General 9/6/2024 2:14:00 PM Story prepared by Tim Petermann, UW-Eau Claire Sports Information Director emeritus

All-Americans, Conference POY's, National Champs Lead Hall of Fame Class of 2024

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (www.blugolds.com) - The UW-Eau Claire Blugold Hall of Fame Class of 2024 includes two conference Players of the Year, four second-team All-Americans, three WIAC All-Centennial places, one individual national champion and one member of a national championship team. Three were Blugold Super Six winners, five were conference Scholar-Athletes, five have master's or advanced degrees and one was an Academic All-American in two sports. Four of them hold or set school records. Two of them are siblings.

The new class includes volleyball players Carly (Freiborg) Dus and her sister Abby (Freiborg) Master, soccer-track standout Liz Kooistra-Cass, soccer player Allie (Rivard) Rodriguez, softball player Jill (Janke) Millis and track athlete Breanna (McMullen) Winsand.

This 35^th class of women's inductees along with the previous 46 men's classes, brings the number of athletes, coaches and administrators who have been honored to 265. This will be the 51st year since Ade Olson and Bill Zorn became the charter members of the Blugold Hall of Fame on April 29, 1973.
The class will be inducted during Homecoming weekend with an on-campus banquet on Friday, October 11 and introduction at halftime of the football game versus UW-Stevens Point on Saturday, October 12.

The Blugold Hall of Fame was established to pay tribute, to give deserved recognition and to enhance school tradition by honoring former athletic letterwinners, coaches or administrators who demonstrated distinctive, unique or exceptional ability while on the campus at Eau Claire and have distinguished themselves in their profession or personally since leaving the institution.

There must be a lapse of 15 years from their final season of eligibility before an athlete can be considered for induction. The six athletes being recognized this year all competed after the turn of the century.

Liz Kooistra-Cass is one of the most decorated dual-sport athletes in school history. She was the conference Player of the Year in soccer and a national champion in track, winning the 400-meter dash as a senior. She was a four-year All-Conference soccer player and 11-time track All-American in addition to being named an Academic All-American in both sports. She and teammate Allie Rodriguez were both NSCAA second-team All-Americans in soccer in 2008 and were members of three conference championship teams and four NCAA playoff teams with a combined four-year record of 74-10-11. Both Carly Dus and Abby Master were AVCA second-team All-Americans, Carly in 2006 and Abby in 2008. Abby was also the conference Player of the Year in 2008. Jill Millis was a four-year All-Conference first baseman and won the 2008 NCAA softball championship for the Blugolds with a walk-off home run. Breanna Winsand won five conference gold medals and seven runner-up medals and earned seven All-American honors in six different events in a Blugold uniform after spending her freshman season at UW-La Crosse where she had garnered two additional conference golds and three All-American finishes.

LIZ KOOISTRA-CASS

The list of honors for Liz Kooistra-Cass is mind-boggling. The former All-State track athlete at Lakeville High School in Minnesota was UW-Eau Claire's nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year in 2009 after her spectacular senior seasons in soccer and track.

During the 2008-09 seasons, Kooistra-Cass was named to the All-Conference soccer team for the fourth straight year as well as being named the WIAC Player of the Year. She also was a NSCAA second-team All-American after leading the Blugolds to their fourth consecutive NCAA post-season appearance. In track that year, she won gold medals in the conference indoor 200, 400 and 4x200 relay as well as the conference outdoor 400 and 4x400 relay. At the indoor nationals she placed third in the 400 and seventh in the 4x400 while winning the national championship in the outdoor 400 with a fourth in the 200. She was also named to the track/cross country Academic All-American first team after receiving the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete award for outdoor track.

During her soccer career, Kooistra-Cass led the Blugolds to three regular season and three conference tournament championships. The Blugolds were 28-1-3 in the conference regular season and 10-1 in conference tournament play during her career with the only four NCAA playoff appearances in school history and an overall 74-10-11 record. She currently is tied for first in school career assists with 29 and ranks sixth in career points with 99. During her sophomore season, the Blugolds won a school and conference record 23 games and reached the third round of the NCAA tournament. The Blugolds outscored their opponents 64-10 that season.

