The sports of basketball, football, track and wrestling will be represented when UW-Eau Claire inducts eight individuals into its Blugold Hall of Fame September 30.
The 2006 class, which will be recognized at halftime of the UW-Whitewater football game and enshrined in ceremonies after the game, includes basketball coach Lisa Stone, basketball-track athlete Arlene Meinholz Beardsley, basketball player Tim Blair and his brother Mike Blair, a basketball-football athlete; track and football athlete Eric Burrell, wrestler Tony Algiers, football player Jerry Gendron and football player Roger Vann who will be inducted posthumously.
This will be the 30th class of men's inductees and the 17th class of women's inductees and brings to 149 the number of athletes, coaches and administrators who have been honored.
The Blugold Hall of Fame was established in 1973 to pay tribute, to give deserved recognition and to enhance school tradition by honoring former athletic letterwinners or coaches who showed distinctive, unique or exceptional ability while on the campus at Eau Claire and have distinguished themselves in their profession or personally since leaving the institution.
For women athletes, there must be a lapse of 10 years before they can be considered and for men 15 years.
The inductions will take place September 30 at a banquet at The Plaza Hotel (1202 W. Clairemont Ave.) following the football game. The banquet will begin with a social hour at 5:30 p.m., followed by a dinner at 6:30 p.m. and a program at 7:30 p.m. Local television sports directors Bob Bradovich (WQOW TV 18) and Bob Gallaher (WEAU TV 13) will serve as presenters for the Hall of Fame with Director of Athletics Scott Kilgallon handling the official induction of the class. The banquet will also include recognition of the Blugold Super Six Salute Award winners. Sports Information Director Tim Petermann will present those six athletes.
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LISA STONE
Currently the head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Stone had a brilliant 12-year tenure as the Blugold women's basketball coach during which she produced a 277-59 record (.824 winning percentage) and took 11 teams to the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Only one of her Blugold teams did not win at least 21 games and in her final campaign (1999-00), the team finished with a 28-1 record, losing its final game of the season to eventual national champion Washington University of St. Louis. Her 1996-97 team finished runner-up in the NCAA Division III tournament, losing the championship game to New York University by two points on a last-second shot. For her efforts in leading the 1997 team, Stone was named both the WIAC coach of the year and the Division III national coach of the year.
In Stone's 12 years at Eau Claire, the Blugolds won three outright WWIAC/WIAC championships and shared three other conference titles. Only once did the team finish lower than second in the league standings. Stone was selected the conference Coach of the Year five times.
Five times, the Blugolds were eliminated from NCAA play by the eventual national champion. In addition to 1997, the Blugolds also reached the Final Four of the 1994 tournament which they hosted in Zorn Arena on campus. That year, they claimed third place after losing their championship semifinal game in overtime.
Stone came to Eau Claire after a three-year stint at Cornell College in Iowa. That followed an outstanding collegiate career in which she played for one of the country's outstanding coaches in C. Vivian Stringer at the University of Iowa. There she (known then as Lisa Anderson) was named the Big Ten's Medal of Honor winner in 1984 as the conference's top student-athlete. She was a Hawkeye captain and twice the team MVP. When she graduated, she was the No. 2 all-time leading scorer, the No. 6 career rebounder, the school record holder in assists and the school single game, season and career leader in steals.
Stone left UW-Eau Claire in the spring of 2000 to take the head coaching job at Divison I Drake University and led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2002. In her first season at Drake, she became the first first-year coach ever named Missouri Valley Coach of the Year. She is now in her fourth year as the head coach of the Badger women's program.
Stone and her husband Ed, a certified public accountant, have two children: Allison, age 14, and Tyler, age 11.
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ROGER VANN
Roger Vann is one of only two Blugold football players to have their number retired, the other being Hall of Famer Jim Van Gorden. That came as a result of his stellar 1981 season in which No. 36 ran for 1,575 yards to lead the NAIA in rushing and scored 17 touchdowns. He was MVP of the Wisconsin State University Conference that year and also an NAIA First Team All-American as the Blugolds rolled to a 9-1 record and an 8-0 conference mark. The Blugolds missed the eight-team NAIA playoffs that season when they were ranked No. 9 in the final poll.
Vann was the fourth leading rusher in all of college football in 1981, placing behind Southern Cal's Marcus Allen, Georgia's Herschel Walker and Richmond's Barry Redden. He was the NAIA national player of the week with a school-record 239 yards and five TDs against the University of Evansville.
