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APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University Faculty Athletic Representative Kathy Privatt has been selected as a 2016 NCAA Division III FAR Fellow.

Privatt, the James G. and Ethel M. Barber Professor of Theatre and Drama and Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, will participate in a three-day professional development program at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis, Ind., from Oct. 14-16.

“I really appreciate the support from Midwest Conference Executive Director Heather Benning and Lawrence Director of Athletics Christyn Abaray in getting me accepted because I expect to learn a lot at this institute as well as make some valuable connections with other FARs,” Privatt said.

The components of the program provide a thorough examination of best practices and issues surrounding the role and responsibility of the FAR, help FAR Fellows develop the leadership skills necessary to carry out their responsibilities on campus and in their conference, and strengthen the network of FARs needed to serve on conference, divisional and association-wide committees. The Institute will conclude with FAR Fellows committing to taking action on at least one idea.

The FAR Fellows Institute was launched in 2010 and aims to increase the effectiveness of Division III FARs at the campus, conference and national levels.

Highlights from 2015 included:

Campus

1. Establish a Faculty Mentoring Program.
2. Share data on student-athlete academic success with faculty.
3. Develop athletic advisory board.
4. Increase FAR involvement with campus SAAC.

Conference

1. Attend conference meetings with ADs, Presidents and SAAC.
2. Contact other FARs in the conference to make introductions and share ideas.
3. Report to conference peers what was learned at the FAR Institute

National

1. Attend the FARA Annual Meeting and Symposium.
2. Nominate students for NCAA post-graduate scholarships.
3. Read the Division III monthly update.

APPLETON, Wis. — Registration is now open for the 2016 Viking Bench Golf Outing, which is set for June 13.

APPLETON, Wis. — A father/son duo were honored with the 2016 Bob Wurdinger Athletic Service Award.

Little Chute residents Butch and Andy Vandenboogard were presented with the award at halftime of the Feb. 17 men’s basketball game against Carroll University.

Butch, the father, and Andy, the son, have been hooked on Lawrence athletics since the early 1990s and have rarely missed a football or basketball game since.

“I’m reading the newspaper on a Saturday morning back in 1992, and there was a game at the Banta Bowl,” Butch said. “My son was very, very young. I packed my son in the car, and we had so much fun we went to the next one and then to the next one and it just went on from there.”

Butch said he and Andy have missed just five home games since 1992, and the Vikings have played more than 110 home games in that stretch. The guys latched on to Lawrence basketball starting with the 1996-97 when the Vikings captured the Midwest Conference championship behind star guard and now head coach Joel “JoJo” DePagter.

“I remember going to the (Midwest Conference) tournament and that got us hooked on basketball,” said Butch, adding that he and Andy have missed fewer than 10 basketball games since then.

“It’s a father-son thing and we enjoy it. For my son and I, that’s our common ground. We love sports, and we enjoy going to the games, watching the kids come and go.”

The award was established to honor Wurdinger, a Kaukauna native and long-time Lawrence assistant football coach. Wurdinger, who has been a tireless advocate for Lawrence athletics for more than four decades, received the first award in 2006.

Other winners of the Wurdinger Award are: Chuck and Cinny Reff, Ken and Carole Ebert, Joe, Clyde and Jeanne Kieffer, Don Strutz, Dick Knapinski, Jerry Podair, Joy Jordan, Paul Wilke, Chuck Merry and Rick Peterson.

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University alumnus Chuck Merry and long-time university staffer Rick Peterson are sharing the 2015 Bob Wurdinger Athletic Service Award.

Merry and Peterson were presented with the award at this past Saturday’s basketball games at Alexander Gymnasium.

Merry, a Milwaukee native and a member of the class of 1957, has been a fixture at Lawrence events since he moved back to Appleton in 1962. Merry was a cross country and track athlete during his days at Lawrence and has been involved with the university during all his adult life.

Merry, who was the president of the Letterman’s Club (the L Club) when he was a student, currently serves on the Lawrence Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame Committee. He has served on the Lawrence Alumni Association Board of Directors and been a chairman of multiple class reunions. Merry received an Outstanding Service Award from the Lawrence Alumni Association at his 40th reunion in 1997.

Merry, who is still a recreational runner, has been involved in multiple fundraising campaigns for the university. A retired IBM executive, Merry is currently helping with the effort to raise funds for the renovation of the Banta Bowl.

