The Lawrence University football team hits the road on Saturday when it travels to Beloit College for a Midwest Conference game. The Vikings and Bucs kick it off at 1 p.m. at Strong Stadium.
Inside LU Athletics: Lawrence running at full throttle
Jason Fast is a man whose team is following his plan.
The Lawrence University cross country coach has honed how he trains his teams through years of exposure to some of the best coaches in the nation.
Fast has seen adherence to the plan pay off in spades early this season as both of his teams have won a title.
“Their success echoes their commitment to our plan and our program,” said Fast, who has one Midwest Conference championship to his credit in his first four seasons as the head coach. “If you look up and down the line, everyone has gotten so much faster. It’s not just our top runners, it’s everyone on the team.”
That is especially evident with the Lawrence women’s squad. The Vikings finished eighth at the Midwest Conference Championships last season, and had one all-conference runner in seventh-place finisher Clare Bruning.
Bruning, a sophomore, hasn’t finished better than third on her own team in two meets this season. Sophomore Liz Landes turned in the finest race of her career this past weekend at the Concordia (Wis.) Invitational to lead the Vikings. In the opening race of the season at St. Norbert, it was senior Anna Ratliff that led the Lawrence pack.
It has truly been a pack mentality for the Lawrence women, whose top five runners were separated by just seven places at St. Norbert and by just 13 places at Concordia.
“It’s been really fun to watch (the women) race so far. It’s a great feeling to see all seven of your runners together,” Fast said. “They have all managed to stay near each other regardless of how each of them is feeling. There is a strength to their pack. They pull each other along and encourage each other.”
In addition to Bruning, Landes and Ratliff, the Vikings are also seeing fast performances from senior Katherine Dannecker and a pair of rookies, Kristen Bischel and Amy Hutchings. With the strong start, Lawrence now finds itself in a position to be one of the contenders in the conference.
“I don’t see anything really slowing us down,” Fast said. “One of main goals for this next month is to stay healthy and train smart.”
Lawrence finished second in the conference on the men’s side last year, but the Vikings lost former league champion Sam Stevens to graduation. The Vikings did return all-conference runners in Curran Carlile, Jamie Brisbois and Kyle Dockery, and they are building on that foundation.
“All of our returners made big jumps over the summer and made big steps,” Fast said. “They knew they had to. They all took responsibility. I feel like we’re a better team than we were last year, even without Sam.”
Making a huge leap forward has been sophomore Jonah Laursen, who has been Lawrence’s top runner in each of the first two races. Laursen took second on the four-mile course at St. Norbert and then grabbed fourth at Concordia and led Lawrence to the team title. Sophomore Cam Davies also is a runner to watch as he improved on his personal-best 8K time by more than a minute last Saturday.
“Having seen them every day in workouts and what they’re doing, I’m not surprised by what they’re doing on the race course,” Fast said of his teams.
“Both teams have work to do, but we are definitely in position to do good things. We’re also ahead of where we last year at this time.”
Topping 100 again
Lawrence quarterback Luke Barthelmess was named the Midwest Conference Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for more than 100 yards and passing for nearly 300 in the one-point loss to Lake Forest last Saturday.
Barthelmess also topped the 100-yard rushing mark in the opener against Cornell, and he is the first Lawrence back to rush for more than 100 yards in consecutive games since Craig Ebert did it in the final two games of the 2008 season.
Barthelmess ran 21 times for 124 yards, a 5.9-yard average, against the Foresters. He completed 24 of 36 passes for 284 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. The touchdown pass gave Barthelmess 50 for his career, tying him with Eric Aspenson for second place on Lawrence’s career list.
Swords selected
Sophomore outside hitter Terese Swords was named to the all-tournament team at the Associated Colleges of the Midwest Invitational last weekend at Luther College.
For the four matches, Swords hit .320 and piled up 41 kills, an average of 3.4 per set. She also picked up six blocks and 11 digs.
Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a notes package written by Lawrence University Director of Athletic Media Relations Joe Vanden Acker. It will feature teams and individual players, recap weekly awards or highlights and take a look at what’s ahead for the Vikings.
Swords, Sorensen power Lawrence past Marian
APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University volleyball team won the opening two sets, but then had to come up big in the fifth set to post a 3-2 nonconference win over Marian University on Wednesday night.
Lawrence (5-8) defeated the Sabres (5-8) 25-17, 25-14, 17-25, 20-25, 15-6.
Terese Swords led Lawrence with a match-high 21 kills and hit .316 for the night. Betsy Sorensen added 16 kills for Lawrence and hit .333 for the match. Megan Conley and Kayla Storm added 11 kills apiece for the Vikings.
Lawrence hit .485 in the first set and .382 in the second set as the Vikings jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. The Vikings then committed 17 attack errors during sets three and four as the Sabres rallied. Lawrence then put together a superlative fifth set by hitting .450 and rolling past Marian for the win.
Diane McLeod piled up 54 assists and added 17 digs and two aces for the Vikings. Kathleen Rowland paced Lawrence with 30 digs, and Kayla Storm added 16.
Anna Smit and Casey Lamberty paced Marian with 13 kills apiece.
UW-Oshkosh tops Vikings 6-3
APPLETON, Wis. — The UW-Oshkosh women’s tennis team swept the doubles match and that pushed the Titans to a 6-3 nonconference win over Lawrence University on Tuesday at the Lawrence Courts.
After dropping the three doubles matches, Lawrence bounced back to split the singles. Lawrence’s Hannah Geoffrey was a 7-5, 7-6 winner over Brianna Theobald at No. 2. Melissa Heeren downed Oshkosh’s Llora Waldman 1-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-8) at No. 5, and Allison Juda topped the Titans’ Andrea Larson 6-4, 6-4 at No. 6.
UW-Oshkosh 6, Lawrence University 3
Singles competition
1. Morgan Counts (UWO) def. Gayatri Malhotra (LU) 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 (10-3)
2. Hannah Geoffrey (LU) def. Brianna Theobald (UWO) 7-5, 7-6 (9-7)
3. Valerie Langkau (UWO) def. Ali Heiring (LU) 6-1, 6-2
4. Erica Van Riper (UWO) def. Polly Dalton (LU) 6-4, 0-6, 1-0 (10-8)
5. Melissa Heeren (LU) def. Llora Waldman (UWO) 1-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-7)
6. Allison Juda (LU) def. Andrea Larson (UWO) 6-4, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Morgan Counts/Erica Van Riper (UWO) def. Hannah Geoffrey/Ali Heiring (LU) 8-1
2. Brianna Theobald/Hannah Bostwick (UWO) def. Gayatri Malhotra/Polly Dalton (LU) 9-7
3. Maggie Bolton/Llora Waldman (UWO) def. Allison Juda/Elena Watson (LU) 8-1
Match Notes:
UW-Oshkosh 4-2
Lawrence University 6-5
T-3:30 A-55
Warner’s OT goal lifts Vikings past Concordia Chicago
APPLETON, Wis. — Kelson Warner’s goal in the 96th minute gave the Lawrence University men’s soccer team a 2-1 overtime victory over Concordia University Chicago in a nonconference game on Tuesday at Whiting Field West.
Warner headed a cross from Dan O’Mahoney past Concordia goalkeeper Roberto Aragon with 4:30 left in the overtime to give Lawrence (2-3-1) the victory.
Concordia (3-4-0) grabbed a 1-0 lead just 1:43 into the match on DeAndre McLaurin’s goal. That lead stood up until the 59th minute when Lawrence freshman Jack Blodgett scored his first collegiate goal. After fellow freshman Brendan Flynn’s shot deflected off the crossbar, Blodgett recovered the rebound and blasted it in to tie the match at 1-1 at 58:45.
Joe Krivit made eight saves to pick up the win in net for Lawrence. Aragon stopped seven shots for the Cougars.
