MADISON, Wis.--The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) announced today the Football All-Time Team that will be recognized in conjunction with the conference’s upcoming Centennial Celebration. All-Time Teams are being selected in those men’s and women’s sports that have been classified as “championship” sports at some point during the conference’s 100-year history. Additional teams will be released on a weekly basis throughout much of the 2011-12 academic year.
Football All-Time Team
Name School Years Participated Hometown (High School)*
Brent Allen (UW-Whitewater) (2004-07) Mukwonago, Wis.
Bill Barwick (UW-Whitewater) (1973-75) Beloit, Wis. (Memorial)
Kirk Baumgartner (UW-Stevens Point) (1986-89) Colby, Wis.
Justin Beaver (UW-Whitewater) (2004-07) Palmyra, Wis. (Palmyra-Eagle)
Tony Beckham (UW-Stout) (1998-2001) Ocala, Fla. (Forest)
Wil Beech (UW-Eau Claire) (1984-87) Milwaukee, Wis. (Pius)
Willie Berzinski (UW-La Crosse) (1952-55) Arcadia, Wis.
Chuck Braun (UW-Stevens Point) (1978-81) Athens, Wis.
Joe Bullis (UW-Stout) (1975-76, 78-79) Lake Geneva, Wis. (Badger)
Jim Byrne (UW-La Crosse) (1980-83) Brooklyn, N.Y.
Luke Bundgaard (UW-Stout) (2000-03) Weyerhaeuser, Wis. (Bruce)
Chris Charnish (UW-Platteville) (1967-70) Milwaukee, Wis. (Pius)
Levell Coppage (UW-Whitewater) (2008-present) Oak Park, Ill.
Greg Corning (UW-River Falls) (1984-87) McFarland, Wis.
Al Equi (UW-Whitewater) (1966-67) Glenbard, Ill. (East)
Reed Giordana (UW-Stevens Point) (1974-77) Kaukauna, Wis.
Eric Halverson (UW-La Crosse) (1993-96) Tomahawk, Wis.
Mike Hintz (UW-Platteville) (1984-87) Waukesha, Wis. (South)
Justin Jacobs (UW-Whitewater) (2002-05) Sun Prairie, Wis.
Jared Jenkins (UW-Stevens Point) (2007-10) Milwaukee, Wis. (Rufus King)
Spencer Johnson (UW-Whitewater) (1992-94) Madison, Wis. (Memorial)
Ryan Kleppe (UW-Whitewater) (2003-06) Mount Horeb, Wis.
Ben Knepper (UW-Stout) (2000-03) Rice Lake, Wis.
Scott Krause (UW-Stevens Point) (2000-03) Waunakee, Wis.
Clint Kriewaldt (UW-Stevens Point) (1995-98) Shiocton, Wis.
Craig Kusick (UW-La Crosse) (1993-95) Apple Valley, Minn. (Eagan)
Derrick LeVake (UW-Whitewater) (1995-97) West Allis, Wis. (Central)
Mike March (UW-Eau Claire) (1979-82) Antigo, Wis.
Mike Maslowski (UW-La Crosse) (1993-96) Thorp, Wis.
Mike Miller (UW-Whitewater) (1982-84) Madison, Wis. (Memorial)
Andy Moriarty (UW-Oshkosh) (2003-07) Mequon, Wis. (Homestead)
Tom Newberry (UW-La Crosse) (1982-85) Onalaska, Wis.
Ted Pretasky (UW-La Crosse) (1985-88) Holmen, Wis.
A.J. Raebel (UW-Whitewater) (2003-06) Cary Grove, Ill.
Claire Rasmussen (UW-Oshkosh) (1966-69) Green Lake, Wis.
Jace Rindahl (UW-Whitewater) (2005-08) Cambridge, Wis.
Barry Rose (UW-Stevens Point) (1988-91) Baldwin, Wis. (Baldwin-Woodville)
Aaron Rusch (UW-Whitewater) (2008-10) Hartford, Wis.
Max Sakellaris (UW-Whitewater) (2003-06) Oak Park, Ill.
Jeff Schebler (UW-Whitewater) (2006-09) Davenport, Iowa (Assumption)
Bill Schroeder (UW-La Crosse) (1993) Sheboygan, Wis. (South)
Randy Simpson (UW-Stevens Point) (1991-94) Phillips, Wis.
Gerard Sonsalla (UW-River Falls) (1978-81) Arcadia, Wis.
Darrell Souhrada (UW-Eau Claire) (1998-2001) Riceville, Iowa
John Stanek (UW-La Crosse) (1972-75) La Crosse, Wis. (Aquinas)
Derek Stanley (UW-Whitewater) (2003-06) Verona, Wis.
Doug Sutherland (UW-Superior) (1966-69) Superior, Wis. (Central)
Jim Van Gorden (UW-Eau Claire) (1961-64) Eau Claire, Wis. (Memorial)
Roger Vann (UW-Eau Claire) (1978-81) South Bend, Ind. (La Salle)
Jim Walters (UW-Whitewater) (1969-73) Pottsville, Pa.
Matt Weber (UW-Whitewater) (2008-10) Oregon, Wis.
Lee Weigel (UW-Eau Claire) (1982-85) Marshfield, Wis.
Joel Williams (UW-La Crosse) (1976-78) Miami, Fla. (North)
Football All-Time Coach: Roger Harring (UW-La Crosse) (1969-99)
*Indicates hometown and high school while attending school
WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner remarked that this has been an extremely difficult process given the 100-year span and incomparable success the conference has experienced in most of its sports. Karner noted that in some sports, even achieving All-American status didn’t necessarily guarantee an athlete a spot on the team. He also acknowledged that while disagreement is inherent and expected whenever there is a selection of an all-time anything (be it a team, restaurant or movie), the conference nonetheless felt it important to recognize student-athletes and coaches who have contributed to the success of the most accomplished Division III conference in NCAA history.
The student-athlete representation on each team has relied heavily on input provided by the sports information director from each of the nine WIAC campuses, while the process for selecting the head coach(es) for each team also includes input from a panel of media representatives. The number of individuals selected per team varies depending upon the nature of the sport itself as well as the number of years the sport has/had been sponsored within the conference.
The conference has also elected to establish a special “legacy” category to recognize those student-athletes and coaches who had extremely accomplished careers but competed during an era(s) when the compilation of statistical data was spotty at best and/or the style of play at that time does not translate for comparative purposes to the stats prevalent in the modern era. The WIAC “Legacy Team” will also be named at a later date.
All-Time Team members will receive certificates from the conference and it is hoped that most, if not all, of the recipients will be in attendance or represented at the WIAC Centennial Banquet to be held at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison on August 4, 2012.
More information on the activities and events associated with the WIAC Centennial can be accessed via the WIAC website at www.wiacsports.com.