Football

October 16, 2000

ON THE LINE: Seemingly unmentionable before the season began, the Blue Devils are in sole possession of first place of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) with only three conference games remaining. The Pioneers can be in the role of spoiler. The Pioneers are known to put the ball in the air, leading the WIAC in passing, but Stout has the top pass defense in the league. A win would give Stout its best start ever. The 1982 team started at 6-0. The Blue Devils were ranked eighth in the Oct. 10 American Football Coaches Association poll.

LAST TIME OUT: Stout: Abraham Cruz hauled in his only catch of the day, an 11-yard pass from Justin Fjeldstad with 18 seconds left to lift the Blue Devils to a 27-23 win over UW-LaCrosse, Oct. 14 at Nelson Field. WIth Stout trailing 23-20 and 1:35 remaining, Fjeldstad led a 76-yard drive, Fjeldstad moved the team 76 yards by connecting on five passes for 59 yards and also ran 13 yards himself before connecting with Cruz for the game winner. The Stout defense rose to the occasion again, collecting six LaCrosse turnovers, including three interceptions by freshman Kevin Dewey. Stout took a 17-14 lead into halftime, but the Eagles took the lead with nine points in the third. Fjeldstad completed 14-of-24 passes for 146 yards and tossed three touchdown passes. Stout finished with 308 total yards, 186 in the air. La Crosse was held to minus-three yards rushing and threw for 215 yards.

Platteville: Quarterbacks Tom Stetzer and Aaron Mack combined to throw for 393 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Pioneers to a 28-24 win over UW-Oshkosh at Oshkosh. Stetzer went 19-of-38 for 281 yards and two scores, with both TD passes going to Troy Gagner. Platteville held a 488-373 edge in total yards.

LAST YEAR: Both Stout and Platteville are members of the eight-team Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) and are affiliated with the NCAA Division III. Stout was 2-8 overall, 1-6 (eighth) in the WIAC. The Pioneers were 5-5 overall, 3-4 (fourth) in the WIAC.

THE SERIES: This will be the 44th meeting of the two teams and Platteville holds a (27-15-1) lead in the series, with the Pioneers taking last year's decision, 14-9, at Nelson Field. Stout practically gave the game away, committing five interceptions - including one that went 87 yards for a TD - and lost one fumble. The Blue Devils did have one last chance in the contest, when Eric Lund recovered a fumble with 19 seconds remaining as the Pioneers were trying to kill the clock, but Stout could not convert when a pass into the end zone was batted away. Both teams finished with 267 total yards. The teams have split the last 10 games.

STOUT PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Luke Bundgaard (Fr, Weyerhauser) 115 carries, 538 yds, 4.7 y/car, 5 TD, 3 receptions, 31 yds, 10.7 y/rec; RB Eric Baker (Jr, Sarona) 45 car, 206 yds, 4.6 y/car; RB Mark Bergman (Jr, Grantsburg) 48 car, 140 yds, 2.9 y/car, 2 TD, 19 rec, 154 yds, 8.1 y/rec; WR Abraham Cruz (Fr, Alhambra, Calif) 13 rec, 227 yds, 17.5 y/rec, 3 TDs; WR Josh Antoni (So, Holmen) 12 rec, 144 yds, 12.0 y/rec; LB Steve Miller (Sr, Lodi) 50 tackles, 27 solo, 2.5 sacks, 2 int for 11 yds one TD;, 4 fumble recoveries; DB Eric Moe (So, Hixton) 5 int for 39 yds, one TD, 37 tackles, 25 solo; DB Tony Beckham (Jr, Ocala, Fla) one int for 24 yd TD, 6 pass break ups; LB Eric Lund (Sr, Ashland) 30 tackles, 17 solo, 5 tackles for losses of 22 yds, 2 pass break ups, 3 fumble recoveries - 2 for TDs, 3 TDs; Jamie Spielman (So, Menomonie) 46 tackles, 23 solo, 13 tackles for losses of 45 yds, 3 sacks for 30 yds, 1 pass break up; DB KEvin Dewey (Fr, Burnsville, Minn) 34 tackles, 19 solo, 4 int for 28yds; DL Jeff Hazuga (Sr, Thorp) 7 sacks for 68 yards, 14 tackles for losses of 76 yds; P/PK Kevin McCulley (Sr, Fond du Lac) 8-15 FG, 19-21 PAT, 40.7 y/punt; Blue Devils avg 324.8 total ypg, 199.7 rushing, 125.2 passing; give up 191.8 total ypg, 66.7 rushing, 125.2 passing. Stout has 14 interceptions while throwing only two. Stout outscoring opponents, 175-67.

