Athletic Training Room Staff

Susan Lew - Head Athletic Trainer

The Athletic Treatment Center is headed by Susan Lew, who came to Stout in the fall of 2000. Lew earned her masters degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation with an emphasis in sports medicine from South Dakota State University in 1996. She earned a bachelors degree from UW-Eau Claire in Corporate Exercise Management with a minor in sports medicine in 1994. Prior to coming to Stout, Lew was the head athletic trainer at Mt. Senario College in Ladysmith for three years. Lew has served internships at the Comprehensive Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Clinic in Coon Rapids, Minn., and the Chippewa Valley Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Clinic in Eau Claire. She has worked as an athletic trainer with the Roseville, Minn., junior hockey league, an American women's soccer team that toured Holland and Denmark, and with Special Olympics programs. Lew, a native of Stillwater, Minn., and her husband, Dave, reside in Elk Mound with their sons, Dane, Brett and Nate.

Dylan Lynch - Assistant Athletic Trainer

Dylan Lynch began with UW-Stout as an assistant athletic trainer in the fall of 2022. Lynch received a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Carroll University and obtained his masters in athletic training from UW-Stevens Point. Lynch has been an assistant athletic trainer for the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corp, and did an athletic training immersion program at St. Olaf College, working with the hockey, basketball and indoor track and field programs. While at UW-Stevens Point, Lynch worked with the Pointers' football program.

Dr. Paul McNally, D.O. - Orthopedic Surgeon

Dr. Paul McNally, D.O., is a board certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine at Mayo Clinic Health System in Menomonie. Dr. McNally joined the medical center in 1998. Since then he has been serving as UW-Stout's team physician, as well as caring for UW-Stout and area high school athletes. Dr. McNally has memberships in the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, American Osteopathic Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine, American Osteopathic Association of Orthopedics, American Osteopathic Association and American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Dr. McNally completed his pre-med program at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania, his internship and residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He completed a year-long fellowship in orthopedic sports medicine at the University of Iowa, where he served as assistant team physician. Dr. McNally and his wife, Kathy, a nurse anesthetist in Eau Claire, have four children: Lauren, Emily, Erin and Sophia. Dr. McNally enjoys watching all sporting events, playing golf, jogging, bicycling on the Red Cedar Trail, playing billiards, skiing, hunting and traveling.

Call 715-233-7638 to contact Dr. McNally

Laura Knudsen - Registered Dietitian

Laura Knudsen, RDN, CD, CDE is an outpatient clinical dietitian and diabetes educator for Mayo Clinic Health System - Red Cedar in Menomonie and the team sports dietitian for UW-Stout. Knudsen received both her bachelor's (2005) and master's (2008) degrees from UW-Stout, as well as did her dietetic internship through UW-Stout (2008). She has a passion for sports nutrition and the role nutrition can play in supporting good performance. Knudsen is available to conduct sports-specific nutrition presentations to each of the athletic teams; she has done lecture type presentations, workshop type presentations, shorter more focused nutrition talks, and grocery store tours. Knudsen is also available to meet with student-athletes individually to assist those with more personalized sports nutrition needs such as diabetes, disordered eating, celiac sprue, evaluating nutrition supplements, aiming for weight gain or weight loss, or for eating for top performance. Laura is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN), and the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE).

Knudsen is a much decorated former UW-Stout student-athlete who was inducted into the UW-Stout Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015. Few will match the attributes of Laura Verdegan-Knudsen. A 12-time track All-American, Verdegan-Knudsen won the NCAA indoor triple jump title in 2004. During her track career, she was the 2005 United States Track Coaches Association (USTCA) female athlete of the year, won 10 WIAC individual championships, held or was part of nine UW-Stout track records and two WIAC records. Verdegan-Knudsen was named to the WIAC All-Time Track and Field team in 2012. As adept on the basketball court as the track, Verdegan-Knudsen was a two-time All-WIAC basketball selection and three-times selected to the All-WIAC defensive team. Verdgan-Knudsen finished her basketball career with 991 points, currently ranking 10th, and 604 rebounds, ranking sixth. A dietetics major, Verdegan-Knudsen received the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete for indoor track, outdoor track and basketball and was a two-time first team Academic All-America selection. Verdegan-Knudsen was the men's and women's track and field head coach from 2009-13. The 2012 men's team finished fourth nationally indoors and third outdoors. In 2012, Knudsen was named to the WIAC All-Time Women's Track & Field team. She was inducted into the WIAC Hall of Fame in 2018.

Call 715-233-7475 or email knudsen.laura@mayo.edu to contact Laura Knudsen