2001 UW-Oshkosh Women's Cross Country News

Hardtke, Marx Chosen Verizon Academic All-America

Two UW-Oshkosh student-athletes, both first-time honorees, have been named to the 2002 Verizon College Division Academic All-America Women's Track and Field/Cross Country Teams.

UW-Oshkosh student-athletes cited for their academic and athletic excellence were second team selection Susan Hardtke and third team pick Jessica Marx. The College Division of the Verizon Academic All-America Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team includes schools belonging to the NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III or the NAIA.

Hardtke, a senior from Kewaunee, owns a 3.97 cumulative grade point average as an elementary education major. Hardtke compiled 11 varsity letters during her four years at UW-Oshkosh, with four in both indoor and outdoor track and field and three in cross country. She was member of WIAC championship teams in cross country in 1999 and 2000 and indoor track and field in 1999.

This past year, Hardtke ran a leg on UW-Oshkosh's distance medley relay team that finished first at the NCAA Division III and WIAC Indoor Track and Field championships. She also finished second as a member of the 1,600 meter relay team at the 2002 WIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship and 124th at the 2001 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship.

Marx, a junior from Mukwonago, owns a 3.91 cumulative grade point average as an elementary education major. Marx has totaled seven varsity letters during her four years at UW-Oshkosh, with four in indoor track and field and three in outdoor track and field. Marx, who will compete in outdoor track and field for the Titans next spring, was a member of UW-Oshkosh's 1999 indoor track and field team that claimed the WIAC championship.

This past year, Marx ran a leg on UW-Oshkosh's distance medley relay team that finished first at the NCAA Division III and WIAC Indoor Track and Field championships. She also finished first in the 3,200 meter relay at the 2002 WIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship and second in both the 400 meter dash and 1,600 meter relay at the 2002 WIAC Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field championships. At the 2002 WIAC Indoor Track and Field Championship, Marx was named the league's scholar-athlete award winner.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Verizon Academic All-America program, which was founded by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in 1952 to recognize collegiate student-athletes for their outstanding achievements in the classroom and on the playing field. Over the past 50 years, the Verizon Academic All-America program has grown into one of the most recognized and prestigious collegiate scholar-athlete awards in the country.

The Verizon Academic All-America Teams are selected by a vote of the 1,800-member CoSIDA. To be eligible, an athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20 on a scale of 4.00.

Since the inception of the Verizon Academic All-America Program, 26 UW-Oshkosh student-athletes have combined for 34 awards, including four-time honoree Laura Nelson in women's track and field/cross country. In WIAC listings, UW-Oshkosh ranks second to the 35 Verizon Academic All-America mentions totaled by UW-La Crosse.

Titans Cited For Academic & Athletic Excellence

Coupling an eighth-place national finish with a 3.34 cumulative grade point average of its seven post-season participants, the UW-Oshkosh women's cross country team was recognized by the NCAA Division III National Cross Country Coaches Association for its performance last fall on the terrain and in the classroom.

UW-Oshkosh was one of 104 schools cited for its athletic and academic accomplishments last fall, with Middlebury College (Vt.), which ran to a first-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championship, and Otterbein College (Ohio), which posted a team-best 3.818 cumulative grade point average, leading the honorees.

Individually, UW-Oshkosh had three athletes receive Academic All-American honors by the NCAA Division III National Cross Country Coaches Association. Senior Susan Hardtke led the UW-Oshkosh trio with her fall semester cumulative grade point average of 3.968, while senior Sara Holewinski followed at 3.752 and sophomore Elizabeth Woodworth at 3.563. Woodworth finished eighth at last fall's NCAA Division III Championship, while Holewinski was 39th and Hardtke 124th. In all, 115 athletes were honored for their combined athletic and academic prowess.

Titans Finish Eighth At NCAA Championship

All-America runs by sophomores Elizabeth Woodworth and Jackie Munoz helped the UW-Oshkosh women's cross country team finish eighth at the NCAA Division III Championship held Saturday (November 17) in Rock Island, Ill. The Titans have now finished in the top eight in 17 of their 18 appearances at the national event.

