2006 WIAC Women's Cross Country Season Headlines

Madison, Wis.--Six Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women’s cross country teams and four men’s teams have been named to the 2006 NCAA Division III All-Academic Team by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. In addition, 23 WIAC individuals were also recognized.

UW-Eau Claire (3.360), UW-La Crosse (3.500), UW-Oshkosh (3.373), UW-Platteville (3.351), UW-Stout (3.278) and UW-Whitewater (3.430) were among the 121 Division III women’s teams to earn All-Academic honors, while UW-Eau Claire (3.170), UW-La Crosse (3.190), UW-Platteville (3.222) and UW-Whitewater (3.210) received recognition with 86 schools.

To be honored as an All-Academic Cross Country Team, teams needed a cumulative team grade point average of at least 3.1, while individuals must maintain at least a 3.5 grade point average.

A total of 185 student-athletes received women’s individual honors, including UW-Eau Claire’s Christina Locke, Beth Lutz and Ellie Lutz, UW-La Crosse’s Meagan Herlache, Kristen Howe, Emily Lewandowski and Kristen Painter, UW-Oshkosh’s Rosa Alvarez and Jenny Graef, UW-Platteville’s Marcia Taddy and UW-Whitewater’s Katie McCabe, Jackie Mett, Lisa Nylander, Jennifer Rogers and Heather Winum.

Among the 108 men’s student-athletes claiming recognition were UW-Eau Claire’s Kevin Hall, UW-La Crosse’s Connor Lonning and Dan Thour, UW-Stevens Point’s Travis Nechuta, Phil Richert and Brad Seeley and UW-Whitewater’s Chris Knutson and David Schneekloth.

UW-Oshkosh Men and UW-Eau Claire Women Lead WIAC Teams at NCAA Cross Country Championships

West Chester, Ohio--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh men finished ninth and the UW-Eau Claire women placed 12th at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, which were held at Voice of America Park on Nov. 18. The event was hosted by Wilmington College (Ohio).

UW-Oshkosh’s men’s team compiled 310 points to finish ninth out of 32 teams at the national event. UW-La Crosse, the defending national champion, placed 11th with 319 points and UW-Platteville finished 26th with 614 points.

Calvin (Mich.) won the national title with 37 points, followed by New York University with 92 points, Allegheny College (Pa.) with 212 points, Cortland State (N.Y). with 213 points and St. John’s University (Minn.) with 234 points.

Individually, UW-Oshkosh’s Willy Kaul finished fourth out of 279 competitors, completing the 8,000-meter course in 26:50. UW-Platteville’s Tyler Sigl placed 10th with a time of 27:04. Both individuals secured All-America honors.

Macharia Yuot of Widener University (Pa.) won the national crown with a time of 26:31.

In the women’s race, UW-Eau Claire compiled 375 points to place 12th out of 32 teams, while UW-La Crosse finished 15th with 434 points.

Middlebury College (Vt.) secured the national championship with 144 points. Amherst College (Mass.) finished second with 145 points, followed by Calvin (Mich.) with 149 points, Washington University (Mo.) with 186 points and Tufts University (Mass.) with 214 points.

Individually, UW-Platteville’s Marcia Taddy placed 17th in a field of 279 runners, completing the 6,000-meter course in 23:35. UW-River Falls’ Becca Jordahl finished 19th in 23:36 and UW-Oshkosh’s Jenny Graef placed 21st in 23:37. All three individuals earned All-America recognition.

Sarah Zerzan of Willamette University (Ore.) secured the national title with a time of 22:31.

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Tyler Sigl and Marcia Taddy have been named the 2006 NCAA Division III Midwest Region Cross Country Male and Female Athletes of the Year by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Sigl and Taddy both won the individual regional races on Nov. 11 in Davenport, Iowa, making UW-Platteville the only school in the country with two regional champions. The duo also claimed the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) individual titles on Oct. 28 in West Salem.

Madison, Wis.--Four Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) cross country teams have earned at-large bids into the NCAA Division III Championships, which will be held in West Chester, Ohio on Nov. 18.

