Softball

Category: Softball

Late homer lifts Kalamazoo past Vikings

CLERMONT, Fla. — A three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning lifted Kalamazoo College to a 7-5 victory over Lawrence University in a nonconference game on Friday.

Anna Wawiorka went 3-for-5 with a double and three runs batted in to pace Lawrence (0-1).

Lawrence led 5-4 after scoring a run in the top of the sixth after Amanda Jaskolski blasted a solo homer. Kalamazoo (2-1) struck back in the bottom of the inning after a pair of singles got the rally started. Querubin Dubois followed with a three-run homer to put Kalamazoo ahead to stay at 7-5.

The Hornets struck for four runs in the bottom of the first against Lawrence starter Kara Vance, who went the distance and took the loss.

The Vikings tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the second. Three walks loaded the bases for Tierney Duffy, who singled to drive in a run and cut the lead to 4-1. Wawiorka then smacked a three-run, bases-clearing double to tie the game at 4-4.

Erin DuRoss allowed seven hits over seven innings to pick up the win.

Box score

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings have high hopes for 2015

APPLETON, Wis. — The goal for this season is the same for the Lawrence University softball team, but the Vikings would like the outcome to be dramatically different.

The Vikings enter the 2015 campaign set on returning to the four-team Midwest Conference Tournament for a third consecutive season. Lawrence finished second in the league in 2013 but endured a disappointing two-and-out from the 2014 MWC Tournament to complete an 18-13 campaign.

“I say this every year, but I feel it’s true very year — there’s plenty of parity in the Midwest Conference and we have a great chance to get back to the conference tournament,” Lawrence coach Kim Tatro said.

“We’d like to return and play better. If we are successful, great. If not, at least we played to our abilities.”

Lawrence, which opens its season Friday in Clermont, Fla., returns the North Division’s top player. Shortstop Amanda Jaskolski was the North Division Player of the Year in 2014 and a first-team All-Great Lakes Region selection.

“Jazz just needs to do what she does, and that’s pretty special,” Tatro said. “I don’t think I’ve coached anyone in my time here who has a better glove. She reassures the entire team when she’s on the field because of the confidence she exudes.”

Jaskolski hit .409 last season with eight doubles, one triple, six home runs and 30 runs batted in. Jaskolski also anchored a defense that posted a .964 fielding percentage in 2014, the second-best percentage in school history.

In addition to Jaskolski, the Vikings return junior Anna Wawiorka at third base. An all-conference selection in each of her first two seasons, Wawiorka hit .330 last season with five doubles, three triples, two homers and 12 RBIs. She scored a team-high 27 runs in 31 games. The versatile Wawiorka also figures to see time behind the plate now that all-conference catcher/first baseman Alex Chiodo has graduated.

The Vikings don’t lack for talent behind the dish because sophomore Sam Belletini also returns. Belletini hit .321 as a rookie with a team-best 10 doubles to go with one triple, one homer and 20 RBIs.

Although Chiodo and second baseman Cory Paquette were lost to graduation, the Vikings have several players waiting to step in on right side of the infield. Junior Katie Schumacher will step in at first, and senior Kara Vance, sophomore Marisa Thackston and freshman Kori Looker all have a shot to start at second.

“We look pretty solid,” Tatro said. “We’re a veteran group with almost everyone on the team being a returner. The expectations of what we are trying to accomplish are pretty clear.”

Junior outfielder Savanna Marsicek is back in center after hitting .316 with four doubles, one triple, one homer, 13 RBIs and 19 runs scored last season. Juniors Taylor Dodson, who hit .324 with 10 doubles and drove in 19 runs last season, and Tierney Duffy, who hit .280 last season, also return. Sophomore Rheya Upadhyaya and Looker are also battling for a starting spot.

“Our outfield looks good, they really do,” Tatro said. “Having five people fight for three spots has been kind of fun.”

The Vikings have just 13 players on the roster, but Tatro has many options when filling out the lineup card.

“With a roster of 13, you would think you’re pretty locked in and not very versatile,” Tatro said. “But at any point, any one of our 13 could start in a different spot, and that’s a good problem to have.”

A large part of determining the Vikings’ fate this season rests on the pitching staff of Vance, Liz Barthels and Jessica Demski. Vance posted a team-best 11-6 record last season with a 4.63 earned run average over 90.2 innings. Barthels went 6-6 in 79 innings and had a team-best 3.81 ERA. Demski was solid in 15.1 innings with a 1-1 record and 4.11 ERA.

“All three of them have different strengths, and all three of them have the ability to see the field for us,” It will be one of those situations where if someone isn’t having their best game, we’re not going to hesitate to make a move. It may be that pitching by committee is the best route for us.”

