Wisconsin Athletics Annual Report

Director's Letter A nother incredible year is in the books for Wisconsin athletics. The 2009-10 season saw some programs reach new heights, others sustain their excellence and our stu- dent-athletes continue to make Badger fans proud. The images are still very much fresh in our mind. Michelle Dalton's diving save to propel the women's soccer team to its fi rst NCAA regional since 1993. The fans rushing the court after the men's basketball team defeated Duke, its fi rst of three wins over top 10 teams. Na- tional Coach of the Year Barry Davis and sophomore Andrew Howe sharing a hug after Howe won the NCAA wrestling title at 165 pounds, capping an un- defeated season. The women's rowing team throwing head coach Bebe Bryans into Lake Ovid following the program's fi rst Big Ten title. Those are just some of the many successes on the fi eld of play. Our teams won three conference championships last season while 17 of our 23 teams participated in post-season play. Individually, 27 of our student-athletes earned fi rst-team All-America men- tion and 38 were named fi rst-team All-Conference. Off the fi eld, our student-athletes and coaches continue to raise the bar, a fact that I am very proud of. They were involved in more than 1,500 community service hours and they combined for a cumulative 3.02 grade-point average last year. I believe this illustrates that our coaches are focused on attracting quality people to the University of Wisconsin, not just quality athletes. What makes all of these accomplishments even more special is the tremendous support of our fans, donors and alumni. It's one thing to have success, but I know from experience that success is even sweeter Alvarez was joined by his family after being inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009. 1 when you can share it with loyal fans, both at home and away from Madison. Our student-athletes, coaches and staff understand the special relationship we have with Badger fans. Your reputation among the best fans in the nation is well-earned and we're all truly appre- ciative of your support. We invite everyone to read through our 2009-10 annual report and look back at the past year. While you do so, please know that we are always looking forward. With that in mind, we hope that in 2010-11 we continue to build upon our successes, overcome new challenges as they arise and always represent the University of Wisconsin with pride. On, Wisconsin! Barry Alvarez Director of Athletics

• Cover