UW-Stevens Point's Nechuta Headlines 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, March 3, 2004

UW-Stevens Point's Nechuta Headlines All-WIAC Women's Basketball Team

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point junior forward Amanda Nechuta was named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Player of the Year to headline the 10 individuals voted to the 2003-04 All-WIAC Women's Basketball Team by the league coaches.

Nechuta helped the Pointers to a share of the WIAC regular season title, the WIAC Tournament crown, a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament and their fourth straight 20-win season. She becomes the second Pointer to claim the league's top honor, joining Kari Groshek who won the award in 2002.

Nechuta claimed first team honors for the second straight season after leading the league in scoring (19.0) and ranking third in steals (2.64), fourth in field goal percentage (.541) and sixth in rebounding (7.4). She has led the team in scoring in 19 games this year, including a career-high 36 point performance against UW-Oshkosh on February 18. The 36 points marked the highest scoring output in the league since January 23, 2002.

Nechuta was also named to the league's all-defensive team for the second straight season. Her 531 points this year have established a school single-season record and her 1,262 career points rank her sixth on the Pointers' all-time list.

Nechuta was joined on the first team by teammate Amy Scott, who ranks second in the WIAC in field goal percentage (.554) and sixth in scoring (13.6) and free throw percentage (.793). Scott scored a career-high 27 points against UW-Stout on December 9.

UW-Oshkosh landed a pair of individuals on the first team after claiming a share of the WIAC regular season championship. Kay Mikolajczak earned her second straight All-WIAC first team honor after leading the conference in field goal percentage (.558), while ranking second in scoring (17.1), rebounding (9.1) and blocked shots (1.26) and seventh in free throw percentage (.771).

Earlier this season, she was named one of 10 finalists for the Jostens Trophy, an award given to the NCAA Division III women's basketball player of the year. Mikolajczak led the Titans in scoring in 19 games this season and registered a league-leading 12 double-doubles (points-rebounds). She was also named to the conference's all-defensive team for the second time in her career and finished her four-year campaign with 1,124 points to rank 11th on UW-Oshkosh's all-time scoring list.

The Titans' Laurie Turtenwald leads the league in free throw percentage (.881) and three-point field goal percentage (.471), while ranking sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.22) and seventh in assists (3.28) and three-point field goals made (1.28). She was also second on the team in scoring (8.8) this year.

UW-Eau Claire registered the program's 12th 20-win season in the last 13 years and had two individuals recognized on the first team. Becca Spaeth secured her second consecutive first team accolade after ranking third in the WIAC in scoring (15.7), fourth in blocked shots (1.11), seventh in rebounding (7.3), eighth in field goal percentage (.437) and ninth in free throw percentage (.745). She was named one of 10 finalists for the Jostens Trophy earlier this year and led the Blugolds in scoring in 13 contests, including a career-high 31 points against UW-Superior on December 9.

The Blugolds' Brooke Wozniak-Schmidt leads the league in rebounding (12.3) and is second on the team in scoring (8.3). She led the club in rebounding in 23 games this year, including a league-high 23 rebounds against UW-La Crosse on February 4. Wozniak-Schmidt finished her career with 853 rebounds to rank fourth on school's all-time chart. She also earned all-defensive team honors for the second straight season.

UW-Stout's Laura Verdegan earned her second straight All-WIAC first team honor after leading the conference in steals (2.96) and blocked shots (1.85), while ranking sixth in field goal percentage (.500) and eighth in free throw percentage (.767). She set a school single-season record with 50 blocked shots this year and also holds the school's all-time mark with 140. Verdegan was also recognized on the league's all-defensive team for the third straight season to become the first Blue Devil to earn all-defensive honors three consecutive years.

The Blue Devils' Sara Kahl ranks second in the WIAC in steals (2.89) and fourth in scoring (14.0). She led the team in scoring in 13 games this year, including a career-high 25-point effort against Kalamazoo (Mich.). Kahl ranks fourth on the school's all-time scoring chart with 1,119 points.

UW-Platteville's Tiff Flesch secured her second straight All-WIAC first team recognition after receiving honorable mention honors in 2002. She ranks sixth in the WIAC in blocked shots (1.00), seventh in field goal percentage (.466) and ninth in scoring (11.7). Flesch scored a career-high 29 points against Edgewood this season and finished her career fifth on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,074 points.

UW-River Falls' Erin Effle earned All-WIAC first team honor after claiming honorable mention status the past two seasons. She ranks fifth in the conference in scoring (13.6) and field goal percentage (.527). Effle led the Falcons in scoring in 15 contests during the 2003-04 campaign, including a career-high 28-point effort against UW-Whitewater on February 14.

