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Lawrence student-athletes receive awards at Honors Celebration

APPLETON, Wis. — Nine Lawrence University student-athletes were recently honored at the 2013 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 Rose Tepper (Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon) was honored after an outstanding career in track and field. A five-time all-conference honoree in the high jump, Tepper was 2010 Midwest Conference outdoor champion. Tepper, who holds the Lawrence record indoors in the high jump, was a qualifier for the 2011 NCAA Division III Championships.

The Iden Charles Champion Cup is given for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability, college spirit and loyalty. Senior Tyler Mazur (Reedsburg, Wis./Reedsburg) completed an outstanding football career at Lawrence and remains a key contributor to the men’s basketball squad. Mazur finished his football career ranked fourth in receiving yards (2,253), fifth in catches (130), fifth in touchdown catches (25), fourth in total touchdowns (37) and fifth in points (224). Mazur also was a key member of the men’s basketball team and broke the school record by making nine 3-pointers in a game this past season.

The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Men is given the freshman man who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Brandon Boelter (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage) earned the award after an outstanding rookie season with the Lawrence hockey team. Boelter was a first-team All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association selection and was named to the All-MCHA Freshmen Team. Boelter led all defensemen in the conference in scoring with six goals and 15 assists for 21 points.

The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Women is given to the freshman woman who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Hayley Cardinal (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) won the award after a big impact on the swimming and track and field teams. Cardinal broke the Lawrence records in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200 breaststroke and placed second and third, respectively, in those events at the Midwest Conference Championships. Cardinal also was part of two record-setting relay teams. Cardinal also won a letter in track and field.

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 hockey player Brad Scurfield (Midland, Mich./Midland) was an All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association selection and was the team’s Most Valuable Player each of the past two seasons. Scurfield finished his career ranked in the top eight in school history in points, goals, assists and power-play goals.

The Charles E. Pond Award for Men is given for all-around athletic ability by a senior man in two or more sports and for sportsmanship, school spirit and scholarship. Sam Stevens (Suamico, Wis./Bay Port) was a four-time Midwest Conference champion in track and field was a 15-time All-Midwest Conference performer. The 2011 Midwest Conference cross country champion, Stevens led the Vikings to the team title. Stevens, who holds Lawrence track records in the mile, 3,000 meters and distance medley relay, was a four-time all-conference honoree in cross country.

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. Cathy Kaye (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Sevastopol) was a four-year starter in both softball and basketball and also earned a letter in cross country. Kaye was a three-time All-Midwest Conference softball selection and also earned All-Great Lakes Region honors. The team’s center fielder, Kaye also served as team captain.

The Marion Read Award is given for outstanding contributions to Lawrence athletics. Shannon Murray (Lawrenceville, Ga./Dacula) earned the award for the second consecutive year. A four-year starter in softball, Murray was named to the All-Midwest Conference honors for the last two seasons and was the 2013 North Division Pitcher of the Year. A team captain, Murray also was a two-time All-Great Lakes Region softball selection. Murray also served as a student athletic trainer for both women’s tennis and basketball.

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

Amanda Dwyer (Ralston, Neb./Ralston), cross country and track and field;

Cathy Kaye (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Sevastopol), basketball, cross country, softball;

Sam Stevens (Suamico, Wis./Bay Port), cross country and track and field;

Rose Tepper (Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon), indoor and outdoor track and field.

Adamovich joins Lawrence football coaching staff

APPLETON, Wis. — Ryan Adamovich has joined the Lawrence University football coaching staff, head football coach Mike Barthelmess announced today.

Adamovich will serve as the special teams coordinator and coach the wide receivers, Barthelmess said.

“I am very excited about the addition of Ryan Adamovich,” Barthelmess said. “Ryan is a native of the Fox Valley area and will immediately make a positive impact on our ability to recruit the state of Wisconsin. Coach Adamovich brings a strong knowledge base and great enthusiasm that I am certain will be greatly appreciated by our scholar-athletes. His most recent experience at the University of Dubuque has developed in Ryan a work ethic that I know will benefit everyone in which he comes in contact with. I couldn’t be happier about the addition of Ryan to our staff.”

