2011 UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame

OSHKOSH, Wis. (5/1/11) – The UW-Oshkosh Athletic Hall of Fame increased its roster to 163 members with the May 1 inductions of five former athletes at a ceremony held at UW-Oshkosh's Reeve Memorial Union.

The 2011 inductees were Richard Toby Bares, Dave Luedtke, Pat McDonald, Christina Southward and Holly Spoo.

The UW-Oshkosh Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1974 to give tribute and deserved recognition to former athletes, coaches and friends of the university. It is also intended to enhance school tradition by honoring those people who have shown exceptional ability while on the UW-Oshkosh campus and since graduation.

Not many people can say that they built an athletic program, but Richard Toby Bares can say he built the UW-Oshkosh men’s soccer program from scratch and turned it into a national powerhouse.

In 1984, Bares became the first head coach of the Titans. He then stayed for 26 years – the last 25 all featuring a winning record. His .755 winning percentage ranks ninth all-time in the NCAA Division III, while his 344 wins are the most in WIAC history. Over a span of 17 years, UW-Oshkosh made 11 postseason visits and reached the NCAA Division III Final Four three times.

Bares was named National Coach of the Year in 1994 as the Titans tallied an undefeated record of 18-0-3. UW-Oshkosh captured its first 14 matches of the year and finished with a scoring margin of 68 goals to 14. That run came to an end with a double-overtime tie to Bethany College (W.V.) in the NCAA Division III semifinal.

UW-Oshkosh made two other Final Four appearances under Bares, as he earned NSCAA Regional Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2003. The 2000 squad put together wins in 17 consecutive matches on its way to a 20-2 overall mark. During 2003, the Titans’ lone defeat came in their 22nd and final contest of the season. UW-Oshkosh recorded three postseason shutouts on its home field to reach the national semifinal.

There were four other seasons in which the Titans lost two matches or less. Bares led UW-Oshkosh to a 15-1-2 mark in 1988, 11-2-4 in 1990, 14-2-3 in 1991 and 17-2-1 in 1999. The 1999 version reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament – one of six teams to achieve a Sweet Sixteen berth under Bares.

With all the team success came individual accolades. Bares coached five NSCAA All-Americans, including 2000 National Player of the Year Scott Deopere. The Titans also had 33 players obtain a total of 50 NCAA Division III All-Region awards. Roberto Gutierrez (1993-95), Brad Haga (2001-03) and Will Howell (2007-09) each earned the distinction three times. Bares’ squads were consistently recognized with the NSCAA’s Team Academic Award, while seven Titans were named Academic All-Americans.

Bares served as president of the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association from 1991-92. The Merrill High School graduate has received 10 coaching awards from the WSCA, and he was inducted into its Hall of Fame this year. Bares is currently the assistant director of operations at UW-Oshkosh’s Student Recreation and Wellness Center.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree from UW-Stevens Point in 1976, Bares earned his master’s at Bowling Green State University (Ohio) in 1977. He and his wife, JoAnn, are the parents of daughters, Ellie and Katie, and son, Ricky.

If there’s one thing that former men’s tennis standout Dave Luedtke did well at UW-Oshkosh, it would have to be winning. He posted at least 30 total victories in each of his four collegiate seasons. And during his last two years as a Titan, Luedtke racked up 37 singles wins and 49 doubles triumphs.

Luedtke’s win count ended up at a nice round number, 150, when he graduated from UW-Oshkosh in 1983. Just four years later, Luedtke advanced to the NCAA Division I as Baylor University’s (Texas) women’s tennis coach. Not much changed there, as Luedtke’s Bears won 212 matches from 1987-02.

A man who never had a losing record in singles or doubles play, Luedtke began his UW-Oshkosh career in 1980. He compiled a 16-14 mark as an individual and an 18-15 ledger on the doubles courts. During his sophomore campaign, Luedtke went 16-12 and was a finalist in the first singles flight at the WIAC Championship. He also teamed up with Kevin Reichenberger to place third at the league meet in No. 1 doubles.