A strong and durable runner, Vann still holds the school record for carries in a season, toting the ball 343 times in 1981 while losing just two fumbles. The previous year, he had gained 1,168 yards on 203 carries. During those two seasons, he topped the 200-yard mark four times and those efforts still rank among the top 10 single game totals in school history. He went over 100 yards in 16 of 20 games. His 3,076 career yards still rank fourth in school history and his single season total of 1,575 stood for 19 seasons until being eclipsed by Darrell Souhrada in 2000 when Souhrada gained 1,588 yards.
After being named a Kodak All-American and AP College Division Second Team All-American in 1981, Vann signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys and was one of the last players cut during their preseason camp in 1982. At that time, the Cowboys' running backs included Tony Doresett, James Jones, Ron Springs, Robert Newhouse and Timmy Newsome. Vann graduated that year from UWEC with a major in commercial art and advertising.
Vann was teaching in Australia and doing commercial art for the government at the time of his death in December, 2003. He had moved to Australia in 1996 after spending time in the Twin Cities where he was involved in sales with West Publishing Company and as an insurance adjuster with State Farm Insurance.
A talented individual, Vann held a black belt in the martial arts, played an instrument in a blues band, was a professional model and acted in some films.
Vann is survived by his wife Joanne Chiver and children Mikeala and Justice. He also is survived by three children from a previous marriage: Caleea, Andrew and Allannah.
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JERRY GENDRON
Gendron, known as "Jugger", ranks among UWEC's all-time pass receiving leaders. During a career that stretched from 1962 through 1965 and included the conference championship years of 1963 and 1964, Gendron caught 109 passes for 1,565 yards and 12 touchdowns. All of those totals still rank among the top nine in each category. His premier season was 1964 when he hauled in 44 passes for 655 yards. He and Jim Van Gorden set a school record when they collaborated on an 82-yard pass against Stevens Point that year. That record stood for 11 years.
Gendron was All-Conference in 1963, 1964 and 1965, NAIA All-State twice and the team MVP his senior year. After his eligibility had expired, Gendron received tryouts with the the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints and was a member of the Saints' farm team for three years.
A native of Appleton, Gendron graduated with a degree in psychology and sociology and then obtained his master's from Virginia Commonwealth and was a doctoral candidate at William and Mary although he did not complete that degree. After working from 1968 to 1978 as a special educator in the Virginia schools, he created his own management company known as Gendron Management, Inc. As such, he has been the Tour Accountant with Luis Miguel, Lenny Kravitz, Beastie Boys, Madonna, Shania Twain, Billy Joel/Elton John, Jimmy Buffett and Faith Hill/Tim McGraw among others. He will be flying in to Eau Claire from Philadelphia where he is on tour with Barbra Streisand.
He has earned a reputation for "training" members of various bands and crews when on tour. He has been written up in Redbook Magazine and other publications for providing that service for Amy Grant, Rick Springfield and other artists.
Gendron has three grown children: Laura Elizabeth, Gerald Paul and Jessica Louise. He and his wife Laura Marie live in the Missouri country outside of Kansas City.
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TONY ALGIERS
Algiers was a two-time conference champion and two-time NAIA All-American for veteran Blugold coach Don Parker. He is one of only five Blugold wrestlers who have won more than one conference title, taking the 134-pound championship in both 1981 and 1982. He finished eighth in the '81 NAIA Nationals and fourth the following year. He produced a 29-5 record his junior year but an injury curtailed part of his senior season when he finished 16-9 and placed second in the conference. He finished with a 74-36 career record as a Blugold.
Following his graduation as a biology major in 1985, the Hartford native earned a Pulp and Paper degree from the University of Minnesota in 1985 and his MBA from the University of West Florida in 1989. He also has an EMT Certification from Pensacola Junior College.
Algiers has been a Sales Representative for Buckman Laboratories, Inc. (paper chemicals) in Appleton since 2004. Prior to that he spent 19 years with International Paper (former Champion International Corporation) in Pensacola in various positions within the paper mill ranging from process engineer to lab and paper machine supervisor.
He and his wife Karen (Moore), also a UWEC alum and a registered nurse, have two children: Jackson, 9, and Annabelle, 6.
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MICHAEL BLAIR
Mike had an outstanding four-year basketball career as a Blugold from 1983-87, then played one stellar season of football after his basketball eligibility was complete in the fall of 1987.