Adamovich comes to Lawrence from the University of Dubuque, where he was a graduate assistant coach in 2011 and 2012. Adamovich coached the running backs in 2011 when Dubuque won the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a 7-1 record and finished with a 9-2 overall mark. The Spartans earned a berth in the 2011 NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time in 30 years.

Adamovich, who earned a Master of Arts degree in communications from Dubuque, then coached the wide receivers for the 2012 season. During his two seasons at Dubuque, the Spartans posted an overall record of 14-7.

A native of Kaukauna, Adamovich was an All-Fox Valley Association football selection at Kaukauna High School. He served as the football team captain and won a pair of letters for the Galloping Ghosts. Adamovich also won three letters in track and field and played basketball at Kaukauna.

A 2010 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran College, Adamovich earned a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in coaching. A standout wide receiver for the Warriors, Adamovich was a three-year starter and finished his career with 71 catches for 743 yards and six touchdowns. He was a member of the first football team at Wisconsin Lutheran, which didn’t have football until the 2002 season, to finish with a record above .500 in the Northern Athletics Conference.

Lawrence opens its 2013 football season when it travels to Cornell College on Sept. 7.

Brewer earns all-conference baseball honors

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University baseball standout Alex Brewer has been named to the All-Midwest Conference North Division team.

Brewer (Rio, Wis./Rio), a senior pitcher, made the all-conference team for the first time.

Brewer posted a 1-1 record in conference play with a stellar 2.88 earned run average. In 25 innings, Brewer allowed 25 hits, struck out 10 and walked 10.

In his first season as a starting pitcher, Brewer went 4-1 with a 3.52 ERA. He made six starts, pitched 46 innings, struck out 21 and walked 16.

Lawrence finished with an 11-24 overall record.

Midwest Conference news release

Murray earns all-region softball honors for third time

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University softball standout Shannon Murray has been to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Great Lakes Region Team.

Murray (Lawrenceville, Ga./Dacula) was a second-team selection in the utility category, and this marks the third time she has earned all-region honors in her career. Murray was a third-team selection in 2010 and 2012.

Murray was Lawrence’s top pitcher and top hitter this season.

In the circle, Murray posted a 13-11 record with a 2.32 earned run average in 148 innings. She struck out 93 and walked 22 while tossing a pair of shutouts and pitching a combined no-hitter, the third of her career.

Murray, who played first base and served as the team’s designated player, hit a team-high .379 with nine doubles, one triple, one homer and a team-high 22 runs batted in.

Murray was named the Midwest Conference North Division Pitcher of the Year and earned all-league honors for the second consecutive season. Murray led Lawrence to a second-place finish in the Midwest Conference.

This marks the 17th consecutive season that Lawrence has had at least one all-region selection.

Stevens takes steeplechase title as Lawrence men, women take seventh at MWC Championships

BELOIT, Wis. — Sam Stevens won the title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to lead the Lawrence University track teams at the Midwest Conference Championships on Saturday at Strong Stadium.

Stevens won the title with a time of 9:34.42 to beat Carroll University’s Dakota Pruitt by nearly three seconds. Teammate Cameron Davies raced to a fourth-place finish in 9:47.58.

Stevens also grabbed a third-place finish in the 5,000 on Saturday with a time of 1:34.64. Stevens wasn’t able to defend his championship in the 1,500 meters on Friday and took fifth place in 4:00.64. Teammate Dan Thoresen was sixth in 4:03.42.

The Lawrence men finished seventh with 54 points, and Monmouth College won the title with 201. The Lawrence women also placed seventh with 39 points, and the Scots also won that team title with 244.5 points.

