2006-07 WIAC Men's Basketball Headlines

2006-07 WIAC Men's Basketball Headlines

UW-La Crosse’s Werner Claims NABC All-America Status

RELEASED: Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Madison, Wis.--For the second straight season, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Joe Werner has been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division III All-America Team. He received second team honors this year after securing third team recognition a year ago.

Werner, a senior forward from Chippewa Falls, Wis. (McDonell H.S.), was named the 2007 WIAC Player of the Year and earned All-WIAC First Team status for the third straight season. He was one of 10 finalists for The Jostens Trophy as the NCAA Division III Player of the Year and became the first UW-La Crosse basketball player (third ever) to be named the WIAC Player of the Year since John Mielke in 1981. Eric Haug (1975) is the only other player in school history to earn the honor. Werner also became the third player in school history to be named to the all-conference first team three times, joining Larry Halverson (1975, 1976, 1977) and Haug (1973, 1974, 1975). Werner was named to the All-WIAC First Team in 2005 and 2006.

Werner, who started all 27 games this season, led the Eagles in scoring (16.7), rebounding (9.7) and field goal shooting (56.2%). His 263 rebounds this year ranks third in single-season school history. He recorded a league-leading 13 double-doubles and finished with 31 in his four-year career. Werner led the WIAC in rebounding this year, while ranking second in scoring and third in field goal shooting. He finished eighth in blocks (0.74 per game) and ninth in free throw shooting (76.8%).

Werner scored in double figures in 23 of 27 contests this season, including nine games with at least 21 points. He scored a career-high 34 points against UW-Superior on January 13, 2007. Werner, who played in 104 career games at UW-La Crosse with 94 starts, is fourth in career scoring with 1,404 points, first in career blocks (69) and second in career field goal shooting (56.5%) and career rebounds (829).

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UW-La Crosse’s Werner Earns D3hoops.com All-America Honors

RELEASED: Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Joe Werner has been named to the 2007 D3hoops.com All-America Fourth Team.

D3hoops.com also named an All-West Region Team for the 2007 season. Werner was a first team pick, while UW-Stevens Point’s Pete Rortvedt was a second team choice. UW-La Crosse’s Chris Ask, UW-Oshkosh’s Kerry Gibson, UW-Stout’s Jacob Nonemacher and the Pointers’ Steve Hicklin and Jon Krull were third team selections.

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Five Earn NABC All-West Region Status; UW-Stevens Point’s Semling Named Coach of the Year

RELEASED: Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Madison, Wis.--Five Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) individuals have been named to the 2007 NCAA Division III National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-West Region Team, while UW-Stevens Point head coach Bob Semling was named the region’s Coach of the Year.

UW-La Crosse’s Joe Werner, UW-Stevens Point’s Jon Krull and UW-Oshkosh’s Jim Capelle were named to the first team, while the Pointers’ Steve Hicklin and Pete Rortvedt were second team choices.

Semling, who was named the 2007 WIAC Coach of the Year, guided UW-Stevens Point to a 26-3 record and the WIAC regular season and tournament titles. The Pointers also reached the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Division III tournament. He completed his second season in charge of the Pointers and has accumulated a 43-13 record (.768 winning percentage).

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UW-Stevens Point Falls in NCAA Men’s Basketball Sectionals

RELEASED: Friday, March 9, 2007

Stevens Point, Wis.--Washington University (Mo.) pulled away from the nation’s top-ranked team in the second half and stunned UW-Stevens Point 78-66 in an NCAA Division III men’s basketball sectional semifinal on March 9 at Quandt Fieldhouse.

The Bears used a 16-2 run midway through the half and advanced to their first sectional championship since 1995. Washington, ranked 10th in Division III, is now 23-4 and will face Hope College (Mich.) on March 10 at 7 p.m. with a berth in its first-ever final four at stake.

UW-Stevens Point had a 10-game winning streak snapped and finished the year 26-3. The Pointers, who won national titles in 2004 and 2005, had the second-longest NCAA tournament win streak in Division III history snapped at 12 games.

“By the time you get this far into the season, you didn’t get here without being able to win on the road,” Washington coach Mark Edwards said. “I think it’s just a matter of the kids believing in themselves.”

Neither team held bigger than a five-point lead in the first half with the brief exception of a six-point margin UW-Stevens Point owned for 10 seconds at 19-13 on a three-point play by Jon Krull with 6:19 left. Krull later hit three straight three-pointers for a 28-24 lead with 2:32 left in the half. UW-Stevens Point’s Khalifa El-Amin drove the length of the court for a layup and a four-point lead with six seconds left, but Washington’s Phil Syvertsen followed with his only basket of the game, barely beating the buzzer with a three-pointer from the right corner that cut the lead to 30-29 at halftime.

Washington used a five-point spurt early in the second half as Tyler Nading made a pair of free throws and Nick Nikitas followed with a three-pointer for a 40-36 lead with 15:02 remaining. The Bears never relinquished the lead from that point as UW-Stevens Point struggled all night from three-point range, hitting just eight-for-36 from behind the arc.

“We thought they were a very good shooting team and that was the focus of our preparation,” Edwards said. “We tried to limit the outside shooting and we’ve played against quite a few teams in our conference that are that way.”

Nikitas hit another big three-pointer to give Washington a 53-46 lead with 10:11 left. After Steve Hicklin hit a short turnaround jumper to pull the Pointers within five one minute later, the Bears went on their decisive run. Washington outscored the Pointers 16-2 over the next five minutes as UW-Stevens Point missed all six shot attempts and had three turnovers.

“I think they just caught a really good rhythm,” Krull said of the Bears. “We got away from them a couple times early, but their shooters caught a rhythm.”

“My impression is that we had periods of time where everybody stepped up for two or three possessions,” Edwards said. “I think that’s our basketball. That’s the way we play and I think we were effective with it tonight.”

The Bears had a big night at the free throw line, making 24 of their first 25 attempts. They missed their final five tries to finish 24-for-30 for the game. UW-Stevens Point, meanwhile, was 12-for-12 from the line. The Pointers finished the season with a new Division III single-season record at 82.3 percent, eclipsing UW-Oshkosh’s record of 81.8 percent set in 1998.

Tyler Nading had 21 points and Troy Ruths added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Bears, who shot 56.0 percent in the second half and 50.0 percent for the game. Krull had a team-high 17 for the Pointers, who shot just 34.3 percent in the second half and 37.1 percent for the game. UW-Stevens Point was four-for-21 on three-pointers in the second half, hitting three in the final three minutes.

“If you would have told me we would have shot 34 percent from the field, and 19 percent from the three in the second half I would have said it’s just not possible,” Pointers’ coach Bob Semling said. “This team, it’s never happened. It hasn’t happened all year. We just didn’t play our best.”

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UW-Stevens Point To Host NCAA Men’s Basketball Sectional

RELEASED: Monday, March 5, 2007

Madison, Wis.--For the second time in three seasons, the Quandt Fieldhouse will be the site of one of four NCAA Division III men's basketball sectionals with a final four berth in Salem, Va. at stake.

UW-Stevens Point will be the host school for the event, which takes place on March 9-10. The Pointers take on Washington University (Mo.) in the first-ever meeting between the two schools in the second game of Friday's session. Carroll College (Wis.) plays Hope College (Mich.) in the first semifinal.

Tickets for the event will go on sale March 6 at 8 a.m. at the University Box Office inside the bookstore at 200 North Division Street.

