Cross Country

Category: Cross Country

More than 150 Vikings named to Academic All-Midwest Conference team

MWClogoAPPLETON, Wis. — More than 150 Lawrence University student-athletes have been selected for the Academic All-Midwest Conference team.

The Vikings had 158 student-athletes meet the requirements for inclusion on the academic all-conference team. To be eligible for the team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.33 grade point average during the 2015-16 academic year.

Six Lawrence teams hit double digits with more than 10 student-athletes being honored. The top Lawrence team was women’s swimming and diving, which had 19 student-athletes make the cut. The top men’s team was soccer, which had 16 student-athletes chosen.

The teams and student-athletes honored are:

Men’s cross country (6)

Max Edwards, Jr., Appleton, Wis./North; Mayan Essak, Fr., Milwaukee, Wis./Shorewood; Ethan Gniot, Jr., Ashwaubenon, Wis./Ashwaubenon; Josh Janusiak, Fr., South Milwaukee, Wis./South; Teddy Kortenhof, So., Portland, Ore./Lincoln; Alex Timpe, Fr., Lafayette, Colo./Dawson School.

Women’s cross country (14)

Kristen Bischel, Jr., Menomonie, Wis./Menomonie; Clare Bruning, Sr., Mondovi, Wis./Mondovi; Janey Degnan, So., Grosse Pointe, Mich./South; Molly Doruska, Fr., Ankeny, Iowa/Centennial; Margaret Huck, So., Kenosha, Wis./Tremper; Amy Hutchings, Jr., Ripon, Wis./Ripon; Kate Kilgus, Jr., Carmel, N.Y./Carmel; Hannah Kinzer, So., New Berlin, Wis./Eisenhower; Liz Landes, Sr., Westmont, Ill./Westmont; Sammi Jo Nixon, Fr., Wadsworth, Ill./Warren Township; Sierra Polzin, Sr., Denmark, Wis./Denmark; Isabella Schleisner, Sr., Hortonville, Wis./Hortonville; Erin Schrobilgen, So., Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest; Cora Williams, Sr., Brentwood, Calif./Liberty.

Football (4)

Ryan Butterfield, Fr., McDonough, Ga./Strong Rock Christian; Cole Erickson, So., Appleton, Wis./North; Jake Gostisha, So., Appleton, Wis./East; Mitch Ives, Jr., Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander.

Men’s soccer (16)

Santiago Alvarez, Sr., Lima, Peru/Franklin D. Roosevelt; Lewis Berger, So., Belchertown, Mass./Belchertown; Nathan Brase, So., Salem Ore./South Salem; Harry Broderick, Jr., St. Paul, Minn./Central; Mike Deremo, Jr., Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township; Robert Desotelle, So., Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Sturgeon Bay; Landon Edwards, So., Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Gibraltar; Nick Huth, Jr., Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly; Chris Kiehl, Jr., Sheboygan, Wis./North; Joe Krivit, Jr., St. Paul, Minn./Como Park; Ryan Leonard, Fr., Christchurch, England/St. Peter’s; Sean Salansky, Jr., Parker, Colo./Legend; Taylor Reifert, Fr., Chicago, Ill./St. Ignatius Prep; Alex Shahbazi, Jr., Marquette, Mich./Marquette; Aaron Sutton, Sr., Ona, W.V./Cabell Midland; Gabe Warshaw, Sr., New York, N.Y./Beacon School.

Women’s soccer (12)

Rebecca Bernheimer, Fr., Vancouver, Wash./Columbia River; Lucy Brown, Sr., St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall; Lara Frankson, So., Oregon, Wis./Oregon; Greta Fritz, Jr., Belle River, Ontario/L’Essor; Liza Girsova, Sr., Hong Kong/Busan (South Korea) International; Patsy Kealey, Sr., New Rochelle, N.Y./Ursuline; Anne Leung, Sr., Albuquerque, N.M./Albuquerque Academy; Casey Merkle, Jr., Tower Lakes, Ill./Barrington; Melissa Rooney, So., Racine, Wis./Prairie; Eva Tourangeau, So., Denver, Colo./George Washington; Perrin Tourangeau, Sr., Denver, Colo./George Washington; Sarah Zaccarine, Jr., Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lake Zurich.

