Pointer baseball team falls in NCAA tournament The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point had its season come to an end in the NCAA Division III tournament with a pair of losses on Friday. The Pointers won their first game on Thursday over Ripon, 3-1, but then lost to St. Thomas, 5-1, and to Ripon, 2-0, on Friday. Troy Bielmeier (Wautoma) pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win against Ripon. Bill Verbrick (Appleton) came on to pick up a save as the Pointers set a WIAC team record with their 11th save of the season. Pat McCann (Antigo) had three hits in the win and joined Bielmeier as the Pointers' all-tournament selections. UW-SP's offense was shut down on Friday, scoring just one run in the two games. However, the Pointers did manage 17 hits for the day. The loss to Ripon snapped a string of 67 games without being shut out. Verbrick took the loss against St. Thomas and Jeff Pieper (Wausau) suffered his first defeat of the season against Ripon. The Pointers had six seniors on the roster and achieved their third 30-win season in school history, finishing at 30-14.. The past five seasons are the five winningest seasons in the school's 47-year baseball history. Pointer senior rightfielder Sam Molski (Stevens Point) and junior first baseman Jon Jagler (Wausau) both were selected to the All-Midwest Region first team baseball squad. The Pointers also had two third team selections in junior pitcher Verbrick and junior centerfielder Randy Reed (Appleton). Molski hit a single-season school record 12 home runs this season while hitting for a .358 average. Molski also had 10 doubles and three triples to rank third in a single season with 106 total bases. He scored 38 runs and drove in 39 to earn All-Region honors for the first time. Jagler has pounded out 68 hits this season, which was one short of the school's single-season record. He posted a team-high 12 doubles, 44 RBI's and .402 batting average. Jagler had two 14-game hitting streaks this season and went 11-for-21 in the conference tournament. Molski and Jagler were also named to the All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball first-team. Six UW-SP players received honorable mention. Those honored included senior catcher Eric Bennett (Madison), senior shortstop Pat McCann (Antigo), junior third baseman Paul Molitor (Reedsburg), Pieper, Reed and Verbrick. Track And Field The Pointers had their final tune-up for this weekend's NCAA Division III outdoor championships with athletes at the North Central and UW-La Crosse Invitationals attempting to qualify for this weekend's competition. Jeremiah Rolfs (Wild Rose) automatically qualified in the discus with a throw of 168 feet, nine inches at Saturday's UW-Oshkosh Invitational. Luke Hilgers (Nekoosa) provisionally qualified in the shot put at 52 feet, two inches at UW-Oshkosh. Ben Treptow (Viroqua) and Chris Horvat (Menomonee Falls) also both had automatic qualifying times in the 800 meters by taking the top two spots in the event at the North Central Invite. Treptow finished in 1:51.28 and Horvat ran 1:51.53. Jesse Drake (Rhinelander) won the 1,500 meters with an automatic qualifying time of 3:51.23. The Pointers' 4x400 meter relay of Matt Buska (Mosinee), Craig Gunderson (Waupaca), Eric Miller (Green Bay) and Treptow also qualified automatically in 3:14.31. Leah Juno (Brillion) had the best time in the country in the women's 1,500 meters by nearly four seconds at 4:30.85 at the North Central Invite. Jody Butkowski (Stevens Point) automatically qualified in the triple jump at 38 feet, 3 ¼ inches and Megan Lundahl (Sturgeon Bay) provisionally qualified in the discus with a throw of 143 feet, eight inches. There will be plenty of purple and gold at the NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championships in Decatur, Ill. this weekend as UW-SP has qualifiers in 21 events for the three-day meet. The Pointer men's team aims to build off its fourth place finish at the indoor nationals with 15 qualifiers, which is the second-most of any school. UW-La Crosse has the most representation with 24 qualifiers. UW-SP was sixth at last year's outdoor meet. UW-SP's women's team has a good chance at its first top 10 finish since 1993 after finishing fourth at the indoor nationals. Juno is the favorite to repeat as champion in the 800 meters and is attempting to become the first Pointer female to win back-to-back outdoor national championships. The meet begins Thursday at 10:30 a.m. and runs through Saturday. Juno has been selected to the Verizon Academic All-District first team for women's spring at-large sports. She was also a first-team All-District selection in the fall for cross country and earned third-team Academic All-American honors. She is now eligible for Academic All-American honors in the spring. Juno is a two-time NCAA Division III champion, having won the 800 meters at the 2001 indoor championships and at the 2000 outdoor championships. She was named the Division III Midwest Region indoor Athlete of the Year and won Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference outdoor titles in the 800 meters and 4x400 relay. She also won the WIAC indoor 1,500 meters title this season. WIAC Men's All-Sports Standings With titles in men's basketball and men's swimming and diving, UW-SP placed second in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's all-sports standings for the 2000-01 school year. The Pointers totaled 48 points to finish just one-half point behind UW-La Crosse for the award. UW-SP had won the award the past four years.The Pointers also finished fourth in the women's standings with titles in soccer, swimming and diving and softball. The Pointers had 59 points, while UW-Oshkosh won the women's award with 64.5 points. The Pointers were third in the conference's overall standings, finishing with 107 total points. UW-La Crosse won the award with 111 points and UW-Oshkosh was second with 108 points. UW-SP won the combined award in 1999-2000.Points are awarded according to final conference standings in each sport on a 9-8-7, etc., basis, or 8-7-6, etc., depending on how many schools compete in the sport. Softball UW-SP senior second baseman Kelly Rutta has been named to the NCAA Division III National Fastpitch Coaches Association second team All-American squad after leading the Pointers to the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship this season. The Stevens Point Pacelli High School graduate was the lone WIAC player honored as an All-American. She was also a first-team All-Great Lakes Region performer and the WIAC East Division Co-Player of the Year. Rutta led the Pointers this season with a .421 average. She had team-highs 47 hits, 30 runs scored, three home runs, 11 walks and eight stolen bases. Her eight triples also led the team and ranked 11th in Division III. She is the school's all-time leader in total bases with 280 and ranks second in career hits with 200. She also ranks second with 34 doubles and third with 130 runs scored. The Pointers finished 25-13 overall and made its fourth NCAA Division III tournament appearance in six seasons.