Named to the league's honorable mention team were: UW-Eau Claire's Katie Murphy, UW-La Crosse's Jana Merchlewitz, UW-Oshkosh's Abby Holler, UW-Platteville's Katie Freis and Angie Sisson, UW-Stevens Point's Cassandra Heuer, Andrea Kraemer and Tara Schmitt, UW-Stout's Erin Churchill, UW-Superior's Lindsey Anderson, Stephanie Janigo and Heidi McKay and UW-Whitewater's Nya Geschke.

This year's five-member all-defensive team consisted of: UW-Eau Claire's Brooke Wozniak-Schmidt, UW-Oshkosh's Kay Mikolajczak, UW-Stevens Point's Cassandra Heuer and Amanda Nechuta and UW-Stout's Laura Verdegan.

UW-Stevens Point head coach Shirley Egner was voted the conference coach of the year by the league coaches. She directed the Pointers to their first regular season championship since 1987, the WIAC Tournament title and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second time in three seasons. Egner has compiled a 247-136 overall record in her 15 seasons directing the Pointers.

2003-04 All-WIAC Women's Basketball Team
First Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Height, Hometown (High School)
Erin Effle, UW-River Falls, Junior, Forward, 5-10, Rochester, Minn. (John Marshall)
Tiff Flesch, UW-Platteville, Senior, Forward, 6-0, Potosi
Sara Kahl, UW-Stout, Senior, Guard, 5-10, Menomonie
Kay Mikolajczak, UW-Oshkosh, Senior, Forward, 6-0, Franklin
Amanda Nechuta, UW-Stevens Point, Junior, Forward, 5-10, Mosinee
Amy Scott, UW-Stevens Point, Junior, Center, 6-2, Rosholt
Becca Spaeth, UW-Eau Claire, Senior, Center, 6-1, Chippewa Falls (Chi-Hi)
Laurie Turtenwald, UW-Oshkosh, Junior, Guard, 5-7, West Allis (Hale)
Laura Verdegan, UW-Stout, Senior, Forward, 5-10, Tony (Flambeau)
Brooke Wozniak-Schmidt, UW-Eau Claire, Senior, Center, 6-0, Stanley (Stanley-Boyd)

Honorable Mention
Lindsey Anderson, UW-Superior, Junior, Guard, 5-8, Superior (Senior)
Erin Churchill, UW-Stout, Junior, Guard, 5-9, Plum City
Katie Freis, UW-Platteville, Senior, Guard, 5-8, Oregon
Nya Geschke, UW-Whitewater, Junior, Forward, 5-10, Janesville (Parker)
Cassandra Heuer, UW-Stevens Point, Senior, Forward, 5-11, Two Rivers (Washington)
Abby Holler, UW-Oshkosh, Junior, Forward, 6-0, La Crescent, Minn. (La Crosse Aquinas)
Stephanie Janigo, UW-Superior, Junior, Forward, 6-0, Brule (Northwestern)
Andrea Kraemer, UW-Stevens Point, Senior, Guard, 5-10, Waukesha (North)
Heidi McKay, UW-Superior, Senior, Forward, 5-11, Mahtowa, Minn. (Barnum)
Jana Merchlewitz, UW-La Crosse, Junior, Guard, 5-9, Rushford, Minn. (Rushford-Peterson)
Katie Murphy, UW-Eau Claire, Junior, Guard, 5-5, La Crosse (Aquinas)
Tara Schmitt, UW-Stevens Point, Senior, Guard, 5-7, Brookfield (Catholic Memorial)
Angie Sisson, UW-Platteville, Senior, Guard, 5-7, Watertown (Rochester Mayo, Minn.)

All-Defensive Team
Cassandra Heuer, UW-Stevens Point, Senior, Forward, 5-11, Two Rivers (Washington)
Kay Mikolajczak, UW-Oshkosh, Senior, Forward, 6-0, Franklin
Amanda Nechuta, UW-Stevens Point, Junior, Forward, 5-10, Mosinee
Laura Verdegan, UW-Stout, Senior, Forward, 5-10, Tony (Flambeau)
Brooke Wozniak-Schmidt, UW-Eau Claire, Senior, Center, 6-0, Stanley (Stanley-Boyd)

Player of the Year: Amanda Nechuta of UW-Stevens Point
Judy Kruckman Tri-Scholar-Athletes: Kay Mikolajczak of UW-Oshkosh, Becca Spaeth of UW-Eau Claire and Laura Verdegan of UW-Stout
Coach of the Year: Shirley Egner of UW-Stevens Point

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