Athletic Board – Annual Report – 2024-2025

Members:

Name	Rank	Department	Div	E/A	Term Ends	Email
Jennifer Earl Boehm	FAC	Rehabilitation Sciences & Technology	PR	E	2027	jearl@uwm.edu
Qingsu Cheng	FAC	Biomedical Engineering	NS	E	2027	chengq@uwm.edu
Steven Redd	FAC	Political Science (Chancellor’s appt)	SS	A	2027	sredd@uwm.edu
Jim Cleary	–	UWM Alumni Association Member	–	A	2026	jcleary5@wi.rr.com
Bo Zhang	FAC	Educational Psychology	PR	E	2026	boz@uwm.edu
Renee Reckelberg²	AS	Rehabilitation Sciences & Technology	–	E	2025	manofsky@uwm.edu
Derek Handley, Chair	FAC	English	AH	E	2025	handledg@uwm.edu
Kevin Keenan	FAC	Kinesiology (Fac Athletic Rep)	PR	A	2025	keenan@uwm.edu
Gabriel Rei-Doval 1	FAC	Spanish & Portuguese	PR	E	2025	reidoval@uwm.edu
Amanda Braun	Dir	Athletics	x-o	o	2025	abraun25@uwm.edu
Kelly Haag	VC	Student Affairs	x-o	o	2025	kajohnso@uwm.edu
Steve Mohar	Dir	Rec Sports & Facilities	x-o	o	2025	sjmohar@uwm.edu
< >	–	Alumni Association President Rep	x-o	o	2025
< >	–	Student	–	A	2025
< >	–	Student	–	A	2025
< >		Student		A	2025
< >		Student		A	2025

Charter:

A1.5     Athletic Board

1. Membership.  Seventeen members as follows: five elected faculty members; one faculty member appointed by the Chancellor to a one-year term; the Faculty Athletic Representative appointed by the Chancellor for a term not to exceed five years; one member of the UWM Alumni Association, appointed by the Chancellor from a list of candidates submitted by the President of the UWM Alumni Association; one elected member of the Academic Staff; four students appointed by the Student Association; and, ex-officio:  UWM Director of Athletics or designee, UWM Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or designee, President of the UWM Alumni Association or designee, Director of Recreational Sports & Facilities or designee.
2. Functions
   1. Develops and reviews university policies relative to intercollegiate athletics in conjunction with UWM faculty, administration, students, alumni, and controlling regulations, and oversees the implementation of such policies. Reviews the Athletic Department budget through the work of the Fiscal and Equity subcommittees, respectively.
   2. Recommends to the Athletic Director assignments of personnel to head coaching and all other senior athletic administrative positions, consistent with University and State of Wisconsin Personnel practices
      
      The Athletic Board will constitute a minimum of 40% of the overall Athletic Director Search and Screen Committee. 
   3. Monitors policies and practices pertaining to equity and nondiscrimination within the Athletic Department pursuant to NCAA and UWM expectations.
   4. Oversees Athletic Department systems for providing student-athletes with academic services and monitoring their academic progress. Rules upon questions of eligibility of students under institutional and conference regulations.
   5. Provides oversight and advice to ensure adherence to NCAA and UWM policies concerning athletic scholarships and tuition remissions.
   6. Recommends to the Chancellor candidates for the position of Faculty Athletics Representative.
   7. Reviews the annual performance review of the Faculty Athletics Representative, as conducted by the Chair of the Athletic Board and the Athletic Director, and communicates the results of this review to the Faculty Athletics Representative and the Chancellor.
   8. Maintains liaison with intercollegiate athletic organizations and conferences through the Faculty Athletics Representative.
   9. Recommends to the faculty changes in policies that relate to intercollegiate athletics and that appear to be in keeping with the long-term development of the University.

Meetings:

Fall Semester (2024)

• September 11, 2024
• October 2, 2024
• November 6, 2024
• December 4, 2024

Spring Semester (2025)

• February 5, 2025
• March 5, 2025
• April 2, 2025
• May 7, 2025 

The steering committee of the Athletic Board consisted of Derek Handley (chair), Bo Zhang (vice chair), Jen Earl Boehm (secretary), Amanda Braun (Athletic Director, ex-officio), Kevin Keenan (FAR), and Chris Dobbie (student).

