Wednesday, December 8, 2010

D3westhockey.com Ranks Men's Hockey No. 1 in Region

While the UW-Eau Claire men's hockey team is ranked 14th in the latest USCHO.com national poll, the Blugolds found themselves at No. 1 in the region according to the computer rankings conducted by d3westhockey.com.

View the complete rankings

More info on how rankings are calculated

From d3westhockey.com:

After another eventful weekend of hockey in the West, it’s basically a tie between St. Norbert and UW-Eau Claire this week at the top of the computer rankings. Although UW- Eau Claire shows up as a one point leader in the ratings, this difference should not be considered statistically significant. It's too close to call.

The changes in the ratings and the way that they happened do show that Eau Claire is a team that should be taken seriously, however.

The Blugolds have been highly ranked from the beginning due to a strong enhanced winning percent value, which measures the strength of the team by considering the winning percentage of the teams that a team has defeated. Eau Claire’s wins have all been against teams with winning percentages above .500, and that strength of victory measurement was boosted by last weekend’s sweep over UW-Stout as the Blue Devils were 7-3 going into the weekend.

Eau Claire’s sweep coupled with St. Norbert’s loss to St. Scholastica (then 4-6 ) and Hamline’s tie at the hands of St. Olaf pushed the Blugolds past Stout and Hamline and into their virtual tie with St. Norbert.

St. Norbert is done until after the holidays, while Eau Claire faces a pair of NCHA contests against UW- Stevens Point this weekend. If Eau Claire succeeds against Stevens Point, they could well top the rankings as we go to the break. If not, the Green Knights will regain (or retain) their top spot in the rankings.

One final note, if out of region games were included in these rankings, Eau Claire would have the lead because of the fact that they do have a victory over 8-3-2 Geneseo that is not included in the West Rankings.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Men's Hockey Ranked in Latest USCHO.com Poll

The UW-Eau Claire men's hockey team is ranked 14th according to the latest USCHO.com top 15 poll.

The Blugolds made it into the rankings after defeating No. 13 UW-Stout this past weekend twice. For the season, the Blugolds have won six games against ranked opponents.

The last time the Blugolds were ranked was January 26, 2009, also at No. 14. The highest ranking the Blugolds acheived in the 2008-09 season was ninth on November 17, 2008.

View Complete Poll

Sunday, November 28, 2010

UW-Eau Claire Cross Country: National Update

The UW-Eau Claire Women’s Cross Country team and Thomas Breitbach on the men’s side competed at the NCAA Division III National Cross Country Championships last Saturday, November 20th at Wartburg College in Waverly, IA. The women had their strongest performance of the season finishing 4th of 32 teams led by All-Americans (top 35) Elly Prunty (sr.-Antigo)-17th of 279, 21:35(6K); Margaret Ho (sr.-WI Rapids)-22nd, 21:39 and Alyssa Sybilrud (jr.-Burnsville, MN)-23rd, 21:40. Eau Claire had the most All-Americans in the women’s race (Johns Hopkins University had 2 individuals in the top 35 and was the only other team in the field with multiple All-Americans), which ties the 1984 NAIA National Championship team and 1985 National runner-up team for the most Blugold All-Americans in a National Meet. Rounding out the top 7 for the women were Ashlyn Mauer (so.-Sheboygan Falls)-129th, 22:38; Madison Sawyer (fr.-Champlin Park, MN)-133rd, 22:40; Kacey Rindy (jr.-Fennimore)-142nd, 22:45 and Molly Woodford (sr.-Waukesha South)-222nd, 23:17. The women’s plan going in was to focus on good position the first 1/3 of the race, work together the 2nd 1/3 and finish strong the final 1/3. Elly, Margaret and Alyssa did a very good job of following through with this plan, which can be seen with their position at miles 1, 2, 3 and the finish: Elly – 92nd, 32nd, 16th, 17th; Margaret – 54th, 33rd, 21st, 22nd; and Alyssa: 93rd, 44th, 30th, 23rd. Ashlyn and Madison were in 130th and 135th at the mile and stayed in similar position throughout the entire race finishing in 129th and 133rd overall. Considering this was their first National experience, and Madison’s first year ever running cross country, I thought they both did a good job staying strong and holding position throughout the entire race.

Here’s a link to the complete Women’s National Results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/wcc/2010/2010d3wxcresults.pdf

On the men’s side, Thomas Breitbach (sr.-Muskego) finished 93rd of 279 with an 8K time of 25:25. Breitbach’s plan going into the race was to be under control the first 1/3 and focus on moving up through the field the final 2/3’s. Unfortunately for Thomas the race didn’t get out extremely fast, which made moving up through the pack the final 2/3’s a difficult task. Here are his 1, 2, 3, and 4 mile positions: 135th, 93rd, 89th, 98th and 93rd at the finish. This is the 3rd year in a row that the Blugold men have been represented at the National Championships (Chris Wirtz in 2008 and the men’s team in 2009).

Here’s a link to the complete Men’s National Results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/mcc/2010/2010d3mxcresults.pdf

Both the women’s and men’s team are now enjoying a few weeks of active rest to recharge from the cross country season. Training will begin picking up in mid-December in preparation for the indoor season, which begins with the UW-Eau Claire Blugold Alumni Meet on Saturday, January 15th. The meet information for the Blugold Alumni Meet can be found on our Track and Field website at:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/?view=page&id=174&sport=mitr&season=95

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Volleyball Ranked 18th In Final Poll of 2010

The UW-Eau Claire volleyball team finished 2010 ranked 18th in the American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 poll.

The Blugolds spent a majority of the season ranked 16th but had their highest ranking come in week one when they were No. 12.

Eau Claire finished the season as WIAC Co-Champions with Oshkosh and made it to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

View Complete Final Poll

Thursday, November 18, 2010

A Number of Successful Basketball Coaches Have Come Through Eau Claire

With the new basketball season underway around the country, a number of former Blugold men's basketball players and assistant coaches are preparing for the new season with their own teams.

Below is a list of individuals that played and/or coached at Eau Claire during Blugold Head Coach Terry Gibbons' tenure (click on names for more info).

Oliver Drake - Ashford University (NAIA), Basketball Head Coach

Scott Farr - UW-Manitowoc

Eric Gardow - Coaching Professionally in Qatar

Eric Konkol - Miami (NCAA DI), Assistant Coach

Cam Schuknecht - Nebraska Wesleyan (NCAA DII), Basketball Head Coach

Matt Siverling - UW-Superior (NCAA DIII), Head Coach

Not coaching basketball anymore, but Todd Oehrlein - UW-Madison (NCAA DI), Women's Golf Head Coach

There are also a number of other former Blugold players and assistants that serve in the high school ranks.

"I am proud of each and every one of these individuals," Gibbons said. "They have been great examples and role models to student-athletes here at UW-Eau Claire and beyond."

Women's Golf Ranked Third in Final Fall Poll

The UW-Eau Claire women’s golf team is ranked third according to the fall's final Golf World/NGCA Division III Coaches’ Poll.

The Blugolds, ranked second in the October 1 poll, most recently won the WIAC title. It was their second consecutive conference title.

View Complete Poll

Former Hockey Coach Luke Strand Part of World Title

Former UW-Eau Claire men's hockey head coach Luke Strand recently helped coach the U.S. Junior Select Team to the 2010 World Junior A Challenge title.

While he was an assistant coach for the U.S. Junior Select Team, he currently serves as head coach and general manager of the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers

Read Complete Game Recap

Musketeers' Website

Monday, November 15, 2010

Cross Country Teams Move Up in National Poll

The UW-Eau Claire men's and women's cross country teams moved up significantly in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) top 35 poll.

The Blugold women jumped up nine spots to No. 5 after winning the NCAA Midwest regional last weekend.

The men moved up 11 spots to No. 21 after taking sixth at the regional.

The women will compete as a team at nationals this weekend while Tom Breitbach will represent the men.

Complete National Poll

UW-Eau Claire Cross Country: Regional Update

The UW-Eau Claire Men’s and Women’s team competed at the Midwest Regional Championships hosted by Augustana College Saturday at Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island, IL. The women's team won their 3rd straight NCAA Midwest Regional Championship finishing 1st of 38 teams! Margaret Ho (sr.-WI Rapids), Elly Prunty (sr.-Antigo) and Alyssa Sybilrud (jr.-Burnsville, MN) worked together the entire race finishing 8th, 10th and 11th of 263 runners with 6K times of 21:49, 21:49 and 21:50. Eau Claire’s two underclassmen, Ashlyn Mauer (so.-Sheboygan Falls) and Madison Sawyer (fr.-Champlin Park, MN), ran very strong placing 22nd and 34th in PR times of 22:19 and 22:34. The Blugolds were the only team on the women’s side whose entire top 5 earned All-Midwest Regional honors (top 35). Rounding out the top 7 were Molly Woodford (sr.-Waukesha South)-38th, 22:41 and Kacey Rindy (jr.-Fennimore)-47th, 22:50. The women have done a great job working together during the past three meets (Conference, Luther and Regionals), and if they can continue this trend at Nationals they will be very happy with the result.

