Men’s Basketball

Category: Men’s Basketball

Ripon tops Vikings in overtime

APPLETON, Wis. — Ty Sabin scored 34 points and the Ripon College men’s basketball team enjoyed a huge advantage at the foul line as the Red Hawks downed Lawrence University 89-79 in overtime Saturday in a Midwest Conference game at Alexander Gymnasium.

Sabin hit 9-of-18 shots from the floor and went 13-for-14 from the foul line to pace Ripon (3-1, 2-0 MWC). Kyle Loughrin had a double-double for Ripon with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Jamie Nikitas recorded his third consecutive double-double to start the season with 28 points and 11 rebounds for the Vikings (2-1, 0-1). Trace Sonnleitner scored a career-high 23 points for the Vikings and added six rebounds.

Ripon won the game at the foul line where the Red Hawks connected on 29-of-39. Lawrence was just 9-of-15 from the line, and the Vikings were whistled for 30 fouls, compared to 15 for Ripon.

Ripon took charge in the overtime by scoring the first nine points of the extra period, highlighted by Loughrin’s three-point play, to lead 83-74 with 2:09 left. Lawrence cut the margin to as close as five points at 84-79 on a pair of Nikitas free throws with 50 ticks left.

Ripon then connected on 5-of-6 shots from the foul line to seal the win.

Lawrence had built a 12-point edge at 50-38 with 13:56 left in the second half before Ripon rallied. The Red Hawks scored nine consecutive points before Nikitas’ 3-pointer with 9:57 left gave Lawrence a 53-47 lead.

Ripon kept the pressure on and went on a 17-4 run to take a 64-57 lead with 4:29 left. Ryan DePouw quickly scored the next four points, Sonnleitner hit a 3-pointer and Nikitas got a driving layup to tie the game at 66-66 with 2:51 left.

Ripon built the lead back to 72-67 with 48 seconds remaining in regulation before Sonnleiter drilled another 3-pointer. After a pair of free throws from Sabin, Nikitas answered with a layup to cut the lead to 74-72. The Red Hawks turned it over, and Nikitas drove uncontested to the basket for another layup and tied it at 74-74 with eight seconds left.

Sabin missed a jumper with two seconds left that would have won it in regulation.

Box score

Vikings take down Wisconsin Lutheran 68-65

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Jeremy Stephani hit a key 3-pointer and Trace Sonnleitner made two clutch free throws to lift the Lawrence University men’s basketball team to a 68-65 nonconference victory over Wisconsin Lutheran College on Tuesday at the Recreation Complex.

Jamie Nikitas recorded his second consecutive double-double to begin the season with 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Vikings (2-0). Sonnleitner poured in a career-high 22 points and Troy Miller added 13 points for Lawrence.

Jake Jarnigo led Wisconsin Lutheran (0-1) and all scorers with 29 points. Jim Marose added 14 points, and Brett Lubbe had a game-high 12 rebounds for the Warriors.

The teams swapped the lead throughout, and Andrew Borresen’s 3-pointer with 4:08 left tied it at 59-59 for the Vikings. Lawrence followed that with a free throw from Nikitas and a Sonnleitner 3-pointer for a 63-59 edge.

Jarnigo countered with a 3-pointer for the Warriors to trim the margin to 63-62, but Stephani buried a 3-pointer from the left corner with 1:19 left.

The Vikings still led 66-62 when Marose went to the foul line with 47 seconds left. He missed both free throws, but the Warriors got the rebound, and Jarnigo buried a 3-pointer with 41 seconds left to cut the lead to 66-65.

Sonnleitner was fouled with just 7.4 seconds left and drained both free throws to put the Vikings back up by three. Jarnigo missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have tied it.

Lawrence returns home to begin Midwest Conference play on Saturday when the Vikings host Ripon College.