UW-Stevens Point improved to 26-2 overall and advanced to the sectionals for the fifth time in six NCAA tournament appearances with a 93-76 win over St. John's University (Minn.) on March 3. Washington is 22-4 overall, while Carroll is 18-8 and Hope is 25-4.

The Pointers hosted the event in 2005 and beat Trinity University (Texas) in the title game. They defeated Lawrence University in the 2004 sectional finals in Tacoma, Wash. UW-Stevens Point also made sectional final appearances in 2000 and 1997, losing on three-pointers at the buzzer on both occasions. The Pointers lost to UW-Eau Claire in Storm Lake, Iowa in 2000 and fell at Nebraska Wesleyan in 1997.

UW-Stevens Point played Carroll in the opening game of the season, posting a 93-75 win in Waukesha. The Pioneers are the only team among the three other sectional participants that UW-Stevens Point has previously played. The Pointers own a 10-2 lead in the series that dates to 1910.

2007 NCAA Division III Sectional Tournament (at Stevens Point)
Friday, March 9
Sectional Semifinals
Carroll College (Wis.) (18-8) vs. Hope College (Mich.) (25-4), 6:00 p.m.
Washington University (Mo.) (22-4) at UW-Stevens Point (26-2), 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 10
Sectional Championship, 7:00 p.m.

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First Half Barrage Lifts Pointers in NCAA Opener

RELEASED: Saturday, March 3, 2007

Stevens Point, Wis.--A torrid shooting performance to close out the first half propelled UW-Stevens Point to its 12th consecutive NCAA Division III tournament victory with a 93-76 win over St. John’s University (Minn.) on March 3 at Quandt Fieldhouse.

The Pointers, who won national titles in their two most recent appearances in 2004 and 2005, made 14 of their last 17 first half shots to ride a 48-29 lead into halftime in front of a vocal Quandt Fieldhouse crowd of 2,504. UW-Stevens Point, the nation’s top-ranked team, is now 26-2 overall and moves onto the sectional tournament where it will face Washington University (Mo.) on Friday at a site to be determined. Hope (Mich.) takes on Carroll (Wis.) in the other matchup. St. John’s closed its season at 21-8 overall.

All five UW-Stevens Point starters scored in double figures for the second straight game with sophomore point guard Khalifa El-Amin tallying a career-high 18 points. Steve Hicklin also scored 18 points and knocked down four of five three-point shot attempts for the Pointers.

UW-Stevens Point got off to a slow start, making just four of its first 17 shots. However, the Pointers were still within two points at 14-12 with 12:32 left in the first half when they caught fire. Pete Rortvedt hit a short jumper and a three-pointer to start the shooting barrage for the Pointers. The game was later tied at 21-21 when Hicklin knocked down a three-pointer to start a 7-0 run and the Pointers never trailed again.

Leading 31-26 with 5:55 left in the half, UW-Stevens Point scored the next 15 points until the Johnnies finally got a three-pointer from Ryan Lieser with 37 seconds left in the half to stifle the run. El-Amin drove the lane for a layup with seven seconds left as the Pointers took the 19-point halftime advantage.

Despite their sluggish start, the Pointers finished the first half at 52.9 percent from the field and shot 54.2 percent for the game, including 12-for-24 from three-point range.

St. John’s threatened to rally several times in the second half as the Johnnies used a 9-0 run to close within 62-48 with 12:50 remaining. In fact, St. John’s cut the deficit to 12 points at four different times in the second half, but UW-Stevens Point answered with a basket every time, including a three-pointer on three occasions.

St. John’s shot 55.2 percent in the second half and finished the game 11-for-22 from three-point range. Matt Ohme led the second half attack with 18 of his game-high 20 points after halftime. Lieser added 19 points for the Johnnies.

The Pointers also showed off their balance as Rortvedt added 17 points, Jon Krull had 15 and Bryan Beamish had 12 points. Drew Jackson came off the bench with eight points. All five starters also had at least three assists.

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UW-La Crosse’s Werner Leads All-WIAC Men’s Basketball Selections; UW-Stevens Point’s Semling Named Coach of the Year

RELEASED: Thursday, March 1, 2007

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Joe Werner was named the Player of the Year to lead the 10 individuals selected to the 2007 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men’s Basketball Team by the league coaches. UW-Stevens Point head coach Bob Semling was recognized as the Coach of the Year.

Werner is the third player in school history to receive the award, joining Eric Haug in 1975 and John Mielke in 1981. He secured first team status for the third straight season to become the third individual in school history to earn first team honors three times.

A senior forward, Werner leads the conference with 9.7 rebounds per game, while placing third with 16.7 points per contest and a .562 field goal percentage, seventh with 20 blocked shots, ninth with a .768 free throw percentage and 10th with 31.07 minutes per game. He posted a WIAC-leading 13 double-doubles (points-rebounds) and led the Eagles in rebounding in 25 of 27 games and scoring in 15 contests. Werner grabbed a league-leading 19 rebounds against UW-Whitewater on January 24 and poured in a career-best 34 points against UW-Superior on January 13.

He scored in double figures in 78 of 104 career games and finished his career fourth on UW-La Crosse’s scoring list with 1,404 points. Werner topped the school career chart with 69 blocked shots, while placing second with 829 rebounds and a .565 field goal percentage.

Repeat selections on the All-WIAC first team include: UW-Oshkosh’s Jim Capelle, UW-Stevens Point’s Jon Krull and UW-Stout’s Jacob Nonemacher.

Capelle, a senior forward, earned first team status for the third time in his career. He was a first team choice in 2004 and 2005 before receiving honorable mention status a year ago. Capelle ranks second in the league with a .849 free throw percentage, fourth with 16.1 points per game and a 2.15 assist/turnover ratio, sixth with 54 three-point field goals made, eighth with 31.48 minutes per contest, ninth with 6.1 rebounds per game and 10th with a .422 three-point field goal percentage.

Capelle led the Titans in scoring in 13 of 27 games and tallied a career-high 35 points against Cardinal Stritch University (Wis.) on December 30. His 1,559 career points rank seventh on UW-Oshkosh’s all-time list and 186 career three-point field goals are fifth.

Krull, a senior forward, claimed first team recognition for the second consecutive year after ranking second in the WIAC with 16.8 points per game, fifth with a 2.03 assist/turnover ratio, sixth with a .795 free throw percentage and .442 three-point field goal percentage, eighth with a .508 field goal percentage and 46 three-point field goals made and ninth with 3.00 assists per contest. He has scored in double figures in 23 of 27 games, including a career-high 32 points against Carroll College (Wis.) on November 18. Krull ranks second in school history with 360 career free throws made and is 12th on the scoring list with 1,370 points.

Nonemacher, a senior center, secured first team honors for the second straight season after placing second in the conference with 9.2 rebounds per game and 82 blocked shots, fourth with a .556 field goal percentage and 10th with 14.4 points per game. He led the Blue Devils in rebounding in 17 of 25 games and scoring in 10 contests, while registering 12 double-doubles (points-rebounds). Nonemacher set a school single-game record with nine blocked shots against UW-Whitewater on January 27. His 292 career blocked shots rank second on the WIAC all-time chart, while his 688 career rebounds are 10th on UW-Stout’s list.

Additional individuals named to the first team were: UW-La Crosse’s Chris Ask, UW-Oshkosh’s Kerry Gibson, UW-Platteville’s Mark Gossens, UW-Stevens Point’s Steve Hicklin and Pete Rortvedt and UW-Whitewater’s Jason Price.

