Men’s Basketball

Category: Men’s Basketball

Vikings pull away late to down Illinois College

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — A scoring run in the final nine minutes Friday helped the Lawrence University men’s basketball team pull away for a 78-70 Midwest Conference victory over Illinois College at Sherman Gymnasium.

The Vikings went on a 14-5 run over a six-minute stretch that expanded their lead to 14 points at 72-58 with 2:55 left. Illinois College never got closer than the final margin after that.

Mitch Willer hit 6-of-7 shots from the floor on his way to leading a balanced Lawrence attack with 14 points and nine rebounds. Jeremy Stephani and Quinn Fisher added 13 points apiece, and Ben Peterson had 11 points for the Vikings (1-2, 1-0 MWC).

Mitchell Patterson led Illinois College (0-3, 0-2) with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Vikings led 58-52 when Willer’s three-point play started the decisive scoring run. Peterson, who went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, then hit a 3-pointer to push the advantage to 64-52.

Illinois College trimmed the lead back to nine points, but back-to-back layups from Willer and Eric Weiss and a 3-pointer from Fisher increased the edge to 71-58. Willer added a free throw with 2:55 left to give Lawrence a 14-point advantage.

Lawrence went 11-for-24 from 3-point range with Peterson, Stephani and Fisher all hitting a trio of 3-pointers apiece. The Vikings also connected on 17-of-22 free-throw attempts.

Box score

The Week Ahead: November 28-December 4

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University hockey team jumps back into Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play this weekend, and the men’s and women’s basketball team begin Midwest Conference play this week.

LU Sports-VikingSwimDive-PMS294SWIMMING

Event: Grinnell Pioneer Classic

When and Where: Friday and Saturday, Dec. 2-3, Grinnell Natatorium.

Webcast: Pioneer Classic

Fast Fact: The Lawrence women are off to a great start this season with a 2-0 mark in dual meets. The Vikings downed Ripon 137-67 and pounded Beloit 157-31. Senior Paige Witter has already picked up Midwest Conference Swimmer of the Week honors this season after her performance in the All-Wisconsin Showcase to start the season.

LU Sports-VikingBasketball-PMS294WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (2-0, 0-0 MWC)

Opponent: Lawrence at Illinois College (2-2, 1-0 MWC)

When and Where: Friday, Dec. 2, 5:30 p.m., Sherman Gymnasium, Jacksonville, Ill.

Webcast: Lawrence at Illinois College

The Series: Illinois College holds a 20–18 edge in a series that started in 1991-92. The Lady Blues have won six straight, and Lawrence’s last victory was a 56-53 victory at Alexander Gymnasium in the 2012-13 season.

Opponent: Lawrence at at Knox (1-2, 0-0 MWC)

When and Where: Saturday, Dec. 3, 1 p.m., Memorial Gymnasium, Galesburg, Ill.

Webcast: Lawrence at Knox

The Series: Lawrence holds a 19-18 advantage in a series that started in the 1989-90 season. The Prairie Fire has won four in a row, and Lawrence’s last victory was a 93-92 win during the 2013-14 season.

Fast Fact: Lawrence has started the season 2-0 for the first time since the 2005-06 season. Lawrence’s 2005-06 team won its first nine games. Junior guard Olivia Hoesley is shooting a solid 47.8 percent from the floor, but Hoesley is hitting a sizzling 66.7 percent of her shots from inside the arc.

LU Sports-VikingBasketball-PMS294MEN’S BASKETBALL (0-2, 0-0 MWC)

Opponent: Lawrence at Illinois College (1-2, 0-1 MWC)

When and Where: Friday, Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m., Sherman Gymnasium, Jacksonville, Ill.

Webcast: Lawrence at Illinois College

The Series: In a series that dates to the 1985-86 season, Lawrence holds a 34-10 advantage over Illinois College. The Vikings have beaten the Blueboys 10 consecutive times and have won 22 of the last 24.