Here’s a link to the complete Women’s Midwest Regional Results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/wcc/2010/wcc_ncaaregion_111310.txt

The men had a strong performance finishing 6th of 39 teams but missed qualifying for Nationals by one spot (the top 5 teams from the Midwest Region advance to Nationals). Thomas Breitbach (sr.-Muskego) was the top Blugold finisher placing 15th of 275 in an 8K time of 24:38. This performance individually qualifies Thomas for the National Meet. Sophomores Aric Runzheimer (Kettle Moraine) and Aaron Easker (Wittenberg-Birnamwood), along with Breitbach, earned All-Midwest Regional honors finishing 30th and 33rd in 8K times of 24:50 and 24:55. Max Renner (sr.-Green Bay East) just missed All-Midwest Regional honors finishing 36th with an 8K time of 25:00. Rounding out the top 7 were Conor Rafferty (so.-Menomonee Falls)-73rd, 25:36; Jeremy Kieser (jr.-Verona)-94th, 25:57 and Josh Wieland (sr.-Menomonie)-104th, 26:02. Coming into the race the men’s team was ranked 9th in the Region and 6th in the Conference so finishing 6th overall and 4th among Conference teams is a definite improvement, but the gap between our 4th and 5th runner proved to be the determining factor ending the team’s quest for Nationals. Obviously, the men’s team is extremely disappointed with not advancing to the National Meet, but being the first team not to qualify for Nationals in the strongest Region in the nation should prove to be a great motivator keeping the team hungry and striving to improve in the upcoming track and cross country seasons.

Here’s a link to the complete Men’s Midwest Regional Results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/mcc/2010/mcc_ncaaregion_111310.htm

The NCAA Division III National Cross Country Meet hosted by Wartburg College in Waverly, IA is this Saturday, November 20th. The men race at 11 am and the women race at Noon. Here’s a link to the meet website so you can see how the women’s team and Thomas perform on Saturday:
http://www.ncaa.com/sports/c-xc/champpage/c-xc-div3-index-2010.html

I look forward to seeing many of you this upcoming weekend at Nationals!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Austin Neu Featured in Blog About Small Town Quarterbacks

Blugold football quarterback Austin Neu is featured in a recent blog by St. Thomas about small town quarterbacks.

Read the Blog on Tommiesports.com

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Volleyball Drops One Spot in National Poll

After seven straight weeks behind ranked 16th, the Blugolds dropped one spot to No. 17 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 poll.

The Blugolds, who were WIAC co-champions, took second place in the WIAC Tournament last weekend and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. The Blugolds will travel to St. Thomas (Minn.) for an eight-team regional which will be contested Friday-Sunday.

Complete National Poll

Monday, November 8, 2010

UW – Eau Claire Cross Country: Conference / Luther Recap

The men’s and women’s cross country team will be competing at the Midwest Regional Championships this Saturday, November 13th at Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island, IL, which is hosted by Augustana College. The men race at 11 am and the women race at Noon.

The WIAC Championships, hosted by UW-Eau Claire, was on Saturday, October 30th at Whitetail Golf Course. The men finished 6th of 9 teams and were led by Aric Runzheimer (so.-Kettle Moraine) who was All-Conference placing 14th of 100 runners with an 8K time of 25:41. Finishing one spot behind Aric earning All-Conference Honorable Mention was Max Renner (sr.-Green Bay East) in a time of 25:47. Rounding out the top 7 for the Blugolds were Jeremy Kieser (jr.-Verona)-21st, 25:59; Thomas Breitbach (sr.-Muskego)-34th, 26:15; Aaron Easker (so.-Wittenberg-Birnamwood)-35th, 26:20; Josh Wieland (sr.-Menomonie)-38th, 26:25 and Conor Rafferty (so.-Menomonee Falls)-40th, 26:26. I was very pleased with the performance of Aric, Max and Jeremy. However, for the team to finish in the top 5 at Regionals, which is the number of teams that will go to Nationals from the Midwest Region, Thomas needs to get back to his front running form and Aaron, Josh and Conor need to work with Max, Aric and Jeremy. If the men are able to accomplish these two objectives at Regionals they will be very happy with the result.

Here’s a link to the complete Men’s Conference Results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/mcc/2010/mcc_wiac_103010.pdf

On the women’s side at Conference the Blugolds won their 4th straight WIAC title! The women packed it up and ran together most of the race. Alyssa Sybilrud (so.-Burnsville, MN) led the way finishing 4th of 102 runners with a 6K time of 22:41. Elly Prunty (sr.-Antigo, WI) finished one spot behind Alyssa in 22:47. Margaret Ho (sr.-WI Rapids) finished in 8th place with a time of 22:50, and she earned the prestigious WIAC Cross Country Scholar Athlete of Year Award. Rounding out the top 7 were Madison Sawyer (fr.-Champlin Park, MN)-12th, 23:09 (Madison was the top freshman at Conference); Ashlyn Mauer (so.-Sheboygan Falls)-14th, 23:13; Kacey Rindy (jr.-Fennimore)-17th, 23:20 and Molly Woodford (sr.-Waukesha South)-19th, 23:23. The entire top 7 earned All Conference honors (1-7 = 1st Team, 8-14=2nd Team, 15-20=Honorable Mention). It also should be noted that at Conference we’re allowed to run 12 runners. Charissa Drake (jr.-Parkview) was our 12th runner and finished in 38th place. Charissa would have been in the top 7 of every other Conference team except for La Crosse where she would have been their 8th runner. This highlights the great depth of the women’s team this year.

Here’s a link to the complete Women’s Conference Results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/wcc/2010/wcc_wiac_103010.pdf

This past Friday the top 14 men and top 14 women who aren’t racing Regionals (we rest 8 for Regionals, which include the top 7 from Conference + 1 alternate) traveled to Decorah, Iowa and competed in the JV Cup hosted by Luther College. This is a great meet because it gives our younger runners an opportunity to compete against two other strong programs with great depth on their rosters (Luther and Augustana (IL)) and get a feel for racing in November, which I hope prepares them for future years when they will be competing at Regionals and Nationals. Both teams ran strong on the breezy challenging course with the women’s team finishing 2nd and the men’s team winning. Leading the way for the women was Maria Peloquin (sr.-Prescott) who finished 4th of 48 with a 6K time of 23:21. Teresa Coughlin (jr.-Coon Rapids, MN), Charissa Drake and Nicole Blahnik (so.-Antigo) weren’t far behind finishing in 6th, 7th and 8th place with times of 23:37, 23:39 and 23:41. Maria Kopecky (sr.-Mercer) ended her Blugold cross country career in style PRing by 39 seconds and finishing in 10th place with a 6K time of 23:44. Rounding out the top 7 were Michelle Brunshidle (so.-St. Croix Central)-11th, 23:45 and Dana Griepentrog (fr.-Homestead)-13th, 23:48.

Here’s a link to the complete Women’s Luther Results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/wcc/2010/wcc_jv_110510.txt

On the men’s side Matt Scott (fr.-Kiel) was the overall champion beating the field of 61 runners by 7 seconds in an 8K time of 26:23. Matt worked with teammates Kevin Weber (sr.-Irondale, MN) and Michael Borglin (jr.-Whitewater) through three miles and then pulled away the final two miles. Kevin finished 2nd overall in 26:30 and Michael finished 3rd in 26:37. Freshman Matt Wenaas (Chippewa Falls McDonell), who was our 4th runner, broke 27 minutes for the first time finishing 6th overall with a time of 26:55. Rounding out the top 7 were Philip Schommer (so.-Kimberly)-12th, 27:08; Alex Cole (fr.-Lakeville North, MN)-14th, 27:12 and Joe Martschinke (fr.-Waukesha West)-15th, 27:12. Five freshmen broke 27 minutes in the 8K this year, which is by far the most freshmen we’ve had break 27 minutes in the four years that I’ve been coaching at Eau Claire.

Here’s a link to the complete Men’s Luther Results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/mcc/2010/mcc_jv_110510.txt

Thank you to all of the Alums that have made it out to cheer us on at races this year. Hopefully we’ll see a few more of you down at Augustana this Saturday!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Blugold Cross Country Teams Drop One Spot in National Poll

Both UW-Eau Claire cross country teams dropped one spot in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) top 35 poll.

The Blugold women, who won their fourth straight WIAC title last Saturday, are ranked 14th in the nation while the men are 32nd. They were 13th and 31st, respectively, in the previous rankings.

