By Tim Petermann, UWEC Sports Information
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) - Seven athletes, all of whom earned All-American status and competed in national competition, make up the UW-Eau Claire Blugold Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
The new class, which was to have been inducted October 2 during homecoming weekend, includes basketball players Jon Wallenfelsz and Sherm Carstensen, golfers Josh Dirks and Ryan Quinn, track athlete John Schuna, gymnast Alison (Eagles) Anderson and wrestler Davey Starks. This group represents the 44th class of men's inductees and the 31st class of women's inductees and brings the number of athletes, coaches and administrators who have been honored to 241.
The Blugold Hall of Fame was established 47 years ago in 1973 to pay tribute, to give deserved recognition and to enhance school tradition by honoring former athletic letterwinners, coaches or administrators who demonstrated distinctive, unique or exceptional ability while on the campus at Eau Claire and have distinguished themselves in their profession or personally since leaving the institution.
There must be a lapse of 15 years from their final season of eligibility before an athlete can be considered for induction.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the class is only being announced at this time. An induction banquet may be scheduled in the spring if pandemic conditions have eased by that time, according to Director of Athletics Dan Schumacher and Hall of Fame Executive Director Tim Petermann.
All seven of this year's inductees competed between 1996 and 2005. Dirks and Quinn were All-American players for Hall of Fame coach Todd Oehrlein's powerhouse Blugold teams at the turn of the century. Quinn helped the Blugolds win the 2001 NCAA championship. Schuna was an NCAA indoor national shot put champion and earned All-American status all eight times he competed in the NCAA indoor and outdoor shot put competition. Anderson was a two-time conference all-around champion and one of only two Blugolds to ever qualify for an NCAA Division I regional. Starks was a national place-winner and one of only nine conference wrestlers to win four consecutive titles at the same weight. Wallenfelsz, a 6-8 center, and Carstensen, a 6-6 forward, were teammates on the 2000 Blugold basketball team that played for the NCAA national championship in an ESPN live broadcast from Salem, Virginia.
JOSH DIRKS
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Josh Dirks, a prep standout at Onalaska High School, transferred to UWEC from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in the fall of 1997. Oehrlein said that "when Josh arrived, he elevated a very good team into a championship team. His leadership and talent helped create a culture within a program that would expect to compete at the highest level in the nation."
During his three-year Blugold career, he averaged 75.3 strokes for 63 rounds and was the top Blugold place-winner in the 1998 and 1999 NCAA Championships. As a sophomore, he placed 15th as the Blugolds finished 12th as a team. The next year, he tied for seventh as the Blugolds tied for fourth as a team. He was 25th his senior season as the Blugolds placed fifth. He won medalist honors in six different meets as a Blugold. For his efforts, he earned GCAA All-America third team honors in 1997-98, second team honors in 1998-99 and honorable mention in 1999-00.
Since graduating, Dirks won the Wisconsin State Golf Association 2-Man Team Championship in 2014 and 2016. Dirks also qualified for the 2018 United States Golf Association Four-Ball Tournament held at Jupiter Hills Club in Jupiter, FL.
Dirks graduated from UWEC in the fall of 2000 with a geography-resource management major. Since September of 2019, he has been employed as a Sales Representative for CPC Printing & Promotions of Onalaska. Prior to that he worked for InTech Integrated Marketing Services and had management positions with Navigation Technologies (NAVTEQ).
He spent two years as an assistant boys golf coach at Lancaster (WI) High School and was assistant boys golf coach for his alma mater, Onalaska High School, from 2012 to 2019.
Dirks resides in Onalaska with his girlfriend Lynn Frise.
RYAN QUINN
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Like Dirks, Ryan Quinn grew up in Western Wisconsin, prepping at Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School where the lefthander won both a team and individual state championship playing in sneakers and clubs off a rack. Also, like Dirks, he initially attended the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor and then Winona State before transferring to Eau Claire.
