Seven Former Titans Receive WIAC All-Centennial Honors

UW-Oshkosh boasted seven of the 16 women on the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) All-Time Cross Country Team. The league picked these outstanding individuals for its centennial anniversary celebration.

Four Titans selected were from the 1980s, while they also owned one from each of the following decades. UW-Oshkosh’s runners were Tiffany Fox (1986-89), Laura Horejs (1988-91), Ayla Mitchell (2007-09), Cheryl Niederberger (1985-88), Tiffany (Speckman) Ebensperger (1994-97) and Liz Woodworth (2000-01, 2003-04).

Deb Vercauteren, who led the Titans from 1981-2000, was named the WIAC’s All-Time Coach. She captured four national championships during 1987-88, 1991 and 1996. UW-Oshkosh also won 15 WIAC titles and Vercauteren received National Coach of the Year in 1985 and 1986.

Fox, Horejs and Niederberger propelled the Titans to the 1988 NCAA Division III crown. Fox finished her career with three All-America awards, including a sixth-place result during 1987. One of two UW-Oshkosh runners to win the individual national title, Horejs earned her victory in 1991. Niederberger was a three-time All-American and two-time WIAC champion (1987-88).

Ebensperger took first place at the 1997 NCAA Division III Championship. The Titans won the league title in each of her four seasons, as she took the individual crown in 1994, 1996 and 1997. She was a three-time All-American.

Woodworth, now UW-Oshkosh’s head cross country coach as Liz Kujawa, won two conference titles (2003-04) and earned three All-America awards. She finished second at the NCAA Division III Championship in both 2003 and 2004.

Mitchell ran to WIAC individual titles in 2007 and 2009. She also finished third at the NCAA Division III Championship in both 2008 and 2009.

The WIAC is recognizing the outstanding individuals from the league's 100-year history. All-time teams are being selected in those men's and women's sports that have been classified as "championship" sports at some point since 1913. Additional teams will be released on a weekly basis throughout much of the 2011-12 academic year.

All-time team members will receive certificates from the conference and it is hoped that most, if not all, of the recipients will be in attendance or represented at the WIAC Centennial Banquet in Madison on Aug. 4, 2012.

More information on the activities and events associated with the WIAC Centennial is available at www.wiacsports.com.