UW-Eau Claire and UW-La Crosse claimed spots in the women’s race, while UW-Oshkosh and UW-Platteville secured positions in the men’s event. UW-La Crosse, the defending men’s national champion, earned an automatic bid by winning the Midwest Regional last weekend.

UW-Whitewater’s Brian Butzler will compete as individual in the men’s race after finishing third at the Midwest Regional, while UW-Platteville’s Marcia Taddy, UW-Oshkosh’s Jenny Graef and UW-River Falls’ Becca Jordahl earned spots in the women’s competition after placing first, eighth and 12th respectively at the regional event.

The top two teams from each of eight regional meets automatically qualified for nationals. The remainder of the 32-team field was selected at-large. In addition, 56 individuals, the first seven athletes from each region who are not a part of a qualifying team, were selected to participate in each championship.

UW-La Crosse Men Earn Trip to NCAA Cross Country Championships; Four Teams Eligible for At-Large Spots

Davenport, Iowa--The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men’s cross country team automatically qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships by winning the Midwest Regional, which was hosted by Augustana College (Ill.) at Credit Island Park on Nov. 11.

UW-Oshkosh and UW-Platteville are eligible for at-large selection into the men’s national meet, while UW-Eau Claire and UW-La Crosse are eligible for at-large consideration into the women’s competition.

A total of 37 teams competed in the men’s race and 38 squads participated in the women’s event. The top two squads and top seven individuals advance to the national meet for both genders, while teams finishing third through fifth are eligible for at-large status.

UW-La Crosse won the men’s race with 65 points, while UW-Platteville finished third with 112 points, UW-Oshkosh fourth with 126 points. North Central College (Ill.) placed second with 107 points and Washington University (Mo.) rounded out the top five earning 156 points.

Additional WIAC team finishes included: UW-Stevens Point eighth with 218 points, UW-Whitewater 11th with 293 points, UW-Eau Claire 13th with 368 points, UW-River Falls 15th with 427 points, UW-Stout 22nd with 633 points and UW-Superior 23rd with 649 points.

UW-Platteville’s Tyler Sigl won the men’s competition after completing the 8,000-meter course in 24:38.7 to outdistance a field of 264 competitors.

UW-Oshkosh’s Willy Kaul finished second in 24:47.4, while UW-Whitewater’s Brian Butzler placed third in 24:56.1, UW-La Crosse’s Kevin Oelstrom finished fourth in 24:57.4 and UW-La Crosse’s Cory Hayden placed eighth in 25:00.7.

Also receiving All-Midwest Region honors for finishing in the top 35 were: UW-Oshkosh’s Brian Kelley 11th, UW-La Crosse’s Connor Lonning 14th, Paul Zdroik 17th and Dan Thour 22nd, UW-Platteville’s Kyle Stangel 23rd, UW-Stevens Point’s Mike Ormond 24th, UW-La Crosse’s Paul Moran 26th, UW-Platteville’s Aaron Whalen 27th and Russ Goessl 28th, UW-Superior’s Matt Kramer 29th, UW-Oshkosh’s Andrew McGuire 31st and Ryan Richardson 32nd and UW-Platteville’s Nick Fulton 33rd.

In the women’s race, UW-La Crosse finished third with 96 points, while UW-Eau Claire placed fourth with 129 points. Washington University (Mo.) won the women’s race with 56 points and North Central College (Ill.) took second with 92 points, while University of Chicago (Ill.) rounded out the top five with 145 points.

Additional WIAC team finishes included: UW-Platteville seventh with 223 points, UW-Oshkosh eighth with 226 points, UW-Whitewater ninth with 249 points, UW-Stout 10th with 303 points, UW-River Falls 11th with 304 points, UW-Stevens Point 13th with 451 points and UW-Superior 22nd with 633 points.

UW-Platteville’s Marcia Taddy won the women’s race after finishing the 6,000-meter course in 21:22.8 to outdistance a field of 268 runners. UW-La Crosse’s Kristen Painter placed third in 21:31.0, while UW-Oshkosh’s Jenny Graef finished eighth in 21:51.8 and UW-Eau Claire’s Molly Warner placed 10th in 21:55.7.

