Softball

May 16, 2003

O'Connell, a first team all-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) pick, led the conference in home runs demolishing the previous record of 10 by finishing with 15. O'Connell presently has 17 career home runs, tying her for the school career record.

O'Connell, who batted in the fourth spot most of the season, posted a slugging percentage of .950, and batted a team-high .407 (44-108). O'Connell racked up 39 runs batted in, and tacked on six doubles and three triples.

O'Connell was nearly flawless in the field, committing only three errors in 386 chances for a single season school record fielding percentage of .992.

"Erin is the type of player you only hope would get this award," Blue Devil coach Chris Stainer said. "She demonstrates dedication and hard work not just during the fall and spring seasons, but rather throughout the entire year.

"Last year Erin was a freshmen with a lot of potential, and it is sometimes very difficult for freshmen to adjust to the better pitchers - not so much the speed, but rather the breaking balls. At the collegiate level the pitchers are better at hitting locations off the plate - so the hitters have to learn to adjust to hitting a more difficult pitch for quality.

"Erin has worked very diligently to adjust to this over the last 12 months. She has taken the pitches that were most often thrown to her last season, and she repeatedly worked at hitting them for quality. Her hard work in the weight room has also improved her strength and in combination with her discipline on pitches - she has maximized her abilities at the plate."

Forty-five players were named to the first, second and third teams. The awards were announced Thursday, May 15 at the banquet prior to the NCAA Division III Softball National Championship in Salem, Va. All three teams were selected by NFCA-member NCAA Division III coaching representatives, based on nominations from the 2003 season.

O'Connell was joined on the All-America team by two other WIAC-member players, Sarah Tarasewicz of UW-Superior, first team, and Jill Van Wychen of UW-Stevens Point, second team.

May 12, 2003

O'Connell hit a school and conference record 15 home runs as she batted .407 (44 hits, 108 at-bats) with 39 runs batted in. O'Connell was a first team all-conference and first team all-region selection.

O'Connell pulled down the golden glove award with a school record fielding percentage of .992 and also took the slugger award with a slugging percentage of .935, collecting six doubles and three triples to go along with her 15 home runs and 44 total hits.

Pitcher Megan Donley (Fr, Fridley, Minn) was named rookie of the year, posting a 14-9 overall record with two saves and an earned run average of 1.71. Donley pitched in 147.2 innings, striking out 56 and walking only 13.

Courtney Zafft (Fr, Rochester, Minn) held down the third base spot for the last half of the season. Offensively, Zafft, who played in 32 of 37 games, was 20-for-98 (.208) with seven doubles, two triples and seven RBI.

Sara Jensen (Sr, Eau Claire) carried home two awards in her final season as Blue Devil, the most dedicated award and best leader award.

Heather Novalany (So, Cottage Grove, Minn) was given the spirit award and super-sub awards went to Tasha Rosenbrook (Fr, Bloomer), Angie Kliber (Fr, Swanville, Minn) and Emily Zahn (Fr, Champlin, Minn).

Stout finished the season at 17-20 overall, 7-9 in the WIAC.

May 10, 2003

First baseman Erin O'Connell (So, Altoona) was a first team choice, outfielder Kaela Wold (So, Altoona) was a second team pick and outfielder Kim Caswell (Jr, Stanley) was named to the third team.

O'Connell, a first team all-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) pick, led the conference in home runs - and at one point led the NCAA Division III - shattering the old record of 10 by finishing with 15. O'Connell hit her home runs in streaks, hitting four in a doubleheader with UW-Superior, April 21, and added three in two games at the WIAC Cluster Tournament, April 29.

O'Connell posted a slugging percentage of .950, and batted a team-high .407 (44-108). O'Connell racked up 39 runs batted in, and tacked on six doubles and three triples.

O'Connell was nearly flawless in the outfield, committing only three errors in 386 chances for a single season school record fielding percentage of .992.

