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Football

All-WIAC Football Team Includes Four Titans

UW-Stout, the 2000 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion, landed seven players on the All-WIAC First Team, while UW-River Falls had six players named to the 28-member squad, which was recently selected by conference coaches. UW-Stout's Jeff Hazuga was selected the WIAC Player of the Year, while his coach, Ed Meierkort, was named the George Chryst Coach of the Year.

UW-Stout, which won its first conference title since 1965, landed four players on the First Team Defense. The Blue Devil defense ranked first in the WIAC in yards (251.0/g), scoring (15.1), rushing (56.7/g) and turnover margin (2.30/g). The Blue Devils will be making their first-ever NCAA Division III playoff appearance on Saturday, Nov. 18 against St. John's (Minn.). Leading the tenacious Blue Devil defense is senior defensive lineman Jeff Hazuga, who was named the WIAC Player of the Year. He is the first Blue Devil to win the honor since 1980 when Tom Paulus won the award. Hazuga, a unanimous selection to the First Team, leads the WIAC in tackles for loss (24-120 yards) and sacks (11.5). He also has three fumble recoveries on the season.

Joining Hazuga on the First Team Defense were Tony Beckham, Steve Miller and Eric Lund. Beckham, a senior defensive back, was a unanimous selection and has totaled 35 tackles, 11 pass break-ups and one interception. Miller, a senior linebacker, is second on the team with 66 tackles and has added 11 tackles for loss, four fumble recoveries, three interceptions and 3.5 sacks. He was an All-WIAC Honorable Mention selection last season. Lund, a senior linebacker, currently has 46 tackles, ten tackles for loss, three interceptions, three pass break-ups, three fumble recoveries and two sacks. He was an All-WIAC Second Team selection the past two seasons.

The Blue Devils placed three players on the First Team Offense. Kevin McCulley was named to the First Team as kicker and punter. He was a unanimous selection as a kicker. McCulley has averaged 41.8 yards/punt this season, including a school-record 82-yard bomb against UW-River Falls. He is 30-32 on PATs this season and 14-28 on field goals, while averaging 7.2 points/g. McCulley was an All-WIAC First Team selection at kicker and punter last season and was named Football Gazette All-West Region Second Team. Also garnering unanimous selection was senior offensive lineman Jeff Hutter. He was an All-WIAC Second Team selection last season. Freshman Luke Bundgaard joins his senior teammates on the First Team. Bundgaard, a running back, has averaged 123.8 yards/g rushing this season, while adding 11 touchdowns and 79 receiving yards.

UW-River Falls had four players named to the offensive squad and two players named to the defensive squad. Cory Mueller, Mark Sheperdson and Andrew Kruger spearheaded an offense that established a new school season rushing record with 403.4 yards/g. The Falcons have led the NCAA Division III in rushing six times since 1986 and have led the WIAC in rushing in conference games since 1973. Mueller, a senior quarterback, led the WIAC in passing efficiency (169.2), while ranking eighth in total offense (128.6/g) and ninth in rushing (65.9/g). Sheperdson, a senior running back, ranked fifth in the WIAC in scoring (7.2/g), eighth in rushing (67.7/g) and ninth in all-purpose yards (81.5/g). Kruger, a senior fullback, ranked fifth in the WIAC in rushing (75.3/g) and ninth in scoring (4.8/g). Mike Snowberry, a senior center, also garnered First Team honors for the Falcons.

Defensively, Brian Katlack and Brett Kohler were named to the First Team for the Falcons. Katlack, a senior defensive back, finished second on the team in tackles with 62 and added two tackles for loss and one interception. He was named All-WIAC Honorable Mention in 1998. Kohler, a junior defensive lineman, finished the season with 25 tackles, four tackles for loss and .5 sacks.

UW-La Crosse, which recorded a winning season for the 30th time in the last 31 years, landed five players on the First Team. Offensively, the Eagles were led by senior tight end Jeff Kostrewa, who ranked fourth in the WIAC in receiving yards (62.8/g) and fifth in receptions (4.2/g), while racking up a team-leading 628 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions. Kostrewa was an All-WIAC Second Team selection last season. Joining Kostrewa on the First Team was senior wide receiver Nick Wagner. In only six games this season due to a season-ending injury, Wagner totaled 31 receptions for 305 yards and three touchdowns. He was named All-WIAC First Team last season.

Defensively for the Eagles, Colin Peterson, Brian Portilia and Jon Walters were named to the First Team. Walters, a unanimous selection, ranked second in the WIAC in tackles for loss (22) and sacks (9), while adding 51 tackles. The senior defensive lineman was named All-WIAC Second Team last season. Portilia, a junior defensive back, led the league in interceptions with nine and added 34 tackles on the season. He tied the school career interception record with 20. Portilia was named All-WIAC First Team and Football Gazette All-West Region Second Team last season. Peterson, a senior linebacker, finished second on the team in tackles with 67.

