homepage

Category: homepage

Used to identify posts that will show up on the LU homepage.

Inside LU Athletics: Track team looks to move up at MWC Championships

Thunderstorms and showers are the forecast for this weekend’s Midwest Conference Championships at Monmouth College, and that’s just another typical day for Lawrence University track and field coach Jason Fast and his Vikings.

In fact, it’s better than most days for the Vikings this spring.

“I’ve been telling our team the whole week that there shouldn’t be a set of weather conditions that will surprise us. We’ve seen it all,” Fast said with a laugh. “The only thing that would be surprising is if it’s a nice day.”

The Vikings head into this weekend’s championships looking to improve on last year’s ninth-place finishes.

“Going into it, everyone is really excited,” Fast said. “Last year at this time, there wasn’t a whole lot we could do. We’re looking at the men and women finishing higher up in the conference.”

The men are paced by a local athlete, sophomore Sam Stevens, who hails from nearby Suamico. Stevens ranks second in the conference in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, third in the 1,500 and eighth in the 800. Stevens also will run a leg on the 1,600 relay team.

“I expect him to score in all of those events,” Fast said of Stevens. “A large portion of our success will be determined on how well he can do because he could be scoring half to three-quarters of our team points. We need him to do well.”

Fast said he didn’t put that type of pressure on Stevens in 2010 because he was worn down after a year of competition. Fast didn’t hesitate in relying on Stevens this spring.

“Last year I didn’t wanted to put that on him because he was beaten down,” Fast said.

“This year it wasn’t even a question. He wanted to do all these events.

I was thinking the exact same thing, and it’s always nice when the coach and athlete are on the same page.”

Stevens’ running mate in the steeplechase will be senior David Zane. He ranks in the top eight in both the steeplechase and the 10,000. The Vikings also are looking for a strong performance in the 800 from freshman Dan Thoresen, who has been nipping at Stevens’ heels in that event.

“I’m hoping David ends his senior year on a positive note,” Fast said.

The 400 relay team got a recent boost with the additions of Tyler Mazur and Dyllan Eichhorst. They join Jon Bruehl and Sam Wagner to take a run at placing in some fast company.

“We’re looking for them to sneak in there and get us a couple of points,” Fast said.

Rose Tepper leads the women’s contingent and is looking to keep her season going beyond the conference championships. The sophomore from Mount Vernon, Iowa, is the defending champion in the high jump and led a 1-2 Lawrence sweep in that event in 2010.

Tepper missed the indoor championships because of a knee injury.

“It will help the team a lot to have Rose in there. She’s our leader and our leading point scorer,” Fast said. “The women’s high jump is the first event the first day. I expect her to start us off strong.”

Despite the knee injury during the indoor season, Tepper qualified for the NCAA Championships. She missed the meet after coming down with a case of food poisoning the day before she was scheduled to compete. Needless to say, Tepper would like to get back to nationals.

“With the rehab Rose had to do for her knee, it’s caused her to pick up some bad habits in her jumping technique. She has been working to iron those things out,” Fast said. “It seems like she has a lot of that taken care of.

Tepper’s best jump this spring is 5 feet, 4.25 inches, and Monmouth’s Emily Tysma is tops in the league at 5-5, which has her provisionally qualified for the NCAA meet.

“Rose’s first goal is to win,” Fast said. “There’s also another good jumper in our conference so she may have to qualify for nationals to win.”

The Vikings also have a pair of distance runners, Anne Sullivan and Anna Ratliff, who are looking to place in the 10,000. Freshman Erica Schmidt also has a shot to place in the discus.

Perish earns academic honor

Softball star Emily Perish has been chosen for the Capital One Academic All-District 5 team. Perish, a junior, was a third-team selection.

A pitcher/infielder, Perish has a 3.79 grade point average and is majoring in religious studies and government. Also an Academic All-Midwest Conference selection, Perish hit .354 on the season and posted a 6-6 record on the mound with a 4.17 earned run average.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a weekly notes package written by Lawrence University Sports Information Director 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.

