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OSHKOSH, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s tennis team opened its spring season with a 9-0 nonconference win over Edgewood College on Saturday at the YMCA Tennis Center.
The Vikings lost only two games in sweeping the three doubles matches, and Lawrence dropped only eight games en route to sweeping the singles.
Jeremy Andereck highlighted the sweep with a 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 6 singles.
MOUNT VERNON, Iowa — Tyler Mazur hit eight 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 30 points as the Lawrence University men’s basketball team beat Cornell College 97-90 in a Midwest Conference game on Saturday.
Mazur went 10-for-14 from the floor, including 8-for-11 from 3-point range on his way to a career afternoon. Mazur topped his previous career high of 29 points, which he set earlier this season at Carroll University.
Chris Siebert added 25 points for the Vikings (11-10, 9-7 MWC), and Ryan DePouw added 15 points on the strength of an 11-for-11 day at the foul line.
Joey Guth scored 22 points and Nick Bobb added 21 points and a game-high nine rebounds for Cornell (8-13, 7-9).
Lawrence led by as many as nine points in the first half before Cornell rallied. The Rams led by as many as four points before the eighth tie of the first half ended with a 49-49 deadlock at the break.
Conor Klusendorf’s layup with 11:33 left gave Lawrence the lead for good at 67-66, and the Vikings were holding an 81-79 lead with 3:28 left. Siebert and Mazur then hit back-to-back jumpers for the Vikings, and Lawrence pushed the lead to 85-79.
Cornell was forced to foul in the final two minutes, and the Vikings went 10-for-10 from the stripe down the stretch. Lawrence finished the day 25-for-27 from the foul line.
The final Lawrence basket of the day was a thunderous dunk by junior forward Chase Nelson with nine seconds left that broke the rim.
APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team rode a career-high 21 points from Jamie Nikitas and a gritty performance from Brian Gryszkiewicz to a 73-56 Midwest Conference victory over Beloit College on Wednesday at Alexander Gymnasium.
Nikitas, a freshman guard, went 5-for-9 from the floor, including 4-for-8 from 3-point range, on his way to game-high scoring honors. Gryszkiewicz finished with 11 points, going 4-for-4 from the floor while adding six assists, six rebounds, three steals and diving for seemingly every loose ball.
Ryan DePouw added 12 points, five rebounds and three blocks for the Vikings (10-10, 8-7), and Chris Siebert chipped in with 11 points.
James Lazarcik, who entered the game shooting 70.7 percent from the floor, led Beloit (10-10, 8-7) with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. He hit just 3 of 10 shots from the floor. Steve McAfee paced Beloit with 14 points but was just 3-for-13 from the floor.
The Vikings shot 53.2 percent (25-47) from the field, and limited the Bucs to just 31 percent (18-58) shooting.
The Bucs, who never led in the game, had pulled even at 46-46 when Gryszkiewicz drove to the basket, was fouled and converted a conventional three-point play. After a jumper by McAfee, Gryszkiewicz buried a 3-pointer and Nikitas had a three-point play to push Lawrence’s lead back to 55-48 with 7:08 left.
Lawrence maintained the momentum and led 60-51 after a pair of Lazarcik free throws with 3:47 left. Gryszkiewicz went to the hoop again, scored and was fouled. He converted the three-point play, and the Vikings were up 63-51 with 3:18 left.
After a Lazarcik miss, Nikitas buried a 3-pointer for a 66-51 lead and Beloit never got closer than 11 points the rest of the way.
Lawrence built an early five-point lead and the Vikings led by seven points with 6:45 left in the first half. The Bucs cut the lead to 23-22, but Lawrence scored the final seven points of the first half and led 30-22 at the break.
The Vikings return to action on Saturday when they travel to Cornell College.
The Lawrence University men’s tennis team finds itself in an enviable position as it prepares to open its season on Saturday.
While most teams would be happy to have one player capable of holding down the top spot in the singles lineup, Lawrence coach Kevin Girard has three that could get the job done.
The trio of seniors Jason Dunn, a Fond du Lac, Wis., native, Cooper Smith and Max Zlevor give the Vikings experience and talent at the top of the lineup. Lawrence opens its season with nonconference matches against UW-Oshkosh and Edgewood College this weekend.
“Jay, Max and Cooper are all very strong players, and depending on the day, any one of them could play (No. 1 singles),” said Girard, who enters his sixth season as the Vikings’ head coach.
“They’ve all got three seasons under their belts. They know what to expect. They all are very strong players, great leaders, and we’ve got a lot of depth with our younger guys.”
