The Official Website Of Blugold Athletics

While the 2020-2021 school year will look different for all universities across the nation, it holds special meaning for women's athletics at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire as they celebrate 50 years of women's athletics in the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC) and later the WIAC.

Though there were Blugold teams prior to 1971, this was the first time that women's athletics had a governing body and started the organizational model that led to what we know today. Throughout the fall semester, the UW-Eau Claire Athletics Department will take a look at the history of Blugold Women's Athletics and share the stories of our women's programs and the people who made it all possible.

Each week will feature a Blugold women's sport as part of "Memorable Mondays" with the first week giving the overall history of women's athletics and note some of the key pioneers that led the way for future Blugolds. Follow the journey of the Blugold women through articles, photos and videos on Blugold Athletics social media.

Read our first story on the pioneers of women's athletics HERE

The UW-Eau Claire women's cross country program first competed at a conference level in 1978 but also had varsity teams the previous two seasons. Led by Alice Gansel in their first four seasons, the Blugolds laid the foundation for a program that would quickly become a contender at the national level.

When Gansel stepped down as the head coach, the Blugolds were thrilled to have Beth Bonner take over for the 1980-81 season. Though she only coached at Eau Claire for one year, she made a lasting impact. Bonner brought a wealth of knowledge to the program and was an accomplished runner herself – the perfect person to push the Blugolds to new heights. In 1971, Bonner was credited with two world record setting marathon performances, the first a 3:01.41 finish in Philadelphia before becoming the first woman in history to run a sub-three-hour marathon (2:55.22) at the New York City Marathon – a feat she accomplished at the age of 19. She would go on to run for the United States in the World Cross Country Championships and later ran collegiately at Seattle Pacific University. Bonner brought her elite training to Eau Claire and led the Blugolds to a 14th place finish at the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national championships.

Two of Bonner's runners, Jenny Arneson and Amy Taylor, would be the first UW-Eau Claire women's cross country student-athletes to qualify for the national meet. Arneson would place 27^th overall and would continue to make an impact on the program in the years that followed, first as an assistant coach, later the head coach and also serving as an assistant sports information director for the department and track and field coach.

 View more photos here

Watch Jenny Arneson talk about the early years

After Bonner left Eau Claire, Kirk Elias took over as head coach in 1981-82. That season, the final for AIAW, the Blugolds placed ninth at the national meet. The following season Eau Claire joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and continued their climb in the national championship meet, and finished as the national runner-up in 1982-83.

The Blugolds were powered by the leadership of Arneson, Carolyn Sheild, Lolly (McGurk) Seeger and Katie (Somers) Steinkopf in the early 1980's.

Sheild, who would later earn an induction into the Blugold Hall of Fame in 1988, compiled quite the resume as she was a seven time All-American - competing not only on the cross country but was also as a member of the Blugold swimming & diving and track & field teams. In cross country, she was a two-time All-Conference performer along with earning All-American honors for the Blugolds. In 1982 when the team finished as the national runner-up, Sheild led Eau Claire with a third place finish.

"Kirk Elias was a phenomenal coach, said Sheild. "He believed in each of us and our potential and knew how to train us and motivate us to run our best."

Laureen "Lolly" (McGurk) Seeger was also a multi-sport athlete, playing a key role on the cross country squad from 1980-82 and on the track & field teams from 1980-83.

"Those years were foundational for Blugold women's cross country as we started building depth, earned national championship bids as a team, and achieved a whole new level as a program when we finished second in 1982 at the national championship," said Seeger. "It took the entire team running the race of their lives to place second at the national championship in 1983 and to catapult the program to a leadership position on the national stage. On that day, the fifth fastest runner was just as critical as the first. That lesson has stayed with me, forming my leadership style and propelling my career."  

Another coaching change the following season would not slow the Blugolds, who powered their way to a fifth place finish, and in 1984-85, they would not only claim their first conference championship but also earn the program's first national title under second-year coach Mary Allen. The Blugolds would win a second conference championship the following season but finish as the runner-up at the national meet.

Katie (Somers) Steinkopf, who ran with Arneson, Sheild and Seeger early in her career, would lead the Blugolds on their way to their first national championship. Running for the Blugolds in 1981, '82 and '84, Steinkopf was the overall conference champion and national champion in 1984. She also dominated on the track, earning All-American honors there as well and was the national champion in the 1985 indoor mile. In 1992, Steinkopf was inducted into the Blugold Hall of Fame.

After five different head coaches in 11 years, the program finally had some stability when Arneson took the reigns in 1987-88 after serving as an assistant coach. Arneson led the Blugolds for the next nine years, punching tickets to the national meet in all but two seasons. Eau Claire continued to excel on the national stage, finishing in the top 15 each time, including five top 10 finishes.

Chris Goepel, who was a newcomer Sheild's senior and Steinkopf's junior year, took the lead of Arneson's squad after losing Sheild and Steinkopf to graduation. Goepel, another cross country and track & field student-athlete, was another key runner on the 1984 and 1985 squads, placing eighth individually in 1984 and fifth in 1985. She also earned All-American honors on the track.

After Arneson left Eau Claire to pursue a different career, Tracy Yengo stepped in and coached the Blugolds for 10 seasons, and now competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Conference (NCAA) earned another national runner-up finish in 1997-98.

After Brian Falk led the program for one season in 2006-07, Dan Schwamberger took over and has led the Blugolds ever since. In Schwamberger's 13 seasons, the Blugolds have dominated the WIAC, winning six-straight conference titles (2007-2012) and have won the last three ('17, '18, '19). In addition, Eau Claire has captured five regional championships with Schwamberger and won an NCAA national championship in 2009.

In total, the program has earned 11 conference titles, finished in the top five in the nation 10 times and tallied 32 All-American honors. The success of the Blugolds carried into the classroom, with nine Blugolds being named the Conference Scholar-Athlete winners and 14 Super Six honorees. Additionally, five have been inducted into the Blugold Hall of Fame.

"Running for the Blugolds was among the best experiences of my life. I not only developed as a runner to a level I had not thought possible, but I also learned important lessons of leadership and performance that have stayed with me to this day," said Seeger. "I was fortunate to be a Blugold runner as the program achieved new levels of success and drew stronger and stronger talent. I became accustomed to hearing the gun go off at the beginning of a race, triggering each of us to take the field to win. We could always count on each other. I often drew on my memory of those moments when I heard a gavel start a trial or my name called to take the stage for an important speech."

"Running at UWEC was such a memorable experience," said Sheild. "I remember practices and meets with my teammates where we felt like family. We worked together to bring out everyone's best performance. Distance runs were always more enjoyable when we were together."

Teaming up once again, Arneson and Seeger have stepped forward to match the next $2,000 donated to the Women's Cross Country Fund in honor of the 50^th Anniversary celebration. To contribute to the Women's Cross Country Fund or to Women's Athletics in general, visit the UWEC Foundation website.