked nationally in number of receptions, kept up his numbers, pulling in 10 passes for 93 yards. Patt collected five passes for 40 yards. For the Warhawks, Grovesteen was a perfect 9-for-9 for 91 yards. He also collected 53 yards on the ground. Stout now heads on the road for two weeks, playing at UW-Oshkosh Saturday, Oct. 25 and at UW-Stevens Point Saturday, Nov. 1. October 16, 1997FORMER UW-STOUT PUNTER SIGNS WITH TAMPA BAYMENOMONIE- Former UW-Stout punter Andy Caflisch will get another chance to latch on with a National Football League team. Caflisch reported Wednesday, Oct. 15, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers camp and has been assigned to the team's practice squad. Earlier this summer, Caflisch, a River Falls native, had a tryout with the Detroit Lions and has had previous tryouts with the Green Bay Packers and the Arizona Cardinals. Blue Devil VolleyballOctober 17, 1997OSHKOSH CONTROLS BLUE DEVIL VOLLEYBALL; FEIT SETS SCHOOL MARKMENOMONIE- Perhaps it was a combination of too much fire power and a team smarting from an upset their previous time out. Whatever the case, the UW-Oshkosh volleyball team downed UW-Stout in three straight games Friday, Oct. 17 at Johnson Fieldhouse. The Titans hit a very respectable .317 and had 10 service aces, as they took the Blue Devils (14-10, 2-5) 15-13, 15-5, 15-9. Holly Luedeke had 19 kills and Jean Harmson had 13 kills to lead a powerful Titan attack. Oshkosh had lost to UW-Platteville in four games Wednesday night. Tori Feit (So, Rushmore, Minn) led the Blue Devils with nine kills. Stout's heavy-hitter, Stacy Stoddard (Jr, St. Paul, Minn) was held to four kills and a negative .176 hitting percentage. Feit hit at a .818 percentage, breaking Stoddard's single match record for hitting percentage. Stoddard had set the mark earlier in the season by hitting .800 against UW-Superior. Stout returns to action Wednesday, Oct. 22 when they travel to UW-River Falls. October 18, 1997CASSELL, ROSHELL NAMED TO JV ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMMENOMONIE- UW-Stout's Heather Cassell (Fr, Lake Geneva) and Kim Roshell (Fr, Cornell) were named to the all-tournament team at the UW-La Crosse Junior Varsity Volleyball Invitational Saturday, Oct. 18. The Blue Devils, who took only six players to the meet, went 2-2 during the day, downing UW-Platteville and La Crosse, and falling to UW-River Falls and Mankato State. Blue Devil SoccerOctober 19, 1997BLUE DEVIL SOCCER TUMBLES AT EDGEWOOD, 2-1MADISON- You know things are not exactly going your way when the other team technically scores your only goal of the game. That's what happened to the UW-Stout soccer team when they dropped a 2-1 decision at Edgewood College Sunday, Oct. 19. With the Eagles up 1-0 in the second half, Stout's Alyssa Halverson (Jr, Rochester, Minn) took a shot within the box that was headed by an Edgewood player. The ball bounced up to hit the crossbar, then ricocheted down to strike the Edgewood goalkeeper on the back and the ball rolled into the goal. Halverson receives credit for the goal, and in the process, scored her 11th goal of the season, setting a new school career record for most goals. The Eagles scored late in the game for the win. Stout (8-7, 2-5) returns to Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) action Wednesday, Oct. 22 when they travel to UW-La Crosse for a 4 p.m. contest. UW-Superior comes to Phelan Park Saturday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. for the Blue Devils' final home game of the season. October 17, 1997BLUE DEVIL SOCCER TEAM WINS IN OVERTIMEMENOMONIE- Becca Carlson (So, Rosemount, Minn) scored the winning goal in overtime as UW-Stout overcame a 2-0 deficit to down Viterbo College, 3-2, Friday at Phelan Park. Three minutes into the overtime period, Carlson took a pass from Alyssa Halverson (Jr, Rochester, Minn), got the Viterbo goalkeeper to the ground and drove the shot over her. Viterbo (3-10) scored late in the first half on a corner kick that deflected off Stout goalkeeper Nikki Bezak (So, Coon Rapids, Minn), then took a 2-0 lead early in the second half. It may have taken a while for the Blue Devils (8-6) to score, but when they did, they bunched the goals together. Stout, which played most of the game in the V-Hawk zone, got a score eight minutes into the second half from Shannon Camp (Fr, Blaine, Minn), with an assist from Jessica Unterweger (So, Nashotah). Four