Opponent: Lawrence at at Knox (0-3, 0-0 MWC)

When and Where: Saturday, Dec. 3, 3 p.m., Memorial Gymnasium, Galesburg, Ill.

Webcast: Lawrence at Knox

The Series: In a series that goes all the way back to 1925, Knox holds a 61-58 edge over the Vikings. Lawrence has really closed the gap in the series in recent years. Lawrence has won nine straight over the Prairie Fire and 25 of the last 28 dating back to the 2000-01 season.

Fast Fact: The last time Lawrence started the season 0-2 was the 2010-11 season, and the Vikings broke through for its first win that season against Illinois College. Senior forward Mitch Willer is off to a solid start this season, averaging 11 points while shooting 64.3 percent from the floor. Willer blocked a career-high four shots against UW-Stevens Point this past Saturday.

LU Sports-VikingHockey-PMS301HOCKEY (3-5-0, 3-1-0 NCHA)

Opponent: Lawrence vs. No. 3 St. Norbert (8-2-0, 5-1-0 NCHA)

When and Where: Friday, Dec. 2, 7 p.m., Appleton Family Ice Center; Saturday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m., Cornerstone Community Center, De Pere, Wis.

Webcast: Friday: Lawrence vs. St. Norbert; Saturday: Lawrence at St. Norbert

The Series: St. Norbert holds a 42-4-0 lead in a series that goes back to the 1986-87 season. Three of Lawrence’s wins in the series came against St. Norbert’s club team in the 1987-88 season.

Fast Fact: Lawrence’s youth is showing its muscle early this season. Only three seniors rank among Lawrence’s top 15 scorers through the first eight games. On the defensive end, rookie goaltender Evan Cline picked up his first career shutout in just his second career start and has a .944 save percentage and 1.67 goals against average through his first three games.

Second-half surge pushes Pointers past Lawrence

APPLETON, Wis. — A surge midway through the second half allowed the UW-Stevens Point men’s basketball team to pull away Saturday and post a 69-50 nonconference win over Lawrence University at Alexander Gymnasium.

Ethan Bublitz recorded a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Pointers (2-2), and Mark Nelson added 10 points and eight boards.

Ben Peterson came off the bench to lead Lawrence (0-2) with 14 points. Peterson went 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. Mitch Willer added 10 points and a team-best eight rebounds to go along with a game-high four blocks for the Vikings.

Lawrence trailed 34-27 at the half, but the Vikings made a run at the Pointers to start the final 20 minutes. Lawrence outscored Stevens Point 15-9 over the first 7:08 of the second half, and Jeremy Stephani’s jumper cut the margin to 43-42.

The Pointers responded by scoring the game’s next 10 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers from Bublitz and Luke Zuiker, to stretch the lead to 53-42 with 10:17 remaining.

Stephani, who finished with seven points, four rebounds and three assists, hit a 3-pointer to stop the run and cut the margin to 53-45. That’s as close as the Vikings would get as the Pointers slowly pulled away.

The final margin was Stevens Point’s biggest lead of the game.

Stevens Point jumped out to a 9-0 to start the game, but Lawrence answered quickly. Pete Winslow and Peterson hit 3-pointers to open the scoring for Lawrence, and that started a 16-5 for the Vikings. Peterson capped the outburst with his third 3-pointer of the first half to give Lawrence a 16-14 lead with 12:06 left in the first.

The game was tied at 20-20 when Stevens Point hit seven of its final 14 shots of the half to pull ahead. Lawrence turned the ball over five times in the final 7:16 of the first half, and Stevens Point led 34-27 at the break.

Box score

Late run pushes Wisconsin Lutheran past Lawrence

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The Wisconsin Lutheran College men’s basketball team held off Lawrence University 76-68 in a nonconference game Wednesday in the season opener at the Recreation Complex.

The Warriors went on a 13-4 run over a five-minute stretch to take a 67-58 lead with less than three minutes left. Lawrence hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final two minutes to get within four points twice but could get no closer.

