2003-04 WIAC Women's Basketball
Athletes of the Week

Week of Feb. 16 - 22
Amanda Nechuta, Junior (Mosinee), Forward of UW-Stevens Point
Nechuta set a new career-high in points by scoring 36 in the Pointers' victory at WIAC leader UW-Oshkosh on February 18. She was 13-for-18 from the field, 10-for-15 from the free throw line and scored 19 of her 36 points after halftime. On Saturday, Nechuta scored the first nine points of the second half and finished with 18 as the Pointers clinched their first WIAC championship since 1987 with an 80-43 win over UW-Superior. For the week, Nechuta was 20-for-28 from the field and 14-for-21 from the free throw line. She had eight rebounds, five steals, two blocked shots and one assist.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Toya Banks, Senior, Guard, Rock Island, Ill.
UW-La Crosse, Jana Merchlewitz, Junior, Guard, Rushford, Minn. (Rushford-Peterson)
UW-Oshkosh, Kay Mikolajczak, Senior, Forward, Franklin
UW-Platteville, Tiff Flesch, Senior, Forward, Potosi
UW-River Falls, Darcy Olsen, Junior, Guard, Rosemount, Minn. (Eastview)
UW-Stout, Laura Verdegan, Senior, Forward, Tony (Flambeau)
UW-Superior, Stephanie Janigo, Junior, Forward, Brule (Northwestern)
UW-Whitewater, Nya Geschke, Junior, Forward, Janesville (Parker)

Week of Feb. 9 - 15
Molly Hendricks, Sophomore (Blaine, Minn.), Forward of UW-Stout
Hendricks led UW-Stout to a 79-72 win over UW-Oshkosh, the 13th-ranked team in the country and first-place team in the league, on February 14. She tossed in 10 points in the first half, then added 13 points in the second half, including a three-pointer with 1-minute, 6-seconds remaining, that pushed UW-Stout's lead to 71-66. Hendricks led all scorers with a career-high 23 points, hitting eight-of-14 from the floor, three-of-seven from the three-point range and four-of-four from the line. She also pulled down five rebounds and had four steals. It was just the seventh win for the Blue Devils against the Titans in the 46 meetings between the teams. On the week, which included a 87-58 win over UW-La Crosse on February 11, Hendricks scored 31 points, was 10-for-19 from the field, five-for-nine from three-point range, six-for-six from the line had nine steals, eight rebounds and four assists.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Becca Spaeth, Senior, Forward/Center, Chippewa Falls (Chi-Hi)
UW-La Crosse, Jana Merchlewitz, Junior, Guard, Rushford, Minn. (Rushford-Peterson)
UW-Oshkosh, Brittany Herrick, Sophomore, Forward, Appleton (Xavier)
UW-Platteville, Tiff Flesch, Senior, Forward, Potosi
UW-River Falls, Erin Effle, Junior, Forward, Rochester, Minn. (John Marshall)
UW-Stevens Point, Amanda Nechuta, Junior, Forward, Mosinee
UW-Superior, Heidi McKay, Senior, Forward, Mahtowa, Minn. (Barnum)
UW-Whitewater, Julie Nommensen, Junior, Guard, Palmyra

Week of Feb. 2 - 8
Cassandra Heuer, Senior (Two Rivers), Forward of UW-Stevens Point
Heuer notched a pair of double-doubles in two Pointer victories this week. She nailed three three-point baskets and dished out five assists in a 14-point, 12-rebound performance against UW-River Falls. On Saturday, Heuer recorded her third double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds in a 63-47 win over UW-Platteville. For the week, Heuer scored 29 points on 10-for-20 shooting, including four-for-nine from the three-point line and added 24 rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Toya Banks, Senior, Guard, Rock Island, Ill.
UW-La Crosse, Shawna Koss, Sophomore, Guard, Holmen (Melrose-Mindoro)
UW-Oshkosh, Kay Mikolajczak, Senior, Forward, Franklin
UW-Stout, Laura Verdegan, Senior, Forward, Tony (Flambeau)
UW-Superior, Heidi McKay, Senior, Forward, Mahtowa, Minn. (Barnum)
UW-Whitewater, Amy Morris, Sophomore, Guard, Johnsburg, Ill.

