2004 WIAC Football Headlines

UW-Oshkosh Assistant Football Coach Dies In Car Accident

RELEASED: Saturday, March 5, 2005

Oshkosh, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh assistant football coach Joe Mostofi died Saturday (March 5) morning from injuries he received in a three-car and semitrailer accident in the southbound lanes on U.S. Highway 41, 10 miles north of Oshkosh.

Mostofi, 27, was traveling from Appleton to Brookfield East High School for the 14th Annual Wisconsin All- American Youth Football League Coaches Clinic. The Titans’ defensive line and strength and conditioning coach was scheduled to be one of four clinicians at the event.

“We are deeply saddened and stunned by the tragedy involving Joe,” said UW-Oshkosh Director of Athletics Allen Ackerman. “We’ve lost a member of our athletics staff, and it really hurts. Joe was a gifted leader and a mentor to young people. Our hearts go out to the Mostofi family, and we all grieve with them.”

Mostofi was in his second season as a member of the football coaching staff at UW-Oshkosh. The 1996 Appleton North High School graduate also was a one-on-one counselor in UW-Oshkosh's Health Directions Program, which educates and mentors students cited for underage drinking.

Previously, Mostofi was an assistant football coach at Oshkosh North High School and was a physical education teacher during the 2002-03 school year at Oshkosh's Webster Stanley Elementary School.

Mostofi graduated from UW-Oshkosh in 2002 and participated in both football and track and field for the Titans. He earned four varsity letters in track and field (1997, 1999, 2000 and 2001) and one in football (1998).

In 2000, Mostofi earned All-WIAC second team honors after placing second in the shot put at the league’s outdoor track and field championship. Mostofi was a member of UW-Oshkosh track and field teams that captured WIAC indoor titles in 1999 and 2001.

Visitation for Mostofi will be held from 3 -7 p.m. on Tuesday (March 8) and from 10 until 11 a.m. on Wednesday (March 9) at Valley Funeral Home, 2211 N. Richmond Street, Appleton. Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. on Wednesday at Valley Funeral Home.

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Conference Ranked Fourth In Football Attendance In 2004

RELEASED: Thursday, February 10, 2005

Madison, Wis.--The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference ranked fourth in the NCAA Division III in football attendance during the 2004 season.

The conference had 92,323 spectators attend 35 games during the 2004 campaign for an average of 2,638 spectators per contest. The Old Dominion Athletic Conference led Division III with an average of 2,883, followed by the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (2,876) and Ohio Athletic Conference (2,829).

UW-Whitewater ranked fourth nationally among institutions, averaging 4,647 spectators per game, while UW-Stout placed 13th with 3,808. St. John's (Minn.) led the NCAA Division III with 7,819.

The figures for the 2004 attendance compilation were submitted by both the sports information departments and ticket offices and are not considered official audited attendance. For the second year in a row, postseason attendance was included in home attendance as long as the games were played on the school's home field.

# # # # # UW-Stevens Point's Miech Selected to Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame

RELEASED: Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Stevens Point, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point football coach John Miech has been named among the 2005 inductees for the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

The all-time winningest coach in school history, Miech is the only collegiate coach among this year’s class of 17 current and former coaches. He is the first UW-Stevens Point coach to be selected for the Hall of Fame, which began in 1980.

Miech will be inducted at a ceremony on April 2 at the Marriott West in Middleton. The dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. and tickets are available for $30 per person through the UW-Stevens Point athletics office at 715-346-3888.

Miech ranks fifth on the all-time Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victories list with a 113-56-2 record in 17 seasons as the Pointers’ head coach. Miech has coached at UW-Stevens Point for the past 23 years and has led the Pointers to three WIAC championships in the last seven seasons. He was the WIAC Coach of the Year after leading UW-Stevens Point to conference titles in 1998 and 2001.

A 1975 graduate of UW-Stevens Point, Miech spent three years as an assistant coach with the Pointers before working as a graduate assistant at Stephen F. Austin University for one season. Miech returned to Wisconsin for six seasons as a head high school coach, serving three years each at Whitnall and Jefferson High Schools before returning to UW-Stevens Point in 1985 as an assistant coach. He became the Pointers’ head coach in 1988 and has more than twice as many victories as any other coach in school history.

Among the other inductees is UW-Stevens Point graduate Ken Golomski, who was a college teammate of Miech. Also being inducted are Jim Bylsma, Tom Crowe, Eugene Golden, Peter Guzzetta, Andy Lind, Stephen Mayheu, Robert Murphy, Donald Nelson, Robert Newhouse, Duane Rogatzki, Richard Sheahan, Gene Staffen, Steven Stellmacher, Gene Strusz and Bill Turnquist.

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UW-Whitewater's Bell Picked For Hula Bowl Squad

RELEASED: Friday, January 14, 2005

Whitewater, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater defensive back Trey Bell has received an invitation to play in the Hula Bowl in Hawaii. Bell will be a member of the East team, coached by Mark Richt of the University of Georgia. Bell is the first UW-Whitewater to ever play in a major postseason all-star game. There are just three Division III players on the 2005 East squad. Bell will leave January 17 to practice with the East squad in Hawaii, with the game set for Saturday, January 22 at 6:00 p.m. Central. The game will be televised by ESPN2.

Bell will be one of eight defensive backs, but just three cornerbacks on the East team.

Bell, a native of Racine, Wis. (Case H.S.), has been accumulating honors for his play in 2004. He was named American Football Coaches Association All-America First Team, D3football.com All-America Third Team, Football Gazette All-West Region Second Team, All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First Team and was selected to play in the Aztec Bowl, a NCAA Division III all-star game.

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Five Earn Football All-America Honors

RELEASED: Monday, December 20, 2004 Madison, Wis.--Five Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football players have received All- America honors from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Gazette and D3football.com for the 2004 season.

UW-Whitewater's Trey Bell captured first team honors from the AFCA and third team status from D3football.com, while UW-Stevens Point's Ross Adamczak was a second team pick by Football Gazette and D3football.com. UW- Oshkosh's Lucas Raschke earned second team accolades from Football Gazette and UW-Stout's Nick Ohman secured second team honors from D3football.com, while UW-La Crosse's Scott Burnoski was a third team selection by D3football.com.

Bell, a senior defensive back from Racine, Wis. (Case H.S.), recorded 34 tackles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries in 2004. His four interceptions ranked second in the conference, while his two fumble recoveries placed fifth. Bell is the second-straight Warhawk to earn first team honors from the AFCA after Chad Nimm was selected last season. He is also the first Warhawk defensive back to secure first team accolades from the AFCA.

Adamczak, a senior tight end from Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH), was one of the nation's top pass-catching tight ends with 39 catches for 644 yards and five touchdowns. He had 20 of his catches in third down situations and ranked fourth overall in the WIAC with 64.4 receiving yards per game. Adamczak had at least two catches in every game, including eight catches for 132 yards to lead the Pointers to a victory over UW-Stout on October 16. Adamczak completed his career with 92 catches for 1,537 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Raschke, a freshman placekicker from Clintonville, Wis., led the WIAC in scoring with 87 points and kicked a conference-record and NCAA Division III-leading 19 field goals. His 19 field goals are the second-highest season total in NCAA Division III history. Raschke converted 19-of-21 field goal attempts, including 13 in a row before missing his final attempt of the season.

Ohman, a senior quarterback from Glenwood City, Wis., completed 157-of-279 passes (56.3 percent) for 1969 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed 174 times for 892 yards, the most ever yards rushing for a UW-Stout quarterback. He accounted for 2861 yards of total offense, 72 percent of UW-Stout's 3986 yards of total offense. Ohman five times rushed for more than 100 yards and six times threw for more than 200 yards. He finished his career as the school's third ranked passer, completing 479-of-936 passes (51.2 percent) for 6401 yards and 49 touchdowns.

Burnoski, a senior wide receiver from Rochester, Minn. (Century H.S.), was voted the WIAC Player and was one of 10 finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy as the NCAA Division III Player of the Year. Burnoski led the WIAC with 72 receptions, 931 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns. His 14 touchdown catches tied a school single-season record, along with his four touchdown receptions against UW-Whitewater on November 13 and his 13 catches against UW-Oshkosh on October 9. Burnoski owns the school career record with 195 receptions, 3,004 receiving yards and 30 receiving touchdowns.

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NCAA Division III All-Stars Win Aztec Bowl

Aztec Bowl Final Statistics

Cancun, Mexico--Otterbein's Micheaux Robinson returned a second half interception 60 yards for a touchdown and Wooster's Tony Sutton ran for two scores as the United States defeated Mexico 23-3 Saturday night in the 2004 Aztec Bowl at Estadio Cancun 86 in Cancun, Mexico.

The win was the seventh in eight tries for the United States in what has become an annual battle between the top college football players in Mexico and the top Division III seniors in the United States. Robinson had two of the four U.S. interceptions to earn Team USA MVP honors.

"Their quarterback was scrambling and a lot of guys were running around," Robinson said. "I thought he might come back my way so I just sat on the route. I had an open field in front of me so I knew all I had to do was turn on some speed to get in the end zone.

"I'm glad I had a chance to come down here and play for Team USA. It was my goal from the start of the season to have a chance to play in this game because it's the highest honor a Division III player can receive." The Team USA defense forced six Mexico turnovers and held the home team to 107 yards in total offense in the second half.

"I felt all week this was as good a team as we've ever had," U.S. coach Ron Schipper said after the game. "But this was the best team Mexico's had yet. We got great play from an awful lot of people. The secondary just did a super job. Not allowing any long plays was the key to this win."

The United States got on the board first when a bad shotgun snap sailed over the head of quarterback Horacio Juarez and out of the back of the end zone for a safety early in the second quarter to give Team USA a 2-0 lead.

DePauw's Jamarcus Shepherd returned the ensuing free kick 56 yards to set Team USA up at Mexico's 23 yard line. Three plays later Sutton rambled 11 yards for the first Team USAtouchdown of the night to move the score to 9-0.

"We ran a power left and I was just able to get outside," Sutton said. "It feels great to win for the United States. Anytime you put the best players in any division together it's an honor to be on the team."