Quinn had several major highlights during his Blugold career, the first being when he finished as the runner-up medalist in the 2000 NCAA championships. He lost his chance to win the title when the meet was terminated by rain after three rounds. The next spring, he helped the Blugolds win the NCAA team title as he tied for fourth individually. An elite curler, he took off the 2001-02 year as his team finished second in the 2002 U.S. Olympic trials. Then in 2002-03, he came back to UWEC and won the Jack Nicklaus Award, emblematic of the NCAA Division III Player of the Year.
In 52 rounds as a Blugold, he averaged 72.5 and was the medalist in no less than 10 invitationals.
Quinn achieved GCAA All-American first team honors twice and third team recognition another year.
Coach Oehrlein said that when Quinn arrived at UWEC in the fall of 1999, "He immediately became one of the most dominant players in all of college golf." He went on to say, "His ability to play his best when it mattered the most and an expectation to win was so impressive to be around and a privilege to work with."
He won two Wisconsin State Amateur titles and had a chance to win three other times. In 2001, he swept the Wisconsin State Golf Association Best-ball title, the WSGA Match Play title and the State Am. According to Wisconsin Golf magazine, he remains the only player who has won those three titles in a calendar year.
Quinn graduated from UWEC in 2003 with a major in business management. He went on to play golf professionally from 2004-12 in several pro golf tours. He is currently a claim specialist for State Farm Insurance in Bloomingon, Illinois after previous positions in the auto and technology industries.
Quinn and his wife Meghan, a director of underwriting, are parents of twin boys Jack and Robert, age 11.
JON WALLENFELSZ
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Jon Wallenfelsz ranks among the best centers to ever don a Blugold basketball uniform. The 6-8 giant, who prepped at D. C. Everest High School in Schofield, came off the bench in his first two games as a freshman, then started 102 consecutive games. He went on to score 1,538 points, grab 898 rebounds and block 242 opposing shots.
His scoring total ranks ninth on the all-time Blugold scoring list while his rebound total is fifth best and his blocked shot total is second.
Wallenfelsz was a team captain and team MVP his senior year when the Blugolds posted a 27-6 record and finished as the runner-up in the NCAA championship tournament. Wallenfelsz had to watch the final three games of his career after he blew out his knee in the NCAA sectional semifinals.
"Wally" as he was called, earned All-Conference and NABC All-Region second team honors three consecutive years. He also was tabbed a D3hoops.com All-American first team selection as a senior. His best year average-wise came during his sophomore season when he scored at a 17.8 clip and pulled 9.6 boards per outing. With his size, he was efficient around the rim, converting field goals at a .580 clip that included .616 as a senior.
He was named to nine All-Tournament teams and four times was a tournament MVP. Among his team awards were the Most Valuable New Player (96-97), Honorary Captain (98-99, 99-00), MVP (97-98, 98-99, 99-00), Inspiration Award (99-00), team FG% leader (four times) and team rebound leader (three times).
Blugold coach Terry Gibbons called Wallenfelsz "a gamer." He said that when "Wally put that Blugold uniform on he became a different person. In simple terms, he was a competitor." He called Jon "one of the most delightful, thoughtful, fun-loving persons that I've ever had the pleasure to coach."
Wallenfelsz graduated in 2001 as a marketing major. He spent three years with Menards Inc. in the management training program and since 2004 has been employed by Optum, a part of UnitedHealth Group, in La Crosse as a Senor Recovery/Resolution Analyst.
Wallenfelsz and his wife Jenny, a Finance Manager with Optical Fashions, are parents of two children: Keegan, age 8 and Keira, age 6.
SHERM CARSTENSEN
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Sherm Carstensen almost single-handedly carried the Blugolds to an NCAA championship in 2000. The 6-6 shooting forward, who with his twin brother Jerry took Eau Claire Memorial to the 1996 WIAA state tournament, was the MVP of the national tournament, scoring 70 points in the two Final Four games in Salem, Virginia. After a 34-point performance in a 70-42 win over Salem, Massachusetts in the semifinals, he poured in 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 79-74 loss to Calvin, Michigan in the title game. He had put the Blugolds into the national tournament when he hit a last-second three-point shot in a 60-58 win over conference champion UW-Stevens Point in the sectional final at Storm Lake, Iowa.
