The 2017-2018 University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh athletic season was another for the record books. Four teams headed to the NCAA postseason, while 10 other programs had individuals reach the postseason.
The Titan men’s basketball team had a historic journey in 2017-2018, reaching the NCAA Division III National Championship game for the first time in school history. The football team made an appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship Semifinal for the third time in school history and for the second consecutive year. The Titan baseball team earned a bid to the NCAA Division III Championship for the first time since the 2008 campaign, and the softball team reached the postseason for the second straight year with an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III Championship. Gymnastics produced a national champion for the second consecutive year and wrestling had an individual place fifth at the national championship.
Get a quick glimpse at how all the Titan teams did this past season:
Women’s Cross Country
Senior Cheyenne Moore represented UWO at the NCAA Division III Championship. Moore earned one of 56 at-large berths into the national race by finishing fourth at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional. She went on to place a career-best eighth in a time of 21:01 to earn All-America honors. Moore also repeated as the WIAC Cross Country champion with a finish of 22:07. She was named the WIAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year and the WIAC Judy Kruckman Cross Country Scholar-Athlete. She also was the recipient of the UW-Oshkosh John Taylor Senior Scholar-Athlete Award.
As a team, the Titans finished the WIAC Championship in seventh and placed 12th at the NCAA Midwest Regional. They also placed third at the Kollege Town Sports Invitational, the Gene Davis Invitational and the Tom Hoffman Invitational.
Men’s Cross Country
UW-Oshkosh men’s cross country team won the Gene Davis Invitational, claimed its third straight Roy Griak Invitational and finished second at the Kollege Town Sports Invitational. The Titans went on to place seventh at the WIAC Championship and finished 10th at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
The top three Titan runners at the WIAC Championship were freshman as Michael Juarez placed 19th, Cody Chadwick 26th and Lucas Weber 37th. Weber also finished 37th -among 254 runners- at the NCAA Midwest Regional and Chadwick placed 39th.
Football
The Titan football team reached the NCAA Division III Football Semifinal Round for the third time in school history and for the second straight season. UWO finished the regular season with a 12-1 mark, the 12 wins the second most in school history. The Titans also won the WIAC Championship for the third time since 2012 and went undefeated at 7-0.
After rattling off nine wins to open the 2017 season, UWO hosted an unprecedented four NCAA Division III Playoff games. The Titans defeated Lakeland University, North Central College and Wartburg College in the NCAA Championship, before falling in the semifinals to eventual national champion University of Mount Union.
Senior quarterback Brett Kasper capped off an impressive career with the Titans being named the Gagliardi Trophy winner, the first in school history to earn the honor. He also was tabbed the WIAC and D3football.com All-West Region Offensive Player of the Year.
Head coach Pat Cerroni closed out the year earning WIAC and All-West Region Coach of the Year accolades.
Women’s Golf
The UW-Oshkosh women’s golf team participated in five tournaments during the 2017 fall season, placing in the top five in all but one.
The Titans opened the year placing second at the UW-Oshkosh Titan Classic with Hannah Braun earning the individual title, her first collegiate victory. UWO produced a school-record on the first day of the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational to help it claim a fifth-place finish. The Titans put together a 18-hole team record of 304 strokes to break the previous school mark of 306 strokes set in 2003, ironically also at the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational.
At the WIAC Championship, Braun, Kayla Priebe and Micayla Richards recorded top 10 scores and the Titans finished third overall. Priebe finished third, while Richards placed sixth and Braun was 10th.
Both Braun and Richards went on to earn All-WIAC first team accolades, while Priebe earned a spot on the second team.
Women’s Soccer
The Titans women’s soccer team closed out the 2017 season with a 8-8-4 overall mark and a 3-1-3 record in the WIAC. The Titans put together a seven-game winning streak during the heart of the season, which included three double overtime contests and a 1-0 victory over nationally ranked UW-Whitewater.
UWO finished the WIAC race in third and reached the semifinal round of the WIAC Championship. After a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over UW-River Falls in the opening round of the WIAC Championship, the Titans fell to UW-Whitewater, 3-1.
Jessica Galason, Felicia Retrum and Addie Schmitz were each named to the All-WIAC Women’s Soccer Team for the first time.
Women’s Tennis
The UW-Oshkosh women’s tennis team posted eight wins during 2017-2018, including a five-match win streak and three wins in WIAC regular-season action.
The Titans captured fourth place at the WIAC Women’s Tennis Championship. Earning fourth place finishes for UWO during the singles competition were Bailey Sagen, Alyssa Leffler, Hannah Peters, Samantha Koppa and Lesley Kutnink.
At the WIAC Team Tournament, the Titans played for third place before falling to UW-La Crosse to claim fourth place.
Women’s Volleyball
Under the direction of interim head coach Jon Ellman, the UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team closed out the 2017 season with a 20-15 overall mark and a 3-4 record in WIAC play. The 20-wins marked the sixth season of 20 or more wins for the Titans.
UWO put together a WIAC-leading, seven-match win streak that went into the opening round of the WIAC Championship. The streak was snapped in the WIAC Semifinal with a 3-1 setback to UW-La Crosse. The Titans team, which finished fifth in the WIAC regular season race, is one of two programs to qualify for each WIAC Championship since the event debuted in 1988.
