Sport: Track and Field
Fun Fact: Lance Moen had a time of 49.62 in the 400 meters, the fastest time all year, and placed first at the Millikin Spring Opener.
Recap of year: So far it has been a very good season for new coach Jeff Stiles and the track and field team as the women took 1st place in the indoor UAA championships and 15th in the nationals. The men placed a respectable 4th at the indoor UAA’s. In the outdoor season, WU has been impressive and now is looking toward the UAA championships in Atlanta and the nationals in late May.
Outlook for next year: Young teams in both men’s and women’s. Look for the men to improve their standing in the UAA while the women aim at moving to a championship level of running
Player of the year: Mindy Kuhl
Kuhl has grabbed first places at the WU mini meet and the Milikin spring opener in the 800 and 1500 meters.
Sport: Volleyball
Fun Fact: The Bears had 16.27 kills per game.
Recap of year: Another year, another impressive season for the Bears as they went 32-6 on their way to their 13th UAA title. While they lost to Wisconsin-Whitewater in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament, the season was a coming out party for some quality young players.
Outlook for next year: Everybody returns, so expect a national championship quality team that is capable of winning it all. Rotello and company can only get better.
Player of the year: Rebecca Rotello
Rotello, a junior, compiled 1465 sets, 281 digs, and 243 kills to lead the way for the Bears.
Sport: Swimming and Diving
Fun Fact: Matt Johnson set the school record in the 200 meter freestyle and qualified for nationals.
Recap of year: The Bears had a decent year, setting eight women’s school records and nine men’s records. While the teams, both men’s and women’s, continue to improve, diver Ryan Braun dominated.
Outlook for next year: They lose Lindsay Wilkinson, so at the national level the Bears might not be as successful. Other than that, it’s hard to say how a young team will perform.
Player of the year: Ryan Braun
Braun qualified and received honorable mention All-American for the one and three meter events in nationals.
Sport: Men’s Soccer
Fun Fact: The Bears accumulated 127 points and 160 fouls.
Recap of year: Not a bad year. The Bears went 11-4-2 and 4-2-1 in conference to complete their 19th consecutive winning season. The season was soured, however, when they narrowly missed an NCAA berth.
Outlook for next year: Hard to say. The team loses eight seniors including Casey Lien, but other top scorers such as Mark Gister, Scott Siebers, and Steve Bujarski return to form the nucleus of another winning team.
Player of the year: Casey Lien
You can’t argue here. Casey led the Bears with 19 points, scoring eight goals while assisting on three others. Plus, three of his goals were game winners.
Sport: Women’s Soccer
Fun Fact: WU scored 36 goals or 2.12 goals a game.
Recap of year: Not a great year. What else could one expect with the turmoil of new coach Wendy Dillinger being hired in mid-season? With all other extenuating circumstances aside, the Bears went 7-7-3 and 3-3-1 in the UAA. This is a definite drop off from for a team that a few short years ago (1997) went to the Division III Final Four.
Outlook for next year: Not good. The Bears will lose leading scorer Glick along with four other seniors. This does not bode well for a team that struggled to finish .500 this year. Another rebuilding year and a chance for coach Dillinger to get her feet on the ground.
Player of the year: Jessica Glick
An easy choice: Glick, a senior, totaled 30 points, scoring 11 goals and assisting in eight more. She was also responsible for three game-winning goals.