Quick Facts

Name: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, also UW-Eau Claire

(one of 13 institutions in the University of Wisconsin System which is one of the largest public university systems in the country)

Location: Eau Claire, Wisconsin (pop. 61,704 - 2000 census)

(Largest city in west central Wisconsin, 90 miles east of the Twin Cities and 180 miles northwest of the state capital of Madison)

2007-08 Enrollment: 10,500

Nickname: Blugolds (one word, no "e", no hyphen, no capital "G")

School Colors: Navy Blue & Old Gold

Chancellor: Dr. Brian Levin-Stankevich

Athletics Director: Scott Kilgallon (kilgals@uwec.edu)

Senior Women's Administrator: Leslie Huntington (huntinla@uwec.edu)

Business Manager: Robin Baker (bakerrk@uwec.edu)

Sports Information Director: Kevin Meinholz (meinhoka@uwec.edu)

Head Athletic Trainer:Garry Grant

Faculty Athletics Rep: Bernard "Duffy" Duyfhuizen (Men); Jill Prushiek (Women)

Athletics Program Assistant: Nancy Hendricks

Athletics Phone: (715) 836-3062

Athletics/Sports Information FAX: (715) 836-4074

Sports Information E-Mail: sportsinfo@uwec.edu

Ticket Office: (715) 836-3727 or 1-800 949-UWEC (8932)

National Affiliation: NCAA Division III

Conference: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC)

Conference Members: UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout, UW-Superior, UW-Whitewater

UW-Eau Claire Varsity Sports:

Men (9) - Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Ice Hockey, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Wrestling

Women (11) - Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball

Athletic Building: McPhee Physical Education Center/Ade Olson Addition

Basketball Facility: W.L. Zorn Arena (capacity 2,450)

Football Facility: Carson Park (artificial turf, capacity 6,500)

Hockey Facility: Hobbs Ice Center (capacity 1,100)

Track: Indoor (6 lane, 200 meter) - Ade Olson Addition; Outdoor - Simpson Field (9 lane, 400 meter)

Tennis: Indoor - Ade Olson Addition; Outdoor - McPhee Courts

Softball: Gelein Field in Carson Park

Golf: Men - Eau Claire Country Club; Women - Mill Run Golf Course

Swimming, Wrestling, Gymnastics, Volleyball: McPhee Phy Ed Center

Soccer: Bollinger Fields

Cross Country: Whitetail Golf Course, Colfax

2007-08 Coaches

Men:

Basketball - Terry Gibbons (13th year)

Cross Country - Dan Schwamberger (1st year)

Football - Todd Glaser (2nd year )

Golf - Jim Maguire (3rd year)

Hockey - Matt Loen (1st Year)

Swimming & Diving - Jerry Kollross (2nd year)

Tennis - Tom Gillman (7th year)

Track & Field - Chip Schneider (6th year)

Wrestling - Don Parker (31st year)

Women:

Basketball - Tonja Englund (8th year)

Cross Country - Dan Schwamberger (1st year)

Golf - John Means (3rd year)

Gymnastics - Jean DeLisle (5th year)

Hockey - Mike Collins (8th year)

Soccer - Sean Yengo (11th year)

Softball - Leslie Huntington (7th year)

Swimming & Diving - Jerry Kollross (2nd year)

Tennis - Craig Monson (4th year)

Track & Field - Chip Schneider (2nd year)

Volleyball - Kim Wudi (1st year)

Major UWEC Accomplishments in Athletics

Historically

First place in the women's conference All Sports competition seven times in the last 14 years

Six national team titles and 63 national champions in school history

27 Academic All-American awards

Conference champion in men's swimming 25 of past 36 years

Conference champion in women's swimming 19 of past 28 years

Conference champion in women's tennis 10 of the last 14 seasons

Conference champion in softball or tournament champion seven of the last 11 seasons

Conference champion in women's golf five of the last nine seasons

Conference champion in women's soccer two consecutive seasons

National Team Championships

NCAA Men's Golf - 2001

NAIA Women's Swimming - 1983, 1987, 1988

NAIA Women's Cross Country - 1984

NAIA Men's Ice Hockey - 1984

NAIA Women's National All Sports Championship - 1983

Conference Championships

Men's All Sports - 1979, 1987, 1990, 1993

Women's All Sports - 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2007

Women's Cross Country - 1984, 1985

Men's Cross Country - 1980

Football - 1922, 1948, 1956, 1963, 1964, 1981, 1983, 1998, 2001

Volleyball - 1987, 2006

Women's Basketball - 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003

Men's Basketball - 1938, 1939, 1955, 1956, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1991