Box score

 

Hot-shooting Miller named MWC Player of the Week

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Troy Miller

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

Miller (Lake In The Hills, Ill./Huntley) earned the honor after a stellar shooting day in Lawrence’s 66-49 season-opening win over Dominican (Ill.) University this past Saturday. Miller, a junior guard who had never scored more than eight points in a game, scored a career-high 21 points by hitting 7-of-11 shots from 3-point range against the Stars.

Miller, who also picked up three rebounds, two assists and two steals with zero turnovers in 35 minutes, hit five 3-pointers in a row in the second half as Lawrence pulled away for the victory. The seven 3-pointers in a game ties for the third-highest total in Lawrence history.

It was the first Player of the Week award for Miller, who was making his first career start.

Lawrence returns to action on Tuesday when it travels to Wisconsin Lutheran College for a nonconference game.

Lawrence shoots past Stars 66-49

APPLETON, Wis. — Troy Miller enjoyed a stellar shooting night to lead the Lawrence University men’s basketball team to a 66-49 nonconference victory over Dominican (Ill.) University in the season opener on Saturday at Alexander Gymnasium.

Miller went 7-for-11 from 3-point range on his way to a career-high 21 points for the Vikings (1-0).  Miller, who had never scored in double digits in a game, scored 15 points in the second half as the Vikings pulled away.

Jamie Nikitas had a double-double for the Vikings with 16 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Peter Winslow, making his first career start for Lawrence, scored 11 points and tied for game-high honors with four assists. Trace Sonnleitner added seven points, four assists, four rebounds and three blocks for the Vikings.

Freshman Jeremy Stephani played 28 minutes and scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds in his Lawrence debut. The Vikings played without star swingman Ryan DePouw, who missed the game due to injury.

Tim Robertson paced Dominican (0-1) with 14 points, and Josh Mayberry added nine.

Lawrence built and early 13-point lead, but the Stars finished the first half on a 14-5 run to trim the margin to 25-21 at the break.

Miller then hit four 3-pointers as part of a 22-8 run over the first nine minutes of the second half that pushed Lawrence’s lead to 18 points. The Vikings pulled out to a 47-29 advantage and would build that lead to as many as 23 points.

Dominican never got closer than 13 points over the final 10 minutes of the game.

Lawrence hits the road for a nonconference game Tuesday at Wisconsin Lutheran College.

Box score

Inside LU Athletics: Balanced Vikings set to turn the page on new season

APPLETON, Wis. — When half your team graduates in any given year, the following season generally isn’t one filled with great expectations.

The Lawrence University men’s basketball squad seems to be the exception to that rule. Despite losing eight seniors, including three starters, to graduation, the Vikings still figure to be players in the Midwest Conference race this season.

“The goal was to start new. We needed a new dynamic, a new personality, for the team,” Lawrence coach Joel DePagter said. “New guys are now captains, new guys are the leaders. We are starting over a little bit. Turn the page and start a new chapter in the program.”

That new chapter begins with the two returning starters, guards Ryan DePouw and Jamie Nikitas.

DePouw, a senior 6-foot-3 swingman, averaged 15.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season while shooting 53.7 percent from the floor. DePouw has quietly put together a very good career and is closing in on 1,000 career points.

“Ryan DePouw is just a nightmare mismatch for most teams,” DePagter said. “Big guys can’t guard him, and he’s so strong that smaller players can’t guard him. You can’t be physical with him because he loves that, and you can’t sit off him because he shoots it so well.”

DePouw, who shot 43.8 percent from beyond the arc last season, also passes it pretty well. He was second on the team last season at 2.7 assists per game.

“He (DePouw) led the state of Wisconsin in scoring his senior year in high school, but he’s the most unselfish player I’ve ever seen,” DePagter said. “It’s like an oxymoron. That’s when I have to get on him because he’s been too unselfish. Other guys now have to look for him rather than the other way around.”

The explosive Nikitas blossomed as a sophomore, averaging 14.3 points and a team-best 5.6 rebounds per game last season.