PLATTEVILLE PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Tom Stetzer (Fr, Black River Falls) 155 pass attempts, 64 comp, 5 int, 820 yds, 2 TDs; WR Troy Gagner (Sr, Rice Lake) 29 rec, 481 yds, 16.6 y/rec, 3 TDs; WR Bryan Hammes (So, Eldridge, Iowa) 24 rec, 256 yds, 10.7 y/rec, 2 TDs; WR Jim Richardson (Fr, Antioch, Ill) 18 rec, 262 yds, 14.6 y/rec; WR Eric Bunner (Sr, Byron, Ill) 17 rec, 163 yds, 9.6 y/rec; LB Tony Lewis (Jr, Brodhead) 49 tackles, 42 solo, 2 tackles for loss; LB Dave McGraw (So, Oshkosh) 43 tackles, 33 solo, 3 sacks for 16 yds, 5 tackles for losses of 43 yards, 3 fumble recoveries; DB Dennis Banks (Jr, Quincy, Ill) 36 tackles, 32 solo, 2 int for 50 yds; DB Jesse Nelson (So, Madison) 3 int for 66 yds, one for TD; Pioneers avg. 324.5 total ypg, 57.0 rushing, 267.5 passing; give up 406.7 total ypg, 250.8 rushing, 155.8 passing. Platteville is being outscored, 161-69

OFFENSIVE LOOK: Platteville: Pro-Spread; Stout: multi-pro set which incorporates a West Coast style offense. DEFENSIVE LOOK: Platteville: Reduced 50; Stout: 3-4

COACHES: Stout coach Ed Meierkort (32-44 career) is in his eighth year. Platteville coach Mike Emendorfer (7-9) is in his second year.

STOUT COACH ED MEIERKORT SAYS: "Our defensive pressure was very good Saturday. LaCrosse was under siege all game. Our physical play took them out of their game offensely. We were able to physically dominate them. My hat is off to the kids' resiliency (after several fumbles in the first half). That drive (76 yards in the closing seconds), if we can hang on, will be remembered for a long time. Justin Fjeldstad was steady all game for us.

"This game this week is of such importance to us, we are going to take care of what we do. There is definitely a special meaning in this game. We have a chance to make history (first Stout team to go 7-0). This is a week were the kids remember the pain of last year. Our staff suffered a lot of long days because of that (last year's 14-9 loss to Platteville) game. We will attack them like we always attack, and they will try to get the ball off as quickly as possible. It will be a game of wills.

"To go from 2-8 to 6-0 just doesn't happen by luck. We had a lot of dedicated people in the off-season, both players and staff. We have to remember, this is the WIAC, the only league where the penthouse and the outhouse are on the same floor. You just hope you chose the right door."

RADIO: WMEQ 880 AM, Jake Bostrom, Dan Stevens, Dick Lowery

October 14, 2000

MENOMONIE - Abraham Cruz (Fr, Alhambra, Calif) hauled in an 11-yard pass from Justin Fjeldstad (Jr, Minneapolis, Minn) with 18 seconds left in the game to keep UW-Stout unbeaten and in sole possession of first place as the Blue Devils defeated UW-La Crosse, 27-23, Saturday, Oct. 14 at Nelson Field.

