Falcon Sports Archive

Falcon basketball player Rich Melzer (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn., River Falls HS) has been named the WIAC Co-Most Valuable Player.

Melzer and UW-Oshkosh's Tim Dworak tied in the voting by WIAC coaches for the honor. It is the fourth time in WIAC history that two players have been named MVP. The last time was in 1984. Dworak was named the league's MVP after the 2001-02 season.

Melzer was named to the first All-WIAC team in 2002 and 2003. He helped lead the Falcons to a 16-10 overall record. UWRF finished 10-6 in the WIAC and in third place. Melzer, 6-8, was the dominant big man in the WIAC in 2003. He led the conference in scoring, averaging 28.1 points a game, and rebounding, with a 9.7 per game average. He was fifth in field goal shooting (.559) and was the top shot blocker (54). He was named the WIAC Player of the Week four times during the season, more than any other player in the conference. Melzer led the Falcons in scoring in every game but three. He led the team in rebounding in every game but two. He finished scoring in double figures in every game this year and finished with 15 double-doubles. He has scored in double figures in 71 games, including the last 53 straight. His best scoring and rebounding game was a 54-point, 16-rebound performance at UW-La Crosse on Jan. 29. He finished 20-27 from the field and 14-16 from the line. The 54 points ties him for fourth place in scoring in a single game at UWRF. The 54 points is the most scored in a single game this year in Div. III. In 16 WIAC games, Melzer scored 464 points, a WIAC record. UW-Superior's Jim Sevals scored 436 in 1966. His 29.0 points per game in 16 WIAC games is also a conference record. Oshkosh's Ralph Sims averaged 27.6 points in the 1976-77 season. His 731 points during the season is third most in Falcon history. His 251 rebounds is sixth in a single season.

Melzer is currently fifth in scoring in Falcon history with 1,636 points. He has 591 career rebounds and ranks fifth all-time in that category.

Melzer is just the second Falcon to win this award. Jeff Payton was named WIAC MVP in 1983.