Wold repeated as a first team all-conference player and hit at a .390 clip, going 46-for-118 with a team-high 26 runs scored and a team-high 40 RBI. Wold's 40 RBI lead the WIAC and also tied for the league lead in doubles with 14. Wold finished with four triples and six home runs to finish with a slugging percentage of .729.

Caswell finished second in the WIAC in hits with 47 and finished with a career-high batting average of .376 (47-125). Caswell, who moved from the infield to the outfield this year, punched out eight doubles, three triples and one home run. The lead off hitter, Caswell scored 24 runs and led the team in stolen bases with eight in nine chances.

Three WIAC players were named first team all-region, two second team and five third team.

Stout finished the season at 17-20 overall, 7-9 in the WIAC.

May 8, 2003

Jensen, an early childhood education major with a grade point average of 3.867, was one of the Blue Devils' team captains for 2003. Jensen, a three year player for Stout, was a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar in 2002 and has been named to the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) honor roll three times.

Jensen has volunteered her time to work with students in several of the Menomonie area elementary schools and with the local Title 1 program. Jensen saw action in 32 games as an outfielder or designated player, hitting .173.

May 14, 2003

MENOMONIE - Three UW-Stout players were named to the 2003 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) baseball team. Sophomore outfielders Greg Meinertz (La Crosse) and Seth Maier (Park Falls) were named to the first team, while senior catcher and designated hitter Justin Biever (South Milwaukee) was an honorable mention choice.

Meinertz ranked in the WIAC's top 10 in five different offensive categories, hitting percentage (.383, tied for fifth), slugging percentage (.546, 10th), hits (54, fourth), doubles (12, tied for fifth) and total bases (77, eighth). Meinertz hit a team-high three home runs, two of them grand slams. Meinertz started the season slowly at the plate, working his way up from a batting average of .143 early in the season to become Stout's most prolific hitter. Midway through the season, Meinertz was hitting at a .456 clip before settling into the .380-area. Meinertz led Stout in batting average, slugging percentage, runs scored, hits and total bases.

Maier, the team's centerfielder, finished the season hitting .349 (45-of-129), and led the team in runs batted in with 33. Maier had 10 doubles, one triple and two home runs. Maier matched a team-high three sacrifice flies.

Biever, who was the only Blue Devil to play in all 39 games this season, completed his four year career by hitting .357 (50-140) with a team high 14 doubles, three triples, two home runs and 28 RBI. Biever was a WIAC honorable mention pick last season as well. For his career, Biever hit .346 (128-371), had 81 RBI, scored 66 runs, collected 24 doubles and six home runs.

Stout finished the season at 10-29 overall, 6-17 in the WIAC, good for fifth.

May 16, 2003

    Oostdyk was third in the 1500-meter run in a career-best time of 4-minutes, 58.81-seconds, while Schachtner was third in the shot put with a toss of 42-feet, 6.25-inches, an NCAA Division III  provisional qualifying distance, but not a season best.

    Schachtner will find out Monday if she will advance to the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, May 22-24 in Canton, N.Y.

May 16, 2003

Oostdyk bettered her own school record in the 3000-meter steeplechase, clocking a time of 11-minutes, 53.76-seconds at the WIAC championships, where she placed fifth. Oostdyk ran the outdoor 1500-meter with her top time a 5:06.16 and the indoor 1500 with her best time a 5:01.29.

Both Schachtners have qualified provisionally to the NCAA Division III outdoor track championships, Ann in the shot put and Marci in the hammer throw.

Ann Schachtner's best shot mark of the season is a personal best toss of 44-feet, 2-inches. She placed sixth at the WIAC indoor meet in the shot.

Marci Schachtner broke her own school hammer record with a throw of 154-5, more than a foot over the old mark. She also broke the indoor 20-lb weight record with a throw of 47-3.

Katie Bader (Fr, Richfield) and Kim Randt (Fr, Marshfield) were named most improved.

Bader shaved more than 13 seconds off her beginning time in the 1500-meter run. Randt increased her discus throw by more than seven feet from the beginning of the season, and added eight feet to her beginning hammer throw.