Women’s tennis (7)

Emma Arnesen, So., Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South; Katie Frankel, Jr., Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield; El Goblirsch, Fr., Minneapolis, Minn./Holy Angels; Annie Harincar, Fr., Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn; Lindsay Holsen, So., Oconomowoc, Wis./Oconomowoc; Shang Li, So., Tianjin, China/Elgin (Ill.) Academy; Katie Nottberg, Fr., Loveland, Colo./Loveland.

Volleyball (8)

Cyra Bammer, So., Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville; Megan Conley, Sr., Elroy, Wis./Royall; Sydney Nelson, So., Crystal Lake, Ill./Central; Lauren Ray, So., Hales Corners, Wis./Whitnall; Sara Schliesman, So., Juneau, Wis./Dodgeland; Terese Swords, Sr., Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township; Claire Vinopal, Fr., Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South; Nicole Witmer, Fr., Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic.

Men’s basketball (4)

Troy Miller, Sr., Lake In The Hills, Ill./Huntley; Jamie Nikitas, Sr., Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South; Jeremy Stephani, So., Arlington Heights, Ill./Wheeling; Connor Weas, Jr., Whitefish Bay, Wis./Whitefish Bay.

Women’s basketball (5)

Lauren Deveikis, So., Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley; Patsy Kealey, Sr., New Rochelle, N.Y./Ursuline; Leah Reeves, Fr., Lisle, Ill./Lisle; Fanita Robins, So., Chicago, Ill./Providence St. Mel; Andrea Wilkinson, Sr., Racine, Wis./Lutheran.

Men’s indoor track (7)

Max Edwards, Jr., Appleton, Wis./North; Mayan Essak, Fr., Milwaukee, Wis./Shorewood; Ethan Gniot, Jr., Ashwaubenon, Wis./Ashwaubenon; Josh Janusiak, Fr., South Milwaukee, Wis./South; Teddy Kortenhof, So., Portland, Ore./Lincoln; Dan Sandacz, Fr., McHenry, Ill./West; Alex Timpe, Fr., Lafayette, Colo./Dawson School.

Women’s indoor track (15)

Clare Bruning, Sr., Mondovi, Wis./Mondovi; Janey Degnan, So., Grosse Pointe, Mich./South; Molly Doruska, Fr., Ankeny, Iowa/Centennial; Sage Greenlee, So., Fort Collins, Colo./Poudre; Margaret Huck, So., Kenosha, Wis./Tremper; Amy Hutchings, Jr., Ripon, Wis./Ripon; Hannah Kinzer, So., New Berlin, Wis./Eisenhower; Liz Landes, Sr., Westmont, Ill./Westmont; Sammi Jo Nixon, Fr., Wadsworth, Ill./Warren Township; Margaret Norby, Fr., Appleton, Wis./East; Brenna Ori, Jr., Portland, Ore./Woodrow Wilson; Sierra Polzin, Sr., Denmark, Wis./Denmark; Isabella Schleisner, Sr., Hortonville, Wis./Hortonville; Erin Schrobilgen, So., Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest; Cora Williams, Sr., Brentwood, Calif./Liberty.

Men’s swimming and diving (3)

Christian Bell, Jr., Farmington, Minn./Farmington; Kaleb Cooperman, Sr., Warrenville, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South; Jordan Spalding, Fr., Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South.

Women’s swimming and diving (19)

Rosemary Bauer, So., Elm Grove, Wis./Brookfield East; Eryn Blagg, So., Omaha, Neb./Millard West; Hayley Cardinal, Sr., Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East; Natalie Cash, So., Gilberts, Ill./Hampshire; Emily Flack, Sr., Edina, Minn./Edina; Elizabeth Garcia Creighton, Fr., St. Paul, Minn.; Rachel Gregory, Jr., Richardson, Texas/Plano East; Shelby Hader, So., Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls; Abby Kosberg, Sr., Wildwood, Ill./Warren Township; Sarah Loepfe, Sr., La Crescent, Minn./La Crescent; Tahnee Marquardt, Sr., Greven, Germany; Danielle Millin, Jr., Monona, Wis./Monona Grove; Delaney Olsen, So., Plymouth, Wis./Plymouth; Rebecca Schachtman, Jr., St. Louis, Mo./Ladue Horton Watkins; Sarah Schweickart, Fr., Loveland, Colo./Loveland; Haedyn Smith., Sr., Antioch, Ill./Antioch; Anna Vogel, So., Oak Park, Ill./ Oak Park River Forest; Paige Witter, Jr., Denver, Colo./Washington; Emmi Zheng, Fr., St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park.

