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Cross country teams earn academic award for fourth straight year

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s and women’s cross country teams have been named a United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Scholar Team.

This marks the fourth consecutive year both Lawrence teams have been honored for their academic achievement by the USTFCCA. To be eligible for the award, the team must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.10 through the fall term.

The Lawrence women had a team grade point average of 3.36, and the Vikings were one of five Midwest Conference teams to receive the award. The Lawrence men had a 3.33 grade point average and were one of only three teams from the conference to win the award.

Lawrence also had a successful season in competition. The Lawrence men finished second at the Midwest Conference Championships and had two all-conference finishers in junior Curran Carlile and senior Sam Stevens. The Lawrence women finished eighth and freshman Clare Bruning (seventh place) was the highest first-year finisher for the Vikings in more than two decades.

Siebert earns all-conference honors for second straight year

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University men’s basketball standout Chris Siebert has been named to the All-Midwest Conference team for the second consecutive season.

Siebert (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) was a second-team selection for the second straight year.

Siebert averaged 14.9 points, 3.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 18 conference games. Overall, Siebert averaged 15.1 points, 3.9 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game.

In league games, Siebert shot 42.7 percent from the floor, and he finished fifth in the conference in 3-point shooting at 46.1 percent. Siebert shot 85.7 percent from the foul line, and that ranked fourth in the conference. Siebert made 26 consecutive free throws during one stretch of conference play.

Siebert scored in double figures in all but three conference games and poured in a career-high 30 points in Lawrence’s victory at Monmouth College on Jan. 26. Siebert also had a season-high seven assists in both games against Cornell College.

Lawrence finished tied for fourth place in the Midwest Conference with an 11-7 record. The Vikings were 13-10 overall.

Dunn named MWC Player of the Week

APPLETON, Wis. — Jason Dunn picked up a pair of big wins and was named the Midwest Conference Player of the Week.

Dunn (Fond du Lac, Wis./Fond du Lac) earned the honor after knocking off a pair of Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foes.

Playing No. 2 singles, Dunn beat Florent Marco of UW-Eau Claire 6-1, 6-3. Dunn teamed with Max Zlevor at No. 1 doubles for a 9-8 (7-4) victory over Eau Claire at No. 1 doubles. The Vikings defeated the Blugolds 5-4, and that marked the first time Lawrence had defeated Eau Claire since the teams first started playing in 1995.

Dunn also picked up a 6-4, 6-2 win over Vic Mirasola of UW-La Crosse during the week.

Dunn improved to 4-1 in singles and 3-2 in doubles on the season. This marks the third time in his career that Dunn has been named the conference Player of the Week. Dunn was chosen once each in the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Lawrence, which is 3-2 this season, returns to action on March 8 when it hosts the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Smith’s win at No. 1 pushes Lawrence past Blugolds

APPLETON, Wis. — Cooper Smith’s three-set victory at No. 1 singles propelled the Lawrence University men’s tennis team to a 5-4 nonconference victory over UW-Eau Claire on Saturday at Fox Cities Racquet Club.

With the team score tied 4-4, Smith defeated Ryan Vande Linde 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 to give Lawrence the victory. Smith also teamed with Max Zlevor for a thrilling 9-8 (7-4 in the tiebreaker) at No. 1 doubles over Vande Linde and Joe Meier.

Lawrence (3-2) also picked up an 8-5 win at No. 3 doubles by Craig Sherwood and Brian DeCorte.

Lawrence’s Jason Dunn continued his impressive play at No. 2 singles with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Florent Marco. Sherwood topped Michael Roden 6-4, 6-1 at No. 4 singles for the Vikings’ other win on the day.

Box score

Vikings shut out Northland in MCHA playoff opener

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University pulled away in the third period and got some superb defensive work to post a 3-0 win over Northland College in the opener of a Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association quarterfinal playoff series on Friday at the Appleton Family Ice Center.

Lawrence (8-15-3) needs a win or a tie to clinch the series on Saturday afternoon and advance to the Harris Cup semifinals next weekend.

Freshman goaltender Fabian Sivnert picked up his first career shutout for the Vikings. Sivnert stopped 25 shots and made several spectacular saves to push his unbeaten streak to three games.

Lawrence got on the board midway through the first period when Renato Engler scored on a breakaway for a 1-0 lead at the 9:06 mark.

The score stayed that way until the third period, but the Vikings had to do some serious work on the penalty kill in the final period. Northland (9-16-1) was on the power play after Engler received a five-minute facemasking penalty, but Lawrence’s Erik Soderlund was later whistled for holding during that power play.

