FOOTBALL
The Blue Devils (4-0, 1-0 WIAC) get into the meat of the schedule and it is all WIAC teams from here-on out. Stout will take to the road the next two weeks and will be at UW-Oshkosh (3-1, 0-1), Saturday, Oct. 8. Stout has not won at Oshkosh since 1997. Last week: The Blue Devils were never seriously threatened as they defeated Waldorf College, 44-3, Oct. 1. Offensive player of the week: Coty Watkins, Fr, Bloomington, Minn. (Jefferson); Defensive player of the week: Rob Weinstein, Jr, Racine (Horlick); Special teams player of the week: Joe Seep, Sr, Reedsburg

VOLLEYBALL
The Blue Devils (11-9, 2-4) will take the academic week off and will return to action this weekend, Oct. 7-8, at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational. Stout will face North Central, Ill. (6-10), Oshkosh (18-1) and Marian College (8-10). Last week: Stout went 1-2 on the week in three home matches, defeating Northwestern, 3-0, Sept. 27, but dropping conference matches to UW-Whitewater, 3-0, Sept. 30, and to UW-Oshkosh, 3-0, Oct. 1. Player of the week: Jenny McDermid, Jr, Oconto Falls

SOCCER
The Blue Devils (5-1-2, 1-1-1) have a busy week, with a total of three games in and out of the conference. Stout will be at UW-Superior (6-4-0, 0-4-0), Wednesday, Oct. 5, then head way south to Bloomington, Ill, to take on Illinois Wesleyan (7-3-1), Friday, Oct. 7. The Blue Devils will host Minn-Morris (4-5-1), Sunday, Oct. 9 at 2 p.m.. Last week: Stout defeated Wartburg College, 1-0, Sept. 30. Offensive player of the week: Heidi Schultz, Sr, River Falls; Defensive player of the week: Al Smith, Sr, Chippewa Falls

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
The Blue Devil women have the week off before competing at the UW-Superior Invitational, Saturday, Oct. 15. Last week: Stout took first place at the Beloit College English Style Cross Country Meet, Oct. 1. Runner of the week: Krista Jahimiak, So, La Crosse (Central)

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
The Blue Devil men have the week off before competing at the UW-Superior Invitational, Saturday, Oct. 15. Last week: Stout took third at the Beloit College English Style Cross Country Meet, Oct. 1. Runner of the week: Nate Haeny, Jr, Sauk Rapids, Minn.

TENNIS
The Blue Devils (2-5, 0-4) will host Hamline University, Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 3:30 p.m., then head to the Fox River Valley for three matches. Stout will be at UW-Oshkosh (1-4, 0-3), Friday, Oct. 7, then will be at Marian College and Ripon College, Saturday, Oct. 8. Last week: The Blue Devils lost, 9-0, to UW-La Crosse, Oct. 1. Singles player of the week: Katie Brott, Sr, Sheboygan (South); Doubles players of the week: Jenna Bettmann, Jr, Blaine, Minn/Nicole Hayek, Sr, Rochester, Minn (Mayo)

WOMEN'S GOLF
The Blue Devils women's golf club made their first ever appearance at the WIAC Championships in Superior, Oct. 1-2. Anastasia Kinney was 23rd for the Blue Devils.

Football

BLUE DEVILS AIM TO END TREND WITH SECOND-STRAIGHT WIN OVER TITANS

ON THE LINE: UW-Stout, which outscored its non-conference opponents by a combined count of 117-24 this year, hopes to earn only the third 5-0 start in Blue Devil football history. Stout kick-started the 2000 campaign with a 10-0 start under the direction of current University of South Dakota head coach Ed Meierkort, while the 1982 Blue Devils, led by Bob Kamish, began the season 6-0.

To boot, Stout, ranked No. 18 in the Oct. 2 Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette NCAA Division III poll and No. 23 in the D3football.com Week 5 poll, looks to remain unbeaten in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play.

UW-Oshkosh hopes to improve to 4-1, even its WIAC record at 1-1, rebound from a 13-10 overtime setback to UW-River Falls Saturday, Oct. 1, and avenge a 49-17 loss to the Blue Devils at Don & Nona Williams Stadium in 2004.