minutes later, Unterweger got a pass from Carlson directly in front of the net and put the shot in. Stout outshot the V-Hawks, 25-6. The eight wins are the most wins in a season for the three-year-old Blue Devil program. Blue Devil Men's Cross CountryOctober 18, 1997PAUL GILLES PACES UW-STOUT MEN AT JIM DREWS INVITEWEST SALEM- UW-Stout's Paul Gilles (Sr, Plum City) placed ninth to lead all Stout runners at the Jim Drew Invitatational at the Maple Grove Country Club in West Salem Saturday, Oct. 18. Gilles finished in 25 minutes, 54.9 seconds as the Blue Devils finished ninth. Jason Petersohn (Sr, Manitowac) placed 40th (26:24.9) out of 187 runners, while Eric Hanson (Jr, Winona, Minn.) placed 60th (26:50.4). Stout's J.V. will compete Friday, Oct. 24 in a dual meet with Eau Claire. The varsity will be back in action Saturday, Nov. 1 where they will compete in the WIAC Championships hosted by UW-LaCrosse. Jim Drews Invitational Team Results1. North Central 72; 2. UW-LaCrosse 77; 3. St. Thomas 97; 4. UW-Stevens Point 112; 5. Washington (Mo) 157; 6. Saint John's 167; 7. Wartburg 194; 8. UW-Whitewater 231; 9.UW-Stout 243; 10. St. Olaf 246; 11. UW-Eau Claire 275; 12. Loras 303; 13. Augustana(Ill) 332; 14. Minnesota Duluth 353 Jim Drews Invitational Individual Results(First place, all Stout finishers) Blue Devil Women's Cross CountryOctober 18, 1997KATIE JACOBSON LEADS UW-STOUT WOMEN AT LA CROSSE INVITEWEST SALEM - UW-Stout's Katie Jacobson (Jr, Eau Claire) place eighth at the Tori Neubauer Invitational at the Maple Grove Country Club in West Salem Saturday, Oct. 18. Jacobson finished in 19 minutes, 3.1 seconds to lead Stout to a 10th place finish. Jen Wucherer (So, Edgar) placed 34th (19:33.8) in the 146 member field, while Nicole Ernster (Jr, Rochester, Minn) was 55th (19:58.3). In a battle of nationally ranked teams, St. Thomas finished first over host UW-La Crosse. Stout is back in action Friday, Oct. 24 when they compete in a dual meet with Eau Claire. Tori Neubauer Invitational Team Results1. St. Thomas 77; 2. UW-LaCrosse 89; 3. Wartburg 110; 4. UW-Eau Claire 121; 5. Minnesota Duluth 126; 6. Carleton 167; 7. Loras 170; 8.St. Benedict 208; 9. Gustavus Adolphus 212; 10. UW-Stout 217; 11. Washinton (Mo) 227; 12. Macalester 275Tori Neubauer Invitational Individual Results
(First place, all Stout finishers) Blue Devil TennisOctober 18, 1997UW-STOUT TENNIS DOWNS UW-OSHKOSH, 5-4MENOMONIE- UW-Stout tennis coach Cyndi Raymond made a few changes in her doubles line-up and believes that's what helped her defeated UW-Oshkosh, 5-4, in WIAC tennis action Saturday, Oct. 18 at Johnson Fieldhouse. For the second time in the day, Raymond juggled her doubles teams, putting Carrie Kish (Sr, Anoka, Minn) with Amy Jamieson (Sr, Dayton, Minn) at No. 1 doubles and Jessica Pfeiffer (Sr, Woodbury, Minn) with Lauren Mader (So, Neenah) at No. 2 doubles. Jamieson and Kish, who had played doubles together in high school and at Stout in their freshman and sophomore years, responded by downing Karen Piering and Lisa Schluesche, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0. Mader and Pfeiffer downed Jancee Zeitler and Brittany Moser, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2. The wins set the tone for the singles matches where Jamieson, Mader and Pfeiffer picked up wins. With the match, Stout (7-5, 4-2) completes the dual portion of their schedule and will be off until Oct. 31-Nov. 1 when they compete in the WIAC Championships in Madison. UW-Stout 5, UW-Oshkosh 4 Singles: No. 1: Amy Jamieson (S) def. Karen Piering, 6-3, 6-4; No. 2: Lauren Mader (S) def. Jancee Zeitler, 6-2, 6-4; No. 3: Lisa Schluesche (Osh) def. Carrie Kish, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2; No. 4: Brittany Moser (Osh) def. Ann Jackson, 6-0, 6-0; No. 5: Jenny Pekulik (Osh) def. Shannon Seppela, 6-1, 6-2; No. 6: Jessica Pfeiffer (S) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. UW-Stout 5, UW-Stevens Point 4 Singles: No. 1: Amy Jamieson (S) def. Laura Petzold, 6-0, 6-3; No. 2: Lauren Mader (S) def. Brenda Gottsacker, 6-4, 6-3; No. 3: Amy Oswold (SP) def. Carrie Kish, 7-5, 6-4; No. 4: Anne Reeker (SP) def. Jessica Pfeiffer, 6-3, 6-2; No. 5: Aimee Strobig (SP) def. Ann Jackson by default; No. 6: Shannon Seppela (S) def. Lynn Schoeni, 6-1, 6-1; Exh: Jenny Derse (SP) def. Cecily Marx, 6-3, 6-1. October 17, 1997BLUE DEVIL TENNIS TEAM LOSES CLOSE CONFERENCE MATCHMENOMONIE- The