Athletics Hall of Fame
Vanessa (Rieder) Ruether was a member of the UW-Whitewater women's basketball and track and field teams from 1998-2000. She was named a third team All-American by D3hoops.com and a third team Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America following the 1999-2000 season, when she averaged 18.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 58 percent from the field. Ruether was a two-time first team all-conference and two-time league all-defensive team honoree, and received the WIAC Women's Basketball Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award in 2000. She averaged a double-double for her career (15.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.48 blocks) and recorded the program's only triple double in history with a 18-point, 10-rebound, 10-block performance against UW-La Crosse during the 1998-99 season. Ruether is the program's all-time leader in blocks (174), and ranks among the top five in scoring average, rebounding average, field goal percentage (.563) and double-doubles (27). She served as a captain in 1999-2000. As a member of the track and field program, Ruether was an All-American in the 4x400-meter relay in 2000, when she helped lead the Warhawks to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She was a two-time WIAC outdoor champion in the 400-meter hurdles and a three-time All-WIAC honoree.