LAST TIME OUT: Stout: Improving Todd Strop's head coaching record with the program to 9-4, the Blue Devils thoroughly dominated Waldorf (Iowa) College (2-4) Saturday, Oct. 1, at Don & Nona Williams Stadium. The Blue Devils, which established the program's single-game scoring record in defeating the Warriors 65-7 in 2004, called off the dogs late in the third quarter, preventing the 44-3 final score from getting further out of hand. Called upon due to the absence of Ryan Englebert (Jr, Sturgeon Bay) and Andy Reese (So, Lodi), both out due to injuries, tailback Coty Watkins (Fr, Bloomington, Minn) paved the way for Stout, compiling 173 rushing yards and three TDs on 13 totes, while picking up 54 yards on one reception. Watkins sparked Stout's fire with an 80-yard scoring scamper on the team's second play from scrimmage. Stout led 16-0 through one frame, 30-3 at halftime and 44-3 with 4 minutes, 16 seconds left in the third quarter. The Blue Devils, which committed one turnover, compiled 338 net offensive yards to Waldorf's 201 and their defense forced five Warrior turnovers. Stephen Schils (So, Green Bay) returned a fumble recovery for a touchdown, while Tony Fitts (Jr, Kewaskum), Brandon Powell (Fr, Elk Mound) and Kendall Wade (Fr, Milwaukee) picked off passes for Stout. Joe Seep (Sr, Reedsburg) returned a punt 64 yards to pay dirft.

Oshkosh: The Titans suffered their first loss of the year, falling, 13-10, to WIAC foe UW-River Falls in a nail-biting, overtime affair. Oshkosh led 7-0 and 10-7, before the Falcons' Spasimir Bodurski netted a 21-yard field goal with 1:51 remaining in regulation to knot the score, 10-10. Bodurski booted a 33-yard field goal in the extra session to lift the Falcons (2-2, 1-0) to victory. Oshkosh kicker Lucas Raschke missed a 30-yard field goal in the first quarter, a 19-yarder in the third quarter and a 45-yarder with the regulation clock reading 00:00. The Titans, who picked up 20 first downs to River Falls' 15, totaled 301 offensive yards, 10 more than the Falcons. Quarterback Joe Patek completed 17-of-35 passes for 166 yards and one interception.

LAST SEASON: Both Stout and Oshkosh are members of the eight-team WIAC and affiliated with NCAA Division III. Last season, the Blue Devils were 5-5, 3-4 (tied for fifth). The Titans went 5-5, 2-5 (eighth) a year ago.

THE SERIES: The Titans lead the teams' series, 26-21-1. The home team has won every match-up since 1998, with the Blue Devils handling the Titans, 49-17, in 2004 at Don & Nona Williams Stadium and Oshkosh edging Stout, 15-7, at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium in 2003. The last time the visiting team won in this series, the Blue Devils posted a 48-37 win at Oshkosh in 1997. Over the last 10 years, the teams are 5-5 vs. one another. Last year, Stout held a slim, 14-7 halftime lead before exploding for 28 third-quarter points to break the game open.

STOUT PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Keldric Stokes (Sr, Benton Harbor, Mich) 32 comp, 64 att, 524 yds, 3 INTs, 9 TDs, 155.81 pass effic/11 car, 30 yds; RB Andy Reese (So, Lodi) 60 car, 361 yds, 6.0 ypc/4 rec, 58 yds; RB Coty Watkins (Fr, Bloomington, Minn) 45 car, 278 yds, 6.2 ypc, 5 TDs/2 rec, 72 yds, TD; WR Jesse Wendt (Jr, Chetek) 12 rec, 199 yds, 5 TDs, 16.6 ypc; WR John Henry Freeman III (St. Louis, Mo) 16 rec, 226 yds, 2 TDs, 14.1 ypr; QB Tanner Kattre 9 comp, 18 att, 97 yds/14 car, 71 yds; RB Ryan Englebert (Jr, Sturgeon Bay) 23 car, 80 yds, TD/2 rec, 33 yds, TD; DB Joe Seep (Sr, Reedsburg) 21 tackles, 15 solo, 2 interceptions, 3 pass break-ups, sack, fumble recovery/8 punt returns, 153 yds (19.1 avg), TD; LB Luke Steffen (Jr, Greenwood) 27 tackles, 15 solo, 1.5 sacks, fumble recovery, pass break-up; LB Stephen Schils (So, Green Bay) 28 tackles, 10 solo, 3 sacks, forced fumble, fumble recovery, TD; DL Travis Hoffmann (Jr, Schofield) 26 tackles, 16 solo, 3 sacks; DB Cory Brown 16 tackles, 9 solo, 3 interceptions, 3 pass break-ups; DB Tony Fitts (Jr, Kewaskum) 6 tackles, 4 solo, 2 interceptions, pass break-up, forced fumble; Blue Devils avg 378.8 total ypg, 223.5 rushing, 155.2 passing; give up 271.5 total ypg, 96.0 rushing, 175.5 passing. Stout has outscored its opponents, 141-40 (35.2-10.0).

