RELEASED:  Thursday, March 6, 2008

UW-Eau Claire’s Burns Leads All-WIAC Women’s Basketball Selections; UW-Stevens Point’s Egner Named Coach of the Year

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Michelle Burns was voted the Player of the Year to lead the 11 individuals selected to the 2008 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Basketball Team by the league coaches, while UW-Stevens Point head coach Shirley Egner was selected the Coach of the Year.

Burns, a senior forward, helped the Blugolds to a share of the WIAC regular-season championship and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament.  She ranks third in the conference with 30.96 minutes per game, fifth with 14.5 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per contest, seventh with a .787 free throw percentage and eighth with a .478 field goal percentage.   This marks the second straight year Burns has been named to the first team after earning honorable mention status in 2005.  She was also a member of the league’s all-defensive team a year ago.

Burns has reached double figures in scoring in 23 games this year, including surpassing the 20-point mark on six occasions with a season-high 27 points against UW-Stout on Feb. 28.  She has led the Blugolds in scoring in 10 contests and had and a conference season-best 12 free throws made against UW-River Falls on Jan. 19.  Burns’ career numbers include 1,208 points, the eighth-highest mark in UW-Eau Claire history, and 656 rebounds, the 10th-best listing.

Burns is the sixth Blugold to claim the player of the year honor, joining Arlene Meinholz (1995), Erika Schmidt (1997), Jayme Anderson (2000), Vanessa Schley (2001) and Kristi Channing (2003).

Repeat selections on the first team included:  UW-Eau Claire’s Heidi Arciszewski, UW-La Crosse’s Mackenzie Hunter, UW-Oshkosh’s Whitney Tyriver and UW-Stevens Point’s Laura Neuenfeldt.

Arciszewski, a junior guard, was a first team selection a year ago after securing honorable mention accolades in 2006.  She places fourth in the league with 29.39 minutes per game, fifth with 78 assists, seventh with 13.4 points per game and a .500 field goal percentage and 10th with a .781 free throw percentage.  Arciszewski ranks 16th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 982 points.

Hunter, a junior forward, was a first team pick in 2006 and earned honorable mention recognition last season.  She is third in the WIAC with 14.9 points per game, fourth with a .849 free throw percentage and ninth with 27.77 minutes per game.  Hunter ranks first in school history with a .837 career free throw percentage (164-196) and is 15th with 991 career points.

Tyriver, a senior guard, claimed first team recognition for the second straight year after leading the league with 32.27 minutes per game, while placing fourth with 14.7 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game, seventh with 50 steals and 13 blocked shots, eighth with a .787 free throw percentage and 10th with a .349 three-point field goal percentage.   Her career numbers include 1,047 points, the 16th-highest total in UW-Oshkosh history, 489 rebounds and 157 steals.

Neuenfeldt, a senior guard, was a first team selection for the second consecutive season.   She ranks sixth in the association with 42 three-point field goals made and a .378 three-point field goal percentage, ninth with 65 assists and 17th with 9.4 points per game.  Neuenfeldt places 19th on UW-Stevens Point’s all-time scoring list with 949 points.

Additional first team selections were:  UW-La Crosse’s Lindsay Wahl, UW-Platteville’s Lisa Wubben, UW-Stevens Point’s Haley Houghton, UW-Stout’s Julia Hirssig and UW-Whitewater’s Kelsey Hendrickson and Tiffany Morton.

Individuals securing honorable mention status consisted of:  UW-Eau Claire’s Heather Witt, UW-River Falls’ Caitlin Hunstock, UW-Stevens Point’s Chelsea Kranz, UW-Stout’s Charlee Edwards and UW-Whitewater’s Lindsey Buechner.

The league coaches also selected a five-member all-defensive team for the 2008 season.  UW-Stevens Point’s Katie Webber was joined by Hirssig, Tyriver, Witt and Wubben on the squad.