Barthelmess named MWC Offensive Player of the Week
APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University football standout Luke Barthelmess has been named the Midwest Conference Offensive Player of the Week.
Barthelmess (Appleton, Wis./Principia), a senior quarterback, was chosen after a great performance running and throwing the football in Lawrence’s heartbreaking 14-13 loss to defending Midwest Conference champion Lake Forest College this past Saturday.
Barthelmess ran for more than 100 yards and threw for nearly 300 for the Vikings. Barthelmess ran 21 times for 124 yards for a 5.9-yard average. Barthelmess has now run for more than 100 yards in both games this season.
Barthelmess completed 24 of 36 passes for 284 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Barthelmess’ first-quarter touchdown pass to Taylor Mandich (Green Bay, Wis./Southwest) was the 50th of his career, which ties him for second place on Lawrence’s career list with Eric Aspenson.
On the season, Barthelmess is 42 of 77 passing for 439 yards and two touchdowns. He has 41 rushing attempts for 241 yards and a touchdown.
Lawrence returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Beloit College.
Vanden Avond leads St. Norbert past Lawrence
DE PERE, Wis. — Katie Vanden Avond scored three goals and assisted on the other as the St. Norbert College women’s soccer team downed Lawrence University 4-0 on Sunday in a Midwest Conference match at Schneider Stadium.
St. Norbert (4-1-1, 1-0-0 MWC) scored all four of its goals in the first half as Vanden Avond scored in the 10th, 31st and 41st minutes.
Sarah Platzer and Maddie Plinska combined on the shutout for the Green Knights. Dani Glass made eight saves for Lawrence (1-3-0, 0-1-0).
14th-ranked Colorado College downs Lawrence
DECORAH, Iowa — The 14th-ranked Colorado College volleyball team defeated Lawrence University 3-0 in a nonconference match on Sunday at the Associated Colleges of the Midwest Invitational at Luther College.
Colorado College defeated the Vikings 25-17, 25-19, 25-19.
Abbe Holtze paced Colorado College with 12 kills, and Devon Lucero had 31 assists.
Terese Swords led Lawrence with 10 kills, and Betsy Sorensen and Megan Conley added six kills apiece. Diane McLeod led Lawrence with 25 assists, and Kathleen Rowland had 21 digs.
Swords was chosen for the all-tournament team.
Lawrence shuts out Grinnell at ACM Invitational
DECORAH, Iowa — The Lawrence University volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 nonconference victory over Grinnell College on Sunday at the Associated Colleges of the Midwest Invitational at Luther College.
Lawrence defeated the Pioneers 25-9, 25-13, 25-14.
Terese Swords posted a match-high 11 kills for the Vikings, which hit .305 as a team. Megan Conley added nine kills for Lawrence and Kayla Storm had five.
Lawrence’s Diane McLeod had a match-high 30 assists to go along with four kills, four digs and four blocks. Kathleen Rowland and Storm posted 16 digs apiece for the Vikings.
Lawrence runners turn in impressive showing at Concordia Invitational
MEQUON, Wis. — The Lawrence University cross country teams turned in impressive runs at the Concordia (Wis.) Falcon Invitational on Saturday.
The Lawrence women and men swept the team titles among the Division III participants. The Lawrence women finished with 66 points and easily finished ahead of second-place Carroll University, which had 92.
The Lawrence women were paced by Liz Landes, who grabbed fourth place with a time of 23:52. The Vikings then bunched the other scoring runners with Anna Ratliff taking 14th, followed by Clare Bruning (15th), Katherine Dannecker (16th) and Amy Hutchings (17th).
On the men’s side, Lawrence edged Carroll for the team title with 63 points, two points ahead of the Pioneers.
Jonah Laursen raced to fourth place in 26:44 to lead the Vikings. Kyle Dockery was next for the Vikings in eighth place, followed by Cameron Davies (14th), Jamie Brisbois (18th) and Curran Carlile (19th).