Football

August 10, 2004

MADISON - UW-Stout was picked to finish fourth in the 2004 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football race, according to a preseason poll by the league's sports information directors. The poll was released at the annual football media day in Madison, Tuesday, Aug. 11.

UW-La Crosse, the 2003 conference champion, was picked to repeat, with UW-Stevens Point second and UW-Whitewater third.

Stout first year coach Todd Strop made his first appearance at the media day, along with seniors Nick Ohman (Glenwood City) and Ross Jones (Appleton).

"There are no bigger changes out there (in the league) than what we have gone through," said Strop alluding to the coaching change. "We feel our job is to take a good program and turn it into a great program."

Strop, who was the Blue Devils' defensive coordinator the last six seasons, addressed the defense first.

"We have hung our hat on defense the last four years and will hang it on them again," Strop said. Stout has had the WIAC's leading defense three of the last four years.

Offensively, quarterback Ohman will handle the ball even more.

"We will give Nick the ball and let Nick be Nick," Strop said.

The Blue Devils will replace their entire starting offensive line, but Ohman is not overly concerned about the wholesale changes.

"Our offensive line is all gone now," Ohman said, "but we have six or seven guys that we have a lot of confidence in."

Jones, the team's tight end for the last three seasons, addressed the large number of seniors back. "We have 13 seniors back," Jones said. With no superstars returning, Jones emphasized that he expects this group to be very team-centered.

July 14, 2004

NASHVILLE, Tenn - Former Blue Devil and Tennessee Titan cornerback Tony Beckham who looked to be out for the entire 2004 season after an ACL injury in March during training camp is well ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation. So much so that the former Blue Devil is looking at coming back sometime in early October.

As of Wednesday, July 14th Beckham was running at full speed. The next step in his rehab is making cuts while continuing to test his knee. While 5 months ago Beckham was looking to being on the injured reserve list for the 2004 season; he is now very optimistic and excited about the possibility of playing in 2004.

Softball

July 15, 2004

MENOMONIE - In her only at-bat, UW-Stout shortstop Kaela Wold (Jr, Altoona) ripped a high fast ball and flied out in foul territory behind third base against the US Women's National Softball team, Thursday, July 15 at a packed Zenoff Park in Stevens Point.

Wold was a member of the Midwest Collegiate All-Star team that lost, 5-0, to the team that will represent the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

The all-star team, consistenting of predominately NCAA Division III players with a smattering of Division II and one Division I player, fared well, turning one double play, nearly turned another, and threw out a runner attempting to steal second base.

June 14, 2004

MENOMONIE - UW-Stout shortstop Kaela Wold (Jr, Altoona) has been selected as a member of the Midwest Collegiate All-Stars that will play the US Women's National Softball team, July 15 at Zenon Park in Stevens Point.

The 2004 National Team roster consists of four two-time Olympic gold medalists and six of the 15-member 2000 Olympic Team. Thirteen of the 17 members of the 2002 World Championship gold medal team are included on the roster. The US National team is the top seeded team at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens later this summer.

Several Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) players are on the roster of the Midwest Collegiate All-Stars.

A 2004 first team all-region selection, Wold finished second in the WIAC this season in batting average with .493 (69-of-140) and was first in slugging percentage (.779), on base percentage (.542), hits (69), total bases (109), runs batted in (40), and doubles (20). Wold recorded a triple and six home runs and scored 30 runs. Wold stole 16 bases in 19 attempts.

Wold's doubles total (20) 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.

August 9, 2004

MENOMONIE - After six years as the UW-Stout women's gymnastics head coach, Jeff Richards has accepted a similar position at Winona State University.

During Richards' tenure, the Blue Devil gymnasts have broken every individual and team scoring record. As a team, Stout qualified to the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) championships for the first time in 2001, capping off a two-year run where Richards was named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) coach of the year (2000, 2001) and the NCGA coach of the year (2000).

Richards guided UW-Stout to a third place finish, the Blue Devils' highest finish ever, at the WIAC Championships in 2001 and also finished seventh nationally that year. Richards has produced five All-Americans during his six years.

Richards believes he is leaving the Blue Devils in good shape.

"I'm going to miss next year's team," Richards said. "It is a really developing team. They will do well. It was neat to watch them all grow and develop."

The Winona State gymnastics program was an NCAA Division II program, but last year began competing at the Division III level. The Warriors will join the NCGA this season. Richards will replace Rob Murray, who coached the Warriors for the last eight seasons.

Women's Track & Field

June 24, 2004

MENOMONIE - UW-Stout's Laura Verdegan (Jr, Tony/Flambeau) was one of 15 athletes from across the country named to the 2004 CoSIDA Academic All-America Women's Track and Field/Cross Country first team.

Verdegan, a dietetics major with a 3.991 grade point average, was the 2004 NCAA Division III indoor track and field triple jump champion and finished fourth in the triple jump at the outdoor championship. She placed fourth nationally in the indoor long jump. Verdegan advanced to the national outdoor meet in the long jump and 400-meter hurdles.

Verdegan won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) indoor and outdoor triple jump championships and the 400-hurdle championship in a school and conference record time. She placed second in the indoor long jump and was fourth in the outdoor competition.

Verdegan set a school record in the heptathlon, competing in the event once and qualifying provisionally to the national meet, but opted not to compete in the event. During the 2004 outdoor season, Verdegan broke school records in the 400-hurdles (61.71), long jump (18-6.25), triple jump (40-5), and the heptathlon (4526).

A standout basketball player, Verdegan completed her eligibility in the sport where she was a four-time WIAC all-defensive team pick and two-time all-WIAC first team selection. She, along with two others, was awarded the 2004 WIAC Judy Kruckmann Scholar-Athlete award.

Verdegan is a seven-time recipient of the Chancellor's Award for Academic Excellence, a member of the Stout Student Dietetics Association, the WIAC Student-Athlete Association Council and the UW-Stout FCA chapter. She serves as a eucharistic minister for the UW-Stout Newman Campus Ministry and as vice-president of the UW-Stout Phi Upsilon Omicron chapter.

Verdegan is the first Stout athlete to be named first team Academic All-America since Katie Jacobson was a selection for cross country in 1999.

Also named to the teams from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) were Liz Woodworth of UW-Oshkosh, a first team choice, and Kay Mikolajczak of UW-Eau Claire, a second team pick.

Updated: August 23, 2004