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UW-Oshkosh Athletics Did You Know?

UW-Oshkosh Athletics Did You Know?

UW-Oshkosh's decorated athletics program concludes its celebration of NCAA Division III Week with a series of Did You Know?

This year's Division III Week (April 13-19) took place during an unprecedented time in our nation's history, but its purpose was to observe and celebrate the impact of athletics and of student-athletes on campus and in the surrounding community. 

The event was part of Division III's Identity Initiative, which was introduced in 2010 to sharpen the division's identity and to enable schools and conferences to more effectively explain why they prefer to compete in Division III. The initiative has been guided by a strategic-positioning platform, describing Division III as a place where student-athletes can "follow your passions and develop your potential" within an approach that combines rigorous academics, competitive sports and an opportunity to pursue other interests.

UW-Oshkosh's student-athletes, coaches, administrators and support staff have made a difference and we salute their achievements since the university was founded in 1871. Hail Titans!

Did You Know?

* UW-Oshkosh is the third-largest university in Wisconsin. The Titans are a NCAA Division III member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

* UW-Oshkosh's 19-sport NCAA Division III athletics program totals 604 student-athletes from 16 different states – California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

* UW-Oshkosh has sponsored 24 different intercollegiate athletics programs through the years, with the oldest currently being football (1893) and the youngest women's golf (1996). In addition to the 19 sports it currently sponsors, UW-Oshkosh previously sponsored men's golf, men's soccer, men's tennis, women's badminton and women's field hockey.

* Thirteen of UW-Oshkosh's 19 head coaches have been at the school five years or longer. Erin Coppernoll (women's soccer) is in her 16th season at UW-Oshkosh while Pat Cerroni (football) and Lauren Karnitz (women's gymnastics) are both in year 13.

* UW-Oshkosh head coaches Jon Ellmann (women's volleyball), Lauren Karnitz (women's gymnastics), Eamon McKenna (men's & women's cross country) and Liza Ruetten (women's golf) are all UW-Oshkosh graduates.

* UW-Oshkosh head coaches Lauren Karnitz and Eamon McKenna both competed for the Titans, Karnitz in gymnastics and McKenna in cross country and track & field. McKenna totaled four All-America awards, including three in track & field.

* The first of UW-Oshkosh's 32 NCAA Division III team titles was won by baseball in 1985. The Titans' most recent Division III title was won by men's basketball in 2019. UW-Oshkosh owns 47 national team titles overall.

* UW-Oshkosh ranks seventh in NCAA Division III history with its 32 national team championships. UW-Oshkosh has won national titles in nine sports, including nine championships in both women's indoor and outdoor track & field. 

* UW-Oshkosh has won three of its 32 NCAA Division III team titles at its home venue - 1994 Women's Indoor Track & Field and 1996 Women's Basketball in Kolf Sports Center and 2007 Women's Outdoor Track & Field at the Oshkosh Sports Complex. 

* In addition to winning 32 NCAA Division III team titles, UW-Oshkosh has also finished second in the country 31 times. The Titans' 63 first- or second-place Division III results have been compiled in 11 different sports.

* The Collegiate Women Sports Awards named UW-Oshkosh's Tiffany (Speckman) Ebensperger and Christy Cazzola as its NCAA Division III Honda Athlete of the Year in 1997 and 2014, respectively. Both Titans competed in cross country and track & field. 

* UW-Oshkosh's Kay Mikolajczak (basketball and outdoor track & field) was named one of the 2005 winners of the NCAA Top VII Award. She previously was selected as the 2004 winner of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Jostens Trophy. 

* UW-Oshkosh's Sarah Schettle (cross country, swimming & diving and track & field) was named one of nine finalists for the 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. Schettle was also one of two NCAA Sportsmanship Award winners in 2006. 

* UW-Oshkosh's Melissa Mueller (track & field) and Allison (Darragh) Pottinger (softball) both represented the United States in the Olympics. Mueller competed in the 2000 Summer Games (pole vault) and Pottinger in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games (curling).

* UW-Oshkosh's John Dewitt and Jordan Carpenter both won the Elite 90 Award at a NCAA Division III Championship twice. Dewitt earned the award in cross country (2011 & 2012) and Carpenter in outdoor track & field (2014) and cross country (2015). 

* UW-Oshkosh's Brett Kasper is the only NCAA Division III captain (2016) in the 28-year history of the Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team®. Kasper was also named the 2017 winner of the Division III Football Gagliardi Trophy. 

* Since the inception of the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America Program in 1952, 56 UW-Oshkosh student-athletes have combined for 79 Academic All-America awards, the second-highest total in the WIAC. The first CoSIDA Academic All-Americans from UW-Oshkosh were men's basketball players Joel Claasen and Ralph Sims from the 1977-78 season.

* UW-Oshkosh's Rodney Figueroa wrestled for Puerto Rico at the 1992 Summer Olympics and Casey Edwards was on the United States men's gymnastics team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

* Four UW-Oshkosh Titans have appeared in a NFL regular season game – Pahl Davis with the 1922 Green Bay Packers (7 games), Hal Robl with the 1923 Chicago Cardinals (7), Eber Simpson with the 1923 St. Louis All-Stars (7) and Milt Wilson with the 1921 Green Bay Packers (6).

* Three UW-Oshkosh Titans have been selected in the NFL Draft – Myles Strasser by the New York Jets in 1968 (17th round), Clair Rasmussen by the Houston Oilers in 1970 (14th) and Ron Cardo by the San Francisco 49ers in 1971 (10th). 

* Three UW-Oshkosh Titans have been selected in the NBA Draft – Ron Dibelius by the New York Knicks in 1961 (10th round), John Lallensack by the Chicago Bulls in 1968 (12th) and Tyree Vance by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1971 (16th).

* Eight UW-Oshkosh Titans have appeared in a MLB regular season game, including Jim Gantner (1,801 games with the Milwaukee Brewers from 1976-92). Gary Varsho also appeared in 571 contests, Jarrod Washburn 312, Jack Taschner 222 and Terry Jorgensen 91.

* 35 UW-Oshkosh Titans have been selected in the MLB Draft, including six (Dorian Boyland, Jeff Carl, Craig Henderson, Terry Jorgensen, Jack Taschner and Jarrod Washburn) in the second round. The Titans had a NCAA Division III-record five players selected in 1999.

* The first of UW-Oshkosh's 142 NCAA Division III individual titles was won by Paul Harris at the 1984 Men's Swimming & Diving Championship. His performance helped the Titans finish 27th in the team competition. Harris is still the only male swimming national champion in UW-Oshkosh history.

* UW-Oshkosh ranks fourth in NCAA Division III history with its 142 individual national championships. The Titans have won individual titles in eight sports, including 50 in women's outdoor track & field, 43 in women's indoor track & field and 19 in men's outdoor track & field.

* Ann Fink was the first UW-Oshkosh woman to win a NCAA Division III individual title (fourth overall). She accomplished the feat by winning the long jump with a leap of 19-2 1/4 at the 1989 Outdoor Track & Field Championship in Naperville, Ill. Fink also finished eighth in the 400-meter hurdles to help the Titans place second in the team standings.

* Christy Cazzola owns the most NCAA Division III individual titles in UW-Oshkosh history with 17. She won eight titles in both indoor and outdoor track & field and one in cross country. Robyn Jarocki ranks second to Cazzola with 10 titles, all in women's track & field.

* Track & field performers Matt Groose and Willy Kaul hold the UW-Oshkosh men's record for NCAA Division III individual titles with five apiece. Shannon King follows with four track & field titles.