Mexico finally got on the board with 4:07 to go in the half on a 32-yard field goal by Gustavo Tella that closed the gap to 9-3. The only other serious Mexico scoring threats in the first half ended in a missed first quarter field goal by Tella and an interception in the end zone by Wisconsin-Whitewater's Trey Bell on the final play of the first quarter.

After stopping the first USA drive of the half, Mexico moved down the field and had reached the U.S. 44 yard line before Robinson stepped in front of a pass from Mexico's Rodrigo Perez and sprinted 60 yards for the score. The touchdown extended the lead to 16-3 and swung the momentum in favor of Team USA.

Mexico continued to press the USA defense but was continually turned back by the Americans. Robinson and St. Thomas cornerback Steve Groth killed Mexico drives with interceptions and Willamette defensive end Nate Matlock returned a late fumble 38 yards to set up Sutton's final score with 7:33 to go in the fourth quarter.

Offensively, the United States was limited to just 250 yards in total offense but that total was nearly equaled by the American defensive and special team units that rolled up 231 yards in interception, fumble and kick return yards.

Robinson added four tackles to his interception total while Groth added a team-high seven tackles and a pair of pass breakups to his interception. Aaron Goldstein of Trinity's (Conn.) and Wartburg's Brian McIntire also recorded seven tackles to join Groth at the top of the U.S. defensive chart.

Carthage's Dante Washington led Team USA in rushing with 58 yards on 11 carries while Wilkes' Brett Trichilo ran for 55 yards on just nine carries. Sutton had 31 yards to go along with his two scores. Trinity's (Texas) Dan Desplaines completed eight of 13 passes for 106 yards. Albright's Nick Cushman was the leading receiver with two catches for 57 yards.

Team USA also got a strong performance from punter Dan Eggertsson of Franklin & Marshall, who averaged 39.6 yards on five punts.

Juarez completed 11 of 18 passes for 106 yards and an interception. Rene Molina ran for 52 yards on 11 carries to earn Mexico Team MVP honors.

Schipper praised his team's performance following the game.

"This group was very, very special because they played as a football team and that's not an easy thing to do when you only have five days to come together," Schipper said. "They were an unselfish group and there were no egos this week. I wish we could coach them again."

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Eight Earn Football Gazette All-West Region First Team Accolades

RELEASED: Thursday, December 9, 2004 Madison, Wis.--Eight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football players have been named to the 2004 Football Gazette All-West Region First Team. Individuals selected to the first team were UW-La Crosse's Scott Burnoski, Kenneth Halvorson, Andrew McGlenn and Adam Schneider, UW-Oshkosh's Lucas Raschke, UW- Stevens Point's Ross Adamczak and Clint Bakken and UW-Whitewater's Colin Burns.

Burnoski, a senior wide receiver from Rochester, Minn. (Century H.S.), was a second team all-region pick a year ago. In 2004, he was voted the WIAC Player and is one of 10 finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy as the NCAA Division III Player of the Year. Burnoski led the WIAC with 72 receptions, 931 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns. His 14 touchdown catches tied a school single-season record, along with his four touchdown receptions against UW-Whitewater on November 13 and his 13 catches against UW-Oshkosh on October 9. Burnoski owns the school career record with 195 receptions, 3,004 receiving yards and 30 receiving touchdowns.

Halvorson, a junior defensive back from Westby, Wis., registered 79 tackles this year and led the team with four fumble recoveries. The four fumble recoveries are the most for a UW-La Crosse player since Jon Wiltzius had four in 1990. Halvorson returned a fumble for a touchdown in each of the first two games this season.

McGlenn, a senior offensive lineman from Edgerton, Wis., claimed first team honors for the second straight year. He started all 11 games at right tackle and helped the Eagles average 423.9 yards of total offense, including 188.6 rushing yards and 235.3 passing yards per game.

Schneider, a senior linebacker from Waterloo, Wis., led the conference with 104 tackles and recorded at least 10 tackles in six games this season. He tied his career-high with 16 tackles against UW-Stout on October 30 and UW- River Falls on November 6.

Raschke, a freshman placekicker from Clintonville, Wis., led the WIAC in scoring with 87 points and kicked a conference-record and NCAA Division III-leading 19 field goals. His 19 field goals are the second-highest season total in NCAA Division III history. Raschke converted 19-of-21 field goal attempts, including 13 in a row before missing his final attempt of the season.

Adamczak, a senior tight end from Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH), had 39 catches for 644 yards and five touchdowns. He had 20 of his catches in third down situations and ranked fourth in the league with 64.4 receiving yards per contest.

Bakken, a senior defensive lineman from Boulder Junction, Wis. (Lakeland H.S.), racked up 49 tackles, including five tackles for loss. He compiled 12 tackles against UW-River Falls and nine against UW-Stout late in the season.

Burns, a sophomore running back from Monroe, Wis., led the conference with 142.2 rushing yards per game and 282 carries. He set a league single-game record with 54 rushing attempts against UW-Eau Claire on September 25.

The Football Gazette also named a second and third team for the 2004 season. Individuals from the WIAC named to the second team included: UW-La Crosse's Matt Buelow, UW-Oshkosh's Tom Roszak, UW-River Falls' John Peterlik, UW-Stevens Point's Cliff Ruland, UW-Stout's Ross Jones and UW-Whitewater's Trey Bell.

Third team selections consisted of: UW-Eau Claire's Derek Sikora, UW-La Crosse's Andrew Lehman, UW-Stevens Point's Tony Romano, UW-Stout's Nick Ohman, Travis Phillips and Jay Runk and UW-Whitewater's Jason Boehlke and Nick Zolper.

A total of 91 players were chosen for the Football Gazette All-West Region Team by sports information directors from the 57 schools that sponsor football in the West Region. Conferences representing the West Region include the WIAC, Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Midwest Conference, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Northwest Conference and Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The All-West Region first and second team selections will now be on a national ballot used to choose the 2004 Football Gazette All-America Team.

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Three To Participate In Aztec Bowl RELEASED: Monday, December 6, 2004

Madison, Wis.--Three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football players have been selected to participate in the 2004 Aztec Bowl in Cancun Mexico on December 11. UW-La Crosse's Scott Burnoski, UW- Stevens Point's Clint Bakken and UW-Whitewater's Trey Bell have been named to the 44-man roster for the Division III all-star team.

All three individuals were all-WIAC first team selections in 2004 with Burnoski being named the conference's player of the year.

The Aztec Bowl is the traditional season-ending game for Mexico's college football schedule. The game has been played 33 times since 1947 with the last seven contests featuring the United States-Mexico match-up. In their previous Aztec Bowl meetings, the United States defeated Mexico, 15-9 in 2002 in Torreon; 37-5 in 2001 in Saltillo; 27-26 in 2000 in Merida; 44-13 in 1999 in Mexico City; 40-13 in 1998 in Monterrey; and 42-41 in the 1997 game in Toluca. Mexico earned its first win of the series in 2003 in Cancun, defeating the USA, 34-31.

This year's game will kick off at 4 p.m. CST on December 11 and will be played at Estadio Cancun 86. The game can be heard via a webcast that can be accessed on the AFCA's website at www.afca.com. Results will also be available on the AFCA's website.

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UW-Platteville's Lee and UW-La Crosse's Lehman Named To Academic All- America Football Team

RELEASED: Wednesday, December 1, 2004

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Chris Lee and UW-La Crosse's Andrew Lehman have been named to the 2004 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division Football Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Lee was selected to the first team, while Lehman was a second team pick.

Lee, a senior center from Darien, Wis. (Delavan Darien H.S.), has compiled a 3.95 grade-point average with a double major in animal science and mathematics. He anchored the offensive line that allowed just 14 quarterback sacks in 465 passing plays, an average of one every 33 attempts. Lee helped the Pioneers rank 15th nationally with 281.2 passing yards per game.

Lehman, a senior tight end from Onalaska, Wis., is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry and maintains a 3.97 grade point average. He started all 11 games for the Eagles this year and had 34 catches for 433 yards and four touchdowns. Lehman had a career-high six catches at UW-Oshkosh earlier this season and had a career-high 105 receiving yards against the Titans in 2002.

The Academic All-America Team is comprised of all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA athletes from around the country.

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UW-La Crosse's Burnoski Named Finalist For Gagliardi Trophy

RELEASED: Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse senior wide receiver Scott Burnoski of Rochester, Minn. (Century H.S.) has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2004 Gagliardi Trophy as the NCAA Division III Football Player of the Year.

Burnoski is joined as a finalist with Zachary Bruney (Quarterback, Mt. Union College); David Crowley (Wide Receiver, Centre College); Nick Cushman (Wide Receiver, Albright College); Lance Moore (Running Back, Hardin-Simmons); Brad Musso, (Wide Receiver, Wheaton College); Rocky Myers (Free Safety, Wesley College); Anthony Sutton (Running Back, The College of Wooster); Daniel Swanstrom (Quarterback, Rhodes College) and Jordan Talge (Cornerback, Concordia-Moorhead).

The Gagliardi Trophy will be announced December 7 and awarded to the recipient December 16 in Salem, Virginia.

This mark the third straight year an individual from the WIAC has been a finalist for the award. UW-Stevens Point's Scott Krause was a finalist last year and UW-Stout's Jamie Spielman was a candidate in 2002.

Burnoski was named the 2004 WIAC Player of the Year earlier this month and earned unanimous All-WIAC First Team honors. It is Burnoski's third career all-conference award, earning first-team accolades in 2003 and honorable mention recognition in 2002.

He is the first wide receiver to claim the league's player of the year honor since UW-La Crosse's Jason Janke won the award in 1992, Burnoski is the ninth Eagle in school history to receive the conference prize, joining Thaddeus Rego (2002), Jared Arn (1999), Mike Maslowski (1996), Jason Gonnion (1993), Janke (1992), Dave Draxler (1978), Greg Gerber (1974) and Jim Shattuck (1973).