Carstensen started his collegiate career at UW-Green Bay but returned to UWEC after getting a medical redshirt in 1996-97. He played in 100 career games, starting 86, and scored 1,718 career points to rank sixth on the all-time list. Carstensen scored more than a third of his field goals from 3-point range, converting at a .375 clip.
Carstensen had a banner junior season with the second-best single season point total in school history. He scored 712 points, averaging 21.6 per game. He was also the leading scorer as a senior when the Blugolds advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. That appearance represented the last time a Blugold team had advanced to the post-season until this past March.
In addition to his scoring, Carstensen averaged 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for his career with 132 total steals. He hit 47.3 percent from the field and 73.4 percent from the foul line.
Like Wallenfelsz, Carstensen was a three-time All-Conference selection and twice was named to the NABC All-Regional first team. He was a D3hoops.com first team All-American as a senior after earning third team honors as a junior.
Coach Gibbons called Carstensen a "unique player" that led the team by example. He said that "whether it was practice or game time, Sherm was always prepared to play." Gibbons credited Memorial coach Jim Kasmarek for instilling those values in him. He also characterized Carstensen as a "truly humble person."
Carstensen graduated in 2001 with a major in mathematics and a minor in finance. Following graduation, he played with the Marathon Oil Exhibition Team and also in the CBA with the Saskatchewan Hawks. He also earned his Certified Financial Planner Designation as a Financial Advisor and worked in various business positions until 2012, when he obtained a degree in education from Immanuel Lutheran College. Since then, he has served as a teacher and principal at Lutheran schools in Watertown, South Dakota and Markesan, Wisconsin. In 2017, he was called as a teacher and assistant principal at Immanuel Lutheran School in Mankato, Minnesota.
Carstensen and his wife Kacie (Fry), also a UWEC graduate and four-year soccer letterwinner, are parents of four children: Samuel, 10; Malena, 8; Jacob, 6 and Madelyn, 3.
JOHN SCHUNA
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John Schuna was a nine-time NCAA All-American, winning the NCAA indoor shot put championship his freshman year. He never finished lower than sixth place in his next seven national shot put competitions, including three thirds. He also placed once in the discus in national competition.
At the conference level, Schuna won two golds in the shot put with two seconds and two thirds. He also scored points in the discus three times and the indoor weight throw once. He set the Blugold outdoor record in 2004 and the indoor shot put mark in 2005.
Schuna was a WIAA state runner-up in the shot put and discus for Hudson High School where he also won three Big Rivers Conference titles and set the Hudson shot put and discus records.
A good student as well, Schuna was the WIAC Indoor Track Co-Scholar Athlete winner in 2005, the same year he received Academic All-American second team honors. He was a two-time Blugold Super Six Winner.
Blugold head coach Chip Schneider called Schuna "the guy" on the UWEC track and field team during his four years of competition. He said Schuna "had the combination of great strength, athleticism, intelligence and dedication that comes along rarely." He added, "As a coach, I never worried whether John was doing everything to be better in the circle, in the weight room or away from the track." Schneider said that Schuna kept UWEC track and field relevant on the national level in his first few years as head coach. Since Schuna's tenure, the men's team has been a NCAA track and field power with multiple national shot put champions.
Paul Conlin, Schuna's throws coach, said "John was the epitome of what a student of the sport looks like." He added that "John loved to learn and to push himself. He was a professional and business-like in his approach and it worked well for him." Conlin also pointed out that Schuna was a great coach as a grad assistant after his eligibility expired.
Schuna graduated in 2006 with a major in kinesiology-exercise management. He obtained his master's degree in exercise science from North Dakota State University (NDSU) in 2009 and his Ph.D. in human development/wellness from NDSU in 2012.
From 2012-14, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2014, he has been at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon where he is currently an Associate Professor of Kinesiology. He is a recognized expert in the areas of physical activity assessment, energy expenditure dynamics and theoretical body composition frameworks. He has authored or co-authored 58 peer-reviewed journal publications, 54 peer-reviewed scientific abstracts and three book chapters. He is currently the Program Director for the Masters of Public Health-Physical Activity Option at Oregon State.
Schuna and his wife Vimala "Nancy" are parents of one child, Desmond, age 15 months.
