APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University football team wraps up the 2015 season when it takes on Grinnell College as part of the Midwest Conference Championship Weekend. The Vikings and Pioneers are meeting for the second time this season, and Lawrence will be looking to avenge a 28-20 loss at Grinnell back in early October. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Saturday on Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.
Author: Joseph Vanden Acker
Lawrence swimmers set for Hour of Power today
APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University swim teams will participate in the 10th annual Ted Mullin Hour of Power Relay for Sarcoma Research on Tuesday evening.
The event, sponsored by the Carleton College swimming and diving teams, honors those who are fighting or have succumbed to cancer, including former Carleton swimmer Edward H. “Ted” Mullin, who passed away from synovial sarcoma, a rare soft-tissue cancer, in September 2006. The annual swim relay, which now includes dryland teams as well, has grown from 15 teams in its first year to more than 180 teams and 8,000 athletes in recent years. Participating swim teams engage in continuous relays of any stroke for a full hour of all-out swimming. Dryland teams engage in their particular sport non-stop for a full hour.
The event begins at 5 p.m. in Boldt Natatorium in the Buchanan Kiewit Wellness Center.
In the event’s first nine years, participating teams have raised over $550,000 to support research at the University of Chicago into the causes and treatment of sarcoma, a rare soft-tissue cancer. This is the eighth consecutive year the Lawrence teams have participated.
The funds have been used for a variety of projects that evaluate the genetic basis of sarcomas, the identification of novel markers of disease diagnosis or progression, and the development of new small molecule and cell therapies for resistant disease. Each summer, the University also hosts Ted Mullin Fund scholars, offering four Hour of Power participants an opportunity to advance their interest in science and cancer biology by spending 10 weeks in a laboratory under the mentorship of a pediatric cancer researcher within the Section of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, at the University of Chicago.
Abaray emerges from national search to lead Lawrence Department of Athletics
APPLETON, Wis. — Christyn Abaray is the new Lawrence University Director of Athletics, President Mark Burstein announced today.
Abaray takes over for Mike Szkodzinski, who announced this past spring he was stepping down to devote his full attention to coaching the Vikings’ ice hockey team. Abaray has served as director of athletics at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, since June 2012.
Marian shuts out Vikings
FOND DU LAC, Wis. — Marian University scored three times in the opening period and went on to a 6-0 Northern Collegiate Hockey Association victory over Lawrence University Saturday at the Blue Line Ice Center.
Since Lawrence won Friday’s game 3-2, the weekend series was tied. Marian then won a shootout 2-1 to allow the Sabres to retain possession of the Battle of Highway 41 trophy.
Marian (2-2-0, 2-2-0 NCHA) scored two goals in a span of 1:07 midway through the first period to break on top. Gianni Mangone scored at 11:35 and Brian Perl added a power-play goal at 12:42 for a 2-0 edge. Tanner Pagendam added another goal with 1:32 left in the first for a 3-0 advantage.
After a scoreless second period, the Sabres scored three more times, including another goal by Pagendam, in the third.
Mike Baldwin stopped 31 shots to record the shutout for Marian. Mattias Soderqvist made 20 saves for the Vikings (1-3-0, 1-1-0), who had a 31-26 edge in shots.
Lawrence women roll to pair of victories
BELOIT, Wis. — The Lawrence University women’s swim team rolled to a pair of victories on Saturday at the Beloit College Triangular.
The Vikings defeated Beloit 141-40, and Lawrence downed Marquette University 140-36.
Junior Paige Witter led the way for the Vikings with a pair of victories. Witter took first in the 500-yard freestyle in 5:28.53 and swam to victory in the 100 butterfly in 1:03.08. She also teamed with Danielle Millin, Hayley Cardinal and Eryn Blagg for a victory in the 200 medley relay.
Other winners on the women’s side were: Natalie Cash in the 1,000 freestyle, Emei Thompson in the 200 freestyle, Lizzy Garcia in the 50 freestyle, Sarah Schweickart in the 200 individual medley, Blagg in the 100 freestyle, Emily Flack in the 100 backstroke and Cardinal in the 100 breaststroke. The 200 freestyle relay team of Millin, Thompson, Cardinal and Delaney Olsen also took first.
On the men’s side, Marquette topped the Vikings 106-55, and Beloit downed Lawrence 104-68. Travis Charlow took first in the 200 freestyle in 1:58.75 to pace the Vikings.
Big first quarter propels Ripon over Vikings
APPLETON, Wis. — The Ripon College football scored 21 points in the first quarter Saturday and went on to a 43-15 Midwest Conference North Division victory over Lawrence University at Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.
Ripon (6-3, 3-2 MWC North) retained possession of the Doehling-Hesleton Memorial Trophy in the oldest college football rivalry in Wisconsin.
In the 115th meeting between the teams, Ripon rushed 57 times for 404 yards on its way to 521 total yards of offense. Connor Greenwald ran 13 times for 136 yards and two touchdowns to pace the Red Hawks.
Lawrence quarterback Ryan Butterfield connected with Terrence Simon on a pair of touchdown passes. Butterfield went 10-for-20 for 124 yards, and Simon had three catches for 41 yards. Running back Donnel Haley ran 12 times for a career-high 74 yards for the Vikings (1-8, 0-5).
