Baseball

June 1, 2000

MENOMONIE - UW-Stout centerfielder Brad O'Connell (Jr, Elk Mound) was named to the first team of the 2000 NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region baseball team.

O'Connell, who was a finalist for the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) player of the year, finished the season hitting a team-high .400, going 58-for-145.

O'Connell broke Stout single season records in stolen bases (26 in 26 attempts) and home runs (15). O'Connell also led the team in runs scored (53), doubles (12), total bases (119), at bats (145), slugging percentage (.821), hits (58), stolen bases and attempts (26), games played (37), on base percentage (.467), runs batted in (46), home runs (15), and total plate appearances (166).

From centerfield, O'Connell had a .933 fielding percentage and gunned down four runners.

In the final WIAC statistics, O'Connell led the league in stolen bases, ranked second in home runs, third in total bases, fourth in runs scored and slugging percentage, sixth in RBI, eighth in hits, and ninth in batting average and on-base percentage.

League players joining O'Connell on the first team include pitcher Andy Elskamp of UW-La Crosse, third baseman Tom Gessner and utility player Eric Servais of UW-Oshkosh and second baseman Gus Maves of UW-Whitewater. Six conference players were named to the second team and four to the third team.

The Blue Devils finished the season at 19-17-1 overall and 6-8 in WIAC play.

May 25, 2000

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Jamie Buchholtz (Jr, Bloomer) regained his All-America form as he placed fourth at the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships, Thursday, May 25 at North Central College in Naperville, Ill.

The UW-Stout pole vaulter hit a personal best as he vaulted 16-feet, 2.75-inches. Teammate Jeff Rotering (So, Waumandee) placed 10th in the event with a height of 15-9. Brad Parris of McMurray University won the event in a meet record height of 17-6.75.

Eric Hanson (Sr, Winona, Minn) completed his collegiate career by placing 12th in the 1500-meter run at the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships Saturday, May 27 at North Central College in Naperville, Ill.

Hanson, who was named the Blue Devils' most valuable runner earlier this month, completed the run in a time of 4-minutes, 1.04 seconds.

May 20, 2000

LA CROSSE - UW-Stout pole vaulters Jamie Buchholtz (Jr, Bloomer) and Jeff Rotering (So, Waumandee) both solidified their standing to the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships by clearing 16-feet, 2-inches at the UW-La Crosse Open Saturday, May 20.

Both had already assured themselves of spots at the national meet by clearing automatic qualifying heights, but Rotering improved his height by six inches.

In other events, Dave Hanson (Fr, Sun Prairie) was fourth in the 400-hurdles (54.09) and Jesse Hunter (Jr, LaFarge) was seventh (55.87).

Eric Hanson (Sr, Winona, Minn) was 10th in the 1500-meter run (4:03.20), Jeremy Weir (Fr, Princeton) was eighth in the pole vault (15-2.50), Eric Moe (So, Whitehall) seventh in triple jump (44-5.50) and eighth in the long jump (21-2.75), and Mike Bethke (Sr, Mondovi) was 12th in the shot put (45-5).

Women's Track & Field

May 26, 2000

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - UW-Stout's Sara Pivec (So, Coon Rapids, Minn) placed 16th in the shot put at the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships Friday, May 26 at North Central College in Naperville, Ill.

Pivec, who placed second at the conference meet earlier this month, threw the shot 40-feet, 4.25-inches.

May 20, 2000

LA CROSSE - UW-Stout shot putter Sara Pivec (So, Coon Rapids, Minn) hit the NCAA Division III automatic qualifier in winning the event at the UW-La Crosse Open Saturday, May 20.

Pivec threw the shot 43-feet, 2.50-inches to earn a trip to the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships May 25-27 in Naperville, Ill. The throw was five inches short of the school record.

Pivec, who is currently seeded fourth, is scheduled to compete Friday, May 26 at 4:30 p.m. The meet will be held at North Central College. Pivec placed fourth at the 2000 indoor national championships in the shot put.

May 16, 2000

LA CROSSE - UW-Stout shot putter Sara Pivec (So, Coon Rapids, Minn) hit the NCAA Division III provisional qualifying distance, but did not improve on her distance for the season at the Leo Schnur Invite at UW-La Crosse, Tuesday, May 16.

Pivec threw the shot 42-feet, 0.75-inches to place fifth. Pivec threw the cannon ball 42-6 at the conference meet last weekend for her best toss of the season.

Pivec was the only Blue Devil to compete in the meet, which was not scored as a team event.