2002 WIAC Men's Outdoor Track & Field Headlines

2002 WIAC Men's Outdoor Track & Field 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 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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Glover Named UW-River Falls Men's Track and Field Coach

RELEASED: Thursday, May 30, 2002

River Falls, Wis.--Don Glover has been named the UW-River Falls men's and women's track & field coach for the 2002-03 school year. He will remain as the Falcon men's and women's cross country coach.

The Falcon men's track & field team will return to intercollegiate competition in 2002-03. The sport was added back to the UWRF sports module in April after being dropped after the 1994-95 season. Kristi Wagner resigned as the women’s track & field coach in April.

In 2001 the Falcon men's cross country team placed ninth and the women's team finished seventh in the WIAC Meet. Both teams competed in the 2001 NCAA Midwest Regional and the women placed eighth. Both teams also ran in the Regional in 2000.

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. Every year of his career the Bears were ranked in the state’s Top 10. His teams brought home State 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 track articles published in The Athletic Journal.

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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La Crosse Wins Men's Outdoor Track & Field National Championship

NCAA Track & Field St. Paul, Minn.--The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's track and field team captured its seventh NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship Saturday, May 25 at Macalester College. The Eagles finished with 64 points. Calvin College (Mich.) was second with 41 points, while Lincoln University (Pa.) was third with 39. UW-Stevens Point with 31 points and Wheaton College (Mass.) with 29 rounded out the top-five. UW-Platteville finished sixth (26), UW-Whitewater tied for eighth (20), UW-Oshkosh tied for 14th (18), UW-Stout tied for 40th (6) and UW-Eau Claire tied for 47th (5).

With the outdoor title, the Eagles have completed the "triple crown," also winning the 2001 cross country championship and 2002 indoor track title. It marks the second time La Crosse has accomplished the "triple crown," also winning the three championships during the 1996-97 season.

La Crosse has now won the indoor and outdoor titles in the same year seven times in school history. The Eagles won both titles in 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997 and 2001.

The seven outdoor championships are also the most in NCAA Division III history. La Crosse's 16 track and field titles in school history (nine indoor, seven outdoor) are more than any other Division III institution. The nine indoor titles are the most in the nation.

The Eagles earned 16 All-American honors at this year's meet.

Derek Toshner and Mike Turgeon both captured individual titles for the Eagles. Toshner won the 400-meter hurdles with a school record time of 51.26. He became the first athlete in La Crosse history to win the 400 hurdles national title. It was Toshner's first career outdoor All-American honor. Turgeon won the discus throw with a school-record toss of 183-2. It was Turgeon's second career discus All-American honor, after placing third last year.

Oshkosh's Matt Groose won the 800-meter run title for the second consecutive season. His time of 1:50.05 established a Macalester Stadium record. It was Groose's third career All-America honor after he placed eighth in the 1,500-meter run in 2000.

Also claiming All-America honors from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference were:

100-Meter Dash: Dan Tutskey (La Crosse--2nd), Kyle Newman (Stevens Point--5th)
200-Meter Dash: Andrew Rock (La Crosse--2nd), Dan Tutskey (La Crosse--3rd)
400-Meter Dash: Andrew Rock (La Crosse--2nd), Craig Gunderson (Stevens Point--5th)
800-Meter Run: Ryan Kleimenhagen (Platteville--3rd), Ben Treptow (Stevens Point--6th), Tom McDonald (Whitewater--7th)
1,500-Meter Run: Ryan Kleimenhagen (Platteville--2nd), Jesse Baumann (Stevens Point--7th)
5,000-Meter Run: Pat Frascone (Whitewater--8th)
10,000-Meter Run: Mark LaLonde (Stevens Point--4th), Pat Frascone (Whitewater--8th)
400-Meter Hurdles: Dave Hanson (Stout--3rd), Charlie Wittleder (La Crosse--8th)
3,000-Meter Steeplechase: Jesse LaLonde (Stevens Point--5th), Eric Fisher (Stevens Point--8th)
Shot Put: Andy Paulsen (Platteville--2nd), John Schuna (Eau Claire--5th)
Discus Throw: Chris Jensen (Oshkosh--3rd), Jeremiah Rolfs (Stevens Point--6th), John Schuna (Eau Claire--8th)
Hammer Throw: Justin Minor (Whitewater--2nd), Jeremy Wendt (Whitewater--4th), Luke Hilgers (Stevens Point--6th)
High Jump: Mike Mead (Stevens Point--7th)
Pole Vault: Ben Stern (La Crosse--6th), Jon Wagner (Oshkosh--7th)
Decathlon: Eric Jacobson (Whitewater--6th)
4x100-Meter Relay: La Crosse (2nd)
4x400-Meter Relay: La Crosse (7th)