The other top finisher on the men’s side was freshman JP Ranumas, who grabbed second in the 110 hurdles in 15.49 seconds. Karston Anderson of Monmouth edged Ranumas by .18 seconds for the title.

Lawrence had two throwers place in the top five in the discus. Spencer Swick grabbed third with a throw of 142-4, and Nick Craker was fifth with a toss of 137-4.

Others placing on the men’s side were: freshman Ben Bard in the 400 hurdles (sixth, 1:00.38), sophomore Kyle Dockery in the 10,000 (sixth, 33:29.10), Tyler Herman in the 400 (eighth, 51.67) and the 1,600 relay team (eighth, 3:34.51).

Rose Tepper took second place in the high jump to pace the Lawrence women on Friday. Tepper, a former conference champion in the high jump, was the runner-up with a jump of 5 feet, 5 inches. Monmouth College’s Emily Tysma won the event with a jump of 5-7.25.

Freshmen Sofie Yang placed in three events, taking fourth in the pole vault with a height of 10-0.75, sixth in the 400 hurdles in 1:08.88 and sixth in the 100 hurdles in 16.46 seconds.

Anna Bolgrien wasn’t able to defend her title in the 400 hurdles and took fourth in 1:06.12. She also grabbed seventh in the 100 hurdles in 16:52. Also placing for the Vikings were the 400 relay (fifth, 51.40), the 1,600 relay (fifth, 4:14.26), Liza Girsova in the 100 meters (seventh, 13.03) and Genna Matt in the hammer throw (eighth, 121-7.25).

Results

Murray, Tatro takes top honors on All-MWC softball team

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University softball star Shannon Murray and head coach Kim Tatro took home top individual honors on the All-Midwest Conference North Division team.

Murray (Lawrenceville, Ga./Dacula) was named North Division Pitcher of the Year, and Tatro earned Coach of the Year honors. Both Cathy Kaye (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Sevastopol) and Anna Wawiorka (Oconto Falls, Wis./Oconto Falls) also were named to the all-conference team.

Murray won Pitcher of the Year honors for the first time and was named to the all-conference team for the second consecutive season.

Murray went 5-6 in conference play but posted an outstanding 2.17 earned run average. She struck out 39 and walked 12 in 67.2 innings. Murray also hit .513 in league play with four doubles and 11 runs batted in in 14 games.

On the season, Murray posted a 13-11 record with a 2.32 ERA in 148 innings. She struck out 93 and walked 22 while tossing a pair of shutouts and pitching a combined no-hitter, the third of her career. Murray also hit a team-high .379 with nine doubles, one triple, one homer and a team-high 22 RBIs.

Tatro was honored as Coach of the Year for the seventh time in 20 seasons at Lawrence. Tatro, who has more wins (321 in softball, 412 overall) than any coach in Lawrence history, led the team to 21 victories this season. Lawrence’s second-place finish in the conference was its best since winning the title in 1999. Tatro also was named Coach of the Year in 2011, 2006, 2002, 1999, 1998 and 1997.

Kaye, who also was named to the all-conference team in 2010 and 2011, hit .283 in league play and scored a team-high 10 runs. She also had two doubles, two homers and five RBIs. On the season, Kaye started every game in center field and hit .307 with 21 RBIs. She led the team with 11 doubles and three home runs, including a dramatic three-run, walk-off homer against St. Norbert College in the MWC Tournament.

Wawiorka is the first Lawrence freshman to be on the all-conference team since Kaye was selected in 2010. The rookie third baseman was second on the team with a .341 batting average in conference play with four doubles and five RBIs. On the season, she was third on the squad with a .319 batting average with 10 doubles, one triple and 14 RBIs. She also led the team with 10 stolen bases.

Lawrence finished the season with a 21-15 record and took second in the MWC Tournament.

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings looking to take a step up on the track

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University track coach Jason Fast knows all about champions. He was one himself during his days of competition, and he’s coached countless conference and national champions.