Complete National Rankings

Complete Regional Rankings

Volleyball Ranked 16th in Week Nine Poll

For the seventh straight week, the UW-Eau Claire volleyball team found itself ranked 16th, according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 poll.

The Blugolds, who captured a share of the WIAC title, earned the No. 1 seed for this week's WIAC Tournament and will host four teams this Friday and Saturday in the McPhee Physical Education Center.

On Friday in semifinal action, Oshkosh will face Platteville at 5 p.m. while Eau Claire will take on Whitewater at 7:30 p.m. Friday’s non-winners will play in a third-place match at noon Saturday and Friday’s winners will play for the tournament championship at 2:30 p.m.

Complete Week Nine Poll

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Volleyball Remains 16th in Week 8 Poll

For the sixth straight week, the UW-Eau Claire volleyball team found itself ranked 16th, according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 poll.

The Blugolds won four out of five matches last week and captured a share of the WIAC title with a win over UW-River Falls on Wednesday.

Eau Claire will wrap up the regular season this weekend at the UW-River Falls Trick of Treat Classic and will host the four-team WIAC Tournament November 5-6.

Complete Week Eight Poll

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Cross Country Drops in Weekly Rankings

The UW-Eau Claire cross country teams fell a few places in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) top 35 poll.

The Blugold women were ranked 8th, but fell to 13th this week. The men were 19th a week ago but are now 31st.

View Complete National Poll

View Regional Rankings

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Volleyball 16th in Week 7 Poll

For the fifth straight week, the UW-Eau Claire volleyball team found itself ranked 16th, according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 poll.

The Blugolds will wrap up WIAC play Wednesday when they face UW-River Falls. After that, the Blugolds will play in two tournaments, one in Texas this weekend and another in River Falls the following weekend to wrap up the regular season.

Full Week 7 Poll

Monday, October 18, 2010

UWEC Cross Country: Drews / Neubauer Recap

The men’s and women’s cross country team competed at the Jim Drews / Tori Neubauer Invitational this past Saturday at Maple Grove Golf Course near West Salem, WI. The men finished 6th of 28 teams and the women finished 5th of 27 teams.

The men were a bit too aggressive the first 1/3 of the race (6 of the men were 4:53 or faster through the mile), which made their goal of finishing the last 1/3 of the race strong a difficult task. However, getting out fast at Jim Drews should prepare them for Conference and Regionals where they will need to be ready for a quick start. Thomas Breitbach (sr.-Muskego) led the men’s team finishing 15th of 488 with an 8K time of 25:10. Aric Runzheimer (so-Kettle Moraine), who pr’d by 66 seconds, was the Blugolds second runner placing 31st in 25:32. Rounding out the top 5 for the men were Max Renner (sr.-Green Bay East)-35th, 25:35; Aaron Easker (so.-Wittenberg-Birnamwood)-52nd, 25:53; and Matt Scott (fr.-Kiel)-69th, 26:03.

Here’s a link to the complete Jim Drews results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/mcc/2010/mcc_uwl_101610.pdf

In contrast to the men the women were a bit too patient the first 1/3 of the race on Saturday. The plan going into the race was to be patient the first 1/3 and focus on a strong finish the final 1/3 of the race. The women did accomplish this goal, however, they gave up a little too much ground the first 1/3 as evidenced by Margaret Ho (sr.-WI Rapids) and Molly Woodford (sr.-Waukesha South) who were 130th and 123rd at the mile and ended up finishing in 35th and 47th place. In upcoming races the women need to be a bit more aggressive to ensure they don’t give up too much ground early in the race. Elly Prunty (sr.-Antigo) had a break through race finishing 4th of 450 in a 6K time of 21:38, which is a 31 second PR. Rounding out the top 5 were Alyssa Sybilrud (jr.-Burnsville, MN)-7th, 21:58; Margaret Ho-35th, 22:34; Ashlyn Mauer (so.-Sheboygan Falls)-38th, 22:37; and Beth Easker (sr.-Wittenberg-Birnamwood)-46th, 22:45.

Here’s a link to the complete Tori Neubauer results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/wcc/2010/wcc_uwl_101610.pdf

This Friday the men and women will compete at the UW-Eau Claire Lake Wissota Invite at Lake Wissota State Park near Chippewa Falls. The top 10 men and top 11 women will rest on Friday in preparation for Conference, which will be hosted by UW-Eau Claire at Whitetail Golf Course near Colfax, WI on Saturday, October 30th.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Men's Cross Country Moves up in Poll

The UW-Eau Claire men's cross country team moved up one spot to No. 19 in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) top 35 poll.

The Blugold women are also ranked in the national poll, holding the No. 8 spot.

In regional polls, the men are seventh while the women are third.

Week Five National Poll

Week Five Regional Polls

Soccer Ranked in Week Six D3soccer.com Poll

For the first time this season, the UW-Eau Claire soccer team has received a national ranking.

The Blugolds, who hold a 10-2 record on the season, are currently ranked 23rd in the week six D3soccer.com top 25 poll. View Complete Poll

The Blugolds also appeared in the NSCAA poll by receiving votes. View NSCAA Poll

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Volleyball Stays at No. 16

For the fourth straight week, the UW-Eau Claire volleyball team found itself ranked 16th, according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 poll.

The Blugolds won three out of five match last week, with the two losses coming against highly-ranked opponents.

This week the Blugolds will compete at home three times but will again take on tough competition. Eau Claire will face No. 10 Oshkosh Friday before taking on No. 14 St. Thomas (Minn.) and Viterbo University, which holds a 30-4 overall record, Saturday.

Complete Week Six Rankings

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Cross Country Teams Maintain National Rankings

The UW-Eau Claire cross country teams' national rankings remained unchanged from last week, according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) top 35 poll.

The Blugold women stayed in eighth while the men are ranked 20th.

In the regional polls, the Blugold men are seventh in the Midwest while the women are third in the Midwest.

Complete Week Five National Polls

Complete Week Five Regional Polls

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Volleyball Keeps No. 16 Ranking

The UW-Eau Claire volleyball team remained No. 16 in this week’s American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 poll.

The Blugolds will compete in five matches this week, starting with two on Wednesday in Duluth, Minn.

Friday and Saturday the Blugolds will be at the UW-Whitewater Invitational and will face tough competition. Friday they will take on Rockford College (Ill.) while Saturday they will face 11th-ranked UW-Whitewater before ending the week against No. 2-ranked Juniata College (Pa.).

Complete Week Five Poll

Cross Country Featured in Inside Wisconsin Sports

Setting the Pace - By Joel Badzinski

One of Dan Schwamberger's biggest worries is that his athletes will run too much.

The Eau Claire women's cross country coach grew up with the idea of the more miles, the better. Now, he believes there's a time and place for hard training but also for rest, recovery and gradually building toward the end of the season.

Does it work? Three straight WIAC Championships and a 2009 NCAA Division III National Title say yes.

"I think we all know that Dan's favorite word is 'patience,'" Blugold senior Elly Prunty says. "It's been drilled into our heads since the first day we met him."

Eau Claire fell from No. 1 to No. 8 in the Sept. 29 coaches' poll after placing second behind Oshkosh (No. 6) at the 32-team Roy Griak Invitational Division III race in Minneapolis. Naturally, Schwamberger reminded his team to stay patient.

"Going into that race, we were ranked No. 1 and we finished second, which long term will be a good thing," Schwamberger says. "Oshkosh and La Crosse beat us at Griak last year, and I think we're ahead of where we were then. We really put no emphasis on the rankings. Now, we're like, 'OK, we're a little bit off the radar' and focus on our thing and be ready when it counts."

That means patience. At the beginning of each season, Schwamberger, who also coaches the Eau Claire men's team, takes his freshmen runners aside and tells them essentially that it's time to let off the accelerator.

It's a speech the sophomores, juniors and even seniors need to hear sometimes, too.

"I think the big thing with distance runners is, it's a great group of kids who tend to be overachievers," Schwamberger says. "They're the type of people who want to do more. Anything they can do to be the best. They equate being good with running a ton of miles and they get frustrated with me. My big keyword is patience."

Not that Eau Claire runners take it easy. Schwamberger said intense workouts are balanced by "plenty of recovery." There are also workout days in the pool or on stationary bikes. Schwamberger also emphasizes nutrition and training theories so his runners have as much information in front of them as possible.

When Schwamberger took over the Eau Claire men's and women's teams in 2007, he encountered plenty of skepticism. The runners wanted to go, go, go, and he wanted them to be smart.

"We had to buy into his philosophy of being patient and not running," Prunty says, "because we were used to running a lot of miles. Then we saw the results and said. 'Oh, maybe he is right.'"