Peterson has worked for Lawrence since he was hired as the sports information director in 1979. A graduate of UW-Whitewater, Peterson came to Lawrence and ushered in the modern era of sports information at the university.

A Neenah resident, Peterson won numerous publications awards from the College Sports Information Directors of America. He created comprehensive media guides for Lawrence’s teams and put together extensive team records for all of Lawrence’s teams. Peterson also served on the selection committee for several All-America football teams in the 1980s.

Peterson, who served as the voice of Lawrence football on WLFM, worked as the sports information director until 1993 when he moved into the role of director of news services. While working on the news side of the Communications office, Peterson continued to help with sports information. For the past 22 years, he has served as the clock operator for both football and basketball.

Peterson now serves as Lawrence’s associate director of communications.

The award was established to honor Wurdinger, a Kaukauna native, and long-time Lawrence assistant football coach. Wurdinger, who has been a tireless advocate for Lawrence athletics for more than four decades, received the first award in 2006.

Other winners of the Wurdinger Award are: Chuck and Cinny Reff, Ken and Carole Ebert, Joe, Clyde and Jeanne Kieffer, Don Strutz, Dick Knapinski, Jerry Podair, Joy Jordan and Paul Wilke.

EVANSTON, Ill. — The Lawrence University fencing teams each picked up three victories at the Northwestern University Duals on Sunday.

The Lawrence men went 3-5, and the women were 3-6.

The Lawrence men defeated Caltech 17-10, topped Detroit Mercy 17-10 and downed Cleveland State 17-10. Against Caltech, it was the sabre contingent of Joe Davis, Drew Doares and Graham Jones that led the way with an 8-1 record. Sabre went 7-2 against Detroit, and foil posted a 6-3 mark against both Caltech and Detroit. It was the epee team of Phillip Ziller, Tanner Rasmussen and Connor Schurr that posted an 8-1 mark to lead the Vikings against Cleveland State.

The Lawrence men lost to UC-San Diego 20-7, fell to Princeton 19-8, lost to Stanford 21-6, fell to North Carolina 18-9 and lost to Air Force 17-10.

On the women’s side, the Vikings picked up wins over the same three schools as the men. The Vikings topped Cleveland State 21-6, downed Detroit 22-5 and beat Caltech 17-10.

The epee team of Channing Tucker, Nicole Mitchell and Lauren Phillips dominated in Lawrence’s three victories. Lawrence’s epee group swept Cleveland State 9-0, topped Detroit 8-1 and beat Caltech 6-3. The foil group of Kali Thibault, Rebecca Albrecht and Natalie Hagopian posted the same dominating 23-4 mark as epee. Lawrence’s foil team went 9-0 against Detroit, 8-1 vs. Caltech and 6-3 against Cleveland State.

The Lawrence women lost 23-4 to North Carolina, lost 17-10 to Farleigh Dickinson, fell 19-8 to UC-San Diego, lost 17-10 to Stanford, fell 24-3 to Temple and lost 20-7 to Air Force.

Men

Lawrence 17, Caltech 10 (Sabre 8-1, Foil 6-3, Epee 3-6)

UC-San Diego 20, Lawrence 7 (Sabre 3-6, Foil 8-1, Epee 9-0)

Stanford 21, Lawrence 6 (Sabre 3-6, Foil 9-0, Epee 9-0)

Princeton 19, Lawrence 8 (Sabre 7-2, Foil 5-4, Epee 7-2)

Lawrence 17, Detroit Mercy 10 (Sabre 7-2, Foil 6-3, Epee 4-5)

North Carolina 18, Lawrence 9 (Sabre 7-2, Foil 5-4, Epee 6-3)

Air Force 17, Lawrence 10 (Sabre 5-4, Foil 5-4, Epee 7-2)

Lawrence 17, Cleveland State 10 (Sabre 4-5, Foil 5-4, Epee 8-1)

Women

Lawrence 21, Cleveland State 6 (Sabre 6-3, Foil 6-3, Epee 9-0)

Lawrence 22, Detroit Mercy 5 (Sabre 5-4, Foil 9-0, Epee 8-1)

Air Force 20, Lawrence 7 (Sabre 6-3, Foil 9-0, Epee 5-4)

Temple 24, Lawrence 3 (Sabre 9-0, Foil 6-3, Epee 9-0)

Stanford 17, Lawrence 10 (Sabre 7-2, Foil 5-4, Epee 5-4)

Lawrence 17, Caltech 10 (Sabre 6-3, Foil 8-1, Epee 3-6)

UC-San Diego 19, Lawrence 8 (Sabre 8-1, Foil 5-4, Epee 6-3)

Farleigh Dickinson 17, Lawrence 10 (Sabre 6-3, Foil 5-4, Epee 6-3)

North Carolina 23, Lawrence 4 (Sabre 9-0, Foil 7-2, Epee 7-2)

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team hits the road for the first time this season and opens Midwest Conference play. Lawrence travels to Wisconsin Lutheran College for a nonconference game on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Lawrence then hosts Ripon College on Saturday at 3 p.m. as the teams open Midwest Conference play at Alexander Gymnasium.