Middlebury College, led by a pair of top-13 individual finishes, scored 98 points to successfully defend its NCAA Division III crown. The Panthers, who entered the meet as the top-ranked team in the country, were followed by second-place Williams College (166 points), third-place Moravian College (183 points) and fourth-place UW-La Crosse (200 points). UW-Oshkosh finished eighth in the field of 24 teams with 255 points.

Woodworth led UW-Oshkosh by finishing eighth on the 5,000-meter course with a time of 17:27, while Munoz placed 35th with a time of 17:55. Last year, Woodworth finished 42nd in the country and Munoz 107th.

Other competitors at the NCAA Division III Championship for the Titans were senior Sara Holewinski, who finished 39th in a time of 18:03, senior Susan Hardtke, who finished 124th in 18:49, junior Tovah Mendoza, who finished 161st in 19:08, freshman Sarah Floyd, who finished 176th in 19:26, and sophomore Katie Isermann, who finished 195th in 19:51. Senior Dana Boyle of the University of Puget Sound won the individual title with a time of 16:46, nearly 26 seconds faster than her nearest foe.

UW-Oshkosh, which won NCAA Division III titles in 1987, 1988, 1991 and 1996, finished fourth in the country a year ago. The Titans entered the 2001 NCAA Division III Championship as the seventh-ranked team in the nation.

Titans To Run At NCAA Championship

The NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championship will include UW-Oshkosh for the 18th time after the Titans finished second at the Midwest Regional held Saturday (November 10) in Rock Island, Ill.

UW-La Crosse won the 33-team event with 68 points, while UW-Oshkosh finished second with 83 points, Washington University third with 140, UW-Stevens Point fourth with 173 and Elmhurst College fifth with 175. The top-four teams at the Midwest Regional join qualifiers from seven other regions at next Saturday's (November 17) NCAA Division III Championship, also in Rock Island.

UW-Oshkosh had all five of its scorers place in the top-33 finishes, including three in the top 10. Sophomore Elizabeth Woodworth paced the Titans with a fifth-place time of 17:55, while senior Sara Holewinski finished ninth with a time of 18:09 and sophomore Jackie Munoz 10th with a time of 18:11. Other scorers for UW-Oshkosh were junior Tovah Mendoza, who finished 26th with a time of 18:48, and senior Susan Hardtke, who finished 33rd with a time of 18:57.

Also competing for UW-Oshkosh at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional were freshmen Sarah Floyd and Erin Meinen, who finished 63rd and 93rd, respectively. Sophomore Kathleen Brice of Elmhurst College won the 5,000-meter race with a time of 17:45.

UW-Oshkosh, which won NCAA Division III titles in 1987, 1988, 1991 and 1996, finished fourth in the country a year ago. The Titans have now qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship 16 straight years, the longest current streak of any school in the country.

Holewinski Named WIAC Scholar-Athlete

UW-Oshkosh’s Sara Holewinski and UW-Stevens Point’s Becky Lebak have been named the 2001 Judy Kruckman Women’s Cross Country Co-Scholar-Athletes.

Holewinski, a senior from Hazelhurst (Lakeland Union HS), is majoring in elementary education with a 3.73 grade point average. She is a three-time Academic All-American and a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll. Holewinski has been named to UW-Oshkosh’s Dean's List numerous semesters and has achieved three perfect 4.0 semesters.

Holewinski, a two-time team captain, placed fourth at the WIAC Championship (Oct. 27) to help the Titans to a second-place finish. She finished 12th at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional last season and guided the Titans to a fourth-place finish at the national championship.

Holewinski is a member of the UW-Oshkosh Student Athlete Advisory Committee and ADVOCAP. She is also a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and the Student Wisconsin Education Association Council (SWEA).