Collin Kennedy and Tanner Schieve scored 17 points apiece to pace Wisconsin Lutheran. Kennedy also had a game-high 11 rebounds.

Jeremy Stephani led Lawrence with 16 points, and Mitch Willer added 12 points, three rebounds and three blocks. Evan McLaughlin added 10 points for the Vikings, who hit just 8-of-35 shots (22.9 percent) from beyond the arc.

A pair of Willer free throws cut Wisconsin Lutheran’s lead to 55-54 with 7:50 remaining. The Warriors then went on the decisive run, hitting six consecutive free throws during that stretch, to stretch the lead to nine with 2:47 left.

The Vikings battled back as Pete Winslow hit a 3-pointer to trim the lead to 68-63. Rookie Quinn Fisher hit another 3-pointer for Lawrence to cut the lead to 70-66 with 45 seconds left.

The Warriors then hit six consecutive free throws in the final 31 seconds to seal the win. Wisconsin Lutheran went 28-for-35 from the foul line in the game. Lawrence went 12-for-15.

In the opening half, Wisconsin Lutheran built a 29-20 lead with less than four minutes left before Lawrence rallied. Connor Weas scored four points and Fisher hit a 3-pointer to spark an 11-2 run that allowed Lawrence to forge a 31-31 tie at the break.

Box score

Vikings look for balance in building men’s basketball squad

APPLETON, Wis. — As much as the Lawrence University men’s basketball team has changed for 2016-17, the more it stays the same.

Gone is All-Midwest Conference performer and Jostens Trophy finalist Jamie Nikitas, along with his 25.1-point per game average. But the Vikings return a dynamic and versatile nucleus that includes outside shooting, size and a defensive presence.

“Jamie’s a big loss, just black and white statistically, it’s a huge loss. Those guys are hard to replace,” Lawrence coach Joel DePagter said. “From a basketball and team standpoint, we haven’t talked about him not being here at all. It doesn’t change what we’re trying to do as a team. It can’t ever be about one person, whether it’s one person going out or one person coming in.”

The Vikings, who open the season Wednesday at Wisconsin Lutheran College, built their reputation over the past 15 years on balance, grit and versatility, and that’s what this team brings to the table.

“We have to be more of a balanced team, which is not a bad thing. The way we play, we’ve never been based on one person,” DePagter said.

The Vikings return starting guard Jeremy Stephani, who averaged 11.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season. The entire frontcourt also returns with center Mitch Miller (9.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.1 bpg), forward Ben Peterson (6.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and wing player Connor Weas (3.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg).

Valuable reserves Pete Winslow and Eric Weiss are both back after missing multiple games due to injury last season as are the gritty Evan McLaughlin and George Mavrakis.

Entering into the mix are eight newcomers, seven freshmen and one sophomore transfer.

“Literally half the team is new and half the team is back. It may take a little time for those two groups to jell,” DePagter said. “We certainly will have freshmen play and freshmen starting along with guys who haved played quite a bit.”

Among the most intriguing newcomers are ultra-quick rookie guards Quinn Fisher and Abhishek Venkatesh. Fisher was Peterson’s teammate at Fenwick in the Chicago suburbs, and Venkatesh hails from Nike’s hometown of Beaverton, Ore. The Vikings also have a host of new big men, including 6-foot-6 Jason Dougherty and 6-4 Tyler Klug.

“It’s a good class. It’s a good base for the future, but some of those guys will have to contribute this year,” DePagter said.

“We will be back to the way we’re trying to do it with 10, 11, 12 guys. Whoever is playing well will go. It’s good, it’s a great thing. It also makes it hard to find which guys you want on the floor. It’s going to take a while to find some of those lineups that work well together.”

The Vikings will be working through these things against a challenging early schedule. Lawrence’s first home game is Nov. 26 vs. UW-Stevens Point, and the Vikings face both St. Norbert and Grinnell in early December.