match-up between the UW-Stout and UW-La Crosse tennis teams came down to the final match, a match that went to three sets, with one tie breaker. Set and match, La Crosse, as the Eagles downed the Blue Devils, 5-4, Friday, Oct. 17 at Johnson Fieldhouse. Jessica Pfeiffer (Sr, Woodbury, Minn) rebounded from a 7-6 first set loss at No. 5 singles with a 6-2 second set win. But opponent Machelle Wahrer took the final set, 6-1, to give the Eagles the conference win. The Blue Devils Amy Jamieson (Sr, Dayton, Minn), Lauren Mader (So, Neenah) and Carrie Kish (Sr, Anoka, Minn) got the top three singles wins, while Jamieson and Mader teamed up at No. 1 doubles for Stout's only doubles win. UW-La Crosse 5, UW-Stout 4Singles: No. 1: Amy Jamieson (S) def. Tania Fischer, 6-1, 6-3; No. 2: Lauren Mader (S) def. Sarah Stepnes, 6-4, 7-6 (4); No. 3: Carrie Kish (S) def. Sarah Mashack, 6-1, 6-3; No. 4: Lauren Campbell (LX) def. Ann Jackson, 6-3, 6-4; No. 5: Machelle Wahrer (LX) def. Jessica Pfeiffer, 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-1; No. 6: Tara Bell (LX) def. Shannon Seppela, 6-3, 6-3; Doubles: No. 1: Jamieson/Mader (S) def. Fisher/Stepnes, 6-4, 6-4; No. 2: Wahrer/Bell (LX) def. Kish/Jackson, 6-2, 6-4; No. 3: Krysten Leary/Becky Longdorf (LX) def. Pfeiffer/Seppela, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. October 14, 1997BLUE DEVIL TENNIS TEAM GETS PAST RIVER FALLSRIVER FALLS- It was a bit more of a struggle than in the past, but the UW-Stout tennis team was never severely threatened as they downed UW-River Falls, 7-2, Tuesday, Oct. 14 at River Falls in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) contest. Stout (5-3, 2-1) has controlled the Falcons over the last several years, usually recording 9-0 sweeps, but a default at No. 4 singles and a loss at No. 6 singles eliminated that possibility. Carrie Kish (Sr, Anoka, Minn) and Ann Jackson (So, Eau Claire) needed three sets at No. 2 doubles to take Chrissy Kraft and Alicia Bader, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4. UW-Stout 7, UW-River Falls 2 Singles: No. 1: Amy Jamieson (S) def. Chrissy Kraft, 6-2, 6-1; No. 2: Lauren Mader (S) def. Renee Schuetzle, 6-3, 6-3; No. 3: Carrie Kish (S) def. Katie Schaaf, 6-3, 6-3; No. 4: Alicia Bader (RF) def. Ann Jackson by default; No. 5: Jessica Pfeiffer (S) def. Julie Willkom, 6-3, 7-6 (4); No. 6: Stef Angus (RF) def. Shannon Seppela, 6-2, 6-4; Exh: Sarah Kastern (RF) def. Cecily Marx, 6-4, 6-2. October 20, 1997BLUE DEVIL HOCKEY TEAM TO OPEN SEASON FRIDAY, SATURDAYMENOMONIE- Scan the UW-Stout 1997-98 hockey roster. There is not a single senior listed. Go one step further. There are only two returners on the defensive end of the zone. Is Blue Devil coach Terry Watkins worried? No. "We are really young," Watkins, who begins his second year as a varsity coach, but his tenth as the Blue Devil coach, said. "We have no seniors, but we have a lot of veterans returning." "Half the team is new," Watkins said. "We have a lot of returners up front, but from the blue line back, we are new. But we are deep at every position. We are now able to get the same type of guys the other schools have. Where (as a club sport) we had five or six that could play (anywhere in this league), we now have 25 guys that can." Watkins and his coaching staff hit the recruiting trails hard during the offseason to build a team that would improve on their 9-18 finish last season, the Blue Devils' first year back as a varsity program. "Our goal within the first two years was to replace our line-up," Watkins said, noting that it is happening. Watkins believes his team has the quality depth needed to compete in the rugged Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA), where the Blue Devils made a playoff appearance last year. "If we were to compete with the Superiors, the St. Norbert's, the River Falls and the Stevens Points, we had to do it (replace)," Watkins said. Of the 12 returning letterwinners, 10 of them come in the front line. Watkins said his 1997-98 edition will build around returners Mark Corbett (Jr, New Hope, Minn), Graham Lomen (Jr, Apple Valley, Minn), Kelly Selix (Jr, Elk River, Minn), Greg Foster (Jr, Roseau, Minn) and Jason Jones (So, Wayzata, Minn). Corbett and Lomen led the team in scoring last season, and both were honorable mention all-conference picks. Corbett had 17 goals and 14 assists, while Lomen had 15 goals and 14 assists. Along