OSHKOSH PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Joe Patek (So, Cedarburg) 48 comp, 97 att, 700 yds, 4 INTs, 7 TDs, 125.67 pass effic/32 car, 135 yds, TD; RB Andy Moriarty (So, Homestead) 69 car, 357 yds, 2 TD/4 rec, 42 yds; WR Steve Stoltz (So, Greendale) 13 rec, 307 yds, 5 TDs; WR Nick Kilton (Sr, Waukesha) 9 rec, 142 yds, 2 TDs; RB Andrew Stern 41 car, 97 yds/7 rec, 75 yds; FS Jason Manikowski (Jr, Cudahy) 35 tackles, 23 solo, 2 interceptions, forced fumble; DE 91 Ryan Neff (Jr, Merrill) 27 tackles, 15 solo, 2 sacks, forced fumble; LB Eric Stenbroten (So, Monticello, Minn) 24 tackles, 14 solo, 9 TFL, 2 fumble recoveries, forced fumble, sack; DE Rob Fett (Sr, Appleton) 21 tackles, 8 solo, 2 sacks, pass break-up, recovered fumble; CB Bryan Kent (So, Pewaukee) 18 tackles, 12 solo, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 3 pass break-ups; LB Jacob Malzahn (Sr, Kenosha) 13 tackles, 3 solo, 2 interceptions, 2 pass break-ups, sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery, blocked kick; K Lucas Raschke (So, Clintonville) 13-13 PAT, 6-11 field goals, 31 points; Titans avg 363.3 total ypg, 188.3 rushing, 175.0 passing; give up 310.5 ypg, 181.3 passing, 129.3 rushing. Oshkosh has outscored its opponents, 109-68 (27.3-17.0).

OFFENSIVE LOOK: Oshkosh: pro-set; Stout: multi-pro set. DEFENSIVE LOOK: Oshksosh: multiple 4-2; Stout: 3-4.

COACHES: Stout coach Todd Strop (9-4 career) is in his second year as the Blue Devil head coach. Strop currently ranks No. 11 on the program's all-time coaching wins list and sports Stout football's top all-time coaching winning percentage (.692). Oshkosh coach Phil Meyer, in his sixth year with the Titans, possesses a 22-31 record at Oshkosh.

STOUT COACH TODD STROP SAYS: "Getting back into the conference schedule is always exciting. It will make it all the easier to get the kids up for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday practice. Every conference game is a big game. Any time you go on the road in the WIAC, you have to be very hungry, mentally tough, put on your blinders and go in there business-like. When we've gone to Oshkosh the last couple of times, we've had some things go wrong early and we didn't respond well. That will be our biggest hurdle to jump. (One thing I'm really proud of in terms of this year's team is) the overall work ethic. They have each other's backs and cover up well for each other. They've found a way to deal with some adversity.

"We have to control the football offensively, play well on special teams and stop their running game. If we do those three things well, we'll have a shot."

MENOMONIE (October 1, 2005) - How does UW-Stout football coach Todd Strop spell relief? Well, after his Blue Devils' 44-3 defeat of visiting Waldorf (Iowa) College Saturday afternoon, he spelled it G-A-M-E O-V-E-R.

Although Stout (4-0) hung plenty of points up on the Don & Nona Williams Stadium scoreboard and was never in danger of losing, Strop let out a huge sigh of relief after the final gun sounded. Finally, the Blue Devils could forget about their pushover-laden non-conference schedule and solely focus on the challenges awaiting them in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) action.

"I'm glad it's over," Strop said. "I'm glad we won and I'm glad we can move on. You know me by now. I hate these games. Things get sloppy. I'd rather beat a team 28-10 and have it be a good, solid game."

While the Blue Devils, who outscored their three non-conference foes by a combined count of 117-24, certainly didn't submit a squeaky-clean performance in whitewashing the Warriors (2-4), they did enough to prevent the fans from wearing out the edges of their seats.