During her track career, Kooista-Cass won seven WIAC indoor individual and relay titles and three outdoors. She was a seven-time indoor All-American including two seconds and a third in the 400-meter dash. She was a four-time outdoor All-American with the one national title. Individually, she competed in the 200 and 400 and contributed to Blugold conference and national places in the 4x200, 4x400 and Distance Medley relays.

For her outstanding achievements, Kooistra-Cass was named to the WIAC's All-Centennial teams in both sports in 2012.

Kooistra-Cass graduated from UWEC with a behavioral emphasis in psychology in 2009 and received an Outstanding Senior Award and Student Service Award. She then pursued a Master of Science degree from Southern Illinois University.

She began her professional career as a senior therapist. She has been a licensed Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) since September, 2011. Upon getting certified as a BCBA, she joined Caravel Autism Health where she has been for the past 13 years and is currently a Regional Director. She has published research in the Journal for Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

She and her husband Kenny, a sales manager for Dancing Goat Distillery, are the parents of two children: Brody (4) and Audrey (1). They reside in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin.

ALLIE (RIVARD) RODRIGUEZ

Allie Rodriguez was a contemporary of Liz Kooistra-Cass, playing on the same successful four Blugold teams from 2005 through 2008. She was a three-year All-Conference goalie and received NSCAA second-team All-American honors as a senior when she also earned the WIAC Scholar-Athlete award for soccer.
Her collegiate success of playing on the only four Blugold soccer teams to advance to the NCAA playoffs followed a highly successful high school career at Wayzata, Minnesota. Her prep squads won a state championship with one second and one third during her career.

At Eau Claire, Rodriguez was in goal during the 2006 season when the Blugolds set school and conference records with 23 victories and 18 shutouts. Rodriguez was credited with 10 of those shutouts which is still the school single-season record. That year, the Blugolds outscored their opponents, 64-10. The team won the conference and WIAC tournament championships and advanced to the third round of the NCAA playoffs, finishing 23-3 overall. During her career, the Blugolds were 28-1-2 in league play, 10-1 in conference tournament play and 74-10-11 overall. She finished with 17 career shutouts, which currently ranks second in school records.

Rodriguez graduated magna cum laude from UWEC in 2009 as a biology major. She went on to earn her master's in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Following that graduation, she spent a little more than three years at MacArthur Obstetrics and Gynecology in Dallas.

She returned to Minnesota in 2016 and joined Associates in Women's Health where she is still employed, dealing in women's health and reproductive medicine as a physician assistant.

She and her husband Antonio "Rod" Rodriguez, a battalion chief at the St. Louis Park Fire Department, are parents of three children: Halona (6), Hunter (4) and Ryder (2.5). They reside in Victoria, Minnesota.

CARLY (FREIBORG) DUS

Carly Dus was a four-year starter in volleyball and set the school career record for setting assists with 5,021, averaging 10.5 assists per set. She helped the Blugolds to a share of the conference title as a senior when she was named both All-Conference and AVCA second-team All-American. She was also team captain and team MVP in 2006 and received the team's Hustle Award for the second consecutive year.

The Blugolds were 13-3 in conference play and 60-9 overall during her junior and senior seasons when the team reached the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament each year. They were eliminated in a five-set match against conference rival UW-Whitewater in 2006 and the Warhawks went on to claim the NCAA championship that season.

In addition to her record in assists, Dus also ranks third in career service aces and is among the top 16 in both total blocks and total digs. She played her final two seasons with her sister Abby. The sisters hailed from Renville County West where they helped lead their team to a Minnesota State championship in 2002.

Dus graduated from UWEC in 2007 with a marketing major and advertising minor. She spent five years as a marketing manager, first with BioLawn and then with Concrete Arts. Since 2012, she has been a stay-at-home mother, now with four children. While doing so, in 2015 she founded and is the current owner-operator of Six Notes Clothing, a Christian clothing and accessory company that is sold in almost all 50 states. She also has been actively involved in the ministry of her church, Five Oaks Community Church in Woodbury, Minnesota where she currently serves on the congregation's Governing Board.