Stout (6-0, 4-0) had a 17-14 halftime lead, but the Eagles (3-3, 3-1) scored a touchdown and a field goal in the third quarter to take a 23-17 lead.

Stout scored with 7:21 remaining in the game when Kevin McCulley (Sr, Fond du Lac) booted a 41-yard field goal to tighten the score.

The two teams traded several non-productive drives before the Eagles punter, Luke DesJarlais, pinned Stout on their own 24 yard line with 1:35 left in the game.

Fjeldstad engineered the drive, keyed by a 14-yard pass to Mark Bergman (Jr, Grantsburg), a 12-yard run by Fjeldstad and a 10-yard pass to Mark Ralph (So, Colfax), which set up the winning pass.

The Blue Devil defense allowed the Eagles to complete a 20-yard pass as time ran out.

The game marked the first time Stout has defeated La Crosse at Nelson Field since 1987, and matches Stout's best start ever.

The Blue Devil defense was tough again today, holding the Eagles to minus-3 yards rushing, and allowed Eagle quarterback Andrew Youngbauer to throw for 215 yards passing, but he was intercepted four time.

The first half was a game of turnovers, as the teams each lost two fumbles, and the Eagles were intercepted three times in the first half. Stout's Kevin Dewey (Fr, Burnsville, Minn) had three interceptions, one pick short of the school record.

The Eagles opened the scoring when Youngbauer hit Jim Carriveau for a 4-yard pass seven minutes into the game. McCulley connected on a 45-yard field goal just before the end of the first period. The Eagles had a big scoring play early in the second period when the Eagles' big tight end, Jeff Kostrewa, shook off and outran the Stout defense on the way to a 44-yard score.

The Blue Devils answered back with a 9-yard pass play as Fjeldstad hit Eric Baker (Jr, Sarona) at 8:45 in the second, then Fjeldstad connected with Stout tight end, Brian Johnson (Jr, Hudson) for a 9-yard strike with 5:49 to play in the half.

Kostrewa scored again to open the half, this time on a 9-yard pass from Youngbauer at the 11:31 mark of the third. Jedediah Jensen stretched the Eagles' lead with a 22-yard field goal.

While the Stout defense was holding the Eagles to 212 total yards, the Blue Devils tallied 308 total yards. Fjeldstad was 14-for-24 for 146 yards and three touchdowns, with Johnson pulling in four catches for 47 yards, Bergman four catches for 38 yards and Josh Antoni (So, Holmen) three catches for 36 yard.

On the ground, Luke Bundgaard (Fr, Weyerhauser) picked up 52 yards on 21 carries to lead all rushers.

Defensively, Eric Moe (So, Whitehall) grabbed the Blue Devils other interception, this one in the first half in Stout's end zone. Jeff Hazuga (Sr, Thorp) had 1.5 sacks, and three tackles for losses of 18 yards.

Stout will take their unbeaten record on the road Saturday, Oct. 21 when they travel to UW-Platteville.

October 14, 2000

MENOMONIE — UW-Stout senior offfensive tackle Jerry Bennington (Sr, Marshfield) was awarded the Burger King/Warren Bowlus Academic Achievement Award during halftime of the Stout-La Crosse football game Saturday, Oct. 14.

Bennington, one of the Blue Devils captains is a packaging major, and holds a 3.60 grade point average. Bennington has received the Chancellor's Award for academic excellence four times. Bennington has been the recipient of the Paul E. Kell Corrugated Cardboard Packaging Scholarship, and a recipient of the Fox Valley Chapter IoPP Scholarship. He is also a member of Epsilon Pi Tau, a technolgy academic fraternity. Bennington has started for the Blue Devils the last three years. Stout is currently ranked eighth nationally and was tied with UW-La Crosse for the league lead heading into Saturday's game.

Gene Hatfield, of the Menomonie Burger King, presented the $500 award to Bennington.