Northland had a two-man advantage for a full two minutes, but Lawrence killed off the Soderlund penalty. While Engler was still in the box, Rudi Pino got a breakaway for Lawrence and beat Northland goaltender Mason Riley for a short-handed goal at the 6:45 mark.

It was Pino’s second short-hander of the season and gave the Vikings a 2-0 edge. The Vikings then sealed the victory with Patrick Coyne’s goal at the 15:46 mark.

Riley stopped 45 shots for Northland.

Box score

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings build confidence in time for MCHA playoffs

The Lawrence University hockey team may have finally gotten over the proverbial hump.

After a season of dealing with close games and heart-wrenching losses, the Vikings won one close game and put together a gritty overtime tie last weekend to finish the regular season. Those three valuable points clinched home ice for this weekend’s Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs.

“Although we have lost close games and given away too many third-period leads, we improved in the third period this past weekend,” said Lawrence coach Mike Szkodzinski, who has seen his team lose nine one-goal games this season. “That will build confidence within the locker room. We were a young team at the beginning of the year and have learned to pay attention to the details more consistently as of late.”

The Vikings finished with a 7-15-3 record and took second in the MCHA’s Northern Division. Lawrence hosts Northland College (9-15-1) in a quarterfinal playoff series at the Appleton Family Ice Center. Friday’s game is at 7 p.m. and Saturday’s game is at 4 p.m.

Lawrence enters the playoffs coming off a pair of good performances against Lake Forest College, which travels to No. 15 MSOE in the other quarterfinal series. The Vikings needed that strong showing just to get into the playoffs and delivered.

“We have had a number of opportunities slip away from us this year and found ourselves fighting for a playoff spot,” Szkodzinski said. “Our guys didn’t blink. They battled and did what they needed to do this past weekend. We are proud of their resilience.  The trials they went through this year will only help us as we start the postseason.”

The Vikings enter the postseason with a goaltender coming off a pair of strong performances. Freshman Fabian Sivnert, a Swede who transferred at midseason from Bemidji State University, was in net for both games against Lake Forest. He posted a .961 save percentage and 1.44 goals against average and was named the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week.

“Every team needs a good goaltender to win come playoff time,” Szkodzinski said. “We feel that we have multiple good goaltenders, but Fabian is on top of his game right now. His play has given us confidence and allowed us to be more aggressive at every position. If he continues to play at the level he displayed this weekend, we have a much better chance to be successful.”

The Lawrence defense has been better over the last month, and the Vikings are allowing only 2.9 goals per game in their last eight contests. Part of that improvement comes from the penalty kill, where Lawrence is killing off power plays at an .875 clip in that same eight-game stretch.

On the flip side, Lawrence hasn’t been scoring as much recently despite averaging 40 shots per game in the last eight contests. The Vikings are averaging only 2.2 goals per game in that stretch.

“We are generating plenty of opportunities,” Szkodzinski said. “At this time of year, teams tend to stop the first shot, and it is the second opportunity that counts. We need to make sure we are shooting the puck and working to find the second chances. The only thing that needs to improve is our desire to get to the rebounds after the initial shot is taken.”

Lawrence has seniors and freshmen leading the team in scoring. Senior forward Phil Bushbacher is tops on the team with 13 goals and senior captain Brad Scurfield is next with 12. Three freshmen, Logan Lemirande (team-high 26 points), Rudi Pino (22 points) and Brandon Boelter (20 points) are in the top five on the squad in scoring.

“We are deeper up front than we have ever been, but at times, we have failed to stick to our d-first mentality,” Szkodzinski said. “We sometimes try to outscore opponents, and that has never been our strength.”

Szkodzinski commented after last Friday’s win that the game was won “in the Lawrence way.” The Vikings will need to continue that style in order to advance in the playoffs.

“This group knows what they are capable of when they are playing well,” Szkodzinski said. “They have also found out what can happen if they do not bring their best game or get distracted. Each year is a journey, and this year has been quite a ride.”

Klusendorf wins MWC honor

Senior forward Conor Klusendorf was named the MWC Player of the Week following a pair of Lawrence basketball wins last week.

For the week, Klusendorf averaged 21.0 points while shooting 65.4 percent (17-26) from the floor. He also averaged 6.5 rebounds per game and 1.0 blocks per contest.

In a 63-61 win at Lake Forest on Feb. 12, Klusendorf scored 21 points and grabbed five rebounds while hitting 8-of-13 shots from the floor. In a 114-106 overtime win over Grinnell College this past Saturday, Klusendorf again scored 21 points and hit 9-of-13 shots from the floor. He also grabbed eight rebounds.

