WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
The Blue Devils will close out the season at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, May 27-29 at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill. Laura Verdegan (Jr, Tony) has qualified to the meet in four events, an automatic qualiying time in the 400-hurdles, and provisional qualifying distances in the triple jump and the long jump. Verdegan has also qualified in the seven-event heptathlon, but will not compete in that event. Ann Schachtner (Jr, Somerset) has qualified automatically in the shot put. Marci Schachtner (Jr, Deer Park) has qualified with a high provisional in the hammer throw and with a low provisional in the discus. Last week: Stout competed at the UW-La Crosse Qualifier, May 21.

MEN'S TRACK & FIELD
The Blue Devils will close out the season at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, May 27-29 at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill. The 4x400-relay team of Scott Barthel (Jr, Brooklyn Park, Minn), Derek Gonzenbach (Fr, Milbank, S.D.), Craig Kotsmith (Fr, Foreston, Minn) and Dave Hanson (Sr, Sun Prairie) has qualified automatically to the meet. The 4x100-relay team of Sam Werner (Sr, Elk Mound), John Henry Freeman (Fr, St. Clovis, Mo), Steve Wenhardt (So, Fish Creek) and Nate Templer (Sr, Beaver Dam) have qualified with a high provisional time. Hanson has qualified individually in the 400-hurdles with a high provisional time, while Kotsmith has qualified with a low provisional in the open 400-meter run. Ryan Kawski (Fr, Stevens Point) has provisionally qualified in the discus. Last week: Stout competed at the UW-La Crosse Qualifier, May 21.

Baseball

May 24, 2004

MENOMONIE - UW-Stout Greg Meinertz (Jr, La Crosse) was named to the third team of the NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region baseball team for the second consecutive year.

Meinertz, who was named last year as an outfielder, was named this season as a catcher.

Meinertz, a two-time first team all-conference choice, led the team in runs batted in with 38, hitting .362 (51-of-141) with 11 doubles, two triples and six home runs. He also had a team and league-high four sacrifice flies.

A leader behind the plate, as well as at-bat, Meinertz, threw out 63 percent (12-of-20) of the runners attempting to steal. He also picked off three runners.

May 19, 2004

Infielder and designated hitter Jim Foreman (Sr, Apple Valley, Minn), shortstop Tim Nielson (So, Rosemount, Minn) and catcher Greg Meinertz (Jr, La Crosse/Central) were named to the first team, while outfielder Jake Riek (Sr, Boyceville) was an honorable mention choice.

Foreman proved to be a versatile player for the Blue Devils, playing at first and third base, as well as the designated hitter spot. Foreman fielded at a .987 clip, committing only two errors in 157 chances. Foreman batted .390 for the season, collecting a team-high 55 hits in 141 at-bats. In addition to scoring 24 runs, he drove in 31 runs, hit 11 doubles and three home runs.

Nielson started the season at second base, but finished at shortstop where he was involved in a team-high 18 double plays. Nielson finished the season as Stout's leading hitter, racking up a .417 average, ranking fifth in the WIAC. Nielson rapped out 48 hits in 115 at-bats, hitting nine doubles, a triple and two home runs. He drove in 27 runs, scored 32 runs and stole seven bases in seven attempts.

Meinertz, a 2003 first team outfielder, moved to the catcher spot full time this season, and proved to be the leader behind the plate, as well as at-bat. Meinertz, in addition to working with a young pitching staff, threw out 63 percent (12-of-20) of the runners attempting to steal. He also picked off three runners.

Meinertz led the team in runs batted in with 38, hitting .362 (51-of-141) with 11 doubles, two triples and six home runs. He also had a team and league-high four sacrifice flies.

Riek led the Blue Devils in home runs with eight and finished with 24 RBI, hitting .351 (40-of-114). Riek had 11 doubles, a triple and led Stout in stolen bases, thieving eight in as many attempts. Riek ranked third in the WIAC in slugging percentage at .675.

Stout finished the season at 13-25 overall, 9-15 in the WIAC.

Women's Track & Field

May 21, 2004

LA CROSSE - If there were any doubt's UW-Stout's Ann Schachtner (Jr, Somerset) would not make the repeat trip to the national track and field championships, she erased all doubts when she hit the automatic qualifying distance and set a school record in winning the shot put Friday, May 21 at the UW-La Crosse NCAA Qualifier.

Schachtner threw the shot 47-feet, 5.25-inches, more than a foot over the automatic qualifier, more than two feet over her collegiate best, and more than a foot over the school record of 46-10 set by All-American Jenney Luer in 2002. Schachtner had previously qualified to the national meet with a high provisional mark of 45-6.25. Schachtner just missed All-America honors at last year's outdoor national meet.

Cousin Marci Schachtner (Jr, Deer Park) won the hammer throw (161-7) by more than seven feet. She was fifth in the discus (133-6), which was won easily by assistant coach Diane Slinden (169-10), a former thrower at Tennessee.

Laura Verdegan (Jr, Tony) topped the field in the triple jump (38-6) and was second in the 400-hurdles (1-minute, 3.46-seconds).

The 2004 NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships will be May 27-29 at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill.

