Stevens Point's Groshek Leads All-WIAC Women's Basketball Team

NEWS RELEASE
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Matt Stanek * Sports Information Director * 780 Regent Street * Madison, WI 53715 * Phone: (608) 265-6406 * www.uwsa.edu/wiac/

RELEASED: Wednesday, February 27, 2002

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point senior center Kari Groshek was selected the Player of the Year, headlining the group of 10 performers selected to the 2001-02 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women's Basketball Team.

Groshek led the Pointers to a 24-3 overall record and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Pointers finished the conference schedule with a 14-2 mark, their best record since the 1986-87 campaign. Additionally, the 24 overall wins are the most since that same season, when the Pointers won the national crown.

Groshek is one of ten finalists for the Josten's Trophy, which is awarded to the top player in NCAA Division III. She ranks third in the WIAC in scoring (15.1) and field goal percentage (.556), ninth in free throw percentage (.748) and 13th in rebounding (5.8). Additionally, she has scored in double figures in 24-of-27 games this season.

Groshek established a school record for points in a game with 38 against Whitewater on January 23. She broke the mark previously held by Jessica Ott (2000) and Sonja Sorensen (1986). The 38 points is also the highest total in the WIAC this season.

Groshek, an All-WIAC First Team and All-Defensive Team selection last season, scored her 1,000th career point earlier this year, becoming the 11th player in school history to accomplish the mark. She now has 1,328 points ranking her third on the school's all-time list.

Groshek is the first Pointer in school history to win the conference's Player of the Year honor.

Groshek's teammate, Andrea Kraemer, also was named to the first team. Kraemer leads the WIAC in assists (4.44) and three-point field goal percentage (.492), while ranking fourth in steals (2.26), sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.40) and ninth in three-point field goals made (1.11). She also adds 10.0 points per contest.

The Stout duo of Amy Zelinger and Tanya Halbach helped the Blue Devils to the WIAC regular season and tournament championship this year. It was the first conference title for the Blue Devils since the 1996-97 campaign, and first-ever undisputed conference championship in any women's sport at Stout.

Zelinger leads a balanced scoring attack for a Blue Devil squad that posts a league-high 78.4 points per contest. She contributes 9.5 points per game and ranks sixth in the conference in steals (2.07), seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.26) and ninth in assists (2.85). Zelinger earned All-WIAC First Team honors last season.

Halbach ranks third in the league in three-point field goals made (1.54) and fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.398). She also adds 9.5 points per game. Halbach earned honorable mention accolades last season.

Oshkosh's Kristin Steckmesser and Jamie Turtenwald helped the Titans to a spot in the WIAC Tournament championship game. Steckmesser, an All-WIAC First Team selection last season and honorable mention pick during the 1998-99 campaign, leads the conference in free throw percentage (.847), while ranking second in three-point field goals made (1.71), fourth in scoring (14.6), sixth in assists (3.21) and eighth in field goal percentage (.438) and steals (1.96).

Turtenwald, an honorable mention and all-defensive pick last season, is second in assists (4.32) and assist/turnover ratio (1.98) in the league. She also chipped in 9.1 points per game this season.

Eau Claire's Kristi Channing, who is also a finalist for the Josten's Trophy, ranks second in scoring (17.2), fifth in field goal percentage (.538), sixth in free throw percentage (.794) and 14th in rebounding (5.7).

Platteville's Crystal Stietz helped the Pioneers to their first .500 season (13-13) since 1991-92. She leads the conference in scoring (19.2), while ranking fourth in field goal percentage (.551) and fifth in rebounding (7.3). Stietz tallied the second-highest scoring effort in the league this season with a career-high 36 points against St. Ambrose (Iowa) and also registered seven double-doubles (points-rebounds).

River Falls' Melissa McKernon earned All-WIAC First Team honors for the second-consecutive season. She ranks eighth in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.337) and three-point field goals made (1.19), 11th in free throw percentage (.725), 12th in scoring (11.0) and 15th in rebounding (5.6).