Records fall

Lawrence swimmers broke seven school records at the Midwest Conference Championships last weekend.

Emily Flack set school records in the 100-yard backstroke (1:00.23) and 200 backstroke (2:10.12), and Hayley Cardinal set new marks in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.11) and 200 breaststroke (2:30.03).

Lawrence also set records in the 200 medley relay (1:53.20), 400 medley relay (4:06.51) and 800 freestyle relay (7:57.04).

Track headed to MWC meet

The Lawrence track teams are headed to the MWC Championships this weekend at Monmouth. Both Lawrence teams finished seventh a season ago, and the Vikings have several contenders for individual titles.

On the men’s side, senior Sam Stevens is a contender in both the 3,000 and 5,000 meters while freshman JP Ranumas is one of the top 60-meter hurdlers in the league.

Rose Tepper leads the women’s contingent and is looking for the title in the high jump. Freshman Clare Bruning could be a factor in the distance events and is coming off an all-conference cross country season.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a notes package written by Lawrence University Director of Athletic Media Relations Joe Vanden Acker. It will feature teams and individual players, recap weekly awards or highlights and take a look at what’s ahead for the Vikings.

Sivnert named MCHA Defensive Player of the Week

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University’s Fabian Sivnert has been named the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Defensive Player of the Week.

Sivnert (Hollviken, Sweden), a freshman goaltender, earned the honor after picking up a win and a tie in last weekend’s series with Lake Forest College. Sivnert posted a 1.44 goals against average and .961 save percentage in the two games.

In Lawrence’s 2-1 victory over Lake Forest last Friday, Sivnert stopped 37 shots. In a 2-2 overtime tie at Lake Forest on Saturday, Sivnert again made 37 saves. All three goals scored by the Foresters on the weekend came on the power play.

On the season, Sivnert has a .905 save percentage and 3.28 goals against average. Sivnert, a transfer from Bemidji State University, joined the team in late December. This is the first conference award for Sivnert, who is the third Lawrence player this season to be honored. Forward Logan Lemirande (Janesville, Wis.) was named Player of the Week, and defenseman Brandon Boelter (Saginaw, Mich.) earned Freshman of the Week honors.

The three points earned by the Vikings last weekend moved Lawrence into second place in the MCHA’s Northern Division. Lawrence will host the MCHA quarterfinal playoff series against Northland College on Friday and Saturday.

Klusendorf named MWC Player of the Week

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University men’s basketball standout Conor Klusendorf has been named the Midwest Conference Player of the Week.

Klusendorf (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy), a senior forward, picked up the honor after leading Lawrence to a pair of victories to complete the regular season. Klusendorf averaged 21 points per game while shooting better than 65 percent from the floor in the two contests.

In a 63-61 win at Lake Forest College last Tuesday, Klusendorf scored 21 points and grabbed five rebounds while hitting 8-of-13 shots from the floor. In a 114-106 overtime win over Grinnell College on Saturday, Klusendorf again scored 21 points and hit 9-of-13 shots from the floor. He also grabbed eight rebounds.

For the week, Klusendorf averaged 21.0 points while shooting 65.4 percent (17-26) from the floor. He also averaged 6.5 rebounds per game and 1.0 blocks per contest.

On the season, Klusendorf averaged 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 60 percent (105-175) from the floor. He also averaged 1.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. Klusendorf finished his career as Lawrence’s career blocks leader with 114.

Lawrence finished the season with a 13-10 record, including an 11-7 mark in Midwest Conference play.

Carr resigns from women’s basketball coaching post

APPLETON, Wis. — Tara Carr has resigned as the head women’s basketball coach at Lawrence University, Director of Athletics Mike Szkodzinski announced today.

Carr, who was hired as the ninth coach in the program’s history on April 11, 2011, coached the Vikings for two seasons.

“We want to wish Tara well in her future endeavors,” Szkodzinski said. “Our focus will be to move the women’s basketball program forward. Given the rich tradition of women’s basketball at Lawrence, we want to restore the program to a more competitive status as quickly as we can.”

A national search for a successor will be launched immediately, according to Szkodzinski.

Carr, a 1999 graduate of Bowling Green State University, was in her first stint as a head coach. Lawrence compiled a record of 3-43 during Carr’s two seasons.

Lawrence has enjoyed a history of success, including three conference championships and a NCAA Division III Tournament appearance, in its 37 seasons of women’s basketball. The Vikings have posted 23 seasons of .500 or better, but Lawrence has struggled in recent campaigns.

Lawrence finished with a 2-21 mark this season with a 1-17 record in Midwest Conference play.