Lebak, a junior from Burlington, Wis., is majoring in dietetics and carries a 3.40 grade point average. She has earned Cross Country Academic All-American honors and has been named to UW-Stevens Point’s Dean’s List and Honor Roll numerous semesters.

Lebak won the individual title at the 2001 WIAC Championship with a time of 18:00.50 to help the Pointers to a third-place finish. She placed eighth at the 2000 NCAA Division III Championship to earn All-America honors. In addition, Lebak placed second at last season’s conference championship and finished seventh at the 1999 league meet. She was also named her team’s Co-MVP following the 2000 season.

Also nominated for the scholar-athlete award were UW-La Crosse’s Janelle Curtis and Ann Kowieski, UW-Oshkosh’s Rosette Buening and Susan Hardtke, UW-Stevens Point’s April Raykowski, UW-Stout’s Amy Arndt and Meredith Nordberg, UW-Superior’s Ann Abell and UW-Whitewater’s Maureen Cavanagh.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is sponsored by Culver’s. In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.25 grade point average, be in their last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.

Titans Denied 16th Straight WIAC Title

The UW-Oshkosh women's cross country team had its 15-year reign as league champion end when it finished second at the WIAC Championship held Saturday (October 27) in Colfax.

The Titans' string of titles was the third-longest in any WIAC sport, bettered only by the 19 of the UW-Eau Claire men's swimming and diving team (1978-96) and the 18 of the UW-Eau Claire women's swimming and diving team (1980-97).

UW-La Crosse won its first WIAC championship since 1980 by totaling 41 points. UW-Oshkosh finished second with 50 points and UW-Stevens Point third with 72. The Eagles won the meet without placing a runner in the top-five individual finishes. UW-Oshkosh claimed the second, third and fourth positions, but then added a 15th and 26th while all five of UW-La Crosse's scorers finished between sixth and 11th.

UW-Stevens Point senior Becky Lebak won the 5,000-meter race with a time of 18:00.50, edging UW-Oshkosh sophomore Elizabeth Woodworth by 1.6 seconds (18:02.10). Woodworth was followed by her teammates Jackie Munoz, a sophomore, and Sara Holewinski, a senior, who posted third and fourth-place times of 18:20 and 18:23, respectively. UW-Oshkosh's scoring was completed with freshman Erin Meinen's 15th-place finish (18:58) and junior Tovah Mendoza's 28th (19:33).

Other UW-Oshkosh competitors at the WIAC Championship were senior Susan Hardtke (33rd place), sophomore Katie Isermann (47th place), freshman Sarah Floyd (49th place), sophomore Samantha Massano (52nd place), sophomore Renee Pilon (53rd place), sophomore Annette Pufall (57th place) and senior Rosette Buening (62nd place).

In addition to receiving All-WIAC first team accolades, Holewinski was also named the WIAC's Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The next competition for UW-Oshkosh will be the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional on November 10 in Rock Island, Ill. The NCAA Division III Championship will also be in Rock Island, Ill., on November 17.

Resting Top Runners, Titans Win Triangular

Despite resting its top runners, the UW-Oshkosh women's cross country team still finished first in a triangular held Friday (October 19) in Stevens Point. The runners were rested in preparation for next Saturday's (October 27) WIAC Championship in Colfax.

UW-Oshkosh won the three-team event with 27 points, while UW-Stevens Point finished second with 30 points and Alverno College third with 75.

UW-Oshkosh took the top-three individual finishes in the meet, while UW-Stevens Point claimed the next six. The Titans were led by senior Susan Hardtke, who won the 5,000-meter race with a time of 21:12. UW-Oshkosh freshmen Tina Schraufnagel and Danielle Prohaska took the next two positions with times of 21:16 and 21:37, respectively.

Other scorers for UW-Oshkosh were sophomore Amanda Williams in 10th place (22:59) and freshman Lisa Bock in 11th (23:39).

UW-Oshkosh, ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III, enters the upcoming WIAC Championship having won every league title since 1986.