There are three working sub-committees: Academic Integrity; Equity, Personnel, Fiscal; and By-laws, Governance/Compliance, Student Athletic Appeals. Each sub-committee has members of the Athletics department staff who provide and summarize the detailed information reviewed by the committee.

In addition, the Faculty Athletic Representative (Kevin Keenan) has a central role in UWM athletics. In this role, Professor Keenan:

• Serves as the representative of the Board, the Chancellor, and the UWM Faculty to the Horizon League and intercollegiate athletic associations and activities,
• Works with the Director of Athletics and the Board in monitoring policies and procedures and the student-athlete experience.
• Is the connection between the student-athlete and the student-athlete’s faculty when academic issues arise.

Athletic Highlights During 2024-25

Milwaukee Athletics continues to excel on and off the field and did so again during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Highlighting the fall season was yet another Horizon League regular-season and tournament championship from the Milwaukee women’s soccer team – while advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh year in a row. The cumulative totals now add up to 24 regular-season titles, 17 tournament crowns, and 18 trips to the NCAA Tournament in program history.

In 2024, the Panthers went 12-7-2, going a near-perfect 9-0-1 in Horizon League play after a daunting non-conference schedule. In conference action, head coach Kevin Boyd led MKE to a staggering statistical lead in every category, pacing the 10-game slate in shots (221), shots per game (10.2), shots on goal (102), total points (88), total goals (28), and assists (32). Also, on the defensive side, the team posted eight shutouts in the 10 matches, with its 0.20 goals-against average. Among national NCAA leaders, his team finished 11^th in each of the following categories: scoring offense (2.38 gpg), points per-game (7.24), assists per-game (2.48). In addition, the Panthers were 15^th in total points (152), 12^th in total assists (52), and 17^th in total goals (50). He guided Lainey Higgins to Horizon League Player of the Year honors, Parker Donahugh to Goalkeeper of the Year, and Kayla Rollins to a repeat selection as Horizon League Offensive Player of the Year. In addition, the six first-team all-league selections marked the most in program history.

The 2024 campaign was a thrill ride for the men’s soccer program, finishing 9-5-5 overall and tied for second in the Horizon League at 4-3-2 after being picked eighth in the league preseason poll. The team came up just short of a title game appearance, falling 1-0 in the semifinals to the eventual NCAA Tournament-qualifier Robert Morris. Head coach Kris Kelderman saw his squad lead the conference in defense (1.16 GAA) and went unbeaten at home at a perfect 6-0-3 at Engelmann Stadium. He saw three of his players earn postseason all-league honors as well.

The Milwaukee men’s basketball team posted its third consecutive 20-victory season, marking the first for the program since a record four straight back from 2002-2006. Bart Lundy also became the first head coach to claim 20+ wins in each of his first three years on the bench in Milwaukee’s NCAA Division I era.
 
The 2024-25 campaign concluded with an overall record of 21-11, including a 14-6 mark in the Horizon League that resulted in a tie for second place. The offense finished with Top-5 entries in the school’s record books in scoring average (78.4 ppg), total points (2,510), field-goal percentage (.468), field goals made (907), and field goals attempted (1,939). The team finished first in the NCAA in fastbreak points with 18.4 per game as the team embraced Lundy’s “Tilt The Floor” motto. The Panthers also set a program record in rebounds per game at 39.2 to rank No. 21 in the nation, helping Milwaukee place second in the NCAA in rebound margin at +9.3.

Jamichael Stillwell was named First Team All-Horizon League and the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year while also becoming one of 30 finalists for the 2024-25 Riley Wallace award, presented annually to the most impactful transfer in NCAA Division I college basketball. He became the first-ever player in program history to average a double-double for a season, finishing with per-game averages of 13.0 points and a school-record 10.7 rebounds. Stillwell quickly established himself as one of the top rebounders in the NCAA Division I level, finishing eighth in the country. He also closed out the year with a school-record 16 double-doubles to shatter the former program mark of nine in a season.

The Milwaukee swimming & diving program wrapped up the 2024-25 campaign with an impressive showing at the Horizon League Championships. The team put together an array of impressive finishes, going on to claim three event titles and shatter countless school records, rewriting numerous marks that had held up, some for numerous seasons. In the end, the women’s team placed runner-up for the second consecutive year as well as the third time in the past four seasons, with Kyle Clements earning Horizon League Women’s Coach of the Year accolades – marking the sixth such honor of his time leading the program.
 