Burnoski leads UW-La Crosse in receptions (67), receiving yards (864) and receiving touchdowns (13) in 2004. His 67 receptions ranks third in single-season school history while his 864 yards is sixth. The 13 touchdown catches is second in single-season school history.

Burnoski, who set a single-season school record with 1,100 receiving yards in 2003, has become UW-La Crosse's career leader in receptions (190), receiving yards (2,937) and receiving touchdowns (29) this season. He has at least one touchdown catch in 17 of the last 22 games dating back to last season and at least one catch in 34 consecutive games. Burnoski tied a school record with four touchdown catches in UW-La Crosse's 35-10 victory at UW- Whitewater on November 13.

He tied a single-game school record with 13 catches in UW-La Crosse's 28-21 win at UW-Oshkosh October 9. Burnoski has nine career 100-yard receiving games, including four this season.

In UW-La Crosse's 37-23 victory over St. Norbert College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs November 20, Burnoski returned his first career interception 94-yards for a touchdown on the last play of the game. It is the fourth longest interception returned for a touchdown in school history.

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UW-La Crosse's Burnoski Leads All-WIAC Football Selections

RELEASED: Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Scott Burnoski was voted the 2004 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Player of the Year, leading the all-WIAC Football Team, which was recently selected by the league coaches.

Burnoski, a senior wide receiver, helped the Eagles to their third straight WIAC championship and NCAA Division III Tournament bid this year. He was a unanimous selection to the first team and leads the conference with 12 receiving touchdowns and 7.11 receptions per game, while ranking second with 94.0 receiving yards per contest.

Burnoski's 64 receptions this year rank third in single-season school history, while his 846 yards is sixth. He became UW-La Crosse's career leader in receptions (187), receiving yards (2,919) and receiving touchdowns (28) this season. Burnoski has at least one touchdown catch in 16 of the last 21 games dating back to last year and has at least one catch in 33 consecutive games. He tied a school record with four touchdown receptions against UW-Whitewater on November 13.

Burnoski was a first team selection last year after claiming honorable mention status in 2002.

Burnoski is first wide receiver to claim the conference's player of the year honor since UW-La Crosse's Jason Janke won the award in 1992. He is also the ninth Eagle in school history to receive the league prize, joining Thaddeus Rego (2002), Jared Arn (1999), Mike Maslowski (1996), Jason Gonnion (1993), Jason Janke (1992), Dave Draxler (1978), Greg Gerber (1974) and Jim Shattuck (1973). Burnoski was joined on the first team by teammates Steve Tennies, Jedediah Jensen, Andrew McGlenn, Matt Buelow, Kenneth Halvorson and Adam Schneider. Tennies, a junior quarterback, leads the conference with a 147.4 passing efficiency, while ranking fifth with 200.8 passing yards per contest and sixth with 202.1 total yards of offense per game. He has thrown 17 touchdowns this season and completed 58.2 percent of his passes for 1,897 yards. Tennies was a second team selection last year.

Jensen, a senior kicker, has converted 36-of-37 point after attempts this year and five-of-six field goal attempts. He was a second team choice last season. McGlenn, a senior offensive lineman, earned first team honors for the second straight year after helping the Eagles compile 199.6 rushing yards and 441.7 total yards in 2004.

Buelow, a senior defensive lineman, has registered a team-leading eight tackles for loss and added 33 tackles and four quarterback sacks this season.

Halvorson, a junior defensive back, was a unanimous selection after registering 59 tackles, including 33 solo and 3.5 tackles for loss, a league-leading four fumble recoveries and one interception. He was a second team choice last season.

Schneider, a senior linebacker, was also a unanimous choice en route to earning first team honors for the second time in his career. He was a first team selection in 2002 and claimed second team status in 2003. This year, he leads the team with 88 tackles, including 23 solo, and has 1.5 tackles for loss.

UW-Whitewater landed seven players on the all-WIAC first team as Colin Burns, Nick Croak, Max Sakellaris, Jason Boehlke, Nick Zolper, Robb Widuch and Trey Bell were all recognized. Burns, a sophomore running back, leads the league with 142.2 rushing yards per game on a league-high 282 carries. He also scored five rushing touchdowns in 2004 and set a conference single-game record with 54 rushing attempts against UW-Eau Claire on September 25.

Croak, a freshman punter, uncorked a league-high 73 punts this season and ranks third in the WIAC with 39.8 yards per kick, while Sakellaris, a sophomore offensive lineman, helped the Warhawks average 204.2 rushing yards per game and 25.8 points per contest.

Boehlke, a senior defensive lineman, leads the league with 13 tackles for loss and nine quarterback sacks. He also added 63 tackles, including 44 solo efforts, and one fumble recovery. Boehlke was a second team selection a year ago while attending UW-Oshkosh.

Zolper, a senior defensive lineman, claimed first team honors for the second straight year. He leads the conference with nine quarterback sacks and registered 46 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss, and two fumble recoveries.

Widuch, a freshman linebacker, led the team with 82 tackles and added nine tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks, while Bell, a senior defensive back, had 34 tackles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Bell was a second team pick in 2002.

UW-Stevens Point also placed seven individuals on the first team in Tony Romano, Ross Adamczak, Cody Childs, Cliff Ruland, Peter Moskal, Clint Bakken and Brett Ehret. Romano, a senior wide receiver, leads the league with 96.5 receiving yards per contest, while placing second with nine receiving touchdowns and third with 5.80 receptions per game. He earned honorable mention accolades last season.

Adamczak, a senior tight end, ranks fourth in the WIAC with 64.4 receiving yards per game and 10th with 3.90 receptions per contest. He was a honorable mention pick a year ago.

Childs, a sophomore running back, secured first team honors after being a second team choice in 2003. He ranks seventh in the conference with 60.8 rushing yards per game, while placing third with 111.7 all-purpose yards per game and sixth with 5.00 receptions per contest.

Ruland, a senior offensive lineman, and Moskal, a senior center, helped the Pointers compile 440.2 yards of total offense and 286.0 passing yards per game. Ruland was a unanimous selection in earning his second straight first team honor. Bakken, a senior defensive lineman, was a first team choice for the second straight year after securing second team status in 2002. He compiled 49 tackles, including five tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks this season with one fumble recovery.

Ehret, a senior linebacker, recorded a team-leading 98 tackles this year with four tackles for loss, one interception and one fumble recovery. He registered a league-high 22 tackles against UW-River Falls on November 13.

UW-Stout's Nick Ohman, Travis Phillips and Joe Seep all secured first team honors. Ohman, a senior quarterback, was a unanimous selection after ranking second in the league with 317.9 yards of total offense and third with 218.8 passing yards and 99.1 rushing yards per contest. He threw 18 touchdowns and completed 157-of-279 passes (56.3 percent) for 1,969 yards. Ohman earned honorable mention honors the last two years.

Phillips, a senior linebacker, had a team-leading 73 tackles in 2004 and ranks fourth in the league with 11.5 tackles for loss, while Seep, a junior defensive back, accumulated 26 tackles, including 22 solo, and added two interceptions and one fumble recovery.

UW-Oshkosh's Lucas Raschke, Tom Roszak and Pat Hughes secured first team honors after the Titans compiled the most wins (five) since the 1995 squad also reached five victories. Raschke set a conference single-season record with 19 field goals and leads the league in scoring with 87 points, while also converting 30-of-36 extra point attempts.

Roszak ranks second in the conference with 40.0 yards per punt and also landed 12 kicks inside the 20-yard line. He uncorked a league-long 76-yard punt against UW-Stevens Point on October 23.

Hughes helped the Titans rank second in the league with 31.1 points per game and fourth with 380.2 total yards of offense per contest.

UW-Eau Claire's Matt Evensen, a junior wide receiver, was a honorable mention pick in 2003. This season, he ranks sixth in the conference with 56.3 receiving yards per game and seventh with 4.80 receptions per contest.

The Blugolds' Derek Sikora, a junior defensive back, ranked second on the team with 80 tackles and added three fumble recoveries, 2.5 tackles for loss, one quarterback sack and one interception.

UW-River Falls placed a pair of individuals on the first team as John Peterlik and Aaron Retzlaff were honored. Peterlik, a senior all-purpose back, was a unanimous selection after leading the WIAC with 171.5 all-purpose yards per game, while ranking second with 82 points scored, 114.3 rushing yards per game and 19.7 kick return yards per contest. He earned first team honors as an all-purpose back for the second straight season after securing top honors as a running back in 2002.

Retzlaff, a senior defensive lineman, compiled 36 tackles, including 28 solo, this year. He also added 4.5 tackles for loss, one quarterback sack and one fumble recovery.

Named to the all-league second team offense were: UW-Eau Claire's Brandon Basken (Jr., OL), Devon Disrude (Sr., C), Nels Fredrickson (Sr., QB) and Joe Gast (Jr., RB), UW-La Crosse's Kent Anderson (Jr., OL) and Corey Geldernick (So., RB), UW-Oshkosh's Nick Kilton (Jr., All-Purpose), UW-Platteville's Will Didier (Sr., OL) and Brian Gallick (So., WR), UW-Stevens Point's Brett Borchart (So., QB) and Kurt Kielblock (Sr., WR), UW-Stout's Ross Jones (Sr., TE) and Jay Runk (Jr., OL) and UW-Whitewater's Jim Lesczynski (Jr., WR).

Individuals receiving recognition on the all-conference second team defense included: UW-Eau Claire's Brent Crank (Sr., DL), Jared Roeker (Jr., LB) and Brent Tieri (Jr., DB), UW-La Crosse's Dustin Powell (Sr., LB) and Steve Teeples (So., DB), UW-Oshkosh's Ryan Neff (So., DL), UW-Platteville's Jimmy Harris (Sr., LB), UW-Stevens Point's Craig Johnson (Sr., DL), UW-Stout's Noah Mayer (Sr., LB), Luke Rykal (Sr., DB) and Jordan Sinz (Sr., DB) and UW-Whitewater's Ryan Kleppe (So., DL) and Andy Walters (Sr., DB).

