FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

Year In Review Slide Show

SOMERS, Wis. (May 11, 2015)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside athletic department hosted the 14th annual Awards Banquet on Monday evening at the Student Center Ballroom, honoring one team and nine student-athletes for their success on the field and in the classroom.
 
The awards presented were the Academic Achievement Award, Ranger Award, Newcomer of the Year, Athlete of the Year, and Career Achievement Award. Each award was presented to both a male and female student-athlete while the Provost Award was awarded to the program with the highest grade point average among the department's 15 sports.
 
The women's basketball squad captured the Provost Award for the fifth consecutive semester, compiling a 3.292 grade point average during the fall semester, edging men's soccer (3.205) for the award.
 
Men's track & field student-athlete Justin Armstrong was the lone Ranger to win two awards at the banquet, securing the Male Academic Achievement Award along with the Ranger Award.
 
The Academic Achievement Award is bestowed upon the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average who has completed four years of eligibility while the Ranger Award is given to the student-athlete that best exemplify the positive attributes of intercollegiate athletics while at the University.
 
A sprinter on the track team, Armstrong becomes the first Ranger to win two awards at the same banquet since 2012 when wrestler Luke Rynish hauled in both the Athlete of the Year and Career Achievement Awards. The Kenosha native currently serves as the President of the Ranger Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (RSAAC) and is the Great Lakes Valley Conference SAAC representative, appearing at the NCAA convention this year on behalf of the conference. A three-time winner of the track & field team's Leadership Award and a team captain the past two seasons, Armstrong is a three-time All-GLVC honoree and a volunteer for both Make-a-Wish and Special Olympics. Armstrong additionally volunteers at All Saints Hospital emergency room and serves as a tutor on campus and intends to attend medical school next year. A three-time Academic All-GLVC honoree, Armstrong will graduate with a degree in biological sciences.
 
Women's soccer player Kelsey Armour nabs the Female Academic Achievement Award. The Gurnee, Illinois, native appeared and started in all 22 games in 2015, scoring five goals and netting four assists as the Rangers won the GLVC regular season and tournament crowns while advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16. The midfielder netted three game winning goals during the fall, including the eventual game-winner against Missouri University S&T in the GLVC Championship Game on Nov. 9. For her career (2010-2014), Armour appeared in 80 games for the Rangers scoring 10 goals with 14 assists and four game winning goals while qualifying for the NCAA Tournament every year. A three-time Academic All-GLVC selection, Armour will graduate with a degree in mathematics.
 
Women's basketball player Sarah Mlachnik secured the Female Ranger Award, becoming the fifth straight member of the women's basketball squad to claim the award, following in the footsteps of Danielle Slivka (2014 winner), Cheryl Leyns (2013 winner), Brittany Beyer (2012 winner), and Amy Selk (2011 winner).
 
Mlachnik served as point guard for the Rangers for the last two seasons after spending two years with the volleyball squad. The Muskego, Wisconsin, native was an "ironman" in both sports, appearing in all but one set in her two years on the volleyball court while playing every game and starting all but one as a member of the basketball team. A GLVC All-Defensive Team selection, Mlachnik played helped the Rangers qualify for the GLVC Tournament in both volleyball (2012) and women's basketball (2015) and helped the Rangers claim wins over nationally-ranked opponents in both sports.
 
"A Ranger through and through, Sarah exemplifies the joy of athletics every day and serves as an inspiration to all Ranger student-athletes," said Head Volleyball Coach Christine Paciero.
 
Wrestler Matt Halverson and women's track & field athlete Lisa Gregerson claimed the male and female Newcomer of the Year Awards.
 
Halverson compiled a 20-12 record on the mat as a true freshman, leading the Rangers in pins with 17. The 285-pounder placed runner-up at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Open, third at the Blugold Open and finished fifth at the NCAA Division II Super Regional, placing one spot shy of advancing to the National Championships.
 
Gregerson wins Newcomer of the Year after placing fourth at the GLVC Indoor Championships and second at the GLVC Outdoor Championships in the high jump. The senior played two seasons on the volleyball team at UW-Parkside before picking up track & field this winter. Gregerson won the high jump at both the Parkside Classic and the Wheaton Invitational while tying a school record and hitting the NCAA Provisional Qualifying standard in the event after clearing five feet, 6 ½ inches on April 18 at the Don Church Twilight Meet in Wheaton, Illinois.
 
Wrestler Nick Fishback was named the Male Athlete of the Year with women's soccer player Karley Mecko landing Female Athlete of the Year honors.
 
Fishback finished the 2014-2015 season with a 35-4 record on the mat, placing fifth at the NCAA Division II Championships to earned All-American honors for the first time in his career. The redshirt junior won weight class titles at the UW-Stevens Point Open, Wisconsin Open, Concordia Open, and was runner-up at the Saint Cloud State Open. The 165-pounder missed almost a month of the season due to injury before returning to the mat at the NCAA Super Regionals, placing third to punch his ticket to the national meet.
 
Mecko lands the Female Athlete of the Year Award after a whirlwind fall, earning First Team All-American honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and Second Team All-American accolades from Daktronics. The senior defender additionally was the GLVC Defender of the Year while earning spots on the NSCAA All-Region, Daktronics All-Region, All-GLVC, and CoSIDA Academic All-American and CoSIDA All-District First Teams. The Crystal Lake, Illinois, native, started all 22 games for the Rangers, finishing second on the team in both goals (eight) and points (18) and anchored a stout defensive unit the led the nation in goals against average (0.27).
 
Men's basketball player Zygimantas Riauka earned the Male Career Achievement Award while women's soccer player Emily Konior landed Female Career Achievement Award honors.
 
Riauka was a Third Team Basketball Times All-American selection in 2015, guiding the Rangers to their third consecutive GLVC East Division Title. The senior forward was a three-time All-GLVC selection, a two-time GLVC All-Defensive Team honoree, and a two-time Daktronics All-Region and National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District pick. The Downers Grove, Illinois, native helped the program to three straight NCAA Division II Tournament appearances finishing his career ranked fifth in program history in rebounds (764), seventh in field goals (573), and 10th in program history in points (1,433). Riauka was a member of the West Team at the 2015 NABC All-Star Game in Evansville, Indiana, where he tied the all-star game rebounding record.
 
Konior earned Daktronics Third Team All-American accolades in the fall, closing her career as a three-time All-GLVC selection, a two-time Daktronics All-Midwest Region honoree, and a 2015 NSCAA All-Region pick. The senior defender closed her career ranked sixth in program history in goals (24) and eighth in points (53), making four trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament, two NCAA Sweet 16 trips and compiling a record of 59-15-9. During the 2014 season , the Huntley, Illinois native led the Rangers in scoring, netting nine goals in 22 games while collecting five game-winning goals in addition to leading a defensive unit that led the nation in goals against average (0.27), posting 16 shutouts. Konior saw action on the pitch in 82 of the 83 games played over the past four seasons, making 80 starts.
 
The Ranger Athletic Department made four NCAA appearances and won almost 60 percent of games played in 2014-2015, maintaining a 3.11 cumulative grade point average, while graduating at a 19-percent higher rate than the general student body.