Titans Finish Second At UW-Parkside Invitational

A pair of top-eight individual finishes helped the UW-Oshkosh women's cross country team to a second-place standing at the UW-Parkside Invitational held Saturday (October 13) in Kenosha.

NCAA Division I Indiana State University won the 30-team event with 62 points, while UW-Oshkosh finished second with 82 points and NCAA Division II UW-Parkside third with 114. The Titans entered the meet as the fourth-ranked team in the NCAA Division III and winners of the previous two UW-Parkside Invitationals.

Sophomore Elizabeth Woodworth once again led UW-Oshkosh as she covered the 5,000-meter course in a fourth-place time of 18:46. Senior Sara Holewinski finished eighth with a time of 18:51 and sophomore Jackie Munoz 16th with a time of 19:15.

Other scorers for the Titans were freshman Erin Meinen in 21st place (19:27) and junior Tovah Mendoza in 52nd place (20:04). Freshman Eszter Erdelyi of Central Methodist College won the race with a time of 18:19.

Titans Win UW-Eau Claire Invitational

Titans Finish Eighth At Roy Griak Invitational

The UW-Oshkosh women's cross country team finished eighth at the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational held Saturday (September 29) in St. Paul, Minn.

The University of North Dakota won the 43-team event with 103 points, while Northern Michigan University finished second with 147 points and Central Missouri State University third with 159. All three teams are affiliated with the NCAA Division II. UW-Oshkosh, ranked third in the NCAA Division III, totaled 267 points en route to its eighth-place finish.

Sophomore Elizabeth Woodworth led UW-Oshkosh with a ninth-place time of 18:32 on the 5,000-meter course. Other scorers for the Titans were sophomore Jackie Munoz in 22nd place (18:55), senior Sara Holewinski in 41st place (19:11), freshman Erin Meinen in 73rd place (19:38) and junior Tovah Mendoza in 122nd place (20:07).

A total of 508 runners completed the race, with Jessica Neva of the University of North Dakota posting a winning time of 18:08.

Titans Finish Eighth At UW-Whitewater Invite

Resting its top runners who competed in a meet earlier in the week (September 17), the UW-Oshkosh women's cross country team finished eighth at the UW-Whitewater Invitational held Saturday (September 22) in Whitewater.

NCAA Division II UW-Parkside won the 10-team meet with 28 points, while Lawrence University finished second with 79 points and UW-Whitewater third with 80. UW-Oshkosh scored 228 points for its eighth-place standing.

UW-Oshkosh's best individual finish belonged to senior Sara Bailie, who ran to a 36th-place time of 20:45 on the 5,000-meter course. Other scorers for the Titans were senior Rosette Buening in 56th place (21:24), freshman Danielle Prohaska in 60th place (21:30), freshman Tina Schraufnagel in 61st place (21:31) and freshman Annette Pufall in 68th place (21:39).

UW-Parkside had the top four individual finishers in the meet, with Robyn Stevens winning the race with a time of 18:44.

Titans Defeat Nationally Ranked Foes In Season Opener

In a triangular involving nationally-ranked competitors, the UW-Oshkosh women's cross country team opened its 2001 season by winning its own event held Monday (September 17) at the Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked third in the NCAA Division III, placed five runners in the top-10 finishes to win the event with 29 points. UW-Stevens Point, ranked eighth in the NCAA Division III, finished second with 36 points, while UW-Eau Claire, ranked 32nd in the NCAA Division III, placed third with 67.

Both UW-Oshkosh and UW-Stevens Point had three runners in the top-six finishes, with the Pointers' Becky Lebak winning the 5,000-meter race in time of 18:19. Sophomore Jackie Munoz finished second with a time of 18:38 to lead UW-Oshkosh's effort.

Other scorers for the Titans were sophomore Elizabeth Woodworth with a fourth-place time of 18:49, senior Sara Holewinski with a fifth-place time of 18:56, sophomore Katie Isermann with an eighth-place time of 19:24 and junior Tovah Mendoza with a 10th-place time of 19:32.