A mere 19 seconds into the game, Coty Watkins (Fr, Bloomington) turned Stout's second play from scrimmage into an 80-yard scoring scamper for a 7-0 Blue Devil lead. Eight minutes after Watkins' ice-breaking rumble, Evan Larsen (Sr, River Falls) connected on a 25-yard field goal and Stout led, 10-7. Slightly more than a minute before the first quarter ended, Stout linebacker Stephen Schils (So, Green Bay) barreled 12 yards to pay dirt with a recovered fumble, boosting the Blue Devils' cushion to 16-0.

One minute into the second stanza, cornerback Joe Seep (Sr, Reedsburg) received a punt, turned on the jets and scooted 64 yards to the house, putting the home team in front, 23-0.

With Stout on pace to eclipse the program's single-game scoring record, established a year ago in a 65-7 blowout of Waldorf College, the game's pace slowed down considerably. After Waldorf trimmed Stout's lead to 23-3 with a 24-yard field goal off the foot of Aaron Kurowski, running back Shawn Korth (So, Marshall) scored on a 4-yard dive.

Ahead 30-3 at the break, Stout tacked on two rushing TD's, both courtesy of Watkins, in the third quarter, then called off the dogs in serious fashion.

Playing without the services of playmakers Ryan Englebert (Jr, Sturgeon Bay), Andy Reese (So, Lodi) and Jesse Wendt (Jr, Chetek), who were sidelined due to injuries, Stout's offense managed to compile 338 yards on 56 plays. Behind the strength of Watkins' 13-carry, 173-yard rushing display, the Blue Devils netted 250 rushing yards complemented by 88 passing yards.

Stout's defense, minus linebacker Luke Steffen (Jr, Greenwood), also out with an injury, yielded 201 yards (117 passing, 84 rushing) to the Warriors on 69 plays. Tony Fitts (Jr, Kewaskum), Brandon Powell (Fr, Elk Mound) and Kendall Wade (Fr, Milwaukee) collected interceptions for the Blue Devils, who created five turnovers.

"I was really pleased with how the team came out excited," Strop said. "We talk all the time about you only have 10 times to play each year. (Waldorf is) not a bad team. We played hard, not great, but hard."

Stout, which is already 1-0 in WIAC play, returns to league action Saturday, Oct. 8, when they travel to UW-Oshkosh to square off with the Titans.

Volleyball

OSHKOSH EXTENDS STREAK WITH WIN OVER BLUE DEVILS

MENOMONIE (October 1, 2005) - UW-Oshkosh extended their winning streak to 18 matches at the expense of UW-Stout, Saturday, as the Titans took a convincing 3-0 conference win at Johnson Fieldhouse.

The Titans (18-1, 3-0) held Stout (11-9, 2-4) to only four kills in the second game on their way to a 30-19, 30-16, 30-25 win.

The Blue Devils showed some spunk in the third game, holding a slim lead through much of the contest. But Oshkosh pulled even at 23 and went on to take the match.

Freshmen Maggie Meixl (Mankato, Minn), Shannon Lentz (West Bend) and Kendra Pagel (Wausau), along with Jenny McDermid (Jr, Oconto Falls) led Stout at the attack line in the third game. McDermid and Lentz each had four kills, while Meixl and Pagel each had three. McDermid led Stout with kills with six.

Oshkosh's Leah Rosenbuam led all hitters with 10 kills as Oshkosh put down 44 kills to Stout's 28 on the day. Stout recorded 16 kills in the final game.

Stout will be at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational, Oct. 7-8.

MENOMONIE (September 30, 2005) - UW-Whitewater outdueled UW-Stout in all three games and came away with a 3-0 conference sweep, at Johnson Fieldhouse, Friday.

The No. 8 ranked Warhawks (17-2, 3-1) pounded out 53 kills, while Stout (11-8, 2-3) managed 33. Whitewater had four players in double figure kills, while Stout's hitting leader was Sarah McElfresh (Jr, Osceola) and Lacey Bunkelman (Fr, Chippewa Falls) with seven each. The Warhawks hit at a .306 pace, while Stout hit .198.

MENOMONIE (September 27, 2005) - Contrary to what the above headline might suggest, 13th-year UW-Stout head coach Jill Jolliff hasn't requested that her Blue Devil volleyball players soon view a certain 1985 Steven Spielberg classic starring Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.