The Eau Claire women placed eighth and fifth, respectively, at the 2007 and '08 national meets following WIAC titles. It all came together last November at the Division III meet in Highland Hills, Ohio as the Blugolds won their first NCAA Women's Cross Country Title. (The program had also won the 1984 NAIA Championship.)

"We were cooling down on a hill after the race and we all thought we'd finished fifth," Prunty says. "We were just bawling. Then we found out we won. It was just insane."

Prunty is one of five runners returning from the 2009 top seven. Junior Alyssa Sybilrud, who led Eau Claire's pack at the national meet (21st) and won this year's Griak, has emerged as the top runner. Seniors Margaret Ho and Beth Easker and junior Kacey Rindy are also national meet veterans.

The Blugolds have two regular-season meets to go before the WIAC Championship on Oct. 30.

Even Mr. Patience is looking forward to it.

"I'm really excited," Schwamberger says. "Each week kind of builds on itself. Conference is that first real race we're focused on."

News and Notes...



FOOTBALL: Talk about an immediate impact. Freshman Joel Sweeney has scored the final touchdown in all three of Eau Claire's wins this season, including two in overtime and one with four and a half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Sweeney scored a "walk-off" two-yard run as the Blugolds beat No. 9 St. John's (Minnesota) in overtime. On Saturday, he caught a 16-yard touchdown from Austin Neu in overtime, and the Eau Claire defense held on the next drive to beat Stevens Point. Sweeney, a Tomah native, has rushed for 408 yards and five touchdowns• Ripon senior Josh Pasek has been a headache for opponents and a big reason why the Red Hawks are 5-0. Pasek averages 190.2 all-purpose yards a game (11th NCAA Division III), with totals of 282 rushing, 243 receiving, 145 punt return and 281 kick return• Oshkosh beat La Crosse 28-17 on Saturday, the Titans' first win in the WIAC series since 1972. The Eagles owned a 35-0-2 streak and 24 straight wins• Whitewater remained No. 1 in the D3football.com poll after improving to 4-0 with a 49-17 win over Platteville on September 30.

VOLLEYBALL: No. 10 Oshkosh (10-2) and No. 11 Whitewater (9-3) will renew their WIAC rivalry on October 6 in Whitewater. Last season, Oshkosh won the regular-season title while Whitewater won the conference tournament; the teams have finished first and second three of the past five seasons• Viterbo ran its winning streak to 23 matches on Saturday. The V-Hawks' last loss was on August 21 to NAIA No. 3-ranked Biola (California). Viterbo is 26-3 overall and 7-0 in the Midwest Classic Conference• Concordia senior Stephanie Boehm is second in NCAA Division III with 1.53 blocks per set.

SOCCER: MSOE freshman forward Paula Bohl leads NCAA Division III in scoring with 38 points (17 goals, four assists).

Story Online at InsideWisconsinSports.com

Cross Country Featured in Inside Wisconsin Sports

One of Dan Schwamberger's biggest worries is that his athletes will run too much.

The Eau Claire women's cross country coach grew up with the idea of the more miles, the better. Now, he believes there's a time and place for hard training but also for rest, recovery and gradually building toward the end of the season.

Read Full Story at InsideWisconsinSports.com

Monday, October 4, 2010

Football Moves Up in D3football.com Poll

The UW-Eau Claire football team moved up one spot to No. 17 in the week five D3football.com top 25 poll.

The complete d3football.com poll can be found at http://www.d3football.com/top25/2010/current

The Blugolds also received votes in the latest American Football Coaches Association top 25 poll. The full poll can be found at http://www.uwecblugolds.com/library/files/fb/2010/10-10-4%20Poll%20Release.pdf

Sunday, October 3, 2010

UWEC Cross Country: Blugold Recap

The Blugolds had another strong team performance at the home Blugold Open on Friday afternoon at Whitetail Golf Course near Colfax, WI. The women’s team finished 2nd of 16 teams behind the University of Minnesota, and the men finished 1st of 16 beating a deep field that included UW-La Crosse, St. John’s, St. Olaf and St. Thomas.

On the women’s side, Alyssa Sybilrud (jr.-Burnsville, MN) had a very strong race battling back and forth with All-American Simone Childs-Walker (Carleton) to the finish. Alyssa ended up taking 2nd of 313 two seconds behind Childs-Walker with a 6K time of 21:50. Elly Prunty (sr.-Antigo) and Margaret Ho (sr.-WI Rapids) also had strong races. Elly finished 5th overall in 22:18 and Margaret finished 9th in 22:46. Both Elly and Margaret did a great job of moving up throughout the entire race. Their places during the race at the 1600, 3200, 4800 and finish were as follows: Elly – 19th, 6th, 6th, 5th and Margaret – 25th, 11th, 10th, 9th. Rounding out the top 5 for the Blugold women were Molly Woodford (sr.-Waukesha South) – 16th, 23:06 and Maria Peloquin (sr.-Prescott) – 27th, 23:23. Overall, I was pleased with the women’s results; however, a few of the women were a bit too aggressive the first third of the race, which cost them during the last third. Therefore, the focus during the upcoming weeks will be on being a bit more controlled the first third so they are able to finish strong.

Here’s a link to the complete Blugold women’s results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/wcc/2010/wcc_blugold_100110.pdf

The men’s team had one of best performances I’ve seen in my four years coaching at Eau Claire. They did an excellent job being patient the first few miles, working together from mile 3 to 4 and finishing strong the final mile. Thomas Breitbach (sr.-Muskego) led the men finishing 4th of 314 in an 8K time of 25:46. Aaron Easker (so.-Wittenberg Birnamwood), Jeremy Kieser (jr.-Verona) and Max Renner (sr.-Green Bay East) followed closely behind finishing in 7th (25:53), 10th (25:56), and 11th (25:58). Aaron Easker closed his last 1600 in 5:04 and moved from 14th at the 4 mile mark up to 7th at the finish. Michael Borglin (jr.-Whitewater) rounded out the top five placing 20th in 26:13. This race has the men’s confidence very high, because they now know they can compete with anyone in the conference. The key now is to stay patient focusing on the little things (sleep, recovery, nutrition, etc.) to stay injury free so they can race well when it counts. There are currently 9 men’s teams ranked nationally in the Midwest region, 5 will go to nationals, which highlights the importance of being ready when in counts.

Here’s a link to the complete Blugold men’s results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/mcc/2010/mcc_blugold_100110.pdf

For those of you who want more cross country highlights, WEAU TV 13 in Eau Claire did a news story last week on the men and women. Here’s a link to the video clip:
http://www.weau.com/sports/headlines/104127344.html

The next race for the Blugolds is the UW-La Crosse Jim Drews / Tori Neubauer Invitational at Maple Grove Golf Course near West Salem, WI on Saturday, October 16th. The men race at 10:30 am with the women to follow at 11:30 am. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Women's Golf Ranked Second in Nation

The UW-Eau Claire women's golf team is ranked second according to the second Golf World/NGCA Division III Coaches' Poll of 2010.

The No. 2 ranking ties for the highest in program history. The team received a No. 2 ranking last fall and maintained it until late in the spring. In the first poll this season, the Blugolds found themselves at No. 3.

View Complete Rankings

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Cross Country Teams Ranked in Week Three Poll

Both the UW-Eau Claire women's and men's cross country teams are ranked in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) top 35 poll.

The Blugold women are ranked eighth nationally, dropping from the No. 1 ranking they held since the beginning of the 2010 season. They are also ranked third in the Midwest region.

The men made a significant jump, to go from being unranked last week to being ranked 20th nationally this week. The Blugolds are also eighth in the Midwest region.

Week Three National Poll

Week Three Regional Rankings

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Volleyball Remains 16th in Latest AVCA Poll

The UW-Eau Claire volleyball team maintained its No. 16 ranking in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 poll.

The Blugolds were off last weekend but played one match last Wednesday, defeating UW-Superior 3-0. This Friday and Saturday the Blugolds will compete in two more WIAC contests, facing UW-Platteville on Friday and UW-La Crosse on Saturday.

Week Four Top 25 Poll

Monday, September 27, 2010

Blugold Football Ranked 18th in Week Four Poll

The UW-Eau Claire football team dropped just one spot to No. 18 in the latest D3football.com top 25 poll after falling 20-6 to a tough North Central College (Ill.) team on Saturday.

The Blugolds also received votes in the newest AFCA poll

The Blugolds will be in action this weekend facing UW-Stevens Point at Carson Park for homecoming. Stevens Point received votes in the latest D3football.com poll.

Week 4 D3football.com poll

Sunday, September 26, 2010

UWEC Cross Country: Griak & St. Mary’s Recap

It was a great weekend for UW-Eau Claire Cross Country! The Blugolds raced their top 12 women and top 11 men at the University of Minnesota Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday, and the rest of the team competed at St. Mary’s University Friday.