UW-La Crosse head coach Larry Terry and UW-Platteville head coach Mike Emendorfer were selected the George Chryst Co-Coaches of the Year by the league coaches. Terry earned the honor for the third-straight season and becomes the first coach since UW-La Crosse's Roger Harring to win the award three consecutive years. Harring claimed the honor from 1991-93. Terry owns a 34-18 overall record in his four seasons with the Eagles. Emendorfer is the first UW-Platteville coach to win the honor since George Chryst in 1980. Emendorfer led the Pioneers to their first winning season since 1992 and the most overall victories (six) since 1991 when the squad also had six wins. He owns a 22-37 career record in his six years at the school.

2004 All-WIAC Football Team First Team Offense Name, School, Year, Position, Height, Weight, Hometown (High School) Ross Adamczak, Stevens Point, Senior, Tight End, 6-3, 242, Plover (SPASH) Pat Hughes, Oshkosh, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-0, 275, Oshkosh (North) Andrew McGlenn, La Crosse, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-3, 285, Edgerton **Cliff Ruland, Stevens Point, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-2, 309, Wonewoc (Wonewoc-Center) Max Sakellaris, Whitewater, Sophomore, Offensive Line, 6-1, 268, Oak Park, Ill. Peter Moskal, Stevens Point, Senior, Center, 6-3, 277, Lodi **Nick Ohman, Stout, Senior, Quarterback, 6-2, 210, Glenwood City Steve Tennies, La Crosse, Junior, Quarterback, 6-1, 195, West Bend (West) Colin Burns, Whitewater, Sophomore, Running Back, 5-10, 195, Monroe Cody Childs, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Running Back, 5-10, 210, Poynette **Scott Burnoski, La Crosse, Senior, Wide Receiver, 6-2, 200, Rochester, Minn. (Century) Matt Evensen, Eau Claire, Junior, Wide Receiver, 6-2, 195, Junction City (Auburndale) Tony Romano, Stevens Point, Senior, Wide Receiver, 5-9, 185, Waunakee Nick Croak, Whitewater, Freshman, Punter, 5-10, 173, Muskego Tom Roszak, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Punter, 6-4, 190, Greenfield Jedediah Jensen, La Crosse, Senior, Kicker, 6-1, 185, Madison (LaFollette) Lucas Raschke, Oshkosh, Freshman, Kicker, 6-3, 195, Clintonville **John Peterlik, River Falls, Senior, All-Purpose, 5-7, 195, Cadott **Unanimous Selection

Second Team Offense Ross Jones, Stout, Senior, Tight End, 6-4, 240, Appleton (Menasha) Brandon Basken, Eau Claire, Junior, Offensive Line, 6-2, 295, Manitowoc (Lincoln) Kent Anderson, La Crosse, Junior, Offensive Line, 6-1, 285, Wisconsin Rapids (Lincoln) Will Didier, Platteville, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-5, 270, Appleton (North) Jay Runk, Stout, Junior, Offensive Line, 6-5, 340, Scandia, Minn. (Forest Lake) Devon Disrude, Eau Claire, Center, Senior, 6-0, 255, Milton Brett Borchart, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Quarterback, 6-3, 228, Huntley, Ill. Nels Fredrickson, Eau Claire, Senior, Quarterback, 6-1, 210, Burnsville, Minn. Joe Gast, Eau Claire, Junior, Running Back, 5-9, 205, Waconia, Minn. Corey Geldernick, La Crosse, Sophomore, Running Back, 5-11, 200, Chili (Marshfield) Brian Gallick, Platteville, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, 6-3, 205, Gilman Kurt Kielblock, Stevens Point, Senior, Wide Receiver, 5-10, 187, Scandinavia (Iola-Scandinavia) Jim Lesczynski, Whitewater, Junior, Wide Receiver, 6-0, 176, Franklin Nick Kilton, Oshkosh, All-Purpose, Junior, 6-2, 205, Waukesha (North)

Honorable Mention Offense Don Kahl, Eau Claire, Senior, Tight End, 6-5, 245, Brookfield (East) Andrew Lehman, La Crosse, Senior, Tight End, 6-4, 225, Onalaska Chris Ahrens, La Crosse, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-0, 275, Clear Lake Robb Kolodziej, Stevens Point, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-0, 270, Stevens Point (SPASH) Pete Monfre, Eau Claire, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-1, 290, New Berlin (Eisenhower) Jesse Turkow, Oshkosh, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-4, 295, Appleton (West) Troy Van Zile, La Crosse, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-2, 275, Reedsburg Chris Ammann, River Falls, Senior, Center, 6-0, 260, Holmen Mike Basch, Oshkosh, Junior, Center, 6-0, 290, Menomonee Falls Brent Nelson, Platteville, Sophomore, Quarterback, 6-1, 190, Fennimore Nick Wara, Oshkosh, Senior, Quarterback, 6-3, 215, Oshkosh (North) Aaron Chaltry, Oshkosh, Senior, Running Back, 5-10, 205, Peshtigo Matt Schaeuble, Stout, Senior, Fullback, 6-2, 240, Wrightstown Seth Mattison, Stout, Senior, Wide Receiver, 5-11, 185, Byron, Minn. (Hayfield) Eric Stauss, Whitewater, Senior, Wide Receiver, 5-9, 170, Marinette Ryan Prochnow, Stevens Point, Junior, Punter, 5-11, 206, Green Bay (Preble) Mitch Schaeuble, Eau Claire, Freshman, Punter, 6-1, 165, Wrightstown

First Team Defense Clint Bakken, Stevens Point, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-3, 307, Boulder Junction (Minocqua Lakeland) Jason Boehlke, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-3, 261, Germantown Matt Buelow, La Crosse, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-3, 245, Brookfield (Central) Aaron Retzlaff, River Falls, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-2, 285, Shawano Nick Zolper, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-1, 245, Grafton Brett Ehret, Stevens Point, Senior, Linebacker, 6-0, 226, Clinton Travis Phillips, Stout, Senior, Linebacker, 6-2, 230, Burnsville, Minn. **Adam Schneider, La Crosse, Senior, Linebacker, 6-1, 255, Waterloo Robb Widuch, Whitewater, Freshman, Linebacker, 6-1, 220, Whitnall Trey Bell, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Back, 5-11, 186, Racine (Case) **Kenneth Halvorson, La Crosse, Junior, Defensive Back, 5-11, 205, Westby Joe Seep, Stout, Junior, Defensive Back, 5-11, 195, Reedsburg Derek Sikora, Eau Claire, Junior, Defensive Back, 5-8, 165, Neillsville **Unanimous Selection

Second Team Defense Brent Crank, Eau Claire, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-0, 235, Cadott Craig Johnson, Stevens Point, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-4, 240, Green Bay (Preble) Ryan Kleppe, Whitewater, Sophomore, Defensive Line, 5-11, 260, Mount Horeb Ryan Neff, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Defensive Line, 6-1, 265, Merrill Jimmy Harris, Platteville, Senior, Linebacker, 6-1, 200, Perkasie, Pa. (Pennridge) Noah Mayer, Stout, Senior, Linebacker, 6-4, 240, Mayville Dustin Powell, La Crosse, Senior, Linebacker, 6-1, 245, Norwalk (Tomah) Jared Roeker, Eau Claire, Junior, Linebacker, 6-0, 225, Mauston Luke Rykal, Stout, Senior, Defensive Back, 6-1, 230, Cadott Jordan Sinz, Stout, Senior, Defensive Back, 5-11, 190, Edgar Steve Teeples, La Crosse, Sophomore, Defensive Back, 6-0, 165, Black River Falls Brent Tieri, Eau Claire, Junior, Defensive Back, 6-1, 195, Buffalo, Minn. (Rockford) Andy Walters, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Back, 5-10, 210, Marinette

Honorable Mention Defense Jim Baker, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-3, 236, West Bend (East) Dave Maas, Eau Claire, Senior, Defensive Line, 5-11, 255, Waunakee Brandon Ehret, Platteville, Junior, Linebacker, 6-1, 205, Clinton Kevin Fitzgerald, La Crosse, Senior, Linebacker, 6-2, 235, Mosinee (SPASH) Ben Gillett, River Falls, Senior, Linebacker, 6-2, 210, Rosendale (Laconia) Justin Greenwood, Eau Claire, Senior, Linebacker, 6-1, 210, Park Falls Craig Korth, Oshkosh, Senior, Linebacker, 6-0, 220, Menasha Mike Lansing, Eau Claire, Senior, Linebacker, 6-1, 235, Janesville (Craig) Dan Mulqueen, Oshkosh, Senior, Linebacker, 6-0, 225, Milwaukee (Marquette) Tom Venner, Platteville, Senior, Linebacker, 5-11, 220, DeSoto

Player of the Year: Scott Burnoski of La Crosse George Chryst Co-Coaches of the Year: Larry Terry of La Crosse and Mike Emendorfer of Platteville Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete: Dave Maas of Eau Claire

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UW-Eau Claire's Maas Receives Football Scholar-Athlete Award

RELEASED: Wednesday, November 16, 2004

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Dave Maas has been named the 2004 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Football Scholar-Athlete, it was announced recently by WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner.

Maas, a senior from Waunakee, Wis., is majoring in elementary education with a minor in library science and maintains a 3.67 grade point average. He has been named to UW-Eau Claire's Dean's List six semesters and Honor Roll on two occasions. Maas also received the school's Super Six Award in 2004 and was named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll.

Maas, a team captain, recently earned all-WIAC honorable mention honors after receiving second team accolades in 2003. He was also voted the team's Defensive Lineman of the Year a season ago.

Maas is currently a representative and committee chair on UW-Eau Claire's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He has also volunteered with Special Olympics and is involved with the Reading/Recess program in an elementary school.

Maas becomes the fifth UW-Eau Claire football student-athlete to claim the conference's scholar-athlete honor, joining Austin Crow (2003), Mike Bestul (2002), Bob Schmidt (2001) and Steve Rohrscheib (1992).