She is married to Blugold hockey letterman Steve Dus, who is currently Dean of Students at Northwood Technical College in New Richmond. The couple live in Lakeland Shores, Minnesota with their four children: Rylee (12), Hudson (10), Neala (7) and Cru (3).

ABBY (FREIBORG) MASTER

Abby Master was an outside hitter who played on two conference championship teams and helped the Blugolds reach the NCAA playoffs four straight years from 2005 through 2008. She played her freshman and sophomore seasons with her sister Carly for veteran coach Lisa Herb and her final two years for coach Kim Wudi, earning All-Conference first team honors as both a junior and senior.

Master had a stellar senior season as she was named the conference Player of the Year and conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She also was accorded AVCA second-team All-American honors and was named a Blugold Super Six recipient for 2008-09. Master was honored as team MVP her junior season and co-MVP her senior season with setter Emily Haese.

During her career, the Blugolds were 26-6 in conference play and 106-32 overall. She ranks among the top 10 in career total attacks, service aces and digs.

Master received both her bachelor's and master's degrees from UWEC in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Master began her career as a speech language pathologist. In 2014, she founded Elevate Wellness, which was a therapy and wellness group for teens. In 2016, she developed a curriculum and methodology, EmpowerU, to support young people within the school day in an accessible and equitable way. EmpowerU launched in Minnesota-based schools in 2018. The educational program provided mental health and resilience support and served over 20,000 students across the country. EmpowerU's success spiked the interest of prospective buyers and in 2023 was acquired by a top private equity firm to further the mission and impact on students. Today she serves as Vice-President of Student Success. For 10 years, she and her husband owned and operated a gym. They also sold that business in 2023.

She and her husband Ryan, a property manager who is into renovations, live in New Hope, Minnesota with their children Brecken (8), Leo (6) and Blakely (4).

JILL (JANKE) MILLIS

Jill Millis accomplished the dream of every kid—to hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the final inning. But her home run didn't just win a game. It won a national championship.

Not only did her home run in the bottom of the ninth inning give the Blugolds the 2008 NCAA Division III championship, it came against conference rival UW-Whitewater which had won the WIAC's regular-season softball title earlier in the season. The blast capped an unbeaten run through the NCAA tournament that year in which the Blugolds disposed of top regional seed St. Thomas, WIAC tournament champion UW-Oshkosh twice and No. 1 national seed Louisiana College while going 8-0. The Blugolds were down 3-1 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh before rallying to force extra innings against Whitewater. Millis' long ball gave Whitewater its second loss in the double elimination tournament and sent the Blugolds home with the gold trophy!

Millis was a four-year All-Conference player for coach Leslie Huntington. She set not only a Blugold record but the NCAA record for career putouts with 1,519. She had a career. 991 fielding percentage at first base.

While Millis did not make an All-American team despite having All-American credentials, she was a three-time NFCA All-Region first-team pick and a second-team pick once. She was also the WIAC Scholar-Athlete for softball in 2008 and a Blugold Super Six recipient that year.

Millis made both the Regional and National All-Tournament teams in 2008. She was a career .370 hitter with a .564 slugging percentage and .443 on base percentage. She hit 23 career home runs with 141 RBI, both of which rank third in the Blugold record book. She ranks among the top 20 in at least 21 school or conference single season or career records.

During her career, the Blugolds posted a 47-13 conference record, a 14-5 conference tournament record, an 18-4 NCAA record and a 144-42 overall mark. They won two regular season and two conference tournament titles and finished as the regional runner-up in 2006 and third at nationals in 2007 in addition to the national championship in 2008.

Millis was one of two Blugolds selected to the Midwest All-Stars who played a pre-Olympic exhibition game against the U.S. National Team in 2008.