Women's Swimming - 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999

Men's Swimming - 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999

Baseball - 1957, 1959 (discontinued as UWEC sport in 1995)

Softball - 1991, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006

Women's Tennis - 1980, 1986, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002

Men's Tennis - 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995 (discontinued as conference championship sport in 1996)

Men's Golf - 1976, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1990, 1992 (discontinued as conference championship sport in 1993)

Women's Golf - 1998, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006

Women's Soccer - 2005, 2006

Here are just a few highlights and accomplishments from 2006-07:

Community Service

• Blugolds received Honorable Mention in the Jostens Community Service competition in the array of projects category for 2005-06.  The Blugolds won first place in the same competition in 2003 for the 2001-02 year.
• The football team participated in the Special Olympics Polar Plunge.
• The softball team put on a clinic for 117 area youth on a Sunday in September.
• Many Blugold athletes helped with Special Olympics events in the Chippewa Valley such as the annual track meet, swim competition and bowling competition.
• UWEC athletes staged six Kids Night Out events during the year, hosting between 150 and 250 youths for an evening of physical activity in the McPhee Phy Ed Center.
• The women's tennis team participated in Big Brothers Big Sisters Winter Blast party serving over 80 at risk youth in activities like basketball, dodgeball, holiday card making, Christmas cookie decorating and board games. 

Academic Honors

• The 553 participants in the program achieved a program record 3.09 GPA for the academic year.  This is the sixth year in a row that the department has topped the 3.00 mark.
• 154 student-athletes received degrees during the August, 2006; December, 2006 and May, 2007 graduation ceremonies.  That brings to 839 the number of student-athletes that have graduated since December, 2001.
• 304 Blugold student-athletes were named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll for earning a 3.00 or better with at least 24 credits earned for the academic year.  That represents 55 percent of the program’s participants.
• The volleyball team was one of 53 DIII institutions to receive the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award with a 3.31 team GPA
• The soccer team was recognized by the NSCAA for having a 3.31 team GPA as well.
• The NGCA recognized Kate Borman as an All-American Scholar.
• The Wrestling Coaches Association recognized Lance Valiquette by naming him to the All-American Scholar Team.
• The NCGA named Ashley Brett and Andi Rude as NCGA All-Americans in Academics.
• The WIAC named four Blugolds as their respective sport Scholar-Athletes:  Emily Meisinger (soccer), Nick Peterson (men’s swimming), Steph Barnes (women’s indoor track), Liz Faller (women’s outdoor track).
• Two Blugolds were named ESPN The Magazine College Division Academic All-Americans:  Liz Faller (track – 2nd team), Shanna Berger (volleyball – 2nd team).
• Nine Blugolds were named ESPN The Magazine College Division Academic All-District:  Matt Evensen (football – 1st team), Emily Meisinger (soccer – 2nd team), Jessica Millard (soccer – 3rd team), Abby Ofstedahl (soccer – 3rd team), Anna Talbot (soccer – 3rd team), Shanna Berger (volleyball – 1st team), Ashley Danielson (volleyball – 3rd team), Liz Faller (track – 1st team), Steph Barnes (track – 2nd team).