Jolliff, does, however, hope members of her Stout squad, in part, take ample time to visualize the color purple over the next three days. Based on her reasoning, Jolliff might consider asking her squad to visualize birds at the same time.

Following the Blue Devils' 3-0 (30-25, 30-24, 30-28) sweep of the purple-clad Northwestern (Minn) College Eagles Tuesday evening at Johnson Fieldhouse, Jolliff waxed poetic in suggesting the Blue Devils visualize purple and their recently-submitted good play from now until Friday, when the Blue Devils host the purple-donning UW-Whitewater Warhawks.

"I just told them to visualize the things they did right against the team in purple," Jolliff said. "Any correlation between playing at home and playing a team with the same color, we'll take right now."

Jolliff, without question, will also take the performance her team submitted in sweeping Northwestern. Although the Blue Devils (11-7) needed to battle from behind a bit, particularly in game three, to complete the sweep, they displayed plenty of resiliency.

In addition to that characteristic, Stout also achieved a marked improvement in its attack accuracy, posting a .266 hitting percentage highlighted by a .303 attack performance in the middle game. Jenny McDermid (Jr, Oconto Falls) and Natalie Naaktgeboren (So, Maple Lake, Minn), who both tallied 11 kills to pace the Blue Devils, fired at .409 and .400 clips, respectively.Linda Meyer (So, Cedarburg) added 10 kills and Sarah McElfresh (Jr, Osceola) pitched in seven.

Kat Roesler (Jr, Chippewa Falls) distributed a team-high 26 assists and Meyer posted 10 digs. Casey Huntoon (So, Mantorville, Minn) collected two service aces, while McDermid and Naaktgeboren netted six total blocks apiece.

Lindsey Sir netted a match-high 14 assists for the Eagles, who recorded a .113 hitting percentage in the contest. Sarah Zosel totaled 33 assists and Sir contributed 17 digs.

Soccer

SCHULTZ, DEFENSE HELP BLUE DEVILS QUIET KNIGHTS

MENOMONIE (September 24, 2005) - UW-Stout's defense pitched its fifth shutout of 2005 Friday evening at Nelson Field, helping lift the Blue Devils (5-1-2) over Wartburg College (6-4), 1-0.

Fittingly, one of Stout's defensive midfielders netted the game's lone goal. In the 14th minute, Heidi Schultz (Sr, River Falls) lined up for a penalty kick after Shannon Hermes (Jr, Prior Lake, Minn) was tripped in the Blue Devils' zone. The Knights' goalkeeper, Jessica Archer, deflected Schultz's penalty kick into the crossbar and Schultz booted the rebound into the empty net. Schultz's goal, which officially found the net's back with 13 minutes, 2 seconds elapsed, marked her first goal of the season, her 11th career goal at Stout, her fifth game-winning goal and the Blue Devils' first score in three outings.

Following Stout's early breaking of the ice, both offenses produces several additional legitimate scoring opportunities, but neither team managed to capitalize.

"I thought our forwards did a nice job of helping our defense clear the lines, so it could get down the field and get on the counter," Blue Devil coach Dave Morris said.

Stout goalie Charla Buxbaum (Fr, Hermantown, Minn) minded the net for 90 minutes, recording four saves and her fourth shutout. Archer played 87:15 for the Knights, making five saves on the night and falling to 4-1-0 on the season.

Stout outshot Wartburg, 11-10, in the contest, tallying six shots on goal to the Knights' two in the second 45 minutes.

The Blue Devils will return to action Wednesday, when they travel to UW-Superior to face the Yellowjackets in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match.

Women's Cross Country

BLUE DEVILS PACK TOGETHER, PACK UP FIRST-PLACE TROPHY

BELOIT (October 1, 2005) - UW-Stout grouped together Saturday and ran away with the Beloit Old English Style crown.

Paced by six top-15 finishers, the Blue Devils, who finished second to Illinois Wesleyan in a field of 16 teams at the 2004 meet, totaled 37 team points, 48 fewer than runner-up Illinois Wesleyan and 67 less than third-place Lawrence University.

Krista Jahimiak (So, La Crosse) led Stout, placing third in 20 minutes, 6 seconds, 16 ticks behind first-place Melinda Sprague of Illinois Wesleyan. Fortunately for the Blue Devils, a flock of Stout runners finished on the heels of Jahimiak.