“The guys call him call the Greek Freak,” DePagter said. “He has long arms, and he has a different kind of gear athletically. He’s everywhere. He can move from A to B faster than any guy I’ve ever seen.”

That was evident in his quickness on the defensive end of the floor. Nikitas averaged a team-best 2.4 steals per game last season.

“Jamie has really improved in every area,” DePagter said. “He is an intense, vocal competitor. His leadership this year has been fantastic.”

While DePouw and Nikitas are proven stars, the Vikings have a number of playing waiting in the wings to step into starring roles. Junior forward Trace Sonnleitner and junior guard Troy Miller will be joined by senior forward Andrew Borresen in the starting lineup. All three have been key reserves in past seasons but will now have to embrace a larger role.

“We have very capable guys who have played in key games but haven’t started,” DePagter said. “I’m excited about it because we have guys who are going to get their first real opportunities.

“Ryan and Jamie are the keys for us, but we have a lot of guys who have to fill in the gaps.”

The Vikings also will get contributions from their younger players. Sophomores like Mitch Willer, the biggest man on the squad at 6-7, Peter Winslow and Connor Weas, along with freshman Jeremy Stephani, will have an impact in a rotation that could go 10 to 12 players deep.

“I like this team. I love the way they practice. Our leadership has been fantastic,” DePagter said.

“The mark of a great program is if you can reboot and reload a little bit. Can we keep it up and be competitive or exceed what we’ve done in the past after losing eight seniors.”

Lawrence men’s basketball picks up NABC academic honors

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University men’s basketball has earned both team and individual academic honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Lawrence won a NABC Team Academic Excellence Award and four players were named to the Honors Court.

The team award goes to squads with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0. Lawrence’s 16 student-athletes had a cumulative GPA of 3.11. Lawrence was one of three Midwest Conference schools to win the Team Academic Excellence Award.

Senior guard Tom Antosz (Norridge, Ill./Ridgewood), senior forward Adam Breseman (Baileys Harbor, Wis./Gibraltar) senior forward Tyler Mazur (Reedsburg, Wis./Reedsburg) and junior forward Andrew Borresen (West Bend, Wis./Living Word Lutheran) were all named to the Honors Court.

For individuals to be eligible for the Honor Court, they must be a junior or senior and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2.

Borresen had the highest GPA among the Lawrence players at 3.90 and is majoring in history. Breseman is at 3.71 and earned a degree in biology. Mazur is at 3.56 and graduated with a degree in biology. Antosz is at 3.49 and earned a degree in history.

 

Inside LU Athletics: Siebert to play with D3 stars in Brazil

APPLETON, Wis. — Chris Siebert is taking his substantial hoops game global.

The Lawrence University men’s basketball star is part of a 10-player team of NCAA Division III standouts from around the country that will travel to Brazil to play four games later this month.

Siebert (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) was contemplating the end of his college basketball career back in March when he read the email inviting him to be a member of the all-star squad.

“I always had the thought in the back of my mind that I wanted to play in Europe and then this came up,” Siebert said. “I’m excited. I’m really excited.”

A 6-foot-2 guard who graduated with a degree in government last month, Siebert views the trip to Brazil as helping the goal of playing professionally overseas.

“Playing professionally has always been a major dream. My dad (Dr. John Siebert) and I have talked about playing in Europe since middle school,” Siebert said.

“I needed a little kick in the pants. I didn’t know the process of who to talk to, where to play. I needed something to come up.”

And then came the email from USA Sports Tours and Events, which organized the trip.

“I knew if I didn’t play overseas, in a couple of years, I would really regret it,” Siebert said. “The summer after I graduated from college would be the summer to try.”

Siebert capped a stellar career by earning first-team All-Midwest Conference honors and third-team All-Midwest Region honors this past season.

A three-time all-conference pick, Siebert averaged 17.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game for the Vikings. Siebert shot 46.8 percent from the floor, including 46.2 percent from 3-point range, and converted 81.7 percent of his free throws.