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La Crosse's Basler Named Men's Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete

RELEASED: Thursday, May 9, 2002

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Andy Basler has been named the 2002 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Men's Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete, it was announced recently by WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner.

Basler, a senior from Mayville, Wis., is majoring in art with a minor in photography and carries a 3.67 grade point average. He is a two-time Outdoor Track and Field Academic All-American and has been named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll three times. Basler has been named to the UW-La Crosse Dean's List seven semesters. Earlier this year, he received the Viggo B. and Madeline C. Rasmusen Leadership Award in Physical Activities.

Basler, a team captain for the past two seasons, helped the Eagles to their 12th straight WIAC championship at the league meet in La Crosse last weekend. He placed second in the long jump and 10th in the javelin. At the conference meet in 2000, he placed second in the decathlon. That same year, he placed fourth in the decathlon at the NCAA Division III Championship to earn All-America honors.

Basler has served as a panelist speaker at the 2002 NCAA National Convention and is a member the Golden Key International Honor Society. He also has contributed to the WIAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, in which he has held many executive positions. Additionally, Basler was a representative for the Student-Athlete Drug Testing Program Committee at UW-La Crosse.

Also nominated for the scholar-athlete award were: Eau Claire's Jeffrey Bergstrom and Benton Ward, Oshkosh's Jon Peterson and Stout's John Hanson.

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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La Crosse Wins 12th Straight Men's Outdoor Track and Field Crown

La Crosse, Wis.--The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's outdoor track and field team won its 12th consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championship Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Eagles finished with 215 points. UW-Stevens Point was second (185), followed by UW-Whitewater (135), UW-Oshkosh (101.50), UW-Platteville (93), UW-Eau Claire (87.50) and UW-Stout (36).

La Crosse had seven individual champions and two relay champions during the two-day event. Andrew Rock won the 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash, with times of 10.33 and 20.91, respectively. His time in the 200-meter dash established a new conference records. It also marks the second consecutive year he has won both events at the league meet.

Derek Toshner won the 110-meter high hurdles and 400-meter intermediate hurdles with times of 14.72 and 52.11, respectively.

Dan Tutskey won the 100-meter dash with a conference record time of 10.33 to become a four-time league champion in the event. Mike Turgeon won the discus with a toss of 170-5. He also won the event last season as a member of the Stout Blue Devils.

La Crosse's Chris Walters was their final individual champion, winning the javelin with a distance of 183-11.

La Crosse's 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams took first with times of 40.57 and 3:15.74, respectively. The time in the 4x100 set a new league record.

Stevens Point was led by three individual champions. Jesse LaLonde won the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:14.34. Mike Mead won the high jump with a height of 6-9 and Cory Lesperance won the long jump with a distance of 23-2 3/4.

Whitewater's third-place finish was aided by four individual champions. Pat Frascone won the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:47.87. He also won the 10,000-meter run with a time of 31:01.38.

Jeremy Wendt won the hammer throw with a toss of 181-3 and Eric Jacobson won the decathlon with 6,471 points.

Oshkosh's Matt Groose won the 800-meter run and 1,500-meter run with times of 1:54.47 and 3:55.00, respectively. It marks the second consecutive season he has won the 1,500-meter run and second time in the last three years he has won the 800-meter run.

The Titans' Jon Wagner won the pole vault with a height of 15-9 3/4.

Eau Claire was led by Jeff Bergstrom and John Schuna. Bergstrom won the triple jump with a leap of 46-10 3/4. Schuna won the shot put with a heave of 55-3 3/4.

Platteville won the 4x800-meter relay with a time of 7:43.66.

Oshkosh's Matt Groose was named the Track Performer of the Meet, while Whitewater's Eric Jacobson was named the Field Performer of the Meet.

La Crosse head coach Mark Guthrie was selected the Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive season.

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