Lawrence takes sixth at MWC Championships

MADISON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s tennis team finished in sixth place at the Midwest Conference Championships, which wrapped up Sunday with the doubles competition at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

Lawrence, which finished with 34 points, got its best performance of the day from No. 1 doubles team Jason Dunn and Max Zlevor. Dunn and Zlevor reached the semifinals but fell to eventual champions Juan Carlos Perez and Dmitriy Glumov of Grinnell College 6-4, 6-0.

The No. 2 doubles team of Caleb Ray and Jeremy Andereck lost in the quarterfinals, but then beat Jackson Vogel and Derrick Winterhack in the consolation semifinals. Ray and Andereck then lost to Matt Joost and John Silseth of Carroll University 8-6 in the consolation final.

The No. 3 team of Bile Ali and Roy Wimer beat Ripon’s Jeffrey Mehlert and Xia Xiong 6-0, 6-2 in the first round but were eliminated with a 6-1, 6-4 loss to Matt Lobeck and Josh Sweere of St. Norbert College in the quarterfinals.

Vikings wrap up season with doubleheader split against Carroll

The Lawrence University baseball team wrapped up its season with a Midwest Conference doubleheader split against Carroll University on Sunday at Whiting Field.

Lawrence (3-32, 1-15 MWC) won the opener 11-2, and Carroll (12-21, 6-10) took the nightcap 8-2.

In the opener, Lawrence got a complete-game performance from pitcher Eric Bohling. He allowed only six hits, struck out seven and walked six. Bohling also went 3-for-4 at the plate, drove in three runs and scored three times.

Robert Rashid and Chad Skaer both had two hits for the Vikings, and Skaer, Sam Kossow and Davide Harris all drove in two runs.

Lawrence led 1-0 when the Vikings scored three times in the third. Bohling and Skaer both had run-scoring singles in the inning.

The Vikings then started to pull away with three more runs in the seventh. Bohling had his third run-scoring single of the game, and a pair of errors and a walk helped the Vikings build a 7-0 lead.

Carroll struck back with two runs in the top of the eighth, but Lawrence put the game away with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Harris smacked a run-scoring double in the inning, Skaer added a RBI single and Kossow picked up a sacrifice fly. The Vikings took advantage of three walks and a pair of wild pitches in the inning.

Cale Ross pitched the first seven innings, allowing six hits, striking out nine and walking five, and took the loss.

In the nightcap, Matt Buhrow pitched a complete game for the Pioneers and allowed five hits while striking out 10 and walking four.

The Pioneers pulled away late against Lawrence starter Andrew Wilt. He also went the distance, struck out six and walked seven.

Lawrence scored runs in the first and third to grab a 2-0 lead. Bohling had a a run-scoring double in the first, and the Vikings picked up an unearned run in the third.

Carroll got on the board in the fifth when Aaron Gendrich hit a solo homer to cut the lead in half. The Pioneers then took a 3-2 lead when George Simons and Gendrich both drew bases-loaded walks in the sixth.

After scoring once in the seventh, Carroll pulled away with four unearned runs in the eighth. Joe Klobukowski and Tyler Fitzsimmons both had run-scoring singles in the inning.

Gendrich and Klobukowski both had three hits for the Pioneers.

Game one box score

Game two box score

Softball star Perish chosen for Academic All-District squad

Lawrence University softball standout Emily Perish has been chosen for the Capital One Academic All-District 5 team.

Perish (Frankfort, Ill./Providence Catholic) was a third-team selection on the squad, which was voted upon by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America. A junior infielder/pitcher, Perish sports a 3.79 grade point average and is majoring in religious studies and government.

Also an Academic All-Midwest Conference selection, Perish hit .354 on the season with three doubles and 18 runs batted in. She also put together a 6-6 record on the mound with a 4.17 earned run average. Perish struck out 32 and walked 27 in 80.2 innings.

A member of the Dean’s List at Lawrence, Perish also served as a team captain in 2011. Perish also has been deeply involved with the Friends of Jaclyn and Emma Broeniman, the Appleton girl that was “adopted” by the team.

Perish, who has served as a tutor for Japanese students from Wadaeda University that are attending Lawrence, also completed an independent study project on Shari’ah Law and its effects on women in the Arabian Peninsula and Saudi Arabia.

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings set for MWC Championships

This is uncharted territory for the Lawrence University men’s tennis team.