Baseball (6)

Kyle Duex, So., River Falls, Wis./River Falls; Cole Erickson, So., Appleton, Wis./North; Brandon Klar, Jr., University City, Mo./Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day; Adam McDonald, Jr., Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central; Anthony Ortiz, So., Bridgeview, Ill./Illinois Math and Science; Travis Weber, So., Evanston, Ill./Loyola Academy.

Golf (1)

Nigel Schuster, Jr., Dusseldorf, Germany.

Softball (4)

Jessica Demski, Sr., Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township; Tierney Duffy, Sr., North Riverside, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield; Maddie MacLean, Fr., Arlington, Wash./Arlington; Katie Schumacher, Sr., Little Chute, Wis./Little Chute.

Men’s tennis (7)

David Brooker, Fr., Appleton, Wis./North; Adam Busch, Sr., Hales Corners, Wis./Greendale Martin Luther; Brian DeCorte, Sr., Southampton, Pa./William Tennent; David Jumes, Jr., Appleton, Wis./Xavier; Ethan Perushek, Sr., Maple Grove, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret’s; Ben Tomhave, So., Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet.

Men’s outdoor track (7)

Max Edwards, Jr., Appleton, Wis./North; Mayan Essak, Fr., Milwaukee, Wis./Shorewood; Ethan Gniot, Jr., Ashwaubenon, Wis./Ashwaubenon; Josh Janusiak, Fr., South Milwaukee, Wis./South; Teddy Kortenhof, So., Portland, Ore./Lincoln; Dan Sandacz, Fr., McHenry, Ill./West; Alex Timpe, Fr., Lafayette, Colo./Dawson School.

Women’s outdoor track (13)

Eryn Blagg, So., Omaha, Neb./Millard West; Clare Bruning, Sr., Mondovi, Wis./Mondovi; Hayley Cardinal, Sr., Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East; Janey Degnan, So., Grosse Pointe, Mich./South; Molly Doruska, Fr., Ankeny, Iowa/Centennial; Margaret Huck, So., Kenosha, Wis./Tremper; Amy Hutchings, Jr., Ripon, Wis./Ripon; Hannah Kinzer, So., New Berlin, Wis./Eisenhower; Liz Landes, Sr., Westmont, Ill./Westmont; Margaret Norby, Fr., Appleton, Wis./East; Isabella Schleisner, Sr., Hortonville, Wis./Hortonville; Erin Schrobilgen, So., Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest; Cora Williams, Sr., Brentwood, Calif./Liberty.

Student-athletes receive awards at Honors Celebration

APPLETON, Wis. — More than a dozen Lawrence University student-athletes recently received awards at the 2016 Honors Celebration.

The awards and winners are as follows.

The Ruth Bateman Award is given for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability and leadership by a female athlete. Senior softball player Tierney Duffy (North Riverside, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) won the award after finishing her career with a .347 batting average. A starting outfielder for four seasons, Duffy was an All-Midwest Conference and All-Great Lakes Region selection in 2016. The co-chair of Lawrence’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Duffy was a leader in organizing the inaugural BLUCrew Awards, helped raise $13,000 with the Special Olympics Polar Plunge and worked with the Kids Give program. Duffy has a 3.6 grade point average and is a member of the Academic All-Midwest Conference team.

The Iden Charles Champion Cup is given for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability, college spirit and loyalty. Senior hockey player Renato Engler (Davos, Switzerland) served as the team captain and was a two-time Northern Collegiate Hockey Association All-Academic team member. Engler led the team in 2015-16 with nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points and recently signed to play professional hockey in his native Switzerland.

The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Men is given the freshman man who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Football player Ryan Butterfield (McDonough, Ga./Strong Rock Christian) was the team’s starting quarterback. He completed 85-of-164 passes for 967 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions. He also ran 82 times for 549 yards and three touchdowns. Butterfield was named the Midwest Conference Offensive Player of the Week and was chosen as the USA College Football Rookie of the Week. He posted the first 200-plus yard rushing game for the Vikings since 2002 and posted the longest touchdown run (79 yards) by a quarterback in school history.

