Beth was a four-sport athlete from Franklin High School who came to MATC in the fall of 1988 after transferring from UW-Oshkosh. In high school, she competed in track & field, cross country, basketball and volleyball, earning letters all four years in track and three years in cross country. In track, she was awarded all-conference and all-region honors during each of her four seasons. She also earned team MVP honors in her senior season. Beth had tremendous success in cross country as well, earning all-conference, all-region and team MVP honors. In 1987, Beth graduated from Franklin H.S. and enrolled at UW-Oshkosh. While at UW-Oshkosh, she ran both cross country and track with success. The following year she enrolled at MATC in the Veterinary Technician program.
Beth started her MATC career in cross country during the fall of 1988. During that fall, Beth excelled. As a team captain she always led by example. Beth won the WJCAA state meet and the Lawrence University Invite in Appleton, WI. She won the state meet by almost :30 seconds earning first team all-state honors. At the Lawrence Invite, a meet attended by many four-year schools from across the state, she claimed the Women’s Open Division title. At the NJCAA Region XIII meet in Waseca, MN, Beth posted the best individual finish ever for an MATC women’s runner, taking fourth. Her 5K time of 20:24 ranked her second all-time in MATC women’s cross country history. With her fourth place finish, she became only the seventh women’s runner to qualify for the National Championships. At the Cross Country National Championships held in Twin Falls, Idaho, she ran against runners from all divisions including many scholarship athletes. She posted a 21:11 on an elevated altitude and improved her placing.
In track & field, she also served as team captain and picked up where she left off during the cross country season. During 1989 track season she was named co-most valuable and earned all-region honors while setting school marks at the NJCAA Region XIII meet in the 800M and 1500M. At the region meet she placed third in the 1500M and the finished first in the 800M, becoming MATC’s first ever track & field national qualifier. In addition to setting school records in the 800M and 1500M she also set the school mark in the 3000M. At nationals in El Paso, Texas, Beth competed well against a top-notch field featuring many scholarship athletes. Off the track, Beth excelled in the classroom, as well, receiving all-academic honors.
In May 1990, Beth graduated from MATC with a Veterinary Technician Associate Degree. After MATC, she attended Morehead State University in Kentucky where she competed in track and cross country while earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Veterinary Technology. At Morehead State, she was also a member of the national honor society and graduated in May of 1991.
Beth currently works as an administrative program specialist at the Research Animal Resources Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has continued to stay involved with the sport she loves. In 1994, she came back to MATC to help coach the MATC cross country team for two seasons. She also helped coach the DeForest H.S. track team during the 1997-98 seasons. In 2001, Beth competed in her first marathon, posting a time that qualified her for the Boston Marathon. Recently, to top her first marathon experience, Beth competed in the 2004 Wisconsin Ironman Triathlon along with her former coach, Bill Hausler.
“There are some people who lift you up and energize you just by their very presence… Beth is such a person. Not only did she excel in running… she excelled in helping everyone be better,” commented former head cross country coach, Bill Hausler. “She did this with her smile, with her enthusiasm, encouragement and her overall positive attitude… and she did this both as an athlete and as a coach at MATC. It has been a privilege to know Beth.”
“Beth was always a joy to coach and teach. She was eager to learn and always gave 100% in whatever she did, whether it was at practice, in a meet, or in the classroom,” said former track and cross country coach, Fred Williams.
Beth currently lives in Waunakee with her husband Mike, their six year old, Bryce and their two year old, Jenna.