Week of Jan. 26 - Feb. 1
Tiff Flesch, Senior (Potosi), Forward of UW-Platteville
Flesch helped UW-Platteville to a pair of conference victories this week, 84-75 over UW-Whitewater and 67-55 over UW-Stout. In the win against the Warhawks, she totaled a game-high 18 points with seven assists and six rebounds. In the victory over the Blue Devils, Flesch scored a game-high 15 points and grabbed a game-high seven rebounds with six steals and three assists. In the two games, she averaged 16.5 points and 6.5 rebounds.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Toya Banks, Senior, Guard, Rock Island, Ill.
UW-La Crosse, Jana Merchlewitz, Junior, Guard, Rushford, Minn. (Rushford-Peterson)
UW-Oshkosh, Michele Rosicky, Junior, Guard, Plover (SPASH)
UW-River Falls, Traci Reimann, Freshman, Forward, North Branch, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, Amy Scott, Junior, Center, Rosholt
UW-Stout, Lindsey Erichsen, Junior, Forward, Spring Valley, Minn. (Kingsland)
UW-Superior, Heidi McKay, Senior, Forward, Mahtowa, Minn. (Barnum)
UW-Whitewater, Nya Geschke, Junior, Forward, Janesville (Parker)

Week of Jan. 19 - 25
Kay Mikolajczak, Senior (Franklin), Forward of UW-Oshkosh
Mikolajczak helped UW-Oshkosh regain sole possession of the WIAC lead with her double-digit scoring and rebounding totals in games against UW-Stevens Point and UW-River Falls. In the Titans' 75-74 overtime win at UW-Stevens Point on January 20, Mikolajczak scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished off four assists and blocked one shot in 39 minutes of action. She was eight-for-14 from the field and four-for-four from the free throw line. In the Titans' 69-59 victory over UW-River Falls on January 24, Mikolajczak scored 23 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished off two assists. She was 10-for-16 from the field and three-for-four from the free throw line.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Becca Spaeth, Senior, Forward/Center, Chippewa Falls (Chi-Hi)
UW-La Crosse, Shawna Koss, Sophomore, Guard, Holmen (Melrose-Mindoro)
UW-Platteville, Holly Kaiser, Sophomore, Forward, Hazel Green (Southwestern)
UW-Stevens Point, Amanda Nechuta, Junior, Forward, Mosinee
UW-Stout, Laura Verdegan, Senior, Forward, Tony (Flambeau)
UW-Superior, Heidi McKay, Senior, Forward, Mahtowa, Minn. (Barnum)
UW-Whitewater, Leah Thyne, Junior, Guard, Marinette

Week of Jan. 12 - 18
Lindsey Anderson, Junior (Superior/Senior), Guard of UW-Superior
Anderson helped UW-Superior snap a 41-game conference road losing streak in a 73-70 victory at UW-River Falls on January 13. The last league road win for the Yellowjackets was on December 5, 1998 at UW-La Crosse. She poured in a game-high 28 points on 11-for-19 shooting from the field and four-for-five from the free throw line, while adding five steals and four assists against the Falcons. The 28 points were the highest single-game scoring output for UW-Superior since Sheri Domitrovich had 29 against UW-Stout on February 14, 2001. Anderson added 11 points, two assists and two steals against UW-Stevens Point on January 17.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Brooke Wozniak-Schmidt, Senior, Forward/Center, Stanley (Stanley-Boyd)
UW-La Crosse, Jana Merchlewitz, Junior, Guard, Rushford, Minn. (Rushford-Peterson)
UW-Oshkosh, Kay Mikolajczak, Senior, Forward, Franklin
UW-Stevens Point, Tara Schmitt, Senior, Guard, Brookfield (Waukesha Catholic Memorial)
UW-Stout, Erin Churchill, Junior, Guard, Plum City
UW-Whitewater, Nya Geschke, Junior, Forward, Janesville (Parker)

