2005 WIAC Men's Cross Country Headlines

2005 WIAC Men's Cross Country Headlines

Three Named to Academic All-America Men's Track and Field/Cross Country Team

RELEASED: Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Madison, Wis.--Three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) student-athletes have been named to the 2006 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division Men's Track and Field/Cross Country Team. UW-La Crosse's Eric Svestka was a first team pick, while the Eagles' Nate Olson and UW-River Falls' Garrett Duncanson were second team selections.

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

Svestka, a junior from Decorah, Iowa, boasts a 4.00 grade point average and is majoring in biology. He has been a member of four national champion 4x400-meter relay teams, including two indoor (2004, 2005) and two outdoor (2004, 2005). Svestka was also on UW-La Crosse's national champion distance medley relay team at the 2006 indoor championships. He participated on the winning 1,600-meter relay teams at the 2006 WIAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships.

Olson, a senior from Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH), is majoring in broadfield science and carries a 3.53 grade point average. He was named the WIAC Max Sparger Indoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete this year. Olson has earned 16 career (10 outdoor, six indoor) All-America honors, including six national champion 1,600-meter relay titles and the indoor 400-meter dash crown the last two years. He claimed the 200-meter and 400-meter dash titles for the second straight year at the league outdoor meet this season and won the 200-meter indoor prize in 2005 and 2006.

Duncanson, a junior from Mantorville, Minn. (Kasson-Mantorville H.S.), is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry and carries a 3.99 grade point average. He was a member of the school record-setting 4x100-meter relay team. Duncanson also competed in the 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash during the 2006 outdoor season and the 55-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash events throughout the indoor season.

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Four Claim Academic All-District Men's Track and Field/Cross Country Honors

RELEASED: Monday, June 5, 2006

Madison, Wis.--Four Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) student-athletes have been named to the 2006 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Five College Division Men's Track and Field/Cross Country Team. UW-La Crosse's Eric Svestka and Nate Olson and UW-River Falls' Garrett Duncanson were first team selections, while UW-Whitewater's Pete Ringquist was a second team choice.

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).

Svestka, Olson and Duncanson are now eligible for the Academic All-America team, which will be announced on June 20.

Ringquist, a senior from Brookfield, Wis. (Central H.S.), maintains a 3.77 grade point average and is majoring in accounting. He was named the Field Performer of the Meet at the WIAC championships this season after winning the discus for the second straight year with a conference record toss. Ringquist is a three-time outdoor All-American in the discus and holds the school record in the event.

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UW-La Crosse Captures Men's Cross Country National Title

RELEASED: Saturday, November 19, 2005

Delaware, Ohio--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse captured the NCAA Division III Men's Cross Country National Championship, which was held on November 19 at Dornoch Golf Course.

The national title for the Eagles is the third in school history (2005, 2001, 1996) and the seventh won by a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference institution.

UW-La Crosse claimed the team title with 94 team points to outdistance defending champion Calvin (Mich.), which placed second with 117 points. Haverford (Pa.) finished third with 118 points, Nebraska Wesleyan fourth with 132 points and Tufts (Mass.) fifth with 216 points.

UW-Oshkosh also represented the WIAC at the national meet and placed 11th with 322 points.

UW-La Crosse placed two runners in the top 30 as Mark Creger finished 15th with a time of 25:56.3 over the 8,000-meter course and Nate Hoffman placed 17th with a time of 26:03.9. Both individuals claimed All-America status.

"We were getting beat with 1000 meters to go," said UW-La Crosse head coach Don Fritsch. "I've never seen a team close like this team did today. All of our runners moved up in the last 1000 meters, but our 3-4-5 guys really saved the day for us. They had a phenomenal finish."

"I thought that (Creger's) destiny was to lead us to a national title," Fritsch said. "To see that come true was heartwarming."

"Someone asked me what the difference was between this and our title in 2001," Fritsch said. "With 1000 meters to go in 2001, I knew we had it won. Today, I thought we had it lost. It's hard to put into words the effort they put in over a brutally tough course. The last 450 meters was all uphill, and to run people down the way they did took a supreme effort."

UW-Platteville's Tyler Sigl was the top conference finisher with a time of 25:29.4 placing fourth overall. UW-Oshkosh's Cal Kroom finished 25th with a time of 26:15.2 and was followed by teammate Nick Boehlke in 26th with a time of 26:15.4. UW-Whitewater's Gary Garcia placed 33rd with a time of 26:20.2. Neal Holtschulte of Williams (Mass.) won the individual title with a time of 25:13.8

All four WIAC finishers secured All-America accolades with their performances.

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UW-La Crosse's Walkowicz Named Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete

RELEASED: Tuesday, November 1, 2005

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Bill Walkowicz has been named the 2005 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete, it was announced recently by WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner.

Walkowicz, a senior from Waukesha, Wis. (West H.S.), is majoring in chemistry/biology with a minor in philosophy and maintains a 3.76 grade point average. He is a four-time selection on the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and received the Wisconsin Academic Excellence Scholarship from 2001-04. Walkowicz has been named to UW-La Crosse's Dean's List six times, including three semesters with a 4.0 grade point average.

Walkowicz has been the recipient of numerous academic scholarships from his institution and has the distinction of earning the highest score on UW-La Crosse's placement tests since 1986. He also gave a presentation at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in 2004.

Walkowicz is a team captain this season and helped the Eagles to their second straight conference title by placing 11th at the league meet. His 11th place standing netted all-WIAC second team status. Walkowicz was also a member of the 2001 championship squad.

Walkowicz has served as a student liaison to the Dean of Science and Allied Health and as a member of UW-La Crosse's Leadership Council. He is also a member of Mycophyte, Inc. - a collaborative, interdepartmental research initiative designed to develop new antimicrobial compounds. Walkowicz has worked as a research assistant, computer access consultant and tutor in organic chemistry.