Three Vikings recorded double figures in tackles as Jake Gostisha and Jacob Lueck finished with 13 tackles apiece. Alic Riedel had 11 stops and intercepted a pass for the Vikings.
It was Riedel who got the game started on a great note as he returned the opening kickoff 57 yards to the Ripon 35. The drive ended with an interception, and Ripon took control.
The Red Hawks scored on an 11-play, 75-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead. After a three-and-out, Ripon went 38 yards in eight plays for a 14-0 advantage. After a second three-and-out, Ripon quarterback Griffin McNeal hit Nathan Silloway for 51 yards and a touchdown for a 21-0 edge.
Ripon was up 28-0 when Larwrence drove 73 yards in just five plays. Cole Erickson made a leaping catch for a 30-yard gain on the first play, and Butterfield hit Simon with a 31-yard scoring pass four plays later to cut the margin to 28-8.
Ripon led 36-8 at the half and were up 43-8 when the Vikings took advantage of a turnover in the fourth quarter. Lawrence’s Nick Ulloa recovered a fumbled punt at the Ripon 18-yard line with 12:06 left.
Butterfield found Corey Fisher for 14 yard to the Ripon four-yard line, and Lawrence scored three plays later when Simon caught a seven-yard scoring pass with 10:34 remaining.
Lawrence wraps up its season next weekend when it faces Grinnell College in the Midwest Conference 11th-place game on Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.
Lawrence’s Neumeyer nabs all-conference honors
APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University volleyball standout Arianna Neumeyer has been named to the All-Midwest Conference team in a vote by league coaches.
Neumeyer (Manitowoc, Wis./Lutheran), a freshman outside hitter, was named to the second team.
On the season, Neumeyer led the Vikings with 215 kills, an average of 2.42 kills per set. In league play, Neumeyer led the squad with 99 kills for an average of 2.68 per set.
Neumeyer also was very active defensively as she finished third on the team with 282 digs, an average of 3.17 per set. She piled up 136 digs, an average of 3.68 per set, in conference matches.
Neumeyer also finished the season with 25 service aces and 20 blocks.
Lawrence finished with a 6-4 mark in the Midwest Conference to take fifth place.
Moore’s third-period goals lifts Vikings past Marian
APPLETON, Wis. — Matt Moore’s goal early in the third period Friday was the difference as Lawrence University downed Marian University 3-2 in a Northern Collegiate Hockey Association game at the Appleton Family Ice Center.
The game was part of the annual Battle of Highway 41 series, which shifts to the Blue Line Ice Center in Fond du Lac on Saturday. The Vikings (1-2-0, 1-0-0 NCHA) need a win or a tie Saturday to take back the traveling trophy.
The game was tied at 2-2 to start the third period, and the Vikings cashed in on an early scoring chance. Steve Hughes took a pass from Ryan Rumble, and Hughes’ shot was deflected to Moore, who was waiting on the back door. Moore stuffed the shot in the back of the net and the Vikings led 3-2 at the 5:13 mark.
The teams traded scoring chances throughout the third, and Marian pulled goaltender Mike Gudmandson with 1:28 remaining. The Vikings withstood a final flurry to seal the win.
Lawrence goaltender Mattias Soderqvist made 30 saves to pick up the win. Gudmandson stopped 20 shots for the Sabres (1-2-0, 1-2-0).
Lawrence jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of first-period goals. Renato Engler scored at the 9:02 mark off a pass from Brad Mueller, and Jake Kreutzer then scored on the power play at 11:22. Brandon Boelter and Austin Frank picked up assists on Kreutzer’s goal.
Marian countered with a power-play goal from Gianni Mangone and a goal from James Mathias in the second period to tie it.
Hockey series preview: Lawrence vs. Marian
APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University and Marian University square off this weekend in the Battle of Highway 41 series. Friday’s game is set for 7 p.m. at the Appleton Family Ice Center, and the teams meet Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Blue Line Ice Center in Fond du Lac, Wis. This marks the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association season opener for Lawrence.
In addition, the Lawrence Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be conducting a food drive to benefit COTS, a Fox Cities organization that benefits the chronically homeless. Anyone who donates a canned food item receives $1 off admission for Friday’s game. Cash donations for the food drive are also welcome.
Cardinal takes MWC Swimmer of the Week award for second straight week
APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University star Hayley Cardinal was chosen as Midwest Conference Swimmer of the Week for the second consecutive week.
Cardinal (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) took the award after winning two individual events and swimming on a winning relay team in Lawrence’s 127-78 win at Ripon College on Oct. 31.
Cardinal swam to victory in the 200-yard individual medley in 2:21.17 and won the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.29. Cardinal also was part of the 200 medley relay team, which swam to first place in 1:56.12.
Cardinal also took the conference’s weekly award on Oct. 27 after swimming to the league’s fastest times in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and 200 IM at the All-Wisconsin Showcase.
This is the third time Cardinal has won the Swimmer of the Week award. She took the honor for the first time in December 2014.
Lawrence returns to action on Saturday when the Vikings travel to Beloit College for a dual meet.