Named to the honorable mention team were: UW-Eau Claire’s Dan Beyer, UW-La Crosse’s Chris Fehrenbach, UW-Platteville’s Charlie Lohoff, UW-River Falls’ Jontae Koonkaew and Nate Robertson, UW-Stevens Point’s Bryan Beamish, UW-Stout’s Jerrel Enerson-Matthews, UW-Superior’s Leonard Cobb and UW-Whitewater’s Anthony Mlachnik and Mike Toellner.

UW-Stevens Point head coach Bob Semling was voted the Coach of the Year after guiding the Pointers to the WIAC regular season and tournament titles. He is in his second season in charge of the Pointers and has accumulated a 42-12 record (.778 winning percentage).

2006-07 All-WIAC Men’s Basketball Team
First Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Height, Hometown (High School)
Joe Werner, La Crosse, Senior, Forward, 6-7, Chippewa Falls (McDonell)
Pete Rortvedt, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Forward, 6-5, Minocqua (Lakeland)
Jon Krull, Stevens Point, Senior, Forward, 6-4, Marshall
Jim Capelle, Oshkosh, Senior, Forward, 6-7, Wisconsin Dells
Kerry Gibson, Oshkosh, Senior, Center, 7-1, Jefferson
Jacob Nonemacher, Stout, Senior, Center, 7-0, Kalispell, Mont. (Flathead)
Chris Ask, La Crosse, Senior, Guard, 6-3, St. Charles, Minn.
Steve Hicklin, Stevens Point, Junior, Guard, 6-4, Sussex (Hamilton)
Mark Gossens, Platteville, Senior, Forward, 6-6, Little Chute (Fox Valley Lutheran)
Jason Price, Whitewater, Junior, Guard, 6-0, Milwaukee (Washington)

Honorable Mention
Dan Beyer, Eau Claire, Junior, Forward, 6-7, Waukesha (Catholic Memorial)
Nate Robertson, River Falls, Freshman, Forward, 6-7, Forest Lake, Minn.
Chris Fehrenbach, La Crosse, Junior, Guard, 6-2, Waukesha (Catholic Memorial)
Leonard Cobb, Superior, Senior, Forward, 6-5, Detroit, Mich.
Jerrel Enerson-Matthews, Stout, Freshman, Guard, 6-4, Anoka, Minn. (Andover)
Bryan Beamish, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Forward, 6-6, Wisconsin Rapids (Lincoln)
Anthony Mlachnik, Whitewater, Senior, Guard, 6-2, Muskego (Thomas More)
Mike Toellner, Whitewater, Senior, Forward, 6-7, Mayville
Jontae Koonkaew, River Falls, Freshman, Guard, 5-8, Apple Valley, Minn.
Charlie Lohoff, Platteville, Sophomore, Guard, 6-3, Oshkosh (North)

Player of the Year: Joe Werner of La Crosse
Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete: Joe Werner of La Crosse
Coach of the Year: Bob Semling of Stevens Point

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UW-La Crosse’s Werner Named Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete

RELEASED: Thursday, March 1, 2007

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Joe Werner has been named the 2007 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete.

A senior from Chippewa Falls, Wis. (McDonell H.S.), Werner is currently enrolled in UW-La Crosse’s MBA program and carries a 3.75 grade point average. His undergraduate studies in international management resulted in a 3.58 grade point average. Werner was named to the 2007 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team and is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll. He has also been recognized on his institution’s Dean’s List numerous semesters.

A three-time All-WIAC selection and three-time team captain, Werner was named the WIAC Player of the Year this season and is one of 10 finalists for the NCAA Division III Player of the Year. He received All-America Third Team honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches a year ago and represented the United States in the USA Athletes International Basketball Tour to London in June, 2006. Werner finished his career fourth on UW-La Crosse’s scoring list with 1,404 points and topped the school career chart with 69 blocked shots, while placing second with 829 rebounds and a .565 field goal percentage.

He is a member Delta Sigma Pi and Sigma Delta Pi Honor Societies and UW-La Crosse’s Athletic Winners Council. In addition, Werner has served as a volunteer for the City of La Crosse Neighbor Day and the Junior Eagles Basketball Camp.

UW-La Crosse has now had four individuals secure the conference’s men’s basketball scholar-athlete honor.

UW-Whitewater’s Mike Toellner (Sr., Mayville, Wis.) was also nominated for this year’ scholar-athlete award.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger and sponsored by Hewlett-Packard. Sparger served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference from July, 1971 - July, 1993.

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 To Host NCAA Men’s Basketball Second Round Contest

RELEASED: Monday, February 26, 2007

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will host a NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Second Round contest at Quandt Fieldhouse on March 3.

The Pointers received one of five first round byes and will face the winner of the Loras College (Iowa)/St. John’s University (Minn.) matchup.

UW-Stevens Point (25-2) earned an automatic bid into the 59-team national tournament field by winning the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) tournament title. The Pointers also claimed the regular season conference championship.

Loras has compiled a 21-6 record this season, while St. John’s has produced a 20-7 mark.

UW-Stevens Point will make the sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in school history, including fourth in the last five years. The Pointers claimed back-to-back national titles in 2004 and 2005, while advancing to at least the “Elite Eight” round in four of their five previous appearances.

The second round winner will advance to the Division III sectional tournament on March 9-10 at a site to be announced.

UW-Stevens Point has faced St. John’s and Loras each once in school history. The Pointers lost to St. John’s, 48-47, in a tournament in St. Cloud, Minn. in 1981 and beat Loras, 73-67, in the UW-Green Bay tournament in 1977.

2007 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament
Thursday, March 1
First Round
Loras College (Iowa) (21-6) at St. John’s University (Minn.) (20-7), 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 3
Second Round
Loras/St. John’s winner at UW-Stevens Point (25-2), 7 p.m.

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UW-Stevens Point Wins Men’s Basketball Tournament Title

RELEASED: Saturday, February 24, 2007

Stevens Point, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men’s basketball tournament title with an 83-68 victory over UW-La Crosse on Feb. 24 at Quandt Fieldhouse.

The tournament championship is the fourth in school history (2000, 2004, 2005) and gave the Pointers the conference’s automatic bid into the 2007 NCAA Division III Tournament. It also marked the third crown the program has won when it entered the tournament as the top seed.

UW-La Crosse entered the tournament as the second seed and was making the program’s first appearance in the championship game. This year’s contest marked the third in tournament history (2000, 2006) that pitted the top seed against the second seed.

UW-Stevens Point (25-2) may have had only one statistic in its favor at halftime of the tournament championship game, but it was the one that mattered most.

UW-La Crosse (19-8) had missed only five shots in the entire half and shot 73.7 percent, but the top-ranked Pointers still managed a one-point halftime lead and pulled away in the second half.

The Eagles began the game on fire from the field, hitting six of their first seven shots and 10 of their first 12 in building a 23-14 lead with 10:37 left in the half. However, UW-Stevens Point came to life from that point, streaking to a 14-point run as Jon Krull scored the last four points to put his team ahead 27-23. The Pointers were able to extend their lead to six points at 36-30 as UW-La Crosse had eight turnovers in the final in the last 10 minutes, though the Eagles ended the half with a three-pointer by Chris Fehrenbach and a layup by Derek Wilcox to trail 36-35.