Bridgette Crozier (So, Winona) (fourth place, 20:08), Abbey Ring (So, Manitowoc) (10th, 20:37), Steph Nichols (Jr, Chetek) (11th, 20:41), Katee Rosburg (Fr, Superior) (14th, 20:53) and Michelle Lewis (Fr, Burnsville, Minn) (15th in 20:59) earned individual awards for the Blue Devils.

The Blue Devils will return to action Saturday, Oct. 15, when they compete in the UW-Superior Invitational.

Individual Results
(First place, Stout finishers)
1. Melinda Sprague (IW) 19:50; 3. Krista Jahimiak 20:06; 4. Bridgette Crozier 20:08; 10. Abbey Ring 20:37; 11. Steph Nichols 20:41; 14. Katee Rosburg 20:53; 15. Michelle Lewis 20:59; 29. Carly Mann 21:53; 30. Laura Eysnoble 22:00; 37. Bonnie Wold 22:22; 41. Rachel Richardson 22:27; 48. Amanda Rau 22:45; 55. Christina Anderson 23:06; 56. Leah Karaliunas 23:06; 62. Christine Enger 23:41; 70. Emily Dubay 24:05; 80. Jodi Welhdefer 24:39, 118. Kristina Westberg 29:10.

Men's Cross Country

HAENY TAKES TOP COLLEGIATE HONORS AT OLD ENGLISH RUN

BELOIT (October 1, 2005) - UW-Stout's Nate Haeny (Jr, Sauk Rapids, Minn) was the top collegiate runner at the Beloit College English Style Cross Country Invitational, Saturday.

The Blue Devil junior came in second behind an unattached runner, but clocked the best time of all collegiate varsity runners, finishing in 26-minutes, 26-seconds.

As a team, Stout placed third, behind North Central (Ill.) and Principia.

John Maresh (Sr, Bloomington, Minn) was 15th (27:52), David Schonscheck (So, Omro) was 19th (27:57), Brett Heimstead (Sr, Savage, Minn) 28th (28:25), Mark Kempen (Sr, Kaukauna) 39th (28:57) and Jon Golem (So, Oshkosh) 44th (29:03).

Stout will return to action Saturday, Oct. 15 at the UW-Superior as the test out the course that will be used in the WIAC Championships in late October.

Individual Results (First place, all Stout runners)
1. Unattached runner; 2. Nate Haeny 26:26; 15. John Maresh 27:52; 19. David Schonscheck 27:57; 28. Brett Heimstead 28:25; 39. Mark Kempen 28:57; 44. Jon Golem 29:03; 46. Mike Heinen 29:07; 64. Luke Kramer 30:02; 94. John Ullrich 30:57; 107. Ryan Tolleck 31:54; 135. Nick Hamm 34:40.

Women's Tennis

LA CROSSE BLANKS STOUT ON THE TENNIS COURTS

MENOMONIE (October 1, 2005) - UW-Stout's Jodie Czech (Fr, Foley, MN) and Katie Brott (Sr, Sheboygan) put up valiant fights, but eventually all of the Blue Devils succumbed and UW-La Crosse carried a 9-0 WIAC tennis win out of Menomonie, Saturday.

Czech lost at No. 3 singles, 6-4, 6-2, to Erica Schmelzer and Brott fell at No. 6 singles, 7-5, 6-0, to Jenny Sponholtz.

The Blue Devils (2-5) will host Hamline University, Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 3:30 p.m.

Doubles: No. 1: Reidel/Schmelzer (LX) def. Bettmann/Hayek, 8-3; No. 2: Tellefsen/Dubinski (LX) def. Hohl/Julie Mirenda, 8-0; No. 3: Fekete/Braun (LX) def. Czech/Farchmin, 8-3; Exh: Sponholtz/Tornow (LX) def. Kledzik/Duchac, 8-3

Women's Golf

BLUE DEVIL GOLFERS EXPERIENCE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

MENOMONIE (October 2, 2005) - While the scores for the UW-Stout golf club did not count in the standings of the 2005 Women's Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Golf Championships, the experience certainly counted for the Blue Devils.

In their first competition ever, the Blue Devils, who are anticipating a varsity program for the 2006 season, got to see what the WIAC is all about.

And coach Craig Walter couldn't have been more pleased with the experience.

"In our first competition," Walter said, "we couldn't have asked for more. We were accepted by the rest of the (varsity) teams and we tasted real play. Our players learned a lot."