All but the freshmen on this team are used to playing three days at the Midwest Conference Championships, set for Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison this weekend. For the first time since 2007, the Vikings failed to qualify for the four-team tournament that determines the top two finishers in the league.

That doesn’t mean that the Vikings don’t have a whole lot to play for when the singles and doubles are contested on Saturday and Sunday.

“We can still get third place in the conference,” Lawrence coach Kevin Girard said. “We can still end up in front of Carroll and St. Norbert so that keeps the guys pretty motivated.”

Lawrence finished third a season ago, and this was going to be a bit of rebuilding year after losing three starters, including top singles player and former league champion Ryan Dunn to graduation.

Dunn has been replaced by his younger brother, Jason, who moved up to No. 1 singles after playing No. 3 a season ago. Dunn put together a 9-9 singles record this season and is just starting to play his best tennis.

“Anytime you play No. 1 singles, you don’t ever get a day off,” Girard said. “Jay has been playing very well, very focused. He can beat anybody. He’s got tons of talent, and he’s starting to realize that as well.”

Girard said the key for Dunn will be his ground strokes if he wants to get a shot at Grinnell’s Juan Carlos Perez, the league’s defending champion.

“Jay’s return of service is probably the best in the conference,” Girard said. “If he’s hitting the ball well from the baseline, his opponent is in trouble. That’s what he’s been working on all season.”

The Vikings are also looking for big things from Caleb Ray, who won the consolation title at No. 2 singles last season. The sophomore from Austin, Texas, is 11-8 this season and is riding a five-match winning streak.

“This is the best I’ve seen Caleb play. Mentally, you’re not going to find anyone tougher on the court,” Girard said. “He’s super scrappy and super gritty. He pretty much ticks you off. He’s not fun to play against.”

Sophomore Max Zlevor moved from No. 5 singles to No. 3 this season and has managed only three wins, but Girard has a lot of confidence in the Racine native.

“Max has a ton of talent. He just has to get over that hump,” Girard said. “He has a ton of weapons and a ton of firepower. He just needs to string it together.”

Dunn wins POW

Dunn was named the MWC Player of the Week after going unbeaten in singles and doubles this past week. Dunn posted a 6-0 record, going 3-0 at No. 1 singles and 3-0 with Zlevor at No. 1 doubles. It was the first time in his career that he earned the weekly conference award.

Routing Ripon

The men’s tennis team beat Ripon 9-0 last Saturday, and that marked the third consecutive season the Vikings had shut out the Red Hawks. It’s also the first time in Lawrence history that the Vikings beat Ripon 9-0 three consecutive times.

Pechan takes second

Freshman golfer John Pechan finished second at the MWC Championships at Aldeen Golf Club this past weekend. Pechan carded rounds of 82, 75 and 78 on the par-72 layout to finish second by three shots. It was the highest finish for  Lawrence golfer since Appleton native Joe Loehnis tied for first in 2006 and lost a playoff for the title.

Fast company

The men’s 400-meter relay team took first place at the UW-Whitewater Invitational this past Saturday, marking the first time in recent memory that Lawrence has won that event at a large invitational. The time of 46.84 seconds was posted by Sam Wagner, Jon Bruehl, Cam Blegen and Jesse Peterson.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a weekly notes package written by Lawrence University Sports Information Director 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.

Dunn named MWC Player of the Week

Lawrence University men’s tennis standout Jason Dunn has been named the Midwest Conference Player of the Week.

Dunn (Fond du Lac, Wis./Fond du Lac), a sophomore, posted a perfect record on the week in both singles and doubles to lead the Vikings to victories in two of three dual matches.

Dunn started his week with a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 1 singles against Illinois College last Friday and teamed with Max Zlevor (Racine, Wis./Prairie) for an 8-1 victory at No. 1 doubles. Lawrence defeated the Blueboys 9-0.

In a 9-0 victory over Ripon College last Saturday, Dunn recorded a 6-3, 6-2 victory at No. 1 singles and rolled to an 8-2 victory at No. 1 doubles. Lawrence defeated the rival Red Hawks 9-0 for the third consecutive season.