Mike played in 109 career basketball games as a Blugold but enjoyed his best season as a senior when he started all 30 games and shared team MVP honors with Chuckie Graves. That year, the Blugolds won the Wisconsin State University Conference championship and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City, finishing with a 26-4 record.
The 1986-87 season was the first for the three-point field goal and Mike once hit five straight treys in a game, a percentage record that still stands. He averaged 12.3 points a game from his guard position and also averaged 3.8 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game. During his four seasons with the Blugolds, the team compiled a 99-21 overall record.
A three-year team captain, Mike was All-Conference, NAIA All-District 14 and NAIA All-American Honorable Mention his senior year.
As a football player, he led the '87 Blugolds in pass receiving with 42 catches for 778 yards and seven touchdowns. The yardage is still the seventh best in school history and the TD total is the sixth best. In a game against La Crosse, he had 184 receiving yards, also the sixth best in school history.
Mike earned a degree in Communication Arts from UWEC in 1988 and his education degree in Speech and English in 1991. He received his master's in Athletic Administration in 2004 and is currently the Dean of Athletics at Eau Claire Memorial High School following a seven-year term as the Athletic Director at Chippewa Falls High School.
Mike's career also included a year as the Blugold assistant men's coach (1989-90), a year as the Blugold assistant women's coach (1990-91) with Lisa Stone, a year as head boys' golf coach at Wausau East High School (1992-93), four years as the head basketball coach at Durand High School (1993-97) and two years as a teacher at Chi-Hi (1997-99) when he also was an assistant boys' basketball coach and head boys' golf coach.
A Certified Athletic Administrator, Blair is a member of the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association Scholarship Committee. He initiated "Project Redbird" which was a community service program for athletics at Chi-Hi and is continuing that program at Memorial as "Project Eagle."
Mike and his wife Cari have three children: Madison, 9; Drew, 6; and Nolan, 5.
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TIM BLAIR
Tim was the glue that held the UW-Eau Claire men's basketball team together in 1989 and 1990 when the Blugolds advanced to the Final Four of the 32-team NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City.
He was named the national tournament's Charles Stevenson Hustle Award winner and was an All-Tournament pick in 1990 when the Blugolds lost to Birmingham-Southern, 88-80, in the NAIA championship game on national TV. He was selected to the NAIA All-American third team as a senior.
Tim did not join the Blugolds until the 10th game of the 1987-88 season after transferring from UW-Stevens Point. During the 89 games he played at Eau Claire in a little more than 2 ˝ seasons, he scored 1,015 points (11.4 avg), dished off for 452 assists (5.0 avg) and grabbed 267 rebounds (3.0) from his guard position and the Blugolds compiled a 75-14 overall record. He set single season assist records in 1989 (173) and 1990 (190), the latter of which still stands today. He still is the Blugolds' career record holder for three-point field goal percentage at .476. He also shares the school records for single game field goal and free throw percentage, once hitting all six of his field goal tries and another time all 10 of his free throw attempts.
Tim was a two-time team MVP, two-time All-Conference and two-time NAIA All-District 14 selection. His head coach Ken Anderson once said of him, "He always did what he had to for the Blugolds to be successful. Tim is the type of player that brings out the best in his teammates. He was one of the most unselfish players ever to don a blue and gold uniform." The Blugolds were 17-3 in post-season games with Blair directing the team.
Tim was a Super Six award winner after his junior year and following his senior season was invited to the Milwaukee Bucks' rookie camp.
Tim is a Mayville native who graduated in December, 1990 with a comprehensive Business Finance major. He has been employed in various financial capacities in Florida since 1992. In 2000, he passed his CPA examination and has been an accountant with Raymond James Financial in St. Petersburg since 2002. This is his second stint with the company, having also worked there in 1992-94.
Tim is planning to be married in November. His fiancé, Jeana Rago, is a stay at home mom with three boys.
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ERIC BURRELL
Burrell rates as perhaps the greatest track athlete ever to wear a Blugold uniform. He won the NCAA Division III outdoor 400-meter championship in 1990, the same year he anchored the 400-meter relay to a national championship. He was a nine-time NAIA and NCAA All-American, five times in individual events and four times in relays. He was a seven-time Wisconsin State University Conference individual track champion and eight-time WSUC relay winner. His name still appears with eight school indoor and outdoor records.
Burrell's effort in the 1990 NCAA nationals helped the Blugolds achieve their highest team finish ever, a fourth place. In addition to his gold medals that year, he also anchored the Blugold 1600-meter relay team to a second-place finish.