Anastasia Kinney (Fr, Portage) led Stout and placed 23rd, shooting a 93 on day one, then knocking seven strokes off on the second day with an 86 to finish with a 179 over the 36 holes. Molly Harke (So, Freedom) was 43rd with a 228 and Molly Cashman (So, River Falls) was 44th with a 229.

MENOMONIE (September 30, 2005) - The UW-Stout women's golf club will make their first ever appearance this weekend when they participate in the 2005 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Golf Championships at Nemadji Golf Course in Superior.

The Stout five member team will tee off Saturday, Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. and Sunday, Oct. 2 at 9 a.m., along with the seven WIAC varsity squads.

The Blue Devils are coached by Craig Walter and team members include: Molly Cashman (So, River Falls), Danielle Hammer (Fr, Beaver Dam), Holly Harke (So, Freedom), Anastasia Kinney (Fr, Portage) and Kylynn Whipple (So, Plum City).

UW-Eau Claire is the defending champion, while UW-Platteville was second last season.

Because Stout's program is not yet a varsity program, their scores will not count towards the team or individual scoring. The Blue Devil men's and women's golf clubs are moving through the process towards becoming a varsity program.

MENOMONIE (September 29, 2005) - City father, Kiwanis governor, official scorer for UW-Stout men's and women's basketball teams, the voice of Blue Devil soccer, member of the UW-Stout Hall of Fame committee, member of the UW-Stout football chain gang, Blue Devil booster.

Dick Lowery either serves or has served in all of those positions and will be awarded the UW-Stout Athletic Distinguished Service Award at the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Saturday, Nov. 5.

Lowery, a former Stout employee for 34 years, 29 years as the associate director of undergraduate admissions and five years as coordinator of the graduate school, has been the official scorekeeper for Stout basketball for the past 10 years and has been provided analysis and color commentary for the UW-Stout soccer team the past three seasons. Lowery has also spent several terms as a member of the UW-Stout Athletic Hall of Fame, worked in all elements on the sidelines as a member of football chain crew, and has provided color commentary and statistics for Stout football and basketball.

In addition, Lowery is currently the president of the Menomonie City Council, is a member of the Mabel Tainter Memorial board of directors, a member of the Christ Lutheran Church council, a member of Luther Park Bible Camp board of directors and a mediator for Dunn County in small claims court.

Active in the Menomonie Kiwanis Club, Lowery is currently the governor of the Wisconsin/Upper Michigan District of Kiwanis International.

Lowery and his wife, Cheryl, have resided in Menomonie for 36 years and have been married for 36 years. The couple have two adult children, Erin and Becca, and one grandson, Blake.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony gets underway at 9:30 a.m. in the Memorial Student Center' Grandview Terrace. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Cost is $13. For information or to purchase advance tickets, call 715-232-2224.

SIX TO BE INDUCTED INTO UW-STOUT ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

MENOMONIE (September 21, 2005) - Excellence marks the Class of 2005 to be inducted into the UW-Stout Athletic Hall of Fame, Saturday, Nov. 5.

Standouts Cindy Hovet (basketball/softball), Alissa Proshek (volleyball), Tom McNamara (hockey), Gary Busch (baseball), Pete Binelas (basketball) and Bob Thomas (coach) will be inducted into the UW-Stout Athletic Hall of Fame. Richard Lowery will receive the Athletic Distinguished Service Award.

The induction ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Grand View Terrace of the Memorial Student Center. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. Tickets are $13 and can be obtained by calling the UW-Stout Athletic office at 715-232-2224.

A three-time all-WWIAC selection in basketball and the 1994 WWIAC Player of the Year, Hovet still holds school marks for career 3-pointers (82), single-game points (39) and single-game steals (11), and shares the mark for most career games played (107). Her 1,231 career points rank second on Stout’s all-time list. On Feb. 25, 1998, the Blue Devils retired Hovet’s number, 21.

Hovet earned first-team all-WWIAC softball accolades in 1994 - the only year she played softball at Stout - and ranks 12^th on the Blue Devils’ all-time single-season fielding percentage list.

An assistant basketball coach at Stout (1994-95) and UW-River Falls (1995-2000), Hovet has posted a 69-59 record in her five years as head coach at River Falls. During the 2000-01 season, Hovet coached the Falcons to an 11-5 WIAC record and a tie for third place in the league, earning WIAC Coach of the Year honors in the process.