In a 5-4 loss to St. Norbert College on Sunday, Dunn won 6-3, 7-6 (7-0) at No. 1 singles and picked up an 8-5 victory at No. 1 doubles.

Dunn, who will play in the Midwest Conference championships this weekend, improved to 9-9 in singles and 8-11 in doubles.

Lawrence sweeps doubleheader from Pioneers

The Lawrence University softball team swept a Midwest Conference doubleheader from Carroll University in dramatic fashion on Sunday by the scores of 5-4 and 3-2.

Lawrence (13-4, 6-5 MWC) won the opener with a run in the bottom of the ninth and took the nightcap with a run in the bottom of the eighth.

Cathy Kaye and Alissa Geipel both went 3-for-5 in the opener, and Shannon Murray went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs. Murray also went the distance to pick up the win. She struck out three and didn’t walk a batter.

Lawrence trailed 4-1 after the Pioneers scored three times in the top of the fifth, but the Vikings rallied in the bottom half of the inning. Kaye started the rally with a two-out single, and Geipel then singled sharply off pitcher Christine Roggeman. As Kaye swiped third, Roggeman’s throw got past Rebecca Menelle at third and Kaye scored.

Carli Gurholt was then hit by a pitch and stole second. Murray followed with a two-run single to right to tie the game at 4-4.

The score stayed that way until the bottom of the ninth. Kaye led off with a triple that deflected off Nicole Leden’s glove in rightcenter field. Geipel then hit a rocket past Menelle at third and Kaye scored the winning run.

In the nightcap, the Vikings got some more late-inning heroics to win it.

Lawrence grabbed a 2-0 lead with single runs in the second and third. Gaelen Lombard-Knapp had a run-scoring double in the second, and Gurholt had a RBI groundout  in the third.

The Pioneers (13-18, 5-8) tied it with two runs in the sixth inning as Amanda Strutz and Leden both delivered run-scoring doubles. Carroll escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, and Lawrence left runners in scoring position in both the sixth and seventh.

Lawrence ended it in the bottom of the eighth, and Perish started the inning with a line drive single up the middle. A fielding error on a sacrifice bunt put runners at first and second, and another sacrifice bunt moved them to second and third. Alex Chiodo then singled on a 1-2 pitch to leftcenter to drive home Perish with the winning run.

Chiodo, Lombard-Knapp and Kaye all collected two hits in the nightcap for the Vikings.

Perish, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth, went the distance to pick up the win. She allowed only four hits, struck out four and walked one.

Lawrence returns to action on Monday when it travels to Ripon College to wrap up the regular season.

Game one box score

Game two box score

Vikings rout Ripon 9-0

The Lawrence University men’s tennis team continued its recent mastery of Ripon College with a 9-0 Midwest Conference victory over the Red Hawks at the Fox Cities Racquet Club on Saturday.

Lawrence (6-12, 2-1 MWC) has now beaten Ripon 9-0 for three consecutive seasons. Ripon (1-10, 1-3 MWC) hasn’t won a match against the Vikings since the 2008 season.

The Vikings dropped only one set en route to the shutout victory. Caleb Ray put on a dominating performance for the second consecutive day as he posted a 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 2 singles.

Box score

Pechan climbs up to fourth at MWC Championships

ROCKFORD, Ill. — Lawrence University standout John Pechan carded a 75 on Friday and moved into a tie for fourth place after the second round of the Midwest Conference Championships at Aldeen Golf Club.

Pechan’s 3-over par round on Friday gives him a 36-hole total of 157. He is three shots off the lead of leader Eric Busalacchi, who shot 72 in the second round.

Lawrence moved up to seventh place in the team standings. Carroll holds a nine-shot lead in the team standings.

The final round of the championship is slated for Saturday.

Results

Vikings rout Illinois College

The Lawrence University men’s tennis team routed Illinois College 9-0 in a nonconference match on Friday at the Lawrence Courts.

The Vikings (5-12) did not drop a set on their way to the shutout victory. Caleb Ray posted the most impressive victory of the day with a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles. He also teamed with Jeremy Andereck for a victory at No. 2 doubles.

Freshman Bile Ali earned his first collegiate singles victory with a 6-2, 6-3 at No. 6.

Results