with Kevin Morrissey (Jr, Burnsville, Minn), Lomen and Corbett will be the team captains. Also returning to the front line will be Tom Schaffner (Jr, Janesville), Marcus Soderberg (So, Huddinge, Sweden), Luke Murray (So, Bloomington, Minn), Brandon Stanton (Jr, West St. Paul, Minn) and Morrissey. Watkins is excited about a few of his recruits. Barrett Olson (Jr, International Falls, Minn) led all junior colleges in scoring at Rainy River College in International Falls where he was an All-America pick. Red-shirts Matt Romaniski (Fr, Cottage Grove, Minn) and Kevin Aube (RsFr, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich) also have some firepower. "Those three will add tremendous scoring to our line-up," Watkins said. While the forwards are a known commodity, only R.J. Schriefer (So, Inver Grove Heights, Minn) and Steve Holeczy (So, Lincolnshire, Ill) return to the defense. "We replaced six of eight defensemen," Watkins said. "We were big, but not mobile. Now were are more mobile, but still have decent size." Johan Sandstrom (Lulea, Sweden), Nicklas Grund (Vitra, Sweden), Ryan Burke (Fr, St. Paul, Minn) and Shane Maher (Forest Lake, Minn) will play an integral part in the Blue Devils' defense. The Blue Devils lost goalie Terry Metro to graduation and Kelly Elde transferred. Metro will be back as a coach to work with some promising prospects. Rainy River transfer Todd Sether (Jr, International Falls) and Kevin Hulsey (Fr, New Richmond), who played in Yorktown, Sask., should vie for the starts in the goal. "Yeah, we have a lot of new faces," Watkins said, "but it's not like they are young. This is a pretty mature group of kids who are also pretty good in the classroom." While smaller than last year, the Blue Devils average 6-foot, 193-pounds and average a shade under 21 years of age. Only four players on the roster have not played juniors hockey. "In our league, you must play juniors or you don't play," Watkins said. Now that the Blue Devils have been around the league once, Watkins believes he, his returners and his coaching staff know what to expect. "We are now past that 'Wow, wow, look at that' when we walk into an arena," Watkins said. "One goal this year is to score one more goal and allow one less. If we do that, we will win more. "Another goal is to start where we left off last season," Watkins said. "We won't make that giant step that we made last year. We will have to improve, but the steps won't be quite as big." Watkins tabbed conference champion St. Norbert College, NCAA Division II Bemidji State University, perennial favorite UW-Superior, UW-River Falls and UW-Stevens Point as the teams to beat. "Our goal is to play with the big boys," Watkins said. "Last year we had to play our best to compete with the best. This year, we should be in every game." Watkins will be assisted by Rikard Gronborg, Terry Metro and Colin Kerslake. Stout opens their season Friday, Oct. 24 at UW-Eau Claire at 7 p.m., then come home the following night, Saturday, Oct. 25 for a 7:30 p.m. contest at the Dunn County Ice Arena with the Blugolds. October 20, 1997FIVE TO ENTER UW-STOUT ATHLETIC HALL OF FAMEMENOMONIE- Two vital cogs in the evolution of the UW-Stout women's cross country program, a baseball player who overcame illness to earn his way to the top of the school record books, a rugged rebounder on Stout's last men's basketball conference championship team and a three-time All-America wrestler will be inducted into the UW-Stout Athletic Hall of Fame in ceremonies scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 8, at 9 a.m. in the Memorial Student Center Terrace. Cross country coach Lou Klitzke, cross country and track & field standout Sheila Geere, baseball player Jeff Kloes, basketball player Steve Zmyewski and wrestler Tom Ott are members of the 1997 induction class. Klitzke was the Blue Devil cross country coach and assistant track coach from 1977-87, and began the women's cross country program in the late 1970s. Geere ran for Klitzke from 1983-86 on both the cross country and track teams, earning four All-America track awards. Kloes, a four year starter, put his career on hold to battle Hodgkin's disease, came back to Stout and was twice named district player of the year. The Blue Devil baseball record book is littered with his name. Zymewski was a rugged rebounder on the 1975 men's basketball team that won a conference title. Ott, a