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.
The women's basketball program at UW-Eau Claire has been synonymous with success. The program has accumulated an impressive number of awards, both team and individual. Boasting 17 Blugold Hall of Famers, 21 Super Six winners, 10 WIAC Scholar-Athletes, eight WIAC Player of the Year awards and 22 post-season appearances (6 NAIA/AIAW, 16 NCAA – including three Final Four appearances).
One of the keys of the program's success has been consistency at the top – there have only been four coaches in the program's 50 seasons, 47 in the conference.
Blugold Pioneer Sandy Schumacher the was first coach, taking the helm in 1970 and coached for 17 seasons. Coaching some of the top players in the program's decorated history, lessons were learned both on and off the court.
Listen to Schumacher talk about the progression of women's basketball
"Playing basketball at UWEC was an honor," said alumna Barb (Anderson) Brockman. "We were still paving the road for women's athletics, and it was so good to see the sport grow. My high school didn't have basketball for girls until my sophomore year, so it was a big deal to be able to play college ball for four years. UWEC basketball taught me to never give up, and that winning isn't the most important thing. We didn't win many games, but it was the hard work and team relationships that sticks with a person!"
Brockman, who played from 1979-83, was the first Blugold to score over 1,000 career points and still holds the school record for best field goal percentage in a season (75.9 percent). She is also in the top 10 in three other categories, rebounds per game (10.4-seventh), blocks per game (2.2-fifth) and blocks in a season (46-10th). An all-conference performer and team MVP, Brockman was inducted into the Blugold Hall of Fame in 1991.
"I became the person I am in part because of my participation in athletics at UWEC," said fellow Hall of Famer Sue Pulvermacher-Alt. "The friends I made have endured the decades. Holding down a job on campus, carrying a full course load, and playing multiple sports meant I needed to be self-driven, organized, and persistent. These traits and the friendships I established have served me well in life."
Pulvermacher-Alt was a four-year letter winner who also served as a team captain, was a team MVP and still holds the school record for rebounds per game average (13.1). She took her talents to other Blugold programs as well. The multi-sport athlete was also a captain and all-conference performer on the volleyball team, and in the spring competed on the track and field team and was a national qualifier in 1977. She also played on the club softball team and was the team's MVP in 1980. In 1989, she was inducted into the Blugold Hall of Fame.
"I am thankful that today girls take the opportunity to play sports for granted," said Pulvermacher-Alt. "When I was young, I took the right to vote and hold down a job for granted. I thank the pioneers long before me who made those opportunities available. For athletics, in only 50 years we have made the shift from no opportunity to play competitive sports to opportunities for every girl to play some sport at some level. That shift is impressive and encouraging. We need more female coaches, female athletic leaders and more diversity in these ranks, so girls have more role models they can better relate to. This is one of our challenges for the next 50 years."
When Schumacher stepped down as coach after the 1986-87 season, volleyball coach Lisa Herb stepped in for a year and coached the team to a program record 17 wins and then turned things over to Lisa Stone the following season.
With only four coaches in 50 seasons, few student-athletes played for multiple coaches but one such player was Hall of Famer, Susan Christiansen. A four-time all-conference player, all-district and team captain, Christiansen ranks in the top 10 in several team records. She is tied for first in steals in a season (99), first in career steals (307), ninth in rebounds in a season (259) and 10th in field goals made in a season (182). Inducted into the Blugold Hall of Fame in 2001, Christiansen was also named to the All-Time WIAC Centennial Team in 2012.
"I am truly grateful and blessed to not only have attended UWEC but to have had the opportunity to continue to compete and play a game that I loved.," said Christiansen. "The best memories I have are not only the ones from playing the game but the friendships and memories that go beyond the court. From finally beating our "nemesis", UW-River Falls, to get into the playoffs for the first time to those memorable and team bonding road trips and tournaments in the infamous "Cruiser." One thing I do not miss, nor can erase from my memory, are those lovely navy blue polyester warmups! It was a pleasure and honor to have competed alongside so many talented, dedicated and wonderful teammates and was a privilege to be able to play under 3 different coaches who all brought their own style and passion to the game. Forever a BLUGOLD!"
Under Stone's leadership the Blugolds made the post-season 11 times in 12 seasons, winning or tying for the conference title six times and finishing runner-up every other season. Eau Claire tallied 21 wins or more each season but one, and Stone took the Blugolds to two Final Fours losing by just two points in the 1996-97 national title game.
