1994 UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame
OSHKOSH, Wis. (5/1/1994) – The UW-Oshkosh Athletic Hall of Fame increased its membership to 89 as three former athletic standouts were inducted during a ceremony held May 1 in Oshkosh.
The 1994 inductees were Joel Claassen, Rick Gruber and Joan Handziak.
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 such exceptional ability while on the campus and since graduation.
Few players have ever done what Joel Claassen did on the basketball court while he played at UW-Oshkosh. Even fewer have ever achieved the success he has from the sidelines as a coach.
The Milwaukee native spent his first two years of college at Kent State University (Ohio), where he attended on a basketball scholarship. He started as a freshman for the Golden Flashes, but by the end of his sophomore season he felt a change was in order.
In 1977, Claassen came to UW-Oshkosh and rediscovered a new love for the game. In his first season as a member of the Titans, Claassen teamed with UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame member Ralph Sims and current UW-Oshkosh head men's basketball coach Ted Van Dellen to lead the Titans to an 18-10 record and the WSUC championship.
The following year, Claassen received All-WSUC and NAIA All-District 14 honors and was chosen the team’s most valuable player and captain after leading the Titans in scoring by averaging 19.3 points per game. Claassen also set the UW-Oshkosh single-game scoring record that season when he tossed in 48 points in a contest in Kolf Sports Center against Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. He concluded his playing career at UW-Oshkosh with 799 points.
After his outstanding collegiate career ended, teaching and coaching were the focus of Claassen's competitive drive. Today, when he's not teaching his students Sociology of American History in the classroom at Milwaukee Pius Xi High School, he's making history with them on the basketball court.
In 10 seasons as the head girls basketball coach at Milwaukee Pius XI High School, Claassen has led the Lady Popes to a 247-10 record, 10 conference championships and nine state championships. His teams also hold state records for consecutive wins at 92 and consecutive conference wins at 145. The Lady Popes have been ranked nationally 10 consecutive years, including a No. 3 ranking in 1990. Claassen was also honored as UW-Oshkosh's recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.
When the subject of UW-Oshkosh wrestling comes up, the name Rick Gruber cannot be far behind. After a standout high school career in Campbellsport, Gruber continued his winning ways on the college level and went on to become the winningest wrestler in UW-Oshkosh history with a 131-13 record.
Gruber came to UW-Oshkosh in 1980 and established himself early. He compiled a 32-3 record, won the WSUC title, won the NCAA Division III Midwest Region title and finished fourth at the NCAA Division III Championship to earn All-America honors.
As a sophomore, Gruber had another dream season as he collected the WSUC and NCAA Division III regional championships and helped the Titans to their first league wrestling title. He also received All-America honors by finishing second in the NCAA Division III Championship. He concluded the season with a 32-1 record.
In his last two seasons, Gruber added to his collection with two more conference championships, a regional championship and two additional All-America titles. He finished third at the NCAA Division III Championship as a junior and fifth as a senior in 1984, the year he was named the Outstanding Wrestler in the WSUC. He tallied a 33-3 record in 1983 and a 34-6 record in 1984.
Gruber has also been able to pass on some of his wrestling expertise. He served as an assistant wrestling coach at Oshkosh North High School from 1984-87. He also coached wrestling at Merrill Middle School from 1985-87.
When Joan Handziak came to UW-Oshkosh in 1978, she was ahead of her time. In fact, she was ahead of most people's time. After a stellar high school track and field career in Franklin, Handziak came to UW-Oshkosh and became a standout distance runner and helped pave the way for what would soon become a highly successful women's cross country and track & field program.
Recruited heavily by several colleges, Handziak chose UW-Oshkosh because of its nursing program. She immediately made an impact in both sports and was chosen team captain in track & field in 1980 and 1981. By the time she graduated, Handziak held five UW-Oshkosh women's track & field records.
Cross country was another chance for Handziak to shine. Handziak served as a team captain in 1981 and 1982 and was a dominating force on UW-Oshkosh's 1982 team that competed in the NCAA Division III Championship. That same season, Handziak was not only a member of UW-Oshkosh's first team entry at the NCAA Division III Championship but she also became UW-Oshkosh's first NCAA Division III All-American in cross country when she finished 18th in the country. Also in 1982, Handziak was named Scholar-Athlete in the WWIAC.
Following graduation from UW-Oshkosh, Handziak continued to pursue her love of running. She participated in road races and marathons throughout Wisconsin, consistently placing among the top finishers.