The Pointers held UW-La Crosse to 31.4 percent shooting in the second half while connecting on 53.6 percent of their own field goals. UW-Stevens Point finished at 51.8 percent for the game and was 12-for-32 from three-point range.

UW-Stevens Point led 41-39 at the 16:20 mark of the second half when it began to pull away. The Pointers scored six straight points for an eight-point lead, and after UW-La Crosse’s Chris Ask scored the team’s only made basket in a stretch of eight attempts, the Pointers followed with three-pointers on three straight possessions to complete a 15-2 run and take a 56-41 lead with 11:44 left.

Krull hit the first two three-pointers and Pete Rortvedt followed with his first three-pointer of the game, giving the Pointers nine points in a span of 1:23. Rortvedt’s three-pointer was his single-season school record 89th of the year. Rortvedt later hit consecutive three-pointers for the Pointers’ biggest lead at 71-53 with 5:02 remaining.

UW-La Crosse clawed to within 10 points on three different occasions, but the Pointers had an answer each time and were nine-for-10 at the free throw line in the final three minutes.

UW-Stevens Point had a balanced attack with all five starters scoring between 13 and 16 points. Bryan Beamish led the way with a season-high 16 points.

Joe Werner led the Eagles with 19 points and Fehrenbach had 16 points. UW-La Crosse tied a tournament record with a perfect free throw percentage in 13 attempts.

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UW-La Crosse’s Werner Finalist for Division III Player of the Year Award

RELEASED: Thursday, February 22, 2007

La Crosse, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse senior forward Joe Werner of Chippewa Falls (McDonell H.S.) has been named one of 10 finalists for The Jostens Trophy, a national award created by the Rotary Club of Salem, Va., to honor the most outstanding men and women’s NCAA Division III basketball players of the year. The award takes into account basketball ability, academic prowess and community service. The trophy models the Rotary motto of “Service above Self” by recognizing those who truly fit the ideal of the well-rounded Division III student-athlete.

A 34-person national selection committee will complete the selection process by picking a men and women’s Jostens Trophy winner, which will be announced March 15 at the Salem Civic Center in conjunction with the Men’s Division III Championship being hosted in Salem, Va., March 16-17.

Werner leads the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in rebounding this season (9.8), while ranking second in scoring (16.9) and third in field goal shooting (56.4 percent). A three-year captain for the Eagles, Werner has recorded 12 double-doubles this season and 30 in his four-year career.

He is UW-La Crosse’s career leader in blocks (69), while ranking second in field goal shooting (56.6 percent), second in rebounding (810) and fifth in scoring (1,369). Werner has scored in double figures in 76 of 102 career games for the Eagles.

Werner is a two-time All-WIAC first team selection (2005, 2006) and was named to the 2006 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-America Third Team. A two-time UW-La Crosse Most Valuable Player, Werner represented the United States in the USA Athletes International Basketball Tour to London in June, 2006.

Earlier this month, he was selected to the 2007 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V College Division Men’s Basketball First Team and is now eligible for the Academic All-America Team. Werner, who earned his undergraduate degree in international management from UW-La Crosse with a Spanish minor, is enrolled in UW-La Crosse’s Master of Business Administration Program. He compiled a 3.58 undergraduate grade point average and currently has a 3.75 graduate grade point average. He has been named to UW-La Crosse’s Dean’s List for seven semesters and is a three-time WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll member. Werner is a member of UW-La Crosse’s Athletic Winners Council and the Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity. A UW-La Crosse Jr. Eagles Basketball Camp Volunteer for four years, Werner served as President of the Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honor Society (spring, 2005-spring, 2006).

The additional finalists for The Jostens Trophy include Justin Baker (University of Mary Washington); Ryan Cain (Worcester Polytechnic Institute); Zach Freeman (Illinois Wesleyan University); Matt Griffin (Johns Hopkins University); Kevin Guyden (University of Mary Hardin-Baylor); Derek E. Hines (Franklin & Marshall College); Michael Hoyt (Mt. St. Mary College); Drew Wessels (Augustana College) and Dan Wheeler (Amherst College).

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UW-Stevens Point Clinches Men’s Basketball Championship

RELEASED: Saturday, February 10, 2007

Stevens Point, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point clinched the 2007 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men’s basketball championship with a 73-72 triumph over UW-Stout on Feb. 10 at Quandt Fieldhouse.

The Pointers (20-2 overall, 13-1 WIAC) can capture the title outright with a victory in one of their remaining regular season games against UW-Platteville on Feb. 14 or at UW-Superior on Feb. 17.

UW-Oshkosh (19-4, 11-3) can claim a piece of the league championship with victories in its final two contests and a pair of UW-Stevens Point losses. The Titans close out the regular season at UW-Whitewater on Feb. 14 and at UW-Platteville on Feb. 17

The conference title for the Pointers is the sixth in the last eight seasons and 24th in program history.

In the victory over the Blue Devils, UW-Stevens Point made four of their first five three-point shots and jumped out to a 12-0 advantage with the lead peaking at 30-12 with 7:12 remaining in first half. The Pointers led 36-27 at the intermission.

In the second half, UW-Stout scratched and clawed their way back into the contest and led 55-54 with 4:19 remaining in the game. UW-Stevens Point used a 14-4 run to take a 70-62 lead with 49 seconds left.

Pete Rortvedt poured in a game-high 27 points for UW-Stevens Point, including four three-pointers and 11-of-13 shooting from the free throw stripe. Steve Hicklin added 12 points, while Khalifa El-Amin added 10 points.

Bryan Beamish led the Pointers with six rebounds and dished out five assists.

Jerrel Enerson-Matthews led five UW-Stout in double figures with 14 points. Jacob Nonemacher added 13 points and Eric Heisler contributed 12 points, while John Nonemacher and Jason Clopton each had 11 points. John Nonemacher also hauled in a game-best 12 rebounds.

UW-Stout outrebounded UW-Stevens Point, 40-30, but the Pointers converted 27-of-33 free throws compared to nine-of-15 for the Blue Devils.

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Two Named to Academic All-District Men’s Basketball Team

RELEASED: Friday, February 9, 2007

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Joe Werner and UW-Stevens Point’s Steve Hicklin have been named to the 2007 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Five College Division Men’s Basketball Team. Werner was a first team selection, while Hicklin secured third team status.

The team is comprised of all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA student-athletes from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota and is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Werner, a senior forward from Chippewa Falls, Wis. (McDonell H.S.), carries a 3.75 grade point average in his graduate school coursework in business administration.

He was an All-WIAC first team selection the past two seasons and earned All-America third team honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches, as well as All-West Region third team status from D3hoops.com a year ago. Werner holds the school career record with 69 blocked shots, while ranking second with 57.1 percent career field goal shooting and 781 rebounds and sixth with 1,335 points. He represented the United States in the USA Athletes International Basketball Tour to London in June, 2006.

Werner is now eligible for the Academic All-America team which will be announced on Feb. 28.

Hicklin, a junior guard from Sussex, Wis. (Hamilton H.S.), is majoring in broadfield social sciences and maintains a 3.46 grade point average.

He currently leads the NCAA Division III in three-point field goal percentage at 53.3 percent. Hicklin ranked seventh nationally in free throw percentage as a sophomore at 91.0 percent (71-of-78).