Week of Jan. 5 - 11
Becca Spaeth, Senior (Chippewa Falls/Chi-Hi), Forward/Center of UW-Eau Claire
Spaeth led the Blugolds to a 71-50 victory over UW-River Falls on January 6 and a 86-50 win over UW-Whitewater on January 10. She scored 23 points on seven-of-13 shooting from the field and nine-of-nine from the free-throw line with 13 rebounds and two blocked shots against the Warhawks. Spaeth scored 12 points and grabbed three rebounds against the Falcons. For the week, she scored 35 points on 13-of-25 shooting from the field (52.0 percent) and hauled in 16 rebounds.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Abby Johnson, Freshman, Center, Prescott
UW-Oshkosh, Abby Holler, Junior, Forward, La Crescent, Minn. (La Crosse Aquinas)
UW-Platteville, Angie Sisson, Senior, Guard/Forward, Watertown (Rochester, Minn/Mayo)
UW-Stevens Point, Andrea Kraemer, Senior, Guard, Waukesha (North)
UW-Stout, Sara Kahl, Senior, Guard, Menomonie
UW-Superior, Kati Galovich, Junior, Guard, Crosby, Minn. (Crosby-Ironton)
UW-Whitewater, Amy Morris, Sophomore, Forward, Johnsburg, Ill.

Week of Dec. 15 - Jan. 4
Kay Mikolajczak, Senior (Franklin), Forward of UW-Oshkosh
Mikolajczak averaged 17.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game as UW-Oshkosh posted a 3-2 record in games played December 18 through January 3. She had three double-doubles in the five games as she counted 19 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists in a 73-47 win over Kalamazoo (Mich.), 15 points and 10 rebounds in a 68-61 loss to defending NCAA Division III champion Trinity (Texas) and 26 points and 10 rebounds in an 85-79 win over UW-Stout. She also had 14 points and nine rebounds in a 62-56 loss to Millikin University (Ill.). Mikolajczak's five-game totals also included 54.7 percent (35-of-64) shooting from the field, 85.7 percent (18-of-21) shooting from the free throw line, seven blocked shots and four steals.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Becca Spaeth, Senior, Forward/Center, Chippewa Falls (Chi-Hi)
UW-La Crosse, Jana Merchlewitz, Junior, Guard, Rushford, Minn. (Rushford-Peterson)
UW-Platteville, Holly Kaiser, Sophomore, Forward, Hazel Green (Southwest)
UW-River Falls, Megan Lindman, Freshman, Forward, Rochester, Minn. (Mayo)
UW-Stevens Point, Tara Schmitt, Senior, Guard, Brookfield (Waukesha Catholic Memorial)
UW-Stout, Erin Churchill, Junior, Guard, Plum City
UW-Superior, Stephanie Janigo, Junior, Forward, Brule (Northwestern)

Week of Dec. 8 - 14
Angie Sisson, Senior (Watertown/Rochester, Minn./Mayo), Guard/Forward of UW-Platteville
Sisson led the Pioneers to a pair of road victories during the week. She scored 16 points, grabbed five rebounds and made three steals during an 81-65 victory at UW-Whitewater. Two nights later, she led the Pioneers to a 76-66 upset at NCAA Division II Minnesota State-Mankato. Sisson scored 17 points, added eight rebounds and four steals, while committing only one turnover against the Mavericks.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Becca Spaeth, Senior, Forward/Center, Chippewa Falls (Chi-Hi)
UW-La Crosse, Amanda Cushman, Senior, Guard, Blue Mounds (Mt. Horeb)
UW-River Falls, Erin Effle, Junior, Forward, Rochester, Minn. (John Marshall)
UW-Stevens Point, Cassandra Schultz, Sophomore, Guard, Hartford
UW-Stout, Erin Churchill, Junior, Guard, Plum City
UW-Superior, Stephanie Janigo, Junior, Forward, Brule (Northwestern)

