Madison, Wis. - Former University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student-athlete and coach Barry Schockmel was named a recipient of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Special Recognition Award, the league office announced Thursday.

The Special Recognition Award is presented to individuals who have made unique contributions and/or have served the conference in an official capacity (e.g., athletics administrators, coaches, faculty athletics representatives, officials) over a number of years.

Schockmel and UW-Stout's Duey Naatz received the WIAC Special Recognition Award this year.

Schockmel is the 12th individual for UW-La Crosse to earn the WIAC Special Recognition Award, joining Lee Stephenson, Carol Bassuener, Judith Kuipers, Roger Harring, Doug Hastad, Mark Guthrie, Joe Baker, Jearold Holland, Jodie Rindt, Barb Gibson and Pat Healy.

Schockmel served as the diving coach at UW-La Crosse for 50 years, and an assistant coach in football and track & field. He started as an assistant football coach in 1969 and remained in the role for 35 years. During that time, UW-La Crosse won 18 conference championships, appeared in 41 postseason playoff games and won national titles in 1985, 1992 and 1995.
 
He was appointed defensive coordinator in 2001, and the Eagles claimed three straight conference titles and earned three National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III automatic bids in his four years in that role. Schockmel was tabbed the 2002 WIAC Assistant Coach of the Year and 2003 AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year.
 
He is credited with guiding the development of UW-La Crosse's divers during his tenure. Jane Marien was a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) champion in 1989 under Schockmel's tutelage. In addition, UW-La Crosse earned the WIAC Women's Diver of the Meet in 12 of the 18 years it was awarded, and claimed the men's award four times. Justin Bublitz earned six career NCAA Division III All-America diving honors under Schockmel, the most for a UW-La Crosse diver in school history.  
 
UW-La Crosse won 20 women's team conference championships and four men's team titles in his career.

He also served as a volunteer track & field coach at UW-La Crosse from 1969-75.
 
As a student at UW-La Crosse, Schockmel competed in gymnastics two years, track & field three years and football four years. He earned letters in track and football. Schockmel secured all-conference honors and All-America honorable mention accolades during his junior and senior seasons. His 16 career interceptions are tied for fourth on the program's all-time list.
 
A diving meet at UW-La Crosse is named in his honor – the Barry Schockmel Diving Classic. Schockmel was inducted into the UW-La Crosse Wall of Fame in 1996, and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007.