Football

September 14, 2001

MENOMONIE - The only good part in having 20 days in between games for the UW-Stout football team is they will get a chance to heal.

The Blue Devils (2-0) have been hit with a rash of injuries this young season - especially in their offensive line where four players are questionable.

Offensive center Clint Greenebaum (So, Hartland) has been out since early in the preseason with a dislocated knee cap. Brian Buck (So, Rosemount, Minn), who had moved into Greenebaum's center spot, has a dislocated shoulder, as does lineman Ben Overmyer (Fr, South Milwaukee). Offensive tackle Ben Knepper (So, Rice Lake) has limited movement in his right foot.

The Blue Devils will be without the services of two-time all-conference linebacker Jamie Spielman (Jr, Menomonie) indefinitely to a broken leg. Spielman was injured in the first half of the game against Lakeland, but did return for a few plays in the second half of game. Spielman did not play against Franklin. Spielman's injury was originally thought to be a deep bruise, but x-rays this week showed otherwise.

"Jamie's injury wasn't healing," Blue Devil head coach Ed Meierkort said. "I saw the x-ray, and it definitely was a break."

Stout does not play again until Sept. 29 when they open the conference season up by hosting UW-Platteville at 6 p.m. The Blue Devils had a bye Sept. 22 and lost their Sept. 15 home game with Willamette University when they Bearcats could not travel because of the airport situation due to the national calamity in New York City and Washington, DC.

Stout opened the season with a 48-24 win over Lakeland College and a 27-7 win at Franklin College. Stout was ranked 10th in the first American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III poll.

Hall of Fame

September 14, 2001

MENOMONIE - From the first day he stepped onto the UW-Stout campus in the mid-1960s, Michael Ritland was involved in Blue Devil athletics. For his efforts, Ritland has been selected to receive the UW-Stout Distinguished Service Athletic Award. The award will be presented at the UW-Stout Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony, Saturday, Sept. 29.

"On the first day I arrived in 1964, I went down to see (Stout) president (William "Bud") Micheels and he said 'I just happen to have an opening on the athletic committee,' " Ritland said, and he was hooked into being a Blue Devil.

Besides being a strong supporter of the athletic program as a fan over the years, Ritland helped to organize the Athletic Hall of Fame, which he chaired from 1978-2000, was a scorekeeper at men's basketball games and served as the University's faculty athletic representative to the conference.

Ritland was also known to champion the Blue Devils' cause in his classroom. Ritland worked within the graduate college his first 14 years at the University, working in guidance and counseling. He was the assistant dean of the College of Education from 1972-78, then returned to the classroom to teach human resource management and public relations classes.

Retired last year, Ritland, a native of Ames, Iowa, is married to Dori and the couple have two daughters, Kristin and Katie. The Ritlands currently reside in Eau Claire.