MADISON, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) announced today the Softball All-Time Team that will be recognized in conjunction with the conference's upcoming Centennial Celebration. All-Time Teams are being selected in those men's and women's sports that have been classified as "championship" sports at some point during the conference's 100-year history. Additional teams will be released on a weekly basis throughout much of the 2011-12 academic year.
A total of five Blugolds were named to the All-Time Team (Heidi Bergstrom, Casey Leisgang, Mallory McKinney, Jill Schoenike and Lisa Schueler) while Leslie Huntington was named an All-Time Co-Coach.
| Softball All-Time Team | |||
| Name | School | Years Participated | Hometown (High School)* |
| Jenna Ahnen | UW-La Crosse | 2008-11 | Sparta, Wis. |
| Heidi Bergstrom (More Info) | UW-Eau Claire | 1997-2000 | Austin, Minn. |
| Suzanne Brion | UW-Stout | 1994-96 | Cameron, Wis. |
| Amy Gahl | UW-Whitewater | 2006-09 | Beloit, Wis. (Parkview) |
| Nila Gruenewald | UW-Oshkosh | 1982-85 | Bonduel, Wis. |
| Emily Howlett | UW-River Falls | 2006-08 | Eagan, Minn. |
| Erin Kegley | UW-Superior | 2003-07 | Inver Grove Heights, Minn. (Simley) |
| Valerie Kerkman | UW-Whitewater | 1996-99 | Burlington, Wis. (Westosha Central) |
| Casey Leisgang (More Info) | UW-Eau Claire | 2005-08 | Seymour, Wis. |
| Mallory McKinney (More Info) | UW-Eau Claire | 2004-07 | Brooklyn Park, Minn. (Champlin Park) |
| Erin O'Connell | UW-Stout | 2002-05 | Altoona, Wis. |
| Kelly Rutta | UW-Stevens Point | 1998-2001 | Stevens Point, Wis. (Pacelli) |
| Jill Schoenike (More Info) | UW-Eau Claire | 1996-99 | McFarland, Wis. |
| Lisa Schueler (More Info) | UW-Eau Claire | 1997-2000 | Watertown, Wis. |
| Ronessa Stampfli | UW-Oshkosh | 2005-08 | Brodhead, Wis. |
| Jessica Stang | UW-Whitewater | 2008-11 | Minnetonka, Minn. |
| Sarah Tarasewicz | UW-Superior | 2002-05 | Hurley, Wis. |
| Whitney Tornow | UW-Oshkosh | 2007-10 | Neenah, Wis. |
| Dena Zajdel | UW-Stevens Point | 1995-98 | Caledonia, Wis. |
| Jamie Ziegel | UW-Oshkosh | 1984, 86-88 | Wausau, Wis. (West) |
| Softball All-Time Co-Coaches: Leslie Huntington (UW-Eau Claire) (2002-present) - More Info and Brenda Volk (UW-Whitewater) (1999-present) | |||
| *Indicates hometown and high school while attending school | |||
WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner remarked that this has been an extremely difficult process given the 100-year span and incomparable success the conference has experienced in most of its sports. Karner noted that in some sports, even achieving All-American status didn't necessarily guarantee an athlete a spot on the team. He also acknowledged that while disagreement is inherent and expected whenever there is a selection of an all-time anything (be it a team, restaurant or movie), the conference nonetheless felt it important to recognize student-athletes and coaches who have contributed to the success of the most accomplished Division III conference in NCAA history.
The student-athlete representation on each team has relied heavily on input provided by the sports information director from each of the nine WIAC campuses, while the process for selecting the head coach(es) for each team also includes input from a panel of media representatives. The number of individuals selected per team varies depending upon the nature of the sport itself as well as the number of years the sport has/had been sponsored within the conference.
The conference has also elected to establish a special "legacy" category to recognize those student-athletes and coaches who had extremely accomplished careers but competed during an era(s) when the compilation of statistical data was spotty at best and/or the style of play at that time does not translate for comparative purposes to the stats prevalent in the modern era. The WIAC "Legacy Team" will also be named at a later date.
All-Time Team members will receive certificates from the conference and it is hoped that most, if not all, of the recipients will be in attendance or represented at the WIAC Centennial Banquet to be held at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison on August 4, 2012.
More information on the activities and events associated with the WIAC Centennial can be accessed via the WIAC website at www.wiacsports.com.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is the proud sponsor of the WIAC Centennial Celebration