UW-Whitewater, which posted its 13th non-losing season in 15 years, placed three players on the First Team. Senior Jake Wolter was a unanimous selection at defensive back. Wolter, who was an All-WIAC Second Team selection last season after being named All-WIAC First Team in 1998, was named to the Football Gazette All-West Region First Team last season. He finished second in the WIAC in tackles (10.2/g) and third in interceptions with six. In addition, Wolter owns the school career interception record with 20. Dan Flanagan, a sophomore defensive lineman, finished the season with 39 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks and one interception. Jeff Krauss, a sophomore offensive lineman, helped the Warhawks average 190.6 yards/g on the ground this season.

UW-Eau Claire's Darrell Souhrada, Chad Crutchley and Bob Schmidt were named to the First Team. Darrell Souhrada, a junior running back, broke the school's single season rushing total with 1,637 yards this season. He led the league in rushing (158.8/g) and all-purpose yards (163.9/g), while finishing second in scoring (8.4/g). The unanimous selection broke an 18-year conference record for most carries in a game with 51 against UW-Platteville. The old mark was 50 carries in 1982 by Bill Schmitz of Eau Claire. Souhrada was named All-WIAC First Team and Football Gazette All-West Region Third Team last season. Crutchley, a sophomore all-purpose back, ranked fourth in the league in punt returns (6.1 yards/g), fifth in kickoff returns (21.1 yards/g), sixth in all-purpose yards (94.2/g) and tenth in receiving yards (44.4/g). Schmidt, a junior offensive lineman, was a unanimous selection and was named All-WIAC Honorable Mention last season.

UW-Stevens Point's Dillon Maney, Paul Schmit and Paul Steffeck were named to the First Team. Maney, a sophomore linebacker, ranked third in the WIAC in tackles (9.7/g) and snared two interceptions on the season. Schmitt, a junior defensive lineman, recorded 49 tackles, 12 tackles for losses of 48 yards and four sacks. Steffeck, a junior offensive lineman, was an All-WIAC Honorable Mention selection last season.

Troy Gagner represented UW-Platteville on the First Team as a wide receiver. Gagner, a senior, set the school record for receiving yards in a season with 887. He led the WIAC in receiving yards (88.7/g) and receptions (5.4/g), while ranking seventh in all-purpose yards (91.6/g) and ninth in scoring (4.2/g). Gagner also had seven touchdown receptions on the season.

Named to the Second Team Offense were: UW-Eau Claire's Marshall Disrude (Sr., C, Milton) and Jerod Wollan (Sr., WR, River Falls); UW-La Crosse's Luke DesJarlais (Sr., Punter, Menasha), Dustin Dunaway (Sr., OL, Appleton/East), Jedediah Jenson (Fr., Kicker, Madison/La Follette), Andrew Mocadlo (Fr., RB, Wisconsin Rapids/Lincoln), Barry Oertel (Sr., OL, Waukesha/Wisconsin Lutheran), Jeremy Unertl (Jr., All-Purpose, Theresa/Lomira) and Andrew Youngbauer (Sr., QB, Berlin); UW-Oshkosh's Mike Vielehr (Sr., WR, Schaumburg, Ill.); UW-River Falls' Nick Scribner (Sr., RB, Clayton/Prairie Farm); UW-Stout's Eric Baker (Jr., FB, Sarona/Spooner) and Derek Branch (Sr., OL, New Brighton, Minn./Mounds View); UW-Whitewater's Chris Korff (Sr., TE, Sheboygan Falls), Steve Tenhagen (Jr., WR, Burlington) and Chad Wurth (Fr., RB, Monona/Monona Grove).

Named to the Second Team Defense were: UW-Eau Claire's Brad Gawronski (So., LB, Reedsburg/Webb) and Jay Hoyord (Jr., DB, Scandinavia/Iola-Scandinavia); UW-La Crosse's Troy Coonen (Sr., DL, Ashwaubenon) and Ben Johnson (Sr., DB, Dodge Center, Minn./Triton); UW-Oshkosh's Keith Kamps (Jr., DB, Crivitz), Rick Lewandowski (Jr., DL, Milwaukee/Madison) and Louis Singleton (Sr., LB, Vallejo, Calif./Hogan); UW-River Falls' Nick Basham (Jr., DL, Osceola) and Mike Hayward (Jr., LB, Rochester, Minn./Mayo), UW-Stout's Eric Moe (So., DB, Hixton/Whitehall), Chad Reichelt (Sr., DL, Appleton/Fox Valley Lutheran) and Jamie Spielman (So., LB, Menomonie); and UW-Whitewater's Peter Katz (Jr., DL, Manitowoc/Roncalli).