2006-07 WIAC Women's Golf Season Headlines

2006-07 WIAC Women's Golf Season Headlines

Five Earn NGCA All-American Scholar Team Status

RELEASED: Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Madison, Wis.--Five Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) individuals have been named to the 2007 NCAA Division III National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) All-American Scholar Team.

UW-Eau Claire’s Kate Borman, UW-Stevens Point’s Sarah Mosher and Amy Stiloski and UW-Whitewater’s Kendall Egnarski and Diana Schmidt were among the 63 student-athletes recognized for their performance on and off the course during the 2006-07 season.

This marks the second straight year Egnarski received the honor.

The criteria for selection to the All-American Scholar Team are the most stringent of all college athletics. The minimum cumulative grade point average is 3.50 and student-athletes must have competed in at least 66 percent of the college’s regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the year.

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Three Earn NGCA All-America Honors; UW-Stevens Point’s Interbartolo Named Coach of the Year

RELEASED: Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Madison, Wis.--Three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) individuals have been named to the 2006-07 National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) NCAA Division III All-America Team. In addition, UW-Stevens Point head coach Matt Interbartolo was named the NCAA Division III Coach of the Year.

UW-Eau Claire’s Meghan Sobotta and UW-Oshkosh’s Jennifer Young earned All-America Second Team honors, while the Blugolds’ Jessica Thompson was a honorable mention selection.

Sobotta, a junior from Arcadia, Wis., secured All-America second team recognition for the second consecutive year. She tied for 21st at the NCAA Division III championship last week and tallied a fifth-place standing at the WIAC championship last fall. Sobotta led the Blugolds with an 80.5 stroke average in the fall and tied for top honors with an 81.1 mark in the spring, while shooting a season-best 74 at the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational on Sept. 17.

Young, a senior from Salem, Wis. (Westosha Central H.S.), earned All-America second team honors for the fourth straight season. She finished 12th at the national championship and placed second at the WIAC championship. Young shot in the 70s in 11 of her 21 rounds this year, including a season-best 75 at the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational on Sept. 17 and the last round of the NCAA championship.

Thompson, a senior from Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH), tied for 23rd at the national meet finished fourth at the annual league event. She was second on the team with an 80.8 stroke average in the fall and tied Sobotta with an 81.1 mark in the spring, while firing a season-best 76 three times.

Interbartolo directed the Pointers to their highest national ranking in school history at No. 8 in the spring of 2007. He also helped the Pointers earn their first-ever multiple-school invitational titles – a feat accomplished four times during the 2006-07 season.

Interbartolo was also recognized as the WIAC Coach of the Year this season as the squad finished either first or second in eight of their 12 meets.

The NGCA also announced an All-Central Region Team for the 2006-07 season. Joining Sobotta, Young and Thompson on the squad were: UW-Eau Claire’s Torie Ives and UW-Stevens Point’s Susie Lewis and Jessica Urban.

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UW-Eau Claire Places Seventh at NCAA Women’s Golf Championship

RELEASED: Monday, May 14, 2007

Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.--University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire placed seventh out of 20 teams at the 2007 NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championship, which was held at Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort on May 8-11.

The Blugolds totaled 1,343 strokes during the event to finish +175 over par and record the program’s seventh straight top-10 finish.

Methodist University (N.C.) won the national title for the 10th straight year with a four-day total of 1,215 (+47). DePauw University (Ind.) was second (+135), Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) placed third (+150), Southwestern University (Texas) finished fourth (+154) and University of St. Thomas (Minn.) was fifth (+157).

Methodist’s Katie Dick won the national title out of 111 participants with a 72-hole total of 296 (+4).

Meghan Sobotta was the top finisher for UW-Eau Claire, finishing in a tie for 21st (86-84-79-79=328) (+36). Jessie Thompson tied for 23rd (87-84-76-83=330) (+38), Torie Ives tied for 38th (84-85-82-86=337) (+45), Brianna Obermueller tied for 62nd (87-85-93-88=353) (+61) and Kate Borman tied for 76th (100-87-93-83=363) (+71).

Individually, UW-Oshkosh’s Jennifer Young finished 12th (78-87-82-75=322) (+30), while UW-Stevens Point’s Susie Lewis tied for 35th (89-81-87-79=336) (+44) and Jessica Urban placed 45th (81-88-84-86=339) (+47).

This marked the first year that UW-Stevens Point was represented at the national championship.

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NCAA Women’s Golf Bids Announced

RELEASED: Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire has been selected to compete in the 2007 NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championship, which will be held May 8-11 at the Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

In addition, UW-Oshkosh’s Jennifer Young and UW-Stevens Point’s Susie Lewis and Jessica Urban were among 11 individuals, not from selected teams, chosen to compete in the national event.