The Titans won the NAIA District 14 championship in 1982 as Luedtke continued to improve his game. He tallied a personal-best 19 singles wins and 25 doubles victories. The duo of Luedtke and Chris Weils captured the No. 1 conference title as well as the district doubles crown. Luedtke’s season was impressive enough to qualify him for the NAIA Championship in both the singles and doubles brackets. UW-Oshkosh also made its first appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament, with Luedtke qualifying for the doubles competition.

Luedtke hit all those benchmarks and more in his senior season of 1983. He boasted a winning percentage of .823 in doubles play and .600 in singles. As the team’s No. 1 singles player, Luedtke won the WIAC Championship and the NAIA District 14 title. He earned a spot in both the NAIA and NCAA Championships. Nationally, Luedtke ranked 21st in the NAIA and 23rd in the NCAA Division III.

With UW-Oshkosh ranked eighth in the country, Luedtke achieved a 24-5 record in doubles. He and Weils took home the top prize at both the league meet and the district championship. Luedtke’s doubles flight was ranked fourth in the Midwest Region, as it advanced to the NAIA meet and the NCAA Qualifier.

Luedtke changed roles from player to teacher, but he continued to gain national recognition. As Baylor University’s head coach, he made six consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division I Championship from 1996-2001. Along with his .603 winning percentage, Luedtke was named Southwest Region Coach of the Year in 1996, 1997 and 2000. He shared the Big 12’s Coach of the Year honor in 1997 after going 9-2 during conference play. Luedtke coached 10 league champions, along with one All-American singles player and doubles group.

Still living in Texas, Luedtke is the athletic director and a physical education teacher at Waco Montessori School. He and his wife, Cindi, have four children.

Pat McDonald not only made the NCAA Division III All-America Team three times, but he did it at three different positions. That versatility, along with his consistency, made McDonald the key to four WIAC baseball championships from 1986-89.

Most players would be thrilled with one season that features a .389 batting average, six home runs, 39 runs scored and 37 runs batted in. McDonald met or exceeded those totals during each season from 1987-89. Those impressive years make him just one of three WIAC players (all Titans) to earn the All-America distinction three times. McDonald was on the national team as a designated hitter in 1987, a third baseman in 1988 and an outfielder in 1989.

UW-Oshkosh made a trip to the NCAA Division III World Series in each of McDonald’s first three seasons. He appeared in 23 games and batted .361 as the Titans went 35-7 in 1986. UW-Oshkosh placed fourth in the country, but it would improve on that finish the next two years.

McDonald broke out in 1987, marking a .437 batting average with 42 runs batted in, and 41 runs scored in 41 games. That production was good enough to place him on the NCAA Division III All-America Third Team. The Titans’ 37-5 record included a 12-0 start to the season and a 21-game win streak late in the year. UW-Oshkosh lost a 13-12 heartbreaker in the national championship game to finish with the second-place trophy.

The 1988 squad finished second again, totaling 28 wins and eight losses. That year, McDonald crushed a personal-best nine home runs, to go along with a .389 batting average, 40 runs scored and 37 runs batted in. He earned the first of his back-to-back All-WIAC selections. In the Midwest Regional championship game, McDonald posted three hits and three RBI to lead the Titans to the NCAA Division III World Series.

During his senior season, McDonald was named Second Team All-America after hitting .413 with seven homers, 41 runs batted in, and 39 runs scored in 40 games. UW-Oshkosh won 28 times again, improving its overall record with McDonald to 128-32. Individually, he compiled 129 runs scored and 129 runs batted in while blasting 22 round-trippers. McDonald owns a career batting average of .409, the seventh-best mark in league history.

Remaining in the area, McDonald coached the Oshkosh Giants amateur baseball team in 1990. He then became a hockey coach in 1993, and he’s remained on the ice ever since. McDonald guided River Falls High School for five years, making an appearance in the WIAA State Tournament. At Wisconsin Rapids High School, McDonald has led his team to seven WIAA State Tournaments and four Wisconsin Valley Conference titles in 14 seasons. The 2003 Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association Coach of the Year is also the head boys golf coach.

McDonald, a graduate of Eau Claire North High School, and his wife, Doreen, have four children, Kaiden, Kennedy, Matt and Mitch.