Also nominated for this year's scholar-athlete award were: UW-Eau Claire's Pete Monfre, UW-La Crosse's Matt Buelow and Andrew Lehman, UW-Oshkosh's Nick Wara, UW-River Falls' Nate Gray, Jon Haughian and Kyle Hoegh and UW-Stout's Jordan Sinz.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is sponsored by Culver's. In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.25 grade point average, be in their last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.

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UW-La Crosse's Burnoski and UW-Platteville's Harris Named To National Teams of the Week

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Scott Burnoski and UW-Platteville's Jimmy Harris have been named to national teams of the week for their efforts in games played on November 13.

Burnoski, a senior wide receiver from Rochester, Minn. (Century H.S.), was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week and one of four national offensive players of the week by Football Gazette.

He had 10 catches for 199 yards and four touchdowns in UW-La Crosse's 35-10 victory at No. 13-ranked UW- Whitewater to clinch the Eagles' third straight WIAC title. His four touchdown receptions covered 21-, 46-, 31- and 33-yards and tied a single-game school record. Burnoski also became UW-La Crosse's career leader in touchdowns receptions with 28 and the 199 receiving yards ranks seventh in single-game school history.

Harris, a senior linebacker from Perkasie, Pa. (Pennridge H.S.) was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week. He made 13 tackles in the Pioneers' 23-13 victory over UW-Stout. He made 11 solo stops, including one quarterback sack and recovered a fumble to help the Pioneers to their first winning season since 1992.

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UW-La Crosse To Host NCAA Football First Round Game

RELEASED: Sunday, November 14, 2004

La Crosse, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will host St. Norbert College (Wis.) on Saturday, November 20 in the first round of the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs. Kickoff is scheduled for noon at Roger Harring Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

UW-La Crosse (6-3, 5-2 WIAC) clinched a berth in the playoffs after winning its third straight WIAC championship with a 35-10 victory at UW-Whitewater on November 13. It was the Eagles' 33nd conference title in school history.

St. Norbert earned a berth into the national playoffs after capturing the Midwest Conference title with a 9-0 mark. The Green Knights finished 9-1 overall with their only loss coming at UW-Whitewater on September 4 by a score of 41-9. UW-La Crosse will be making its 10th appearance in the NCAA III Playoffs (2003, 2002, 1999, 1996, 1995, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1983). The Eagles have compiled a 14-7 record in the NCAA III playoffs, winning national titles in 1992 and 1995. UW-La Crosse defeated Concordia University (Wis.) 52-13 in the first round last season before falling 39-14 at Mt. Union College (Ohio) in the second round.

In addition, UW-La Crosse has nine NAIA II playoff appearances in school history. They compiled a 12-6 mark in the NAIA post-season for a combined playoff record of 26-13.

St. Norbert leads the all-time series with UW-La Crosse, 13-6-1. The teams have not met since 1971.

The winner will travel to Linfield College (Ore.), Saturday, November 27 for a second round matchup.

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UW-La Crosse Claims Third Straight Football Championship

Whitewater, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse claimed its third straight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football championship with a 35-10 victory over UW-Whitewater at Perkins Stadium on November 13. The Eagles also earned the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The title for the Eagles is the 33rd in school history. They have also won conference championships in 1999, 1996, 1995, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1989, 1986, 1982, 1980, 1978, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1971, 1954, 1953, 1952, 1951, 1950, 1949, 1942, 1941, 1940, 1939, 1934, 1933, 1927, 1919, 1917.

The three consecutive titles is the longest streak in the conference since 1991-93 when the Eagles also claimed three straight crowns.

UW-La Crosse (6-3 overall, 5-2 WIAC) took a 7-0 lead on its first possession of the game on a one-yard run from Andrew Lehman. Lehman had set-up the touchdown on a 38-yard pass from Steve Tennies. UW-Whitewater (7-3, 4-3 WIAC) cut the lead to 7-3 with a Michael Chaulk 38-yard field goal with 12:26 left in the second quarter. The Warhawks took a 10-7 lead on Justin Jacobs' five-yard run with 5:39 remaining in the first half, but Tennies hit Scott Burnoski with a 21-yard touchdown pass with 1:58 left to give UW-La Crosse a 14-10 halftime lead.

Tennies and Burnoski hooked up three times in the second half for touchdowns, the first coming on a 46-yard play with 9:28 left in the third quarter for a 21-10 lead. They connected on a 31-yard touchdown with 13:11 remaining in the game and a 33-yard play with 10:36 left for the final score.

Tennies finished 20-of-26 for 349 yards with one interception and a career-high four touchdown passes. Burnoski tied a single-game school record with his four touchdown receptions. He also became UW-La Crosse's career touchdown reception leader and now has 28. Burnoski had 10 catches in the game for 199 yards. Corey Geldernick had 19 rushes for 74 yards.

UW-La Crosse finished with 540 yards of offense, including 191 rushing and 349 passing. The Eagles were seven- of-11 on third-down.

UW-Whitewater finished with 235 yards of offense, including 136 rushing and 99 passing. The Warhawks were three-of-14 on third-down. Jacobs finished 12-of-27 passing for 99 yards with an interception while Peter Schmitt had five catches for 50 yards. Colin Burns had 84 yards rushing on 20 carries.

Defensively, Adam Schneider led UW-La Crosse with 14 tackles while Dustin Powell finished with 10. Robb Widuch led the Warhawks with 11 tackles.

UW-La Crosse will be making its 10th appearance (2003, 2002, 1999, 1996, 1995, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1983) in the NCAA Division III playoffs and third straight. The Eagles are 14-7 all-time in the NCAA III playoffs, winning national championships in 1992 and 1995.

# # # # # Seven Earn Academic All-District Football First Team Accolades

RELEASED: Friday, November 12, 2004

Madison, Wis.--Seven Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football student-athletes have been named to the 2004 CoSIDA Academic All-District Five College Division Football First Team. Individuals capturing first team honors included: UW-Eau Claire's Brandon Basken and Matt Evensen, UW-La Crosse's Andrew Lehman, UW-Oshkosh's Nick Wara, UW-Platteville's Chris Lee, UW-Stevens Point's Craig Johnson and UW-Stout's Jordan Sinz.

The team is comprised of all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA players from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota and is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). All seven individuals named to the first team are now eligible for the academic all-america squad, which will be announced December 1.

Basken, a junior offensive lineman from Manitowoc, Wis. (Lincoln H.S.), maintains a 3.96 grade point average while majoring in mathematics. He is a two-year starter and has helped the Blugolds average 193.8 yards passing, 145.0 yards rushing and 24.2 points per game this season.

Evensen, a junior wide receiver from Junction City, Wis. (Auburndale H.S.), holds a 3.83 grade point average and is majoring in kinesiology/pre-medicine. He was an academic all-district second team choice a year ago. Evensen has caught 42 passes for 513 yards and four touchdowns this season and has returned 11 kickoffs for 168 yards.

Lehman, a senior tight end from Onalaska, Wis., is majoring in biology and carries a 3.97 grade point average. He earned academic all-district second team honors the past two seasons. Lehman has compiled 22 catches for 287 yards and three touchdowns this year.

Wara, a senior quarterback from Oshkosh, Wis. (North H.S.), holds a 3.76 grade point average and is majoring in physics. He has completed 117-of-234 passes this season (50.0 percent) for 1,501 yards and eight touchdowns, while rushing for 481 yards and seven touchdowns on 120 carries.

Lee, a senior center from Darien, Wis. (Delavan-Darien H.S.), has a 3.95 grade point average while majoring in both animal science and mathematics. He is a two-year starter and has successfully converted every snap for a team that uses the shotgun formation 95 percent of the time.

Johnson, a senior defensive end from Green Bay, Wis. (Preble H.S.), is majoring in business administration and carries a 3.73 grade point average. He was an academic all-america first team selection last season. This year, he leads the team with 12 tackles for loss and three quarterback sacks, while adding 45 total tackles, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.

Sinz, a senior defensive back from Edgar, Wis., is majoring in technology education and maintains a 3.88 grade point average. He is second on the team with 46 total tackles and 27 solo tackles, while adding one interception.

CoSIDA members also recognized a second and third team on the academic all-district squad. Student-athletes from the WIAC receiving mention on the second team included: UW-Eau Claire's Brent Tieri, UW-La Crosse's Matt Buelow, UW-Platteville's Tim Mantsch and Tom Venner and UW-Stevens Point's Kurt Kielblock and Ross Adamczak.

Individuals recognized on the third team included: UW-Eau Claire's Pete Monfre and Dave Maas, along with UW- Stevens Point's Cliff Ruland.

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UW-Stout's Ohman Honored By Football Gazette

University of Wisconsin-Stout senior quarterback Nick Ohman has been recognized as one of three National Offensive Players of the Week by Football Gazette for games played on November 6.

Ohman, a native of Glenwood City, Wis., accounted for 382 total yards of offense in UW-Stout's 36-21 victory over No. 10-ranked UW-Eau Claire. Ohman, for the second week in a row over a nationally ranked team, accounted for more than 350 yards of total offense. He completed 23-of-37 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 25 times for 150 yards and one touchdown. Ohman completed nine passes for first downs and ran for six first downs.

He shared the weekly honor with Bob Darnley of SUNY-Brockport and Jason Hardwick of U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Ohman was previously recognized by Football Gazette for his efforts on October 30 against UW-La Crosse and September 11 against DePauw (Ind.).

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UW-Stout's Ohman Earns Second National Player of the Week Honor

University of Wisconsin-Stout senior quarterback Nick Ohman has been recognized as one of two National Offensive Players of the Week by Football Gazette for games played on October 30. He was also named to the D3football.com Team of the Week

Ohman, a native of Glenwood City, Wis., accounted for 472 total yards of offense in UW-Stout's 31-21 victory over No. 11-ranked UW-La Crosse. He rushed 26 times for 125 yards and one touchdown, while completing 30-of-41 passes (73 percent) for 347 yards and two touchdowns. Ohman passed 14 times for first downs and rushed for seven first downs himself.

Ohman shared the weekly honor with Mike Orihel of Rowan (N.J.).

Ohman was previously recognized by Football Gazette for his efforts on September 11 against DePauw (Ind.).