UW-Oshkosh’s Tina Elstner and Samantha Jaeke were named repeat selections to the All-WIAC First Team.
Men’s Basketball
The Titan men’s basketball team had a historic journey in 2017-2018. UWO reached the NCAA Division III National Championship game for the first time in school history. The team, which received an at-large berth to the tournament for the second straight season, rattled off four wins, including a thrilling overtime victory over Augustana College (Ill.), to secure them the first Final Four appearance in program history. A 15-point win over Ramapo College (N.J.) in the semifinal had UWO playing for a national championship. Unfortunately, Nebraska Wesleyan University pulled out a 6-point victory.
The Titans ended the year with a 25-8 overall mark. The 25 wins tied a school record for most wins in a season; UWO also won 25 games in 2003.
Ben Boots and Jack Flynn each were named All-WIAC First Team honorees, while Adam Fraverty earned All-WIAC honorable mention. Boots also was selected All-Central Region First Team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and All-Central Region Second Team by D3hoops.com. Charlie Noone was the co-recipient of the WIAC Men’s Basketball Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete Award, while Pat Juckem was tabbed the Jack Bennett Man of the Year by Collegeinsider.com.
Women’s Basketball
The UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team closed out the 2017-2018 season with a 21-6 overall mark and a 9-5 record in WIAC action. It’s the sixth straight season in which the Titans have won 20 or more games.
UWO finished tied for second in the WIAC regular season standings with its 9-5 record and earned the second seed in the WIAC Championship. The Titans played in the WIAC Championship game for the fifth consecutive year but ultimately fell to UW-Whitewater, 68-65.
Eliza Campbell was named to the All-WIAC First Team for the third straight year, while both Isabella Samuels and Melanie Schneider earned All-WIAC honorable mention honors. Olivia Campbell was chosen to the league’s six-member All-Defensive team. Eliza Campbell also was chosen the 2018 WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award recipient, earned All-Central Regional Third Team honors by D3hoops.com and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America honorable mention accolades.
Women’s Gymnastics
Titan Baylee Tkazcuk repeated as champion on the uneven bars with a meet-record score and earned All-America status on the balance beam, placing sixth at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championship. Tkazcuk also finished second on the uneven bars to lead UW-Oshkosh at the WIAC Women’s Gymnastics Championship.
UWO had four top 22 finishers on the balance beam at the WIAC Championship, three top 23 mentions on the vault, a top 14 finish on the floor exercise and, along with Tkazcuk’ second-place finish, two top 17 finishes on the uneven bars. As a team, the Titans placed seventh at the championship.
Amanda McBrayer, Kasandra Stampoulos and Krysten Zytniowski were selected to the 2018 NCGA Scholar-Athlete Team.
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Jarrett Lieder was involved in four of the Titans records during the WIAC Swimming and Diving Championship. He established a pair of UW-Oshkosh bests with his second-place swim in the 1,650-yard freestyle and a new school record time in the 500-yard freestyle (4:42.34), in which he placed sixth. He also finished ninth in the 200-yard freestyle.
Lieder shared his remaining record-setting performance with teammates Trevor Jacobs, Ian Sewell and Josiah Vandenberg. The group formed a new Titan standard in the 800-meter relay with their fifth place time of 7:11.15.
As a team, the Titans finished fifth at the WIAC Championship.
Matt Wilke earned a pair of seventh-place finishes in the 1- and 3-meter dives, during his initial appearance at the NCAA Division III Men’s Region I Diving Championship.
Women’s Swimming and Diving
UW-Oshkosh enjoyed its best performance at the WIAC Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship since 2005, totaling 409.5 points and finishing fourth at the three-day league event.
The Titans finished fourth at the 2005 WIAC Championship with 466 points and had placed fifth every year that followed.
The Titans scored points in 15 individual events, including 30 in the 200-yard breaststroke. UW-Oshkosh also counted 29 points in the 1,650-yard freestyle and 27 in the 200-yard individual medley.
In diving, both Gabrielle Kraus and Johnna Seelman placed in the top 13 in two categories. Kraus went on to finished 16th in the women’s 1-meter category at the NCAA Division III Region 1 Diving Championship.
Titan head coach Christopher Culp was named the 2018 WIAC Women’s Co-Coach of the Year.
Men’s Indoor Track and Field
The UW-Oshkosh men’s indoor track and field team placed sixth at the WIAC Indoor Championship. Erik Schwandt won the 60-meter dash, Justin Skinkis placed second in the 800-meter run, Devan Gertschen finished third in the pole vault, and Ryan Powers finished third in the 200-meter dash. Joe Zack was selected the 2018 WIAC Max Sparger Men’s Indoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete Award honoree.
Schwandt, Powers and Gertschen went on to each earn All-America recognition at the NCAA Division III Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championships. Schwandt placed fifth in the 60-meter dash, Powers finished sixth in the 400-meter run and 10th in the 200-meter dash and Gertschen leaped to a seventh-place finish in the pole vault.
