2002 UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame
OSHKOSH, Wis. (5/5/2002) – The UW-Oshkosh Athletic Hall of Fame increased its membership to 122 with the inductions of six former athletes at the Oshkosh Hilton Garden Inn on May 5.
The 2002 inductees were Stephanie (Bostwick) Resch, Chris Delarwelle, Sylvia (Johnson) Ferdon, Lisa Kirchenwitz, Dan Nekich and Kevin Reichardt.
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 campus and since graduation.
After beginning her collegiate career at NCAA Division I University of Minnesota, where she earned varsity letters in both women's indoor and outdoor track and field as a freshman, Stephanie Bostwick returned to her home state for her next three competitive seasons to compose a distinguished career while attending UW-Oshkosh.
Bostwick, a Brown Deer High School graduate, was a member of UW-Oshkosh women's track & field teams from 1990-92. She earned a total of six varsity letters for the Titans, competing both indoors and outdoors.
Her career at UW-Oshkosh is one that is decked with individual and team accolades, including four individual national titles, six All-America performances, five individual conference titles and two national team and five conference team championships.
During her first season at UW-Oshkosh, Bostwick helped the Titans to WIAC indoor and outdoor championships and the NCAA Division III national outdoor crown. After receiving All-America status with her fifth-place finish in the shot put at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championship, Bostwick helped the Titans to their first national team title in the sport later that year by finishing first in the shot put at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship. She won the first of her four national individual titles with a toss of 47-1.
In 1991, her junior campaign, Bostwick won WIAC indoor and outdoor titles in the shot put to help the Titans sweep both league championship crowns. At the national level, Bostwick finished second in the shot put indoors, while winning the event outdoors to help the Titans repeat as NCAA Division III champion. Her first-place effort in the shot put at the 1991 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship was 47-1 3/4.
Bostwick's final season at UW-Oshkosh was indeed her best. Competing at the WIAC Championships, Bostwick repeated her first-place performances of the previous season in the indoor and outdoor shot put events and added a first-place finish in the outdoor discus to her resume. Bostwick's titles at the WIAC Outdoor Championship gained her the meet's Outstanding Field Athlete Award, while her labor indoors helped the Titans to the league championship.
Nationally that year, Bostwick won her first indoor shot put title and claimed her third straight outdoor shot put championship. At the NCAA Division III Indoor Championship, Bostwick won the shot put with a toss of 46-1 1/4 to help the Titans finish second in the team standings for the third straight season. Competing at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship, her last performance as a member of the Titans, Bostwick won the shot put with a heave of 45-8. The Titans finished second in the team standings at the national outdoor meet that year after placing first the previous two seasons.
Bostwick, a 1994 UW-Oshkosh graduate, lives with her husband and child in Menomonee Falls, where she teaches elementary school physical education classes and serves as an assistant girls track and field coach at a high school in that city.
In the storied history of the UW-Oshkosh baseball program, few players have enjoyed the success and accolades of Chris Delarwelle.
The Southern Door High School graduate played in the infield for the Titans from 1987-90, and compiled statistics that still rank among the finest in UW-Oshkosh and NCAA Division III history. Delarwelle hit .404 during his 154-game UW-Oshkosh career with 206 runs batted in, 176 runs scored and 49 home runs. His home run count currently ranks fifth in NCAA Division III history, while his runs batted in total ranks 10th.
Delarwelle played in 40 games for UW-Oshkosh during his freshman season, hitting .408 with 12 home runs, 58 runs batted in and 44 runs scored. Delarwelle helped UW-Oshkosh compile a NCAA Division III record .411 batting average that season with 99 home runs. The trio also guided the Titans to a 37-5 record, a WIAC championship and a second-place finish at the NCAA Division III World Series.
In 1988, Delarwelle received All-WIAC first team honors after hitting .336 with eight home runs, 43 runs batted in and 37 runs scored. The Titans registered a 28-8 record that year, won the WIAC championship and finished second at the NCAA Division III World Series.
The following year, the 1989 campaign, Delarwelle hit .422 with 13 home runs, 54 runs batted in, and 50 runs scored, all team bests. His performance awarded him All-WIAC first team status and mention on the NCAA Division III All-America first team. The Titans went 28-12 that season and claimed another WIAC crown.
Delarwelle capped his UW-Oshkosh career with his finest season, a 1990 campaign that would see him receive All-WIAC first team, NCAA Division III All-America first team and NCAA Division III Player of the Year accolades. Delarwelle hit .444 with 16 home runs, 51 runs batted in and 45 runs scored, all team highs. The Titans recorded a 22-16 record with a second-place finish in the WIAC and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Division III World Series.
Following his senior campaign, Delarwelle was invited to try out for the United States National Baseball Team. He was one of only three NCAA Division III players to earn the prestigious invitation, and only the second player from UW-Oshkosh to ever be asked. Later that summer he signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Twins and spent the next three years playing in the minor leagues.