When his Lawrence University track teams open competition on Friday at the Midwest Conference Championships in Beloit, Wis., Fast has several athletes fighting for individual titles. He also has dozens of other athletes competing for championships inside the championships, fighting to move up one place here or two places there to provide precious points for the Vikings.

“As a team it’s going to be a close competition for fifth to eighth place, and we see ourselves right in the middle of that,” Fast said of his men’s squad. “If we rise to the occasion as a team and have a couple of events go our way, then we will end up on the higher end of that spectrum. We have a good amount of entries that are currently ranked just outside the top eight who we believe will be able to step up and really help the team.”

The Lawrence men are paced by senior Sam Stevens, who is the defending champion in the 1,500 meters. Stevens will face stiff competition if he wants to repeat in the 1,500, and he also is a contender for two other titles Stevens is the top-ranked runner in the 3,000 steeplechase with a time of 9:28.57, and he has the second-fastest time in the league in the 5,000 at 15:14. 

The Vikings also will look to distance runners like Dan Thoresen and Jamie Brisbois to pick up points in a few events.

Freshman JP Ranumas is looking for a championship in the 110 hurdles and is tied for the second-fastest time in the league at 15.63 seconds. Ranumas also looks to pick up points for the Vikings in the triple jump.

Lawrence is led in the field events by sophomore Spencer Swick, who is ranked fourth in the shotput with a toss of 45 feet, 6 inches. Swick, Andy Paider and Nick Craker form the trio of throwers for Lawrence and could place in any of the throwing events.

Sophomore Anna Bolgrien is Lawrence’s returning champion on the women’s side after winning the 400 hurdles a season ago in 1:05.60. She enters the meet with the second-fastest time in the league at 1:05.75. The Vikings will be looking to place three athletes in the 400 hurdles because rookies Sofie Yang, ranked fifth in that event, and Hayley Cardinal, ranked 10th, give Lawrence a strong presence. 

Lawrence will need some strong performances throughout its lineup to move up from a seventh-place finish in 2012.

“We will be competing against Beloit and Knox for eighth place,” Fast said. “Our team has a lot more upside then those we are competing against, and we have some people in other events that are ready to step up and really turn some heads so that bodes well for us.”

Senior Rose Tepper looks to end her career with another conference championship in the high jump. Tepper is ranked fourth in the league at 5-3 and also is one of the top-eight runners in the league in the 200.

In addition to the 400 hurdles, Yang could pull down more points for the Vikings as she is ranked sixth in the pole vault and seventh in the 100 hurdles. Yang also has an outside shot at placing in the triple jump.

In the other field events, freshman Genna Matt set a school record recently in the hammer throw at 118-10 and also will try to place in the javelin.

Four honored in softball

In the wake of Lawrence’s second-place finish in the conference, three Vikings have been named to the all-conference softball squad and Kim Tatro earned North Division Coach of the Year honors.

Shannon Murray was selected as North Division Pitcher of the Year, and Cathy Kaye and Anna Wawiorka both were also chosen for the all-conference team.

Murray went 5-6 in conference play but posted an outstanding 2.17 earned run average. She struck out 39 and walked 12 in 67.2 innings. Murray also hit .513 in league play with four doubles and 11 runs batted in in 14 games.

Kaye hit .283 in league play and scored a team-high 10 runs. She also had two doubles, two homers and five RBIs. Wawiorka was second on the team with a .341 batting average in conference play with four doubles and five RBIs.

Tatro was honored as Coach of the Year for the seventh time in 20 seasons at Lawrence. Tatro, who has more wins than any coach in Lawrence history, led the team to 21 victories this 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.

Vikings win with walk-off in opener, split doubleheader with Carroll

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University baseball team won the opener in a walk-off on Wednesday and went on to split a Midwest Conference doubleheader with Carroll University at Whiting Field.

Lawrence (11-24, 2-14 MWC) won a wild one, 9-8, in the opener, and Carroll (16-19, 5-11) took the nightcap 12-3.

