2001 Hall of Fame Inductees

Bob Berceau - Wrestling - 1989-91
Berceau was the first two-time All-American and first National Champion wrestler at UW-Stevens Point. He is also a member of the Pointers� wrestling All-History team at 134 pounds. A graduate of Luxemburg-Casco High School, Berceau was a three-time state wrestling champion. earning WIAA state titles in 1983, 1985 and 1986. After high school, he enrolled at Northern Michigan University. During his sophomore year, Berceau placed second in the NCAA Division II national tournament, but the Wildcats dropped their wrestling program the following year and Berceau transferred to UW-Stevens Point. Berceau finished with a career record of 94-31 with 21 career pins. In 1989, he was named First-team All-District, and crowned NCAA Division III National Champion at 134 pounds. Berceau graduated from UW-Stevens Point in 1991 with a degree in resource management and began his career working in partnership with an area soil tester. He will take over as the head wrestling coach at Luxemburg-Casco this winter.

Jerry Lawetzki - Basketball - 1963-1967
Lawetzki was a four-year letterwinner for the pointer men�s basketball team. The West Allis Central High School graduate was a two-time All-Conference and two-time All-State selection before enrolling at UW-Stevens Point in 1962. Lawetzki led the Pointers in scoring for three straight years in the early 60�s, capping off his basketball career with a 20.9 per game scoring average his senior season. His average that year is more remarkable when considering the severe hamstring injury he battled the first half of the season, limiting him to only 12 points per game the first half of the season. He averaged more than 27 points per game the second half of the season. Lawetzki finished his career with 1,074 points and following his graduation from UW-Stevens Point, he began a 30-year teaching and coaching career in the Milwaukee area, including 27 years in the West Allis School District.

Beth Mears - Track & Field - 1988-1991
Mears was a Pointer All-American and National Champion, but almost didn�t even compete for the Pointers. She was not recruited out of Racine Case High School for track and field, but chose UW-Stevens Point because of its Biology program and called coach Len Hill in the fall of 1987 to ask him if she could compete on the track team. Mears qualified for the NCAA Division III national meet seven times in the shot put, and finished as an All-American all six times. She was crowned National Champion in the indoor shot put in 1990 before finishing second at the national outdoor meet. Mears was named UW-Stevens Point�s outstanding freshman athlete in 1988, and outstanding Pointer athlete in 1990 and 1991. She was named track and field MVP in 1989, 1990 and 1991 and team captain those same three years. She currently lives in New Holstein and works in the physical therapy department at a Chilton hospital.

George Rivers - Football - 1961-1965
Rivers was an active participant in athletics throughout his short lifetime. During his four years at UW-Stevens Point, Rivers was among the top rushers in the Wisconsin State University Conference, averaging almost five yards per carry during his collegiate career. He was an All-Conference selection in 1961 and 1964 and named team captain in 1964. As an athlete at Cornell High School, Rivers lettered in basketball, track and baseball all four years. He was the 1960 WIAA state champion in the 100 yard dash. After earning his Bachelor�s Degree in Education from UW-Stevens Point in 1965, he earned his Master�s Degree in social work at the University of Iowa in 1969. Rivers died in September 1972 at the age of 30.

Debbi Shane Smith - Basketball/Softball - 86-90
Shane Smith was a member of the Pointer women�s basketball National Championship team in 1986-1987. She scored 20 points in the championship game against Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team as a freshman. Shane Smith was a First-team All-Conference performer in 1988 and earned honorable mention honors in 1989. She also excelled on the softball diamond, earning First-team All-Conference honors in 1989 and 1990 and First-team All-Midwest Region accolades in 1990 as a shortstop, while also capturing the UW-Stevens Point Female Athlete of the Year award.

Don Solin - Football/Baseball
Solin was a three-year starter at linebacker for the Pointers� football team and a four-year starter on the Pointers� baseball team. The Deerbrook, Wis. native was a three-time captain in football and a two-year starter at first base and a two-year starter at third base in baseball, earning All-District honors in baseball in 1977. Following graduation, he has been a national powerhouse in logging competitions, finishing second in the 1995 national competition.