Campus Connection

Dual champs

Track teams earn epic titles; women repeat outdoors

The finish was historic for the UWL men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams at the NCAA III championships in Birmingham, Alabama, in March. Both brought home national titles — the first time in D-III history that one university swept both championships.

And to follow up, the women’s outdoor team took national honors in May, edging out Loras College by 9.5 points. The men’s team placing second, behind MIT in Rocheser, New York.

The three titles mean UWL has a combined 74 national championships.

"At UWL, it's not a dream, or a hope, at a national championship. It's an expectation," individual 3,000-meter run indoor national champion Ethan Gregg said. "Every day, that's how we train, that's how we operate and that's how we execute."

See photos from the indoor competition.

See details about the men’s win.

See details about the women’s win.

Earned excitement

The UWL women’s track and field team’s 4 x 400m relay team shows enthusiasm following a school record at the NCAA III Indoor National Championships. The realy includes, from left, Emily Dawidowich, Manitowoc; Mara Schroeder, Green Bay/Ashwaubenon; Melanie Kunze, Abbotsford; and Morgan Jennings, Davenport, Iowa.

It was a historic finish for both the women’s and men’s indoor track and field teams in Birmingham, Alabama, March 11, as they swept titles — the first time in D-III history that one university took both honors.

The two titles mean UWL has a combined 73 national championships among all its athletics teams

Photo by Sashi Popke.

Sazama to lead volleyball

Deb Sazama is the new head volleyball coach.

Sazama completed her first season as the Eagles' assistant coach and special assistant to the director of Athletics in 2022-23. 

She’s a familiar face on campus. She was a UWL Exercise Sport Science Department faculty member from 2014-22, serving as associate chair in 2021-22.

See more about Sazama.

Yewah named to national wrestling hall of fame

Former wrestler Bebeto Yewah, ’12, has been named to the 2023 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III Hall of Fame class. 

The Lansing, Michigan, native earned three NCAA III All-America honors at UWL.

He captured two national titles, at 133 pounds in 2010 and 141 pounds in 2011, while placing second at 141 pounds in 2012. 

Yewah took three WIAC titles, earning the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the conference championships in ’11 and ’12. His overall record was 89-8.

A member of three WIAC championship teams (2009-11), the Eagles placed in the top-four at the NCAA III championships in each of Yewah's four years. The Eagles were second in 2010, third in 2009 and 2011 and fourth in 2012.

He just completed his first season as UWL’s assistant wrestling coach.

See more about Yewah.

WIAC adds men's tennis, women's lacrosse championships

The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is adding men's tennis and women's lacrosse for 2023-24. 

Men's tennis returns after being discontinued in 1995, and after first being held in 1955.

Programs scheduled to compete for the 2024 title are league full-time members UWL, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater, along with affiliate members Ramapo College (N.J.), Rutgers University-Camden (N.J.), State University of New York-Oneonta and The College of New Jersey.

All eight have previously competed under the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Competition will occur in spring. 

The WIAC will award its first women's lacrosse champion in spring 2024. Teams expected to play are WIAC full-time members UWL, UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Stout, along with affiliate members Colorado College and Southwestern University (Texas). 

The addition of the two sports puts the WIAC's championship offerings to 13 for women and 10 for men.

Eagles earn WIAC All-Sports nods

UWL earned a pair of Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Sports Awards for 2022-23. The Eagles won the combined award while the men's teams took the title and women’s teams placed second.

The combined award is the fourth consecutive, 10th overall and sixth in the last 10 seasons. The Eagles totaled 88 points, ahead of second-place UW-Whitewater at 86.5.

The men’s title is the 23rd overall, fourth straight and seventh in the last nine seasons. The men took first place in cross country, football, wrestling, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field, accumulating 36.5 points ahead of UW-Whitewater at 31.

The women placed second with 45.5 points after winning league titles in soccer, cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field. The Eagles have won eight women’s WIAC All-Sports Awards, including four of the last five. UW-Whitewater took this year's honors with 51 points.

2022-23 TEAM FINISHES 

NCGA = National Collegiate Gymnastics Association

NJAC = New Jersey Athletic Conference