UW-Eau Claire received an automatic bid into the 20-team tournament field by winning the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship in October, 2006. The Blugolds are making their seventh straight appearance in the NCAA tournament with a school-best third-place finish in 2005.

Young, a senior from Salem, Wis., is making her fourth appearance in the national meet after finishing 15th in 2006, 18th in 2005 and 36th in 2004. She is a three-time NCAA Division III All-America second team selection. This year, Young has averaged 80.05 strokes for her 17 18-hole rounds. She won the UW-Oshkosh Spring Invitational and the UW-Stevens Point Spring Invitational, while finishing second at the WIAC Championship.

Lewis, a senior from Crystal Lake, Ill., is a three-time All-WIAC performer and posted an 80.9 average in 23 rounds this season. She won the individual title at the UW-Oshkosh and Elmhurst (Ill.) Invitationals and also shot seven rounds below 80.

Urban, a freshman from Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead H.S.), averaged 80.1 over 10 spring meets and has an 83.0 average for the year. She shot 84 or better in all 10 spring meets and was the top Division III finisher at the Oglethorpe (Ga.) Invitational.

The selections for Lewis and Urban signify the first time UW-Stevens Point will be represented at the NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championship.

The championship will consist of both team and individual competition conducted concurrently. The tournament consists of 72 holes of play over four days of competition. In the team competition, the low four scores from each team for each day will count in the team’s total score.

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UW-Oshkosh’s Young Leads All-WIAC Women’s Golf Selections

RELEASED: Friday, November 17, 2006

Madison, Wis.--For the second time in three seasons, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Jennifer Young has been named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Player of the Year.

Young’s selection leads the list of 14 individuals named to the 2006-07 All-WIAC Women’s Golf Team.

Young also earned the league’s player of the year honor during the 2003-04 season. She is a three-time first team selection who registered a 80.4 stroke average this fall and placed second at the WIAC championship.

The three-time All-America second team selection added a second-place finish at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational and a third-place standing at the UW-Stevens Point Invitational. Six of her 12 rounds resulted in a score in the 70s, including a season-best mark of 75 during the second round of the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational.

Repeat selections on the eight-person first team included: UW-Eau Claire’s Meghan Sobotta and Jessica Thompson and UW-Stevens Point’s Susie Lewis.

Sobotta, an All-America second team choice a year ago, captured first team status for the third straight season after posting a team-best stroke average of 80.5 during fall competition. She captured medalist honors at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational and finished third at the UW-Stevens Point Invitational. Sobotta completed the fall season with a fifth-place finish at the WIAC championship.

Thompson secured first team recognition for the third consecutive year after registering a 80.8 stroke average and earning medalist honors at the UW-Stevens Point Invitational. She also finished fourth at the league championship.

Lewis earned first team accolades for the third straight season after compiling a 80.9 stroke average. She captured medalist honors at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational to become the first Pointer to win an individual tournament title. Lewis also was the top finisher at the Elmhurst College (Ill.) Invitational.

Also named to the first team were: UW-Eau Claire’s Torie Ives, UW-Oshkosh’s Jessica Tiffe and UW-Stevens Point’s Sarah Mosher and Jessica Urban.

The six individuals comprising the second team included: UW-Eau Claire’s Kate Borman, UW-Oshkosh’s Megan Scherg, UW-Stevens Point’s Katie Kautz and Amy Stiloski and UW-Whitewater’s Stephanie Campbell and Kendall Egnarski.

2006-07 All-WIAC Women’s Golf Team
First Team
Name, School, Year, Hometown (High School)
Torie Ives, UW-Eau Claire, Freshman, Osseo (Osseo-Fairchild)
Susie Lewis, UW-Stevens Point, Senior, Crystal Lake, Ill. (Central)
Sarah Mosher, UW-Stevens Point, Junior, Evansville
Meghan Sobotta, UW-Eau Claire, Junior, Arcadia
Jessica Thompson, UW-Eau Claire, Senior, Stevens Point (SPASH)
Jessica Tiffe, UW-Oshkosh, Junior, Brookfield (Central)
Jessica Urban, UW-Stevens Point, Freshman, Hartland (Arrowhead)
Jennifer Young, UW-Oshkosh, Senior, Salem (Westosha Central)

Second Team
Kate Borman, UW-Eau Claire, Freshman, Kenosha (Bradford)
Stephanie Campbell, UW-Whitewater, Freshman, Waukesha (Kettle Moraine)
Kendall Egnarski, UW-Whitewater, Senior, Watertown
Katie Kautz, UW-Stevens Point, Junior, Des Plaines, Ill. (St. Viator)
Megan Scherg, UW-Oshkosh, Sophomore, Kimberly
Amy Stiloski, UW-Stevens Point, Freshman, Brookfield (Central)

Player of the Year: Jennifer Young of UW-Oshkosh
Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete: Kendall Egnarski of UW-Whitewater
Coach of the Year: Matt Interbartolo of UW-Stevens Point

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UW-Whitewater's Egnarski Receives Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete Award

RELEASED: Monday, October 9, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Kendall Egnarski has been named the recipient of the 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women's Golf Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award.