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UW-Whitewater Picked to Repeat as Men's Basketball Champs

RELEASED: Thursday, November 2, 2006

Madison, Wis.--Defending conference champion University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is the preseason favorite to win the 2007 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men’s basketball title, according to the league’s sports information directors.

UW-Whitewater received seven first-place votes in the preseason poll after winning the 11th WIAC championship in school history a year ago. The Warhawks also won the first WIAC tournament title in program history and made their 12th trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament - advancing to the second round.

UW-Whitewater has registered four 20-plus win seasons in the last five years and has just one sub-.500 finish in the last 27 years. The Warkawks have finished fourth-place or better in the WIAC ledger in 18 of the last 19 seasons.

UW-Whitewater will dedicate “The Dave ‘Augie’ Vander Meulen Court” on Nov. 29.

UW-Stout received the remaining two first-place votes in the conference predictions and is expected to place fourth in the nine-team league derby. The Blue Devils are coming off the first NCAA tournament appearance in school history and the most wins since the 1968-69 campaign. UW-Stout’s 12-4 WIAC mark and second-place standing represented the best finish for the program since a 13-3 conference championship season in 1974-75. Head coach Ed Andrist, in his 18th season of collegiate coaching, needs 11 wins to reach 350 in his career.

UW-Oshkosh returns four starters from last year’s squad and that quartet has combined to start a total of 250 games. Head coach Ted Van Dellen is the longest-tenured coach in the conference with his 16 seasons resulting in 278 victories, the sixth-highest total in league history. UW-Oshkosh has won 17-plus games nine times in the past 11 years. Senior Kerry Gibson has 248 career blocked shots and needs 27 more to set the WIAC all-time record.

UW-Stevens Point returns 78.1 percent of its scoring from the 2005-06 squad that led all of NCAA Division III in free throw percentage at 79.2 percent and in fewest turnovers at 10.6 per game. Senior Jon Krull made more free throws than any other WIAC player attempted last season.

UW-La Crosse made the program’s first appearance in the NCAA tournament last year and registered the most overall victories since 1982-83 and the highest WIAC count since 2001-02. Senior Joe Werner, who claimed NABC All-America Third Team recognition a season ago, is the sixth player in school history to earn All-WIAC first team status at least twice in a career. The Eagles play eight of their first 12 regular season games on the road.

UW-Platteville returns 65 percent of its scoring and rebounding totals from a year ago. The Pioneers will participate in an exhibition game against a NCAA Division I opponent for the third straight season – Purdue (2006), UW-Milwaukee (2005) and Wisconsin (2004). UW-Platteville will dedicate “The Bo Ryan Court” on Jan. 27.

UW-Eau Claire’s roster will be bolstered by the addition of five transfers, including Steve Hoelzel from UW-Milwaukee and Geoff Probst of Univ. of North Dakota. The Blugolds open the season with seven of their first nine games on the road.

Jeff Berkhof takes over at UW-River Falls for longtime leader Rick Bowen who spent 20 years at the helm and ranked seventh on the WIAC all-time list with 265 victories. Berkhof served as an assistant with the Falcons for the last 12 years and played for UW-River Falls from 1993-94.

UW-Superior welcomes new head coach Dave Buchanan to the program. He spent the last three seasons as an assistant at UW-Parkside and played at UW-La Crosse from 1991-95.

2006-07 Preseason Picks

                                          2005-06 Record
1. Whitewater (7)            (23-6, 13-3)
2. Oshkosh                      (17-9, 10-6)
3. Stevens Point             (17-10, 11-5)
4. Stout (2)                       (22-7, 12-4)
5. La Crosse                    (20-8, 10-6)
6. Platteville                     (12-13, 7-9)
7. Eau Claire                    (12-14, 4-12)
8. River Falls                   (6-19, 5-11)
9. Superior                       (5-20, 0-16)

( )--First-Place Votes

*Voted on by WIAC Sports Information Directors

Team Vitals

UW-Eau Claire
Head Coach: Terry Gibbons; 16th season;
175-116 record at UWEC / 223-183 overall
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 10/5
Starters Returning/Lost: 5/0
Returning All-WIAC: Jarod Bardon, Jr., F (2006-HM)
WIAC record in last 5 years: 26-54
WIAC record in last 10 years: 74-86

UW-La Crosse
Head Coach: Ken Koelbl; 4th season;
38-40 record at UWL / 38-40 overall
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 11/7
Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2
Returning All-WIAC: Joe Werner, Sr., F (2005-First, 2006-First)
WIAC record in last 5 years: 30-50
WIAC record in last 10 years: 48-112

UW-Oshkosh
Head Coach: Ted Van Dellen; 17th season;
278-150 record at UWO / 278-150 overall
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 9/2
Starters Returning/Lost: 4/1
Returning All-WIAC: Jim Capelle, Sr., F (2004-First, 2005-First, 2006-HM); Kerry Gibson, Sr., C (2005-HM, 2006-HM)
WIAC record in last 5 years: 49-31
WIAC record in last 10 years: 96-59

UW-Platteville
Head Coach: Paul Combs; 8th season;
47-32 record at UWP / 107-77 overall
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 8/6
Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2
Returning All-WIAC: Mark Gossens, Sr., F (2005-HM)
WIAC record in last 5 years: 42-38
WIAC record in last 10 years: 105-55

UW-River Falls
Head Coach: Jeff Berkhof; 1st season
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 7/9
Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3
Returning All-WIAC: None
WIAC record in last 5 years: 40-40
WIAC record in last 10 years: 73-87

UW-Stevens Point
Head Coach: Bob Semling; 2nd season;
17-10 record at UWSP / 17-10 overall
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 10/5
Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2
Returning All-WIAC: Jon Krull, Sr., F (2006-First); Pete Rortvedt, So., F (2006-HM)
WIAC record in last 5 years: 60-20
WIAC record in last 10 years: 112-48

UW-Stout
Head Coach: Ed Andrist; 18th season;
89-65 record at UWS / 339-256 overall
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 5/11
Starters Returning/Lost: 1/4
Returning All-WIAC: Jacob Nonemacher, Sr., C (2006-First)
WIAC record in last 5 years: 44-36
WIAC record in last 10 years: 70-90

UW-Superior
Head Coach: Dave Buchanan; 1st season
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 7/5
Starters Returning/Lost: 1/4
Returning All-WIAC: Leonard Cobb, Sr., F (2006-First)
WIAC record in last 5 years: 15-65
WIAC record in last 10 years: 42-118

UW-Whitewater
Head Coach: Pat Miller; 6th season;
104-35 record at UWW / 104-35 overall
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 16/4
Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2
Returning All-WIAC: Rob Perry, Jr., F (2006-HM)
WIAC record in last 5 years: 54-26
WIAC record in last 10 years: 100-60

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UW-Whitewater Announces “Dave Vander Meulen Court”

RELEASED: Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Whitewater, Wis.--The basketball playing surface in Kachel Gymnasium in Williams Center on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus has officially been designated the Dave "Augie" Vander Meulen Court in honor of the long-time coach who retired in 2001.

The announcement was made by UW-W chancellor Dr. Martha Saunders at the school's Hall of Fame ceremony Saturday, October 14, when Vander Meulen was one of eleven inductees in to the school's athletic hall of fame.

When making the announcement Dr. Saunders pointed out Vander Meulen's competitive success and noted: "You served our students and student-athletes as a proud member of the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Coaching as well as intercollegiate athletics. Our student-athletes, coaches and staff are honored to have this venue named in your honor. Congratulations."

