BASEBALL (24-9 overall, 7-3 WIAC)

May 4 - at UW-La Crosse (DH), 1 p.m.

May 5 - at UW-River Falls (DH), Noon

The WIAC baseball race comes down to this weekend as the Pointers play their final four regular season games in La Crosse and River Falls. UW-Stevens Point is in third place at 7-3 in the league, while UW-Oshkosh is 7-0 and UW-Whitewater is 6-2. The top four teams make the tournament May 12-13 with the first place team serving as the host.

UW-Stevens Point is peaking at the right time, having won nine of its last 10 games. The Pointers swept UW-Platteville 8-6 and 12-2 on Saturday after splitting with UW-Whitewater on Friday. UW-Stevens Point beat the Warhawks 4-3 in the opener, but lost 7-4 in the nightcap as UW-Whitewater hit a three-run homer in the top of the ninth for the victory.

The Pointers also swept Edgewood by identical 7-6 scores on Monday in a non-conference doubleheader.

Sam Molski (Stevens Point, WI) had three hits in each game at UW-Platteville, while Randy Reed (Appleton, WI) hit his single-season school record fourth triple of the year in the opening game. The Pointers had 35 hits in the doubleheader.

Molski hit a two-run triple and Eric Bennett (Madison, WI) followed with a two-run homer in the fourth inning of Friday's win over UW-Whitewater as the Pointers erased a 3-0 deficit. UW-Stevens Point also trailed 3-0 in the second game, but came back to tie the game in the eighth on a solo homer by Ryan Ivy (Kenosha, WI).

Jon Jagler (Wausau, WI) hit a solo homer to break a 6-6 tie in the bottom of the sixth in the opening game against Edgewood and Reed belted a grand slam to spark the Pointers in the second game of the sweep.

SOFTBALL (19-10 overall, 1-5 WIAC)

May 1 - Home vs. Marian (DH), 3 p.m. (McCarty Field)

May 4-5 - WIAC Championship at UW-Superior (pairings and seedings announced on May 2)

It was a huge week for the Pointers as they won all six games, including four one-run games, while capturing the UW-River Falls Tournament and sweeping UW-La Crosse.

UW-Stevens Point hosts Marian Tuesday in its final regular season games and the final scheduled home events for any Pointer sport in 2000-01 season. The Pointers will play in the WIAC tournament at Superior this weekend. Pairings and seeds are determined by a formula and will be announced Wednesday.

The Pointers beat UW-Stout 3-2 in the title game in River Falls Sunday as Nicole Alexander (Dodgeville, WI) singled home the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. UW-Stevens Point also beat UW-Stout 4-3 in eight innings earlier in the day as Sarah Berg (Stillwater, MN) hit an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth.

On Saturday, the Pointers beat UW-Eau Claire 2-1 as Kelly Rutta (Stevens Point, WI) drove home two runs and then beat UW-River Falls 2-0 behind a two-hit shutout from Karen Guckenberger (South Milwaukee, WI).

Guckenberger became the all-time career strikeout leader at UW-Stevens Point Thursday in an 11-0 win at UW-La Crosse. She surpassed Jamie Lowney's career record of 186 strikeouts in less than two seasons with the Pointers. UW-Stevens Point beat UW-La Crosse 4-3 in the second game as Alexander hit a solo homer in the sixth.

TRACK AND FIELD

May 4-5 - WIAC Outdoor Championships at Whitewater

The Pointers competed in three different meets last weekend, including the annual Drake Relays, for their final tune-up prior to this weekend's WIAC Outdoor Championships in Whitewater. Events begin Friday at noon and Saturday at 11 a.m.

Leah Juno (Brillion, WI) had the fastest time of any NCAA Division III runner in the women's 800 meters by more than two seconds by finishing 10th in the Division I competition at the Drake Relays. Juno posted a time of 2:10.49 to place 10th among 15 runners in the event. The Pointers' senior was the only Division III runner in the race.

The men's team was led at Drake by the third-place distance medley relay team of Ben Treptow (Viroqua, WI), Craig Gunderson (Waupaca, WI), Chris Horvat (Menomonee Falls, WI) and Jesse Drake (Rhinelander, WI) in 10:00.97. The sprint medley team of Kyle Newman (Holmen, WI), Eric Miller (Green Bay, WI), Gunderson and Horvat was fourth in 3:21.59.

The remainder of the men's team placed second at the nine-team UW-Eau Claire Invitational, while the rest of the women's team was seventh of eight teams at UW-La Crosse.

Luke Hilgers (Nekoosa, WI) was the top performer for the men's team, winning the hammer throw at 183 feet, one inch. He was also second in the shot put at 51 feet, 1/4 inch, while Paul Steffeck (Amherst, WI) was third in the shot put at 49 feet, seven inches.

April Halkoski (Schofield, WI) was the top Pointer women's performer at UW-La Crosse, placing second in the 3,000 meters at 10:28.40.

FIVE ATHLETES NAMED POINTER ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Five athletes who all earned Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships during the past year have been honored as UW-Stevens Point�s Athletes of the Year for their performances during the 2000-01 school year.

Men's swimmer Randy Boelk (Embarrass, MN) and cross country and track runner Jesse Drake (Rhinelander, WI) shared the men's individual sport honor, while cross country and track runner Leah Juno (Brillion, WI) was the women's individual sport selection. Soccer player Marie Muhvic (Stevens Point, WI) was the top women's team sport athlete and men's basketball player Joe Zuiker (Port Edwards, WI) was the top men's team sport athlete. The awards are selected by the entire UW-Stevens Point coaching staff.

Boelk won all seven of his events to lead the Pointers to their second straight WIAC men's swimming championship. Boelk set the WIAC career record with 23 career titles, which is five more than any other swimmer in conference history. He was a four-time WIAC champion in the 400 individual medley and won 10 of his 12 individual races during his four years. He also finished as an All-American in all seven of his events this season, placing second in both the 100 and 200 backstroke. Boelk finished his career with a school-record 26 All-American honors.

Drake was named the NCAA Division III indoor track Athlete of the Year after winning the national championship in the 5,000 meters. He was also the WIAC champion in the event and won the individual title at the WIAC cross country championships. Drake finished third at the Division III cross country championships for his second straight All-American honor. During the outdoor track season, he currently holds the nation's fastest time in the 5,000 meters.

Juno won her second career national title by claiming the indoor 800 meters after winning the outdoor title last spring. Juno was named the Division III Midwest Region indoor track Athlete of the Year after leading the Pointers to their highest national finish in school history at fourth place. She currently has the best outdoor times in Division III in the 800 meters and 1,500 meters. Juno won the WIAC indoor title this season in the 1,500 meters and was the individual champion at the WIAC cross country championships. She finished 16^{th at the Division III cross country championships for her second straight All-American honor and was named a third-team Verizon Academic All-American in cross country.}