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The Week in Review…
Men’s Regional Cross Country Recap - St. Thomas won the men's NCAA Central Region cross country race to earn an automatic bid to the national championships. The Tommies shared first place with Nebraska Wesleyan in a field of 25 teams at last Saturday's NCAA Regional meet. Both Hamline, the 2009 MIAC team champion, and St. Olaf, the 2008 MIAC team champion, received at-large berths in the national field after finishing fourth and third, respectively. Dan Greeno of Bethel, the 2009 MIAC and Central Region race winner, received an individual spot in the national race after finishing in 24:49 along with Brent Haglund of Augsburg who came in fifth , Dustin Franta of Saint John's who finished eighth, Wade Ekstrom of Macalester in 10th, and Charlie Gamble of Carleton finishing 11th. The 2009 NCAA Division III Championships take place next Saturday, November 21st, and are hosted by Baldwin-Wallace College (Ohio). The men’s race is scheduled for 12 a.m. (CST) at Highland Hills G.C. in Cleveland, Ohio.
Women’s Regional Cross Country Recap - Carleton won the NCAA Central Region women’s cross country championship on Saturday to automatically qualify for the national championships. Carleton is joined by St. Olaf, who earned one of 16 at-large berths in the 32-team field. Marie Borner of Bethel won the region's individual race with a time of 21.15 and earned an individual spot in the field. Borner advances to the national meet for the third consecutive year. She is joined by Margot Branigan of Hamline who finished in sixth, Greta Sieve of St. Catherine in seventh, and Heather Jelen of Bethel in 15th. Baldwin-Wallace College will host the championships, November 21st, at Highland Hills Golf Course in Highland Hills, Ohio. The women’s race will begin at 11 a.m.
NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament Recap - Macalester and Concordia advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championships with wins on Saturday, while Carleton lost to in the first round Friday and St. Thomas fell on Saturday. Carleton fell to Wheaton (Ill.) 3-1 on Friday night and ended their season at 10-6-5 while UW-Stevens Point avenged an earlier season loss to St. Thomas (13-6-1) by winning 1-0 to advance to the second round. Concordia defeated Dubuque 2-0 on Saturday while Macalester (14-6-2) topped St. Scholastica 3-0. In the Macalester/Concordia match-up on Sunday, Concordia (18-0-2) came out with a 3-1 win to advance to the Sweet 16.
NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament Recap – St. Olaf fell in the first round of the NCAA men’s soccer tournament to UW-Whitewater 1-0 on Saturday while Macalester advanced to the second round with a 2-0 win over Grinnell. Unfortunately, Macalester also saw their season end on Sunday when they were downed by Loras 2-0. Macalester ended its season 13-8-1 while St. Olaf finished with a 13-5-2 record.
NCAA Volleyball Tournament Recap - St. Thomas and Saint Mary's both won upset matches in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Division III Volleyball Championships on Thursday to advance to Friday's second round. Saint Benedict and St. Olaf both fell in first round contests and were eliminated from the tournament. St. Thomas then defeated Luther 3-0 and Saint Mary's University lost to Washington Univ. (Mo.) 3-1 in the second round of the Championships on Friday. In Saturday’s regional championship game, the 14th-ranked Tommie volleyball team had its season end with a 3-1 loss to No. 2-rated UW-Oshkosh (38-2). The Tommies won the first set 25-17 but lost 25-17, 25-20, 25-15.
Gusties and Oles sweep weekly honors – Gustavus and St. Olaf swept the MIAC Athletes of the Week honors this week. Gustavus earned MIAC Football Special Teams Player of the Week (Greg Lane, Chaska, Minn.) and Defensive Player of the Week Honors (Tony Palma, Lino Lakes, Minn.) as well as Men’s Hockey Player of the Week (David Martinson, Saint Louis Park, Minn.) and Women’s Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week (Carly Mosher, Great Falls, Mont.). St. Olaf earned Football Offensive Player of the Week honors (Leon Clark, Rochester, Minn.) as well as Men’s Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Week (Brock Edwards, Alexandria, Minn.).
MIAC Soccer Awards Announced – The conference announced the 2009 MIAC Men’s and Women's Soccer Awards on Thursday, November 12th, 2009. On the women’s side, leading the All-Conference team is Concordia junior forward Sam Johnson who was named the MIAC Player of the Year. Concordia head coach Dan Weiler, in his eighth season, was named the 2009 MIAC Coach of the Year. For the men, Carleton senior defender Robert Carlton was named the 2009 MIAC Player of the Year and leads the 20-player All-Conference team. The 2009 MIAC Coach of the Year award was given to Macalester head coach Ian Barker.
AVCA All-American Honors – St. Olaf junior outside hitter Kim Smisek (Northfield, Minn.) and St. Thomas junior setter Emily Foster (Hopkins, Minn.) were the two out of the 14 players represented on the 2009 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) First Team All-American team, which was announced on Tuesday. Saint Benedict setter Beth Hanson (Sr., Faribault, Minn.) also received AVCA Third-Team All American Honors. Kyley Crotty of St. Thomas, Sarah Gardner of Saint Mary’s, Jenna Green from Concordia, Emma Jaynes from Saint Benedict, and Kelly Prunty of St. Olaf all received All-America Honorable Mention recognition.