ALISON (EAGLES) ANDERSON
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Alison (Eagles) Anderson earned 14 All-Conference recognitions for top six finishes at the conference meet and five All-American recognitions for top six places at nationals.
Anderson, a graduate of Mounds View High School in Arden Hills, Minnesota, and a level 10 competitor for Midwest Gymnastics, captured five of the 12 individual conference titles that have been won by Blugold athletes all-time with two all-around titles, two vault golds and one floor exercise championship.
She is one of two Blugold gymnasts who have qualified for the NCAA Division I regional (hers was in Salt Lake City, Utah) based on her scores throughout her senior season of 2004-05. In that meet, she scored a 37.275 to place 16th in the all-around. In the NCGA meet (the national organization for non-Division I schools), Eagles took third in the all-around and vault as a sophomore and third in floor exercise and fourth in vault as a senior.
As a senior, Anderson helped the Blugolds achieve their highest finish ever at a national meet with a fourth place. In conference competition, the Blugolds were second three times during Anderson's career.
Her scores still rank among the top 10 in Blugold gymnastics history in vault, floor exercise and all-around. Anderson still holds the record for top floor exercise score.
Anderson was twice named the Blugold team MVP and served as a team captain. She received the team's Most Consistent Award and was a four-time conference athlete of the week.
Jean DeLisle, who coached Anderson her junior and senior seasons, said that what made Anderson so special, "was her heart for the sport, for her team and how proud she was to be a Blugold gymnast." She went on to say that "not only did Alison work extremely hard to perfect her skills and routines, she always encouraged her teammates to do the same with uplifting energy and comments." And it wasn't just her own teammates that she impressed, according to DeLisle. "Alison was known in the Division III gymnastics world as the talented, fun and energetic gymnast that was always smiling and having fun."
Anderson graduated from UWEC in 2006 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. She majored in business marketing and received her information technology certificate. Her first job was in Franchise Development for Regis Corporation in Minneapolis. Since 2011, she has held a variety of positions with Thomson Reuters in St. Paul where she has received numerous awards and certifications. She is currently the Manager of Digital Marketing Analytics using big data to drive development and strategy in customer analytics platforms. She also is an Adjunct Instructor at UW-Stout, teaching a digital marketing class in onsite optimization.
Anderson and her husband Matt, a Manager of Client Management for Thomson Reuters, live in Inver Grove Heights (MN) and are parents of two children: Carys, age 7, and Julian, age 4.
DAVEY STARKS
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Davey Starks produced a 111-37 record during an outstanding Blugold career that saw him earn team Most Improved award as a freshman and team MVP award the following three years.
An undefeated WIAA state high school champion at Stoughton, Starks won four consecutive conference titles at 125 pounds and was named to the league's All-Centennial team in 2012. He earned NCAA All-American status as a junior with a seventh-place finish at nationals. He was the team captain both his junior and senior seasons.
Hall of Fame coach Don Parker, who was Starks' Blugold coach, pointed out that Davey came to UWEC "highly skilled from one of the Wisconsin high school wrestling powers at Stoughton." Parker said Starks' repertoire included "some great Greco throws." He recalled one conference championship when Starks trailed by four points in the third period and "tossed his opponent to his back for the win." He said "Davey worked hard to be the best he could be." A Blugold coach for 31 years, Parker said Starks was "one of the best wrestlers we have had."
Starks graduated from UWEC in 2004 as a kinesiology major. He added a web programmer/analyst degree from Madison College. He is currently a Software Engineer for ARMS Business Solutions in Madison. He previously held various IT positions with five other companies.
Starks and his wife Abigail, a Corporate Service Trainer, have three children: Sigrid, age 5; Soren, age 4 and Elin, age 2.
Acronyms
WIAC = Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
(current conference for men's and women's sports, combined in 1996)
NCAA = National Collegiate Athletic Association (current national organization which UWEC joined provisionally in 1986-87)
NCGA = National Collegiate Gymnastics Association
GCAA = Golf Coaches Association of America
NABC = National Association of Basketball Coaches
WIAA = Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association
CBA = Continental Basketball Association
D3hoops.com – a national Division III basketball media outlet