Also nominated for this year's scholar-athlete award were UW-Platteville's Bob Dillis and UW-Stevens Point's Joshua Kujawa.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger, who 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-La Crosse Wins Second Consecutive Men's Cross Country Championship

RELEASED: Saturday, October 29, 2005

Superior, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse won its second consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men's cross country championship on Saturday, October 29 at Nemadji Golf Course in Superior.

The Eagles secured a league-high 27th men's cross country title (2005, 2004, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1988, 1987, 1986, 1985, 1984, 1983, 1982, 1979, 1978, 1977, 1976, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1972, 1971, 1969, 1968), and fifth in the last eight years with 25 team points to outdistance UW-Oshkosh, which finished second with 78 points. The 25 points compiled by UW-La Crosse is the best score by a league champion since the 1993 season when the Eagles totaled 22 points. Additionally, the margin of victory (53 points) is the largest at the conference meet since 1984 when the Eagles outpaced the Titans by 71 points (93-22).

UW-Platteville finished third at the 2005 championship with 86 points, followed by UW-Whitewater with 87 points, UW-Stevens Point with 112 points, UW-Stout with 197 points, UW-River Falls with 218 points, UW-Eau Claire with 223 points and UW-Superior with 257 points.

UW-La Crosse had seven individuals finish in the top 11, led by senior Mark Creger, who finished second with a time of 25:11.48 over the 8,000-meter course. Senior Nate Hoffman placed third with a time of 25:11.67, senior Mike Herlihy finished fifth in 25:26.20, junior Kevin Oelstrom placed seventh in 25:32.44, junior John Heitzman finished eighth in 25:34.86, sophomore Scott Mueller placed ninth in 25:35.87 and senior Bill Walkowicz finished 11th in 25:49.21.

UW-Platteville's Tyler Sigl secured the individual title with a time of 25:02.03. Last year's champion, UW-Whitewater senior Gary Garcia, placed fourth with a time of 25:23.38 and UW-Oshkosh senior Nick Boehlke finished sixth in 25:29.87, UW-Oshkosh senior Cal Cromm placed 10th in 25:38.93, UW-Stevens Point freshman Travis Nechuta finished 12th in 25:52.95, UW-Platteville sophomore Nick Fulton placed 13th in 25:53.61 and UW-Stevens Point freshman Dominick Meyer finished 14th in 25:58.28.

The top seven individuals received all-WIAC first team recognition, while competitors placing 8-14 earned all-WIAC second team accolades.

UW-La Crosse head coach Don Fritsch was voted the Coach of the Year for the second straight season and fifth time in his career (2005, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1999), while UW-La Crosse's Bill Walkowicz was named the Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete.

League teams will participate in the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional on November 12 in Peoria, Ill., with the top teams and individuals advancing to the NCAA Division III Championships on November 19 in Delaware, Ohio.

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UW-River Falls' Glover Inducted Into Minnesota High School Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame

RELEASED: Tuesday, August 16, 2005

River Falls, Wis.--Don Glover has been inducted into the Minnesota High School Cross Country Hall of Fame. He is entering his sixth year as men’s and women’s cross country coach at UW-River Falls.

Glover, whose teams won nine conference championships during his 28 seasons as a head coach in the White Bear Lake school district, is one of two 2005 inductees into the Hall of Fame. Glover started the boys cross country program at Winona in 1968 before taking over at White Bear Mariner in 1972. In 1982, when Mariner merged with White Bear High School, he became the Bears' coach.

In 2002, the Falcon women's cross country team placed fifth in the WIAC standings. It was the team's best finish in Glover's five year career with the Falcons. The 2001 Falcon cross country teams had their most successful seasons in years. After competing at the WIAC meet, the women's team advanced to the NCAA Div. III Midwest Regional where they placed seventh overall. The women were sixth in the WIAC meet.

In 2000 the Falcon men's team placed ninth and the women's team finished seventh. Both teams received some extra valuable competition by running in the 2000 NCAA Midwest Regional Championships.

Glover was the Concordia, Minn., University men’s and women’s track and field coach during the 2000 season where he coached the school’s first track All-American. Before coaching at Concordia, Glover coached in the White Bear Lake, Minn., school system for several years before retiring in 1999. He began his high school track coaching at White Bear Lake in 1969. In 1972 he was named the head track coach at Mariner High School in White Bear Lake and helped lead that team to the State Championship in 1975. In 1982 when Mariner and White Bear Lake High Schools were combined, he became the head cross country coach and assistant head track coach. Glover also taught and coached in the Winona, Minn., School system from 1967-69.

From 1984-99 Glover’s cross country teams reached the Minnesota State Meet 13 times out of a tough Region 4AA. The Bears were ranked in the state’s Top 10 in 20 of his 30 year career. His teams brought home trophies five times during his tenure. Several of Glover’s high school runners continued their success at the collegiate level by being named All-Americans. One was a Big 10 Conference champion.

Glover was named the Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 1981 and the Minnesota Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year in 1989. He was the president of the MAHPERD in 1996. He has written three books: Teambuilding Through Physical Challenge; More Teambuilding Challenges and Cooperation – Competition Making the Link. He has also had several articles published in The Athletic Journal, the national magazine for coaches.

He earned his undergraduate degree in physical education and elementary education from Winona, Minn., State in 1967. He earned his master’s degree in physical education from Winona in 1971. His daughter, Leigh, earned her undergraduate degree from UW-River Falls and competed with the Falcon women’s basketball team for four seasons (1987-91). She was twice named to the first All-WIAC team and once received honorable mention as the Falcons won two WIAC championships (1988, 1989).

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