Cross country: For the seventh time in school history, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will send both its men's and women's cross country teams to the NCAA Division III championships at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17. Both qualified by finishing fourth at Saturday's Midwest Regional in Rock Island, Ill.
This weekend's championships will also be in Rock Island and the Pointer women will take part for the third-straight year and 11th time overall. The men's team will make its 15th appearance, including its fifth trip in six years.
Becky Lebak (Burlington) finished third overall in a time of 17:53 to lead the Pointer women, who needed to finish among the top four teams and qualified by just two points over fifth place Elmhurst. Other finishers for the Pointers were Kara Vosters (Little Chute) in 21st, Megan Craig (Mindoro) in 34th, Isabelle Delannay (St. Louis, Mo.) in 51st and Teresa Stanley (Whitewater) in 64th.
Mark LaLonde (Park Falls) led the men's team in 25:12 to place 14th overall. Eric Fisher (Appleton) was 23rd, James Levash (Brillion) was 25th, Jesse LaLonde (Park Falls) was 26th and Robbie Pieper (West Bend) was 38th.
Women's soccer: UW-SP senior Mickey Jacob has been named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women's soccer Player of the Year, while Pointers' coach Sheila Miech has been named the league's Coach of the Year as UW-SP landed a league-high seven players on the first team.
Jacob, a defensive midfielder from Neenah, earned her second career All-Conference honor and was joined by teammates Jenny Bruce and Molly Cady as other two-time selections. Other Pointers honored were Brianna Hyslop, Kelly Fink, Macy Mory and Tara Schmitt.
UW-SP finished 18-2 overall and lost to Wheaton (Ill.) 2-1 in last week's NCAA Division III regional final. The Pointers won their fifth straight WIAC title and own the nation's longest all-time conference winning streak, having won 55 straight against WIAC opponents.
Jacob had six goals and five assists this season and was a leader of a Pointer defense that tied a school record, allowing just 10 goals, while posting 13 shutouts in 20 matches. She had a knack for scoring big goals throughout her career, notching the winning goal in the WIAC championship match the past two years and assisting on the game-winner as a sophomore. She also scored goals in both of the Pointers' NCAA tournament matches this season.
Men's hockey (3-3 overall, 2-2 NCHA): UW-SP split a pair of NCHA games over the weekend, defeating Lake Forest, 5-1, on Saturday after dropping a decision, 5-4, to St. Norbert on Friday.
Mike Brolsma (Appleton) and Nick Glander (Brookfield) each scored two goals in Saturday's win. Brolsma added an assist in both games and also scored in the loss to St. Norbert.
UW-SP led 2-1 after two periods against Lake Forest before Glander scored two straight goals to spark a three-goal third period to seal the victory. Ryan Scott (Plover) made 21 saves as the Pointers held a 37-22 advantage in shots.
The Pointers trailed St. Norbert 5-1 early in the third period before rallying with three goals and having chances to tie the game with the goalie pulled in a frenzied final two minutes.
UW-Stevens Point plays three non-conference games in Minnesota this weekend. The games are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, at St. John's, 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at Concordia-Moorhead and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, at Minnesota-Crookston.
Women's hockey (5-0 overall): Coming off easily the biggest week in the short history of the Pointer women's hockey program, UW-SP opens its NCHA season this weekend by hosting the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in a two-game series.
The games are scheduled for 5:35 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16 , and 2:35 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17. Both games are at K.B. Willett Arena.
The Pointers won three games last week against Minnesota opponents, including wins over the past two NCAA Division III runner-up teams. UW-SP topped St. Catherine, 7-2, on Wednesday, beat 2000 runner-up Augsburg, 6-1, on Friday and edged last season's runner-up Gustavus Adolphus 4-3 on Saturday.
Jackie Schmitt (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) had a huge week for the Pointers, posting two goals and eight assists in the three games. She scored the game-winner against Augsburg and also scored on the first-ever penalty shot attempt in school history. She added three assists against Augsburg for a school-record tying five-point game.
Ann Ninnemann (Rosemount, Minn.) scored with 1:37 left in the game to lead the Pointers over Gustavus Adolphus, which was ranked third in the country. UW-SP was ranked eighth in the latest poll.
The Pointers also beat St. Catherine as Liz Goergen (Apple Valley, Minn.) posted a hat trick and Emily Teachout (Edina, Minn.) added two goals. All 26 of the Pointers' goals this season have been scored by freshmen.
Swimming and diving (both teams 3-0 in WIAC duals): UW-SP looks to defend its WIAC duals championships Saturday, Nov. 17, at La Crosse.
The Pointer men's and women's teams have swept the relay titles the past two seasons.
UW-SP did not compete last weekend and brings a 3-0 record in WIAC duals into this weekend's competition.
Wrestling: The Pointers opened their season last weekend by hosting the Golden Eagle Open and Yan White (Antigo) led the team by capturing the individual title at 197 pounds.
Mark Burger (Merrill) was second at heavyweight in the Gold Division, while David Davila (Chicago, Ill.) was second at 125 pounds and Justin Geitner (Kaukauna) was second at 149 pounds in the Silver Division. Cody Koenig (Underwood) was third at 165 pounds in the Silver Division.
White posted two pins and two decisions by 10-3 and 9-0 scores to cruise to his individual title. Burger had three wins before losing 4-2 to Jon Courich of Northern Illinois in the title match.
Davila posted wins by scores of 11-3, 13-3 and 11-7 before losing 2-1 in overtime in the title match. Geitner won four matches, including two pins, to reach the finals, but was pinned by Alex Hernandez of Harper Junior College. Koenig won his first two matches before losing to eventual champion Kelly Flaherty of UW-Madison in the third round, but he rallied to win four straight matches in the consolation bracket to take third place.
The Pointers next match is at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, in the Augsburg Open.
Men's basketball: UW-SP opens its 2001-02 season with a pair of non-conference games this weekend. The first game is scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, vs. Trinity International (Ill.) at Quandt Fieldhouse, while the second game, at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, is at Coe (Iowa).
The Pointers are ranked 18th in the NCAA Division III preseason poll and return two starters from last season's squad that finished 18-7 overall and won its second straight WIAC championship.
Women's basketball: The season gets underway this weekend for the Pointers as they look to defend their title in the fifth annual Pointer Tipoff Tournament.
UW-SP opens the tournament against Lawrence on Friday, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m., while Upper Iowa and Marian (Ind.) meet in the other contest at 4 p.m.
The consolation game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, and the championship game will be at 3 p.m. the same day. All games will be in Berg Gym.
The Pointers are ranked eighth in the NCAA Division III preseason poll with all five starters and 90 percent of their scoring back from last year's 20-6 team.