The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Women is given to the freshman woman who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Outside hitter Arianna Neumeyer (Manitowoc, Wis./Lutheran) was an All-Midwest Conference selection for the Lawrence volleyball team. She led the team with 215 kills and at 2.42 kills per set. Neumeyer also finished second on the team with 25 aces and was third with 282 digs.

The Ralph V. Landis Award was established by the Lettermen of Lawrence in honor of Dr. Landis, physician to Lawrence students from 1926-78, and is awarded for outstanding contributions to Lawrence athletics by a senior male athlete. Senior men’s basketball player Jamie Nikitas (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) was a first-team All-Midwest Conference selection and one of 10 national finalists for the Josten’s Trophy, given annually to the top player in NCAA Division III. Nikitas finished in the top 10 in the nation in scoring at 25.1 points per game and broke Lawrence’s season scoring record with 577 points. He was the only player in the Midwest Conference to finish in the top seven in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. Nikitas was named the United States Basketball Writers Association Player of the Week, was chosen for the D3hoops.com Team of the Week and was twice named Midwest Conference Player of the Week.

The Charles E. Pond Award for Women is given for all-around athletic ability by a senior woman in two or more sports and for sportsmanship, school spirit and scholarship. Swimmer and track athlete Hayley Cardinal (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) was a multiple Midwest Conference champion for the Vikings. In the pool, Cardinal won the 100-yard breaststroke in 2014 and took titles in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke in 2016. Cardinal, who made an NCAA “B” cut three times, holds the Lawrence records in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley. She also is part of the 200 and 400 medley relay teams. Cardinal is a member of the Academic All-Midwest Conference team and served as the swim team captain. She also run the hurdles and relays for the Lawrence track team.

The Marion Read Award is given for outstanding contributions to Lawrence athletics. Softball shortstop Amanda Jaskolski (Shawano, Wis./Shawano) capped her career by earning first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America honors. A two-team All-Great Lakes Region selection, Jaskolski was a career .439 hitter with 17 doubles, two triples, 19 homers and 76 runs batted in. She holds Lawrence season records for hits (54), RBIs (46), runs scored (37) and homers (13). Jaskolski was a two-time Midwest Conference Player of the Year and hit .462 with 13 homers and 46 RBIs as a senior.

The Letterwinner Award is presented by the L Club to those outstanding seniors who have earned eight or more letters. The winners are:

Clare Bruning (Mondovi, Wis./Mondovi), cross country and track and field

Cam Davies (Grosse Point, Mich./South), cross country and track and field

Chris Fuelling (Saint Paul, Minn./Highland Park), cross country and track and field

Bjorn Gowdy-Jaehnig (Decorah, Iowa/Decorah), track and field

Liza Girsova (Busan, South Korea), soccer and track and field

Tyler Herman (Wadsworth, Ill./Warren Township), track and field

Liz Landes (Westmont, Ill./Westmont), cross country and track and field

Genna Matt (Mount Horeb, Wis./Mount Horeb), soccer and track and field

Isabella Schleisner (Hortonville, Wis./Hortonville), cross country and track and field

Cora Williams (Brentwood, Calif./Liberty), cross country and track and field

BLU Crew award winners to be selected Friday

APPLETON, Wis. — The first BLU Crew Awards will be selected Friday evening at the Warch Campus Center.

The inaugural event is sponsored by Lawrence University’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). SAAC will hand out 12 awards to its fellow Vikings and announce the All-Viking Team.

The event begins at 7 p.m. and is open to the public.

The categories and nominees are:

Breakthrough Athlete of the Year

Jessica Demski (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township), softball, pitcher

Jake Gostisha (Appleton, Wis./East), football, defensive end

Patsy Kealey (New Rochelle, N.Y./Ursuline), soccer, goalkeeper

Elana Lambert (Shorewood, Wis./Shorewood), tennis

Best Victory

Women’s cross country victory at Concordia (Wis.) Invitational

Hockey 6-3 win over Lake Forest to clinch berth in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs

Women’s soccer 2-0 win over UW-Stevens Point

Softball 5-4 win over Cornell

Men’s tennis 5-4 win over Cornell to qualify for Midwest Conference Tournament

Outstanding Play of the Year

Mattias Soderqvist (Stockholm, Sweden), back-to-back saves vs. Marian

Jamie Nikitas (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) to Mitch Willer (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) for dunk vs. Knox