Bennington is the son of Jerry and Pat Bennington.

Soccer

October 14, 2000

MENOMONIE - The young UW-Stout soccer team has taken their share

of hard knocks during the first season of the millennium.

The Blue Devils (7-7, 4-3) appeared to come of age Saturday, Oct. 14 as they handed out some knocks to a highly rated UW-Whitewater team as the Blue Devils came out with a 2-1 win at the River Heights field.

Using set pieces to their advantage, Stout put themselves ahead in the

fourth minute. Controlling the ball from the opening kickoff deep in the Warhawk (12-3-1, 5-2) penalty area, the Blue Devils won a corner in the fourth minute. Becky Howard's (Sr, Wauwatosa) corner was flicked on by Beth Bushman (Sr, Eagan, Minn) at the near post. Stacy Normington (So, Delevan) ran on and faced with a rocket shot headed for the net defender Sara Sloan could only reach out an arm to block the ball. Howard buried the ensuing penalty kick with keeper Heather Simon going the wrong way and Stout led, 1-0.

The Blue Devils had other opportunities. Bushman tortured defender Jamie Gagola the entire afternoon, beating her along the endline and sending telling crosses into the Warhawk box. In the eighth minute her cross found Nellie Sivertsen (So, River Falls) who shot just wide of the near post. In the 12th minute, Becca Carlson (Sr, Rosemount, Minn) picked up a cross that fell behind the attackers and forced a solid save from Simon.

The Whitewater offense had trouble with the aggressive, trapping Stout defense. Caught offside on a number of occasions, their best opportunity of the first half came in the 38th minute when the Warhawks got the ball behind the Stout defense, but with Carrie Kennedy (Sr, Watertown) and Desiree Nardini (Fr, White Bear Lake, Minn) closing fast, her shot did little to trouble Jessie Sutherland (Jr, Duluth, Minn) in the Stout net.

Stout tired a bit toward halftime and even with addition of Lynne

Mundahl (So, Chanhassen, Minn) and Kristi Field (Fr, Bloomington, Minn) in the final ten minutes, Whitewater was able to hold the ball for long periods in the Stout end of the field. One break came when Sivertsen took a clearance at the top of the Stout penalty area and carried it the length of the field, only to concede a goal kick as she tired at the end of the run. But Nardini, Kennedy, and Schneider all headed crosses clear in the final moments of the half as the Warhawks pressed without generating a scoring chance against a resolute Blue Devil defense.

The second half started much as the first, with the Blue Devils on the offensive. After Howard missed the net on a free kick from 25 yards in the 48th minute, Sivertsen was drilled just outside the penalty arc on the left side. Howard's quick free kick smashed against the crossbar and down into the path of the onrushing Sivertsen to run Stout's lead to 2-0 in the 53rd minute.

The two goal cushion was short lived, however. Within a minute, a seemingly innocuous shot was mishandled by Sutherland - forcing her dive and swat the ball off the goal line back onto the field. As Stout's defense scrambled to react, Abbie Obrecht jumped on the loose ball - firing it over the prone goalkeeper and between defenders only 64 seconds after Sivertsen had put Stout two up.

Whitewater's best opportunity to tie the match came as time expired, with Scott jumping on a half clearance by Stout's defense and driving a 20 yard shot just wide of the net as the horn sounded.

Stout will close out their home and conference season when they host UW-LaCrosse, Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 4 p.m. Stout will be at St. Thomas, Saturday, Oct. 21 to close out the regular season.

October 9, 2000

LA CROSSE - UW-Stout wasted little time getting on the board as Nellie Sivertsen (So, River Falls) took a corner kick from Becky Howard (Sr, Wauwatosa) and put the ball between the posts in the first minute. It was all Stout would need as they went on to a 4-0 win at Viterbo College, Monday, Oct. 9.

Lisa Kardell (Jr, Ocean City, NJ) scored in the 23rd minute, with assists from Diane Ehlen (Fr, Bloomington, Minn) and Kate Knoespel (So, Green Bay).