Dunn was the team’s No. 1 player a season ago and posted a 12-12 record. Zlevor played No. 2 and finished 10-16, and Smith played No. 4 and was 11-7.
Smith returned to campus playing some of the best tennis of his life and advanced to the third round of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Regional in the fall. Girard said challenge matches on the team will determine who plays where when the season begins, but there is a difference in this group of seniors.
“Max and Jay are more power players, and Cooper is more gritty, a great competitor,” Girard said. “We’ve got strength all through our lineup.”
In addition to the seniors at the top, the Vikings also return starters in junior Jeremy Andereck and sophomore Craig Sherwood. Andereck saw action at both Nos. 5 and 6 singles and posted an overall record of 7-12 last year. Sherwood went 9-15 during his rookie campaign and finished 9-15 playing mostly at No. 5.
“Jeremy and Cooper have shown the most improvement,” Girard said. “Jeremy is really playing well right now. He’s in late-season form a week in. He’s really confident and playing well. You can see it in his strokes and his body language.
“Craig is playing very well also. He has tons of talent. He needs to harness that and pick his spots of when to use his weapons because he has ton of them.”
The Vikings also have six newcomers to the roster, and at least one of them will step into a starter’s role.
“Brian DeCorte has stepped up as the freshman that is most likely to be in the lineup,” Girard said. “Very consistent, great ground strokes. He has to get some college tennis under his belt to see what it’s like.”
The Vikings return their top doubles team of Dunn and Zlevor, and Girard said Smith and Andereck will likely play No. 2 doubles and Sherwood and DeCorte should be the starters at No. 3.
With the strong lineup, the Vikings look like contenders in the revamped Midwest Conference North Division. With Cornell College joining the league, Lake Forest College is moving from the South Division to the North.
“I feel like we should definitely finish near the top of the conference,” Girard said. “The goal, as always, is to win the North, get in the (four-team conference) tournament and take it from there.”
Vikings picked for fourth
The Lawrence softball team has been picked to finish fourth in the North Division in a poll of Midwest Conference coaches.
Lawrence finished with a 9-22 record a season ago and brings back seven position starters and top pitcher Shannon Murray. The Vikings don’t begin play until March 15 with a series of 12 games in Clermont, Fla.
Carroll and St. Norbert were tied for first in the poll in the North Division, and newcomer Cornell was chosen to win the south.
Ranumas record
Freshman hurdler JP Ranumas broke the Lawrence record in the 60-meter hurdles this past Saturday at the UW-Stevens Point Invitational.
Ranumas, who hails from Winnetka, Ill., raced to a time of 8.76 seconds, breaking the mark of 8.78 that had stood since 1990.
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.
The Lawrence University hockey team travels to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula this weekend for a two-game series at Finlandia University. The Vikings play at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Friday night and 4 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. Both teams are fighting for a berth in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs with just four games left in the regular season.
APPLETON, Wis. — Conor Klusendorf poured in a season-high 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Lawrence University men’s basketball team to an 80-57 Midwest Conference victory over Illinois College on Saturday at Alexander Gymnasium.
Klusendorf went 7-for-13 from the floor and was 11-for-13 from the foul line for the Vikings (9-10, 7-7 MWC). The 26 points is the second-highest total of Klusendorf’s career. His career high is 35 points vs. Grinnell College back on Jan. 22, 2011.
Chris Siebert added 19 points and a game-high four assists for Lawrence. Ryan DePouw chipped in with 13 points and six rebounds, and Brian Gryszkiewicz added 10 points.
Kathan Kohler paced Illinois College (8-11, 5-9) with 17 points.
Lawrence took control of the game early by scoring the game’s first 10 points. The Vikings pushed the lead to 26-7 with 10:19 left in the first half on Trace Sonnleitner’s layup.
The Blueboys cut the lead back to 15 points, but Lawrence went on a 16-5 run to move the lead to 42-16 with 2:39 left in the first half. Illinois College managed to score the last six points of the first half, and the Vikings led 42-22 at the half.
Lawrence wasn’t able to put the Blueboys away early as Illinois College opened the second half on a 14-4 run. Kohler’s layup with 14:14 left cut the lead to 46-36.
Lawrence pushed the lead back to 18 points, but Illinois College was within 13 points after a pair of Kohler free throws with 4:28 left.
Klusendorf countered with a thunderous dunk for the Vikings, and Lawrence then hit three free throws to push the lead back to 69-51 with 3:37 left to seal the win.
Lawrence returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Beloit College.
APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University women’s basketball team took control in the second half on Saturday and went on to a 56-53 Midwest Conference victory over Illinois College at Alexander Gymnasium.