Tommie Fall Success - St. Thomas (football, volleyball, women's soccer, men's CC) qualified for NCAA postseason competition in four of a possible six fall sports. Tommie volleyball reached the regional finals for the third time in five years and lost in four games to No. 2-ranked UW-Oshkosh. In the MIAC all-sport race after fall, UST men leads St. Olaf by 2.5 points and tops Saint John's by five, while the women lead Saint Benedict by 6.5 and lead St. Olaf by seven. Tommie teams have been ranked in the top 10 this calendar year in baseball, softball, men’s and women’s track and field, football, volleyball, men’s basketball and women’s hockey.
At-Large Oles - The St. Olaf men's and women's cross country teams each received at-large bids to the NCAA Division III Championships, which will run on Saturday. The bids make four for fall teams at St. Olaf. The Ole volleyball and men's soccer teams also received at-large bids to their respective championships this fall.
Final Hoorah - John Leaney coached his last women’s soccer game at Macalester when MIAC rival Concordia topped the Scots 3-1 in an NCAA second round playoff match in St. Paul last weekend. Leaney, who is retiring from coaching, led the Scots to 14 NCAA tournament appearances and his final record with the program is a remarkable 299-79-33. He led the Macalester women to eight MIAC championships and also coached the men’s team to nine conference titles. His overall record at Macalester was 535-168-69.
3 x 1,000 yards- Logan Flannery (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.) rushed for 120 yards on 13 carries in Bethel's 44-6 win over Augsburg on Saturday to put him over 1,000 yards for the third season in a row. Flannery is the first MIAC running back since Bethel's Phil Porta to have three consecutive years of 1,000 or more yards. Porta accomplished the feat 2004-06.
Legendary Tennis Coach to be Honored - The USTA Northern Section along with Gustavus Adolphus College will be holding a tribute for legendary Gustavus Tennis Coach Steve Wilkinson on Saturday, December 12th at 5:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis. The event will honor Wilkinson for his contributions to tennis at all levels for the past 40 years. Wilkinson, who retired as the Gusties head coach last year after 39 years at Gustavus, is currently an assistant coach for the Gusties and is still operating his Tennis and Life Camps at Gustavus in the summer months.
Double Threats - The Gustavus men's hockey team will get a nice boost this weekend as three key players from last year's national tournament squad will hit the ice after football season wrapped up last Saturday. Seniors Joe Welch (Hastings, Minn.), Tony Palma (Lino Lakes, Minn.), and T.J. Ridley (Edina, Minn.) are expected to be in uniform for the Gusties’ MIAC series against Bethel on Friday and Saturday. Welch, an All-Conference and All-American safety for the football team is a four-year starting forward on the hockey team, while Palma, an All-Conference linebacker who led the MIAC in tackles this season (11.6 tackles per game), is a four year starter as a defenseman. Ridley, a safety and CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree in football, is a four-year letterwinner on the hockey team. The Gusties are currently 3-2-1 overall and in a second place tie in the MIAC with a mark of 1-0-1.
Fantastic Friday - Steffanie Jurusik did not have any sort of jinx on Friday the 13th as she set a new St. Kate's school record in the 100 backstroke in the Butler Center Pool last Friday. Her time of 1:01.95 is about 1/2 second faster than the previous record set at the MIAC Championships in 2008.
A Gustie on the Tour? - Neil Johnson, a 2004 graduate of Gustavus and member of the 2004 Gustavus National Championship Golf Team, is working his way towards qualifying for the PGA Tour. Johnson, who resides in River Falls, Wisconsin, will begin play in the Second Stage of the 2009 PGA Qualifying School on Thursday, November 18th at TPC Craig Ranch in Dallas, Texas. Johnson, who has played on the Gateway, Dakotas, and Nationwide Tour over the past several years, qualified for the Second Stage of the PGA Qualifying School by finishing in a tie for 20th in the First Stage at Pinewild Country Club in Pinehurst, North Carolina on October 27th-30th.
Fab Frosh – Saint John’s freshman running back Stephen Johnson (Mahtomedi, Minn.) posted his first career 100-yard rushing performance with 128 yards on 26 carries (4.9 avg.) in last Saturday’s 41-14 win over Carleton. The last time a Johnnie freshman ran for 100 yards or more was Korey Dean (100 yards on 20 attempts) on November 7th, 1992, against, coincidentally, Carleton. Johnson, who made his first career start Saturday in place of the injured Jakob Reding, is currently second on the team in rushing with 463 yards on an even 100 attempts (4.6 avg.) and four touchdowns.
Klockars is Clutch - Ingrid Klockars, Saint Mary’s women’s hockey player, scored both goals in SMU’s 2-1 win over UW-Eau Claire last Saturday. After a scoreless first period, the Cardinals turned up the heat in the game’s middle stanza, outshooting the Blugolds 14-4 and finally getting on the board at 9:06, as Klockars netted her first goal of the season off an assist from Stevie Fiek (Rochester, Minn.). The SMU junior forward has now recorded one two-goal game in each of her three seasons as a Cardinal.