There was more of the same in the second half as Becca Carlson (Sr, Rosemount, Minn) scored with assists from Sivertsen and Stacy Normington (So, Delavan). Normington ended the scoring in the 71st minute on an assist from Sarah Geiger (Fr, Bloomington, Minn).

Volleyball

October 14, 2000

MENOMONIE - Kim Roshell (Jr, Cornell) racked up 25 kills and UW-Stout coach Jill Jolliff got to empty her bench as the Blue Devils ran up three easy, 3-0, wins in their own quadrangular, Saturday, Oct. 14 at Johnson Fieldhouse.

Roshell had 10 kills as Stout downed Mt. Senario, 15-3, 15-3, 15-4, in the first match of the day, then tacked on 11 as the Blue Devils whitewashed Edgewood College, 15-0, 15-4, 15-0 in the final match. Cardinal Stritch didn't add that much firepower either, as Stout won 15-9, 15-2, 15-5, with Rachel Eidet (Jr, North Mankato, Minn) getting 10 kills and 10 digs.

The Blue Devils ran their overall record to 20-8 with the wins. Stout is off until next weekend when they travel to UW-Whitewater, Friday, Oct. 20 and to UW-Oshkosh, Saturday, Oct. 21.

Stout Quadrangular scores
UW-Stout def. Mt. Senario, 15-3, 15-3, 15-4
Edgewood College def. Cardinal Stritch, 13-15, 15-5, 15-10, 15-6
Edgewood College def. Mt. Senario, 15-11, 15-10, 15-6
UW-Stout def. Cardinal Stritch, 15-9, 15-2, 15-5
UW-Stout def. Edgewood College, 15-0, 15-4, 15-0
Cardinal Stritch def. Mt. Senario, 15-0, 15-5, 15-13

October 11, 2000

MENOMONIE - There was some heavy hitting going on in Johnson Fieldhouse, Wednesday, Oct. 11 as UW-River Falls needed five games to down UW-Stout in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) volleyball action.

The Falcons (17-7, 6-0) took a 7-15, 15-12, 15-9, 10-15, 15-10, decision over the Blue Devils (17-7, 3-3) in the up and down match.

The Blue Devils looked strong in the opener, as Stout got four kills from Kim Roshell (Jr, Cornell) and three from Rachel Eidet (Jr, North Mankato, Minn), but the Falcons, ranked No. 12 in the NCAA Division III, came storming back to take the second two games.

The second game was game of power as River Falls put down 18 kills and Stout, 19. After the Blue Devils put up a sluggish effort in the third game, Eidet came back with six kills in the fourth game, and Brooke Palmer (Jr, Mantorville, Minn) had five.

The Falcons returned to life in the fifth game, jumping out to an 8-3 lead in the rally-scoring contest, but Stout got back to 10-10 before River Falls moved to get the game winner.

Eidet finished with 17 kills, as did Roshell. Kandice O'Brien (So, Kasson, Minn) spread her kills out during the match, collecting 13. Palmer finished with 14 kills. The Falcons' Melissa Mattson led all scorers with 22 kills, while Joy Nicholson added 18.

Women's Cross Country

October 14, 2000

WEST SALEM - Weather took its toll on Uw-Stout runners at the Tori Neubauer Maroon Women's 5K Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Maple Grove Country Club in West Salem.

Stout's top runner, Lisa Sorvala (So, New Brighton, Minn) crossed the finish line in 76th place in a time of 19-minutes, 59-seconds, but the October heat forced her to spend the next 20 minutes in an ambulance receiving treatment.

Amy Arndt (Jr, Lakefield, Minn) placed 129th for the Blue Devils in a time of 20:39. As a team, Stout placed 24th.

Stout will host a triangular Friday, Oct. 20 with UW-Eau Claire and UW-La Crosse.