three-sport letterwinner, earned three All-America wrestling awards during the mid-1960s, and was the Blue Devils' baseball MVP in 1967. Longtime radio announcer Jake Bostrom will receive the UW-Stout Distinguished Service Athletic Award. Reserved tickets are available for the event for $10 by calling the UW-Stout Athletic Office at 715-232-2224. Following are brief stories of each inductee:Sheila GeereSheila Geere and UW-Stout athletics almost parted ways after her freshman year. What a loss that would have been for both the school's cross country and track & field programs. Geere went on to win two indoor conference track titles in 1986, the 5000-meter run in 17:30 and the 3000-meter run in 10:12. During that same year, she earned four NAIA All-American awards, placing second in the indoor championships two-mile in a time of 10:47 and fourth in the 3000-meter, in a time of 10:04. She placed sixth at the 1986 NAIA outdoor championships in the 5000-meter and eighth in the 3000-meter. "I didn't think I was good enough to run in college," Geere said, so she quit the program. Geere said cross country head coach and track & field distance coach Lou Klitzke, who is also being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, encouraged her to return to the team. "Lou encouraged me and was a big influence in my life," Geere said. "He would write little letters and called. I figured I would let him quit bugging me and go out." The rest, as they say, was history. As a freshman, Geere was voted the cross country team's most spirited. By her junior year, she was named most improved and was a member of the NAIA District 14 team. As a senior, she was named co-captain. As a senior, Geere was the outdoor conference runner-up 5000- and 3000-meters runs, and at one time, held the school records. Geere went on to coach cross country at her high school alma mater, Bloomington (Minn) High School, taking the team twice to the state meet. In 1992, she was named the Region 6AA coach of the year. A hotel and restaurant major at Stout, Geere was known by her teammates for the meals she prepared for the team. Geere's work in the restaurant field took her to Colorado, where she is now self-employed while she pursues a masters degree in special education at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Lou KlitzkeAs the men's cross country coach beginning in 1977, Klitzke began seeing signs of interest in a women's program. Within two years, Klitzke established the women's team and by 1982, his women's team qualified for the NCAA Division III national meet, which he said was one of his biggest thrills in sports. Klitzke also saw the men's program improve during the same time period. "In 1982 and 1983, we had good runners and enough depth to be challenging as a team, both men and women," Klitzke said. Klitzke coached cross country and the distance runners for track from 1977-87, and during that time had 14 All-Americans and one national champion in Jeff Wachter. Klitzke, who taught psychology at Stout from 1960-90, was involved in running in the Menomonie community, establishing road races such as the American Cancer Society Fun Run, the Fourth of July Red Cedar Classic and the Wakanda Wander. Professionally, Klitzke established the Undergraduate Fellows honors organization and developed and revised the Stout psychology program. Klitzke and his wife, Liz, are retired and live in White Bear Lake, Minn. Jeff KloesMore than ten years after he hung up the glove for the UW-Stout baseball team, Jeff Kloes still holds several Stout baseball records including the single season records for at-bats (163), hits (81), doubles (16) and batting average (.496). He also owns the career records for at-bats (515) and hits (204) and is third in career batting average (.396). A four-year starter for the Blue Devils, Kloes, a native of Appleton, Wis., put his career on hold before the start of his junior year to battle Hodgkin's disease, then returned to the Blue Devils. As a catcher, he helped the team to two conference championships, was a three-time all-conference pick, a two-time NAIA District 14 player of the year and Area 4 player of the year as a senior. Kloes, who lives in Eau Claire and is employed as the vice-president of sales of JBI, Inc. in Osseo, has played with the Eau Claire Cavaliers, a semi-pro league, and has been named most valuable player four times. He is still active in