UW-Platteville Athletic Hall of Fame to add six

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. —The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will induct six former standout student-athletes into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 9.

• Amy Abing Bares ‘96
• Michael Beatty ‘89
• Patti Lamb King ‘96
• Philip Micech ‘83
• Brian Olson ‘01
• Aaron Pick ‘98

Amy Abing Bares

Bares was UW-Platteville’s first female to win the conference cross country championship, which she did in 1993. She was a two-time cross country all-conference performer and earned all-Midwest Region honors in 1994. In track and field, she set 13 school records ranging from the 1,500- to the 10,000-meter runs. The Cassville, Wisconsin native was a straight-A student all four years, landing on the Dean’s and Chancellor’s List every semester. She was a UW-Platteville Lifetime Pioneer recipient. A civil engineering major, she currently works for Town and Country Engineering in Madison, Wisconsin as a water and wastewater engineer. 

Michael Beatty

Beatty was a cross country and a track and field standout who still holds the UW-Platteville 3,000-meter steeplechase record, 25 years after setting it. He was an NCAA III All-American in the steeplechase after placing third in the national meet. He also earned NAIA all-region honors in 1987 and 1988 prior to the university joining the NCAA national affiliation. He placed 42nd in the 1988 NCAA III cross country national championships. The Madison, Wisconsin native was a criminal justice major who now works in his hometown as a police officer. 

Patti Lamb King

A dominating outside hitter for the Pioneer volleyball team, King’s maiden name is prominent throughout the school record book. She ranks in the top 10 in kills, total blocks, solo blocks and aces. She played all around the court and is the only hitter to be ranked in the record books for aces. King earned first team all-conference honors and also lettered in softball. The Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin native earned her degree in health promotion and now works for Sentry Insurance in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. 

Philip Micech

Micech was a two-time all-conference defensive end for the Pioneer football team, earning honors in 1981 and 1982. He was also a member of the UW-Platteville 1980 league championship squad. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin native played professional football briefly for the Minnesota Vikings and holds the distinction of scoring the first-ever points in the Arena Football League, recording a safety in the league’s initial contest. A mechanical engineering major, he works at Rockwell Automation as a senior technical support engineer. He has also volunteered his time as a Pioneer assistant coach, earning the 2010 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association WIAC Assistant Coach of the Year award. 

Brian Olson

During his career, Olson ranked among the best wrestlers in the nation. Competing at 118 pounds, he qualified for 1998 NCAA III nationals, then placed fourth at 125 pounds in 1999 and fifth at 125 in 2001. He also was a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference runner-up for three seasons and compiled a career record of 82-36. Olson was a 2001 Academic All-American, earned five conference wrestler of the week awards and was a two-time Pioneer captain. The Wausau, Wisconsin native majored in electrical engineering and now works for Wisconsin Public Service as a substation operations manager. He lives in DePere, Wisconsin. 

Aaron Pick

Pick was UW-Platteville’s first-ever cross country all-American, earning national honors during his junior year of 1995. He twice earned NCAA III All-Midwest Regional honors (1995-96) and his fifth-place finish at the 1995 meet was the best a Pioneer runner had ever achieved up until that time. Pick earned first team all-conference honors in 1995 and second time accolades in 1996. He competed in track and field and placed in the conference meet twice. The Platteville native earned his degree in business administration and now lives in Aurora, Colorado and works at Trimble in Westminster, Colorado.  

Written by: Paul Erickson, UW-Platteville Communications, 608.342.1194, ericksop@uwplatt.edu