“This year there are more unknowns but the ceiling is probably higher,” said DePagter, whose team was picked to finish eighth in the league. “We have the numbers and we have the depth to be the Lawrence we want to be.”

 

The Week Ahead: November 14-20

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University basketball teams open their seasons this week, and Vikings hockey has a big home series this weekend that includes a charity game on Friday.

LU Sports-VikingBasketball-PMS294WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (0-0)

Opponent: Lawrence at Maranatha Baptist (0-0)

When and Where: Tuesday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m., Maranatha Gymnasium, Watertown, Wis.

Webcast: Lawrence at Maranatha Baptist

Series: In a series that stretches back to 1975, Lawrence holds a 16-1 advantage. The teams haven’t played since late in the 2014-15 season, and the Vikings downed Maranatha 73-39 in that contest at Alexander Gymnasium.

Opponent: Lawrence vs. Marian (0-0)

When and Where: Thursday, Nov. 17, 7 p.m., Alexander Gymnasium.

Webcast: Lawrence vs. Marian

Series: In a series that started in the 1975-76 season, Lawrence has a 27-24 advantage. The Sabres have won the last six meetings, including a 57-28 victory at Marian last season.

Fast Fact: The Vikings are looking to get the season off to a good start after going winless in 2015-16. Lawrence returns just two starters from last year’s team, but the Vikings have high hopes for a strong junior class to help carry the club.

LU Sports-VikingBasketball-PMS294MEN’S BASKETBALL (0-0)

Opponent: Lawrence at Wisconsin Lutheran (0-0)

When and Where: Wednesday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m., Recreation Complex, Milwaukee, Wis.

Webcast: Lawrence at Wisconsin Lutheran

Series: Lawrence has a 15-7 lead in the series, which started in the 1986-87 season. The Vikings had won seven consecutive games against the Warriors before Wisconsin Lutheran pulled off a 71-70 upset at Alexander Gymnasium last season. The Vikings missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have won it.

Fast Fact: This is a new-look Vikings squad with eight new faces to go with eight returning players. Although Jostens Trophy finalist Jamie Nikitas was lost to graduation, the Vikings return a solid core of players with starters Jeremy Stephani, Mitch Willer and Connor Weas all back in the lineup.

LU Sports-VikingHockey-PMS301HOCKEY (1-3-0, 1-1-0 NCHA)

Opponent: Lawrence vs. Finlandia (0-6-0, 0-4-0 NCHA)

When and Where: Friday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 19, 4 p.m.; both games at Appleton Family Ice Center.

Webcast: Lawrence vs. Finlandia

Series: In a series that started in the 2000-01 season, Lawrence has a 23-21-5 advantage over the Lions. The teams have split the series each of the last three seasons.

Fast Fact: Friday’s game is a charity event to benefit the Appleton Police Benevolent Association. Lawrence players will wear custom-made jerseys with the Appleton Police Department logo. The jerseys will be auctioned off through a silent auction from Nov. 18-Dec. 9, which marks the end of the first half of the season.

Six to be inducted into Lawrence Hall of Fame

The Lawrence University Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame gets six new members this fall.

Basketball stars Chris Braier and Claire Getzoff and track standout Kolade Agbaje-Williams, all from the class of 2006, are joined by volleyball star Lis Pollock and soccer standout Katie Wilkin, both from the class of 2003. Rounding out the group is the late Stan Preston ’55, who was a four-time All-Midwest Conference selection in football.

The Hall of Fame induction takes place on Oct. 14 at the Warch Campus Center. To purchase a ticket for the Hall of Fame dinner, contact the office of Alumni and Constituency Engagement at 920-832-6854. The cost of the dinner is $25.

Kolade Agbaje-Williams
Kolade Agbaje-Williams

Kolade Agbaje-Williams, 2006

Kolade Agbaje-Williams stands alone in Lawrence University track and field history.

The native of Ilesa, Nigeria, is the only track athlete in school history to be an All-American indoors and outdoors in the same year. It was a feat he pulled off in the long jump in 2003.