Women’s Indoor Track and Field
Emily Reichenberger successfully defended her title in the 60-meter dash and added a victory at the 200-meter distance to help the UW-Oshkosh women’s indoor track and field team finish third at the WIAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championship. The Titans had two other event winners at the championship as Cheyenne Moore won the 5,000-meter run, and Cara Volz won the triple jump. Moore, Volz and Karina Marchan also each placed third in an event, the 3000-meters, 60-meter and long jump, respectively.
Reichenberger went on to run to her third All-America award, including her second in the 60-meter dash, at the NCAA Division III Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships. Moore finished 10th in the 3,000- and 13th in the 5,000-meter.
For her efforts, Moore was tabbed the 2018 NCAA Division III Midwest Region Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Wrestling
The UW-Oshkosh wrestling team rattled off wins over Thomas More College (Kentucky.), Milwaukee School of Engineering and Millikin University. The Titans went on to place sixth in the team standings at the WIAC Wrestling Championship.
Mark Choinski went unbeaten in four matches to successfully defend his 157-pound title at the WIAC Championship becoming the ninth multiple WIAC Champion in school history. UWO also had a pair of place winners in the 141-pound weight division as Wesam Alabed finished third and Dellas Vandenberg sixth.
Choinski went on to earn All-America honors for the second consecutive season, after finishing fifth in the 157-pound weight class as the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship. Choinski concluded his season with a 23-3 record (4 pins).
Baseball
UW-Oshkosh opened the season on the road and put together an 11-2 record and began a winning streak that would reach 12, the longest in the program since 2005. The hot start resulted in the Titans becoming ranked for the first time since April 2003. They checked into the D3baseball.com poll 25th.
The Titans bplayed all but four home games on the road, won 17 of their final 21 games and moved up the rankings to seventh in the nation.
With a 31-8 record and a second-place finish in the WIAC, UWO secured one of 18 at-large spots in the 58-team NCAA Division III National Championship. It was the first time since 2008 the Titans earned a bid to the tournament and the 25th time in school history.
UW-Oshkosh won its first three games of the tournament but lost two-straight to Concordia University Chicago (Illinois) on the final day of the Duluth Regional to close out the season.
The Titans concluded the year with 34-10 overall record and an 18-6 mark in WIAC action. Andy Brahier, Taylor Grimm, Alex Koch, Nick McLees, Logan Reckert and Colan Treml were selected to the All-WIAC Baseball Team. Dylan Ott, Zack Radde and Jesse Sustachek earned All-WIAC honorable mention accolades. Brahier, Grimm, Koch, McLees, Reckert and Tremel also were named All-Midwest Region by American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and D3baseball.com. Treml was selected NCAA Division III All-America Third Team by ABCA.
Men’s Outdoor Track and Field
The UW-Oshkosh men’s outdoor track and field team placed fifth at the WIAC Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Devan Gertschen successfully defended his pole vault title, and Ryan Powers broke a 37-year-old school record with his victory in the 400-meter run. Bryce Mansheski finished second in the long jump, and Joe Zack (1,500-meter run), Jared Benson (javelin), Jordan Boyd (high jump) and Bailey Quinn (hammer throw) each placed third in their respective events.
Gertschen, Jack Flynn, Erik Schwandt and Joe Vils each earned All-America awards at the NCAA Division III Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Gertschen and Vils placed third and eighth, respectively, in the pole vault, while Flynn finished fifth in the discus throw and Schwandt eighth in the 100-meter dash. The All-American citations were the first during the outdoor season for each of the four Titans.
UW-Oshkosh also was represented at the Division III Championship by Powers, Quinn and Joe Zack.
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field
The Titan women’s outdoor track and field team finished sixth at the WIAC Outdoor Championship. Cheyenne Moore won the 5,000-meter, and Cara Volz won the triple jump with the fourth best measurement in the NCAA Division III outdoor season. Volz also finished fifth in the 100-meter hurdles.
Isabella Samuels earned her first All-America honor after finishing sixth in the shot put at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Samuels achieved her personal-record of 45 feet, 8 inches on her fifth of sixth attempts.
UW-Oshkosh also was represented at the championship by Megan Leahy in the pole vault, Volz in the triple jump and Lauren Wrensch in the long jump.
Softball
The UW-Oshkosh softball team closed out the 2018 campaign with a 26-14 overall mark and a 10-4 mark in WIAC play. It’s the fourth-straight season the Titans have won 25 or more games in a season.
The 10-4 record in league allowed the Titans to finish second in the WIAC regular season standings. As the second seed in the WIAC Championship, UWO reached the championship game for the first time since 2008 but fell to UW-Whitewater.
Despite falling in the WIAC Championship game, the Titans earned their second-straight and eighth overall NCAA Championship bid as an at-large team. UWO opened the NCAA Championship with a strong victory but dropped two games on the second day of the St. Paul Regional to end its season.
Erika Berry, Kaitlyn Krol, Bailey Smaney and Acacia Tupa each earned All-WIAC first team honors, with Claire Petrus and Brianna Witter being tabbed All-WIAC honorable mention. Berry and Tupa also received NCAA Division III All-Great Lakes Region honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).
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