MADISON, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – UW-Eau Claire women's basketball player Hallee Hoeppner (Winona, Minn.), women's hockey goalie Erin Connolly (Mequon,Wis./ Homestead), men's hockey defenseman Adam Parsells (Wausau, Wis./West), men's swimmer Collin Miller (Rochester, Minn./Schaefer Academy), men's diver Dylan Glumac-Berberich (Fridley, Minn.), men's indoor track and field thrower David Kornack (Edgar, Wis.), and women's thrower Erica Oawster (Lino Lakes, Minn./ Centennial) have all been named Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Athletes of the Week, it was announced today by Assistant Commissioner of Media Relations Matt Stanek.
Hoeppner averaged 40 minutes, 26 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two assists in two games during the week. She shot 55.6 percent from the floor, 40.0 percent from behind the arc and 72.7 percent from the charity stripe. In a 76-64 win over UW-Platteville, Hoeppner tallied a double-double scoring 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting and ripped down 10 rebounds. She also chipped in with three assists, two blocks and two steals. In an 81-76 loss to UW-Stout, Hoeppner recorded a career-high 36 points on 14-of-22 (63.6 percent) shooting, including 2-of-5 from behind the arc, and 6-of-9 from the free-throw line. She recorded a game-high 12 rebounds to mark her fifth double-double of the season and added four blocks. The Blugold women host UW-Oshkosh on Jan. 23 at Zorn Arena at 7:00pm.
Connolly racked up 67 saves over 178:32 minutes in three wins during the week for the Blugolds. In a 7-2 victory at Augsburg University (Minn.) on Jan. 15, she tallied 24 saves. On Jan. 18, in a 4-1 win at UW-Superior, Connolly recorded 17 saves. The following day, she led the Blugolds to a 5-0 win and the weekend sweep of UW-Superior. Connolly saved all 26 shots she faced, earning her WIAC-leading fourth shutout of the year and her 11th win. Connolly and the women's hockey team will travel to UW-Stevens Point on Jan. 26, the puck set to drop at 2:30pm.
Parsells finished with a hat trick to lead the Blugolds to a 5-4 win over UW-River Falls on Jan. 16. UW-Eau Claire was down 2-0 to start the second period when Parsells scored his first goal on the power play. At the halfway mark of the third period, he would strike again after stepping down from the blue line and ripping the puck top shelf past a screen on UW-River Falls' goalie. Parsells would complete the hat trick with under five minutes remaining after picking up a rebound out front and putting it once again, top shelf. This was Parsells' first collegiate hat trick, while also collecting a career-high 10 shots on goal. The men's hockey team is at UW-Stout on Jan. 23 and will host UW-Superior on Jan. 26 at Hobbs Ice Arena, both games will start at 7:00pm.
Miller won both the 50-yard freestyle (21.31) and 100-yard freestyle (46.82) at the UW-Stevens Point Invite held Jan. 18-19. He also finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 57.65. Miller’s times were the fastest posted by any other swimmer in the WIAC during the week.
Glumac-Berberich won both one-meter (527.55 points) and three-meter (505.55) diving events at the UW-Stevens Point Invite held Jan. 18-19. With his performances, Glumac-Berberich achieved a NCAA zone cut on both boards. The swim and dive teams will travel to St. Thomas (Minn.) on Friday Jan. 25 and then host UW-Whitewater at home on Jan. 26, the meet will start at 1pm.
Kornack finished third in shot put with a toss of 56-9 1/4 (17.30m) at the UW-Eau Claire Triangular on Jan. 19. He was the top collegiate thrower in the meet. Kornack currently ranks first in WIAC and second in NCAA Division III.
Oawster won shot put with a heave of 49-7 (15.11) at the UW-Eau Claire Triangular on Jan. 19. Her throw was 6 feet farther than the second place throw at the triangular and the top throw in the nation by nearly nine inches. The senior also was named NCAA Division III National Athlete of the Week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The indoor track and field teams will compete at the Warren Bowlus Open/Multi at UW-Stout on January 25th and 26th.
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