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Three Named To D3football.com Team of the Week

Three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football players have been named to the D3football.com Team of the Week for their efforts on October 16. Individuals receiving recognition included UW- Eau Claire's Derek Sikora and UW-Stevens Point's Ross Adamczak and LaRon Ragsdale.

Sikora, a junior cornerback, had a huge game defensively in leading UW-Eau Claire to a 20-10 victory at No. 3- ranked UW-La Crosse. He compiled 13 total tackles (six solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, one quarterback sack of 10 yards and two fumble recoveries. Sikora helped the Blugolds force four second-half turnovers, which led to 20 unanswered points in the second half.

Adamczak, a senior tight end, had a career-high eight catches for 151 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown in a 23- 7 win at UW-Stout.

Ragsdale, a junior defensive back, had a 77-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final 30 seconds of the first half that gave the Pointers a 7-0 lead. He added six tackles (four solo) in the contest.

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UW-La Crosse's Fitzgerald Named To D3football.com Team of the Week

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Kevin Fitzgerald has been named to the D3football.com Team of the Week for his efforts on October 9.

Fitzgerald a senior linebacker from Mosinee, Wis. (SPASH), had a career-high 16 tackles in the Eagles' 28-21 win at UW-Oshkosh. He had seven solo tackles and one tackle for loss. Fitzgerald's 16 tackles are the most in the league this year and his 30 tackles this season rank third on the team. # # # # #

UW-La Crosse's Teeples Honored by Full Impact Network, Football Gazette and D3football.com

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse sophomore cornerback Steve Teeples has been the NCAA Division III National Defensive Player of the Week by Full Impact Network and one of four national defensive Players of the Week by Football Gazette for his efforts on October 2. He was also recognized on the D3football.com Team of the Week.

Teeples, a native of Black River Falls, Wis., totaled seven tackles in UW-La Crosse's 35-14 victory at UW-Stevens Point. He also forced and recovered a fumble, broke up four passes and made two interceptions with 19 return yards.

Also receiving the award were Jarrod Phillips of Tri-State (Ind.), Ross Trimmer of Grove City (Pa.) and Rob Walsh of Amherst (Mass.).

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UW-Whitewater's Burns Named National Offensive Player of the Week by Football Gazette

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Colin Burns has been named one of four national players of the week by Football Gazette for his efforts on September 25.

Burns rushed for 241 yards on a conference-record 54 attempts in UW-Whitewater's 12-7 victory at No. 13-ranked UW-Eau Claire. His 54 carries surpassed the previous mark of 53 set by UW-Stout's Luke Bundgaard against UW- Platteville last season. Burns' 54 attempts also broke the school single-game mark of 40 set by Mike Miller against UW-River Falls in 1984.

Also honored by Football Gazette were Chris Jacoubs of Moravian (Pa.), Kam Kniss and Tyke Spencer of North Central (Ill.).

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UW-Platteville's Ehret Honored by Full Impact Network, Football Gazette and D3football.com

University of Wisconsin-Platteville junior linebacker Brandon Ehret has been recognized as the national defensive Player of the Week by Full Impact Network and one of three national Defensive Players of the Week by Football Gazette. Ehret was also named to the D3football.com Team of the Week for his efforts on September 18.

Ehret had a huge game defensively and made a game-changing interception as UW-Platteville stopped NCAA Division I-AA Drake (Iowa) 33-23. With the Pioneers ahead 20-17, Ehret picked off a pass and returned the ball 61 yards to the Bulldog nine-yard line. Three plays later, the Pioneers scored for a 10-point advantage. Ehret made nine tackles in the contest, including three for losses and two quarterback sacks, broke up three passes and forced a late fumble which the Pioneers recovered. UW-Platteville ran out the final 3:06 of the game to seal the victory.

Ehret shares the national honor with Matt Jackson of Rose-Hulman Institute of Techology (Ind.) and Nick Toboy of Kalamazoo (Mich.).

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UW-Stout's Ohman Named National Player of the Week by Football Gazette

University of Wisconsin-Stout senior quarterback has been recognized as one of three National Offensive Players of the Week by Football Gazette for games played on September 11.

Ohman took over the UW-Stout offense in a convincing 23-0 season-opening victory at DePauw (Ind.) on September 11. He ran 19 times for a game-high 116 yards and completed 23-of-30 passes for a game-high 216 yards. Ohman led scoring drives of 94 yards, 92 yards, 49 yards and 54 yards as UW-Stout gave head coach Todd Strop his first career win. Ohman threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as he amassed 332 yards of the Blue Devils' 416 yards of total offense.

Ryan Abels of Waynesburg (Pa.) sophomore running back Ryan Abels and St. John Fisher (N.Y.) sophomore running back Mark Robinson were also recognized as offensive players of the week.

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UW-La Crosse's Halvorson Named To D3football.com Team of the Week

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse junior free safety Kenneth Halvorson has been named to the D3football.com Team of the week for his efforts on September 11.

Halvorson had a game-high 12 tackles, including eight solo in UW-La Crosse's season-opening 34-13 victory at UM-Duluth to snap the Bulldogs' 18-game home winning streak. He also had one tackle for loss and one pass break- up. Halvorson returned a fumble 43 yards for a touchdown and blocked an extra-point attempt in the first quarter as the Eagles sprinted to a 20-6 advantage.

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UW-Oshkosh's Raschke Named To D3football.com Team of the Week

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh freshman placekicker Lucas Raschke has been named to the D3football.com Team of the Week for his efforts on September 4.

Raschke booted a school-record four field goals as UW-Oshkosh opened its 110th season with a 33-21 victory over Upper Iowa on September 3 in Fayette, Iowa. Raschke opened the game's scoring by kicking a 40-yard field goal at the 9:37 mark of the first quarter. He then extended the Titans' lead to 6-0 on a 19-yard field goal at the 1:29 mark of the first period and 16-0 on a 25-yard field goal at the 7:40 mark of the second. Raschke, who also kicked three extra points in the contest, gave UW-Oshkosh a 33-14 lead on a 22-yard field goal with 6:45 remaining in the game. The Titans took a 23-0 lead to intermission behind 11 points from Raschke.

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2004 WIAC Football Preview

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, which won its second consecutive conference title last year, is favored to win the 2004 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football championship, according to the league's sports information directors.

The Eagles, who enter the season ranked second nationally in Street & Smith's magazine and fourth by D3football.com, received seven out of eight first-place votes in the league poll.

UW-Stevens Point, ranked No. 9 by D3football.com, captured the remaining first-place vote and is pegged to finish second in the eight-team league derby.

The 2004 season also welcomes a new head coach into the league as Todd Strop takes over at UW-Stout.

Following is brief preview of each WIAC football team, in alphabetical order, and its 2003 overall and conference record in parenthesis.

UW-Eau Claire (5-5, 4-3 WIAC)

With five All-Conference players, a senior quarterback who will be a three-year starter, and two halfbacks all returning in 2004, UW-Eau Claire and head coach Todd Hoffner look poised to improve on last year's mark after losing three out of five games to end the season. Nels Fredrickson will assume the quarterback duties for UW-Eau Claire after completing 156-of-295 passes for 2,364 yards and 18 touchdowns. Returning behind Fredrickson are halfbacks Joe Gast and Brian Mitchell. The pair combined for 999 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, with Gast compiling 609 yards and 10 touchdowns in eight games to earn All-WIAC Second Team accolades.

Giving Fredrickson targets to throw to will be junior wide receiver Matt Evensen and senior tight end Dan Kahl, both All-WIAC Honorable Mention selections last season. Evensen ranked fifth in the WIAC in receiving yards per game with 80.6, while Kahl caught 41 passes for 501 yards, including four touchdowns.

The Blugolds also return four offensive linemen from the 2003 season. Seniors Pete Monfre and Devon Disrude, along with junior Brandon Basken and sophomore Dan Karcz all started last season and will look to fill the void left by All-WIAC Second Team selection Brett Etzel.

The Blugold defense returns a solid core of key players, including All-WIAC Second Team performers Mike Lansing and Dave Maas. Lansing finished second in the WIAC with 97 tackles, while also totaling three interceptions. Maas registered 67 tackles, two quarterback sacks and one tackle for loss.

Joining Lansing at linebacker are juniors Jared Roeker, Andrew Jones and Johnny Klicka. Roeker played five games last year and totaled 49 tackles and two interceptions, while Jones and Klicka combined for 125 tackles. Joining Maas on the defensive line will be senior Brent Crank, junior Peter Leadholm and sophomore Bob McNutt. Crank started every game last season and totaled 56 tackles and six quarterback sacks.

In the Blugold secondary, sophomore Brent Weber and junior Derek Sikora will look to fill the loss of All-WIAC First Team selection Mike LaBarbera. Weber finished third on the team with 81 tackles a year ago, while Sikora led the squad with four interceptions and added 65 tackles.

UW-Eau Claire will open the 2004 season against defending national champion St. John's (Minn.) at Carson Park on September 4.

UW-La Crosse (10-2, 6-1)

UW-La Crosse returns 48 letterwinners and 16 starters as the Eagles aim for their third consecutive WIAC title. Fifth-year head coach Larry Terry, the WIAC Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2003, welcomes back eight offensive and seven defensive starters this season.

Junior quarterback Steve Tennies returns to anchor the UW-La Crosse backfield. Tennies started all 10 contests a year ago and earned All-WIAC Second Team honors after finishing 176-of-318 for 2,522 yards and 20 touchdowns. Senior tailback Ben Dorsey is the Eagles' top returning rusher after finishing with 181 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Matt Pagel will move from fullback to tailback in 2004 after scoring seven touchdowns last season.

Whoever lines up behind Tennies will have an experienced offensive line to lead them. Seniors Troy VanZile (left) and Andrew McGlenn (right) return at tackle, while juniors Dave Jacobson and Kent Anderson are back at guard. Junior Adam Dow returns at center. McGlenn was an All-WIAC First Team selection in 2003 and named to the NCAA Division III All-West Region First Team, while VanZile earned All-WIAC Second Team honors. Senior Chris Ahrens, an All-WIAC First Team choice in 2002, returns after missing last season with injury.