Preview

APPLETON, Wis. — Registration is now open for the 2014 Viking Bench Golf Outing, which is set for June 9.

The event, which raises funds for the Lawrence University Department of Athletics, is a four-person, 18-hole scramble at Royal St. Patrick’s Golf Links in Wrightstown, Wis. The golf scramble is followed by a social hour and dinner in the Royal St. Patrick’s clubhouse.

The cost of the outing, which includes green fees, cart, welcome gift, lunch, beverage tickets and dinner, is $125. If you cannot join us for golf but wish to have dinner, the cost is $30.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. and golf follows with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. The social hour begins at 3 p.m., and the buffet-style dinner is at 4 p.m. To register for the event, go to: http://www.lawrence.edu/athletics/general_information/golf_outing.

Multiple sponsorship opportunities are available ranging from a $250 hole sponsor to a $5,000 title sponsor.

For questions regarding registration or sponsorship, please contact Lawrence Assistant Director of Athletics Joel DePagter at 920-993-6281 or at joel.t.depagter@lawrence.edu.

APPLETON, Wis. — Appleton resident Paul Wilke was recently presented with the Bob Wurdinger Athletic Service Award during  a halftime ceremony at a Lawrence University men’s basketball game.

Wilke has become an integral part of the Department of Athletics in recent years by taking on the role of photographer for the Athletic Media Relations Office. Wilke shoots photos of upwards of 75 sporting events involving Lawrence teams every year. His work has been featured in Lawrence magazine, the Appleton Post-Crescent, the Lawrence website and publications produced by the Athletic Media Relations Office.

Wilke, who works as a senior commercial lines product manager at Secura Insurance, has made his Lawrence sports photography work available for all to see. Thousands of images exist for players, parents, students and fans to peruse through links on the athletic portion of the Lawrence website.

Wilke has been involved with Lawrence for more than a decade because he and his wife, Jill, and their two sons, Matt and Tom, serve as a host family for international students. Among the international students the Wilkes have adopted into their family over the years are men’s basketball player Salem Barahmeh and current student-athletes Liza Girsova, who stars in women’s soccer and track, and Anton Olsson and Gustav Lindgren, both hockey players from Sweden.

The Wilkes also have a close connection with former Lawrence hockey player and current associate head coach Kalle Larsson, who married one of their international students, Olia Shapel. The Wilkes also served as the host family for Kalle’s sister, Annie.

The award was established to honor Wurdinger, a Kaukauna native, and long-time Lawrence assistant football coach. Wurdinger, who has been a tireless advocate for Lawrence athletics for more than four decades, received the first award in 2006.

Other winners of the Wurdinger Award are: Chuck and Cinny Reff, Ken and Carole Ebert, Joe, Clyde and Jeanne Kieffer, Don Strutz, Dick Knapinski, Jerry Podair and Joy Jordan.

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University finished fifth on the men’s side and ninth on the women’s side in the Midwest Conference all-sport standings.

The Lawrence men finished with 63.5 points, and St. Norbert College won the men’s title with 85.5 points. Lawrence’s top finishes on the men’s side belonged to cross country and tennis, which both finished second.

On the women’s side, Lawrence finished with 41.5 points, and Monmouth College won the title with 86. The top finisher for Lawrence was softball, which also took second place in the league.

Midwest Conference news release

The men’s teams at Lawrence University finished fifth in the Midwest Conference all-sport standings, and the women’s teams were seventh.

The MWC office announced the final standings for the year with Carroll University taking the men’s title and St. Norbert College winning the women’s crown.

The Lawrence men finished with 52.5 points, and Carroll was tops with 76. The highlights of the men’s year was a conference championship in cross country and a second-place finish in soccer.

On the women’s side, Lawrence finished with 43 points, and St. Norbert had 79. The top finish for the Vikings was third place in tennis and fourth place in both swimming and soccer.

Complete standings