In addition to the All-America honors, Agbaje-Williams was an eight-time Midwest Conference champion and was named an Outstanding Performer at the Midwest Conference Championships five times. Agbaje-Williams, who graduated from high school in Evergreen Park, Ill., set a pair of Lawrence records individually and ran on four record-setting relay teams.

A winner of multiple Midwest Conference Performer of the Week awards, Agbaje-Williams was the conference’s indoor champion in both the long jump and triple jump in 2003. He also set the Lawrence indoor records with a leap of 23 feet, 10.75 inches, in the long jump and 46-3.25 in the triple jump during the 2003 season.

Agbaje-Williams capped his 2003 indoor season by taking sixth in the long jump with a leap of 22-5 at the NCAA Championships. After sweeping the titles in the long jump and triple jump at the Midwest Conference’s outdoor championships in 2003, Agbaje-Williams went to the NCAA Championships and finished eighth in the long jump with a leap of 22-9 to earn All-America honors again.

Agbaje-Williams followed that season in 2004 by winning the conference’s indoor title in the triple jump at 45-9.75 and taking the outdoor title in the long jump at 22-7.25. Agbaje-Williams claimed two more conference titles over his final two seasons. He took the 2005 crown indoors in the long jump at 22-3, and then grabbed first indoors in the 2006 triple jump at 45-10.

Agbaje-Williams earned Outstanding Field Performer at the conference’s indoor championships in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 and also took the honor at the 2003 outdoor meet. Agbaje-Williams also regularly competed in running events and was a multiple placewinner at the Midwest Conference Championships in everything from the 55 meters to the 400.

Agbaje-Williams also helped set four school relay records during his career. During indoor competition, he ran on the record-setting sprint medley relay (3:36.36), 4×200 relay (1:33.78) and 4×400 relay (3:30.27). In outdoor competition, he was part of the record-setting 4×100 relay team (43.38 seconds).

Agbaje-Williams, who is a licensed certified public accountant and certified fraud examiner, works as the examination manager at the National Futures Association. He and his wife, Seun, live in Oak Lawn, Ill., and have a daughter, Tiwa.

Chris Braier
Chris Braier

Chris Braier, 2006

Chris Braier propelled Lawrence University men’s basketball onto the national stage and stands as the greatest player in school history.

The native of Wauwatosa, Wis., won the Jostens Trophy as the top player in NCAA Division III, was a three-time All-American and is Lawrence’s career leader in scoring and rebounding. Braier scored 1,565 points and grabbed 1,267 rebounds and is the only player in Midwest Conference history to top 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

Braier averaged 14.9 points and 12.1 rebounds over his career and possessed a superlative all-around game. Relentless around the basket and on the glass, Braier could also step out and knock down a 3-pointer. He posted career highs of 45 points and 24 rebounds in two different games against Grinnell College. An outstanding passer, Braier ranked fourth with 266 assists when he graduated. He remains second on Lawrence’s career list with 180 steals.

Braier was a four-time first-team All-Midwest Conference selection. He played on three Midwest Conference championship teams (2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06), and those teams also won the Midwest Conference Tournament. Braier, who played in the NCAA Division III Tournament three straight years (2004-06), was chosen as the Midwest Conference Player of the Year in 2004 and 2006.

The 6-foot-4 forward won the Jostens Trophy in 2006 and picked up National Association of Basketball Coaches first-team and D3hoops.com third-team All-America honors that season. He also picked up D3hoops.com third-team All-America honors in 2004 and a fourth-team pick by D3hoops.com in 2005.

Braier led Lawrence to the nation’s best record at 25-1 record in 2005-06. That squad was the last unbeaten team in the nation and became the first Lawrence team to earn a No. 1 national ranking. Lawrence went 22-0 in the regular season and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Lawrence also broke new ground during the 2003-04 season after the Vikings won the league title and conference tournament. The Vikings won three games in the NCAA Tournament to reach the Elite Eight before losing a one-point game in overtime to the eventual national champions. It is the deepest tournament run in Midwest Conference history.