Millis graduated magna cum laude from UWEC in 2009 with a degree in public relations and history. She got her master's degree in Sport Management & Media from Ithaca College while serving as a graduate assistant for Hall of Fame coach Deb Pallozzi.

Millis has spent her entire career in some aspect of intercollegiate athletics. Besides her experience at Ithaca, she served the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as an intern and was head softball coach at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, Minnesota. She held numerous positions for three years at UW-Stevens Point including head softball coach, compliance officer, game management and sports information. She returned to her alma mater in 2014, spending eight years as Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations and Sports Information. In 2022, she began her current role as Communications & Development Coordinator in the UW-Eau Claire Foundation where she was the lead organizer of Blugolds Athletics Week of Giving which raised over $250,000 for the athletic department this year.

Millis and her husband Nick, who is employed by Tarkett, are parents of three children: Evander (12), Sterling (10) and Arya (3). Millis also serves as President of the Eau Claire Youth Hockey Board of Directors and coaches Little League and travel baseball.

BREANNA (MCMULLEN) WINSAND

Breanna Winsand had a brilliant collegiate track career following on the heels of a stellar prep career at Fall Creek High School.

Winsand attended UW-La Crosse for three semesters, studying biochemistry with a biomedical concentration prior to transferring to UWEC for nursing. Between the two schools, she earned 10 All-American awards and earned seven conference gold medals with seven additional runner-up spots in five different individual and two different relay events. She was a two-time conference 55-meter high hurdle champ indoors and won the 100-meter high hurdles once and the 400-meter intermediate hurdles twice outdoors. She is one of only three women who have won both the 100 and 400-meter hurdles in the same conference outdoor meet. She was also a conference place winner in the 400-meter dash, the triple jump, the 4x400 relay and the 4x100 relay. Her best NCAA finishes were a fourth in the 100-meter highs and a fifth in the 400-meter intermediates.

At one point, Winsand held six UWEC school records: 400-meter dash (indoor and outdoor), 55 hurdles, 100 hurdles, 400 hurdles and distance medley relay. She also was part of a 4x400 relay school record at La Crosse. Five times she was the conference athlete of the week.
She sat out the 2004 season to concentrate on her academics in the highly-demanding nursing program. She came back in 2005 to share the WIAC Scholar-Athlete award in outdoor track.

Her collegiate accomplishments were not surprising considering she helped her high school track team earn two state championships and one runner-up finish while individually capturing one state title in the 300-meter hurdles and three golds as a member of the 1600-meter relay. She had no less than a dozen podium finishes as a prep. She also set numerous meet records and won 10 conference individual titles in the hurdles and jumps. She still holds the Fall Creek records in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and 4x400 relay.

After graduating cum laude in nursing in 2005, Winsand started as an RN in the Medical-Surgical/Oncology Unit at Mayo Clinic in Eau Claire. As an undergradate, she had been a CNA in Neuro-Pediatrics-Trauma at Mayo. From 2007-2011, she was an RN in Critical Care. From 2011-2015, she spent time in Obstetrics & Gynecology/Labor & Delivery. For 15 months in 2015-16, she was an RN in Post-Anesthesia at Oak Leaf Surgical Hospital in Altoona. Since June, 2016, she has been a Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist at Mayo.

She and her husband Stacy, a financial advisor, are parents of four children: Rylee (15), Trey (13), Remy (11) and Tyson (8). They reside in Fall Creek.

Winsand is also the Founder and President of Angel's Embrace to help the grief process for families experiencing a stillbirth or miscarriage after suffering her own stillbirth.

Acronyms
WIAC = Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
(current conference for men's and women's sports)
NCAA = National Collegiate Athletic Association (current national organization which UWEC joined provisionally in 1986-87)
NSCAA = National Soccer Coaches Association of America
AVCA – American Volleyball Coaches Association
NFCA = National Fastpitch Coaches Association
D3 = Division III of the NCAA to which UWEC is a member
Blugold Super Six Award – highest award given to a Blugold student athlete, based on athletics and academics, three men and three women selected annually.

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