Friday State Sports Briefs: UWO hoops coach announces retirement

• Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

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OSHKOSH - UW-Oshkosh men’s basketball coach Ted Van Dellen announced his retirement yesterday. He coached the Titans for 22 seasons, and his teams went 358-225.

Van Dellen had 17 winning seasons. And his total victories are the fifth-highest in WIAC history. Van Dellen’s teams made the NCAA Division-Three tournament five times in eight years from 1996-to-2003 – and the ’03 Titans had the best finish, making the Elite Eight. The 55-year-old Van Dellen said he’s been blessed to work with so many quality young men – and he says they’ve really touched his life.

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Four ex-Brewers have been named to the WIAC’s all-time baseball team. Jerry Augustine pitched for UW-La Crosse in the early 1970’s before joining the Brew Crew. The other former Brewers to be honored were Jim Gantner, who played at UW-Oshkosh – reliever Bob Wickman, who starred at Whitewater – and catcher Vinny Rottino, who played at La Crosse. Also, ex-Major League starter Jarrod Washburn from UW-Oshkosh was named to the all-time conference squad, along with current Washington Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann from UW-Stevens Point and current Angels’ advance scout Gary Varsho from UW-Oshkosh. A dozen other Oshkosh players were also named to the 27-member WIAC all-time squad – Dorian Boyland, Jeff Carl, Chris Delarwelle, Craig Henderson, Tom Jaremko, Jeremy Jirschele, Terry and Tim Jorgensen, Andy Kimball, Vince Mancuso, Pat McDonald, Aaron Richartz, and Jack Taschner. Whitewater had five players on the team besides Wickman – Jeff Donovan, Brady Endl, Greg Reinhard, Jordan Stine, and Pat Tobiasz. Craig Kusick of La Crosse was also picked, along with Seth Maier of Stout. Tom Lechnir and Russ Tiedemann, both of Oshkosh, were named as the coaches of the WIAC’s all-time team.

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University of Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema says the signings of big-name transfers Russell Wilson and Danny O’Brien will not hurt the Badgers’ efforts to recruit high school quarterbacks in the future. Bielema says recruits may be concerned that they’ll be undercut by the sudden arrival of an experienced transfer. But if the question comes up on the recruiting trail, Bielema says he’s ready with an answer. He says the large number of injuries the Badgers have had at quarterback justify the signings of Wilson and O’Brien. Jon Budmayr was the Number-One quarterback going into last season – but he has not played since then due to nerve problems in his throwing arm. Curt Phillips has had multiple knee injuries. And freshman quarterback Bart Houston is about to have surgery on his throwing shoulder. Bielema says he’s still got a lot to sell to a potential quarterback – the chance to be a two-year starter. Scott Tolzien grew during his two years as a Wisconsin starter, and became a practice squad player for the San Francisco 49’ers. And O’Brien expects to play for two years after transferring from Maryland this week.

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The Milwaukee Mustangs won their Arena Football League home opener against Pittsburgh last night, 63-40. Gino Guidugli threw three touchdown passes and ran for three more scores, as the Mustangs improved to 2-1 on the young season. Jonathan Wilson caught two touchdown passes for Pittsburgh, which fell to 1-2. The Mustangs have already had a bye – and they’ll have another one next weekend before their next home game on April 28th.

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A University of Kentucky volleyball player from Madison will transfer to Marquette University this fall. Elizabeth Koberstein is a setter with two years of eligibility remaining – and she’ll be able to play immediately for the Golden Eagles. Koberstein played at Madison West High School. She averaged around nine assists and one-and-a-half digs per set in 17 matches with Kentucky over two seasons. She had an SEC record 70 assists last August in an upset win over Tulsa. Marquette coach Bond Shymansky said the Eagles are excited to quote, “bring one of the most talented and highly-touted setters in the nation back to her home state.” Shymansky said Koberstein has a dynamic capability as a setter, and will fit in well with Marquette’s offensive system. The Eagles made the NCAA Tournament for the first time last fall, and had a record of 24-11.

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University of Wisconsin men’s hockey All-American Justin Schultz has been passed over as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. The junior Schultz was among 10 semi-finalists for the annual award as the nation’s best Division-One player. But the award’s foundation named three others yesterday as finalists – Jack Connolly of Minnesota-Duluth, Austin Smith of Colgate, and Spencer Abbott of Maine. The winner will be announced next Friday. Schultz led the nation’s defensemen in scoring this past season with 16 goals and 44 points. He had a scoring average of one-point-one-nine.

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Five-hundred more cross-country skiers will be added to the fields for the American Birkebeiner and Kortelopet races in the Hayward area. Race organizers announced a higher limit this week of 95-hundred skiers for what will be the Birkie’s 40th anniversary next February. This year’s events were capped at nine-thousand – and the registrations were full by November. Meanwhile, the start of the races will be kept at the Telemark Resort in Cable. And resort owners have proposed easements to return various services to Telemark – including registrations and pick-up areas for bibs. Those items were move to Hayward last year, when Telemark was in foreclosure for a third time. The lodge has also promised to look for ways to add more parking and ease traffic congestion. Both were factors that have limited the numbers of entrants.

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