Cyra Bammer (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville), kill off face of Macalester player

Mike Deremo (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township), goal vs. Lakeland

Renato Engler (Davos, Switzerland), goal vs. Aurora

Ryan Berkley (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township), goals vs. UW-Stevens Point

Hayley Cardinal (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East), victory in 200 breaststroke at Midwest Conference Championships

Troy Miller (Lake In The Hills, Ill./Huntley), NBA-range 3-pointer in overtime at Monmouth

Alic Riedel (Appleton, Wis./East), kickoff return for touchdown vs. Rockford

Alic Riedel (Appleton, Wis./East), big hit on defense vs. Rockford

Upset of the Year

Women’s cross country tops field led by UW-Stevens Point to win Concordia (Wis.) Invitational

Women’s swimming defeats Lake Forest 146-117

Hockey defeats Marian 3-2

Softball gets 7-3 win at Monmouth

Women’s soccer 2-0 win over UW-Stevens Point

Baseball gets 6-4 victory over St. Norbert

Best Individual Performance

Ryan Butterfield (McDonough, Ga./Strong Rock Christian), football vs. Grinnell

Hayley Cardinal (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East), swimming at Midwest Conference Championships

Jamie Nikitas (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), basketball vs. Carroll

Liz Arco (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett), volleyball vs. Grinnell

Mattias Soderqvist (Stockholm, Sweden), series vs. MSOE

Troy Miller (Lake In The Hills, Ill./Huntley), basketball vs. Monmouth

Patsy Kealey (New Rochelle, N.Y./Ursuline), basketball vs. Concordia Chicago

Katie Schumacher (Little Chute, Wis./Little Chute), softball vs. St. Norbert

Comeback of the Year

Hockey vs. Lake Forest, trailed 3-1 and came back to win 6-3

Softball vs. Cornell, trailed 2-0 and came back to win 5-2

Men’s basketball vs. Monmouth, trailed 71-62 and came back to win 96-89 in OT

Men’s tennis, Adam Busch vs. Cornell’s Tom Greene, lost first set and rallied to win in three sets to clinch team’s berth in Midwest Conference Tournament

Women’s soccer vs. Grinnell, trailed 1-0 and scored two goals in final 13 minutes to win 2-1

Men’s Rookie of the Year

Ryan Butterfield (McDonough, Ga./Strong Rock Christian), football, quarterback

Nick Felan (Highlands Village, Texas), hockey, forward

Josh Janusiak (South Milwaukee, Wis./South Milwaukee), cross country/track

Nathan Schlesinger (Austin, Texas), fencing

Nolan Spencer (Elmhurst, Ill./York), baseball, shortstop

Max Stahl (Tijeras, N.M./Sandia Prep), swimming

Women’s Rookie of the Year

Lilly Endsley (Rockford, Ill./Guilford), tennis

Mari Hubanks (Sharon, Wis./Walworth Big Foot), soccer, defender

Maddie MacLean (Arlington, Wash./Arlington), softball, pitcher

Arianna Neumeyer (Manitowoc, Wis./Lutheran), volleyball, outside hitter

Emmi Zheng (St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park), swimming

Coach of the Year

Jason Fast, cross country

Steve Francour, men’s tennis

Mike Szkodzinski, hockey

Kim Tatro, softball

Men’s Athlete of the Year

Ryan Butterfield (McDonough, Ga./Strong Rock Christian), football, quarterback

Renato Engler (Davos, Switzerland), hockey, forward

Matt Holliday (Hong Kong), baseball, first baseman/pitcher

Josh Janusiak (South Milwaukee, Wis./South Milwaukee), cross country/track

Jamie Nikitas (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), basketball, guard

Women’s Athlete of the Year

Ryan Berkley (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township), soccer, forward

Clare Bruning (Mondovi, Wis./Mondovi), cross country

Hayley Cardinal (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East), swimming

Tierney Duffy (North Riverside, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield), softball, outfielder

Meg Krautsch (Oshkosh, Wis./West), softball, shortstop

The Viking Award

Brandon Boelter (Saginaw, Mich.), hockey

Tierney Duffy (North Riverside, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield), softball

Natalie Kramer (Mendota Heights, Minn./Henry Sibley), basketball

Jacob Lueck (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard East), football

Jamie Nikitas (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), basketball

Lauren Ray (Hales Corners, Wis./Whitnall), volleyball

Bruning, Janusiak top Lawrence runners at NCAA Regional

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Clare Bruning and Josh Janusiak paced the Lawrence University cross country squads at Saturday’s NCAA Division III Midwest Regional.

