Athletics Hall of Fame
In the three years Bev Podewils (Ruch) was a Warhawk the women's basketball team earned a berth in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (prior to UW-W women's athletics affiliating with the NCAA) Division III playoffs each year (1985, 1986, 1987). The '86 team advanced to the quarterfinals of the national championship. Podewils (Ruch) also helped Whitewater capture the WIAC title with a perfect mark, 16-0, in 1986. She earned First Team All-WIAC honors in 1985 and 1986, coupled with first team all-region both years. Her three year totals put Podewils (Ruch) among the top ten in points (fourth, 1,066), scoring average (fourth, 14.2), blocked shots (ninth, 44), blocks per game (ninth, 0.60), and steals per game (sixth, 1.66). She is also eighteenth in career rebounds (421), fifteenth in rebounding average (5.6), sixteenth in steals (106), and twentieth in free throw accuracy (.710). The 435 points she scored in the 1984-85 season is third in the school record book, and her 15.0 average that season is ninth best. Her 18 blocked shots and 0.68 blocks per game in 1985-86 are ninth and twentieth, respectively, and her average of 2.37 steals in 1986-87 is the ninth best single season average. The 1984-85 Warhawks went 24-4, the second most wins and third best winning percentage (.857) in school history. That team set the school record for fewest turnovers, while also putting up second place number in the UW-W record book for points (2,032) and rebounds (1,314).Podewils (Ruch) is a veterinary technician at the Elmbrook Veterinary Clinic and a resident of Milwaukee.