During Braier’s career, the Vikings posted a record of 87-18, and Lawrence’s 69-12 mark from 2003-06 was the best record for any team in the nation during that three-season stretch.

Braier, who earned a degree in biology at Lawrence, works as a physician assistant at Illinois Bone and Joint Institute in Glenview, Ill. He is currently working toward his MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He lives in Chicago.

Claire Getzoff
Claire Getzoff

Claire Getzoff, 2006

A prolific scorer and superlative all-around player, Claire Getzoff led the Lawrence University women’s basketball team to some of the best seasons in school history.

A native of Evanston, Ill., Getzoff is Lawrence’s career scoring leader and was a four-time first-team All-Midwest Conference selection. Getzoff shattered the school’s scoring record and finished with 1,487 points for an average of 15.8 points per game.

Getzoff is one of only three players in school history to be a four-time all-conference selection. Getzoff set the season scoring record with 408 points in 2002-03 and owns the top three scoring seasons in school history. She also set the season scoring average record of 18.1 points per game in 2003-04.

A great shooter who also could drive to the hoop, Getzoff is Lawrence’s leader in field goals made (527) and attempted (1,255). She also is the school’s top 3-point shooter with 208 treys and still ranks second in shooting from beyond the arc at 37.3 percent. Getzoff holds the school record with seven 3-pointers in a game, a feat she pulled off twice. She buried a school record 67 3-pointers in 2003-04.

Getzoff was a great scorer who poured in a career-high 30 points in back-to-back games during her senior season, and she excelled at other facets of the game. She finished her career with averages of 4.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.6 steals per game. Getzoff ranks third on Lawrence’s career list in both assists and steals.

With Getzoff leading the way, the Vikings went 61-33 during her four seasons and qualified for the Midwest Conference Tournament three times (2003, 2005 and 2006). The 2005-06 team tied the school record for victories with a 19-5 record.

Getzoff, who earned a degree in history and education at Lawrence, is a special education teacher at Evanston Township High School. Getzoff, who has a master’s degree in special education from Northeastern Illinois University, got married in 2016 to Lyndsay Gant.

Lis Pollock
Lis Pollock

Lis Pollock, 2003

Lis Pollock stands as the most dominant player in the history of Lawrence University volleyball.

A native of Urbana, Ill., Pollock was a three-time All-Midwest Conference selection and holds nearly every one of the school’s offensive records. A middle hitter, the 6-foot Pollock set eight school records and led Lawrence during the most successful era in school history.

Pollock pounded out a school-record 1,595 kills during her career and set the school record with a .336 career hitting percentage. She also holds the career mark at 3.71 kills per set.

An all-conference pick in 2000, 2001 and 2002, Pollock set the school record of 28 kills in a match (she did it twice) and had the top four match kill totals in school history when she graduated. Pollock set the match record with an .871 hitting percentage after 28 kills with just one error in 31 attempts against Edgewood College in 2002.

The 2001 season saw Pollock set school records with 553 kills and an average of 4.77 kills per set. She finished her career in 2002 with a school record .423 hitting percentage. Pollock ranked second in career blocks with 259 when she graduated.

Pollock was an offensive force that propelled Lawrence to its best season back in 2001. The Vikings posted a school record 19 wins and finished third in the Midwest Conference. During Pollock’s four seasons, Lawrence posted 56 wins.

Pollock, who also won a letter in basketball, was a three-time Academic All-Midwest Conference selection and earned degrees in history and government at Lawrence. She earned her law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law, where she has returned to serve as an adjunct professor. Pollock is an assistant federal public defender for the Central District of Illinois. Pollock and her husband, Christian Ray, have two children, Gabriel and Tristan, and live in Urbana.

Stan Preston
Stan Preston

Stan Preston, 1955

Stan Preston was a dominant, multi-talented player who starred in an era of Lawrence University gridiron greatness.