Burrell's individual national finishes included fifth twice in the indoor 55-meter dash, a fifth in the indoor 60-yard dash and a sixth in the outdoor 100-meter dash. His national relay finishes included one first, two seconds and a third. His teammates on the All-American relay squads included Andy Eslinger, Tony Sarnowski, Ty Prosa, Dan Kelner and Pete Balistrieri.
Burrell was a two-time conference indoor champ in both the 55-mter dash and the 300-meter dash. Outdoors, he won the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes. He anchored the 1600-meter relay team to five conference golds, the 800-meter relay to two firsts and the 400-meter relay to one victory.
He still holds the school indoor records at 55 and 300 meters and the outdoor 400-meter dash. His name is linked to the indoor 800-meter and 1600-meter records and the outdoor 400, 800 and 1600-meter relays. He was the conference record holder in the 300-meter dash when that event was discontinued.
Burrell transferred to UWEC after winning the 100 and 200-meter dash and setting school records in those events at Minnesota-Morris as a freshman in 1986-87.
Burrell also anchored the Blugold 800-meter relay to a first place at the Drake Relays in 1990. In that same meet, he also helped the Blugolds to a third in the 1600-meter relay and a fourth in the 400-meter relay, allowing the Blugolds to become one of the few College Division schools ever to place in all three events at the prestigious Drake Relays.
He lettered in football during the 1987 and 1988 seasons as a wide receiver before hanging up the pads to concentrate on his sprinting.
Burrell received his UWEC degree in Marketing. He worked at the Eau Claire Academy as a residential assistant and core staff from 1990-98. He has been employed with UPS in Eau Claire as a loader and driver since 1990. He received an Employee of the Month award at the EC Academy and has received a 6-year safe driving award from UPS.
He and his wife Lisa, who is a seminar planner for Lorman Education Services in Eau Claire, have three children: Jordan, 13; Maya, 4; and Candace, 2.
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ARLENE MEINHOLZ BEARDSLEY
Arlene Meinholz Beardsley was a national champion high jumper for the Blugolds and a Kodak All-American basketball player.
Beardsley was an impact player for head coach Lisa Stone already her freshman season, averaging 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game despite not starting any games. The 6-foot center started the final 84 games of her 112-game career and scored what is still a school record 1,834 points while pulling 758 rebounds. She shot 56.9 percent from the field and 72.7 percent from the free throw line. She went to the charity stripe a school-record 492 times and made a school record 358 points there. She still ranks fifth in career rebounds and is 173 points ahead of anyone else in scoring. She set the school record for blocked shots in a season with 73 as a junior and holds the school career mark of 213. Twice, Beardsley scored 35 points in a game, which at the time was a school record, but has since been broken by a single point. She once hit all 13 of her field goal tries in a game which rates as the school record for percentage.
Beardsley was a Kodak All-American first team selection as a senior and a three-time All-Conference player. As a senior, she was named both the conference Player of the Year and the league's Scholar-Athlete winner.
During her career, the Blugolds compiled a 92-20 record. She played in 14 NCAA post-season games as the Blugolds reached the Final Four in 1994 and the Elite Eight in 1995. She played on three conference championship teams and one runner-up squad.
Beardsley won the NCAA outdoor high jump championship in 1995 and the NCAA indoor high jump title in 1996. She placed three other times in that event to become a five-time All-American in track. She was a four-time conference high jump champ. She still holds the school indoor (5-7.25) and outdoor (5-8) high jump records as well as the Ade Olson fieldhouse record and the Simpson Field record. She is still the school record holder in the pentathlon (3,295 points).
She was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, earning third team honors in basketball in '94-95 and second team at large honors for track in '95-96. She was the state of Wisconsin's NCAA Woman of the Year in 1995.
After graduating in 1996 with a degree in Math Education, Beardsley taught at Johnson Creek High School for one year (1996-97) and at Wautoma High School for three years (1997-2000). She was the head girls' basketball coach at both schools and an assistant track coach at Wautoma. Since 2000, she has been a math teacher, freshman basketball coach and assistant track coach at DeForest High School, her alma mater. She has been a member of the coaching staffs for three conference championship track teams at DeForest as well as five conference championship basketball teams and three state qualifying basketball teams.
Her husband Brian is currently taking classes at the UW-Madison and volunteering at the university's orthopedic clinic. He is looking to get into the UW Physician's Assistant program. He also coaches the parent-run swim club at DeForest.
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