Also claiming All-Midwest Region status for finishing in the top 35 were: UW-River Falls’ Becca Jordahl 12th, UW-La Crosse’s Meagan Herlache 13th, UW-Eau Claire’s Beth Lutz 20th and Cassandra Haak 23rd, UW-La Crosse’s Jena Gerten 24th, UW-Stout’s Krista Jahimiak 25th, UW-La Crosse’s Kristen Howe 26th, UW-Platteville’s Emma Dreis 28th, UW-La Crosse’s Megan Johnson 30th, UW-Eau Claire’s Christina Locke 32nd, UW-Whitewater’s Lisa Nylander 33rd, UW-Stevens Point’s Hannah Dieringer 34th and UW-River Falls’ Amanda Kozicky 35th.

The NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships will be held Nov. 18 at Voice of America Park in West Chester, Ohio.

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women’s cross country head coach Pat Healy was named the 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Coach of the Year, which was determined by a vote among the league coaches.

This marks the second straight season that Healy has won the award and fourth time overall. He also claimed the honor in 2001 and 2002.

Healy is in his 16th season at UW-La Crosse and directed the Eagles to their second straight WIAC championship. The Eagles finished third or better in all seven meets this year, including first-place finishes at the All-American Invitational, the Blugold Open and the Lake Wisota Triangular.

UW-La Crosse’s Painter and UW-Platteville’s Taddy Named Women’s Cross Country Co-Scholar-Athletes

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Kristen Painter and UW-Platteville’s Marcia Taddy have been named co-recipients of the 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Judy Kruckman Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Award.

Painter, a senior from Blue Earth, Minn., boasts a 3.93 grade point average and is majoring in history with a minor in ethnic and racial studies. She has been named to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team the last two years and is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll. Painter has been recognized on UW-La Crosse’s Dean’s List all six semesters and has received numerous scholarships.

Painter recently helped UW-La Crosse to its second straight WIAC title by placing second at the league meet. A year ago, she registered a 35th-place finish at the national meet, a fifth-place standing at the regional competition and a fourth-place finish at the conference championship. A team captain this season, she received her team’s Outstanding Junior Award in 2005 and the Outstanding Sophomore Award in 2004.

Painter is an active leader and organizer for Athletes in Action and the campus Crusaders for Christ.

Taddy, a senior from Two Rivers, Wis., is majoring in physical education - health promotion with a minor in biology and ornamental horticulture and maintains a 3.53 grade point average. She is a two-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and has been recognized on UW-Platteville’s Gabe Miller Honor Roll the last two years. Taddy is a two-time recipient of her institution’s Patricia Doyle Female Scholar-Athlete Award and has claimed numerous scholarships.

Taddy recently won the WIAC individual title to secure All-WIAC first team honors for the third time in her career. She received All-America status in 2004 after finishing 13th at the national meet. A team captain this season, Taddy was named her team’s Most Valuable Team Member in 2005 and Most Valuable Sophomore in 2004. She has also received UW-Platteville’s Female Athlete of the Year Award the last two years.

Taddy has participated in the Kid’s Night Out and UW-Platteville’s Women’s Night Out programs, while serving as a volunteer for a spring highway road cleanup.

Also nominated for this year’s scholar-athlete award were: UW-Eau Claire’s Christina Locke, UW-La Crosse’s Nikki Cahen, Meagan Herlache, Emily Lewandowski and Beth Medinger, UW-Oshkosh’s Jenny Graef, UW-Stevens Point’s Sara Bias and Diedra Mueller and UW-Stout’s Stephanie Nichols.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Judy Kruckman, who served as Assistant Commissioner for the WIAC from 1996-98. Prior to this appointment, she functioned as Commissioner of the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from October, 1984 - September, 1996.

In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.25 grade point average, be in their last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.

West Salem, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse claimed its second consecutive league title at the 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Cross Country Championship on Oct. 28 at Maple Grove Golf Course.

