The NCAA News - Briefly in the News

July 22, 1996

• Athlete relishes 'hot dog' days
• Finding his focus again
• Milestones

Athlete relishes 'hot dog' days

Sue Duke, a four-year member of the women's softball team at the University of Vermont, did just that. After graduation in 1994, Duke looked at her options and applied for a one-year stint driving one of six Oscar Mayer wienermobiles across the country to sporting events, parades and assorted promotions.

Duke traveled to 40 states, jumped out of an airplane and attended the Kentucky Derby during her year behind the wheel of the wienermobile. She watched the U.S. Olympic Festival softball championships from the best seat in the house -- atop the wienermobile.

Six wienermobiles tour the country, each with a team of two drivers. Duke said 1,500 persons applied for the 12 positions.

The highlight of her "hotdogger" days, Duke said, came when she took Arizona State University softball coach Linda Wells out for dinner in the fuel-injected frank.

"From the moment I parked the Lamborgwienie in her driveway, it became readily obvious the difference between her job and mine," Duke said. "The border of her license plate read 'Pan American Games.' Mine said 'Yummy.' In any event, it was an experience I truly relished."

Having completed her year with the hot dog vehicle, Duke is back at home in Vermont, ready to begin her career -- in sports marketing, she hopes.

Finding his focus again

During the 1996 track season, at age 35, Krueger found it again, placing second in the shot put for the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, at the Wisconsin State University Conference indoor track championships. Then he won the conference outdoor shot put championship in May.

Krueger's return to school was prompted by a serious automobile accident in 1988 that convinced him that he needed to redirect his life. He started his transformation by volunteering as a high-school coach. But when he began taking classes at Wisconsin-Whitewater, Krueger learned he had one year of track eligibility left, so he decided to give competition a shot.

Krueger's education and his track career were derailed after he decided that he was missing out on other life experiences. He dropped out of Wisconsin in 1981 and found a job as a welder.

In 1991, Krueger returned to track and field as a volunteer coach at Watertown High School in Watertown, Wisconsin. Krueger's specialty as a competitor was the throwing events. As a high-school senior in Virginia, he set two state records that still stand today. He set the record for the shot put with a throw of 68 feet, 5 inches, and the discus with an effort of 188-5.

"As a coach, I strive to get the best out of my throwers, not just as athletes but also as people," Krueger told Shari Frea of the Wisconsin-Whitewater sports information office.

"Taking last at a meet is just as good to me as taking first as long as they are able to improve their performance by some measure. I feel they have done their job in competing and giving it their all and I have done my job by getting the best out of them."

Krueger feels his coaching experience has been a major factor in his performance as an athlete. He feels he can recognize immediately what he is doing wrong, and dissects the process to find a cure.

After deciding to resume his collegiate track career, Krueger discovered that at 35 he could not handle the physical workout demanded by college athletics. But he continued to work as hard as he could at his own pace, and on his own time due to conflicts with coaching.

Competing alongside Krueger at the conference championships this spring was one of his former athletes at Watertown, Jim Rosinski. Together, they pushed each other all season to do what Krueger had asked of Rosinski at Watertown -- give the best that he could give.

Krueger's coaches at Wisconsin-Whitewater believe his presence has inspired his teammates.

"Seeing a man his age have to start off at the same level as all of them and working just as hard has been a positive factor on all of us," said Brian Borland, head track coach at Wisconsin-Whitewater.

With his last year of collegiate eligibility behind him, Krueger will continue to coach at the high school and to work toward completion of his degree in geography.

-- Compiled by Sally Huggins

Milestones

Lander University women's softball coach Doug Spears earned his 500th career victory April 9 when the Lady Senators swept Pembroke State University in a double-header. Spears has coached at Lander for 15 seasons.

George Wares, women's softball coach at Central College (Iowa), recorded his 400th career victory with a 3-1 win over Buena Vista University in a Division III regional tournament game May 12. Wares now has a career record of 400-143 in 12 seasons at Central and is only the fourth Division III coach to win 400 games.

When the St. Francis College (New York) baseball team defeated St. John's University (New York) April 23, it was the 250th victory in the career of 16-year head coach Frank Del George.

Kennesaw State College head baseball coach Mike Sansing got his 300th career win with an 11-10 home victory April 18 over the University of Alabama, Huntsville. Sansing, in his fifth season at Kennesaw State, later led the Owls to the Division II championship.

Cabrini College head men's and women's tennis coach Reggie Day earned his 300th coaching victory April 11 with the Cavaliers' 7-0 victory over Pennsylvania Athletic Conference rival Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales. The victory left Day with a career record of 300-220. Day has coached eight seasons at Cabrini.

Bob MacDonald, head baseball coach at the U.S. Naval Academy, won his 500th career game April 21 when the Midshipmen defeated Bucknell University, 13-6, to complete a double-header sweep. MacDonald has led Navy to two Patriot League championships in three seasons.

Muhlenberg College women's softball coach Tom Doddy reached his 100th career victory April 17 with a win over Kean College. Doddy has led Muhlenberg for six seasons.

Greg Christodulu became just the second head baseball coach in Susquehanna University of Pennsylvania history to record 100 career victories when his team swept a double-header April 20 at Lebanon Valley College.