WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
The Blue Devils will be at the UW-La Crosse Last Chance meet, Friday, May 21. The NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships are May 27-29 in Decatur, Ill. Last week: Stout competed at the St. Olaf Qualifier, May 15.

MEN'S TRACK & FIELD
The Blue Devils will be at the UW-La Crosse Last Chance meet, Friday, May 21. The NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships are May 27-29 in Decatur, Ill. Last week: Stout competed at the St. Olaf Qualifier, May 15.

Softball

May 13, 2004

MENOMONIE - Shortstop Kaela Wold (Jr, Eau Claire/Altoona) and pitcher Megan Donley (So, Fridley, Minn) shared the UW-Stout softball most valuable player of the year honors, Blue Devil coach Chris Stainer announced recently.

Wold and Donley were both first team all-conference players, Wold for the third time, Donley for the first time.

Wold's doubles total was a school and conference record, and her hits total, RBIs, batting average and slugging percentage all rank second on the Stout single season lists. Wold moved from outfield her first two seasons to shortstop, where she posted a fielding percentage of .922.

Donley led the WIAC in innings pitched, appearances (41), and starts, and was third in ERA and fourth in strikeouts.

Donley finished the season with a 22-14 record and pitched a school record 259 innings, with an ERA of 1.46. She started 36 games, completed 32, had seven shutouts and recorded Stout's lone save of the season. Donley struck out 104, holding opponents to a batting average of .258. Her 22 wins is second in Stout single season history, as is her ERA.

First baseman Erin O'Connell (Jr, Altoona) was given the Golden Glove Award. O'Connell, a first team all-conference, committed only three errors in 484 chances.

Outfielder Cassie Tock (Fr, Sparta) was given the rookie of the year award. Catcher Jamie Gorges (Jr, New London) was named best leader. Second baseman Heather Novalany (Jr, Cottage Grove, Minn/Park) garnered the most improved award and the spirit award. Third baseman Courtney Zafft (So, Rochester, Minn/Century) received the most dedicated award. Pitcher Emily Zahn (So, Champlin, Minn/Park) and utility player Angie Kliber (So, Swanville, Minn/Little Falls) shared the super sub award.

Stout finished the season at 27-16, their best overall record since 1995. Stout finished second in the WIAC regular season with an 11-5 mark.

2004 UW-Stout Softball Team Awards
Co-MVP's - Kaela Wold (Jr, Eau Claire/Altoona) & Megan Donley (So, Fridley, Minn)
Slugger Award (Offense) - Kaela Wold (Jr, Eau Claire/Altoona)
Golden Glove (Defense) - Erin O'Connell (Jr, Altoona)
Rookie-of-the-Year - Cassie Tock (Fr, Sparta)
Best Leader - Jamie Gorges (Jr, New London)
Most Improved - Heather Novalany (Jr, Cottage Grove, Minn/Park)
Most Dedicated - Courtney Zafft (So, Rochester, Minn/Century)
Spirit Award - Heather Novalany (Jr, Cottage Grove, Minn/Park)
Super Sub(s) - Emily Zahn (So, Champlin, Minn/Park) & Angie Kliber (So, Swanville, Minn/Little Falls)

Baseball

May 17, 2004

MADISON - The 2004 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) baseball team is expected out this week. UW-Whitewater won the WIAC baseball tournament and will host the NCAA Division III regional with Ripon, Concordia and St. Thomas over the weekend

Women's Track & Field

May 15, 2004

NORTHFIELD, Minn - UW-Stout's Marci Schachtner (Jr, Deer Park) broke her own hammer throw school record and improved her standing nationally in the event Saturday, May 15 at the St. Olaf Qualifier in Northfield, Minn.

Schachtner threw the implement 170-feet, 7-inches to place second and extend her NCAA Division III qualifying distance. Schachtner also placed fifth in the discus (133-8).

Laura Verdegan (Jr, Tony) won the triple jump with a distance of 37-10.75. Verdegan was fifth in the long jump (17-1.25) and ran the 100-hurdles for the first time this season, but did not place (16.47 seconds).

Lindsay Kjolsing (Fr, Mankato, Minn) was third in the 200-meter run (26.14) and Ann Schachtner (Jr, Somerset) was fifth in the shot put (40-8.25). The 4x100-meter relay team placed fourth (50.01).

Stout will wrap up the regular season Friday, May 21 when they are the UW-La Crosse Qualifier. The NCAA Division III championships are May 27-29 at Millikin College in Decatur, Ill.

