EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — Sue and Roger Tietz, familiar faces at UW-Eau Claire women's basketball games, are the recipients of the 2024 Jim Mueller Blugold Spirit Award.  They received the award at the Blugold Hall of Fame banquet Friday.

The Jim Mueller Blugold Spirit Award, named in honor of its first recipient Jim Mueller, recognizes a non-staff individual or group for long-term support of the Blugold athletics program.  The recipient must have demonstrated exemplary interest in and concern for Blugold student-athletes and coaches.  Their pride and spirit as a friend and ambassador of the Blugold program epitomizes the true meaning of a Blugold. 

Mueller, a former locksmith on campus, passed away this past June 18 at the age of 87.   After he retired, he was a volunteer with the athletics program, helping with event management duties until stepping away from those duties in 2010.

The Tietzes are regular and visible attendees at Blugold women's basketball games.  But not just home games.  Very often they are seen at away games, particularly when the team is making its annual long-distance trip for a tournament.   Head coach Tonja Englund said that during her Blugold tenure, which began in 2000, the Tietzes have traveled with the team on almost every trip.  Because they once rented a van to travel to Holland, Michigan to watch the team play Hope College, they have been known as the "Fans in the Vans."

Sue Tietz explained that she and Roger follow Blugold sports "because we enjoy seeing young athletes develop into great athletes.  That is the beauty of a program like UWEC.  Athletes are given an opportunity to grow in their sport, in their educational field and in life."  She added that "Coaches 'adopt' players and encourage them to develop into responsible adults on and off the field of play."
Englund described the Tietzes as "extremely active and supportive volunteers in our university community, as authentic and genuine role-models for my student-athletes and as passionate Blugold fans that care deeply about my players and our coaching staff."

Englund pointed out that the Tietzes "go out of their way to welcome our freshmen players to the team and build last relationships with each player by visiting with them and their families following our games."

Sue Tietz has served for the last 15 years on the Blugold women's basketball advisory board and is one of the founding members of the Fast Break Club which annually raises over $30,000 for the basketball program and boasts over 170 members in the booster organization.  Englund said the "growth and success of this club has allowed our coaching staff to schedule yearly trips throughout the country to play the best DIII basketball teams.  These trips have also allowed my players the opportunity to travel to different regions of the U.S., thereby honoring the institution's emphasis on purposeful, connected global learning."

When playing on the road, Englund said she is often asked by opposing coaches, "Do you always have this many fans traveling with you?"  The answer, of course, is a resounding "Yes" because the supporters are spearheaded by Sue and Roger Tietz, who are credited by Blugold alumni players as impacting their college experience, according to Englund.

The Tietzes are well-known in the Eau Claire community.  As city natives, they both graduated from North High School and Sue received her degree from UWEC in 1971.  Roger was a Blugold baseball player as a freshman and has spent his career playing fastpitch and slo-pitch softball with highly-successful teams.  Roger continues to play Senior Softball.  In fact, the couple leaves Oct. 12 for St. George, Utah where Roger will play for the 19^th year in the Huntsman Games (10,000 athletes from 65 countries in various sports) in the over 70 division.  His Senior teams have won seven national titles over the years.

Sue Tietz has been connected with the family business, McDonough Manufacturing since she was a ninth grader, currently serving as President, CEO and CFO.  Roger worked at UniRoyal for 17 years.  The couple has raised two children, Matt and Jennifer, both of whom still reside in Eau Claire.  Matt works with Sue at McDonough and Jennifer is a massage therapist in Eau Claire.  Sue said they followed their kids in high school sports and now are enjoying them as adults along with two grandchildren and one great grandchild.