Hall of Fame
Melissa (Oleson) Tassone came to UW-Oshkosh from Marinette High School and immediately set a standard for excellence.
Tassone earned four NCAA Division III titles, 16 NCAA Division III All-America awards and seven WIAC first-place finishes as a member of the UW-Oshkosh women's track and field team from 1994 to 1997. Her effort was significant as it helped the Titans to six national championships, three indoors and three outdoors, and six league crowns.
During the indoor track and field season, Tassone competed in the shot put and 20-pound weight throw. She was a three-time NCAA Division III champion, winning the 20-pound weight throw twice and the shot put once. In all, Tassone received six NCAA Division III All-America plaques, three in each event. Tassone also won the 20-pound weight throw twice and the shot put once at the WIAC championships.
Outdoors, Tassone threw the discus, shot put and hammer throw. At the NCAA Division III championships, she won the shot put once while totaling nine All-America awards, three in each event. Tassone won both the hammer throw and shot put twice at the WIAC championships.
In 1994, Tassone finished fifth in the shot put to help UW-Oshkosh to its first NCAA Division III indoor title. She also finished second in the discus and fifth in the shot put to lead the Titans to a second-place finish at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship.
UW-Oshkosh captured NCAA Division III team titles in 1995 as Tassone placed sixth in the shot put indoors and fourth in both the discus and shot put and fifth in the hammer throw outdoors.
In 1996, UW-Oshkosh repeated as NCAA Division III indoor and outdoor champion. Tassone played a big part in both of those victories as she totaled five All-America awards. Indoors, she was the named the NCAA Division III Track and Field Athlete of the Year after winning the shot put with a toss of 44-11 3/4 and the 20-pound weight throw with a meet-record cast of 54-4. Outdoors, Tassone finished third in both the hammer throw and shot put and sixth in the discus.
Tassone's final season resulted in a pair of NCAA Division III individual titles, the 20-pound weight throw indoors and the shot put outdoors. She finished first in the 20-pound weight throw with a fling of 55-1 1/2 and third in the shot put to help the Titans to a third-place national ranking. Tassone helped UW-Oshkosh to its third straight NCAA Division III outdoor title by winning the shot put with a distance of 45-3 1/2 and placing third in the hammer throw.
Tassone was named the Outstanding Field Athlete at the 1996 WIAC Outdoor Championship and the 1997 WIAC Indoor Championship. UW-Oshkosh claimed conference indoor titles in 1995 and 1996 and league outdoor titles in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997.
Tassone, who qualified for the 1995 USA Track and Field Championship in the hammer throw, received Academic All-America first team honors by the College Sports Communicators in 1997. She also was the 1997 recipient of the UW-Oshkosh John Taylor Scholar-Athlete Award.
Tassone, a 1998 UW-Oshkosh graduate, lives in Hortonville with her husband, Tony, and children, Colin and Riley. Tassone is an elementary school teacher in the Manawa School District.
