Blugold nation,
Another year has flown by before we even noticed. The summer months have come and gone in a flash, but before students arrive back on campus next week, now is a good moment to look back and reflect. As we are ready for the next chapter of our story, we look at what makes this place and our people so special.
Once again, conference and national champions were crowned while bearing Blugold colors. Across the nine NCAA Championship events our teams and athletes competed in, UW-Eau Claire finished in the top 10 four times. From volleyball's return to the Elite 8, men's soccer extending its NCAA postseason streak to four consecutive years, to the cross country teams sending seven runners each; the fall set the standard for the year. In the winter, the wrestling team captured its first outright WIAC championship and sent four student-athletes to the big dance, while the track and field teams placed highly at the Indoor Championships with 19 total Blugolds competing. The spring season ended on a high note with a record-tying 32 student-athletes competing at the Outdoor Track & Field Championships as both the men and women placed in the top 10.
We also saw some teams make incredible jumps back into their respective post seasons. Gymnastics earned their spot at the NCGA National Championship meet for the first time since 2013. The Blugolds capped off their season posting their second highest team score in program history and tying the program's best finish at nationals placing fourth. On the diamond, UWEC Baseball made their return to the WIAC Tournament for the first time since 1995, punching their ticket to the postseason with a conference record of 14-14.
The true commitment of Division III athletes begins and ends in the classroom and in the community. Our Blugolds tallied a cumulative 3.395 grade point average, and our university was represented on four different Academic All-America first teams. Within the highly competitive conference, eight Eau Claire athletes were recognized as the Scholar Athlete of their sport for their hard work through education, sport, and community engagement. With seven Blugolds being named a Judy Kruckman Scholar Athlete and one Max Sparger Scholar Athlete winner, academics continue to be a solidified priority and pillar throughout our teams and department. Out in the community, our teams combined for more than 600 hours of community service.
For the 20th consecutive year, UW-Eau Claire finished in the top 40 of the Learfield Director's Cup with nine total teams contributing in their respective postseason championships, placing the Blugolds 32nd out of 420 institutions. Staying consistent at the top is not an easy task but is an honor to lead a department that ranks in the top 10% of the nation.
In addition to the athletic feats of the year, our supporters remain one of our strongest pillars with their financial generosity. The annual Week of Giving saw records shattered as we raised $336,531 in just seven days. With over 1,450 donors across the nation and continent, your impact toward our Blugold family goes further than you know.
It is no secret that the state of college athletics is changing by the month, and the chaos you may see in the Division I environment with the transfer portal and NIL may seem unsettling. At Eau Claire, we are committed and firmly planted to the Division III model with our strategic direction and are set up to maintain the traditional STUDENT-athlete model. The work and competitiveness our Blugolds put forth on the court, field, rink, course, or track is mirrored in the classroom, labs, and lecture halls.
As we look forward, the continuity of a tradition of excellence, our foundation of belief, details, and trust are at the core of our vision and mission. The success that lingers throughout the facilities, halls, and locker rooms is something we hope to continue to share with every single one of you. Earlier this week, we announced the creation of the community engagement initiative, the Blugold Community Leaders Breakfast. With our kickoff date scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, we look forward to seeing so many faces that help make the Chippewa Valley one of the most coveted places to live and work in Wisconsin. If you are interested in joining, please register at www.blugolds.com/BCLB.
Thank you, and Roll Golds!
Jason Verdugo
Director of Athletics
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