Lawrence softball squad wins team academic honor

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University softball squad has won an All-Academic Team award from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

To be eligible for the award, a team needed a grade point average of at least 3.0. Lawrence earned a team grade point average of 3.08 for the 2013-14 academic year. Lawrence also had four individuals named NFCA Scholar Athletes, seniors Alex Chiodo (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection), Alissa Geipel (Hartland, Wis./Pewaukee), Mary Diduch (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) and Cory Paquette (Manitowoc, Wis./Roncalli).

Lawrence was the only school from the Midwest Conference to earn the NFCA honor. The four Lawrence seniors that were honored by the NFCA, Chiodo, Geipel, Diduch and Paquette, also earned Academic All-Midwest Conference status.

The Vikings finished with an 18-13 record in 2014 and advanced to the Midwest Conference Tournament for the second consecutive season.

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

Lawrence student-athletes receive awards at Honors Celebration

APPLETON, Wis. — Sixteen Lawrence University student-athletes were recently honored at the 2014 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. Junior Taylor Winter (Bayside, Wis./Nicolet) won the award after completing another stellar season. Winter won the 1,650-yard freestyle and 500 freestyle at the 2014 Midwest Conference Championships and also took the 1,650 title in the Wisconsin Private College Championships. A three-time MWC champion, Winter also holds the school records in both the 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle.

The Iden Charles Champion Cup is given for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability, college spirit and loyalty. Junior Andrew Borresen (West Bend, Wis./Living Word Lutheran) is a reserve on the men’s basketball team and deeply involved in campus life. A member of the Dean’s List and Mortar Board, Borresen has a 3.89 grade point average and is majoring in history. Borresen is set to capture his third consecutive Academic All-Midwest Conference selection. The co-chairman of Lawrence’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Borresen also works in the Lawrence’s sports information office and for the Lawrentian, the student newspaper.

The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Men is given the freshman man who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Blake Roubos (Niagara Falls, Ontario/St. Michael’s) won the award after lettering in two sports during his rookie year at Lawrence. A hockey and tennis standout, Roubos was named to the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association all-freshmen team and was named a NCHA Player of the Week during the season. Roubos led the team in scoring with 26 points on a team-best 16 assists and 10 goals. Roubos recorded his first career hat trick and the first hat trick for a Lawrence player since the 2009-10 season when he scored three times in a 4-2 win over Finlandia University that clinched a berth in the NCHA playoffs. Roubos had a season-best five points and a season-high three assists to go with two goals in Lawrence’s 6-6 nonconference tie with Gustavus Adolphus College early in the season. Roubos was a starter at No. 3 doubles and played matches at No. 6 singles for tennis team. Roubos and Sam Wiener won the consolation title at No. 3 doubles at the Midwest Conference Championships.

The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Women is given to the freshman woman who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Amy Hutchings (Ripon, Wis./Ripon) earned the award after earning letters in both cross country and track and field. During the cross country season, Hutchings finished ninth at the Midwest Conference Championships to earn all-conference honors. Hutchings, who is one of just three women in Lawrence history to finish in the conference’s top 10 as a freshman, led Lawrence to a third-place finish at the league meet. Hutchings also competed in multiple distance events in both indoor and outdoor track.

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. Luke Barthelmess (Appleton, Wis./Principia) completed a record-setting career at quarterback for the Lawrence football team. A 2013 All-Midwest Conference selection, Barthelmess completed 193 of 346 passes for 2,133 yards and 14 touchdowns. He finished second in the league at 213.3 passing yards per game. Barthelmess also ran 177 times for 889 yards and two touchdowns. Barthelmess, who averaged 5.0 yards per carry, finished eighth in the conference at 88.9 yards per game. Barthelmess also finished first in the league in total offense at 302.2 yards per game. Barthelmess, who is Lawrence’s career leader in a number of passing categories, completed 648 of 1,181 passes in his career. He threw for a record 8,190 yards and a record 62 touchdown passes. Barthelmess, who was named the MVP at the Bowl of the Stars in Mexico, is the starting quarterback for the Stuttgart Scorpions of the German Football League.

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. Dan Thoresen (Verona, Wis./Verona) earned the award after completing a stellar career in cross country and track and field. Thoresen earned All-Midwest Conference honors four times in track and field and was a member of Lawrence’s 2011 conference championship cross country squad. A biology major, Thoresen has a 3.935 grade point average in biology.

The Marion Read Award is given for outstanding contributions to Lawrence athletics. The award had two winners this year as seniors Mary Diduch (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) and Hannah Gabriel (Elmhurst, Ill./York) shared the award. Diduch won four letters in softball and was part of the 2014 and 2014 squads that reached the Midwest Conference Tournament. Diduch also worked as a student manager for the football team and served in a leadership position with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Gabriel was a two-time Midwest Conference champion, taking the title twice in the 200-yard freestyle and setting a meet record in the event. Gabriel also holds the school record in the 200 freestyle and is part of record-holding teams in the 400 medley relay, 400 freestyle relay and 800 freestyle relay.