When his professional baseball career ended, Delarwelle returned to UW-Oshkosh as an assistant to head baseball coach Tom Lechnir. He coached with the Titans in 1995 and 1996 before landing duties as the head baseball coach at Oshkosh North High School in 1997 and 1998 and Wrightstown High School in 1999. He also was the girls junior varsity head basketball coach at Fall River High School in 2000 and 2001.
Still participating in sports, Delarwelle won a silver medal in men's fastpitch softball at the 1999 Pan Am Games and a bronze medal at the 2000 International Softball Congress World Championship, both as a member of the USA Men's Fastpitch Softball Association.
The 1990 UW-Oshkosh graduate resides in Kimberly, where he teaches mathematics at J.R. Gerritts Middle School.
Sylvia Johnson never had an off-season while competing for the Titans as one of the pioneers of women's athletics at UW-Oshkosh.
The Oconto High School graduate participated in four sports at UW-Oshkosh, playing basketball from 1965-67, field hockey from 1964-66, golf from 1965-68 and volleyball from 1964-67.
In 1966, Johnson was rewarded for her play in golf by receiving an invitation to compete at the National Collegiate Championship in Columbus, Ohio.
After graduating from UW-Oshkosh in 1968, Johnson held a variety of coaching and teaching positions but continued to hone her skills in golf. Among her early competitive accomplishments were a first-place finish at the 1972 Palm Beach County (Fla.) Amateur Championship and a second-place finish at the 1975 Florida State Amateur Championship.
In 1977, Johnson qualified for the LPGA Tour and was an active member through 1982. Her highest professional finish was a 13th-place standing at the 1979 LPGA Championship held in Denver, Colo. In 1983, Johnson played the professional circuit in Europe.
From 1973-94, Johnson held a variety of positions related to the game of golf. Among them were head women's golf coach at NCAA Division I Florida State University in 1974 and 1975, and assistant golf professional occupations at Brown County Golf Course in Oneida, April Sound Golf Resort in Conroe, Texas, and Baypoint Golf Resort in Panama City, Fla. While serving as a part-time lecturer at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, from 1984-94, Johnson spent her summers as the head teaching professional at Peninsula State Golf Course in Fish Creek.
In 1994, Johnson was named head women's golf coach at NCAA Division I Baylor University. Now in her eighth season guiding the Bears, Johnson and her squad have compiled numerous top-10 finishes, including a fourth-place standing at the Big 12 Conference Championship held just two weeks ago in Manhattan, Kansas. Baylor University is currently ranked 33rd in latest GOLFSTAT national rankings and will be making its third straight appearance in NCAA Division I regional competition this coming weekend. The Bears are seeded 10th in the 21-team Central Regional of the 2002 NCAA Division I Championship, the school's highest post-season ranking ever.
Johnson is not only a gifted player and coach, but an excellent educator as well. Johnson used her love for golf as a basis for her master's thesis, an exit paper entitled, "A Coaching Application Of The Use Of Imagery To Enhance The Performance Of A Collegiate Golfer." Johnson has also co-authored a teaching text for college level classes entitled, "Play Golf Effectively." This text is still popular in the beginning and intermediate golf classes at Baylor University and several other colleges. In 1990, she received her Class A Teaching Professional status from the LPGA.
Johnson, the 2000 Big 12 Conference Women's Golf Coach of the Year, and her husband live in Waco.
Last appearing on the hardwood floor for the Titans in 1991 when she received NCAA Division III All-America first team honors, Lisa Kirchenwitz is still recognized today as one of the most prolific scorers in UW-Oshkosh and WIAC women's basketball history.
Kirchenwitz counted 1,699 points for the Titans from 1987-91, with an absence in 1990 due to an injury. Her career scoring output is currently the second-highest figure in UW-Oshkosh history and the sixth-highest mark in WIAC annals.
In addition to her 1,699 points, Kirchenwitz also ended a 95-game UW-Oshkosh career with 607 rebounds and 133 assists. The four-year starter tallied 30 or more points in a game five times, including a career-best 40 against UW-River Falls on Feb. 9, 1991. That scoring performance against the Falcons currently ranks second in UW-Oshkosh and third in WIAC history. Her 19 field goals in that game still stands as a WIAC record.
Kirchenwitz's finest season came as a senior in 1991, when she received NCAA Division III All-America and All-WIAC first team accolades after leading the Titans to a 21-5 record, a WIAC championship and a berth in the "Sweet Sixteen" of the NCAA Division III Tournament. Kirchenwitz averaged a WIAC-leading 20.9 points per game that season while averaging 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest. In addition to her 40-point game against UW-River Falls that season, Kirchenwitz also scored 37 points in the Titans' 83-73 win over NCAA Division II UW-Parkside on Dec. 9, 1990.
Following graduation from Freedom High School in 1986, Kirchenwitz attended UW-Oshkosh and became an immediate impact player for the school's women's basketball program. In 1987, her freshman season, Kirchenwitz averaged 14.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for a UW-Oshkosh team that posted a 14-9 record.
The following year, Kirchenwitz helped the Titans to a 17-7 record and landed All-WIAC first team accolades after averaging 18.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest.