"My time at UWEC are some of my most fond memories of 35 years of coaching," said Stone. "I loved each and every player like a daughter and loved how committed each and every player was to winning championships. We prided ourselves on Team Unity and Family. We won a lot of games but made even better friendships and memories. Our National Championship runs were due to great chemistry and togetherness. I loved my time at UWEC and am a firm believer in once a Blugold always a Blugold!!"
Stone's squads were filled with talented players, including Diane Ring Ryder and Arlene Meinholz Beardsly.
A three-time all-conference winner, Ryder was named the first Blugold All-American in program history in 1992. She currently ranks second in school history in three-point field goal percentage (.550) and eighth in points in a season (475). Ryder was also a Blugold Super Six winner and was inducted into the Blugold Hall of Fame in 2002.
"Playing basketball at UWEC seems like a lifetime ago," said Ryder. "I remember how much I loved it and the pride I took in being part of the Blugold Women's Basketball team. I loved playing for Coach Lisa Stone. Her passion for coaching pushed us to work hard and helped us reach higher levels. Our motto was "Team Unity," and I still feel that bond with my teammates to this day."
Beardsly made the most of her four years in the Blugold uniform, claiming all-conference honors all four years and was twice named an All-American. Leading the team to three conference titles and the NCAA Final Four, she was named the WIAC Player of the Year in 1994-95 in addition to being the WIAC's Scholar-Athlete. Beardsly would also earn Academic All-American honors and was a two-time Super Six winner. Named to the All-Time WIAC Centennial Team, she is the WIAC's career scoring leader (1,834) and is also third in Blugold history in blocked shots average (2.5) and blocks in a season (73) while ranking fourth in most points in a season (542). She accomplished all of this while earning All-American honors in track and field as well. Beardsly took her rightful spot in the Blugold Hall of Fame in 2006.
"I was blessed to be part of four very successful years of Blugold Women's Basketball," said Beardsly. "My favorite memory was running out to a packed Zorn arena and playing in the Final Four during my junior year. I loved how much the community supported us, despite being a women's team. Not all women's teams at UWEC or even around the conference were blessed enough to have this kind of support, because the men's teams typically got it. As much as we needed and appreciated the support from the community, I think the community needed us too. Our team gave the community something special to come together for. However, our success and these amazing experiences were only made possible because of the players and coaches who came before us. It was because of their struggles, sacrifices, and hard work in the early years of women's athletics that provided my generation of players opportunities that we saw as commonplace and took for granted."
After Stone left Eau Claire to coach the Badgers at the University of Wisconsin, current Head Coach Tonja Englund took over in 2000-01, and the Blugolds continued to have success on the court and in the classroom.
In 21 seasons, Englund has tallied 346 wins which ranks fourth-most in WIAC history and has claimed four WIAC titles and five NCAA tournament appearances. The 2002-03 squad holds the school record for wins in a season (32) earning Englund WIAC and National Coach of the Year honors, while the Blugolds took third place in the nation that season. In addition, she has coached six Josten's Player of the Year finalists, and the Blugolds routinely boast one of the top GPA's in the nation, with Eau Claire notching the second-highest GPA in all of NCAA Division III in 2017-18 with an impressive 3.72.
"I cannot express enough gratitude for the efforts of women like Sandy Schumacher, Judy Kruckman, Marilyn Skrivseth, Diane Gilbertson, Mary Mero, and Alice Gansel," said Pulvermacher-Alt. "While I was at UWEC, these women taught classes, coached sports, started athletic programs, and all the while were fighting the good fight for women's athletics at UWEC to make sure the promise of Title IX was fulfilled. I'm sure I'm forgetting others, and I know there were also men who helped with the good fight, but these women were my heroes 50 years ago. I was young, but I knew what they were doing. To all of them, thank you."
Listen to Pulvermacher-Alt and Rita Haugen Humbert talk about the lessons learned from Schumacher
To help the program to continue to thrive, Pulvermacher-Alt has generously stepped forward to match the next $2,000 donated to the Women's Basketball Fund in honor of the 50th Anniversary celebration. To contribute to the Women's Basketball Fund or to Women's Athletics in general, visit the UWEC Foundation website.