Alissa Proshek
When individuals in the know about Stout volleyball discuss the program’s history, the name Alissa Proshek invariably enters the conversation. How could it not?

A two-year Blue Devil captain and two-time team MVP, Proshek earned first-team all-WWIAC honors in 1992, 1993 and 1994. Proshek holds the following school records: single-season service aces (104), career service aces (343), career attempts (3,966), career digs (1,463) and career kills (1,561). Proshek, who paced Stout in aces three times and kills twice, led the Blue Devils to a 33-6 (7-1 WWIAC) season mark, second-place WWIAC finish and Stout's first-ever NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in 1994.

Proshek pursued other professional endeavors after a brief coaching career and currently resides in Columbia Heights, Minn.

Tom McNamara
Tom McNamara, statistically, played third fiddle for the Blue Devil hockey program, but it’s safe to say he considers his case one of being at the right place at the right time.

Along with two previous UW-Stout Athletic Hall of Fame inductees, Glenn LaChapelle (1970-73) and Terry Watkins (1970-73), McNamara (1970-73) played on a line recognized by the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as the highest-scoring line in college hockey history at any level for its prowess in 1973. McNamara complemented LaChapelle’s 65 goals and Watkins’ 45 with 39 of his own. McNamara, Stout’s 1973 MVP, tallied 61 points at Stout, scoring 23 goals and 38 assists.

Since graduating from Stout in 1973, McNamara has been employed at one company: ITT Thermotech. McNamara currently resides in Mendota Heights, Minn., along with his wife and three children. McNamara coaches youth hockey, football and baseball.

Pete Binelas
As fervently as he fired 3-pointers on the basketball court, Pete Binelas strived grade points during his career at Stout.

The quintessential student-athlete for the Blue Devils from 1990-94, Binelas is second in Stout men’s basketball records for single-season 3-pointers made (67) and holds the single-season 3-point percentage (47.6 percent) mark, while ranking fourth on Stout’s career 3-pointers made list with 141. Just as impressively, Binelas - who holds the program’s record for most career games played (103) and stands second on the Blue Devils’ all-time scoring list with 1,492 points - earned WSUC Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete honors in 1994 and Academic All-American honors that same year. A two-year team captain (1992-93, 1993-94), Binelas three-times earned all-WSUC honors. After graduating from Stout magna cum laude in 1995, Binelas played professional basketball in Greece from 1999-2000.

Binelas, who donates a considerable amount of time to United Way, is employed by the United Parcel Service (UPS), and currently resides in Oak Creek.

Gary Busch
When Gary Busch wasn’t the Stout baseball team’s king of the hill during his four-year Blue Devil career, which spanned from 1987-1990, he was serving as the king’s right-hand-man.

Busch and 1999 Stout Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Dan Larson pitched Stout to an NAIA College World Series appearance in 1989. In 1990, Busch led the Blue Devils to back-to-back NAIA College World Series showings. Busch shares, with Larson, Stout’s record for all-time victories (24). Busch owns the program’s career winning percentage mark (.727) and ranks second on the career innings pitched list, with 206. In 1990, Busch earned all-WSUC, all-District 14, all-Area IV, second-team all-NAIA and second-team Academic All-American honors. That year, Busch was the Area IV Player of the Year. The Blue Devils won three WSUC and three District 14 crowns during Busch’s years.

Busch is presently employed by Potter Farm & Tie, and currently resides in Appleton.

The elder Thomas, a 2004 UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, has played an integral role for Blue Devil athletics since 1986. As an offensive and special teams assistant coach for the football team, Thomas helped develop five All-American players.

His Stout wrestling teams compiled the most dual wins in school history and produced three All-American athletes, including the only national wrestling champion in school history. Thomas served as Stout’s equipment manager and was an assistant baseball coach. Thomas was the acting baseball coach during the 1997 season when the team posted a 25-8 record, tied for the Northern Division title, and advanced to the WIAC Tournament. The eight losses have been the program’s fewest since 1990.

Thomas retired in 1997, but has since stayed active as a volunteer coach in both baseball and football at Stout. He has also been an assistant football coach and softball coach at Spring Valley. He has yearly worked the NCAA Division I College World Series in Kansas City, has been an official scorekeeper at Stout basketball games and is a WIAC basketball officials evaluator.

Thomas currently resides in Menomonie with his wife, Helen.

Updated: October 3, 2005