2015 Senate Joint Resolution 27
ENROLLED JOINT RESOLUTION
Relating to: commending the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men's basketball team for winning the 2015 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Basketball National Championship title.
Whereas, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men's basketball team earned its fourth NCAA Division III championship in the last twelve years making it only one of four collegiate programs to have won four NCAA Division III Championships in men's basketball; and
Whereas, the Pointers finished the season with a 27-5 record, including a 15-1 mark in conference play; and
Whereas, the Pointers won all but one of their NCAA tournament games by a double-digit margin and ended the season ranked first in the Division III poll; and
Whereas, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's 18.5 point margin of victory is the second-highest championship run by a team in Division III history; and
Whereas, the team has been directed by a dedicated and talented coaching staff, led by head coach Bob Semling, who was named the Division III Coach of the Year; and
Whereas, on the court the team was led by the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, senior guard Austin Ryf, who averaged 19 points per game in the two Final Four games; and
Whereas, Ryf was joined by junior guard Stephen Pelkofer and senior guard/forward Joe Ritchay on the All-Tournament Team; and
Whereas, sophomore guard Caden Untiedt received the Elite 89 Award, which is given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average at the Final Four; and
Whereas, the Pointers team, which is comprised of junior Sean McGann, senior Austin Ryf, senior Jordan Lutz, junior Stephen Pelkofer, sophomore Aaron Retzlaff, freshman Luke Zuiker, sophomore Brad Freeborn, sophomore Caden Untiedt, junior Bill Patterson, freshman Zack Goedeke, senior Joe Ritchay, senior Alex Richard, and sophomore Jared Gjertson, and is coached by Bob Semling, Kent Dernbach, Jakob Gollon, and Brant Bailey, has personified what a team should be and has made the university, community, and state proud; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the members of the Wisconsin legislature commend the Pointers, their coaching staff, and their student athletes on winning the 2015 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Men's Basketball National Championship title and wish them great success in all their future endeavors.