Week of Dec. 1 - 7
Amanda Nechuta, Junior (Mosinee), Forward of UW-Stevens Point
Nechuta averaged better than a point per minute in two games this week. She scored 53 points in just 50 minutes of playing time as the Pointers defeated UW-River Falls, 94-50, and Ripon 78-53. She had 24 points on 10-for-14 shooting with six rebounds against the Falcons and poured in 29 points, making 14-of-19 shots, against Ripon. For the week, Nechuta was 24-for-33 (72.7 percent) from the field and four-for-eight from the free throw line with 14 rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots and one steal.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Becca Spaeth, Senior, Forward/Center, Chippewa Falls (Chi-Hi)
UW-La Crosse, Abby Johnson, Freshman, Center, Prescott
UW-Oshkosh, Laurie Turtenwald, Junior, Guard, West Allis (Hale)
UW-Platteville, Rachel Korth, Sophomore, Guard/Forward, Stockton, Ill.
UW-Stout, Erin Churchill, Junior, Guard, Plum City
UW-Superior, Stephanie Janigo, Junior, Forward, Brule (Northwestern)
UW-Whitewater, Liz Klusman, Senior, Guard, New Berlin

Week of Nov. 24 - 30
Lindsey Anderson, Junior (Superior/Senior), Guard of UW-Superior
Anderson helped UW-Superior to a pair of wins this week as the Yellowjackets improved to 3-1 on the season for the first time since the 1998-99 campaign. In a 84-58 win over Northland on November 25, she had 17 points with seven rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes of action. In a 66-57 victory against Augsburg (Minn.) on November 29, Anderson had a team-high 17 points with eight rebounds, six assists and one steal.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Abby Johnson, Freshman, Center, Prescott
UW-Oshkosh, Kay Mikolajczak, Senior, Forward, Franklin
UW-Platteville, Shannon Boatman, Junior, Center, Darlington
UW-Stevens Point, Andrea Kraemer, Senior, Guard, Waukesha (North)
UW-Stout, Sara Kahl, Senior, Forward, Menomonie
UW-Whitewater, Megan Baker, Freshman, Guard, Appleton (North)

Week of Nov. 17 - 23
Kelly O'Keef, Sophomore (Shorewood/Whitefish Bay Dominican), Guard of UW-Oshkosh
O'Keef was named the Most Valuable Player of the Lakeland Tipoff Classic as the Titans won the tournament with victories over Ripon and Lakeland. In the season-opening 87-60 victory over Ripon, she compiled 18 points on seven-of-seven shooting from the field, including four-of-four from three-point range. She added one rebound, one assist and one steal in 22 minutes. In the 75-48 championship game victory over the host school, O'Keef totaled 12 points on five-of-seven shooting from the field and two-of-four from three-point range. She also contributed three assists, two rebounds and one steal.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Brooke Wozniak-Schmidt, Senior, Forward/Center, Stanley (Stanley-Boyd)
UW-La Crosse, Jana Merchlewitz, Junior, Guard, Rushford, Minn. (Rushford-Peterson)
UW-Platteville, Angie Sisson, Senior, Guard/Forward, Watertown (Rochester, Minn./Mayo)
UW-River Falls, Erin Effle, Junior, Guard, Rochester, Minn. (John Marshall)
UW-Stevens Point, Amanda Nechuta, Junior, Forward, Mosinee
UW-Stout, Sara Kahl, Senior, Forward, Menomonie
UW-Superior, Lindsey Anderson, Junior, Guard, Superior (Senior)

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