The native of Grinnell, Iowa, was a four-time All-Midwest Conference performer. A two-way player just as the era of ironman football was ending, the 6-foot-4 Preston was a two-time all-conference pick at linebacker and then was chosen two more times at center.

Along with Lawrence All-American end Charles “Sal” Cianciola, Preston was one of the first two players to be named to the all-conference team as a freshman. He is one of only seven players in Lawrence history to be a four-time all-league choice.

During his first two seasons, Preston, known as “Big Pres” to his teammates, was chosen as an all-conference linebacker in 1951 and 1952. The 1951 squad went unbeaten at 7-0 and claimed the Midwest Conference championship. The 1952 team won the first seven games of the season to push the Vikings’ winning streak to a school-record 14 games. The Vikings finally had its win streak snapped at Coe College but finished with a 7-1 record.

Preston made the move to center for the 1953 season and had a big adjustment. A T-formation center in high school, he was now playing in Bernie Heselton’s single-wing attack, which is triggered by a snap several yards deep to one of the backs. Now blocking for superlative backs like Ed Grosse and Carl Stumpf, Preston earned all-conference honors on offense in 1953 and 1954.

The 1953 Vikings went 6-1-1 to finish third in the league, and the 1954 squad was 6-2 and took second in the league. Preston helped the Vikings to a 26-4-1 record over his four seasons, including a 14-0-1 record in games at Whiting Field.

Preston, who passed away in 2004, earned a degree in geology at Lawrence. After serving for a number of years in the United States Air Force, Preston worked with his father as the proprietor of Preston’s, a men’s clothing store in Grinnell. He then founded Atlas Wheel Weights in Atlanta, Ga., and ran that business until he retired to Monterey, Calif. Preston is survived by his wife, Patricia, five children and three grandchildren.

Katie Wilkin (in yellow and black jersey) celebrates Lawrence's victory in the 2001 Midwest Conference Tournament Championship Game.
Katie Wilkin (in yellow and black jersey) celebrates Lawrence’s victory in the 2001 Midwest Conference Tournament Championship Game.

Katie Wilkin, 2003

Katie Wilkin made the difficult save look easy and then made the saves no one else could make. Wilkin was a stellar goalkeeper for the Lawrence University women’s soccer team and led the Vikings to the greatest achievements in the program’s history.

A native of Oregon, Wis., Wilkin was a Midwest Conference Player of the Year and a three-time All-Midwest Conference selection. Wilkin is the only goalkeeper to be chosen as the Midwest Conference Player of the Year (the league now selects an offensive and defensive player of the year). Wilkin was the 2002 conference Player of the Year and also earned first-team honors in 2001. She was a second-team pick as a sophomore in 2000.

Wilkin compiled a 1.63 goals against average for her career to go with an .861 save percentage. Wilkin, who posted a career-high 28 saves vs. UW-Oshkosh in 2002, recorded 514 saves for her career and piled up a career-best 180 saves in the 2001 season. Wilkin set a school season record with a .909 save percentage in 2001 and also had a career-best 1.03 GAA during that season.

Wilkin finished with 24-21-4 career record, and her 24 wins ranks second in school history. She posted 16 shutouts, and that also ranks second in school history. Her seven shutouts in 2001 are tied for Lawrence’s best season total.

A team captain, Wilkin led the Vikings to the 2000 Midwest Conference championship. The Vikings also won the Midwest Conference Tournament that season to earn their first berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Lawrence took the Midwest Conference Tournament title again in 2001, and that team became the first in conference history to win a NCAA Tournament game.

Wilkin, who earned a degree in studio art at Lawrence and a teaching certification from Edgewood College, teaches eighth grade in the Madison Metropolitan School District. She teaches math and works with students with a variety of disabilities at Sherman Middle School. Wilkin and her spouse, Lauren Lebwohl, live in Madison with their English Pointer.