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.
APPLETON, Wis. — Matt Stewart has joined the Lawrence University coaching staff and will serve in two roles, Director of Athletics Mike Szkodzinski announced today.
Stewart will be the assistant hockey coach and head golf coach, Szkodzinski said.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Matt to our hockey family and to the department,” said Szkodzinski, who also serves as Lawrence’s head hockey coach. “During his interview, it became very clear that Matt is a driven young man who has the passion to be a coach for a long time. His experience as a Division I athlete as well as his network of coaches will serve our players and our program well.”
Stewart is a 2015 graduate of Western Michigan University, where he played hockey for the Broncos and earned a bachelor’s degree in business.
“I am extremely proud and excited to be joining Lawrence University,” Stewart said. “The way the entire athletic staff and the players have welcomed me with open arms has been truly humbling. I look forward to developing Lawrence student-athletes both on and off the ice and can’t wait to get to work.”
Stewart is a native of Brighton, Mich., and played for the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League before attending Western Michigan. The Gamblers won the Clark Cup during Stewart’s tenure with the team.
A defenseman, Stewart was a contributor during all four seasons at Western Michigan. He helped the Broncos to 73 wins over four seasons and a .545 winning percentage during that stretch.
Stewart replaces Jon Sheridan, who took a position with the NHL’s Dallas Stars. Sheridan is the latest Lawrence assistant coach to make a move up in the hockey world. Former associate head coach Kalle Larsson worked at Lawrence for four season and is now the assistant general manager for the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. Former assistant coach Ryan Petersen worked as an assistant coach at his alma mater, St. Norbert College, and now serves as an assistant for the USHL’s Madison Capitols.
“Having all three of our former full-time assistants in great positions within the hockey world is very rewarding,” Szkodzinski said. “It shows that Lawrence is a great place to grow as a coach.”
The Vikings open their season on Friday when they host UW-Eau Claire in a non-conference game at the Appleton Family Ice Center.
MENASHA, Wis. — The St. Norbert College golf team downed Lawrence University 307-325 in a dual match on Thursday at North Shore Golf Club.
St. Norbert’s Joe Scherer carded a 74 to lead all scorers on the par-70 layout. The top score for Lawrence was Nigel Schuster, who fired a 76.
Rounding out the scoring for the Vikings were Ryan Eardley (81), Ryan Clark (83), Austin Frank (85), Nathan Ley (87) and Lane King (90).
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — Nathan Ley and Nigel Schuster fired identical scores on Sunday and Monday to lead the Lawrence University golf team at the MSOE Invitational.
Ley and Schuster both finished with a 36-hole total of 167 to tie for 48th place. Both players fired an 85 on Sunday on the par-71 layout at The Highlands at Grand Geneva. Ley and Schuster followed that with an 82 on the par-72 layout at The Brute on Monday.
Lawrence finished 12th in the team standings after carding rounds of 345 and 331 for a score of 676. Edgewood College won the team title at 587.
Also competing for the Vikings were Austin Frank (T53, 169), Ryan Clark (T60, 173) and Ryan Eardley (66th, 177).
GREEN LAKE, Wis. — Nigel Schuster finished tied for 66th to lead the Lawrence University golf team at the Midwest Region Classic.
Schuster carded identical rounds of 81 for a 36-hole total of 162 at the Golf Courses of Lawsonia on Friday and Saturday. Each team played one round on the Links and one round on the Woodlands.
Lawrence finished 26th with a score of 682. Millikin won with a score of 600.
HARTFORD, Wis. — Nigel Schuster finished tied for 10th place to lead the Lawrence University golf team at the Wisconsin Lutheran Invitational, which wrapped up on Monday.
Schuster fired rounds of 74 and 77 on the par-72 layout at Washington County Golf Course to finish with a 36-hole total of 151. Jacob Phelps of MSOE won with a score of 144.
Lawrence recorded rounds of 330 and 334 to finish in 12th place at 664. Carthage College shot 594 to win the team title.
FOND DU LAC, Wis. — Lawrence University’s Nathan Ley carded the second-lowest round of the day on Sunday to grab a tie for seventh place at the Marian University Invitational.
Ley fired a 73 on Sunday at Rolling Meadows Golf Course to finish with a 36-hole total of 157. He shot 84 in Saturday’s opening round at Whispering Springs Golf Club.
Ryonen Faris of Marian won the title with a score of 145.
Lawrence finished seventh in the team standings with a score of 679. Marian took the title at 618.
Finishing out the scoring for Lawrence were Austin Frank (T28, 169), Ryan Clark (31st, 171), Ryan Eardley (38th, 182) and Natalie Galster (45th, 200).
APPLETON, Wis. — More than 150 Lawrence University student-athletes have been named to the Academic All-Midwest Conference team.
Lawrence had 153 student-athletes meet the minimum grade point average of 3.33 during the 2014-15 academic year. The top team for the Vikings was women’s indoor track, which had 17 student-athletes honored. Other top performing teams were women’s cross country and women’s soccer with 13 selections apiece, women’s swimming and diving with 12 and men’s soccer and women’s outdoor track with 11 apiece.
A total of 1,859 student-athletes were selected across the conference, and that surpasses the total of 1,752 honored during the 2013-14 academic year.
ROCKFORD, Ill. — Nigel Schuster and Nathan Ley both finished in the top 10 to lead the Lawrence University golf team to a fifth-place finish at the Midwest Conference Championships on Sunday.
Schuster finished in a tie for third after carding a final-round 78 on the par-72 layout at Aldeen Golf Club. Ley shot 83 in the final round to finish in the tie for 10th. The top-10 finishers are the all-conference team.
Schuster finished with a 54-hole score of 234 and was seven shots behind champion Drake Decker of Monmouth College. Ley had a final score of 239.
The Vikings shot a final-round score of 331 to finish with a total of 990. St. Norbert College won the title with a score of 935.
Anton Olsson shot 84 on Sunday and finished with a score of 249 to take 20th place. Ryan Clark shot a final-round 88 and finished 39th at 274. Ryan Eardley shot 86 on Sunday and finished 40th at 275. Austin Frank was 41st after shooting 94 in the final round to finish at 280.
ROCKFORD, Ill. — Lawrence University golfers Nathan Ley and Nigel Schuster are tied for sixth place after Friday’s second round of the Midwest Conference Championships at Aldeen Golf Club.
Schuster carded a 75, the fourth-lowest round of the day, on the par-72 layout to move up into a tie for sixth place with Ley. Ley fired a 78 for the second consecutive day and now has a 36-hole score of 156.
Lawrence carded a team score of 327, five shots lower than the opening round, and is tied for fourth place with Grinnell College at 659. The 54-hole event concludes on Saturday.
Carroll University and St. Norbert College are tied for first place at 624. Monmouth College’s Drake Decker and St. Norbert’s Ben Socha are tied for the lead at 150.
Anton Olsson shot 80, and Ryan Eardley carded a 94 to round out the scoring on Friday for Lawrence.