Vander Meulen coached Warhawk men's basketball from 1978 to 2001. In his twenty-three years he amassed more victories than any other basketball coach at Whitewater, as well as the best winning percentage (440-182, .707). Vander Meulen compiled the second most men's basketball victories in the history of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. In his 23 years Vander Meulen directed the Warhawks to twenty-one winning seasons, twelve National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III tournament berths, and two national championships (1984 and 1989). He also guided UW-W to four WIAC titles, mentored fourteen All-Americans, and had eight players named WIAC Player of the Year.

Vander Meulen was honored as the National Basketball Coaches Association Division III Coach of the Year in 1984 and 1989, and NABC Regional Coach of the Year five times.

A frequent basketball camp director and clinician throughout the state, Vander Meulen was also asked to conduct campus for boys and girls in Belgium during the summer of 1983 and 1989.

Vander Meulen attended Madison (WI) East High School and graduated from UW-Madison in 1962 with a degree in physical education. While at UW-Madison he played basketball, starting two years at forward for the Badgers. He also served a stint as an assistant coach under John Powless with the Badgers and obtained a master's degree in physical education in 1968.

Vander Meulen's coaching career spanned forty years. His first experience, while an undergraduate at UW-Madison, was as an assistant coach at Wisconsin High School in Madison during the 1961-62 school year. After graduation from college Vander Meulen became the head coach at Pittsville (WI) High School, where in three years he compiled a 34-23 record, including the 1965 Marawood Conference championship. After Pittsville he moved to Rhinelander (WI) High School, where he directed the Hodags to a 62-22 mark in four years, including Wisconsin Valley Conference titles in 1966 and 1969. His first collegiate experience came on Powless' staff, where he stayed for seven years before leaving to become the top assistant at Division II North Dakota State University for two years. Next stop, UW-Whitewater.

Current UW-W men's basketball coach Pat Miller played for Vander Meulen on the 1989 championship team, served as an assistant to Vander Meulen for eight years before assuming the head job in 2001.

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Bennett, Mintz and Kelliher Selected to Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame

RELEASED: Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Madison, Wis.--Former UW-Stevens Point men's basketball coach Jack Bennett, UW-Stout men's basketball coach Dwain "Dewey" Mintz and current WIAC basketball official Dave Kelliher are among the 20 individuals who will be inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame at ceremonies on Saturday, September 30 at the Marriott Hotel in Middleton, Wis.

Bennett and Mintz are the only two college coaches in this year's class, while Kelliher is the lone official to receive recognition.

Bennett coached nine seasons with the Pointers and led teams to NCAA Division III national championships in 2003-04 and 2004-05.

In addition to his college coaching success, Bennett coached 19 seasons at the high school level with stops at Park Falls, Marinette, Wisconsin Rapids and Rhinelander. He also coached five seasons as an assistant coach at UW-Eau Claire.

The winningest coach in UW-Stevens Point history, Bennett fashioned a 200-56 career record for a .781 winning percentage with the Pointers before retiring after the 2004-05 championship season. He is one of three coaches ever to lead a team to back-to-back Division III national championships. Bennett was the Basketball Times national Coach of the Year in 2004-05 and the Molten/D-III News national Coach of the Year in 2003-04. Bennett was also recognized as the WIAC Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2003.

During Bennett's tenure, the Pointers made five NCAA tournament appearances and four trips to the "Elite Eight," qualifying in 1997 and 2000 before their title runs. In 2004-05, the Pointers won the WIAC regular season and tournament titles before rolling through the NCAA tournament with five wins by an average of 21 points, including a record 24-point margin in the championship game against Rochester (N.Y.). In 2003-04, the team also won the WIAC tournament and beat Williams (Mass.) on a last-second in the title game that saw Bennett's son, Nick, score 30 points and earn Most Outstanding Player honors.

Bennett's teams finished .500 or better 32 times in his 33 years of coaching. He also was part of 13 championship teams and won championships at every school and level he's coached. He compiled a 280-119 career prep record in 19 seasons with championships at Park Falls, Marinette and Rhinelander. Bennett led Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln to three Wisconsin Valley Conference championships and twice took the Raiders to the semifinals of the WIAA state tourney in 1978 and 1983.

Dwain "Dewey" Mintz has been a head basketball coach for 38 years, spending 27 of those years at the UW-Stout.

Along the way he has amassed an amazing 554 wins against 361 losses. Early in his athletic career, he played professional baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Brooklyn Dodgers. He also managed semi-pro baseball in Iowa and Minnesota before beginning his basketball coaching career in 1951 with a one-year stint at Bethany Lutheran High School.

In 1952, coach Mintz moved on to Bethany Lutheran Junior College (BLJC), where he remained for 10 years. His teams at BLJC won five conference championships and three regional titles while winning 169 games with only 81 losses. During the three trips to nationals, his teams placed second in 1959 and eighth in 1962. In 1959, he was named National Runner-Up for the Coach of the Year by the NCAA.

Despite his decade of success at Bethany, it was at UW-Stout that coach Mintz found his home. From 1963-1989, he guided the Blue Devils. During his tenure, his teams won three Wisconsin State University Conference (WSUC) titles in the toughest Division III league in the country. The Blue Devils won the conference in 1965-1966 with a record of 20-3. His 1968-1969 team went 22-4, winning the WSUC title and progressing deep into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Tournament. Coach Mintz's team again won the conference title in 1974-1975 with a 19-8 mark.

For his coaching accomplishments, he was named District Coach of the Year in 1966, the NAIA Area IV Basketball Coach of the Year in 1969 and the NAIA District Coach of the Year in 1973. In 1988, he received both the 500 Wins Award and 15 Years of Coaching and Outstanding Achievement Award by NABC.

Kelliher is a long-time WIAC men's basketball official, setting an example of excellence lauded by players and coaches alike. He has been a WIAA and NCAA Division III basketball official for 37 years, being named the National Federation Boys Basketball Official of the Year in 1988.

Kelliher served as the sports coordinator for School-Community Recreation from 1973-2001, supervising some 20,000 coed participants at its height. He was also an outstanding amateur baseball player and manager, being named the Central Wisconsin League All-Star four times and league Most Valuable Player in 1965.

Kelliher attended the University of Wisconsin and played basketball and baseball. In addition, he was a nine-time letterman at Madison Central High School, winning three each in football, basketball and baseball.

The Hall of Fame will be located in the Kohl Center in Madison at a digital kiosk. It serves as a monument of the WBCA, a tribute to Wisconsin basketball and a lasting symbol of those who have molded Wisconsin's young athletes.

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UW-Platteville Announces "Bo Ryan Court"

RELEASED: Friday, September 22, 2006

Platteville, Wis.--The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will honor its four-time national championship basketball coach by naming the Williams Fieldhouse basketball court "Bo Ryan Court."

William "Bo" Ryan made UW-Platteville the premier basketball program during his 15-year tenure, which included four NCAA Division III national championships. He recorded a 353-76 record at UW-Platteville from 1984-99 and his 82.2 winning percentage was the best in the history of NCAA Division III basketball.

UW-Platteville will officially dedicate the floor on Saturday, Jan. 27 at halftime of the game vs. UW-Eau Claire.

Chancellor David Markee said in announcing the plan, "We are extremely excited and honored to recognize Bo for his accomplishments and the success of the teams. His teams brought such positive recognition for UWP both on and off the court."

