Ranger Insider - Spring 2018

Insider SPRING 2018 EDITION

89-0 3-TIME NCAA CHAMP Nick Becker completes historic undefeated career with third-straight National Championship

Parkside Athletics is approaching the end of an eventful 2017-18 school year. The Rangers have experienced ups and downs, both in and out of competition, but our student-athletes and teams have much to be proud of as we look forward to a new era in 2018-19.

The year has included national championships, All-Americans, upset victories over top-ranked opponents, community service and engagement, first-year head coaches taking the reins, new hires making a difference, academic awards, internships for students, partnerships with businesses, alumni engagement, generous donations, student-athlete graduations, and much more!

Parkside Athletics Announces the Creation of the Ranger Impact Fund The University of Wisconsin-Parkside was pleased to announce the creation of the Ranger Impact Fund in early March. The Ranger Impact Fund will serve as the primary fundraising arm for the athletics department, providing alumni, donors, and fans an opportunity to support Parkside Athletics.

I welcome you to read about some of these stories in this newsletter.

We will continue to use the Rangers Insider and many other initiatives to tell our story! We invite you to learn more about our student-athletes and stay engaged with Ranger Athletics by visiting ParksideRangers.com!

“The Ranger Impact Fund and its success are critical to Parkside Athletics as we strive to support the needs of our student-athletes, both in and out of competition,” said Andrew Gavin, Director of Athletics. “As we embark on a new era, the generosity of the members of the Ranger Impact Fund will enable us to provide an enhanced student-athlete experience and continue to compete at a high level in our conference as well as regionally and nationally.”

The support and positive impact of our alumni, our community and our fans will be critical as we progress, and we thank you for joining us on this journey to becoming one of the nation’s top Division II athletics departments!

Supporters of the Ranger Impact Fund will positively and profoundly impact our student-athletes and their experiences at Parkside. The success of the Ranger Impact Fund fosters a nationally-competitive NCAA Division II athletics program, which is vitally important to UW-Parkside through student recruitment and success and enhanced visibility and reputation in the community, state and region.

Go Rangers!

In giving to the Ranger Impact Fund, donors can give to the general athletics fund, the scholarship fund, or 100 percent of a gift can be designated to a specific sport program.

Andrew Gavin Director of Athletics

“It is important that our alumni and donors have an opportunity to support the programs and initiatives that best align with their interests and passions,” Gavin said. “We thank our supporters for investing in this initiative and their generosity and dedication to the Rangers.”

If you are interested in donating, please mail your gift to Parkside Athletics, 900 Wood Road, Kenosha, WI 53144.

To donate online or for more info on the Ranger Impact Fund, please visit ParksideRangers.com/RangerImpactFund!

BECKER WINS THIRD-STRAIGHT NATIONAL TITLE; PARKSIDE WRESTLING COMPLETES HISTORIC SEASON Senior Nick Becker (Hartford, Wis.) made history on March 9-10 at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as the Hartford, Wis., native became the only wrestler in Parkside history to win three NCAA Championships.

Battling through a bloody nose that delayed the match on multiple occasions, No. 1 Becker defeated No. 2 Nolan Kistler of California Baptist in an 8-4 decision in the championship match of the 174-pound weight class.

133 FURSETH

With the win, Becker closed out his career as a Ranger with a perfect 89-0 record and will undoubtedly go down not only as the best wrestler in program history but also as one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the history of college wrestling.

Becker, who’s brothers Craig Becker and Brad Becker also won national championships at Parkside, joined a long list of national champions in Ranger history. Bill West, who won national titles in 1974 & 1975, is the other Ranger with multiple national championships.

As a team, the Rangers would have finished with 74 points, which would have been good for third place behind St. Cloud State (92.5) and Notre Dame (84). Due to conference sanctions, Parkside is ineligible to place in the team standings. Third place would have been the best place in Parkside history, surpassing the fifth place finish in 2010.

Along with Becker, four other wrestlers secured All-American honors over the weekend. Senior Frank Yattoni IV (Oswego, Ill.) finished in third place in the 149 pound weight class. Fellow senior Matt Halverson (Kiel, Wis.), who entered the national championships ranked No. 11 at 285, also took third place. Sophomore Airk Furseth (Janesville, Wis.) was sixth at 133, and redshirt James Lehman (Kenosha, Wis.) finished in eighth place to garner All-American honors at 197 despite entering unranked.

First-year head coach Corey VanGroll (pictured below) guided the Rangers to one of the best seasons in program history. In addition to Becker’s title, five All-Americans, and six national qualifiers, the Rangers posted a 12-1 dual record.

149 YATTONI

197 LEHMAN

HWT HALVERSON

FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON PARKSIDE STUDENT-ATHLETES AND TEAMS, PLEASE VISIT PARKSIDERANGERS.COM

News and Notes

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1. On Jan. 13, the Parkside men’s basketball team posted an incredible win at DeSimone Gymnasium, defeating previously unbeaten Bellarmine 80-68. The Knights entered the game at 14-0 on the season and ranked #1 nationally. Junior Adam Bonk led Luke Reigel’s team with 16 points, while senior Goran Zagorac finished with 15 points for the Rangers, who ended the game on a 20-10 run to earn the upset victory.

2. In January, Director of Athletics Andrew Gavin announced the hiring of Leigh Barea as the head coach of the Parkside volleyball program. A native of Battle Creek, Mich., Barea was most recently an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Jacksonville State in Alabama. Barea was a standout player at Lewis University, where she led the Flyers to four NCAA tournament appearances and was named all-conference three times.

3. The latest recruit to the Parkside baseball team joined the program on March 2, when 12-year old Leo Montemurro was signed to join the Rangers as part of the Friends of Jaclyn program. The Kenosha native has been battling brain cancer since he was just three years old, but the avid baseball fan was all smiles as he joined the Rangers and was invited to throw out a first pitch at a game this spring. Head coach Daniel Esposito and his team were thrilled to welcome Leo, who is a huge fan of the Chicago Cubs.

4. Parkside Athletics and the UW-Parkside Health, Exercise Science, and Sport Management Department (HESM) announced the creation of 14 graduate assistant opportunities for students pursuing a master’s degree at the University, beginning in 2018-19. Nine of the positions will gain experience working in Parkside’s athletics department, including seven assistant coaches. There will also be five positions will have teaching and research responsibilities within the HESM department in addition to working with the UW-Parkside athletics department.