Who says a volleyball player has to choose between being an attacker and a facilitator? Christina Southward was able to do both, and she remains the WIAC’s all-time leader in both hitting percentage (.436) and assists (6,122).

Southward was an All-WIAC First Team pick during all four of her seasons (1998-2001), making her one of two Titans to achieve that feat. In her sophomore campaign, Southward earned a spot on the NCAA Division III All-America Second Team. Her next two years, Southward was a First Team All-American as UW-Oshkosh won 62 of its 76 matches and placed ninth in the country twice.

Southward’s freshman season saw her rack up 222 kills, 280 digs and 1,333 assists. She would better those numbers in each of the next three years. Recording a hitting percentage of .378, Southward also booked 78 service aces in 37 matches.

The 1999 season was Southward’s first on the All-Midwest Region First Team. She posted 245 kills with a hitting mark of .464 that led the NCAA Division III. UW-Oshkosh registered nine consecutive wins late in the year to finish 20-14. Southward rounded out the season with 1,478 assists, 406 digs and 63 service aces.

Topping the nation once again, Southward compiled a .472 hitting percentage in 2000. The Titans obtained their first winning conference record in four years to reach postseason play. Capturing two tournament victories, UW-Oshkosh marked a record of 30-9. Southward’s All-American statistics included 305 kills, 74 service aces, 442 digs and a career-high 13.8 assists per game.

Southward concluded her run in style, winning WIAC Player of the Year and leading the Titans to the league title in 2001. UW-Oshkosh opened the year 11-0 en route to a 32-5 mark. During October, the Titans were victorious in all 17 of their contests. Southward booked personal bests in digs (506), kills (309) and service aces (106). She also compiled 1,465 assists and a .425 hitting percentage. The Titans won one match in the NCAA Division III Tournament to earn ninth place.

After her 508 career sets, Southward owns 1,634 digs, 1,081 kills and 321 service aces. Her hitting percentage ranks fourth in NCAA Division III history, while her assist figure stands eighth. During 2005, the NCAA celebrated 25 years of women’s championships and selected Southward as one of six players for its Silver Anniversary Volleyball Team.

Southward, a St. Anthony (Minn.) High School graduate, is a staff accountant at Trident Medical Center in North Charleston, S.C.

Holly Spoo may have played only three seasons at UW-Oshkosh, but in two of those years the Titans booked a 16-0 WIAC record. During Spoo’s first season in 1996, she was part of the 31-0 squad that captured the NCAA Division III Championship. To sum it all up, Spoo’s basketball career was just about perfect.

UW-River Falls was lucky enough to have Spoo during her freshman season, when she scored 20 points per game and made the All-WIAC First Team. Spoo then took her talents to UW-Oshkosh and won 80 games over the next three seasons. That 1996 campaign concluded with a 66-50 victory over Mount Union College (Ohio) for the national title inside Kolf Sports Center.

Spoo started all 27 games in 1997, recording averages of 13 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. She also knocked down 35 three-pointers, dished out 78 assists and grabbed 43 steals to make the all-league squad. UW-Oshkosh continued its impressive winning streak by opening the season 10-0. During a victory over UW-Superior, Spoo tallied a career-high 29 points. UW-Oshkosh finished 23-4 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

In her senior campaign, Spoo became just the second Titan to win WIAC Player of the Year. She was also named a First-Team All-American, one of five UW-Oshkosh players to earn the distinction. Spoo topped the nation with 89 percent free throw shooting, while racking up 408 points and a career-best 93 assists. She also established the school record by sinking 37 consecutive foul shots. Though the Titans lost their first and last games of 1998, they captured all 26 in between.

Spoo’s UW-Oshkosh career included 1,063 points, helping her rank as the 14th-leading scorer in WIAC history (1,582). With the Titans, she posted 235 rebounds, 231 assists, 127 steals and 94 3-point baskets.

One year after graduating, Spoo became an assistant women’s basketball coach at the University of Nebraska Omaha. She spent six years there while earning her master’s degree in exercise science. Spoo later served as an assistant coach at Wayne State College (Neb.) (2005) and UW-Milwaukee (2006).

Helping high school players reach their potential, Spoo is currently the director of Recruit Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Impact Basketball Club. The New Richmond High School graduate lives in Burlington.