Senior Scott Burnoski leads the wide receiving corps in 2004 after earning All-WIAC First Team and All-West Region Second Team honors last season. He led the Eagles with 76 receptions, 1,100 yards and nine touchdowns in 2003. Senior Jeremy Korth also returns at wide receiver, while senior Andrew Lehman will take over at tight end.

Seniors Dustin Powell and Adam Schneider return to anchor the Eagles' linebacker group after earning all- conference first and second team honors, respectively, last year. Powell led the squad with 93 tackles, while Schneider, finished second with 77 tackles. Seniors Deke Stanek, Kevin Fitzgerald and Gene Janke, along with juniors Josh Hamre and Marcelle Gathing will all see playing time at linebacker. Junior safeties Jacob Burch and Kenneth Halvorson return to the Eagles' secondary in 2004, along with senior Josh Otto, junior Kevin Vitkus and sophomore Steve Teeples at the cornerback spots. Seniors Cory Thompson and Matt Buelow and juniors Chinenye Diei and Dreu Viola will see significant time along the defensive line. Thompson played in two games last season before missing the rest of the year with an injury. Buelow had 23 tackles, recording seven for loss and two quarterback sacks.

The Eagles' place-kicking and punting duties are in the capable feet of senior Jedediah Jensen who earned All- WIAC Second Team honors at kicker last season. He finished eight-of-14 in field goal attempts and converted 46- of-47 extra-point attempts a year ago.

UW-Oshkosh (4-6, 1-6)

With its 110th season of intercollegiate competition on the horizon, UW-Oshkosh has been working with a sense of purpose and pride to bring the Titans back into contention for an upper-division finish in the WIAC.

The optimism for the 2004 campaign, Phil Meyer's fifth as UW-Oshkosh's head coach, is generated by the return of 17 starters and a very productive off-season weight training and conditioning program. In all, 34 lettermen return to the program this fall after training together during the off-season with the intent on making themselves and their teammates better for the many challenges that await in 2004.

There's no questioning the fact that a more experienced UW-Oshkosh squad will take to the gridiron this fall than the one that won its first four games of the 2003 season before losing its last six.

UW-Oshkosh returns 10 seniors to its 2004 team, including defensive tackle Dustin Drexel who has started 28 games and offensive guard Pat Hughes and quarterback Nick Wara who have started 20 contests each. Wara enters his final collegiate campaign having completed 336-of-628 passes for 3,805 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also has 265 career rushes for 814 yards and seven scores.

This year's senior class also features the 19 career starts of offensive tackle Jesse Turkow, 18 of linebacker Dan Mulqueen and the 15 each of fullback Aaron Chaltry and linebacker Craig Korth.

UW-Platteville (3-7, 1-6)

UW-Platteville head coach Mike Emendorfer thought he'd live a long time before he ever saw a season like the 2002 campaign, when the Pioneers dropped six games in the final minute, including a pair of overtime games. Instead, he didn't even have to wait a year.

The 2003 season picked up where 2002 left off. After a 2-0 start that included a stunning 21-20 win against NCAA Division I-AA non-scholarship Drake (Iowa), the Pioneers dropped six of their next seven games. Most of the losses were of heartbreaking fashion, from Augustana (Ill.) kicking a 54-yard field goal on the game's final play to win 27- 26, to being stopped deep in UW-La Crosse territory in a 20-14 setback, to rallying from a 35-6 deficit to within 42- 35 at UW-Eau Claire with the final pass being batted down in the end zone.

Under Emendorfer, the Pioneers have averaged more than 300 passing yards per game. For the first time in four years, someone other than Tom Stetzer will be doing the throwing. Stetzer totaled 10,054 career yards of total offense, 10th all-time in NCAA Division III history. Getting first crack is Brent Nelson, who threw for 1,167 yards in four games as a redshirt freshman. He demonstrated his potential in his first collegiate start, completing 36-of-60 passes for 440 yards and five touchdowns against UW-Eau Claire.

Although Matt Kent (2,958 career receiving yards) and Jason Leonard (218 career receptions) graduated, plenty of experienced receivers return. Max Seroogy led the team with 64 catches for 777 yards and four scores, while Dan Holz caught 19 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown as a starter. Derek Hoff (20-190, 1 TD) and Brian Gallick (11- 125, 2 TDs) came on strong at the end of the year. Damian Droessler, who gained 175 yards and scored seven times, is the top returning back. An experienced offensive line returns as Jared Brown, Chris Lee, John Hepp, Tim Mantsch and Will Didier all started at some point during the 2003 season.

The defense will be under the direction of new coordinator Tom Watts. The Pioneers have an experienced linebacker group with All-WIAC Honorable Mention selection Jimmy Harris (84 tackles), Tom Venner (51), Brandon Ehret (42) and Mike Borsellino (21) ready to make the new 3-4 defense a go. Backs Mike Bach, Hans Christiansen, Bill Nowak and Ryan Glynn all started at least one game. A big help could come from ends Andy Hulst and Don Anderson and back Julius Davis, who missed all or most of 2003 with injuries. Andy Spoor returns on the defensive line, which will also benefit from redshirt freshmen Mike Finkenbinder and Brian Steingraber.

Kicker Jason Borchardt (4-for-5 on field goals) and All-WIAC Second Team punter Dan Lilla (40.1 average) also return.

UW-River Falls (2-7, 2-5)

The 2004 Falcons will look to improve in all areas of the game and will rely on some key returning players to lead the way after a disappointing 2003 campaign. Eight starters return to each of the offensive and defensive units for head coach John O'Grady, who enters his 16th season with UW-River Falls.

UW-River Falls has led the WIAC in rushing every year since 1973 and last season averaged 318.6 yards per game and finished sixth in the NCAA Division III. Senior halfback John Peterlik is back after rushing for 1,114 yards in 2002 and 984 last year. He was named to the All-WIAC First Team as an all-purpose back in 2003, when he led the league with 185.4 yards per contest and finished second in scoring and fourth in rushing. All-WIAC First Team fullback Owen Schmitt, who led the Falcons in rushing a season ago, has transferred to the University of West Virginia.

The success of the offense will be based on the line and the Falcons return senior Jeremy Hotz and juniors Alan Nutt, Nate Cook and Chris Ammann. Hotz and Cook started at guard last year, Nutt at tackle and Ammann at tight end.

Eight starters are back to the defense and that unit will look to improve on last year's numbers after finishing eighth in the WIAC in scoring defense with 33.9 points per contest and sixth in total defense with 431.1 yards per game.

Defensive leaders will be senior free safety Kyle Hoegh, who led the Falcons with 66 tackles; senior linebacker Matt Farmer, who was second in tackles with 57 and junior corner Lewis Parish, who finished third with 50 tackles. Others who will help include senior linebacker Nate Gray (48 tackles) and sophomore Dan Buker (35 tackles).

UW-River Falls faces a difficult start to the season, playing games at NCAA Division II opponents Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) and Bemidji State (Minn.) and then traveling to Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) before the conference opener at UW-Eau Claire. The Falcons will not play a home game until the sixht contest of the year when they host UW- Whitewater.

UW-Stevens Point (8-2, 5-2)

With 17 returning starters, there really aren't many questions regarding the 2004 Pointers, but the one question that lingers on is at quarterback where it must replace All-American Scott Krause. The Pointers bring a five-game winning streak into the season, coming off a year that saw them average a school record 39.4 points per game and lead the conference in defense.

Sophomore Jake Dickert threw two passes and took snaps in five games last year - all with a 30-point lead or bigger - and freshman Nick Venden was a redshirt quarterback last season as the two returning signal callers. Some incoming freshmen and transfers will also compete for the spot.

On offense, a foursome that caught 172 of Krause's 206 passes and 31 of his 37 touchdowns last year are all back with returning senior wide receivers Kurt Kielblock and Tony Romano, sophomore running back Cody Childs and senior tight end Ross Adamczak. Four starters are back on the offensive line, including All-WIAC First Team senior Cliff Ruland and All-WIAC Second Team senior Robb Kolodziej. Senior Peter Moskal and junior Tom Wallace also return.

Defensively, the Pointers have eight starters back from the squad that led the WIAC in total defense, rush defense and pass defense. Leading the way is an experienced defensive line that features senior Clint Bakken, a unanimous All-WIAC First Team performer last season. Senior Craig Johnson led the team with six sacks and 19 tackles for loss last year and returns at defensive end along with sophomore Jake Nantell. At linebacker, the Pointers return both outside starters in senior Brett Ehret and junior Brett Maxwell. There's plenty of experience in the secondary as All-WIAC Second Team junior LaRon Ragsdale had five interceptions last year and returns with a pair of two-year starters in juniors Chase Kostichka and Jared Flesch.

UW-Stout (6-4, 4-3)

Over the past four years, UW-Stout has posted a 29-11 overall record, the best in the WIAC during that span. The Blue Devils are under new leadership as defensive coordinator Todd Strop takes over the top spot after Ed Meierkort moved on to NCAA Division II University of South Dakota after 11 seasons at UW-Stout.

Strop, who was the defensive coordinator for six seasons, will inherit a team he is very familiar with, but one that will have to replace their entire starting offensive line and the WIAC's all-time leader rusher in Luke Bundgaard. Bundgaard rushed for a school- and conference-best 4,427 career yards.

Versatile senior quarterback Nick Ohman returns to lead the Blue Devils for his fourth season. Ohman completed 130-of-262 passes for 1,981 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2003, while netting 372 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

A key for the Blue Devils will be the return of sophomore tailback Ryan Englebert and senior wide receiver Matt Sprester. Both were injured in an automobile accident that ended their 2003 season after three games. Englebert, who split time with Bundgaard at tailback, was averaging 112.0 rushing yards per game, while Sprester was the team's leading receiver, averaging 60.3 yards and one touchdown per contest.

Senior wide receiver Seth Mattison and senior fullback Matt Schaeuble were key targets for Ohman, with Mattison pulling down 17 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns, while Schaeuble hauled in 18 short passes for 166 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Jesse Wendt and senior tight end Ross Jones will also fit into the passing game.