UW-Stevens Point head coach Shirley Egner was voted the Coach of the Year for the second time in her career. She directed the Pointers to the WIAC Tournament title and double-digits in WIAC victories for eighth straight season.  Egner is in her 19th year at UW-Stevens Point and ranks second on the conference’s all-time list with 332 victories (332-163), including a 186-117 mark in league contests.  She also won the coaching prize in 2004.

Named to the inaugural All-Sportsmanship Team were:  UW-Eau Claire’s Amanda Zenner, UW-La Crosse’s Mandy Stevens, UW-Oshkosh’s Whitney Tyriver, UW-Platteville’s Brianna Klaas, UW-River Falls’ Caitlin Hunstock, UW-Stevens Point’s Megan Pehler, UW-Stout’s Joanna Bird, UW-Superior’s Joelle Noeldner and UW-Whitewater’s Shannon Moore.  The team was selected for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season.  It included one member from each school as selected by that school.

2008 All-WIAC Women’s Basketball Team
First Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)
Heidi Arciszewski, Eau Claire, Junior, Guard, 5-9, Thorp
Michelle Burns, Eau Claire, Senior, Forward, 5-11, Eau Claire (North)
Kelsey Hendrickson, Whitewater, Sophomore, Guard, 5-7, Monroe
Julia Hirssig, Stout, Sophomore, Forward, 5-11, Rochester, Minn. (Mayo)
Haley Houghton, Stevens Point, Senior, Guard, 5-11, Wausau (East)
Mackenzie Hunter, La Crosse, Junior, Forward, 6-0, Eau Claire (Regis)
Tiffany Morton, Whitewater, Junior, Center, 6-0, Beloit (Memorial)
Laura Neuenfeldt, Stevens Point, Senior, Guard, 5-11, Two Rivers
Whitney Tyriver, Oshkosh, Senior, Guard, 6-0, Oshkosh (West)
Lindsay Wahl, La Crosse, Junior, Forward/Center, 6-1, Burnsville, Minn.
Lisa Wubben, Platteville, Senior, Guard, 5-6, Kieler (Southwestern)

Honorable Mention
Lindsey Buechner, Whitewater, Senior, Center, 5-11, Cross Plains (Middleton)
Charlee Edwards, Stout, Junior, Guard, 5-9, Danbury (Webster)
Caitlin Hunstock, River Falls, Senior, Forward, 5-10, Minneapolis, Minn. (South)
Chelsea Kranz, Stevens Point, Senior, Forward, 6-0, Columbus
Heather Witt, Eau Claire, Junior, Guard, 5-7, Kendall (Royall)

All-Defensive Team
Julia Hirssig, Stout, Sophomore, Forward, 5-11, Rochester, Minn. (Mayo)
Whitney Tyriver, Oshkosh, Senior, Guard, 6-0, Oshkosh (West)
Katie Webber, Stevens Point, Junior, Guard, 5-9, Reedsburg
Heather Witt, Eau Claire, Junior, Guard, 5-7, Kendall (Royall)
Lisa Wubben, Platteville, Senior, Guard, 5-6, Kieler (Southwestern)

All-Sportsmanship Team
Joanna Bird, Stout, Senior, Guard, 5-5, Boyceville
Caitlin Hunstock, River Falls, Senior, Forward, 5-10, Minneapolis, Minn. (South)
Brianna Klaas, Platteville, Sophomore, Guard, 5-7, Lancaster
Shannon Moore, Whitewater, Senior, Guard, 5-7, Milwaukee (West Allis Hale)
Joelle Noeldner, Superior, Freshman, Guard, 5-4, Eau Claire (Immanuel Lutheran)
Megan Pehler, Stevens Point, Senior, Guard, 5-9, Oregon
Mandy Stevens, La Crosse, Senior, Guard/Forward, 5-10, Hartland (Arrowhead)
Whitney Tyriver, Oshkosh, Senior, Guard, 6-0, Oshkosh (West)
Amanda Zenner, Eau Claire, Senior, Guard, 5-9, Medford

Player of the Year:  Michelle Burns of Eau Claire
Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete:  Michelle Burns of Eau Claire
Coach of the Year:  Shirley Egner of Stevens Point

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