On the women’s side at Griak, Alyssa Sybilrud (jr.-Burnsville, MN) became the first Blugold ever to win an individual Griak title! Alyssa outpaced the field of 447 runners over 6K with a winning time of 22:05, which was 11 seconds faster than her nearest competitor. Alyssa helped lead the women to a 2nd of 30 team finish behind UW-Oshkosh. Rounding out the top 7 for the Blugolds were Elly Prunty (sr.-Antigo) - 9th, 22:52; Margaret Ho (sr.-WI Rapids) – 14th, 23:12; Ashlyn Mauer (so.-Sheboygan Falls) – 25th, 23:36; Teresa Coughlin (jr.-Coon Rapids, MN) – 46th, 24:07; Kacey Rindy (jr.-Fennimore) – 50th, 24:12; and Molly Woodford (sr.-Waukesha South) – 54th, 24:16. The Blugold women finished 3rd at Griak last year. The key factor as we progress further into the season will be to get the 5th, 6th and 7th runner up closer to the top 4. Our spread from 1 to 7 last year at Griak was 1 minute and this year it was 2:11. Although, having the top runner this year obviously increased the spread in comparison to last year (last year’s top Blugold women’s place / time was 15th / 23:17).

Here’s a link to the complete women’s Griak results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/wcc/2010/wcc_griak_092510.pdf

The Blugold men had a very strong day at Griak placing 2nd behind UW-Platteville, who is currently ranked 6th Nationally in NCAA Division III, and ahead of following NCAA Division III ranked teams: 15th ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, who finished 4th; 16th ranked Grinnell, who finished 5th; 24th ranked Hamline, who finished 6th; and 32nd ranked UW-Oshkosh, who finished 3rd. The Blugolds currently aren’t ranked; however, I feel this will probably change after Saturday’s race. Thomas Breitbach (sr.-Muskego) led the Blugolds placing 7th of 300 with an 8K time of 26:13. Rounding out the top 7 were Jeremy Kieser (jr.-Verona) – 15th, 26:24; Aaron Easker (so.-Wittenberg Birnamwood) – 22nd, 26:35; Aric Runzheimer (so.-Kettle Moraine) – 23rd, 26:38; Max Renner (sr.-Green Bay East) – 32nd, 26:43; Charlie Daehler (sr.-Whitefish Bay) – 40th, 26:55; and Matt Scott (fr.-Kiel) – 57th, 27:12 (Matt was the 4th freshman overall in the race). The Blugold men finished 6th last year at Griak. As always, the Midwest Region is looking incredibly strong; however, I am encouraged by this early season result because it shows that the men have a legitimate shot of competing at Nationals for the second year in a row as a team.

Here’s a link to the complete men’s Griak results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/mcc/2010/mcc_griak_092510.pdf

At St. Mary’s both teams showed great depth with the women placing 2nd of 7 teams behind Oregon State University and the men topping the field of 6. The women were led by a quintet of underclassman. Madison Sawyer (fr.-Champlin Park, MN) led the Blugolds placing 7th of 84 in a 6K time of 24:03. Rounding out the top 5 were Michelle Brunshidle (so.-Saint Croix Central) – 8th, 24:07; Dana Griepentrog (fr.-Homestead) – 11th, 24:42; Alana Jenkins (fr.-Eau Claire Memorial) – 12th, 24:51; and Katie Thoe (fr.-Menomonie) – 13th, 24:55.

On the men’s side, veteran Josh Wieland (sr.-Menomonie) won the meet outpacing the field of 63 runners over the challenging 8K course in a time of 27:24. Rounding out the top 5 for the men were Philip Schommer (so.-Kimberly) – 3rd, 27:42; Alex Cole (fr.-Lakeville North, MN) – 5th, 28:07; Jake Zander (so.-Chippewa Falls McDonell) – 6th, 28:17; and Tanner Beebe (fr.-Platteville) – 7th, 28:23. Both the women and men did a great job being patient, working together and finishing strong the final 1/3 of the race on the hilly course situated among the bluffs on St. Mary’s campus.

Here’s a link the to the women’s St. Mary’s results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/wcc/2010/wcc_smu_092410.html

Here’s a link to the men’s St. Mary’s results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/mcc/2010/mcc_smu_092410.html

Both the women and men will be racing everyone this Friday at the UW-Eau Claire Blugold Open. For meet information and results please go to:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/

I’ll keep you posted on how we do, and go Blugolds!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Swimming & Diving - Alumni Meet Set for October 9

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire kicks off its swimming and diving season with two events, opening the schedule with an intrasquad and alumni meet Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010 at our pool in McPhee. Come see our new record boards and timing system and join in the fun and camaraderie of Blugold Swimming and Diving.

The annual events welcome back alumni and friends of the program as the Blugolds will take to the pool for the first time this fall. The team gets things underway Saturday, the 9th at 10:00 AM, with a special presentation of alumni, team captains and seniors planned.

The pool will open at 8:00 AM for divers and at 9:00 AM for swimmers. Meet to start at 10:00 AM with Annual Team Pig Roast to follow in the early PM. All alumni, parents and team members are welcome to attend. RSVP from alumni would be appreciated, but not necessary to: Art Brandt, Head Coach at brandtae@uwec.edu

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Women's Cross Country No. 1 in Latest Poll

The UW-Eau Claire women's cross country team remained No. 1 in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) top 35 poll.

The Blugold women are also ranked No. 1 in the midwest region while the men are 10th in the most recent regional rankings.

Both teams will compete again this Friday at the St. Mary's Invitational and Saturday at the University of Minnesota's Roy Griak Invite.

Week Two Regional Rankings

Week Two National Rankings

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Volleyball Ranked 16th in Week Three Poll

After opening WIAC play last week with two wins and one loss, the UW-Eau Claire volleyball team is ranked 16th in the week three AVCA poll.

The Blugolds will compete Wednesday at UW-Superior at 7 p.m. View the Blugolds' Complete Schedule

Complete Week Three poll at http://www.uwecblugolds.com/library/files/wvb/2010/DIIIpoll9-21-10.pdf

Monday, September 20, 2010

Football Ranked No. 25 in First AFCA Poll

The UW-Eau Claire football team is ranked No. 25 according to this year's first American Football Coaches Association Division III Coaches' Poll.

The Blugolds are also ranked 17th according to the Week Three D3football.com Poll, which was announced Sunday.

View the Complete AFCA Poll

WIAC Volleyball To Support Breast Cancer Awareness

MADISON, Wis. - For the third straight year, Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women’s volleyball teams will participate in promotions to support Breast Cancer Awareness.

Each of the nine WIAC teams will be involved in at least one promotional event throughout the month of October. Over the past two seasons, conference teams have raised $33,751 in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.

The following WIAC matches will feature the promotions: UW-River Falls at UW-Oshkosh (Oct. 1), UW-Stout at UW-Whitewater (Oct. 1), UW-La Crosse at UW-Stevens Point (Oct. 6), UW-Whitewater at UW-La Crosse (Oct. 13), UW-Oshkosh at UW-Eau Claire (Oct. 15), UW-Oshkosh at UW-Superior (Oct. 16), UW-Eau Claire at UW-River Falls (Oct. 20), UW-Whitewater at UW-Platteville (Oct. 20), UW-Superior at UW-Stout (Oct. 20).

Various promotional activities will take place at each match to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. Spectators are encouraged to wear pink clothing in support of all those affected by breast cancer.

WIAC Release at - http://wiacsports.com/volyball/BreastCancerAwareness.html

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Football Moves up in D3football.com Poll

Despite being off this weekend, the UW-Eau Claire football team moved up three spots to No. 17 in the week three D3football.com top 25 poll.

The Blugolds will be back in action Saturday, September 25 for a game against 11th-ranked North Central College (Ill.) in Naperville, Ill. It will be the first time the two teams have ever meet.

D3football.com Top 25 Poll

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Cross Country Maintains Rankings in Week 1 Poll

The UW-Eau Claire women's and men's cross country teams' ranking in the week one Division III national coaches’ poll as sponsored by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) remained unchanged from the preseason poll.

The Blugold women are ranked first in the top 35 poll while the men received votes.