Egnarski, a senior from Watertown, Wis., is majoring in management computer systems and carries a 3.67 grade point average. She is a three-time National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) Scholar All-American and WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll member. Egnarski has also been recognized on UW-Whitewater's Dean's List and is a member of the Honors program.

A two-year team captain, she recently secured her best finish at the league championship with a sixth-place standing after finishing 10th in 2005, tied for 13th in 2004 and tied for 19th in 2003.

Egnarski is a three-year member of the Association of Information Technology Professionals and served as president in spring, 2006. She has also acted as a tutor in UW-Whitewater's management computer systems program.

Egnarski becomes the fourth student-athlete from UW-Whitewater to claim the women's golf scholar-athlete award. She joins Miquel Suwalski (1997), Christy Huegerich (2001) and Lisa Irons (2003) as recipients of the prize.

Also nominated for this year's scholar-athlete award were UW-Stevens Point's Sarah Mosher and UW-Stout's Amy Bark.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Judy Kruckman, who served as Assistant Commissioner for the WIAC from 1996-98. Prior to this appointment, she functioned as Commissioner of the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from October, 1984 - September, 1996.

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-Stevens Point’s Interbartolo Named Women’s Golf Coach of the Year

RELEASED: Monday, October 9, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point head women’s golf coach Matt Interbartolo was named the 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Coach of the Year, which was determined by voting among the league coaches.

Interbartolo guided the Pointers to their first-ever tournament title in a multi-school invitational with a win at the eight-team UW-Oshkosh Invitational and followed with another win at the Elmhurst (Ill.) Invitational. The Pointers posted an all-time best 333.8 team average during the fall, but shot 343 on each day of the conference meet last weekend and placed fourth overall for the fourth straight year.

He is in his second season with the Pointers and also serves as an assistant men’s ice hockey coach.

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UW-Eau Claire Claims Third Consecutive Women's Golf Title

RELEASED: Sunday, October 8, 2006

Watertown, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire claimed its third consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women's golf title following completion of the two-day, 36-hole conference championship, which was held at Windwood of Watertown.

The Blugolds are the first school in league history to win three straight women's golf crowns and also earned the fifth title in school chronicles with additional victories in 1998 and 2001.

UW-Eau Claire posted a team score of 660 in this year's event to outdistance UW-Oshkosh which placed second with 668. The Titans were followed by UW-Whitewater (674), UW-Stevens Point (686), UW-Superior (751), UW-Stout (753), UW-Platteville (800) and UW-River Falls (816).

With the victory, the Blugolds earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Championship, which will be held May 8-11, 2007 at El Campeon Golf Course at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.

Individually, UW-Eau Claire's Torie Ives captured medalist honors after defeating UW-Oshkosh's Jennifer Young in a sudden death playoff on the first hole. Both Ives and Young counted 158 strokes over the 36 holes on the par 72 course. Young entered the second round six strokes behind Ives, but totaled a 79, while Ives counted an 85.

Ives' victory marks the fourth straight season that an individual from UW-Eau Claire has captured medalist honors. Susan Karlman won the event in 2003 and Maggie Loney earned titles in 2004 and 2005.

UW-Whitewater's Stephanie Campbell finished third in this year's meet with 159 strokes and was followed by UW-Eau Claire's Jessica Thompson in fourth with 163 strokes, UW-Eau Claire's Meghan Sobotta in fifth with 166 strokes, UW-Whitewater's Kendall Egnarski in sixth with 167 strokes, UW-Stevens Point's Susie Lewis in seventh with 168 strokes and UW-Oshkosh's Megan Scherg in eighth with 169 strokes.

UW-Stevens Point head coach Matt Interbartolo was voted the Coach of the Year, while UW-Whitewater's Kendall Egnarski received the Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award.

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Four Named to NGCA All-American Scholar Team

RELEASED: Monday, August 7, 2006

Madison, Wis.--Four Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) student-athletes have been named to the 2006 National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) All-American Scholar Team. UW-Oshkosh's Cheryl Treadwell, UW-Stevens Point's Courtney Timblin and UW-Whitewater's Kendall Egnarski and Diana Schmidt were recognized on the team.

The NCGA honored 371 student-athletes from NCAA Division I, II and III schools for their performances on and off the course during the 2005-06 season.

The criteria for selection to the NGCA's All-American Scholar Team are some of the most stringent of all college athletics. The minimum cumulative grade point average is 3.50 and student-athletes must have competed in at least 50 percent of their college's regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the year.