La Crosse's Brooke Croshier ranks second in the conference in field goal percentage (.581), fifth in scoring (13.2) and seventh in rebounding (6.5). She also tallied five double-doubles (points-rebounds) this season.

Named to the Honorable Mention squad were: La Crosse's Shelley Bakken, Oshkosh's Jenny Deuster, Platteville's Tiff Flesch, River Falls' Erin Effle, Stevens Point's Carry Boehning and Amie Schultz, Stout's Stacie Anderson, Lindsey Erichsen and Laura Verdegan, Superior's Heidi McKay, and Whitewater's Nya Geschke and Cathy Rossi.

Named to the All-Defensive Team were: Eau Claire's Sarah Hughes, Oshkosh's Kay Mikolajczak and Brenda Utech, and Stout's Laura Verdegan and Amy Zelinger.

Stout head coach Mark Thomas was named the 2001-02 Coach of the Year by the league coaches. Thomas guided the Blue Devils to their first WIAC title since the 1996-97 season and a school record 23 wins. The 23 wins surpasses the old mark of 21 which was set during the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons.

Thomas also won the league's coaching honor in the 1992-93 season. In his 15th season at the helm of the Blue Devils, Thomas has compiled a 243-140 overall record. The 243 wins rank him second on the conference's all-time wins list.

2001-02 All-WIAC Women's Basketball Team

First Team
Name, School, Position, Height, Year, Hometown (High School)
Kristi Channing, Eau Claire, Forward, 5-11, Junior, Fall Creek
Brooke Croshier, La Crosse, Forward, 5-10, Senior, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Washington)
Kari Groshek, Stevens Point, Center, 6-0, Senior, Rosholt
Tanya Halbach, Stout, Guard, 5-8, Junior, Janesville (Craig)
Andrea Kraemer, Stevens Point, Guard, 5-10, Sophomore, Waukesha (North)
Melissa McKernon, River Falls, Forward, 5-10, Senior, Owatonna, Minn.
Kristin Steckmesser, Oshkosh, Guard, 5-9, Senior, Two Rivers
Crystal Stietz, Platteville, Forward, 5-10, Senior, Argyle
Jamie Turtenwald, Oshkosh, Guard, 5-6, Senior, West Allis (Hale)
Amy Zelinger, Stout, Guard, 5-9, Senior, Racine (Park)

Honorable Mention
Stacie Anderson, Stout, Guard, 5-8, Senior, Clayton
Shelley Bakken, La Crosse, Guard, 5-10, Senior, Onalaska
Carry Boehning, Stevens Point, Center, 6-0, Senior, Auburndale
Jenny Deuster, Oshkosh, Forward, 5-11, Senior, Green Bay (Southwest)
Erin Effle, River Falls, Forward, 5-10, Freshman, Rochester, Minn. (John Marshall)
Lindsey Erichsen, Stout, Center, 6-0, Freshman, Spring Valley, Minn. (Kingsland)
Tiff Flesch, Platteville, Forward, 6-0, Sophomore, Potosi
Nya Geschke, Whitewater, Forward, 5-10, Freshman, Janesville (Parker)
Heidi McKay, Superior, Forward, 5-11, Sophomore, Mahtowa, Minn. (Barnum)
Cathy Rossi, Whitewater, Forward, 5-10, Junior, Bristol (Westosha)
Amie Schultz, Stevens Point, Center, 6-0, Senior, Appleton (East)
Laura Verdegan, Stout, Forward, 5-10, Sophomore, Tony (Flambeau)

All-Defensive Team
Sarah Hughes, Eau Claire, Forward, 5-10, Senior, Colfax
Kay Mikolajczak, Oshkosh, Forward, 6-0, Sophomore, Franklin
Brenda Utech, Oshkosh, Guard, 5-9, Junior, Howard (Bay Port)
Laura Verdegan, Stout, Forward, 5-10, Sophomore, Tony (Flambeau)
Amy Zelinger, Stout, Guard, 5-9, Senior, Racine (Park)

Player of the Year: Kari Groshek of Stevens Point

Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete: Kari Groshek of Stevens Point

Coach of the Year: Mark Thomas of Stout

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