Campus Connection

UWL athletic teams finished off another strong season

Baseball UWL finished 28-15 overall and 19-5 in the WIAC in 2019. The Eagles placed second in the WIAC during the regular season and advanced to the league tournament championship game. UWL finished 17-6 in home games this season at Copeland Park. Ten players were named to the All-WIAC Team, including five to the first team. Junior Zach Pronschinske was selected the WIAC Pitcher of the Year, becoming the fourth player in school history to earn the honor. He was also named the D3baseball.com Midwest Region Pitcher of the Year and named to the D3baseball.com All-America Second Team. Seniors Nate Heili and Mason McMahon, along with juniors Brennan Schmitt and Carson Youngquist were also named to the All-WIAC First Team along with Pronschinske. Softball UWL finished 29-20 overall and 8-6 in the WIAC in 2019. The Eagles won the 2019 WIAC Tournament title to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships. It was UWL’s third tournament title (2009, 2010, 2019) in school history. UWL captured the Pella, Iowa Regional Title to advance to the NCAA Division III Super Regionals for the first time in school history. The Eagles made their sixth (1986, 2009-11, 2017, 2019) appearance in the NCAA Division III Championships. Senior Caitlyn Hughes, sophomores Mia Schmidtke and Sydne Shattuck and freshman Kendra Leis were named to the 2019 All-WIAC First Team. UWL also earned the 2019 WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award. Women’s Outdoor Track & Field UWL won its eighth straight WIAC title and league-record 34th in school history on May 3-4. The Eagles won three individual and one relay title while also recording five second-place and seven third-place finishes. UWL earned the 2019 WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year award. Sophomore Savannah Rygiewicz was named the WIAC Track Performer of the Meet after winning the 100 and 200-meter dashes at the league championships. She was also on the Eagles’ winning 4x100-meter relay. Rygiewicz is the eighth UWL student-athlete to earn the WIAC Track Performer of the Meet at the outdoor league championships. UWL tied for 37th at the NCAA Division III Championships as Betsy Schreier and Skye Digman each earned All-America honors. Schreier was fourth in the triple jump while Digman placed seventh in the shot put. Men’s Outdoor Track & Field UWL won its 29th straight WIAC title and league-record 55th in school history May 3-4. The Eagles won five individual conference titles while recording five, second-place finishes and four, third-place finishes. UWL earned the 2019 WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year award. Head coach Josh Buchholtz was selected the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Midwest Region Outdoor Coach of the Year. UWL finished 18th at the NCAA Division III Championships as seven student-athletes earned All-America honors. Josh Koenecke placed fourth in the 100-meter dash while Jacob Teunas was fifth in the triple jump and Charlie Handrick seventh in the 400-meter hurdles. The 4x400-meter relay of Collin Meyer, Will Seeser, Joshua Desorcy and Jake Sullivan earned NCAA III All-America honors with a fifth-place finish. Women’s Tennis UWL completed its 2018-19 season with an overall record of 15-5, winning eight of its last nine matches. The Eagles fell in the semifinals of the WIAC Automatic Qualifying Tournament for the NCAA Division III Championships. UWL placed second at the 2018 WIAC Championships in the fall with junior Maura Andersen and freshman Kaitlyn Kalinka winning the No. 3 doubles title. Senior Hayley Clope (No. 2), senior Sadie Spahn (No. 3), Andersen (No. 4) and junior Shira Busch (No. 6) each placed second in singles at the league championships. The Eagles finished 120-43 overall in singles play in 2018-19, a .736 winning percentage. UWL went 56-29 in doubles, a .659 winning percentage. Men’s Tennis UWL finished 9-9 in 2018-19. The Eagles went 68-49 (.581) in singles play and 36-21 (.632) in doubles competition. It was announced in April that UWL would be joining the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) as affiliate members starting in the 2019-20 academic year. UWL joins UW-Eau Claire, UW-Whitewater, State University of New York at Oneonta, Ramapo College (N.J.), Rutgers University-Camden (N.J.), Rutgers University-Newark (N.J.) and The College of New Jersey in the NJAC. Women’s Golf UWL completed its 2018-19 season competing in three tournaments during the spring portion of its schedule. UWL placed third out of seven teams at the season-ending Saint Mary’s University (Minn.) Spring Invitational. Hannah Ottevaere tied for fourth while Maija Tanberg tied for sixth. UWL, led by head coach David Taebel, completed its first season of varsity competition since 1982-83. Women's golf was a varsity sport at UWL from 1970-71 through 1982-83. It was suspended at the conclusion of the 1982-83 season and became a club sport.