baseball, playing part time with an amateur team in Hayward. Thomas OttVersatility defines Thomas Ott, who played football and baseball for the Blue Devils, but excelled at wrestling. Ott was the conference champion at 152-pounds on the 1966 WSUC championship team, and went on to place fourth at the NAIA championships later on in the season. With a 16-4-2 record, Ott was named team's most valuable player. In his illustrious four year career, Ott posted a 59-28-5 career record was a two-time co-captain and three-time All-American, advancing to national action during his freshman, junior and senior years. As a freshman, Ott finished seventh at the NAIA championships, and as a senior, he placed fifth, competing only 25 miles from his hometown of Muncy, Pa. During his Stout career, Ott tallied 10 varsity letters, was chosen baseball most valuable player in 1967 at third base and shortstop, and was a place kicker for the football team. While at Stout, Ott was involved in the Chi-Lambda fraternity and was a four year member of the S-Club, serving as both historian and secretary. Ott graduated from Stout in 1968 as a member of Stout's first business administration class. After graduation, Ott returned to Pennsylvania where he has been very active in coaching youth baseball in Montourville, Pa., and coached the Montourville American Legion Post 104 team to league championships in 1988, 1989 and 1990 and the regional championship in 1990. Wrestling continued to occupy time on Ott's schedule. He has been a wrestling official for 23 years and seven times refereed the state championship finals match. Ott was inducted into the Muncy High School Hall of Fame in 1984. Currently the manager of Baxter Plumbing & Heating in Hughesville, Pa., Ott has worked as a sales manager for Muncy Homes, Inc., was the principal of Faith Tabernacle Christian Academy, and was a sales manager for ConChem Co. Ott and his wife, Sharon, have three adult children, Thomas, Jamie and Melissa. Steve ZmyewskiA rugged rebounder and very capable scorer, Steve Zymewski is currently ranked ninth on Blue Devil career rebounding list (689), 25th on all-time scoring list (860) and was a member of the last UW-Stout men's basketball team to earn a conference title. Zymewski recalls the year fondly, noting it as one of his biggest thrills in sports, especially defeating UW-Eau Claire at home by one point in the final game of the season to earn a share of the title with UW-Platteville. During that 1974-75 championship season, Zymewski was second on the team in scoring with 374 points and pulled down a team-high 280 rebounds. During his tenure at Stout, Zmyewski was named all-conference, team captain and academic all-conference. He placed in the conference top 10 in field goal percentage, free throw percentage and rebounding. Zmyewski, who red-shirted after the championship season, called his five years at Stout "five of the best years of my life." "UW-Stout basketball provided me with excitement to last a lifetime," Zmyewski said. My work ethic was so enhanced, I will be influenced forever. The people I met would remain in my heart for a lifetime. The education I was to receive would open new doors and give my life direction. Zmyewski, originally from the East Coast of the United States, has remained close to the Menomonie area. He first taught industrial arts in LaCrosse, then took a sales position with an insurance company in southeastern Minnesota. During that time, he coached at Houston (Minn) High School, posting a 34-6 record during his only two years and in 1984, led the team to the school's first district championship in 57 years. Bit by the bug to again work with high school age youth, Zmyewski picked up a master's degree in guidance and counseling, working first as a counselor at Waseca (Minn) Middle School, then at Mabel-Canton and Filmore high schools, where he is presently. In 1990, Zymewski was named the Southeast Minnesota Counselor of the Year and the Minnesota Counselor of the Year. Zmyewski is a licensed thoroughbred trainer and owned the 1992 Claiming Horse of the Year at Canterbury Downs in 1992. Zmyewski currently resides in Houston, Minn., with his wife, Jill, a Stout graduate, and two teenage children, Kristina and Justin. With his son, Justin, the two formed a go-kart racing team and won three state championships and finished second at national competition. Updated: October 21, 1997 |