Ryan guided the Pioneers to eight conference titles and nine straight NCAA III playoff appearances. UW-Platteville won national titles in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 1999. His 1992 squad also advanced to the Final Four, where it placed third. In all, the Pioneers were 30-5 in NCAA tournament play.

In his last 12 seasons as the Pioneers' leader, Ryan guided his team to 314-37 record, including a phenomenal 157-7 record in Williams Fieldhouse. UW-Platteville was the winningest team of all of college basketball during the 1990s, with a 226-26 record (90.9 percent). Ryan's 1996-97 club set the all-time NCAA record (all divisions) for fewest points allowed at 47.5 ppg. He was named national coach of the year four times and WIAC coach of the year on six occasions.

After coaching at UW-Milwaukee for two seasons, Ryan became the head coach at the University of Wisconsin. He has guided the Badgers to two Big Ten regular season titles and one conference tournament crown. The Badgers have been in the NCAA tournament every year under Ryan.

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Former Falcon Signs with NBA's San Antonio Spurs

RELEASED: Friday, July 21, 2006

River Falls, Wis.--Former UW-River Falls basketball player, Rich Melzer, has signed a two-year, non-guaranteed contract with the NBA's San Antonio Spurs.

Melzer is currently playing with the Spurs in the 2006 Rocky Mountain Revue which features six NBA teams. The Spurs play Utah tonight at 7 p.m., in the final game on the schedule.

Melzer has started all five of the games already played and has averaged about 20 minutes of playing time. He is 19-45 from the field, including 4-16 from three-point range. He is 6-10 from the line. He has scored 48 points and grabbed 22 rebounds. He has nine assists. His best game was against Seattle when he scored 15 points and had five rebounds. The team has a 2-3 record.

Melzer played the 2005-06 season with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League. He averaged 18.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. He led the team in scoring, steals (37) and blocked shots (35).

The 26-year-old most recently played in the Orlando Magic Summer League and spent 10 days in camp with the Spurs in June.

He helped lead the Sioux Falls Skyforce to the CBA championship in 2005. He also won a title with San Carlos in the Dominican Republic league and was voted MVP of the National finals.

Melzer was named the 2004 National Association of Basketball Coaches Player of the Year after his final season at UW-RF in 2004.

Melzer was named to the NABC's All-American first team, to the All-West Region team and the West Region Player of the Year.

He is only the second WIAC player to win the NABC Player of the Year award. UW-Platteville's Merrill Brunson won the award in 1999.

Melzer and the Falcons won the WIAC championship with a 12-4 league record and they finished 20-7 overall. The championship is the University's first since 1950.

Melzer was named to the All-WIAC for the third straight year in 2004 and he earned honorable mention honors in 2001. This year he led the WIAC in scoring for the second straight season averaging 26.9 points. He was third in scoring in the NCAA Div. III in the Feb. 22 report. He finished second in rebounding averaging 8.5. Melzer finished second in field goal shooting (280-502 .558), 13th in free throw shooting (162-221 .733), 13th in steals (32), 12th in assist to turnover ratio (.96) and fourth in blocked shots (44). He scored a season high 37 points and grabbed a season high 14 rebounds at Puget Sound on Nov. 22. He scored in double digits in every game but one and had eight double-doubles in 2004. He led the Falcons in scoring in every game but two and led the team in rebounding in every game but four.

Melzer is currently second in scoring in Falcon history with 2,363 points. He has 821 career rebounds and ranks third all-time in that category. His 22.9 career scoring average is third in the record book. He is first in career field goals (935) and second in career field goals attempted (1,736). Melzer is eighth in career field goal percentage (.538). He holds the career record for blocked shots (186). He scored in double figures in 98 games, including the last 76 of 77 games he played.

In the WIAC, Melzer holds the league’s all-time record in field goals made, while ranking second on the conference’s all-time scoring list. Melzer becomes the sixth player in WIAC history to earn back-to-back Player of the Year awards. He joins UW-Oshkosh’s Tim Dworak (2002-03), UW-Stevens Point’s Terry Porter (1984-85), UW-Eau Claire’s Gib Hinz (1979-80), UW-Oshkosh’s Ralph Sims (1977-78) and UW-Eau Claire’s Mike Ratliff (1970-72).

Melzer was named the WIAC Most Valuable Player for the second straight season. He was named the league's Co-MVP, with UW-Oshkosh's Tim Dworak, in 2003. Melzer is just the second Falcon to win the WIAC MVP award. Jeff Payton was named WIAC MVP in 1983.

Melzer was named to the d3hoops.com All-American first team and to the d3hoops.com West All-Region team. He was named to the second d3hoops,com All-American team in 2003.

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Conference to be Represented on Overseas Basketball Team

RELEASED: Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Madison, Wis.--The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) will be well represented on two basketball teams playing in the 2006 Goodwill Series in London June 19-27.

UW-La Crosse head coach Lois Heeren will lead a women's team that includes UW-La Crosse's Mackenzie Hunter and Abby Johnson as well as UW-Platteville's Holly Kaiser, Liz Tesch and Lisa Grantman.

UW-Platteville head coach Paul Combs will guide a men's squad that includes UW-Platteville's Charlie Lohoff and UW-La Crosse's Chris Fehrenbach and Joe Werner.

The WIAC will also be represented by UW-Stout's Amanda Geissler and Lindsey Geissler on the women's team and UW-Superior's Leonard Cobb and UW-Eau Claire's Dan Beyer on the men's roster.

Wofford's Drew Gibson, Wesley's Jermaine Logan and Alvernia's Zachary Straining round out the eight-player men's team, while SUNY-Geneseo's Amanda Haney completes the women's squad.

The USA Athletes International teams will play five to six games during the London Open. During their eight-day tour of the United Kingdom, they will tour Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, among other places.

Founded in 1991, USA Athletes International is a non-profit organization dedicated to giving amateur athletes an opportunity to participate in sporting events in the international theater, while also allowing them to broaden their educational and cultural knowledge of the world through the experience.

Combs earned the 2004-05 WIAC Coach of the Year after guiding UW-Platteville to its 19th conference championship. In four years, he has a 47-32 record at UW-Platteville. Counting four seasons at Lakeland, Combs has compiled a 107-77 record. He led the Pioneers on an international tour in May, 2005 that culminated with his team overcoming a 31-point deficit to defeat USK Praha, in Prague, Czech Republic.

"I am honored to coach this team in June at the Goodwill Series in London," Combs said. "It will be a great experience for all of us and will allow me personally to work with some of the elite student-athletes in all of NCAA Division III. This experience also allows Charlie Lohoff to develop his game as he continues to grow as a Pioneer."

Lohoff (Fr., Oshkosh, WI/North H.S.) began his UW-Platteville career with a bang, scoring 14 points in a 63-47 exhibition loss to NCAA Division I tournament team UW-Milwaukee Nov. 8. Playing in all 25 games in 2005-06, Lohoff averaged 5.0 points per game in his freshman year.

Werner (Jr., Chippewa Falls, WI/McDonell H.S.) was selected to the 2005-06 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-America Third Team after earning NABC All-West Region honors. A 2005-06 all-WIAC First Team choice for the second straight season, Werner started all 28 games this season and led UW-La Crosse in scoring (14.4), rebounding (8.4) and field goal shooting (58.1 percent). Werner led the WIAC in field goal shooting while ranking second in rebounding, seventh in scoring and tied for ninth in blocks per game (0.56). A D3hoops.com All-West Third Team selection, he had eight double-doubles in 2005-06 and now has 18 in his three-year career. He ranks first in career blocks at UW-La Crosse (50), eighth in rebounding (566) and 17th in points (946). Werner is also second in career field goal shooting (56.7 percent).