The Vikings took a see-saw affair in the opener by scoring a run in the bottom of the ninth. Carroll had tied it at 8-8 in the top half of the inning, but Aaron Benz led off the bottom of the ninth with a single.

After a sacrifice bunt moved pinch-runner Tom Olson to second, Tanner DeBettencourt tripled to dead center field and Olson scored to give Lawrence the 9-8 victory.

Davide Harris went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs in the opener for the Vikings. Dan Taylor went 3-for-4 and also drove in a pair of runs for Lawrence. Benz and Gabe Warshaw both had two hits, and Phil Wisniewski belted a solo homer for the Vikings.

Gene Shipanik pitched the ninth and picked up the win for the Vikings. Chris James took the loss in relief for Carroll.

Joe Klobukowski went 5-for-6, scored three runs and drove in a pair for the Pioneers.

In the nightcap, Tyler Robers scattered nine hits over seven innings and allowed only three runs to earn the victory.

The Pioneers trailed 2-1 but scored five times in the top of the sixth to take command. Carroll then added five more runs in the top of the eighth to seal the victory. Mitch Marty went 3-for-5 to pace the Carroll offense.

DeBettencourt and Warshaw had two hits apiece for Lawrence.

Game one box score

Game two box score

Cornell tops Vikings to win MWC title

APPLETON, Wis. — Jackie Sernek tossed a two-hit shutout to lead Cornell College to a 9-0 victory over Lawrence University on Sunday in the Midwest Conference Tournament championship game at Whiting Field.

It was the first league title for the Rams (23-14), who rejoined the conference for the 2012-13 academic year after a 15-year absence. Lawrence’s second-place finish was its best showing in the conference since since the Vikings (21-15) won the league title in 1999. Lawrence’s 21 wins in 2013 is the most for the Vikings since they won 31 games back in 1999.

Sernek allowed only two singles and struck out seven while walking two to send Cornell to its first NCAA Division III Tournament appearance.

Renata Rankin powered the offense for Cornell as she went 3-for-4 and drove in five runs.

Rankin hit a three-run homer off Kara Vance in the top of the second to put the Rams up 3-0. She then added a two-run double in the fourth to give the Rams a 5-0 lead. Brianna Carney followed with a two-run homer in the fourth, and the Rams led 7-0.

Cornell added a pair of runs on Bekah Ozga’s two-run single in the seventh.

Vance went 3.1 innings and took the loss for the Vikings.

Box score

Kaye’s walk-off homer propels Lawrence into MWC championship game

APPLETON, Wis. — Cathy Kaye hit a walk-off three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the Lawrence University softball team to a 5-4 win over St. Norbert College in an elimination game on Sunday at the Midwest Conference Tournament.

The win puts Lawrence (21-14) into the MWC championship game against Cornell College at Whiting Field.

The Vikings trailed 4-2 heading to the bottom of the seventh, but lead-off hitter Alissa Geipel reached on error to start the rally. Cory Paquette then laced a double to right field, and the Vikings had runners at second and third with no outs. Kaye then smacked the first pitch from Morgan Rusch over the center field fence to win it for Lawrence.

Shannon Murray went the distance to pick up the win for Lawrence. She allowed only five hits, struck out two and did not walk a batter. Rusch took the loss, allowed seven hits, and walked one.

Cory Paquette went 2-for-3 for the Vikings, and Kaye scored two runs to go with her three runs batted in.

The Vikings went up 1-0 in the bottom of the first when Savanna Marsicek reached on an infield single, stole second and scored on Anna Wawiorka’s single. St. Norbert tied it with a run in the fourth and then added two more in the fifth.

The Vikings cut the lead to 3-2 with an unearned run. After Kaye reached on an error, she moved to second when Tierney Duffy walked. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, and Kaye then scored on Murray’s single to cut the lead to 3-2.

St. Norbert added an insurance run in the top of the seventh before Kaye’s dramatic home run won it in the bottom half of the inning.

Box score