UW-Oshkosh Athletics Hall of Fame To Increase Membership By Seven
UW-Oshkosh increases its Athletics Hall of Fame membership to 196 when seven former student-athletes are inducted during the school’s 44th Annual Hall of Fame & Senior Awards Banquet on Sunday, May 7.
This year’s induction class features baseball players Jeff Carl and Craig Lieder, men’s basketball player Brad Clark, wrestler Duane Fischer, men’s track & field athlete Michael Neumann, football player Brian Tomalak and women’s basketball player Amy (Wing) Barber.
Carl, a three-time All-WIAC South Division selection at shortstop from 1979-81, helped UW-Oshkosh to three consecutive conference titles before becoming the second-round selection of the Montreal Expos in the 1981 Major League Baseball (MLB) Amateur Draft following his junior season.
The Madison West High School graduate was selected 29th overall in the 1981 MLB Draft and remains the highest-drafted player in the storied history of the UW-Oshkosh baseball program, which has seen 52 players sign professional contracts with MLB-affiliated teams. The Titans produced a 74-21 record during his three seasons and twice advanced to the NCAA Division III World Series, finishing fourth in 1980 and third in 1981.
Carl earned All-America accolades for UW-Oshkosh in 1979 and 1981. In 1981, he hit .459 with 15 home runs and 63 runs batted in to cap his three-year career with a .382 batting average, 33 home runs, 125 runs batted in and 102 runs in 95 games played. Carl was named to the WIAC’s 28-member All-Centennial Baseball Team in 2012.
Clark concluded his UW-Oshkosh men’s basketball career as one of the most prolific scorers in program history. From 1997-2000, Clark tallied 1,692 points in 103 games to rank sixth on the school’s career scoring list. After averaging 10.4 points in a reserve role during his freshman season, Clark went on to lead the Titans in scoring and rebounding each of his last three years.
During Clark’s four seasons, UW-Oshkosh produced a 73-32 record and made NCAA Division III postseason appearances in both 1997 and 1998. Clark earned three All-WIAC first team awards after averaging 17.3 points and 5.9 rebounds in 1998, 18.0 points and 5.8 rebounds in 1999, and 19.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 2000.
Clark, a Markesan High School graduate, currently ranks second in WIAC history in free throws made (535) and seventh with a school-record .862 free throw percentage. He also holds the conference record by making all 24 attempts at the free throw line during a UW-Oshkosh win over UW-Eau Claire in 2000.
Fischer is one of the most decorated wrestlers in UW-Oshkosh history, winning WIAC titles in each of his last three seasons and capping his career with an All-America performance (third-place finish) at the 1986 NCAA Division III Championship.
The Merrill High School graduate claimed WIAC championships in the 190-pound weight class in 1984, 1985 and 1986. He is one of just two wrestlers in UW-Oshkosh history to win at least three conference titles. Fischer also helped the Titans to a second-place finish at the 1983 WIAC Championship and a third-place ranking in 1986.
Fischer, the lone UW-Oshkosh All-American at 190 pounds, concluded his career with a 118-19 record, including a 29-3 mark during his final season with the Titans.
Lieder was a three-time All-WIAC first team performer as a first baseman on the UW-Oshkosh baseball team from 1992-95. With Lieder batting in the middle of the lineup, UW-Oshkosh won the 1994 NCAA Division III World Series while finishing second at the event in 1993, third in 1995 and fifth in 1992.
The Milton High School alumnus transferred to UW-Oshkosh from the University of Wisconsin and currently ranks fifth in WIAC history with 42 career home runs and 176 runs batted in. His career totals also include a .337 batting average, 193 hits and 154 runs in 170 games played.
Lieder helped lead UW-Oshkosh to a 144-32 record, including marks of 41-4 on the way to the national title in 1994 and 39-5 during his senior campaign. Lieder, a three-time all-region selection, was tabbed an All-America first team selection in 1995 after batting .449 with 23 home runs, 73 runs batted in, and 66 runs scored in 44 games.
Neumann was the first UW-Oshkosh athlete to win a field event at a national men’s track & field championship. He earned the distinction by winning consecutive discus crowns at the 1989 and 1990 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships to cap a four-year career from 1987-90 that included six All-America awards.
Neumann, who was named to the WIAC’s All-Centennial Men’s Track & Field Team in 2012, earned four straight All-America citations in the discus by also producing a third-place effort in 1988 and a seventh-place finish in 1987. He remains one of just two Titans to achieve four All-America mentions in a single event during the outdoor season.
The Germantown High School graduate also secured a pair of All-America citations in the shot put by placing fourth at the national indoor meet and eighth at the outdoor championship in 1990. Neumann’s efforts helped UW-Oshkosh win the WIAC indoor title in 1989 and the WIAC outdoor championship in 1990. He also played a big part in the Titans finishing second at the 1990 national outdoor championship.
Tomalak remains the UW-Oshkosh record holder in career passing yards and touchdowns after an award-winning career as quarterback of the school’s football team from 1994-98. Tomalak was an All-WIAC first team selection in 1996 and 1997 and concluded his 36-game career with 8,983 yards and 83 touchdowns.
After playing just one game in 1994 and only five contests in 1995 due to injuries, Tomalak threw for 2,630 yards and 17 touchdowns during his sophomore season of 1996. He earned his second straight All-WIAC citation by throwing for 2,877 yards and 31 touchdowns in 1997 before closing his career with 2,589 passing yards and 26 scores in 1998. Tomalak’s 31 touchdown passes in 1997 still top the school’s record book while his 2,877 passing yards that season currently rank second in program history.
Tomalak, a Green Bay Notre Dame Academy graduate, threw for a school-record six touchdowns during a 1998 loss to UW-River Falls. He currently ranks fourth in WIAC history in career touchdown passes and sixth in career passing yards.
Wing helped the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team to three WIAC championships and three NCAA Division III postseason berths from 1991-95. The point guard piloted the Titans to an 89-19 record and an appearance in the 1995 national championship game against Capital University (Ohio).
The Oshkosh Lourdes Academy alumna still holds UW-Oshkosh records for both season (173) and career (465) assists while ranking 20th in school history with 1,039 points. Wing, a three-time All-WIAC first team selection, is among four UW-Oshkosh players to be chosen to the league’s top honor squad at least three times. Wing concluded her 106-game career averaging 9.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.5 steals.
Wing helped UW-Oshkosh to NCAA postseason visits and WIAC titles in 1991, 1994 and 1995. The Titans compiled a 24-3 record and advanced to the national quarterfinals in 1994 before producing a 28-3 mark and reaching the NCAA Division III championship game for the first time in school history in 1995, when Wing averaged 8.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.0 steals per contest.
This year's banquet will be held at UW-Oshkosh’s Alumni Welcome and Conference Center (625 Pearl Avenue). Festivities begin with a social from 4:15 - 4:45 p.m., followed by the banquet at 5 p.m.
UW-Oshkosh will also honor its seniors at the banquet. The event includes the presentation of the John Taylor Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards.
Banquet tickets are available at a cost of $23 per person. People may also sponsor a senior student-athlete’s dinner for $23. To purchase tickets or sponsor a senior student-athlete, please contact Tracy Nadolski at (920) 424-1383 or nadolskt@uwosh.edu. Tickets will be available until noon on May 1.
The UW-Oshkosh 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.