The Blue Devils' entire offensive line graduated, but that doesn't leave the team decimated on the line. Sophomores John Rosenberg and Bill Bellingham redshirted last season after considerable action during their true-freshman season. Juniors Robert Gill and Jay Runk and sophomore Ryan Sarner saw quite a bit of time in 2003.

On defense, Strop will need to replace most of his starting defensive line and a four-year starting strong safety. In three of the last four years, UW-Stout's defense was the top overall defense in the WIAC. Junior Ben Meyer and sophomore Bono Gbolo bring experience to the defensive line from backup roles. Senior linebackers Travis Phillips, Luke Rykal, Nate Rykal and Noah Mayer return, along with junior Arik Gunderson and sophomore Luke Steffen. Defensive backs Jordan Sinz, a senior, and junior Joe Seep and sophomore Tony Fitts are also back in 2004.

UW-Whitewater (7-3, 5-2)

Gone is the all-time leading rusher in the history of UW-Whitewater, who also earned All-America honors as a placekicker. Gone too are a pair of All-WIAC First Team offensive linemen that did the lion's share of the work up front. Toss in a quarterback, fullback and tight end and it could look bleak for 2004.

But that is the glass half-empty view. Reliable senior Keiya Square has been waiting for his shot at the featured running back spot for three years. Sophomore Colin Burns showed flashes in limited action last year, and sophomore blazer Derek Stanley will definitely be a change of pace. Stanley earned All-America honors last year after leading NCAA Division III in kickoff returns, then added All-America accolades in track and field, becoming the first two- sport freshmen All-American in school history.

Senior Mike Askren split the quarterback duties last year, and junior Justin Jacobs also saw time and provides plenty of stability at the key position. Askren and Jacobs won't have to wait for the running game to develop, with junior Sean Erner (42 catches for 574 yards), senior Jim Lesczynski (27 for 492 and six touchdowns) and senior Eric Stauss (26 for 315) to stretch the field.

The offensive line will be the biggest rebuilding project. In addition to the all-league performers, the Warhawks lost a couple of other players that started at least one game. UW-Whitewater will rely on the backups from the 2003 season, redshirts and 2004 recruits to fill the void. Fortunately, on the defensive side of the ball, 11 of the top 14 tacklers from 2003 return. And there's a senior all- conference performer to lead every level of the defensive set, including All-WIAC First Team end Nick Zolper, All- WIAC First Team safety Andy Walters and All-WIAC Second Team linebacker Colin Price. Zolper registered a team-leading seven quarterback sacks, while sophomore Ryan Kleppe led the team with 12 tackles for loss.

Stanley and Erner, along with defensive backs Trey Bell and Derek Brown will make the punt and kickoff teams truly special. The Warhawks will have to replace the league's top placekicker in Wurth and All-WIAC First Team punter Kyle Haug.

2004 Preseason Predictions (Voted on by WIAC Sports Information Directors)

1. La Crosse (7) 2. Stevens Point (1) 3. Whitewater 4. Stout 5. Eau Claire 6. Oshkosh 7. River Falls 8. Platteville

( )--First-place votes

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Lambeau Field Plays Host To WIAC Football Officials

RELEASED: Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Madison, Wis.--Football officials from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) were able to learn from the best of the best this past Sunday as the 2004 WIAC Football Officials' Clinic was held at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. With the assistance of the Green Bay Packers and the NFL, the WIAC was able to arrange to have the NFL crew that officiated the Packer exhibition game vs. the New Orleans Saints on Saturday night serve as the clinicians for the WIAC clinic on Sunday.

The NFL crew, headed-up by former WIAC football official Bill Carollo, conducted the day-long clinic and focused on a variety of topics including professionalism, philosophy, leadership, communication, performance evaluations and on-field mechanics. The clinic also featured presentations by Larry Upson, NFL director of officiating operations, Jerry Seeman, former NFL referee and supervisor of officials, Ron Botchan, NFL assistant supervisor of officials, and Vince Tobin, Green Bay Packers special assistant.

"This was an incredible opportunity for our officials to learn from and interact directly with some of the finest officials in the NFL. To think that these NFL officials as well as Larry, Jerry, Ron and Vince would take the time and make the effort to conduct this clinic speaks volumes about their professionalism and willingness to give back to the game that has given so much to them", commented WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner.

"The WIAC is indebted to the Packer organization for providing us with an incredible facility to conduct the clinic and to the NFL for making this crew and the other presenters available to us," added Karner.

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UW-Stevens Point's Krause Signs Free Agent Contract With Toronto Argonauts

Stevens Point, Wis.--Former UW-Stevens Point quarterback Scott Krause has signed a free agent contract with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

Krause, the 2003 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year and a first-team All-American quarterback, is the third UW-Stevens Point quarterback to sign a professional contract. The Green Bay Packers signed Reed Giordana in 1978 and Kirk Baumgartner in 1990.

The Waunakee native also worked out with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL, but after attending a tryout camp in Toronto, was put on the Argonauts “protect list.” Toronto will open training camp on May 19. Krause is the only NCAA Division III player on the roster and one of three quarterbacks, along with 20-year veteran Damon Allen and second-year player Marcus Brady. Allen is the CFL’s all-time leading passer.

“I am very excited to get this opportunity to complete at the next level,” Krause said. “It is a great honor to know that only two other non-Division I quarterbacks have been signed in either the NFL or CFL this year.”

“Scott and his family made a decision early that being a late round or free agent in the NFL would not be in his best interest,” Pointers’ head coach John Miech said. “The CFL would give Scott the best opportunity to develop and play as a pro. The Canadian game is what Scott is all about. The fields are wider and longer, therefore they look for quarterbacks who can scramble and throw on the run.”

Krause led Division III in the regular season with 37 touchdown passes, marking the fourth-highest season total in WIAC history. He threw for 2,963 yards with just nine interceptions and completed a school-record 66.1 percent of his passes. Krause ranked second nationally in passing efficiency and fifth in total offense, while rushing for 322 yards and four touchdowns as UW-Stevens Point finished 8-2 overall.

“We’re very excited about the outstanding potential Scott has to be a successful quarterback in Toronto, we really think he’s the sleeper of the NFL draft,” said Argonauts Director of Player Personnel Greg Mohns. “At the quarterback camp (held in Toronto) we were most impressed with Scott’s accuracy and the quickness of his delivery. It was evident that he’s been well coached throughout his football career.”

“During my tryout, I was very impressed with Coach Kent Austin (offensive coordinator) and (Head) Coach “Pinball” Clemmons,” said Krause, whose father, Larry, played four seasons with the Packers. “They are very organized and run a very classy and professional organization. I plan to work my hardest to prove to them that they made the right choice.”

Toronto finished 9-9 last season and lost in the semifinals of the Grey Cup playoffs. The Argonauts have won 14 Grey Cup titles and are North America’s oldest professional football franchise in their 130th year.

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Strop Named Head Football Coach At UW-Stout

RELEASED: Thursday, January 29, 2004

Menomonie, Wis.--UW-Stout went only as far as their own coaching staff to name their next head football coach.

Todd Strop, the team's defensive coordinator for the past six seasons, has been named to replace Ed Meierkort, who accepted the head coaching position at NCAA Division II University of South Dakota in December, Chancellor Charles W. Sorensen announced Thursday, Jan. 29 at a press conference. Strop is the 18th head football coach at UW-Stout.

As the defensive coordinator, Strop has been the main architect of the defense that has ranked at the top of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) three of the last four years and has been nationally ranked twice. The 2002 Blue Devil defense allowed an NCAA Division III low 500 rushing yards, and was ranked 13th in overall defense.

"The head coaching position is a wide encompassing job," the 35-year-old Strop said. "The challenge will be having my handprint on all aspects of the program, not just on defense."

Meierkort coached the Blue Devils for 11 years, finishing with a 55-55 overall record. But the Blue Devils were 29- 11 over the last four years, including a conference title in 2000 and had no lower than a fourth place finish in the WIAC any of those seasons.

"Ed did a great job turning this program around," Strop said. "I look forward to turning a good program into a great program. We have many things in place here at Stout - the facilities, high academics, top recruiting classes - to challenge at the national level."

When Strop walked onto the Stout campus six years ago, he immediately fell in love with the Stout and Menomonie communities. Growing up in nearby Ladysmith, Strop was familiar with Stout and the WIAC.

"Growing up in northwest Wisconsin, these are the dream jobs," Strop said. After a 6-4 record last season, Strop believes Stout has the tools needed to continue to challenge for the top spot in the WIAC.

"The last two or three recruiting classes have been very good recruiting classes," Strop said. "When I look at the skills positions, we are as good as we have ever been.

"We need to look at a lot of the little things, and do the little things right."

Strop, who was the WIAC assistant coach of the year in 2000, worked specifically with the defensive backs and has been the team's recruiting coordinator the last five seasons. Over Strop's tenure, the Blue Devil defense has had five All-America picks and two players that went on to play in the NFL, Jeff Hazuga with the Minnesota Vikings and Tony Beckham, who is currently playing with the Tennessee Titans.

Strop played at Wisconsin from 1987-92 for present coach Barry Alvarez as a defensive back and special teams player. Strop has a special place in his heart for special teams, and wants to put more of an emphasis on that part of Stout's game.

"I wasn't that good at Wisconsin, and special teams is how I got on the field," Strop quipped. "Specials team are huge. The biggest thing about special teams is to make the players feel that is an important part of the game."

After receiving a degree in history from Wisconsin in 1992, Strop was the special teams coordinator at UW- Platteville from 1992-94. He was a graduate assistant at Ohio University from 1994-95, where he earned an advanced degree in physical education athletic administration, then became the head football coach and taught history at nearby Durand High School from 1995-98.

Strop took over a program that had been averaging fewer than two wins a season, and had the Panthers in the WIAA playoffs his final two seasons in Durand. Strop came to Stout from Durand.

Strop resides in Menomonie with his wife, Chris, and two children, a son, Tyler, and a daughter, Kyle.

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