May 19, 2004

NAPERVILLE, Ill - Competing in the heptathlon for the first time in her collegiate career, UW-Stout's Laura Verdegan (Jr, Tony) hit the NCAA Division III provisional qualifying score in the event and laid waste to the school record while competing at the North Central College Invitational, May 18-19 in Naperville, Ill.

Verdegan led the seven-member field from beginning to end, scoring 4526 points, shattering the school record of 4242 points set by Hall of Famer Nanci Halverson in 1981. The provisional qualifying score is 4100 points.

Verdegan captured first in the 100-hurdles (15.50 seconds), high jump (5-feet, 1-inch), long jump (18-0.25) and the 800-meter run (2-minutes, 25.11-seconds). She finished second in the 200-meter dash (26.84). Verdegan has never competed collegiately in the 800, shot put (29-3.75) and javelin (91-1).

Verdegan has now qualified to the national championships in the 400-hurdles, long jump, triple jump and the heptathlon. She is not expected to compete in the heptathlon at the national meet, where she is currently seeded seventh in the country. Verdegan holds the school outdoor records in the long and triple jumps, the 400-hurdles and the heptathlon.

Men's Track & Field

May 24, 2004

MENOMONIE - A freshman and a senior took the top two awards as UW-Stout track and field head coach Josh Buchholtz announced his team awards recently.

Freshman thrower Ryan Kawski (Stevens Point) earned the field most valuable performer award, while senior sprinter and hurdler Dave Hanson (Sun Prairie) was named the most valuable track performer.

Kawski has qualified provisionally to the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the discus, where his best throw of the season has been 163-feet, 10-inches. Kawski placed fifth in the discus at the WIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In his first collegiate meet, Kawski placed second of 45 performers at the Washington University Invitational.

Hanson has qualified to the national championships in the 400-meter hurdles, where he has posted a provisional qualifying time of 52.80-seconds, and as a the anchor of the 4x400-meter relay team that last week qualified automatically and set a school record in the process (3-minutes, 12.51-seconds).

Hanson, a team captain, placed third in the conference indoor 400-meter dash and sixth in the 55-hurdles. During the outdoor season, Hanson captured first place in the 400-hurdles in three individual meets and was second in the event at the outdoor conference championships. Hanson placed fifth at the outdoor championships in the 110-hurdles.

Hanson was also named the most valuable senior performer. Scott Barthel (Jr, Brooklyn Park, Minn) was named the most valuable junior. Ryan Carpenter (So, Sauk City) was named most valuable sophomore and Craig Kotsmith (Fr, Foreston, Minn) was most valuable freshman.

Barthel and Kotsmith are both members of the 4x400-relay team, and Kotsmith, who is provisionally qualified to the national meet in the 400-meter dash, placed third at the conference meet in the 400. Carpenter placed sixth at the outdoor conference meet in the triple jump.

Sam Werner (Sr, Elk Mound) received the Tim Faber Team Award. Werner, a sprinter and team captain, is the lead-off leg of the 4x100-relay team that qualifying provisionally to the national outdoor meet.

Team captains for the 2005 season are: Ryan Chernik (Jr, Pewaukee), Lewis Casselius (Jr, Glenwood City), Barthel, Carpenter and Kevin Riester (Jr, Red Wing, Minn.)

May 21, 2004

LA CROSSE - The track may have been wet and the race delayed, but the distractions certainly didn't cool off times in the 4x400-meter hurdles as three teams qualified automatically to the NCAA Division III national track meet in the event at the UW-La Crosse NCAA Qualifier, Friday, May 21 - and one of those teams was UW-Stout in a school record breaking performance.

The Blue Devil team of Scott Barthel (Jr, Brooklyn Park, Minn), Derek Gonzenbach (Fr, Milbank, S.D.), Craig Kotsmith (Fr, Foreston, Minn) and Dave Hanson (Sr, Sun Prairie) finished second in the event in a time of 3-minutes, 12.51-seconds, breaking the school record of 3:13.29 set by All-Americans Chris Valois, Jesse Witcraft, Mike Hallingstad and Terry Anders. UW-La Crosse took top honors (3:08.04) and Luther College was third (3:13.15). The event, the final race of the evening, was delayed nearly two hours due to a thunderstorm.

The Stout 4x100-relay team of Sam Werner (Sr, Elk Mound), John Henry Freeman (Fr, St. Clovis, Mo), Steve Wenhardt (So, Fish Creek) and Nate Templer (Sr, Beaver Dam) improved on their season best time, shaving a half second off their previous best in a time of 41.34 seconds, only nine one-hundredths of a second short of the school record.

Ryan Kawski (Fr, Stevens Point) was second in the discus (159-4) in a provisional qualifying distance, but two feet short of his season best. Kotsmith was seventh in the 400-meter dash (48.67). Patrick Gantert (Fr, La Crosse) was sixth in the110-hurdles (15.89) and Freeman was eighth in the 100-meter dash (11.07).

Dave Huber (Sr, Mendota Heights, Minn) completed his collegiate career by competing in the UW-Oshkosh Last Chance meet, Saturday, May 22. Huber was the only competitor in the 5000-kilometer run, finishing in a time of 15-minutes, 42.24-seconds.

The Blue Devils will wrap up the season by competing at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, May 27-29, at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill.

Updated: May 24, 2004