Senior Clare Bruning was the top finisher for Lawrence as she took 66th place. Bruning covered the 6,000-meter course at Saukie Golf Course in 22:57.2.

The Lawrence women finished 22nd with 545 points, and Washington University was the winner with 68 points.

Cora Williams took 84th for Lawrence in 23:17.7 and rounding out the scoring were Erin Schrobilgen (110th, 23:37.7), Liz Landes (141st, 24:13.1) and Sierra Polzin (144th, 24:16.3).

Janusiak led the Lawrence men by taking 75th in 25:55.1 over the 8,000-meter course. Max Edwards was next as he took 88th in 26:06.8, and the rest of the scorers for the Vikings were Ben Schaefer (103rd, 26:23.0), Ethan Gniot (145th, 27:07.3) and Cam Davies (151st, 27:17.0).

Men’s results

Women’s results

Abaray emerges from national search to lead Lawrence Department of Athletics

Christyn Abaray
Christyn Abaray

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.

Read the full release

Three Vikings all-conference as men take second at MWC Championships

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Three Lawrence University men’s cross country runners earned all-league honors Saturday as the Vikings placed second at the Midwest Conference Championships.

Grinnell College took the title with 62 points, and Lawrence was second with 75.

Leading the Lawrence contingent was freshman Josh Janusiak, who finished fourth and covered the 8,000-meter course at Noelridge Park in 26:40.9. Junior Max Edwards grabbed eighth place in 26:56.6, and freshman Ben Schaefer also earned all-conference honors by taking 14th in 27:01.3.

Two other Vikings were just out of the top 20 and completed the scoring for Lawrence. Senior Jordan Atkins was 22nd in 27:24.7 and freshman Mayan Essek was 27th in 27:43.3.

On the women’s side, senior Clare Bruning earned all-conference honors for the fourth consecutive season by taking eighth place. She covered the 6,000 meters in 23:32.9.

It was a disappointing finish overall for the women, who took eighth place with 168 points. Cornell College won the title with 61.

Rounding out the scoring for Lawrence were: Erin Schrobilgen (32nd, 24:37.2), Cora Williams (41st, 24:53.9), Kate Kilgus (42nd, 25:03.5) and Amy Hutchings (45th, 25:14.6).

Results

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings set sights high for MWC Championships

Lawrence freshman Josh Janusiak is among the top cross country runners in the Midwest Conference this season.
Lawrence freshman Josh Janusiak is among the top cross country runners in the Midwest Conference this season.

APPLETON, Wis. — Saturday’s Midwest Conference Championships are likely to be the cross country equivalent of a free-for-all because multiple teams in both races are ready to come out swinging.

At the end of the day, the teams celebrating with the trophy in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will be the ones that withstood a bevy of haymakers.

“I would argue it’s as good as it’s ever been,” Lawrence University coach Jason Fast said of the women’s field. “Looking back at the history, there couldn’t have been a lot of times there have been teams ranked regionally or with the number of quality individuals there are. There’s a lot more parity among the top five teams.”

Lawrence is among four teams, the others being Cornell College, Grinnell College and St. Norbert College, that have been regionally and/or nationally ranked this season. The Vikings won the team titles at their own Gene Davis Invitational and at the Concordia (Wis.) Ken Weidt Classic this season.

The Vikings were ranked in the brutally tough Midwest Region and return five all-conference runners, seniors Clare Bruning, Liz Landes and Cora Williams, junior Amy Hutchings and sophomore Erin Schrobilgen.

“I expect them all to have their sights set on accomplishing that again,” Fast said. “Erin and Clare have been leading for us all season. They both have their sights set on a top-10 finish.”

Even with that kind of depth, nothing is guaranteed for the Vikings because of the other stars in the league.

“Our goal is to be a top-two team. It has been all season,” Fast said. “That’s still what we would like to do. It’s definitely not a foregone conclusion. We are going to get a good fight from four other teams that think they’re good enough to be a top-two team.”