The conference championship for the Eagles is their fourth in the last six seasons and sixth in the school history.

UW-La Crosse compiled 47 points en route to the league crown to nip UW-Eau Claire, which finished second with 52 points. UW-Oshkosh placed third with 103 points, followed by UW-Platteville in fourth with 105, UW-Whitewater in fifth with 143 points, UW-River Falls in sixth with 151 points, UW-Stout in seventh with 153 points, UW-Stevens Point in eighth with 180 points and UW-Superior in ninth with 261 points.

The Eagles had five individuals finish in the top 16, led by senior Kristen Painter who finished second on the 6,000-meter course in a time of 21:43.69. Senior Meagan Herlache placed fourth in 22:16.25, junior Kristin Howe 10th in 22:53.30, senior Emily Lewandowski 15th in 23:13.42 and junior Jackie Arendt 16th in 23:13.63.

UW-Platteville senior Marcia Taddy won the individual title over a field of 100 participants in a time of 21:39.76 to surpass UW-La Crosse’s Herlache. She becomes the second individual in school history to win the WIAC individual title, joining Amy Abing who won the crown in 1993.

UW-River Falls sophomore Becca Jordahl finished third in this year’s race with a time of 22:10.96, UW-Eau Claire junior Molly Warner placed fifth in 22:17.65, UW-Oshkosh senior Jenny Graef finished sixth in 22:35.17, UW-Eau Claire senior Christina Locke placed seventh in 22:36.37, UW-Eau Claire sophomore Beth Lutz finished eighth in 22:40.31, UW-Stevens Point junior Hannah Dieringer placed ninth in 22:47.64, UW-Eau Claire senior Cassie Haak finished 11th 22:54.39, UW-Platteville sophomore Emma Dreis placed 12th in 23:06.73 and UW-Whitewater junior Jennifer Rogers finished 13th in 23:09.16 and freshman Katie McCabe placed 14th in 23:10.99.

The top seven individuals received All-WIAC first team recognition, while competitors placing 8-14 earned All-WIAC second team accolades.

UW-La Crosse head coach Pat Healy was named the Coach of the Year, while the Eagles’ Kristen Painter and UW-Platteville’s Marcia Taddy shared the Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award.

League teams will participate in the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Credit Island in Rock Island, Illinois, while the NCAA III Championships are Saturday, Nov. 18 at Voice of America Park in West Chester, Ohio.

Eau Claire, Wis.--The resignation of Tracy Yengo as the UW-Eau Claire head women's cross country and track & field coaches has triggered some changes in the staffing of the men's and women's programs, according to Director of Athletics Scott Kilgallon.

Yengo stepped down after 10 years as the Blugold women's cross country and track & field coaches to accept a fulltime teaching position in the university's Department of Kinesiology.

As a result, Kilgallon has named men's cross country and track coach Chip Schneider as Director of Operations for both the men's and women's cross country and track & field programs. He also has named Brian Falk as the head cross country coach and assistant track & field coach for the men's and women's programs.

During Yengo's tenure, the Blugolds were the NCAA Division III cross country runner-up in 1997 when she was also named the WIAC Coach of the Year. She has taken three teams to the NCAA nationals and coached two All-Americans. In track, the past decade, the Blugolds have had 30 All-American finishes with 11 individuals and a relay team. The most decorated athletes during her regime were hurdlers Breanna McMullen and Jen Stafslien and pole vaulter Steph Barnes. The Blugolds finished as high as eighth in the NCAA outdoor meet in 2005 and 13th in the NCAA indoor meet this past season.

Schneider, a conference and national champion while competing at UW-Platteville, has been the Blugold men's track coach since 2002-03 and the men's cross country coach since 2003-04.

Falk has been a teacher for 16 years and a coach for 19 years, most recently at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. As the primary distance coach in the track and field program for nine seasons at Dickinson, Falk has had 11 individual Centennial Conference champions, nine NCAA championship qualifiers and seven All-Americans. Since 2001, he has also served as an assistant in a women's cross country program that has won all five Centennial Conference titles, three Mid-East regional titles and finished three times in the top ten at the NCAA meet.