May 14, 2004

MENOMONIE - Tracy Oostdyk (Sr, Spooner/Shell Lake) and Lindsay Kjolsing (Fr, Mankato, Minn/East) were named the most valuable track performer by the UW-Stout women's track & field team and Laura Verdegan (Jr, Tony/Flambeau) was named the most valuable field performer, coach Joe Harlan announced recently.

Oostdyk, a distance runner, continued to break her school record in the 300-meter steeplechase, closing out her career with a fifth place finish at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) outdoor championships in a school record time of 11-minutes, 24.09-seconds. Oostdyk was named the WIAC runner of the week April 12 after winning the steeplechase at the Gustavus Adolphus meet. Oostdyk broke the record four times this season.

Oostdyk also participated in 1500-meter run outdoors, and was a member of the indoor distance medley relay team that set a school record.

Kjolsing, a sprinter, was a record breaker as well, three times setting a new standard in the indoor 200-meter dash, finishing the indoor season with a time of 26.77-seconds at the WIAC championships.

The record book is littered with Verdegan's name, and she added a new listing this year when she broke the school and conference record in the 400-meter hurdles at the WIAC outdoor championships with a time of 61.71 to qualify automatically the NCAA outdoor championships.

Verdegan, who won the 2004 indoor NCAA Division III triple jump championships, successfully defended her WIAC indoor triple jump title and reclaimed the outdoor triple jump title. She was second in the indoor championship in the long jump and fourth at the outdoor meet. Verdegan was also a member of the indoor distance medley team that broke a school record.

Verdegan received WIAC field athlete of the week honors March 2 after winning the long and triple jumps at the St. Olaf Invitational, only two days after wrapping up her collegiate basketball career.

Sprinter Kristin Becker (Jr, Waunakee) received the most improved returnee award, while jumper and utility performer Sam Strunk (Fr, Athens) received the most improved newcomer award. Hurdler Attalia Young (Jr, Milwaukee) was named most inspirational.

Young, Oostdyk and Marci Schachtner (Jr, Deer Park/Clear Lake) were honored as 2004 team captains. Schachtner and Young will be joined by Verdegan and Leah Karaliunas (So, Oconomowoc) as 2005 team captains.

Men's Track & Field

May 15, 2004

NORTHFIELD, Minn - Two of UW-Stout's relay teams reached NCAA Division III provisional qualifying times at the St. Olaf Qualifier, Saturday, May 15 in Northfield, Minn.

The 4x100-relay team hit the provisional mark for the first time this season with a time of 41.84 seconds to place second. The 4x400-relay team hit the provisional mark for the second time in as many outings, winning the event in a time of 3-minutes, 16.76-seconds.

Freshman Ryan Kawski (Stevens Point) was second in the discus (154-feet, 5-inches). Ryan Carpenter (So, Sauk Prairie) finished fourth in the triple jump (44-1.50) and Dave Huber (Sr, Mendota Heights, Minn) was 11th in the 1500-meter run (4:16.02).

Stout will wrap up the regular season Friday, May 21 when they are the UW-La Crosse Qualifier. The NCAA Division III championships are May 27-29 at Millikin College in Decatur, Ill.

Women's Gymnastics

May 12, 2004

MENOMONIE - Record holder Rhian Paulson (So, Stillwater, Minn) was named the UW-Stout gymnastics most valuable performer, coach Jeff Richards announced at the team's annual awards banquet recently.

Paulson, the only Blue Devil to compete at the 2004 NCGA championships, set a school record on the floor exercise (9.80) in the preliminaries of the national meet. But the record was not enough to advance her to the finals round.

An early season injury kept Paulson away from all-around competition this season, but she still competed on at least two events in each meet. Paulson was the regional champion on the floor exercise and earned all-conference honors on the floor and the vault. Paulson also garnered WIAC gymnast of the week honors in January.

Liz Karkula (Fr, St. Anthony, Minn) and Shanna Kissinger (So, Sioux City, Iowa/West) shared the most consistent award.

The Blue Devils' lone senior, Jennie Rosinsky (Green Bay/Southwest) received the hardest working award.

Cassie Johnston (So, Albertville, Minn/St. Michael-Albertville), who was forced out the entire season due to injury but continued to work out with the team, was named most inspirational.

Robyn Niederkorn (So, Galesville/G-E-T) earned the most improved award.

Updated: May 17, 2004