Amber Lisowe paced Lawrence (2-17, 1-13 MWC) and all scorers with 19 points, and she also pulled down seven rebounds and had a critical steal in the final seconds. Cathy Kaye scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half for the Vikings.
Jill Friedrich led the Lady Blues (6-13, 4-10) with 12 points, and Hannah McGinnis added 10 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
The Vikings shot 46.2 percent from the floor in the second half and limited Illinois College to just 29.5 percent shooting after the break.
Illinois College led 30-25 early in the second half, but Lawrence rallied to grab a nine-point edge. The Vikings went on a 16-2 run from that point to grab a 42-31 advantage with 10:27 left in the game. Kaye scored nine points for Lawrence during that stretch.
Illinois College came right back and scored the game’s next eight points to trim the lead to 42-40. Lawrence then bounced back and scored six consecutive points to push the lead back to 48-40 with 5:35 remaining.
The Lady Blues chipped away at the lead and cut the advantage to 52-50 with 50 seconds left. Illinois College was then forced into a situation where it had to foul and sent Lisowe to the line with 17 seconds left. She hit both free throws for a 54-50 Lawrence lead.
Holly Wohltman hit a 3-pointer for Illinois College to cut the lead back to 54-53 with 13 seconds left. The Lady Blues then fouled Kaye, who hit one free throw with nine seconds left.
After Kaye missed the second free throw, Friedrich’s outlet pass was picked off by Lisowe, and the Lady Blues fouled Patsy Kealey with 1.7 seconds left. She made the first free throw and missed the second, but Katie Schumacher grabbed the rebound for Lawrence to end the game.
Lawrence returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Beloit College.
The Lawrence University hockey team and Marian University square off in the “Battle of Highway 41” series this weekend. The teams play at the Appleton Family Ice Center on Friday and then the series wraps up on Saturday night at the Blue Line Ice Center in Fond du Lac. Lawrence currently has possession of the traveling trophy after sweeping the Battle of Highway 41 series last season.
KENOSHA, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s and women’s swim team both placed second on Saturday at the Wisconsin Private College Championships at Carthage College.
Freshman Emily Flack led the way for Lawrence by taking home a pair of individual titles. Flack won the 100-yard backstroke in 1:03.36 and swam to victory in the 200 backstroke in 2:16.80.
Sophomore Taylor Winter and freshman Hayley Cardinal also won titles for the women. Winter captured the 1,650 freestyle in 18:22.87, and Cardinal grabbed the title in the 100 breaststroke in 1:09.71.
On the men’s side, Evan Flack and Charlie Mann both won titles. Flack took first in the 200 freestyle in 1:48.76, and Mann swam to victory in the 100 backstroke in 57.97 seconds.
Carthage won both team titles. The Carthage women were first with 289, and Lawrence was second at 152. The Carthage men won the title with 288, and Lawrence was second at 116.
MONMOUTH, Ill. — Chris Siebert poured in a career-high 30 points to lead the Lawrence University men’s basketball team to an 87-73 Midwest Conference victory over Monmouth College on Saturday at Glennie Gymnasium.
Siebert hit 8 of 13 shots from the floor, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range, and he went a perfect 10-for-10 from the foul line. The junior guard ecliped his previous career high of 26 points, set vs. Wisconsin Lutheran College on Nov. 18, 2011. Siebert also tied for game-high honors with seven rebounds and he added three assists and a steal.
Lawrence (8-9, 6-6 MWC) also got stellar performances from sophomore Ryan DePouw, who added 18 points and a game-high five assists, and from freshman Jamie Nikitas, who chipped in with 17 points.
The Vikings had one of their best free-throw games in recent memory by hitting 31 of 35 shots from the stripe.
Mike DeDecker led Monmouth (4-14, 3-10) with 17 points and seven rebounds.
Lawrence was down 15-4 early, but the Vikings went on a 13-2 run, capped with 3-pointers from DePouw and Tyler Mazur, to tie the game at 17-17. The Vikings grabbed their first lead with 6:06 left in the first half, and Lawrence would go on to lead 38-32 at the half.
The Vikings quickly doubled that lead early in the second half, with Siebert draining a 3-pointer to give the Vikings a 48-36 lead with 17:26 remaining. Monmouth cut the lead back to one at 56-55 midway through the second half, but the Scots were never able to regain the lead.
Lawrence gradually pulled away, and the lead was back to 10 at 75-65 on Nikitas’ layup with 2:43 left. The Vikings then went 10-for-12 from the foul line in the final 2:24 to seal the victory.
