UW-Eau Claire's Channing Leads All-WIAC Women's Basketball Selections

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: Thursday, March 6, 2003

UW-Eau Claire's Channing Leads All-WIAC Women's Basketball Selections

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire senior forward Kristi Channing was voted the Player of the Year, topping the 10 individuals selected to the 2002-03 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women's Basketball Team.

Channing has led UW-Eau Claire to a 27-1 overall record and a 16-0 conference mark en route to their eighth conference title since the 1990 season. The Blugolds are just the third team in league history to finish the 16-game conference slate with an umblemished record. UW-Eau Claire (1999-2000) and UW-Oshkosh (1997-98) were the other squads to go undefeated in league action. This year, the Blugolds have also captured the WIAC Tournament title, an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament and the No. 1 national ranking in the latest D3hoops.com poll.

Channing, a two-time All-WIAC First Team selection, ranks second in the league in scoring (15.2), fourth in field goal percentage (.531) and ninth in free throw percentage (.792). She surpassed the 1,000-career point plateau against UW-Oshkosh on February 12 and currently has 1,085 career points. For the second consecutive year, she is a finalist for the Jostens Trophy, an award given to the Division III women's basketball player of the year.

Channing becomes the fifth Blugold to win the conference player of the year honor, joining Vanessa Schley (2001), Jayme Anderson (2000), Erika Schmidt (1997) and Arlene Meinholz (1995).

Channing was joined on the first team by teammates Janel Soppeland and Becca Spaeth. Soppeland ranks second in the league in three-point field goals made (1.78), sixth in assists (2.96) and seventh in free throw percentage (.800) and three-point field goal percentage (.340).

Spaeth ranks second in the conference in field goal percentage (.543), seventh in blocked shots (.96) and ninth in rebounding (6.4).

UW-Oshkosh's Kay Mikolajczak and Libby Sievert garnered first team accolades after leading the Titans to their 10th 20-win season in the last 11 years. Mikolajczak leads the league in steals (2.74), while ranking third in blocked shots (1.41), fifth in rebounding (7.6) and free throw percentage (.828) and sixth in scoring (13.4) and field goal percentage (.516). She recorded the highest rebounding total in the league this year with a 20-rebound effort at UW-Stout on February 1. Mikolajczak was named to the all-defensive squad during the 2001-02 campaign.

Sievert leads the association in three-point field goals made (2.25), while ranking fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.404), fifth in scoring (13.6), ninth in field goal percentage (.452) and 10th in assists (2.64).

UW-Stevens Point's Cassandra Heuer and Amanda Nechuta captured first team honors after helping the squad to its third straight season with 20 or more victories. Heuer ranks fourth in the league in free throw percentage (.829) and three-point field goals made (1.54), fifth in steals (2.38) and three-point field goal percentage (.377) and ninth in scoring (12.6) and blocked shots (.85).

Nechuta leads the conference in scoring (16.3), while ranking second in steals (2.59), sixth in rebounding (7.2) and eighth in field goal percentage (.470). She established the league's highest scoring effort of the season with a 34-point outburst on February 12 at UW-Whitewater and also recorded six double-doubles (points-rebounds). Nechuta was also selected to the all-defensive squad.

UW-La Crosse's Karen Berg ranks second in the league in free throw percentage (.850), third in rebounding (8.7), fifth in blocked shots (1.23) and seventh in scoring (13.3). She also has a conference-high eight double-doubles (points-rebounds) to her credit this year and led the club in scoring in 12 games.

UW-Platteville's Tiff Flesch led the squad in scoring (13.3), rebounding (8.6) and blocks (26) before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the 19th game of the season. She earned honorable mention honors last year.

UW-Stout's Laura Verdegan leads the conference in field goal percentage (.567), while ranking third in blocked shots (1.41), fourth in steals (2.41) and 10th in rebounding (6.3). She was also named to the league's all-defensive team for the second straight year. Verdegan claimed honorable mention status to the all-league team last season.

Named to the honorable mention team were: UW-La Crosse's Amy Greil, UW-Oshkosh's Melissa Schweitzer, UW-Platteville's Katie Freis and Angie Sisson, UW-River Falls' Erin Effle and Darcy Olsen, UW-Stevens Point's Andrea Kraemer, UW-Stout's Lindsey Erichsen, UW-Superior's Lindsey Anderson and UW-Whitewater's Cathy Rossi.

In addition to Nechuta and Verdegan, individuals named to this year's all-defensive team included: UW-Eau Claire's Brooke Wozniak, UW-Oshkosh's Brenda Utech and UW-Stevens Point's Andrea Kraemer.

UW-Eau Claire head coach Tonja Englund was voted the 2002-03 Coach of the Year by the league coaches. She guided the Blugolds to the 2003 league title and has compiled an overall record of 69-14 in her three seasons with UW-Eau Claire.

2002-03 All-WIAC Women's Basketball Team

First Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Height, Hometown (High School)
Karen Berg, La Crosse, Senior, Center, 5-11, Edgar
Kristi Channing, Eau Claire, Senior, Forward, 5-10, Fall Creek
Tiff Flesch, Platteville, Junior, Forward, 6-0, Potosi
Cassandra Heuer, Stevens Point, Junior, Forward, 5-11, Two Rivers (Washington)
Kay Mikolajczak, Oshkosh, Junior, Forward, 6-0, Franklin
Amanda Nechuta, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Forward, 5-10, Mosinee
Libby Sievert, Oshkosh, Senior, Guard, 5-7, Suamico (Green Bay Southwest)
Janel Soppeland, Eau Claire, Senior, Guard, 5-9, Cadott
Becca Spaeth, Eau Claire, Junior, Center, 6-1, Chippewa Falls (Chi-Hi)
Laura Verdegan, Stout, Junior, Forward, 5-10, Tony (Flambeau)

Honorable Mention
Lindsey Anderson, Superior, Sophomore, Guard, 5-7, Superior (Senior)
Erin Effle, River Falls, Sophomore, Center, 5-10, Rochester, Minn. (John Marshall)
Lindsey Erichsen, Stout, Sophomore, Forward, 6-0, Spring Valley, Minn. (Kingsland)
Katie Freis, Platteville, Junior, Guard, 5-8, Oregon
Amy Greil, La Crosse, Sophomore, Center, 6-3, Waterford (Waterford-Union)
Andrea Kraemer, Stevens Point, Junior, Guard, 5-10, Waukesha (North)
Darcy Olsen, River Falls, Sophomore, Guard, 5-3, Rosemount, Minn. (Eastview)
Cathy Rossi, Whitewater, Senior, Forward, 5-10, Bristol (Westosha)
Melissa Schweitzer, Oshkosh, Senior, Guard, 6-0, Amherst
Angie Sisson, Platteville, Junior, Guard, 5-7, Watertown (Rochester, Minn./Mayo)

All-Defensive Team
Andrea Kraemer, Stevens Point, Junior, Guard, 5-10, Waukesha (North)
Amanda Nechuta, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Forward, 5-10, Mosinee
Brenda Utech, Oshkosh, Senior, Guard, 5-9, Howard (Bay Port)
Laura Verdegan, Stout, Junior, Forward, 5-10, Tony (Flambeau)
Brooke Wozniak, Eau Claire, Junior, Center, 6-0, Stanley (Stanley-Boyd)

Player of the Year: Kristi Channing of Eau Claire

Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete: Kristi Channing of Eau Claire

Coach of the Year: Tonja Englund of Eau Claire

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