In 1989, Kirchenwitz had another outstanding season, receiving All-WIAC first team honors after averaging 17.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Highlighting her individual performances that year was a 37-point performance against UW-Stout on Dec. 12, 1988. Kirchenwitz and the Titans went 16-8 that season under first-year head coach Kathi Bennett.
The 1995 UW-Oshkosh graduate currently lives in Milwaukee, where she is the quality director at Joseph Campione Incorporated in Oak Creek.
Dan Nekich developed his own niche in becoming one of the most decorated performers in the history of the UW-Oshkosh men's gymnastics program.
Nekich competed in men's gymnastics at UW-Oshkosh from 1979-82, helping the Titans to NAIA national championships all four years and NCAA Division II national titles the last three. But it was during the 1981 and the 1982 seasons that the Franklin High School graduate compiled all of his individual awards, prizes that included 11 national titles and 21 All-America mentions.
In 1981, Nekich led the Titans to the NAIA national championship by winning the all-around competition and the parallel bars event. His performance at the meet, which also included a third-place finish in the floor exercise, a fourth-place finish on the still rings and a fifth-place finish on the horizontal bar, gained him NAIA Gymnast of the Year honors.
Participating at the NCAA Division II Championship in 1981, Nekich led the Titans to another national title with his first-place finish in the all-around competition. Nekich capped his junior campaign by being invited to participate at the NCAA Division I Championship in the all-around competition.
In 1982, the accolades increased for Nekich as he again led the Titans to NAIA and NCAA Division II national titles. At the NAIA Championship, Nekich won the all-around competition and the horizontal bar, pommel horse and still rings events. His performance at the NCAA Division II Championship included first-place finishes in the all-around competition and the horizontal bar, parallel bars and pommel horse events. Duplicating the conclusion of his previous season, Nekich finished his senior campaign and his collegiate career by participating in the all-around competition at the NCAA Division I Championship.
Following graduation from UW-Oshkosh in 1983, Nekich worked in the Admissions Office at the school from 1983-85 before accepting a position with Animed Computer Systems. Since 1990, Nekich has been employed by the Case Corporation.
In an effort to give back to the community, Nekich spent four years as a volunteer for Junior Achievement. He also served as vice chairman of the Milwaukee Chapter's American Association of Individual Investors.
Today, Nekich, his wife and three children reside in Libertyville, Ill.
During his four years as an athlete and eight as an assistant coach, Kevin Reichardt played a major role in helping build the UW-Oshkosh baseball program into a powerhouse at the conference and national level.
Reichardt played in the infield for the UW-Oshkosh baseball team from 1984 -87, helping the Titans to a 136-24 record, one NCAA Division III championship, four NCAA Division III World Series appearances and four WIAC titles. Serving as an assistant to head baseball coach Tom Lechnir from 1989-96, Reichardt aided UW-Oshkosh's compilation of a 256-81 record, one NCAA Division III championship, seven NCAA Division III World Series appearances and seven WIAC crowns.
Reichardt arrived on the UW-Oshkosh campus from Appleton East High School in 1983 and played both football and baseball for the Titans during his freshman and sophomore seasons.
As a freshman quarterback, Reichardt backed up starter Mark Baalke and completed 32 of 60 passes for 462 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 84 yards and two scores.
Reichardt played in 34 games during his freshman baseball season at UW-Oshkosh, hitting .345 with six home runs, 19 runs batted in, 41 runs scored and 21 stolen bases. UW-Oshkosh posted a 27-9 record that season, claimed the WIAC championship and placed fourth at the NCAA Division III World Series.
Returning to play football in the fall, Reichardt directed the Titans' wishbone offense as the starter and compiled 249 yards rushing and one touchdown. He also completed 24 of 62 passes for 218 yards and one score.
Reichardt went back to the baseball diamond in the spring and became not only a conference champion, but a national champion as well. The Titans compiled a 37-3 record en route to winning their first NCAA Division III national title and their seventh straight WIAC championship. Reichardt received NCAA Division III All-America second team honors during that 1985 season after hitting .366 with four home runs, 48 runs scored, 30 runs batted in and 27 stolen bases.
Reichardt focused strictly on baseball the next two years and helped UW-Oshkosh to a 35-7 record and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division III World Series in 1986 and a 37-5 record and a second-place finish at the NCAA Division III World Series in 1987. In 1986, Reichardt hit .350 with six home runs, 34 runs scored and 27 runs batted in, while in 1987 he received NCAA Division III All-America and All-WIAC first team accolades after hitting .396 with 19 home runs, 77 runs scored and 58 runs batted in. Reichardt helped UW-Oshkosh compile a NCAA Division III record .411 batting average in 1987 with 99 home runs.
After concluding a 144-game career at UW-Oshkosh with a .367 batting average, 200 runs scored, 134 runs batted in, 82 stolen bases and 35 home runs, Reichardt became a 22nd-round draft pick of the Seattle Mariners in 1987. After playing two seasons of minor league baseball, including one as a teammate of the Cincinnati Reds' Ken Griffey Jr., Reichardt returned to UW-Oshkosh to finish his education and coach baseball.
Today, the 1989 UW-Oshkosh graduate lives with his wife and three children in Appleton, where he teaches special education classes at Appleton East High School.