Siebert finished his career fourth in scoring at Lawrence with 1,360 points. He trails only All-American Chris Braier, Lawrence Hall of Famer Joel Dillingham and All-American Ryan Kroeger.

“Chris has talked for years about his dream of playing basketball professionally, and this will certainly help him get closer to realizing that dream,” Lawrence coach Joel DePagter said. “I think he realizes what a great opportunity this team is, and hopefully he meets the right people and gets a chance.”

Recent Lawrence graduates Braier and Chris Page both played pro basketball in Europe, and Siebert is keeping alive the tradition of great players for the Vikings, according to DePagter.

“It’s yet another example of the caliber of student-athlete involved in the LU men’s basketball program,” DePagter said. “Being selected on this team is a special honor and will be a great opportunity for Chris to showcase his talents while he represents the entire school and Lawrence basketball.”

The team, which includes all-region selections Ryan Mile of Colorado College  and Robert Kitzinger of Trinity (Texas) University, will leave on Monday and return on July 30. The team will play three games in the state of Sao Paulo and another game in Rio de Janeiro all while taking in some of the country’s famous landmarks.

“I kind of said, it’s now or never,” Siebert said. “I want to be in the game somehow, even when I’m working. This will give me a kick me in the right direction, jump start me.”

Siebert just returned from an exposure camp in Las Vegas featuring about 180 players from Division I to Division III.

“It was really competitive, great stuff,” said Siebert, who is working hard on improving his already well-rounded game.

“I’ve been working a lot on defense, actually. This last week in Vegas I tried picking up full-court more. I’m working on lateral quickness and being comfortable trying to pressure someone. That’s one way to make yourself more memorable if you’re in the other guy’s shorts and making them uncomfortable. Offensively, I want to showcase my strengths, and defensively be a different player than I have been.”

Six to be inducted into Lawrence Hall of Fame

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame will welcome six new members when two coaches and four athletes are inducted in October.

Current softball coach and Associate Director of Athletics Kim Tatro and former men’s basketball coach John Tharp will be inducted, along with softball and volleyball star Jenny Burris, men’s basketball standout Doug Fyfe, track and field star Don Kersemeier and football standout Zach Michael.

The induction ceremony takes place on Oct. 10, and the inductees will be honored at the Fall Festival football game on Oct. 11. The public is welcome to attend and may call 920-832-7019 to make a reservation.

Jenny Burris Paramski, Class of 2004

Jenny Burris was a two-sport star that rewrote the Lawrence softball record book and collected a bevy of post-season awards.

A four-time All-Midwest Conference North Division selection and four-time All-Great Lakes Region pick, Burris played shortstop and was a career .436 hitter. Burris won North Division Player of the Year in 2002 and 2003, and earned first-team all-region honors in the final three years of her career.

Burris set Lawrence career records in hits (184), runs scored (123), doubles (38), triples (10), total bases (266) and stolen bases (103). She hit a career-best .494 in 2003 and drove in a career-high 27 runs in 2004.

Burris set Lawrence season records with 37 runs scored and 79 total bases in 2001 and 37 stolen bases in 2002. She also set a Lawrence game record with three doubles vs. Thomas College in 2003.

Led by Burris, the Vikings won North Division titles in 2002 and 2003 and earned a berth in the Midwest Conference Tournament for three consecutive years from 2002 through 2004. Lawrence compiled a record of 71-57-1 and had four consecutive winning seasons during Burris’ time with the team.

Burris was nearly as good on the volleyball court as she was on the softball diamond. A three-time All-Midwest Conference selection, Burris was a first-team selection in 2000 and 2003 and was a second-team pick in 2001. Burris finished her career as the Lawrence leader with 1,908 digs and was sixth with 652 kills.

An outside hitter, Burris played more of an offensive role as a freshman in 2000 and piled up a career-best 228 kills, an average of 2.48 per set, and 376 digs. Burris was a defensive specialist during her senior season and set both season and match records for digs in 2003. She piled up 39 digs to set the match record against Carroll University and finished the season with a record 769 digs.