Fehrenbach (So., Waukesha, WI/Catholic Memorial H.S.) finished fourth on the team in scoring this season at 8.8 points per game. He was also second in steals (34) and assists (59) while averaging 2.3 rebounds. Fehrenbach, who started all 28 games this season, led the WIAC in assist-turnover ratio this year at 2.0. He finished 11th in the conference in steals (1.21 per game) and 13th in three-point shooting (46-of-128, 35.9 percent). Fehrenbach, who scored in double figures in 13 contests, was 10th in the WIAC with 1.64 three-point field goals per game.

Cobb (Jr., Detroit, MI) led the WIAC in scoring (21.4) and rebounding (9.0), while ranking second in minutes played (34.12) and fourth in blocked shots (0.96) en route to claiming all-WIAC First Team accolades. He is the fourth individual in the last six years to lead the league in scoring and rebounding, joining UW-River Falls' Rich Melzer (2003), UW-Oshkosh's Tim Dworak (2002) and UW-Superior's Vince Thomas (2001). Cobbs' 39 points against St. Scholastica (Minn.) on January 2 were the most in the conference this year, while his 35 field goal attempts in that same game were the second-most in league history.

Beyer (So., Waukesha, WI/Catholic Memorial H.S.) started all 26 games for the Blugolds and was third on the team in scoring (9.8). He shot .463 percent from the field and added 3.7 rebounds per contest, 30 assists, 15 steals and 11 blocked shots.

The women's team will be guided by Heeren, who was named the 2005-06 WIAC Co-Coach of the Year after leading UW-La Crosse to a 19-8 overall and 9-7 conference mark. The 19 overall and nine WIAC wins were the most since the 1987-88 season when UW-L finished 22-7 overall and 12-4 in the league. The Eagles finished fourth in the WIAC in 2005-06, their best finish since 1987-88. UW-La Crosse hosted a WIAC Tournament Quarterfinal for the first time in school history and appeared in the WIAC Semifinals for the first time in school history. The Eagles had an eight-win improvement from 2004-05.

"This a wonderful opportunity to experience a different style of basketball, to explore a different culture and meet new people," she said.

"It has always been a goal of mine to coach a team internationally. I am excited to have two of our players be a part of this trip and look forward to working with the other athletes and sharing this experience with them. It is exciting to know that basketball can you take more places than just on the court."

Hunter (Fr., Eau Claire, WI/Regis H.S.) was a 2005-06 all-WIAC First Team selection after leading UW-La Crosse in scoring (11.4) and blocks (13) while ranking fifth in rebounding (3.5). She also finished second on the team in steals (48) and third in assists (40). Hunter is the first freshman to claim first team all-conference honors since UW-River Falls' Holly Spoo in 1995. Hunter shot 85.9 percent (55-of-64) at the free throw line last season. Her 85.9 percent shooting ranks second in single-season school history and led the WIAC this year (third-best in conference history). Hunter finished ninth in the conference in steals, 13th in scoring and 14th in field goal shooting (42.3 percent).

Johnson (Jr., Prescott, WI) was named to the 2005-06 all-WIAC Honorable Mention Team after starting all 27 games. She finished third on the team in scoring (9.6) while tying for second in rebounding (5.3). Johnson was 11th in the WIAC in rebounding and 20th in scoring. A three-year letter winner, Johnson scored a career-high 18 points versus UW-Oshkosh January 11. She has four double-doubles in her career.

The Pioneers' Kaiser (Sr., Hazel Green, WI/Southwestern H.S.) and Tesch (Jr., Dorchester, WI/Colby H.S.) both earned all-WIAC honors. Kaiser, a two-time all-league forward, led the Pioneers with 13.8 ppg. She scored 25 points in a victory over co-conference champion UW-Stout and 19 in a win vs. UW-Oshkosh, the other champion. Kaiser, also the league's scholar-athlete, finished her career as the most accurate shooting in school history at 48.3 percent.

Tesch averaged 11.6 ppg, scoring in double figures 17 times. She led the 2005-06 team in field goal and free throw shooting. Grantman (Fr., Lomira, WI) played in all 25 games her first year, starting 21 of them. She led the Pioneers in rebounding from her guard position, averaging 6.6 per game.

Amanda Geissler (Jr., Thorp, WI) registered 25 starting assignments in the 30 games she played for the Blue Devils this season. She averaged 3.8 points per game and contributed 71 assists, 30 steals and four blocked shots.

Lindsey Geissler (So., Thorp, WI) started 26 of 28 games during the 2005-06 campaign. She was second on the squad in scoring (8.7) and added 59 assists, 41 steals and six blocked shots. Geissler led the Blue Devils with a .767 free throw shooting percentage (66-86).

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Buchanan Named UW-Superior Men's Basketball Head Coach

RELEASED: Monday, March 27, 2006

Superior, Wis.--After a year of searching, the University of Wisconsin-Superior found its long-term men's head basketball coach today.

Dave Buchanan, who spent the last three seasons as an assistant at Division II UW-Parkside, replaces interim coach Bill Chambliss.

Buchanan, 34, inherits a program that finished 5-20 overall and 0-16 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this past season.

"I'm very excited and anxious to get going here at UW-Superior," Buchanan said. "I really think there's a great amount of potential at this university."

A Watertown, Wis., native, Buchanan played college basketball at UW-La Crosse, where he graduated in 1995.

His first coaching stint was a five-year stop at Greenfield (Wis.) High School. He went on to coach one season at Brookfield (Wis.) East High School before joining the staff at Parkside.

"The University of Wisconsin-Superior is very proud and glad that Dave is going to take over this program and be on our team," UWS athletic director Steve Nelson said, "and carry this program to a championship level that we deserve."

The university has been searching for a head coach since the end of the 2004-05 season when former coach Jeff Kaminsky left for Valley City (N.D.) State University.

Chambliss was hired on an interim basis late in the summer. A former UWS player, Chambliss is sad to see his time as a Yellowjacket coach come to an end.

"I was disappointed not to be a part of seeing the program continue to grow," Chambliss said. "But to Steve's (Nelson) credit, he did not promise me anything. He told me when I interviewed (last year) that it was a one-year position. I had hoped it would turn into something long term."

Nelson was appreciative of the work Chambliss did under short notice without time to recruit.

"As a department, we're thankful to Coach Chambliss for his interim role," Nelson said. "He was an alumnus stepping in and taking a very difficult situation for a year. He did a good job and our players played hard."

Buchanan's goal is to build a championship-caliber team. He will focus his recruiting efforts on Northern Wisconsin and areas in Minnesota, especially around Minneapolis.

"I played in the league, so I understand the history of the program and obviously the conference in itself," Buchanan said. "There's a momentum being built with the growth of the school and the interest in athletics. ... I think we can win here, I really do. This was a great opportunity for me to become a college head coach."

Self-described as an "energetic guy" on the sideline, Buchanan assured that no team will work harder than his.

"We're going to be the team that gets to all the loose balls," he said. "We're going to be the team that takes charges, outrebounds people and does all the little things well.

"I guarantee it, otherwise I won't be the person for here."

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**Article courtesy of Jim Bellamy, Superior Telegram**

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