THREE POINTER ATHLETES NAMED VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS

UW-Stevens Point had a national-best three athletes selected to the Verizon Academic All-American team for women's fall and winter at-large sports.

Soccer player Marie Muhvic (Stevens Point, WI) became the first UW-Stevens Point female athlete ever named a first-team Academic All-American, while soccer player Margaret Domka (Stevens Point, WI) was a second-team selection and cross country runner Leah Juno (Brillion, WI) was a third-team honoree.

The team includes all NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA athletes in fall and winter sports besides volleyball and basketball. Sports included are women's cross country, ice hockey, soccer, swimming, gymnastics, fencing and field hockey.

UW-Stevens Point's three selections were matched only by Emory University (Ga.). Each team had 15 selections and every athlete had at least a 3.7 grade point average.

UW-Stevens Point previously had nine athletes earn the Academic All-American honor, including just two females. Six of the Academic All-Americans came during the 1999-2000 season, including females Tammy Byrne, who was second-team in tennis, and Becca Uphoff, who was third-team in swimming.

Muhvic, a Stevens Point native, is just the third first-team selection in UW-Stevens Point history. She joins football player Joel Hornby in 1997 and track runner Dan Schwamberger in 2000.

Muhvic carries a 3.93 grade point average in Physical Education. She was the conference's first-ever Player of the Year this past season and also earned the league's scholar athlete award. Muhvic is the conference's all-time leading scorer with 74 goals and 173 points.

Domka, a Stevens Point native, carries a 3.74 grade point average in Spanish. She was the MVP of the Pointer soccer team that finished 22-5 and advanced to the Division III semifinals. Domka was one of the nation's top scoring defenders with 12 goals and three assists for 27 points, earning first-team All-American honors.

Juno, a Brillion native, holds a 3.86 grade point average with a double major in Computer Information Systems and Mathematics. She was a WIAC individual champion in cross country this past season. Juno also placed 16th at the Division III championships. She has won individual national titles in the indoor and outdoor 800 meters in track and field as well.

BASEBALL (19-8 overall, 4-2 WIAC)

April 23 - Home vs. Edgewood (DH), 2:30 p.m. (University Field)

April 27 - Home vs. UW-Whitewater (DH), 1 p.m. (University Field)

April 28 - at UW-Platteville (DH), Noon

The Pointers climbed back into the WIAC championship hunt with a weekend sweep of UW-Stout and UW-Superior. UW-Stevens Point had a pair of dramatic wins over 11th ranked UW-Stout, winning 7-6 and 6-5 in 10 innings before pounding UW-Superior 18-6 and 22-10.

UW-Stevens Point is back in action at home today (April 23) against Edgewood in a non-conference doubleheader and then plays its final home games of the season in a key WIAC doubleheader against UW-Whitewater on Friday. The Warhawks are 5-1 in the league, while the Pointers are in third place at 4-2. UW-Stevens Point also plays at UW-Platteville Saturday.

The Pointers hit 11 home runs over the weekend, including eight in Saturday's sweep. UW-Stevens Point's Jared Szews (Birnamwood, WI) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning of the opening game Friday to preserve the win for Troy Bielmeier (Wautoma, WI). The Pointers rallied twice in the second game as Eric Bennett (Madison, WI) had a two-out single in the bottom of the 10th to drive home the winning run. The Pointers trailed 4-2 in the eighth and then 5-4 entering the bottom of the 10th.

On Saturday, Bennett hit a grand slam in the opening game and Mike McCann (Antigo, WI) delivered a key three-run triple to give the Pointers a 10-6 lead in the seventh inning. The Pointers scored 12 runs in the first inning of the second game as Paul Molitor (Reedsburg, WI), Pat McCann (Antigo, WI) and Sam Molski (Stevens Point, WI) each hit home runs. Molski had three home runs on Saturday and now has nine for the season.

SOFTBALL (13-10 overall, 1-5 WIAC)

April 25 - Home vs. Lakeland (DH), 3 p.m. (McCarty Field)

April 26 - at UW-La Crosse (DH), 4 p.m. (Logan HS Field)

April 28 - vs. UW-Eau Claire (at River Falls), 2 p.m.

April 28 - at UW-River Falls, 4 p.m.

April 29 - vs. UW-Stout (at River Falls), Noon

April 29 - vs. TBA (at River Falls), 2 or 4 p.m.

The Pointers have fallen on tough luck during the past week, dropping eight of their last 10 games, but five of those losses have been by two runs or less. UW-Stevens Point went 0-4 last week, losing to UW-Oshkosh 4-2 and 8-5, and then falling to UW-Superior 4-3 and UW-Eau Claire 5-4. The Pointers had their two games at the UW-Eau Claire tournament cancelled on Sunday, marking their 10th and 11th games of the season that have been cancelled.

UW-Stevens Point is back to action on Wednesday when the Pointers host Lakeland. The games were originally scheduled for Friday, moved to Monday and now have been changed for Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Kelly Rutta (Stevens Point, WI) went seven-for-16 for the Pointers and hit her school-record tying seventh triple of the season on Saturday. Nicole Alexander (Dodgeville, WI) had an oustanding week at the plate with an eight-for-13 performance, including a three-for-three outburst against UW-Eau Claire. Brooke Woller (Wausau, WI) had a three-run homer in the loss to UW-Eau Claire.

Sophomore Karen Guckenberger (South Milwaukee, WI) picked up her 186th career strikeout to tie the school record in just over one and a half seasons. She gave up five earned runs against UW-Eau Claire after allowing only four all season to give her a 0.80 ERA for the season.

TRACK AND FIELD

April 28 - at Drake Relays

April 28 - Men at UW-Eau Claire Invitational

April 28 - Women at UW-La Crosse Invitational

The Pointers will split their squads three ways this weekend with several athletes headed to Des Moines, Iowa for the annual Drake Relays. UW-Stevens Point's remaining men's squad will participate at UW-Eau Claire and the women will be at UW-La Crosse. This weekend's meets are the final tune-ups for the WIAC Championships May 4-5 in Whitewater.

UW-Stevens Point had four men's individual champions and Leah Juno (Brillion, WI) set a meet and school record with an NCAA Division III automatic qualifying time in the women's 1,500 meter run to lead the Pointers at the Augustana (Ill.) Invite last weekend.

The Pointer men finished second of nine teams with 183.5 points, trailing UW-Oshkosh's 212 points. UW-Stevens Point's women's team was fourth of seven teams with 182.5 points. Augustana won the women's title with 293.5 points.

Eric Miller (Green Bay, WI) won the 200 meters in 21.85 seconds and had a provisionally qualifying time of 10.73 seconds while finishing second in the 100 meters to lead the Pointer men's team. Jeremiah Rolfs (Wild Rose, WI) also had a provisionally qualifying mark in winning the discus at 160 feet, 7 inches.

Other men's winners were Aaron Carley (Lodi, WI) in the triple jump at 43 feet, 8 1/2 inches and the 4x400 meter relay team in 3:20.69.

Juno posted a time of 4:35.84 to win the 1,500 meters by 14 seconds and set the meet record. Becky Lebak (Burlington, WI) was the only other Pointer women's winner, leading three Pointers atop the 3,000 meters with a time of 10:17.24. April Halkoski (Schofield, WI) was second in the event and Marcie Fisher (Oshkosh, WI) was third.

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