The men’s team wrapped up its best finish at the Horizon League Championships since 2015, taking fourth place. The Panthers set 12 new school records at the meet on the men’s side, placing in the top three in six different events. Newcomer Gunnar Seversen made the biggest splash, named Freshman of the Meet for his sensational first league championship performances. 

The Milwaukee track & field teams had successful indoor and outdoor seasons.

• Indoor – The indoor season was successful once again for the Panthers, as the men took their second straight Horizon League runner-up finish, while the women finished third at the meet. 
  • The men had four individual league champions, including, Jaelyn Reeves-Lile in the 200m dash, Bryant McLaughlin in the high jump, Bishop Bufford in the triple jump and Liam Richards in the heptathlon. McLaughlin was named Co-Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet for his showing, while Anthony Buford was also recognized as Horizon League Freshman Field Athlete of the Year after taking second at the meet. 
  • On the women’s side, Milwaukee claimed three individual titles, with Anna Szepieniec breaking the pentathlon record for both the program and the League Championship Meet. Anelise Egge in the mile run, and Dominique Thomas in the 60m dash both repeated as champions as well.  
  • Egge added to her decorated career when she was selected as the Indoor Alfreeda Goff Horizon League Track & Field Athlete of the Year. During the season she broke her own record in the mile run, before taking down a program record that had stood since 1983 in the 3000m run. In addition to her mile run title, she finished second at the championships in the 800m and 3000m runs to earn her Outstanding Running Performer of the Meet. 
• Outdoor – both the men and women finished as Horizon League Runner-ups.
  • The men won 6 individual titles.  Jaelyn Reeves-Lile was named Outstanding Running Performer.  Anthony Buford was named Horizon League Freshman of the Year.
  • The women won 5 individual titles.  Anna Cxepieniec was named Horizon League Women’s Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet.
  • Natale Block earned Second Team All-American honors after a record-breaking performance at the NCAA’s in the 400m hurdles.

Baseball was the last team to wrap up their season at the end of May.  In exciting fashion, they worked their way to the finals of the Horizon League Baseball Tournament.  In a hard fought tournament, they finished runner-up.  Gavin Theis was named Horizon League Pitcher of the Year and Logan Snow Reliever of the Year.  Along with Theis and Snow, Tyler Bickers and Gabe Roessler were named All-Leage First Team and Justin Hausser earned All-League Second Team. 

Academic and Community Service Highlights – 2024-25

Success was not limited to the court or field as Milwaukee student-athletes continued to excel academically and participate in community service activities.

• The cumulative GPA for all Panther student-athletes is 3.513 – making it the 50^th straight semester where the departmental GPA is above 3.0 as well as the 21^st consecutive semester over a 3.20.  73 student-athletes had a perfect 4.0 GPA and 125 student-athletes had 3.8 GPA or better.
• Student-athletes are represented in over 30 different majors.
• Graduation success rate was at 90%, well above the percentage for the general student population. 
• Student-Athletes and staff logged 3,271 hours of community service in Milwaukee and the surrounding area.  Teams volunteer for community activities like Make a Difference Day, United Way, Junior Achievement, Team IMPACT, Operation Dream and the United Lutheran Soup Kitchen, among dozens of other agencies. The Athletics Department also partners with the Center for Community-Based Learning, Leadership and Research. 

Financial Update 

In March of 2025, campus implemented expense savings measures that required all entities on campus to reduce spending wherever possible. Athletics complied and asked budget managers to halt any non-essential spending for the remainder of the fiscal year. This caused mild consternation but allowed athletics to improve on an already positive budget situation. Fiscal Year 2025 ended with a positive balance of approximately $185,000. Over the last two fiscal years (FY2023 & FY2024), there were mitigating circumstances (student fees coming in lower than expected & an implemented tiered pay plan) that created a small 2-year cumulative deficit of approximately $238,000. With this positive ending to Fiscal Year 2025 we were able to reduce that cumulative deficit to $53,000. The athletic department fully expects to balance a budget again in Fiscal Year 2026 and should eliminate any deficit going forward. As a department we are committed to avoiding any significant future deficits and will continue to always be good stewards of all resources supporting the University’s athletic program.