University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire

More on the 1996-97 Blugolds

The 1996-97 Blugold women's basketball team was made up of eight returning letterwinners, one transfer and six freshmen.

The team included seniors Erika Schmidt, Angie Cerni, Nici Claymon and Brenda Gunn, all of whom were three-year letterwinners who had joined the program in 1993-94.  That nucleus not only had significant experience but significant post-season experience as well as the Blugolds had reached the Elite Eight in each of the previous three seasons including a Final Four appearance in 1994.

Only seven players traveled more than 100 miles to play for the Blugolds and five might have been considered "locals" from nearby Independence (Jacci Smieja), Gilman (Brenda Gunn), Durand (Tanya Bauer), Augusta (Kelly Felmlee) and Eau Claire Regis (Shannon Manydeeds).

Lisa Stone had the luxury of starting the same five for all but one game in 1996-97.  She generally rotated five players off the bench and the other five saw spot action with minutes in at least 13 or more games.

Coach Stone, who completed 12 seasons as the Blugold women's head coach in 2000 and has since coached Division I programs at Drake University in Des Moines, the Wisconsin Badgers and currently the St. Louis University Billikins in the Atlantic 10 Conference, recently took time to talk about what strengths each of the 15 players brought to the 1996-97 campaign.

Nici Claymon (Wayzata, MN-St. Louis Park HS) quarterbacked the club from the point guard position.  She set the tempo for the offense and sparked the defense with her quick hands and feet.  She ranked second in the league in assists, averaging 4.5 per game and 400 total for her career in which she played a school-record 118 games.  She earned All-Conference honors in both her junior and senior seasons.  Coach Stone called Nici "an extension of me on the court.  She was an exciting player to watch and played with great energy."

Junior Tanya Bauer (Durand) was the off-guard and the Blugolds' defensive specialist.  She was one of the most complete players on the team as she could shoot the three but also penetrate.  She rebounded well for her size (5-6) and always drew the opponent's toughest player on defense.  She was named to the league's All-Defensive team two times.  She was a good free throw shooter, once hitting a school record 12 for 12 in one game.  Coach Stone described her as the team "mom".  Tanya "took care of everyone and was our defensive stopper.  She was a tough hard-nosed player who played the right way."

Angie Cerni (Prescott-St. Paul Cretin-Derham HS) was a great shooter from the wing, leading the team with 52 made three-pointers for the year, just ahead of the 47 by Claymon.  She had the ability to drive to the basket and also became a great defensive player and rebounder.  She was the team's top free throw shooter, hitting 84 percent of her attempts to help the Blugolds rank third in the nation as a team with a 73.3 percent average.  Coach Stone explained that her three-point shooting "helped stretch the defense."  She said Angie "had a great basketball IQ" in addition to being outstanding at the charity stripe.

After getting quality minutes as a freshman, 5-10 Allison Berg (Duluth, MN-East HS) moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore and became a double digit scorer.  She had the best shooting percentage from the field (.531) and was a .798 free throw shooter.  "As our stretch 4, Alli could shoot, drive, post up and rebound," said Stone.

The motor that really drove the Blugolds was 6-0 center Erika Schmidt (Marshfield-Columbus HS).  She was an extremely intense player who could both score and rebound and earned first team All-American honors as a senior.  Her 1,547 career points rank third and her 960 career rebounds second all-time.  She carried a heavy load for the Blugolds, both offensively and defensively.  She became only the second conference player to earn both player-of-the-year and scholar-athlete of the year, following in the footsteps of Blugold great Arlene Meinholz who had accomplished that feat two years earlier.  Coach Stone said Erika was our "go to" inside and an "unbelievable leader in how she played both offensively and defensively."  She added that Erika "was a very bright and intense player and key to our success."

Three freshmen played a lot of minutes off the bench.  5-10 Kelly Felmlee (Augusta) joined the team after winning a state championship at Augusta.  Coach Stone said Kelly "gave us great post presence and added rebounding."  Jaimie Burlingame (Ft. Atkinson) had good quickness and leaping ability despite her 5-7 size.  She played inside and had a great tenacity for the ball.  A well-rounded athlete, she had earned 12 letters in high school in volleyball, softball, track and basketball.  Coach Stone called her "strong, a quick scorer and super athletic."  Jacci Smieja (Independence) would provide depth at the point.  She was a great defender who anticipated well and had a good pull up jumper.  Coach Stone appreciated her strength and her "ability to play against bigger players".

Cindy Smith (Circle Pines, MN-Centennial HS) transferred in after two seasons at Southwest State, giving the team more college experience.  Coach Stone called her a "solid player who could handle the ball and hit open shots."

Also playing regularly off the bench was 5-8 redshirt sophomore Jacquie Vinje (Monona-Monona Grove HS).  Coach Stone said Jacquie "provided depth inside and on the wing".

Another player who saw limited minutes as a freshman but would contribute down the road was Jodi Pritzl, a 5-6 wing who had been on a state championship team at Park Falls in 1995.  Coach Stone called her "a complete student-athlete and unbelievable team player."

Brenda Gunn (Gilman) served as a team co-captain with Schmidt, Claymon and Cerni.  Coach Stone praised her for being "an unbelievable team player and energy giver" who had a "great attitude and gave great effort every day."

The other spot players included freshmen Jen Lease (Barneveld) and Shannon Manydeeds (Eau Claire Regis) who had been members of state championship teams in high school along with sophomore Morgan Green (Westby) who had logged minutes off the bench as a freshman.  Coach Stone credited all three with "working hard" and competing with "great attitudes."

This team ranked No. 3 in the final regular season WBCA (Women's Basketball Coaches Association) Division III poll.  Their 27 wins for the season was a school record at the time, besting the win totals of 24 and 25 in the previous two seasons.  They also set a record for consecutive victories with 14 in a row at one point during the season.

The Blugolds averaged 72.3 points per game and allowed just 58.0.  They out-rebounded their opponents by six per game and forced 22.3 turnovers per game.  They ranked No. 3 in the final regular season stats for team free throw shooting, finishing with a .736 mark, and ranked among the top 10 in three-pointers made per game with 5.6.

The Blugolds defeated eight ranked teams throughout the season and their four losses all came at the hands of ranked teams.  The 'Golds dealt St. Thomas, the No. 1 seed in the West Region, its only regular-season loss and also beat Luther College and Bethel College who made it into the 64-team tournament field.  They handed Oshkosh three of its four losses during the season.

Coach Stone summarized the team and the season this way when reflecting on it 25 years later:  "What a year that was! One of the most connected and determined teams I have ever coached. The entire program was family and we truly loved each other. 

"We played a tough schedule and were tested throughout that season but overcame adversity and got stronger as the year went. We defended and rebounded extremely well and had an electric offense with inside and outside talents. We were deep, played together and were highly motivated. 

"The memory of that buzzer beater will always be in my head but the pride and love I have for those women will always be in my Heart."

Defining the pride she had in coaching at UWEC, Stone said "Once a Blugold, always a Blugold!"

Story by Sports Information Director emeritus Tim Petermann who accompanied the team on its Final Four trip to New York City.