Link to PDF of Rankings

Rankings on ustfccca.org

UW-Eau Claire Cross Country: Luther Recap

The women’s and men’s cross country team opened up the season on Saturday at Luther College in Decorah, IA. On the women’s side the top 9 runners rested, which gave the younger runners on the team a great opportunity to race up front with other schools' top runners. The women’s team had a good day placing 4th of 9 teams. Kacey Rindy (jr.-Fennimore) covered the 5K course in 19:40 and was the top Blugold finisher placing 15th overall in a field of 190 runners. Rounding out the top 7 were Shelby Berning (so.-Chetek) 19:50 / 21st, Charissa Drake (jr.-Parkview) 19:56 / 25th, Victoria Janasz (fr.-Elk River, MN) 19:56 / 27th – Victoria was the 3rd freshman overall, Jenna Wise (so.-Beaver Dam) 20:08 / 36th, Michelle Brunshidle (so.-St. Croix Central) 20:12 / 39th and Angie Gasser (fr.-Tomah) 20:31 / 50th.

On the men’s side the Blugolds rested their top 8 runners, which gave freshman Michael Unruh (West St. Paul, MN / Henry Sibley HS) the opportunity to lead the way for the Blugolds. Michael covered the 4 mile course in 21:02, placing 9th overall in a field of 187 runners and helped the Blugolds to a 3rd of 11 team finish. Michael was the 2nd freshman finisher in the race. Rounding out the top 7 for the men were Kevin Weber (sr.-Mounds View, MN / Irondale HS) 21:06 / 13th, Conor Rafferty (so.-Menomonee Falls) 21:07 / 16th, Michael Borden (jr.-Holmen) 21:15 / 23rd, Jake Zander (so.-Chippewa Falls McDonell) 21:24 / 29th, Joe Martschinke (fr.-Waukesha West) 21:33 / 40th and Josh Wieland (sr.-Menomonie) 21:34 / 43rd.

Here’s a link to the complete Luther results:
Women: http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/wcc/2010/allamercollegewomen.htm
Men: http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/mcc/2010/allamercollegemen.html

The women’s and men’s team have an off week this weekend and will be racing again next week. The top 12 women and top 12 men will race at the University of Minnesota Roy Griak Invitational next Saturday, September 25th, and the rest of the team will race at the Saint Mary’s No Limit Invitational next Friday, September 24th. Results of both races will be posted on our website at: http://www.uwecblugolds.com

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Volleyball Ranked 15th in Latest Poll

The UW-Eau Claire volleyball team is ranked 15th in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 poll, released today.

The Blugolds, ranked 12th last week, hold a 6-2 record on the season with their two losses coming against ranked opponents.

Eau Claire will be at home three times this week on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Complete Week Two Poll - http://www.avca.org/divisions/division-three-women/poll-9-14-10/

Monday, September 13, 2010

Football Ranked in Week 2 D3football.com Poll

Two days after defeating the ninth-ranked St. John's University Johnnies, the UW-Eau Claire football team found its way to a top 25 ranking by D3football.com.

The Blugolds are 20th according to this week's poll while the Johnnies dropped to 21st. The Blugolds beat St. John's 23-20 in overtime at Carson Park on Saturday.

The last time the Blugolds were mentioned in the poll was week four of 2009 when they received votes. Prior to that, the Blugolds were last among the top 25 when they received a ranking of No. 19 in week eight of 2008.

Eau Claire is off this week but will be back in action Sept. 25 at North Central College (Ill.).

D3football.com week two poll - http://www.d3football.com/top-brief.php?year=2010&week=2

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Volleyball Moves up in Ranking

The Blugold volleyball team moved up one spot to No. 12 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll.

The Blugolds will play four matches this weekend at the Augsburg College Invitational.

The full poll can be found at http://www.uwecblugolds.com/library/files/wvb/2010/DIIIpoll9-7-10.pdf

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Men's Cross Country Alumni Recap

The UW-Eau Claire men’s cross country team began their season on Saturday competing at the UWEC Alumni Open Meet at Lowes Creek County Park in Eau Claire. Kevin Hall, a 2010 graduate and 10K All-American for the Blugolds, won the challenging 4 mile race in a course record time of 21:20. Thomas Breitbach (Sr.-Muskego), the top Blugold finisher, placed 2nd overall with a time of 21:27. Brent Kann, an All-American for the Blugolds in the distance medley relay last spring, finished 3rd with a time of 21:32 and was the second alumni finisher. Aric Runzheimer (So.-Kettle Moraine) finished just behind Kann in 21:35 and was the Blugolds 2nd finisher. Rounding out the top 3 for the alumni was 2010 NCAA Steeplechase National Champion Chris Wirtz who finished 5th overall in 21:50. The Blugolds placed the next 15 runners ahead of the alumni, which helped UWEC beat the Alums by a score of 27 to 32. Rounding out the top 7 for the Blugolds was Aaron Easker (So.-Wittenberg-Birnamwood), Jeremy Kieser (Jr.-Verona), Charlie Daehler (Sr.-Whitefish Bay), Otto Renner (Sr.-Green Bay East) and Michael Borglin (Jr.-Whitewater). Here’s a link to the complete alumni results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/mcc/2010/10alumniCCresultsMen.pdf

The men’s team begins the 2010 season ranked 10th in the Midwest Region. The Blugolds finished 16th of 32 teams last year at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships. Three runners return from last year’s national squad and include: Thomas Breitbach, who set PR’s in the 10K (30:39) and 5K (14:46) in the 2010 outdoor track season, Otto Renner, and Josh Wieland (Sr.-Menomonie). There are ten freshmen on the men’s roster this year, which should help make the team very strong in years to come. Here’s a link to the CC roster:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/?view=roster&sport=mcc

The next competition for the Blugolds is the Luther All-American Invite this Saturday, September 11th in Decorah, Iowa. For complete results after the race please check out the men’s cross country homepage at:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/?view=sport&sport=mcc

Women's Cross Country Alumni Recap

The UW-Eau Claire women’s cross country team began their season on Saturday competing at the UWEC Alumni Open Meet at Lowes Creek County Park in Eau Claire. Mary Palmer, a 2009 graduate and three-time All-American for the Blugolds, defended her 2008 and 2009 titles on the challenging 5k course with a winning course record time of 19:02. The Blugolds responded placing the next 16 runners ahead of the alums. Elly Prunty (Sr.-Antigo) led the way finishing 2nd in a time of 19:39. Rounding out the top 7 was All-American Alyssa Sybilrud (Jr.-Burnsville, MN) 19:48, Molly Woodford (Sr.-Waukesha, WI – South HS) 19:54, All-American Margaret Ho (Sr.-WI Rapids) 20:05, Ashlyn Mauer (So.-Sheboygan Falls) 20:18, Maria Peloquin (Sr.-Prescott) 20:20 and Nicole Blahnik (So.-Antigo) 20:28. The Blugolds won the meet with 20 points. Here’s a link to the complete alumni results:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/wcc/2010/10alumniCCresultsWomen.pdf

The women’s team begins the 2010 season ranked 1st in the nation after winning Conference, Regionals and Nationals in 2009. Five of the women from the 2009 national championship team return this year including two All-Americans (= top 35): Alyssa Sybilrud, who placed 21st at nationals in 2009, and Margaret Ho, who placed 33rd at nationals last year. Rounding out the returners from the national championship team are Elly Prunty, Beth Easker (Sr.-Wittenberg-Birnamwood) and Kacey Rindy (Jr.-Fennimore). There are eleven freshmen on the women’s roster this year, which should make the team strong in years to come. Here’s a link to the CC roster:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/?view=roster&sport=wcc

The next competition for the Blugolds is the Luther All-American Invite this Saturday, September 11th in Decorah, Iowa. For complete results after the race please check out the women’s cross country homepage at:
http://www.uwecblugolds.com/?view=sport&sport=wcc

Friday, September 3, 2010

From the Leader-Telegram - Nierenhausen Feature

At a certain point, a guy begins to think he's snake bitten.

That's about the point UW-Eau Claire linebacker Brad Nierenhausen found himself in last year.

By Joe Ziemer Leader-Telegram staff

Full story (requires subscription) - http://www.leadertelegram.com/sports/local_college/article_e55ec344-b4b4-11df-a00c-001cc4c03286.html

From The Spectator - Football Season Preview

The Blugolds football team will be trying to improve upon its fourth place finish in conference last year.

Coach Todd Glaser believes that he is fielding a solid team.

Read full preview at The Spectator

From The Spectator - Football Season Preview

[caption id="attachment_349" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Blugold football players pratice hard in the trenches Friday, Aug. 27 at Simpson Field."][/caption]The Blugolds football team will be trying to improve upon its fourth place finish in conference last year.

Coach Todd Glaser believes that he is fielding a solid team.

"We're hopefully going to be physical on both sides of the ball," said Glaser. "Special teams-wise we'll be fast. We've got a good group of guys that are really bright."

He thinks that his group of seniors, though small, lead the team well. Glaser also highlights the team's chemistry and says that not making mistakes will be important as well.

Last season the team, which was 6-4 (4-3 conference), gave up over 32 points per game according to the 2010 UW-Eau Claire Football Fact Sheet.