Tori Neubauer Maroon Women's 5K
1. Luther College 90; 2. Wartburg 127; 3. UW- LaCrosse 167; 4. UW- Stevens Pt. 187; 5. Loras 202; 6. (Tie) Neb. Wesleyan, Elmhurst 213; 8. Augustana 242; 9. Rhodes College 261; 10. Concordia (Moorhead) 267; 11. Concordia ( Nebraska) 273; 12. North Central 320; 13. UW- Eau Claire 360, 14. Duluth 392; 15. Gustavus Adolphus 417; 16. Univ. of Chicago 421; 17. UW-Whitewater 451; 18. Carleton 456; 19. Bethel 505; 20. St. Thomas 544; 21. Ill. Wesleyan 588; 22. St. Benedict 634; 23. Macalester 678; 24. UW- Stout 695; 25. Winona St. 766; 26. Northwestern 779; 27. UW- Platteville 831; 28. Univ. of Dubuque 837; 29. Augsburg 846; 30. Hamline 864; 31. St. Mary's 926.

Individual Results
(First place, all Stout finishers)
1. Johanna Olson (Luther) 17:32; 76. Lisa Sorvalla 19:59; 129. Amy Arndt 20:39; 161. Heidi Bedsted 21:03; 162. Heather Stiles 21:04; 167. Ellen Everson 21:09; 170. Michele Abramczak 21:15; 178. Mara Anderson 21:22; 264. Meredith Nordberg 21:59; 281. Valori Schaffer 22:30; 287. Terra Dahlheimer 22:44; 295. Jamie Souza 23:02; 318. Denise Hady 25:54.

Men's Cross Country

October 14, 2000

WEST SALEM - UW-Stout's Bryan Ott (Sr, Monroe) and Ethan Webinger (Jr, La Crescent, Minn) had quite a race between the two of them at the Jim Drews Maroon Men's 8K in West Salem, Saturday, Oct. 14.

The two team captains finished in the top places for UW-Stout, which as a team placed 23rd of 34 four teams. Ott edged Webinger by a half-second as Ott placed 83rd in a time of 26-minutes, 53-seconds.

The Blue Devils will host a dual with UW-Eau Claire, Friday, Oct. 20.

WEST SALEM - on Men's 8Kinisher

1. Wisconsin 17; 2. Iowa 96;3. UW- La Crosse; 4. UW- Oshkosh 121; 5. UW- Stevens Pt. 176; 6. UW- Platteville 209; 7. Wartburg 253; 8. North Central 279; 9. Neb. Weselyn 281; 10. Duluth 299; 11. St Johns 316; 12. Hamline 358; 13. St. Olaf 410; 14. UW- Eau Claire 422; 15. Grinnell 435; 16. Elmhurst 460; 17. (Tie) Loras, Univ. of Chicago. 486; 19. Carleton 526; 20. Luther College 544; 21. Augustana 550; 22. Rhodes College 589; 23. UW-Stout 669; 24. St. Thomas 688; 25. Augsburg 764; 26. Concordia (Moorehead) 787; 27. Gustavus Adolphus 794; 28. Concordia( Nebraska) 798; 29. UW- Whitewater 839; 30. Macalester. 869; 31. Ill. Wesleyan 918; 32. Univ. of Dubuque 937; 33. St. Mary's 968; 34. Winona St. 1126

Individual Results
(First place, all Stout finishers)
1. Nate Uselding (Wis) 25:00; 83. Bryan Ott 26:53; 84. Ethan Webinger 26:53; 131. Jason Donovan 27:26; 184. Mike Western 28:19; 187. Jason Kirch 28:28; 198. Casey Otto 28:54; 201. Jamie Block 28:57; 266. Alex Anderson 29: 13

Stout Individual Results of the Jim Drews Grey Men's 8K
168. Todd Dexheimer 30:27; 231. Jon Gallo 33:49; 237. Bill Britton 34:53.