Attalia Young (So, Milwaukee) was given the most inspirational award.

Oostdyk, Marci Schachtner, Young and Lindsay Steinmeyer (Jr, Menomonie) were named 2004 team captains.

2003 UW-Stout Women's Track & Field Team Awards
Most Valuable Track - Tracy Oostdyk (Jr, Spooner)
Most Valuable Field - Ann Schachtner (So, Somerset) & Marci Schachtner (So, Deer Park)
Most Inspirational - Attalia Young (So, Milwaukee)
Most Improved - Katie Bader (Fr, Richfield) & Kim Randt (Fr, Marshfield)
2003 Captains - Heidi Bedsted (Sr, Plainfield, Minn), Amy Biegel (Sr, Eau Claire), and Laura Verdegan (So, Tony)
2004 Captains: Tracy Oostdyk (Jr, Spooner), Marci Schachtner (So, Deer Park), Attalia Young (So, Milwaukee), Lindsay Steinmeyer (Jr, Menomonie)

May 16, 2003

ST. PAUL, Minn - UW-Stout's Nate Templer (Jr, Beaver Dam) improved on his time in the 100-meter dash as he won the event at the St. Thomas Qualifier, Friday, May 16 in St. Paul, Minn.

The 4x100-relay team placed second in improving their time with a mark of 41.53 seconds, a provisional qualifying time. The 4x400-relay team just missed hitting the provisional qualifier with a time of 3-minutes, 17.64-seconds.

Eric Moe (Sr, Hixton), in his final collegiate track meet, won the long jump with a leap of 22-feet, 3-inches, but did not reach the provisional qualifying distance.

    Lewis Cassellius (Jr, Glenwood City) was second in the pole vault with a mark of 15-feet, 3.25-inches. Nick Neuman (Fr, Beaver Dam) was third (14-3.25), Pat Doty (Fr, Richfield, Minn) fifth (13-9.50), and Andy Smith (Fr, Rice Lake) eighth (13-3.50).

Templer, Cassellius and the 4x100-relay team  will find out Monday if they will advance to the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, May 22-24 in Canton, N.Y.

May 12, 2003

Both Cassellius and Templer have provisionally qualified to the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Cassellius in the pole vault and Templer in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and as a member of the 4X100-relay team.

Cassellius finished second in the pole vault at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) outdoor championships and was fifth at the indoor championships. Cassellius is currently ranked 11th for the NCAA outdoors with a height 15-feet, 8.50-inches, a height he cleared April 23.

Templer, who played basketball in the winter and began his first collegiate season with the outdoor meets this spring, is currently ranked fifth in 200 in a time of 21.36-seconds and is in the top 25 in the 100 with a time of 10.80. The relay team is currently ranked 16th in a time of 41.79 seconds.

Templer finished second at the WIAC outdoor championships in both the 100 and 200.

Class MVP awards went to freshman Joe Seep (Reedsburg), sophomore Scott Barthel (Brooklyn Park, Minn), Templer in the junior class, and senior Eric Moe (Hixton).

Seep was fourth in the 55-meter dash in the WIAC indoor championships and is a member of the outdoor 4x100-relay team. Barthel is also a sprinter and placed sixth in the outdoor 400. Barthel is a member of the 4x400-relay team. Moe wrapped up his career as a long and triple jumper, placing fourth at the WIAC outdoor triple jump and third at the WIAC indoor long jump.

Tim Faber (Sr, Fond du Lac) was given the coaches award. Faber has been a member of the Blue Devils sprint team for four seasons and was a team captain this season.

Selected as team captains for the 2004 season are: Kevin Riester (Jr, Red Wing, Minn), Lewis Cassellius (Jr, Glenwood City), Dave Huber (Jr, Mendota Heights, Minn), Sam Werner (Jr, Elk Mound), and Dave Hanson (Jr, Sun Prairie).

Updated: May 19, 2003