Senior defensive back Matt Mattek said that the team had a tendency to lose control of games.

"Things would go wrong and it would almost snowball," Mattek said. "We couldn't stop a bad thing… we get that dark cloud over our heads and it would sit there the rest of the game."

Coach Glaser feels that they will be an improved defensive squad this year.

"Defensively we got some guys back that were injured last year," he said. "We're another year older. We're bigger, faster and stronger. We've had a good camp on defense and we're expecting to be a lot better defensively this year."

On offense, Glaser has to fill a few holes on a team that scored over 30 points a game last year, according to the Fact Sheet. He will have a new starting quaterback and says that it's between two players: junior Austin Neu and sophomore Alex Delebreau.

Junoir tight-end and captain Ryan Moertel says that he feels the quaterbacks are doing well.

"They're coming along good," Moertel said. "Both guys have been working really hard during camp."

Another battle is for tailback, and it's between junior Matt Olson, freshmen Joel Sweeney, junior Matt Jaskowiak and junior Connor Meloy.

Besides discussing the team, Moertel and Mattek also spoke of their personal goals for the season.

Moertel is striving to be All-Conference at tight-end like past tight-ends from Eau Claire, and as captain he wants to help out the team so it can be as good as it possibly can.

Moertel also said what he does to help achieve his goals.

"I run with the receivers and lift with the centers."

Mattek said that he wants to be a good team player and that he really has focused on the basics during training camp.

It's a good thing that the team is improving because Coach Glaser said that all the games will be tough, not just against defending National Champion UW- Whitewater. He added that even the non-conference games will be tougher this year.

Glaser knows that the competition will be fierce this season, but he stressed that it's important not to overthink the season.

"We've just been getting ready for Bethel," Glaser said. "Our theme this year is taking one play at a time, one quarter at a time … and one game at a time."

The Blugold's first game is this Saturday against Bethel University (Tenn.), at 7 p.m. at Carson Park.

Read full preview at The Spectator

From The Spectator - Soccer Game One Recap

The women's soccer team bounced back from a slow start yesterday, eventually earning a solid non-conference win over St. Olaf (Minn.).

Juniors Lisa Marco and Rachel Nerison led the way with a pair of goals that occurred within minutes of each other in the second half. Initially, the team had trouble finding a rhythm to start the game, and struggled to get scoring chances because of it.

Coach Sean Yengo said part of the reason they struggled was because the team didn't seem comfortable, which is crucial for their style of play.

"We play a very up-tempo style of soccer and I think they were playing rushed instead of composed," Yengo said. "As a result, we were coughing the ball up quite a bit."

Freshman Paige LeGate, who attempted three shots, was one of the few bright spots for the Blugolds during the first half.

In the fifth minute LeGate dribbled down the sideline and turned the corner with space in front of her. She looked up and took a shot from inside the box that sailed just past the post and the goalkeeper's outstretched arms.

Eau Claire started five freshmen in the game, and have 12 total on the roster. Nerison, a team captain, said she was more than pleased with the play from the new players.

"This is definitely a different level of play than high school is, but they were all ready for it," she said. "They all stepped on to the field confident. They knew what they were doing, and it showed."

The teams went into the half still knotted in a scoreless draw.

Marco said she could clearly see a difference in how the team came out after the break.

"I think at first it was a little shaky and panicky, but we talked at halftime and I thought that really helped us," Marco said. "The coaches calmed us down."

The team came out much more deliberate in the second half, and seemed to have a better idea of what they wanted to do.

Read full story at The Spectator

From The Spectator - Soccer Game One Recap

The women's soccer team bounced back from a slow start yesterday, eventually earning a solid non-conference win over St. Olaf (Minn.).

Juniors Lisa Marco and Rachel Nerison led the way with a pair of goals that occurred within minutes of each other in the second half. Initially, the team had trouble finding a rhythm to start the game, and struggled to get scoring chances because of it.

Coach Sean Yengo said part of the reason they struggled was because the team didn't seem comfortable, which is crucial for their style of play.

Read full story at The Spectator

From The Spectator - Volleyball Video Season Preview

The UW-Eau Claire women's volleyball team has high expectations for the upcoming fall season. After coming in second in the conference playoffs last fall, they believe first place is within their reach.

But the top spot won't come without a fight. Head Coach Kim Wudi said that they are facing an exceptionally challenging season.

Many of the teams they will face are ranked within the top 25 in the nation. According to pre-season polls, UW-Eau Claire is ranked 13th in the nation and is expected to end second in the conference behind UW-Oshkosh.

Oshkosh, last year's undefeated conference champions, will be one of their primary rivals, along with Whitewater and Platteville.

In addition to landing in first or second place, Wudi would love to see the team host the regional tournament. However, they must become the number one ranked team in the region to have this honor.

But the rigorous schedule isn't the only challenge: the team will have to recover from losing seven players, almost half of their 16-player team.

Wudi has confidence that upperclassmen like senior Amanda Lessner, a captain and one of the team's two setters, will be able to fill the roles left open by graduating seniors.

If fans could only make it to one home game this season, both Lessner and Wudi agree that the match against UW-Oshkosh is a must. The game is on October 15th and coincides with their breast cancer awareness event called "Dig Pink."

But conference goals aside, Wudi's has goals for the team that extend beyond the rankings. She hopes that her players will continue to set aside personal ambition or arrogance and work as a united team.

Read the full preview and watch the video at The Spectator

From The Spectator - Volleyball Video Season Preview

The UW-Eau Claire women's volleyball team has high expectations for the upcoming fall season. After coming in second in the conference playoffs last fall, they believe first place is within their reach.

But the top spot won't come without a fight. Head Coach Kim Wudi said that they are facing an exceptionally challenging season.

Read the full preview and watch the video at The Spectator

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Assistant Track & Field Coach Named to UWP Hall of Fame

UW-Eau Claire track and field assistant coach Paul Conlin has been selected as an inductee in this year's UW-Platteville Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place December 4.

From UW-Platteville Athletics - http://www.uwplatt.edu/athletics/news/9-1-10halloffame.html

"Paul Conlin, Class of 1993
Paul Conlin was a three-time national champion in the shot put, winning the outdoor titles in 1992 and 1993 and the indoor in 1992. Twice, he finished runner-up at the national championships.

Perhaps an even bigger mark of his prowess is that he still holds the fifth-best outdoor shot put in NCAA III history, unleashing a throw of 62-feet-7 ¼ inches that still serves as the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record. He threw the indoor shot put 60-feet-3 ¾ inches during the 1993 season. Both his indoor and outdoor marks are two of the oldest school records at UW-Platteville.

Conlin, who was second in the Drake Relays in 1993, capped his standout season with the national championship and then with a fourth-place finish in the Olympic Festival shot put. He was the 10th-ranked shot putter in the entire U.S., according to Track and Field News.

Lending his expertise as the throws coach at UW-Eau Claire for the past 14 years, Conlin has coached a pair of NCAA III national champions."

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Women's Golf Will Open Season Ranked Third in Nation

The UW-Eau Claire women's golf team will open the season Saturday ranked third in the nation, according to the preseason Golf World/NGCA Coaches' Poll. The Blugolds picked up one first-place vote in the poll as well.

Golf World/NGCA release can be found at http://www.uwecblugolds.com/library/files/wgolf/201011/GW%20College%20Preview%202010-11-%20DIII%20Release%20-%20Women.pdf

Women’s Cross Country Opens Season Ranked No. 1 in Nation

NEW ORLEANS – Cross country squads at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., and at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire have a reason to smile on this Wednesday as they are the top-ranked teams in the nation according to the Division III national coaches’ poll as sponsored by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The men’s teams of WASHU finished seventh in the nation a year ago and are closely trailed by second-ranked and defending national champs, North Central (Ill.). The women of UW Eau Claire won their first national title last fall with a nine-point victory over No. 2 St. Lawrence and enter the 2010 season as favorites to repeat.

Full story at - http://www.ustfccca.org/featured/division-iii-cross-country-season-opens-with-washington-mo-uw-eau-claire-as-early-favorites

Washington (Mo.) earned half of the first-place votes in the men’s poll as North Central (Ill.) claimed three of eight and No. 3 Allegheny notched a lone FPV. North Central (Ill.) won their 13th national crown in 2009 and their first since 1999 with a decisive, 131-point margin over Williams College. The Cardinals’ national title was the first of three in the school year as they would go on to win the NCAA team titles in indoor track & field and outdoor track & field.

The Bears of WASHU return top-20 national finisher Michael Burnstein and top-65 finisher Dave Spandorfer to a squad that claimed seventh at the NCAA Championships last year. North Central’s top five runners a year ago all finished in the national top 25 and two of those will be back for the 2010 campaign. Senior Michael Spain was the national runner up for the Cardinals last year and junior Neal Klein was a top 20 finisher a year ago. The Gators of Allegheny will return seniors Jermaine Parker and Chris Marker who placed in the top 15 of the national race in 2009.