Falk has been a health/physical education teacher at Susquehanna Township High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania since 1990. He was the head cross country coach from 1991-2000, rejuvenating a boys' program that had only three athletes when he started and reviving the girls' cross country program as a team sport in 1995.

He is currently involved as an assistant coach, clinician and conference organizer for an online service that provides personal coaching to adult recreational runners.

Falk earned his undergraduate degree in Physical Education and Teacher Education from Temple University in 1988 and his master's in Exercise Science from McDaniel College, formerly Western Maryland College, in 2003.

Oshkosh, Wis.--UW-Oshkosh's Deb Vercauteren is among 12 accomplished cross country and track and field coaches who will be inducted into the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's (USTFCCCA) Hall of Fame later this year.

The Class of 2006 features coaches who won National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's and women's team titles at all three divisional levels in cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. The distinguished group will be inducted Dec. 12 during the USTFCCCA's annual convention in San Antonio.

"This year's Hall of Fame class personifies the values of collegiate track and field and cross country," said Sam Seemes, CEO of the USTFCCCA. "The mark they've left on their sports is immeasurable. Our association is honored to induct such a group of individuals into the Hall of Fame."

Besides Vercauteren, the Class of 2006 consists of Bill Bergan of Iowa State University, Al Carius of North Central College (Ill.), John Coughlan of Illinois State University, DeLoss Dodds of Kansas State University, Bob Groseclose of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Tom Heinonen of the University of Oregon, Don Hood, Sr. of Abilene Christian University (Texas), Ted McLaughlin of Southern Methodist University (Texas), Bill Moultrie of Howard University (Washington, D.C.), Jack Pyrah of Villanova University (Pa.) and Gary Wieneke of the University of Illinois.

UW-Oshkosh's trophy case has been lavishly decorated during Vercauteren's 25 seasons as the school's head women's cross country and women's track and field coach. The shrine includes trophies for winning 17 NCAA Division III titles and 36 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championships.

In outdoor track and field, Vercauteren's resume is highlighted by NCAA Division III titles won in 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004 and 2006. The Titans also finished second at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship in 1989, 1992, 1994 and 2005 and third in 1988, 1993 and 1998.

UW-Oshkosh athletes have earned 171 All-America awards at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship during the past 25 years. The Titans' All-America performances are led by 23 individual national titles, including five by Robyn Jarocki, four by Liz Woodworth and three by Stephanie Bostwick.

Competing for bragging rights at the WIAC Outdoor Championship, Vercauteren has directed UW-Oshkosh to 10 first-place and 10 second-place finishes. The Titans captured WIAC championships in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004 and 2006.

Vercauteren gained Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year honors by the NCAA Division III in 2004 and by the WIAC in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004 and 2006.

In 2006, the USTFCCCA recognized UW-Oshkosh for owning the outstanding NCAA Division III women's outdoor track and field program of the past 25 years.

Indoors, Vercauteren's accomplishments are equally impressive. UW-Oshkosh's efforts are led by NCAA Division III titles won in 1994, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2005 and 2006. The Titans also placed second at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championship in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 2002 and third in 1997.

Since the first NCAA Division III Indoor Championship was held in 1985, All-America awards have been presented 117 times to UW-Oshkosh athletes. The Titans' All-America performances are led by 21 individual national titles, including five by Jarocki and three by both Woodworth and Melissa Oleson.

At the WIAC Indoor Championship, Vercauteren has coached UW-Oshkosh to 11 first-place and nine second-place finishes. The Titans claimed WIAC titles in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2006.

Vercauteren received Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year accolades by the NCAA Division III in 2006 and by the WIAC in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2006.

Besides coaching track and field, Vercauteren has served as the head women's cross country coach at UW-Oshkosh since 1981. She began the sport at UW-Oshkosh from infancy that season and took the Titans to a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championship the following year.

