It has been a remarkable fall for the athletic department at the Universities of Wisconsin-Platteville. The Pioneers have achieved the best combined winning percentage of current fall sports teams in school history.
The football team clinched at least a share of the WIAC championship for the first time since 1980. The men’s and women’s soccer teams both played in WIAC Championship games.
The architect who designed and built the foundation for this department-wide success was Dr. Kristina Navarro. The former Athletic Director and Assistant Chancellor died unexpectedly, a year ago, on Nov. 18.
The news that Navarro had passed away was a shocking gut punch to all who knew her.
In her fourth year at Platteville, she had established herself as a force on campus. She was a professional administrator, a published scholar, an athlete with a competitive edge and, above all, an unabashed enthusiastic booster and supporter of the men and women who wear orange and blue.
She was 39 and was weeks away from becoming a mother. She was poised to become a key leader as UW-Platteville works to meet challenges related to enrollment and funding. She had more to give and so much more life to live.
Navarro’s untimely death is reminiscent of the death of one of her predecessors as Athletic Director at UW-P, George Chryst. Chryst suffered an equally untimely and shocking death nearly 32 years ago in Dec. 1992.
Both were in the prime of their lives and both were at the top of their game in their chosen field of inter-collegiate athletics. There will forever remain an unanswered question of “what if” each had lived to fulfil their grandest visions of what UW-P athletics could be.
I had the distinct privilege to work with both George and Kristina. I grew to admire and respect them.
I met George as a student broadcaster/journalist at UW-P in 1979. I reported on his first season as football coach for the Exponent. I hosted his TV show for two seasons including the 1980 WSUC Championship season (the last conference football championship for the Pioneers). I reported the story when George was elevated to Athletic Director in 1982. He and I maintained contact and would speak periodically in the years following.
I met Kristina just over three years ago as a board member of the UW-Platteville Foundation. Her enthusiasm for UW-P and the Pioneers was genuine and infectious. When I became Chair of the Foundation in 2022, she and I decided that the Foundation and the Athletic Department could each benefit from the development of a relationship. The Foundation could provide visibility and support to key needs and causes. The Athletic Department could provide platforms for donor recognition and experiences. We had just begun to lay a meaningful foundation for our ideas.
In my 40-plus year career in television, I acquired, produced and managed sports content in a variety of settings. As a result, I met and interacted with a collection of eclectics, interesting and driven personalities from the world of sports. I met high school legends and some of the biggest names in major college and professional sports.
And yet, George and Kristina stand out.
It has occurred to me that there are certain parallels and similarities in the paths they followed.
Both were Madison, WI natives.
Both came to Platteville following time in so-called, big-time college athletics: George played football at Wisconsin and was an assistant football coach for the Badgers. Kristina earned her doctorate at Wisconsin and worked in athletic departments at Oklahoma, North Carolina and Rutgers.
Both helped UW-P receive high-profile recognition by bringing summer football training camps to Platteville. George played a key role in making UW-P the summer home of the Chicago Bears. Kristina played a key role in making UW-P the host of the Wisconsin Badgers opening week of training camp.
Both made bold moves when hiring coaches. George hired an assistant basketball coach from Wisconsin named Bo Ryan which led to four national championships and the winningest college basketball record in the 90s. Kristina promoted UW-P assistant football coach and former quarterback, Ryan Munz, to head coach in 2022. In just his third season, Munz has the Pioneers among the top ten teams in the NCAA Division III and just won the school’s first WIAC Championship in over 40 years.
Both were extraordinary ambassadors for the university internally and externally. They served on national association boards and committees. They earned respect and admiration from peers throughout Wisconsin, the Midwest and across the nation.
Both were solid, selfless citizens. Both were family oriented. George was a great parent whose children achieved at high levels. Kristina was on the verge of achieving a life-long goal to be a parent.
Countless young men and women will have experienced a rewarding college experience at UW-Platteville because of the efforts and dedication of George and Kristina.
At a time when the term “college sports” does not always feel right…when headlines regularly feature news of cheating scandals, termination for cause, multi-million dollar buyouts, recruiting violations, lawsuits and litigation, UW-Platteville had George and Kristina.
I think, if asked, they would first and foremost describe themselves as EDUCATORS. And that’s because they were!
I spoke with Kristina for the last time on the Monday following the Pioneers win to clinch the berth in last year’s Isthmus Bowl. We spoke of the great accomplishment. We also spoke about how broad promotion of continued extraordinary achievements by Pioneer teams can help unite the campus and community and lift spirits during challenging times. Without hesitation, she was all in and ready to lead.
RIP KRISTINA…SWING THE AXE!
