Muhvic Earns NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

     The awards keep coming for University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point senior soccer player Marie Muhvic.

     Already the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year and scholar athlete, as well as an All-American both on the field and academically, the Stevens Point native and SPASH graduate has been selected as a recipient for a $5,000 NCAA postgraduate scholarship.

     Muhvic is the only WIAC student-athlete from any fall sport to earn the award and is the third UW-Stevens Point recipient in the past two years. Football player Andy Palzkill and swimmer Becca Uphoff both won the scholarships in the 1999-2000 school year.

     The NCAA annually awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes in all NCAA divisions and all sports who have excelled academically and athletically, and who are in their last year of intercollegiate athletics competition. Muhvic was one of 58 student-athletes, including 22 Division III student-athletes, to be selected for the award during the fall season.

     Muhvic was the first-ever WIAC Player of the Year this past season after leading the soccer team to its fourth straight conference title and a berth in the Division III final four. Muhvic is the conference's all-time leading scorer with 74 goals and 173 points despite playing just three seasons since transferring. She scored WIAC records 30 goals and 73 points this season. Muhvic is a three-time All-Conference performer and earned second-team All-American honors. She was the conference's scholar athlete and was the first female athlete in school history to be named a first-team Verizon Academic All-American.

     She plans to pursue a Master's Degree in Sports Administration/Management following graduation in May 2002.

Rutta, Guckenberger Named First-Team All-Region; Berg Second Team

     Conference champion UW-Stevens Point landed two of the three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selections on the first-team All-Great Lakes Region softball team as senior second baseman Kelly Rutta and sophomore pitcher Karen Guckenberger were both honored. Senior centerfielder Sarah Berg was a second-team selection.

   Rutta, Stevens Point Pacelli graduate, led the team with a .420 average, 47 hits and 30 runs scored. She also ranks sixth in Division III with eight triples and was the WIAC East Division Co-Player of the Year along with fellow first-team selection Megan Kerkman of UW-Whitewater. Rutta is the school's all-time leader in total bases with 280 and ranks second in career hits with 200. She also ranks second with 34 doubles and third with 130 runs scored.

     Guckenberger, a South Milwaukee native, had the best season of any pitcher in school history with a 0.78 earned run average, which is the lowest in a season in school history. She ranked second in a season with 125 strikeouts and holds the school's career record with 139 strikeouts for her career. Guckenberger allowed just 83 hits in 143 innings, while holding opponents to a .162 average.

     Berg, a Stillwater, Minn. native, hit .364 this season and led the team with 11 doubles, while setting the school record with 37 doubles for her career. She also is the school's all-time career leader in games with 184, at-bats with 561, hits with 201, RBI's with 130 and stolen bases with 28. Berg and Rutta also share the school's career extra base hits record with 53 each.

Hermsen, Berg Named to Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team

     Carrie Hermsen picked a great week to have her biggest week of the season.

     The sophomore designated player from Oconto went three-for-five in two games at last weekend's NCAA Division III Midwest Regional to earn All-Tournament honors. Hermsen played in 20 of the Pointers' 38 games this season and finished with nine hits all season, while posting a .265 batting average.

     Hermsen hit a one-out double in the bottom of the seventh in the Pointers' 1-0 loss to Marian, but was stranded at third base to end the game. She also knocked home the team's only run of the game win a two-out, run-scoring single in the top of the sixth in a 2-1 loss to St. Thomas.

     Senior centerfielder Sarah Berg was also named to the All-Tournament team after finishing three-for-five for the weekend. Her three hits also gave her a school-record 201 for her career.