Women's Tennis

October 14, 2000

MENOMONIE - UW-Eau Claire took every match and hardly allowed a game win as they downed UW-Stout, 9-0, in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) tennis match Saturday, Oct. 14 in Menomonie.

Stout's Maria Medin (Fr, Fifty Lakes, Minn) took Andrea Muellner to a 6-4 decision in the first set at No. 3 singles, but fell, 6-0, in the second set.

The match wrapped up the regular season for the Blue Devils. Stout will be at the WIAC Championships, Oct. 21-22, in Madison.

No. 1: Suzie Hickman (EC) def. Katy Berry 6-0, 6-0; No. 2: Jenny Stafford (EC) def. Megan Schwanbeck 6-1, 6-0; No. 3: Andrea Muellner (EC) def. Maria Medin 6-4, 6-0; No. 4: Barb Nellif (EC) def. Tammy Petcher 6-1, 6-0; No. 5: Megan Taver (EC) def. Rachael Weber 6-0, 6-0; No. 6: Melissa Huppert (EC) def. Abby Schmoldt 6-1, 6-1

No. 1: Molly Cope/Muellner (EC) def. Schwanbeck/Medin 8-0; No. 2: Stafford/Hickman (EC) def. Petcher/Weber 8-1; No. 3: Taver/Huppert (EC) def. Ann Marie Curtis/Megan Curtis 8-1.

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October 14, 2000

MENOMONIE - Four athletes and one coach have been selected to be inducted into the 2000 UW-Stout Athletic Hall of Fame with induction ceremonies scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 28 at the Grandview Terrace in the Memorial Student Center.

Tim Peterson, a quarterback for the football team in the late 1980s, Michelle Espe-Walsh, a setter for the women's volleyball team in the mid 1980s, Bill Lyons, a two-time all-conference men's basketball player in the early 1970s, Mike Beaupre, a men's gymnastics national champion in the early 1980s, and John Zuerlein, who started the men's gymnastics program in the early 1960s and finished his coaching career as the women's gymnastics coach, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, Saturday, Oct. 28.

Joe Larkin, the former UW-Stout dean of students, has been selected to receive the UW-Stout Athletic Distinguished Service Award.

The days activities begin at 9 a.m. with registration and social hour, with the induction ceremony to begin at 10 a.m., followed by lunch. The inductees will be introduced at halftime of the UW-Stout/UW-Oshkosh football game which kicks off at 1 p.m. Tickets for the banquet are $10 and can be ordered by calling 715-232-2224.

Tim Peterson
Tim Peterson set the standard for all UW-Stout quarterbacks to follow. Peterson led the Blue Devil football team from 1986-89. After latching onto the starting role, Peterson began to rack up numbers that eventually would set 16 school records.

With Peterson at the command of a high powered offense, the Blue Devils led the NCAA Division III in passing in 1987. Peterson finished his career with 8,881 passing yards and 9,703 yards in total offense, both still school records that will be hard pressed to be broken.

After leaving Stout, Peterson played with the Orlando Thunder of the short-lived World League of American Football, and had tryouts with the Minnesota Vikings and in the Canadian Football League. Upon completion of his playing career in Europe, Peterson turned to coaching with the Swedish national team, then returned to Minnesota as an assistant coach at Hutchinson High School.

Peterson currently resides in Hutchinson, Minn., where he is employed as a process engineer for Hutchinson Technology.

Michelle Espe-Walsh
Mish Espe was instrumental in the advancement of the Blue Devil women's volleyball program. As the team's setter from 1984-87, Espe set the standard for voleyball's quarterback position.

A team captain her final three seasons, Espe was an honorable mention all-conference choice as a junior, a first team pick as a senior and the team's most valuable player as a junior and senior.

Known for her pinpoint accuracy with the set, Espe graduated from the Blue Devil program with the most career assists. She currently ranks third on the all-time Stout assists list.