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

Brielle Bartes (Waukesha, Wis./Mukwonago), volleyball, softball and track and field

Jamie Brisbois (Falcon Heights, Minn./Roseville), cross country and track and field

Katherine Dannecker (Milwaukee, Wis./Arts), cross country and track and field

Kevin Fitzgerald (Naperville, Ill./North), cross country and track and field

Alyssa Herman (Wadsworth, Ill./Warren Township), cross country and track and field

Sam Luebke (Greendale, Wis./Greendale), indoor and outdoor track and field

Mike Mangian (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South), cross country and track and field

Charlie Mann (Denver, Colo./Littleton), men’s soccer and swimming

Andy Paider (Denmark, Wis./Denmark), football and track and field

Dan Thoresen (Verona, Wis./Verona), cross country and track and field

Jaskolski earns first-team All-Great Lakes Region honors

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Lawrence University shortstop Amanda Jaskolski was named first-team NFCA All-Great Lakes Region.

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University shortstop Amanda Jaskolski has received first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Great Lakes Region honors.

Jaskolski (Shawano, Wis./Shawano), a junior, is in his her first season at Lawrence and led the team with a .409 batting average. Jaskolski batted in the clean-up spot for Lawrence and had eight doubles, one triple, six home runs and 30 runs batted in.

The season ranks among the best in Lawrence’s rich softball history. The six homers is the fourth-highest season total in school history, and the 30 RBIs rank fifth. Her .727 slugging percentage is the ninth-best season mark in school history.

Jaskolski is the first Lawrence player to be named to the all-region first team since shortstop Jenny Burris was chosen in 2005. Jaskolski also was named the Midwest Conference North Division Player of the Year.

Led by Jaskolski, Lawrence finished with an 18-13 record and earned a berth in the Midwest Conference Tournament for the second consecutive season.

Jaskolski leads list of All-MWC softball players

APPLETON, Wis. — Amanda Jaskolski led Lawrence University’s three selections to the All-Midwest Conference softball team by earning Player of the Year honors.

Jaskolski (Shawano, Wis./Shawano), a junior shortstop, was named the North Division Player of the Year. Both Anna Wawiorka (Oconto Falls, Wis./Oconto Falls) and Alex Chiodo (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) also were named to the all-conference team.

Jaskolski hit .425 in the conference with four doubles, two homers and 12 runs batted in. On the season, Jaskolski batted .409 on the season with eight doubles, one triple, six homers and 30 RBIs.

Jaskolski becomes the first Lawrence player to be named the divisional Player of the Year since Carli Gurholt earned the honor back in 2009.

A sophomore third baseman, Wawiorka earned all-conference honors for the second consecutive season. Wawiorka batted .390 with five doubles, two triples, a homer, a team-high 13 runs scored and six RBIs in 14 league games. On the season, she finished with a .330 batting average with five doubles, three triples, two homers and 12 RBIs. She scored a team-high 27 runs in 31 games.

Chiodo, a senior first baseman/catcher, was chosen for the all-conference team for the first time. She hit .410 in conference play with four doubles and 10 RBIs to go along with a team-high .489 on-base percentage. Chiodo hit .333 on the season with seven doubles, one homer and 19 RBIs.

Lawrence finished the season with an 18-13 record and qualified for the Midwest Conference Tournament for the second consecutive season.

Vikings eliminated from MWC Tournament after final-inning loss to Monmouth

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Monmouth College softball team rallied for a 7-6 disputed win over Lawrence University in an elimination game on Friday at the Midwest Conference Tournament.

Monmouth advances to play St. Norbert College in an elimination game on Saturday morning. Lawrence ends it season with an 18-13 record.

Lawrence led 6-1 heading to the sixth inning, but Charlotte Park hit a three-run homer to trim the margin to 6-4. The Scots had tied the game with a pair of runs in the seventh on four hits, a wild pitch and an error.

Emily Watkins was at the plate with one out and runners at the corners, and she hit a fly ball to center field. The ball was caught for the second out and the runner at third tagged to score the go-ahead run. Kirstyn Ozga, the runner at first, took off on the play and was past second base.

The Vikings tagged the bag for the final out, but the umpires ruled it was a “timing play,” and after an extensive discussion, counted the run to put Monmouth ahead 7-6.

Taylor Smith retired the Vikings in order in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win. Kara Vance took the loss for Lawrence.

The Vikings had built a five-run lead on Alex Chiodo’s two-run homer in the second and a four-run fourth that featured four Monmouth (21-17) errors.

Box score

Werner shuts down Vikings in MWC opener

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Jessi Werner tossed a one-hit shutout to lead Lake Forest College to an 8-0 victory over Lawrence University on Friday in an opening game at the Midwest Conference Tournament.

Lawrence (18-12) moves on to play an elimination game against Monmouth College.

Werner struck out six and walked two over five innings. The only hit she allowed was Cory Paquette’s fifth-inning single.

Alex Hemmer had three hits, and Sally Snarski drove in three runs for Lake Forest (24-8).

Box score