Burris was a star on the 2001 team that set a school record with a 19-12 mark and posted the school’s highest finish ever, third place, in the Midwest Conference.

Burris works as an accounting officer and the facilities and purchasing manager at Libertyville Bank and Trust. She and her husband, Eric, live in Beach Park, Ill., with their two dogs, Onnie and Rosie.

Doug Fyfe, Class of 1976

Doug Fyfe was a dominant post player for the Lawrence University basketball squad and set a career scoring standard that would stand for nearly two decades.

The 6-foot-5 center from Palatine, Ill., scored 1,342 points to set the school’s career scoring record. He broke the record of fellow Hall of Famer Joel Ungrodt, who set the mark of 1,247 from 1961-64.

A two-time All-Midwest Conference selection, Fyfe averaged 15.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor for his career. The 15.7 scoring average ranked fifth in school history when he graduated and is still good for seventh on the list. Fyfe grabbed 710 rebounds, which trails only All-American Chris Braier and Brad Childs on the career list.

Fyfe also set Lawrence records for field goals made (500), free throws made (342) and free throws attempted (532).

A team captain, Fyfe enjoyed his best scoring season in 1974-75 when he averaged a career-best 18.1 points and had a career-best 8.6 rebounds per contest. He wasn’t far off that mark during his senior season in 1975-76 when he averaged 17.1 points per game while shooting 54.4 percent from the floor. In both of those seasons, Fyfe earned second-team all-conference honors.

Led by Fyfe, the Vikings started to turn the basketball program around. During his final season of 1975-76, Lawrence hit double digits with 10 victories. It marked the first time Lawrence had won at least 10 games in a season since 1953-54.

Fyfe, who received his law degree from DePaul University College of Law in 1982, is a partner at Bollenbeck Fyfe, S.C., in Appleton. He and his wife, Linda, have four children, Geoff and Ross Fyfe and Patrick and Andrew Rock, and one grandchild.

Don Kersemeier, Class of 1963

Don Kersemeier is one of the fastest men in Lawrence University history. Kersemeier set a trio of Lawrence dash records and won multiple Midwest Conference track and field titles.

A native of Wausau, Wis., Kersemeier was a four-time Midwest Conference champion, winning two titles outdoors and two more indoors. Kersemeier competed for only two varsity seasons, missing one season while studying for a year in India on a Carnegie Foundation grant and freshmen weren’t eligible for varsity competition back then.

Kersemeier was a star on the freshmen team and came out blazing as a sophomore in 1961. He won the 60-yard dash at the Midwest Conference indoor championships. Kersemeier became the man to beat during the outdoor season as he ran the 100 and 220 and was a member of the 880 and mile relay teams.

Kersemeier broke a pair of school records while competing in dual meets against Ripon College in 1961. In April 1961, Kersemeier won the 100 in 9.6 seconds, breaking the 22-year-old record of 9.7 set by Joe Graf at the Beloit College Relays in 1939. Prior to Graf’s record-setting time, the previous mark had stood for 41 years after Jay Merrill set the mark of 9.8 in 1898.

Competing against Ripon in May 1961, Kersemeier broke the record in the 220 as he blazed to victory in 21.0 seconds. That broke the mark of 21.3 set by Bob Whitelaw in 1948. Kersemeier also teamed with Bob Buchanan, Joel Blahnik and Mike Ulwelling to set the school record of 1:35.2 in the 880 relay indoors.

Also highlighting the 1961 outdoor season was a victory in the 100 at the prestigious Beloit Relays and top-three finishes in both the 100 and 220 at the Midwest Conference Championships.

After studying in India in 1961-62, Kersemeier returned to Lawrence in the fall of 1962 and was unbeatable the following spring. Kersemeier started during the indoor season by breaking the school record in the 60-yard dash with a winning time of 6.4 seconds at the Midwest Conference indoor meet.