Team Accomplishments

• The Blugold athletics program finished18th (out of 420 institutions) in the NACDA U.S. Sports Academy Directors’ Cup All-Sports competition scoring 525 points by advancing to nationals in 12 sports.
• The Blugold women’s program won the WIAC All-Sports championship.
• The softball team finished THIRD in NCAA Division III national tournament after going unbeaten to win the seven-team regional tournament.
• The women’s track team finished THIRD in the NCAA Division III indoor national championships.
• Women’s golf finished SEVENTH (out of 22 teams) in the NCAA Division III national championship.
• Men’s golf finished NINTH (out of 32 teams) in the NCAA Division III national championship.
• Women’s Cross Country finished 12th in the NCAA Division III National championship.
• The women’s soccer and women’s volleyball teams advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA Division III national championships.
• Women’s soccer won its second consecutive WIAC regular season and tournament championship.
• Women’s volleyball shared the WIAC regular season championship.
• Women’s golf won its third consecutive WIAC championship and fifth in the 11-year history of the WIAC.  The Blugolds have never finished lower than second.
• Women’s softball won the WIAC regular season or tournament championship for a fourth consecutive year and earned its second consecutive NCAA tournament berth
• 16 of 20 Blugold teams posted winning overall season records:  Volleyball (30-4), Soccer (23-3), Men’s Cross Country (101-61), Women’s Cross Country (137-28), Women’s Basketball (19-9), Women’s Hockey (13-10-2), Men’s Swimming & Diving (14-8), Women’s Swimming & Diving (15-7), Wrestling (26-20), Softball (38-14), Men’s Golf (135-25-4), Women’s Golf (106-15-2), Men’s Track (70-11-1), Women’s Track (110-9), Men’s Tennis (13-8), Women’s Tennis (25-9)

Individual Athlete Accomplishments

• Maria Iaizzo was named WIAC Athlete of the Year in soccer
• Individual WIAC champs were Kristie Carlson & Brenna McCormick (tennis doubles), Gina Dahl & Liz Deprey (tennis doubles), Brenna McCormick (tennis singles), Steph Barnes (outdoor track-pole vault), Liz Faller (indoor track-55m hurdles), Chelsea Becker (indoor track-pole vault & triple jump), indoor track 4x400m relay (Liz Faller, Laura Broner, Shalene Huth, Liz Kooistra), Bryan Dykstra (swimming-one meter diving), Wes Fischer (indoor track-800), outdoor track 4x200m relay (Nick Kropp, Nick Aliota, Adam Sturgis, Bryan Tschudy).
• WIAC All-Conference first team picks were Christina Locke (cross country), Molly Warner (cross country), Matt Evensen (football), Torie Ives (golf), Meghan Sobotta (golf), Emily Meisinger (soccer), Becky Westbrock (soccer), Allison Smith (soccer), Amy Smith (soccer), Liz Kooistra (soccer), Maria Iaizzo (soccer), Allie Rivard (soccer), Carly Freiborg (volleyball), Jess Groh (volleyball), Jodi Dunbar (volleyball), Shanna Berger (volleyball defensive team), Heidi Arciszewski (basketball), Michelle Burns (basketball & defensive team), Theresa Lynch (gymanstics beam), Anna Sutherland (gymnastics vault), Sean Garrity (NCHA hockey), Greg Petersen (NCHA hockey), Allie Campbell (NCHA hockey), Laura Suppes (NCHA hockey), Jill Janke (softball), Casey Leisgang (softball), Bri Sturm (softball).
• Earning All-Region first team honors were Jess Groh (volleyball), Carly Freiborg (volleyball), Shanna Berger (volleyball), Becky Westbrock (soccer), Allie Rivard (soccer), Maria Iaizzo (soccer), Molly Warner (cross country), Beth Lutz (cross country), Cassie Haak (cross country), Christina Locke (cross country), Torie Ives (golf), Meghan Sobotta (golf), Jesse Thompson (golf), Mike Greer (golf), Jill Janke (softball), Casey Leisgang (softball).
• Earning 1st, 2nd or 3rd team All-American honors were Carly Freiborg (volleyball 2nd team), Jess Groh (volleyball 3rd team), Becky Westbrock (soccer D3Kicks 2nd team, NSCAA 3rd team), Liz Kooistra (indoor track), Jessica Owens (indoor track), Chelsea Becker (indoor track), Liz Faller (indoor track), Steph Barnes (indoor track, outdoor track), indoor track 4x400m relay team (Liz Faller, Laura Broner, Shalene Huth, Liz Kooistra), Theresa Lynch (gymnastics 2nd team), Meghan Sobotta (golf 2nd team), Rob Norris (golf 3rd team), Ryan Brohmer (outdoor track)

Individual Coach Accomplishments

• Sean Yengo was named WIAC and NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year
• Craig Monson was named WIAC Coach of the Year
• Lisa Herb was named WIAC Coach of the Year
• The softball coaching staff of Leslie Huntington, Robin Baker, Billie Buss, Nicole Pederson and Rachel Lemon was named the NFCA Great Lakes Region Coaching Staff of the Year.