Four To Be Inducted Into UWM Athletic Hall Of FameApril 26, 2007 MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will induct three former student-athletes and a former coach into its Athletics Hall of Fame Sunday, May 6. Ronald Kurtz, Jennifer Greger, Brian Tompkins and Kim (Rosenberg) Farrow will all become part of the hall of fame during ceremonies at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center's Crystal Ballroom. The hall of fame induction will be part of the UWM Student-Athlete Award Reception, which begins at 4 p.m. Ronald Kurtz excelled in track and cross country at UWM, earning seven letters before military service cut short his athletic career. He performed mainly as a hurdler but actually competed in a wide variety of events. In fact, along with competing in field events, Kurtz participated in events ranging from the 45-yard hurdles to the 10,000 meters in cross country. Kurtz also served as captain of the cross country team in 1969 and was secretary of the UWM Letterman's Club in 1968 and 1969. While in the military, he was the honor graduate of the 1971 Ft. Ord, Calif., Drill Sergeant Academy and the 84th Division Drill Sergeant of the Year in 1972-73. He has been a coach in various sports for over 36 years and recently retired from a 32-year teaching career from the West Allis/West Milwaukee School District, where he continues to coach. In 1989, he earned his master's degree from UW-Whitewater and was named to the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Meanwhile, his West Allis Hale Boys Cross Country team won the Wisconsin State Championship in 2000 when he was named Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Cross Country Coach of the Year. Jennifer Greger capped off a stellar four-year basketball career with the Panthers by being named the 1997 Midwestern Collegiate Conference Player of the Year. She was also a First-Team All-League performer that season after leading the league in scoring. Plus, she was named the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's state player of the year and UWM's Female Athlete of the Year. She was a three-time UWM most valuable player after leading her team in both scoring and assists in 1995, 1996 and 1997. She also earned second-team All-MCC honors in 1996. Greger scored 1,385 points in her career, a total that ranks sixth in school history. She also stands second on the school's all-time Division I list for assists and third on the Division I list for steals. Plus, until the 2006-07 season, Greger held the record most points in a single season (552) while ranking in the top five in a number of other categories. Brian Tompkins played a big role in building UWM into a national soccer power while serving as the head coach. In seven seasons at UWM, he put together a 90-41-11 record, helping the Panthers to a Big Central Soccer Conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 1990 and a Mid-Continent Conference title in 1993. His teams were ranked in the top 25 in four of his final six seasons. Tompkins also helped get the UWM women's soccer program off the ground in 1987 and then led the Panthers to 10 wins and a national ranking in 1988. He succeeded Bob Gansler as the men's coach in 1989. Tompkins moved from UWM to Yale in 1996, where he has served as the head men's soccer coach for the last 11 seasons, winning over 100 matches. He has been honored regularly, earning a Meritorious Service Award from the Wisconsin Soccer Association Hall of Fame and a Special Achievement Award from the UWM Athletic Hall of Fame. A native of London, England, Tompkins has also coached with the Bavarians Soccer Club, the Wisconsin Olympic Development Select Team and the Midwest Olympic Development Program. Kim (Rosenberg) Farrow was a standout in both track and field and volleyball at UWM, earning seven varsity letters in the two sports. In track, Farrow was a three-year captain who held records in the indoor 200 meters and indoor 400 meters at the conclusion of her career. The 400 record remained hers until 1999, and she still ranks third on UWM's all-time list. She also is currently fourth on the all-time list in the outdoor 400 meter, with her time of 56.91 in 1993 leaving her as one of just two people to run the race in under 57 seconds in the last 18 years. In volleyball, Farrow was a team captain and outside hitter, collecting 438 kills in three seasons. Her best campaign came in 1991, when she tallied 211 kills, 141 digs and 69 blocks for a team in its second year of NCAA Division I competition. Farrow was a volleyball, basketball and track and field standout at Wisconsin Lutheran High School, earning a pair of all-state honors while setting five school records. |
