2001 WIAC Men's Cross Country Headlines

2001 WIAC Men's Cross Country Headlines

Three Earn Academic All-America Men's Track/Cross Country Honors

RELEASED: Wednesday, June 19, 2002

Madison, Wis.--Three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) student-athletes have been named to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-America Men's Track and Field/Cross Country Team. La Crosse's Andy Basler received first team honors, while Oshkosh's Eamon McKenna was named to the second team. Stevens Point's Craig Gunderson captured third team recognition.

The Verizon Academic All-America Team includes all male track and field and cross country athletes from Division II, Division III and NAIA.

Basler, a senior from Mayville, Wis., is majoring in art with a minor in photography and carries a 3.67 grade point average. He was named the 2002 WIAC Max Sparger Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete and is also a four-time member of the USTCA Academic Team.

A three-time All-American, Basler captured the national indoor long jump title in 2002, placed fifth in the indoor long jump in 2000 and finished fourth in the decathlon at the 2000 outdoor championships. He was a member of the national champion indoor and outdoor teams in 2001 and 2002. Additionally, Basler was the 2000 and 2002 WIAC indoor long jump champion.

McKenna, a junior from Ashippun, Wis. (Oconomowoc), is majoring in education and spanish and carries a 3.95 grade point average. He is a member of the Oshkosh Student-Advisory Board and was named to the Cross Country Association All-Academic Team in 2000 and 2001. McKenna was also named to the USTCA academic honor roll this season.

McKenna captured All-America honors in the 5,000-meter run at the 2002 indoor national meet with an eighth-place finish. At the 2001 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship, he helped the Titans to a sixth-place finish by placing 46th.

Gunderson, a senior from Waupaca, Wis., carries a 3.74 grade point average in elementary education with a minor in learning disabilities. He placed fifth in the 400-meter dash at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships this season to earn All-America honors.

Gunderson was named the WIAC Max Sparger Indoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete earlier this year and also qualified for the national outdoor championships in the 400 and 1,600-meter relays. He also placed fifth in the 400-meter dash at the 2001 Division III Indoor Championships and won the event at the 2001 WIAC indoor meet.

The Verizon Academic All-America Teams are selected by a vote of the 1,800-member CoSIDA. To be eligible, an athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 on a scale of 4.00. Sports information directors nominate eligible athletes from their schools who are named to district teams prior to being voted upon the national level.

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Three Earn Academic All-District Men's Track/Cross Country Accolades

RELEASED: Wednesday, May 29, 2002

Madison, Wis.--Three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) student-athletes have been named to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-District V Men's Track and Field/Cross Country Team. Named to the squad were La Crosse's Andy Basler, Oshkosh's Eamon McKenna and Stevens Point's Craig Gunderson.

Basler, a senior from Mayville, Wis., is majoring in art with a 3.67 grade point average. Earlier this year, he was the recipient of the WIAC Max Sparger Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete Awards. Basler is a member of the WIAC and La Crosse Student-Athlete Advisory Committees and also served as a panelist speaker at the 2002 NCAA Convention.

Basler won the long jump at the 2002 NCAA Indoor Championships and also placed fifth in the decathlon at the 2000 national meet. He also captured All-America honors at the 2000 national meet with a fourth-place finish in the decathlon.

Gunderson, a senior from Waupaca, Wis., carries a 3.74 grade point average in his elementary education major and learning disabilities minor. He was an indoor track and field all-academic selection last season and has been named to the UW-Stevens Point Dean's List five semesters. Gunderson received the WIAC's Max Sparger Indoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete Award this season.

Gunderson placed fifth in the 400-meter dash at the NCAA Division Outdoor Championships this season. He also placed fifth in the same event last year at both the indoor and outdoor national meets. Gunderson won the WIAC 400-meter indoor title in 2001 and placed second at the outdoor meet.

McKenna, a junior from Ashippun, Wis. (Oconomowoc), is majoring in education and spanish and carries a 3.95 grade point average. He is a member of the Oshkosh Student-Advisory Board and was named to the Cross Country Association All-Academic Team in 2000 and 2001. McKenna was also named to the United States Track Coaches Association academic honor roll this season.

McKenna captured All-America honors in the 5,000-meter run at the 2002 indoor national meet with an eighth-place finish. At the 2001 NCAA Cross Country Championship, he helped the Titans to a sixth-place finish by placing 46th.

The academic all-district teams are selected from all Division II, Division III and NAIA schools in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana. Basler, Gunderson and McKenna will advance to the national ballot.

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Cross Country Teams and Individuals Earn
Academic All-America Honors

The NCAA Division III National Cross Country Coaches Association has recognized a number of WIAC teams and student-athletes for their performances in the classroom and on the terrain.

On the women's side, UW-Platteville (3.551), UW-Stout (3.387), UW-Oshkosh (3.34), UW-Stevens Point (3.30) and UW-Eau Claire (3.179) were among 104 schools cited for athletic and academic accomplishments last fall. Otterbein College (Ohio) posted a team-best 3.818 cumulative grade point average, leading the honorees.

Individually, Eau Claire's Jane-Marie Ovanin was one of 14 student-athletes to post a 4.00 cumulative grade point average or better with a 4.00 mark. Also recognized were Oshkosh's Sue Hardtke (3.968), Sara Holewinski (3.752) and Elizabeth Woodworth (3.563), Platteville's Amanda Troy (3.766) and Stevens Point's Isabelle Delannay (3.75).

On the men's side, UW-Stevens Point (3.47), UW-Platteville (3.164), UW-Oshkosh (3.146) and UW-Stout (3.121) were among 66 schools honored. Earlham College (Ind.) posted a team-best 3.67 cumulative grade point average, leading the honorees.

Men's individuals recognized included Oshkosh's Eamon McKenna (3.952) and Jon Peterson (3.549), along with Stevens Point's Mark LaLonde (3.87).

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Peterson Claims Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Award

RELEASED: Thursday, November 1, 2001

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Jon Peterson has been named the 2001 Max Sparger Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete, it was announced recently by WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner.

Peterson, a senior from Schofield, Wis. (D.C. Everest HS), is majoring in secondary education and carries a 3.52 grade point average. He was named to the 1999 Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team in 1999 and is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll. Peterson has also been named to UW-Oshkosh’s Dean’s List and Honor Roll five semesters.

Peterson, who is a team captain this season, finished eighth at the WIAC Championship with a time of 25:15.02 to help the Titans to a second-place finish. He placed 19th at last season’s conference championship and also placed 46th at the NCAA Division III Championship to help the Titans to a third-place national finish. In addition, he is a three-year letterwinner.

Peterson is a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and has served as a volunteer for ADVOCAP. He had also volunteered in various elementary and middle schools, and as a note taker for visually disabled students on the UW-Oshkosh campus.

Peterson becomes the first Titan since Dan Kramer in 1995 to win the conference’s scholar-athlete award.

Also nominated for the scholar-athlete award were: La Crosse’s Chris Byrnes, Oshkosh’s Nick Konopa, River Falls’ Pat Lorentz and Stout’s Jason Kirch.

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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