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Schoonover to Lead UW-Stout's Women's Golf Program

RELEASED: Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Menomonie, Wis.--Kris Schoonover did it before. Now Schoonover will get a chance to repeat history at UW-Stout as she will once again lead a program from it's infancy.

The Blue Devils women's golf team gets into full swing with the 2006-07 season and Schoonover, who will also be an instructor in the Golf Enterprise Management major, brings a wealth of history with her.

Schoonover took over a UW-Oshkosh program, starting from scratch in 1996 and, in 1997, was named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) coach of the year for the first time. The Titans won their first conference title in 2000 and Schoonover was again the WIAC coach of the year. The Titans won back-to-back league crowns in 2002 and 2003. Schoonover's 2003 team finished fifth at the NCAA Division III championships and she was named the NCAA Division III co-coach of the year by the National Golf Coaches Association. Schoonover was tabbed as NCAA District V women's coach of the year in 2001 and 2003.

"I really enjoyed developing a program at UW-Oshkosh," Schoonover said. "To watch the team and the playing ability of the players grow was fun and rewarding. Having produced WIAC championship teams, All-Americans and competing and finishing fifth in the national tournament will give me the drive to get this program on the map as a national powerhouse."

Schoonover, who earned a degree in both education and business administration and marketing from UW-Eau Claire, looks forward to marketing both the Golf Enterprise Management (GEM) program and the varsity golf programs.

"The GEM program provides a unique opportunity to recruit student-athletes that share an interest in golf and the business of golf," Schoonover said. "UW-Stout has always strived for higher learning and now the GEM program adds another unique opportunity for the students and the student-athletes."

The challenge of beginning a varsity program gives Schoonover a chance to establish short and long term goals.

"I would like to get the word out that UW-Stout has a women's golf team and a unique academic opportunity for individuals interested in the golf industry with the degree in Golf Enterprise Management,' Schoonover said. "Recruiting is my first focus, along with getting a team ready for fall tournament play.

"My long term goals are to develop All-American athletes and scholar-athletes, and to compete annually at the NCAA tournament. All goals lead towards producing national championships."

Schoonover, who earned a masters in educational leadership from UW-Oshkosh, was a women's assistant basketball coach from 1996-2003 and also served as the schools director of athletic marketing.

The Blue Devils will also re-institute men's golf after a hiatus of 15 years. A head coach is expected to be announced over the next few weeks.

Kris Schoonover's Scorecard
o NCAA Division III National Golf Coaches Association women's co-coach of the year, 2003
o NCAA District V women's coach of the year, 2001, 03
o WIAC coach of the year, 1997, 2000
o NCAA Division III National Tournament, 5th place, 2003
o WIAC Championships, 2000, 02, 03

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UW-Stout to Add Men's and Women's Golf

RELEASED: Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Menomonie, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stout will introduce women's varsity golf and reinstate men's varsity golf this fall, John Wesolek, the dean of the College of Human Development announced today.

The women's golf program will join seven other Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) schools, while the men's golf program will be an independent program. Both teams will play schedules in the fall and the spring, with the women's WIAC championship generally held in early October. National championships sponsored by the NCAA are held in early May.

The women's team will be a new sport to the Stout sports module. The women's golf club participated in the 2005 WIAC Championships last fall at Superior. The WIAC has sponsored women's golf since 1996.

The varsity men's program was discontinued after the 1990-91 season. During the late 1980s, the Stout men's golf team, under the tutelage of Sten Pierce, was the dominant team in the conference as the Blue Devils won conference titles in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Steve Dahlby was conference champion in 1987 and 1988 and Jon Higley won the individual title in 1989.

Stout carried a men's varsity golf program from at least the 1950s, but there is mention of a men's golf team as far back as the early 1930s. The WIAC (then the WSUC) sponsored men's golf until 1992.

"Establishing the women's and men's varsity golf teams will be an attraction to those students entering the new Golf Enterprise Management (GEM) major," Wesolek said, adding that the varsity programs are open to all students. "Some of these students selecting that degree may also wish to play competitive golf during their college years."

The GEM program officially began at Stout in the fall of 2005 after golf industry leaders approached the University to develop a comprehensive new golf management program. The GEM program is not about playing the game of golf, but rather about the business of golf. Degree candidates will receive coursework in business, customer service, food and beverage management and retail management, as well as golf industry-specific coursework such as customer development and retention, golf course design, turf management and clubhouse management.

The University will immediately begin a search for a coach who will also work within the school's College of Human Development, where both the GEM program and athletics are seated.

The introduction of the two programs brings the Blue Devils' sports module to 16 programs - nine for the women, seven for the men. Women's varsity programs include volleyball, cross country, tennis, soccer, basketball, gymnastics, softball and track and field. Men's varsity programs include football, cross country, basketball, hockey, baseball and track and field.

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