University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Clarence Alfonse
Clarence Alfonse played football, basketball and baseball at UW-River Falls. He was on the 1927-29 football teams and was all-conference and captain of the 1929 team. He played fullback. He also played on the 1929-31 basketball teams, he was second team all-conference as a center in 1931. He was also a member of the 1929-31 baseball teams. He was named the American Legion Athletic award winner in 1931. After graduation, he coached football, basketball, baseball, and golf at Bloomer High School. His teams won the conference football titles from 1933-35. His 1936 basketball team finished third in the state tournament. He also coached at Sparta High School, his 1939 and 1941 football teams won conference titles and his 1940 and 1942 basketball teams won conference championships.

Harold "Nook" Blank
Harold "Nook" Blank was on the 1934-38 football teams, he was all-conference as a fullback on the 1938 team which won the conference title. He was also a member of the 1936 conference winning basketball team. He was named to the all-conference team as a forward in 1938 and 1939 and was captain of the 1939 team. He was also a pitcher on the Falcons baseball team for four years and was on the undefeated 1938 team. He was named the American Legion Athlete award winner in 1939. He coached the 1940 Osceola football team to a conference title and also coached the 1941 Osceola basketball team that was undefeated and conference champs. He also coached the 1942 Sparta football team to the conference title and led the 1948 La Crosse baseball team to a second place finish in the state tourney.

Lawrence Dawson
Lawrence Dawson was a member of three UW-River Falls football conference championship winning teams. He played on the 1924-26 teams. He was also a member of the 1925 and 1926 Falcons basketball teams. He coached two conference championship winning football teams at Elcho High School in 1929 and 1931. He also coached the 1943 and 1945 River Falls High School football teams that won conference titles.

Joe Gurno
Joe Gurno was a three-sport star at the university. He was a member of the 1921 and 1923 Northern Championship basketball team and played football in 1920-22. He was also a member of the 1921 Northern Championship baseball team. After graduation, he taught and coached at Aitken, Minn., High School from 1923-25 and then taught and coached at Barron High School from 1925-35.

Hale Quandt
Hale Quandt won 12 varsity letters at the University in football, basketball, baseball, and track from 1924-27. He was a member of the 1924, 1925, and 1926 Falcon championship winning football teams. He was selected to the all-conference team in 1926. He had an illustrious coaching career, his basketball coaching record at the high school and collegiate levels was 475-224 and his football coaching record at the same levels was 93-39-13. Quandt served as athletic director and also coached at UW-Stevens Point form 1947-67. He coached basketball in 1948 and led that team to the Southern Division crown. He also coached the sport in 1957-58 and 1960-61. The 1958 team competed in the NAIA national tournament. Quandt was inducted into the Stevens Point Hall of Fame in 1969.

Ted Reed
Ted Reed was a mainstay of early Falcons basketball teams. He played on the conference championship winning teams of 1918 and 1919. He was also the captain of the 1919 team. He led the conference in scoring in 1920 with 122 points. He was also a member of the Falcons baseball teams those same years. He was a member of the 1920 Minnesota Conference Championship baseball team.

Thomas J. Rendler
Thomas Rendler played three years on the varsity football team, from 1935-37, and was named to the all-conference team each year as a fullback. He was also the captain of the 1937 team. He also played basketball form 1935-38, the 1938 team was undefeated. He also helped to develop the intramural program at the university.

Harold "Doc" Schmidt
Harold "Doc" Schmidt had several outstanding seasons for the Falcons on the football field and basketball court. He was a member of the 1938 conference championship winning football team. He was a second team all-conference choice in football in 1939-41. He was also a member of the 1939-42 basketball teams and was second team all-conference in 1942. He was also captain of the 1942 basketball team. He was selected as the Outstanding Athlete at the University in 1942. While coaching at Winneconne High School his football teams won seven Little Nine Conference titles from 1947-55. His coaching record was 63-7-3.

Elmer "Babe" Wigen
Elmer "Babe" Wigen played on the 1915-17 and 1926 Falcon football teams. The 1915, 1916 and 1926 teams all won conference championships. After graduation, he went to Wells, Minn., High School and became head football coach, a capacity he held from 1928-55. His teams won several conference titles and his overall record was 136-52-20 at Wells.