Kersemeier then piled up 14 event victories during the course of the outdoor season. He was unbeaten in the 100 and 220 during the season and ran on the mile relay team, which picked up multiple victories. Kersemeier capped his career by winning both the 100 in 10.1 seconds and the 220 in 21.5 seconds at the Midwest Conference Championships at Carleton College.

Kersemeier was a two-time winner of the DeGoy Ellis Trophy, which goes to the track man scoring the most points during the season. He captured the award in 1961 and again in 1963.

Kersemeier, who earned his master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, spent his professional career as an educator. He was a teacher at Glenbrook North High School and the assistant principal for instruction at Glenbard East High School before becoming the principal at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Ill. He retired in 1997.

Kersemeier and his wife, Mary, have three children, Carolyn, Susan and Craig, and 11 grandchildren. The Kersemeiers split their time between Arlington Heights, Ill., and Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

Zach Michael, Class of 2004

Zach Michael is the most prolific pass catcher in the storied history of Lawrence University football. The Appleton native is Lawrence’s career leader in catches, receiving yards and touchdown catches.

Playing wide receiver, Michael was a four-time All-Midwest Conference selection and earned freshman All-America honors in 2000. Michael caught 248 passes for 3,842 yards and 40 touchdowns.

Michael, who played his prep football at Appleton East High School for Lawrence All-American Pat Schwanke, also stands as one of the greatest receivers in Midwest Conference and NCAA Division III history. He set the conference career record for both catches and receiving yards and was fourth in touchdown catches. In Division III, Michael was 12th in receiving yards, 14th in catches and 18th in touchdown catches when he graduated.

Michael set Lawrence game records for catches and yards vs. Monmouth College when he grabbed 15 passes for 279 yards in 2001. Michael also set the Lawrence game record for touchdown catches, grabbing four TD passes against St. Norbert College in 2003. Michael also set the Lawrence record for the longest pass play when he caught a 96-yard touchdown pass from R.J. Rosenthal vs. Monmouth in 2001.

Michael, who caught a pass in all 40 of his games at Lawrence, set the season record when he made 77 catches in 2001. His 1,207 receiving yards in 2001 is the second-highest total in school history.

Michael, who also played baseball as a freshman, works as a senior premier banker at BMO Harris Bank in Appleton. He and his wife, Kayla, live in De Pere and have two children, Hailey and Shawn, and a third child is due in December.

Kim Tatro

Kim Tatro has put together a record that is unmatched in Lawrence history. In 29 seasons (21 in softball, eight in volleyball), Tatro has compiled 430 victories to date, 127 more wins than any coach in Lawrence history.

In 21 seasons as the softball coach, the native of Naperville, Ill., has a record of 339-309-1, and her Vikings won Midwest Conference championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999. A seven-time Midwest Conference North Division Coach of the Year (2013, 2011, 2006, 2002, 1999, 1998, 1997), Tatro’s Vikings qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament in 1998 and 1999, and Lawrence had a 4-4 mark in those two tournament appearances.

Under Tatro’s guidance, the Vikings have won six North Division championships (1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005) and qualified for the MWC Tournament 10 times since 1997. Lawrence has been to the MWC Tournament in each of the last two seasons, earning a second-place finish in 2013.

The 1999 squad set the school season record with 31 victories, and Tatro’s teams have the top 12 season win totals in school history. Lawrence has compiled a record of 113-105 in conference play during Tatro’s tenure. The Vikings have fared very well against the North Division during Tatro’s career with a record of 104-82. Tatro’s Vikings have winning records against Beloit College (29-18), Carroll University (28-15) and Ripon College (27-22) and won 12 of 14 games against St. Norbert College during one stretch.

Tatro’s first softball season was 1994, and she took over a program that was rebuilding. Just four seasons later, Lawrence had claimed its first MWC championship and piled up 28 victories.