On the men’s side, Lawrence has two of the premier runners in the league in Max Edwards and Josh Janusiak, but there is a strong group of title contenders. Edwards finished 10th a season ago, but Fast believes both Edwards and Janusiak can finish right up front.

“Max was all-conference last year and he was a conference champion in track. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do in a conference-style setting in cross country,” Fast said.

“Josh has been really good, and he’s taking it all in stride. He sees the writing on the wall of how good he can be and the opportunity he has at the conference meet.”

With seniors Jordan Atkins and Cam Davies and freshmen Ben Schaefer and Mayan Essek in the mix, the Vikings are also looking for a finish in the top two. Grinnell, Lake Forest College and St. Norbert are also strong contenders for the title so the championship will likely be decided by someone who steps up a few places at the finish.

“We’re much better than we were last year, and we’re much deeper than we were last year, which is nice,” Fast said.

“For our three through seven runners, it’s how well can they perform because they are the ones that can make up the most points on the field. I don’t necessarily think it will take five all-conference runners to win, but if we do that, we will be really hard to beat.”

 

Edwards, Bruning pace Vikings at AAE Invitational

WINNECONNE, Wis. — Max Edwards and Clare Bruning were the top Lawrence University finishers on Saturday at the massive AAE Invitational at Lake Breeze Golf Club.

Edwards finished 134th and covered the 8,000-meter course in 26:18. Josh Janusiak (161, 26:29), Jordan Atkins (224, 27:03), Ben Schaefer (234, 27:14) and Cam Davies (255, 27:31) rounded out the scoring for the Vikings.

Lawrence finished 37th with 1,008 points. UW-Eau Claire won the team title with 99 points, and Josh Thorson of UWEC was the winner in 24:18.

Bruning posted a time of 23:49 on the 6,000-meter course and finished 176th. Erin Schrobilgen (191, 23:57), Liz Landes (211, 24:10), Margaret Huck (224, 24:17) and Cora Williams (244, 24:40) completed the scoring for Lawrence.

Lawrence finished 39th with 1,046 points. Washington University of St. Louis won the team title with 136 points, and Megan Kellogg of St. Lawrence University was the winner in 21:12.

Women’s results

Men’s results

Lawrence women win title, men third at Gene Davis Invitational

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University women’s cross country team put five runners in the top 10 and rolled to the title at the Gene Davis Invitational on Saturday.

Clare Bruning led the Lawrence women by finishing second on the 6,000-meter course at Reid Golf Course in 24:01. Erin Schrobilgen then took fourth for the Vikings in 24:27, and Liz Landes grabbed fifth in 24:37.

Margaret Huck took sixth for Lawrence in 24:39, and Sierra Polzin rounded out the scoring by taking 10th in 24:52.

Lawrence won the title with 27 points, and Concordia of Wisconsin took second with 56. Concordia’s Ashley Scheele was the winner in 23:56.

The Lawrence men grabbed third place with 81 points, and the Wisconsin Track Club won the team title with 19.

Max Edwards paced Lawrence by taking seventh, completing the 8,000-meter course in 26:33. Rounding out the scoring for the Vikings were: Josh Janusiak (10th, 26:46), Ben Schaefer (13th, 27:03), Cam Davies (22nd, 27:25) and Jordan Atkins (29th, 27:52).

Dylan Souder of the Wisconsin Track Club was the winner in 25:57.

Women’s results

Men’s results

Janusiak runs down MWC weekly honor

Josh Janusiak
Josh Janusiak

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University cross country standout Josh Janusiak has been selected as the Midwest Conference Performer of the Week.

Janusiak (South Milwaukee, Wis./South Milwaukee), a freshman, led Lawrence to the best finish among all Midwest Conference teams at the massive Brissman-Lundeen Invitational on Sept. 25.

Janusiak finished 70th and covered the 8,000-meter course at Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island, Ill., in 26:14.4. It was Janusiak’s fastest time of the season by a minute and ranks as the third-fastest time in the conference.

Led by Janusiak, Lawrence finished 19th in the 50-team invitational, and the Vikings were tops among the eight Midwest Conference teams in the meet.

This is the first weekly conference award for Janusiak and the first of the season for the Vikings. The last Lawrence runner to take home Performer of the Week honors was Max Edwards, who won the honor on Oct. 7, 2014.

Lawrence returns to action on Oct. 10 when it hosts the Gene Davis Invitational at Reid Golf Course in Appleton.