Following her Stout playing career, Espe was an assistant coach for the Blue Devils for one season, then continued to play in a number of amateur leagues and tournaments around the country.

Espe currently resides in Elko, Minn., with her husband, Jamie Walsh, a former Stout football player, and one child. Espe works for Telex Communications as an accounting supervisor.

Bill Lyons
Not only did Bill Lyons give the Blue Devils a scoring punch, he also provided the Stout basketball team with leadership both on and off the court during his Stout career from 1970-74.

"One of the best team leaders ever to come out of the program," said long time Stout coach Dwain Mintz.

And Lyons' leadership was a big part in the Blue Devils' success. During his Lyons' career, the Blue Devils posted a 67-30 overall record.

Lyons was a two-time all-conference pick and was an NAIA District 14 choice in 1973-74 when he scored 563 points for a 21.6 points per game average, a total that is second on the Stout all-time single season list. Lyons scored 1050 career points, currently ranking him 14th.

Lyons took his leadership, team concept and winning attitude into the business world, working as a general manager for McDonalds Corp, an area associate for STA Corp., vice president of operations from Applebees Franchise, and vice president of operations for Fairmount Capital Group, a position he currently holds while residing in Ohio.

Mike Beaupre
When Mike Beaupre looks back at his gymnastics career, the year 1984 stands out. As a member of the Blue Devils' men's gymnastics team, Beaupre saw both individual and team success.

As a team, the Blue Devils won the NAIA Gymnastics Championships, the only Stout team to ever win a national championship. As a team, the Blue Devils qualified to the NCAA Division II Gymnastics Championships, placing sixth.

After finishing second at the NAIA championships on the pommel horse to his teammate Paul Speltz, Beaupre kicked his routine into high gear and won the NCAA Division II pommel horse championship, qualifying to the NCAA Division I championships where he placed 65th. But the thrill of competing at the highest levels in an Olympic year left an imprint on Beaupre.

Beaupre competed against six members of the Olympic team at Pauly Pavilion at UCLA, the same location the Olympics would be held later that summer.

During his Stout career from 1979-84, Beaupre was a three-time NAIA All-American, a two-time NCAA Division II All-America and twice qualified to the NCAA Division I Gymnastic Championships.

Beaupre continued to work with the gymnastics program after leaving Stout. Beaupre received his masters from Stout in 1987, and returned to Menomonie in 1997 where he is the executive director of Indianhead Enterprises. Beaupre and his wife, Cindy, have four children.

John Zuerlein
John Zuerlein can only be termed as Stout's "Mr. Gymnastics." After coming to Stout as a student in in 1959 from Lincoln, Neb., Zuerlein played a year of football. Zuerlein left Stout for two years, but returned in 1962 and turned his attention to gymnastics, starteingthe Blue Devil men's gymnastics program while still a student, quickly turning the program into a national contender.

Zuerlein graduated from Stout in 1966, then joined the physical education and athletics department where he coached the men's program from its inception until 1983 and took over the women's program in 1979. Zuerlein was twice named the national coach of the year, the conference coach of the year in 1992. Zuerlein coached seven individual national champions, 15 NAIA and five NCAA men's All-Americans, four NCGA women's All-Americans and numerous all-conference gymnasts. Zuerlein's men's team placed in the top four of the NAIA every year from 1970-83, and twice placed fifth in the NCAA Division II.

An avid outdoorsman, Zuerlein parlayed his interest into the classroom, establishing classes in map and compass, backpacking, canoeing and other similar classes. It was on one of Zuerlein's outdoor adventures with a class that Zuerlein would deal with his biggest setback. Zuerlein was severely injured in a fall in a remote part of a state forest. After his students evacuated him, Zuerlein was hospitalized, then required additional physical therapy.

Zuerlein prevailed and returned to both the classroom and the gymnasium. Zuerlein retired from coaching gymnastics in 1994 and retired completely from the classroom this past spring. He intends to enjoy the outdoors and his grandchildren.

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