Wisconsin Athletics Annual Report

2010-11 Wisconsin Athletics Annual Report

Wisconsin Athletics Annual Report

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From the desk of Barry Alvarez W That's the type of year we've had, a great year; from our women's hockey team dominating and winning the NCAA championship to our wrestling team finishing once again in the top 10. People are very impressed and they want to talk about the total program. Natu- henever I'm at booster function or at a speaking engagement, one of the comments that I get about our athletic program is, "You know, you're pretty good in everything at Wisconsin." rally, they also want to talk about football and men's basketball and how much success we've had in those two sports. And I'm quick to tell them that since the 2002-03 season, we have combined to play in more bowl games and compete in more NCAA men's basketball tournaments than any other university in the country. But it goes further than that. Our men's cross country team continued its unprec- edented string of excellence, winning its 12th-straight Big Ten conference title and finishing third at the NCAA meet. Maggie Meyer became the first UW swimmer to win an NCAA individual championship, claiming the title in the 200-yard backstroke. Overall, 16 of our 23 teams participated in post-season play. That includes the women's golf team, which made its first NCAA appearance since 2003, and the men's rowing team placing fourth at the IRAs, its highest finish since winning the national title in 2008. Then there were the football and men's basketball teams. In football, we won our first Big Ten title since 1999 and played in our seventh Rose Bowl, extending our streak of bowl games to nine straight years. On the court, Bo Ryan's team made its 13th- straight NCAA tournament appearance, advancing to the Sweet 16. Oh yeah, and both teams knocked off No. 1 and undefeated Ohio State at home, setting off wild celebrations that won't soon be forgotten. While a lot of people see our student-athlete's accomplishments on the field, court, ice, or whatever the venue, away from the playing fields they continue to impress as well. Across the entire athletic department, UW student-athletes continue to maintain a cumulative "B" average as 173 of them earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. In addi- tion, 13 student-athletes finished the spring semester with a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average. In the community, there are a number of success stories. Two integral members of last season's Rose Bowl team, quarterback Scott Tolzien and defensive end J.J. Watt, earned notice for their devotion to helping others. Tolzien was featured on ESPN's "Col- lege Gameday" for his relationship with a young boy battling cancer while Watt estab- lished the Justin J. Watt Foundation using the motto "Dream Big, Work Hard. Those were just two examples of the more than 1,500 hours of community service " performed by Badger student-athletes and coaches. At Wisconsin, our athletic department stresses the total package, success on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Our coaches and student-athletes do a tremendous job living up that ideal. As a UW fan or alum, we hope this makes you proud to be a Badger. In the following pages, there will be more details about the year gone by, including On, Wisconsin! facts, figures, videos and stories. In the not so distant future, we will be looking towards the 2011-12 season and hoping to make just as many lasting memories. Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez

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