Over the past 21 seasons, Lawrence has had 60 All-MWC selections and 11 players win North Division Pitcher of the Year or Player of the Year. Lawrence has had 35 All-Great Lakes Region selections since 1997. Lawrence also has had more than 50 Academic All-MWC softball selections since 1994, and 47 Vikings have earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete awards.

Tatro guided the Lawrence volleyball team from 1993-2000, and she holds the school record with 91 victories. Her best season as the volleyball coach was 1998 when the Vikings finished 17-12. The 17 victories is the third-highest season win total in Lawrence history. Tatro had 11 All-MWC selections in eight seasons and nearly 20 academic all-conference picks.

This is not the first Hall of Fame selection for Tatro, who has twice been selected for the St. Norbert College Hall of Fame. She was selected individually in 1999 and as a member of the 1984-85 basketball team in 2005. Tatro also was chosen for the Waubonsie Valley High School Hall of Fame in 1993.

Tatro also currently serves as Lawrence’s associate director of athletics and has served in athletics administration at Lawrence for 13 years.

John Tharp

John Tharp changed Lawrence University basketball and put the Vikings on the national stage. In 13 seasons as the Lawrence coach, Tharp compiled a record of 204-108 for a cool .654 winning percentage.

Tharp’s Vikings won four Midwest Conference championships, reached the Elite Eight of the 2004 NCAA Division III Tournament and achieved a No. 1 national ranking. During the three-season stretch from 2003-04 through 2005-06, Lawrence put together the best record among all NCAA Division III schools at 69-12.

Tharp collected seven different Coach of the Year awards, including Midwest Conference Coach of the Year four times (1997, 2004, 2005, 2006). Tharp also earned National Association of Basketball Coaches Midwest Region Coach of the Year accolades in 2004 and 2006 and was named Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2006.

When Tharp came to Lawrence in 1994, the Vikings had never won more than 13 games in a season and hadn’t won a league championship since 1943. In just his third season as head coach, 1996-97, Lawrence went 22-3, won the Midwest Conference championship and played in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time.

Tharp’s teams then put together a remarkable run from 2003-04 through 2005-06 by winning three consecutive conference championships. The 2003-04 team reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Tournament, a first for a Midwest Conference team. The 2005-06 team was the last unbeaten team in the nation and was ranked No. 1 for the final weeks of the season by D3hoops.com. That team went on to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Tharp’s postseason record was 10-3 in Midwest Conference Tournament play and 5-4 in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Vikings won four Midwest Conference Tournaments under Tharp and appeared in the tournament seven times.

Tharp also served as Lawrence’s golf coach for 10 seasons from 1995-2004, and the Vikings had a top finish of second place in 2003. Tharp, who was the associate director of athletics during the latter years of his career at Lawrence, also coached MWC champions Jeff Henderson in 2002 and Joe Loehnis in 2003.

A native of Sheboygan, Wis., Tharp has served as the head men’s basketball coach at Hillsdale College since 2007. He and his wife, Jennifer, live in Hillsdale, Mich., and have three children, McKayla, Logan and Lukas.

Lawrence student-athletes honored on academic all-conference team

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University had 165 student-athletes earn Academic All-Midwest Conference honors for 2013-14.

To be eligible for selection, a student-athlete must have a minimum grade point average of 3.3 during the academic year.

The women’s swimming and diving team led Lawrence with 16 student-athletes honored. Lawrence had five other teams that had double-digit selections — women’s outdoor track and field, women’s cross country, women’s indoor track and field, women’s soccer and men’s soccer.

The women’s outdoor track and field team was next with 15 student-athletes honored. Women’s cross country had 13 of its 16 team members chosen, and women’s indoor track and field had 13 selections. Women’s soccer had 10 selections, and women’s tennis saw nine of its 11 student-athletes chosen.

Lawrence’s top men’s team was soccer, which had 10 selections. Men’s golf had seven of its 11 student-athletes chosen.

Lawrence had 64 student-athletes chosen from the fall season, 57 from the winter season and 44 from the spring season.

Complete list