UW-Oshkosh has claimed four NCAA Division III cross country titles under Vercauteren's tutelage, with victories coming in 1987, 1988, 1991 and 1996. The Titans also placed second at the national meet in 1989, 1990 and 1995. Additionally, Vercauteren has trained UW-Oshkosh cross country athletes to 37 NCAA Division III All-America performances, including national titles won by Laura Horejs in 1991 and Tiffany Speckman in 1997.

Since 1986, Vercauteren's Titans have been a perennial WIAC power. UW-Oshkosh has won the WIAC championship 15 times during the past 20 years while finishing second on three other occasions. The Titans were crowned WIAC champion in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

The NCAA Division III selected Vercauteren as its Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996. She was named WIAC Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1999.

Last fall, the USTFCCCA picked Vercauteren as its NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Silver Anniversary Coach. The award was given in conjunction with the NCAA's 25-year celebration of sponsoring women's sports.

Vercauteren, an Ashwaubenon, Wis., native, received a bachelor's degree from UW-Stevens Point in 1976 and a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1980. The UW-Stevens Point and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics District 14 Hall of Fame member is married to John Zupanc, the head men's cross country coach and head men's track and field coach at UW-Oshkosh.

In addition to her coaching duties, Vercauteren also serves as the assistant director of athletics at UW-Oshkosh.

UW-La Crosse's Rudd Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year Award

RELEASED: Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Julia Rudd has been nominated as the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) representative for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. This award honors senior student-athletes for their cumulative collegiate achievements in service, leadership, athletics and academics.

Rudd, a senior cross country and indoor/outdoor track and field student-athlete from Oshkosh, Wis. (West H.S.), was named to the 2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division Women's Track and Field/Cross Country Third Team and received the WIAC Judy Kruckman Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete Award. She has also been recognized on the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll, UW-La Crosse's Dean's List and the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team.

As a six-time outdoor track and field All-American, Rudd captured a national championship in the 3,000-meter steeplechase during the 2004 national meet. Additionally, she finished third in the event in 2002, 2005 and 2006, while adding fifth and sixth-place finishes in the 5,000-meter run in 2004 and 2006, respectively. Rudd secured the WIAC 3,000-meter steeplechase crown in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and added a 5,000-meter run title in 2004.

Competing at the indoor track and field national meet, Rudd received All-America accolades in the 5,000-meter run with a fifth-place standing in 2006 and eighth-place finish in 2004. She claimed conference titles in the 3,000-meter run in 2004 and 2006 and added 5,000-meter run crowns in 2003 and 2006.

Rudd is a three-time cross country All-American, finishing second in 2005, 23rd in 2002 and 26th in 2003. She won the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional in 2005 and secured the WIAC individual title in 2002 and 2005.

Serving as a team captain for the cross country and track and field squads, she has earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.62 while majoring in sports management with an emphasis in coaching competitive athletics.

Among her numerous athletic and academic accomplishments, Rudd has also been involved with the UW-La Crosse Athletics Department, worked as a counselor at UW-Madison's Camp of Champions and served as a member of Athletes in Action for UW-La Crosse.

All conference nominees will be forwarded to the Woman of the Year selection committee. The selection committee will select the top 10 winners in each division. From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. Finally, the members of the CWA will vote from among the top nine to determine the 2006 NCAA Woman of the Year.

The top 10 honorees from Divisions I, II and III will be honored, and the 2006 NCAA Woman of the Year announced, at a dinner in Indianapolis, Ind. on October 28, 2006.

To be eligible for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award:
**nominee must have earned a varsity letter in a NCAA-sponsored sport and competed during the 2005-06 academic year

**nominee must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in her primary sport by the end of the 2006 spring season or received her undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the spring 2006 term

**nominee must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale).

Also nominated for the award from the WIAC were:
Robyn Jarocki, UW-Oshkosh, Senior, Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field, Merrill, Wis.
Carrie Morschauser, UW-Platteville, Senior, Volleyball, Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field, Deerfield, Wis.
Jenna Mitchler, UW-Stevens Point, Senior, Cross Country, Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field, Kaukauna, Wis.
Megan Kielar, UW-Whitewater, Senior, Cross Country, Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field, McHenry, Ill. (West H.S.)

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