Washington (Mo.) opens the season today at 6 p.m., central with the Gateway Dual where the Bears will take on Greenville College. The Bears will also host the Washington University Early Bird this Saturday. North Central will open the season with the Elmhurst Invitational on Friday, followed by the Aurora Invitational on September 10 and the Illinois Intercollegiates on September 17. Allegheny opens the season Saturday at Case Western Reserve’s Bill Sudeck Classic, followed by the Mideast Region Preview Meet on September 25.

The University Athletic Association tops all the leagues in Division III with six of their members in the national men’s top 35, including top-ranked Washington (Mo.), No. 5 NYU, No. 9 Brandeis, No. 11 Carnegie Mellon, No. 30 Rochester, and No. 34 Emory. The WIAC placed five teams in the top 35 and the SUNYAC and NESCAC each had three.

The women of UW Eau Claire swept the first-place votes in the preseason poll. No. 2 St. Lawrence earned all but one second-place vote and enter the season as the second-ranked team in the country. No. 3 Middlebury placed fourth at last year’s national championships and is the lead representatives of the New England Region.

UW Eau Claire’s Blugolds had four of their runners place in the top 45 at the national championships a year ago to lead the team to the national title. Three of those are back for another run at it in 2010 with junior Alyssa Sybilrud, Margaret Ho, and Beth Easker returning to squad. For St. Lawrence, defending individual national champion Wendy Pavlus is back for her senior campaign. In 2009, Pavlus won the six-kilometer championship race by over 17 seconds ahead of nearest finisher, Marie Borner of Bethel (Minn.). Along with Pavlus, the Saints return Jenna Hulton who placed 15th in last year’s national race and Megan Derby who was a top-40 finisher. Middlebury returns sophomores Addie Tousley and Sarah Lange who both finished in the national top 40 last year as freshmen.

The Blugolds open the season on Saturday by hosting their own Alumni/Open run which will be followed by the Luther All-American Invitational on September 11. St. Lawrence opens 2010 by hosting the Run for Ryan Alumni Race and will come back Wednesday, September 8 for the North Country Five Meet. SUNY Oneonta will host an Atlantic Region preview meet on September 17 in which the Saints will test their No. 1 regional ranking. The Panthers of Middlebury will start the season with the Dartmouth Invitational on September 11 and their home Panther Invitational on September 18.

The next national poll will be announced on September 22. The NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday, November 20 at the Max Championship Cross Country Course in Waverly, Iowa.
USTFCCCA
NCAA Division III
Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll
2010 Preseason, September 1
next ranking: September 22












































































































































































































































































































































































































USTFCCCA



NCAA Division III



Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll



2010 Preseason, September 1



next ranking: September 22
RankInstitution (FPV)PointsRegionConferenceLocation2009 NCAA
1Washington (Mo.) (4)271MidwestUAASt. Louis, Mo.7
2North Central (Ill.) (3)267MidwestCCIWNaperville, Ill.1
3Allegheny (1)260MideastNCACMeadville, Pa.3
4Haverford255MideastCentennialHaverford, Pa.8
5NYU249AtlanticUAANew York, N.Y.4
6SUNY Geneseo245AtlanticSUNYACGeneseo, N.Y.6
7UW Platteville228MidwestWIACPlatteville, Wis.9
8Calvin224Great LakesMIAAGrand Rapids, Mich.13
9Brandeis209New EnglandUAAWaltham, Mass.24
10UW La Crosse207MidwestWIACLa Crosse, Wis.10
11Carnegie Mellon196MideastUAAPittsburgh, Pa.12
12St. Lawrence188AtlanticLiberty LeagueCanton, N.Y.11
12Williams188New EnglandNESCACWilliamstown, Mass.2
14Claremont-Mudd-Scripps181WestSCIACClaremont, Calif.15
15UW Whitewater158MidwestWIACWhitewater, Wis.DNQ
16St. Olaf154CentralMIACNorthfield, Minn.21
17Willamette138WestNorthwestSalem, Ore.20
18UW Stevens Point137MidwestWIACStevens Point, Wis.DNQ
19Grinnell114CentralMWCGrinnell, IowaDNQ
20Elizabethtown106MideastMACElizabethtown, Pa.28
21Mount Union105Great LakesOACAlliance, Ohio32
22Amherst98New EnglandNESCACAmherst, Mass.17
23Plattsburgh State97AtlanticSUNYACPlattsburgh, N.Y.DNQ
24Hamline91CentralMIACSaint Paul, Minn.23
24Heidelberg91Great LakesOACTiffin, Ohio18
26Colorado College84WestSCACColorado Springs, Colo.25
27UW Oshkosh83MidwestWIACOshkosh, Wis.DNQ
27Dickinson83MideastCentennialCarlisle, Pa.22
29Manchester41Great LakesHCACNorth Manchester, Ind.26
30Rochester38AtlanticUAARochester, N.Y.DNQ
31Centre34South/SoutheastSCACDanville, Ky.DNQ
32Tufts32New EnglandNESCACMedford, Mass.DNQ
33Keene State25New EnglandLittle EastKeene, N.H.29
34SUNY Cortland24AtlanticSUNYACCortland, N.Y.5
34Emory24South/SoutheastUAAAtlanta, Ga.14
Others Receiving Votes: Wheaton (Ill.) 23, Oberlin 16, Southern Maine 13, MIT 11, Augustana (Ill.) 11, Nebraska Wesleyan 10, Lynchburg 8, UW Eau Claire 7, Whitworth 7, Pomona-Pitzer 6, Case Western Reserve 4, Ohio Wesleyan 2, Susquehanna 1, Bowdoin 1.

 
















































































































































































































































































































































































































USTFCCCA



NCAA Division III



Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll



2010 Preseason, September 1


next ranking: September 22
RankInstitution (FPV)PointsRegionConferenceLocation2009 NCAA
1UW Eau Claire (8)280MidwestWIACEau Claire, Wis.1
2St. Lawrence271AtlanticLiberty LeagueCanton, N.Y.2
3Middlebury259New EnglandNESCACMiddlebury, Vt.4
4Washington (Mo.)249MidwestUAASt. Louis, Mo.10
5Calvin245Great LakesMIAAGrand Rapids, Mich.3
6MIT241New EnglandNEWMACCambridge, Mass.5
7Whitworth233WestNorthwestSpokane, Wash.6
8Nebraska Wesleyan221CentralIndependentsLincoln, Neb.12
9SUNY Geneseo215AtlanticSUNYACGeneseo, N.Y.9
10Williams214New EnglandNESCACWilliamstown, Mass.8
11Johns Hopkins197MideastCentennialBaltimore, Md.7
12Chicago179MidwestUAAChicago, Ill.DNQ
13Carleton171CentralMIACNorthfield, Minn.11
14Amherst167New EnglandNESCACAmherst, Mass.21
15UW Oshkosh162MidwestWIACOshkosh, Wis.13
16Haverford158MideastCentennialHaverford, Pa.30
17Claremont-Mudd-Scripps143WestSCIACClaremont, Calif.22
18Hope136Great LakesMIAAHolland, Mich.DNQ
19Dickinson135MideastCentennialCarlisle, Pa.18
19NYU135AtlanticUAANew York, N.Y.24
21Oberlin129Great LakesNCACOberlin, Ohio23
22St. Thomas (Minn.)125CentralMIACSaint Paul, Minn.DNQ
23Case Western Reserve98Great LakesUAACleveland, Ohio15
24Luther90CentralIIACDecorah, IowaDNQ
25UW Stevens Point80MidwestWIACStevens Point, Wis.DNQ
26Brandeis78New EnglandUAAWaltham, Mass.DNQ
27Wesleyan (Conn.)71New EnglandNESCACMiddletown, Conn.14
28Plattsburgh State65AtlanticSUNYACPlattsburgh, N.Y.DNQ
29Baldwin-Wallace64Great LakesOACBerea, Ohio29
30Rhodes45South/SoutheastSCACMemphis, Tenn.26
31Grove City35MideastPACGrove City, Pa.DNQ
32St. Olaf33CentralMIACNorthfield, Minn.27
33Occidental25WestSCIACLos Angeles, Calif.DNQ
34DePauw23Great LakesSCACGreencastle, Ind.20
35Emory15South/SoutheastUAAAtlanta, Ga.32
Others Receiving Votes: UW La Crosse 14, Gustavus Adolphus 12, Ithaca 11, Lynchburg 7, Elizabethtown 5, SUNY Cortland 3, Carnegie Mellon 1.