EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) – Scott Sponholz, who has been the shot clock operator at UW-Eau Claire home basketball games for 22 seasons, is the recipient of the 2022 Jim Mueller Blugold Spirit Award. The award will be presented to Sponholz at the UW-Eau Claire Blugold Hall of Fame banquet Friday, October 7.
The Jim Mueller Blugold Spirit Award, named in honor of its first recipient Jim Mueller, recognizes a non-staff individual or group for long-term support of the Blugold athletics program. The recipient must have demonstrated exemplary interest in and concern for Blugold student-athletes and coaches. Their pride and spirit as a friend and ambassador of the Blugold program epitomizes the true meaning of a Blugold.
Sponholz, a Milwaukee native who graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran High School, has also been the starter or recall starter for many Blugold cross country meets and also the WIAC cross country championships at Eau Claire, River Falls and Stout since 2010. He also worked the 2004 NCAA national cross country meet and several NCAA regional meets hosted by UWEC at Whitetail Golf Course in Colfax. He has been a starter, umpire or referee at numerous indoor and outdoor track meets including 10 WIAC championships. He served as a hospitality marshall for the 2010 NCAA softball championship hosted by the Blugolds at Carson Park.
Sponholz earned a degree in physical education and broadfield social studies with a minor in coaching from UW-La Crosse in 1975. He ran cross country and lettered four years in track, serving as a team co-captain as a senior. He was a two-time conference champion in the mile relay while also placing in the open 440 and indoor 600. He began his teaching career in Kimberly and then spent 31 years at Durand as a junior-senior high social studies and phy ed teacher. He also was head track and cross country coach and a JV football and JV basketball coach. He has received several teaching awards from the Wisconsin Health and Physical Education organization. In retirement, he serves as the physical education teacher at St. Mark Lutheran School in Eau Claire.
He and his wife Anita, who live in Eau Claire, are parents of two grown daughters and have three grandchildren.
Since Mueller received the first award in 2010, the previous Blugold Spirit recipients have included Milt & Marci Siker, Bill Arnsdorf, Dave Hanson, Mike Sullivan, Ron Buckli, the Indianhead Kiwanis Club, Bob Bradovich, Gregg Brandrup, Dave Lorentz, Billy Noss, Tim Huse and Bob Gallaher.
Prepared by Tim Petermann, Sports Information Director emeritus