Against the Odds - Carson Gorecki (Sr., Mahtomedi, Minn.) netted both goals in a 2-0 NCAA Division III first round men’s soccer playoff win over Grinnell on Saturday, November 14th. The three-time All-MIAC forward finishes his career as the No. 7 all-time career goal producer at Macalester with 27. Ian Barker, who led the Scots to seven straight wins before the team fell to Loras in the second round of the national playoffs, was named MIAC Coach of the Year. Macalester was picked seventh in the pre-season poll but finished tied for second place before taking the conference playoffs.
Best Season Ever - The 2009 season has been the most successful campaign for the Augsburg men's cross country team since the sport was revived at Augsburg in 1991. Augsburg's fourth-place finish at the MIAC Championships was its best conference-meet finish ever, as was its seventh-place finish at the NCAA Division III Central Regional. Augsburg had three runners earn All-Region honors -- Brent Haglund (SR, Fridley, Minn.) with a fifth-place finish, Ben Rodriguez (SO, Buffalo, Minn.) with a 30th-place finish, and Shane Wyborny (SR, Detroit Lakes, Minn.), with a 34th-place finish.
What 2 Watch 4…
NCAA Football Playoffs - Saint John's and St. Thomas will both compete in NCAA Football Playoff contests this Saturday, November 21. The Johnnies earned the MIAC's automatic bid while the Tommies received one of six at-large berths to the field. The No. 4 Saint John's football team (10-0, 8-0 MIAC) plays host to No. 22 Coe, Iowa (9-1, 7-1 IIAC) in the first round of the playoffs. Kickoff is scheduled for noon at Clemens Stadium in Collegeville. The Johnnies received the top seed in the West bracket after UW-Whitewater was moved into another bracket. For the first time since 1990, the St. Thomas football advances to the NCAA Division III playoffs. The 10th-ranked Tommies (7-1 MIAC, 9-1 Overall) have a first-round road game on Saturday at No. 8-rated Monmouth (Ill.) College (10-0 Overall). A victory would give St. Thomas its first 10-win season in school history. Kickoff for that game is also at noon. Audio webcasts will be available online for both games.
How Sweet It Is - The Concordia women’s soccer team advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament by beating Macalester 3-1 in the second round of the NCAA playoffs on Sunday. The Cobbers are now 18-0-2 on the year which sets a program record for wins in a single season. Concordia is the only Minnesota college soccer team still playing in the national playoffs. The Cobbers will play at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX this Saturday and take on Lynchburg (16-3-3) at 7:30 p.m.
Conference Playoffs Rematch – The St. Olaf women’s hockey team will travel to Concordia for a weekend series starting on Friday night. This is a rematch of the #4 vs. #5 first round game of the 2008-09 MIAC Playoffs. St. Olaf prevailed over the Cobbers 2-1 on that snowy February night last season. This series will also be the first conference games for both teams as Concordia currently has three wins and two losses while St. Olaf’s record stands at 2-1.
Tommie-Johnnie Hockey – After playing to a 1-1 overtime tie in the finale of the 2009 MIAC Men’s Hockey Showcase, Saint John’s and St. Thomas will again take to the ice to face each other. The two teams will square off at St. Thomas’ home rink in Mendota Heights on Friday at 7 p.m. and then head to St. Cloud to wrap up the series on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. St. Thomas enters the weekend 1-0-1 in MIAC action while Saint John’s is looking to gain their first points of the season.
Important Invites – Several men’s swimming and diving teams will travel to Macalester this Saturday for the Macalester Invite. St. Thomas, Saint Mary’s, St. Olaf, and Hamline will all participate in this meet, which begins at 9 a.m. at Riley Pool. Saint John’s will travel to Gustavus on Saturday to take on the Gusties, beginning at 1 p.m. The Macalester women’s swimming and diving team will play host to several teams on Saturday for the Roger Ahlman Invitational. Concordia, Saint Mary’s, Augsburg, St. Catherine, Hamline, St. Olaf and St. Thomas will all take part in this meet, which begins at 9 a.m. in conjunction with the Macalester Invite on the men’s side. Gustavus will host to Saint Benedict and Luther on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.
Olive Garden Tourney - Bethel begins its men's basketball season this weekend with its annual Olive Garden Tip-Off Tournament. Bethel will host Nebraska Christian, Waldorf College, and UW-Stout in a four-team tournament on Friday and Saturday evenings with games being played at 6 and 8 p.m. both nights.
Auggies honor Coaching Legend - Augsburg College will honor former coach and instructor Ed Saugestad '59 with a special celebration on Saturday at the college's Kennedy Center, starting at 6 p.m. Saugestad coached the Augsburg men's hockey team from 1958 to 1996, finishing his career as one of the winningest coaches in small-college hockey history, with a 503-354-21 record. His Auggies won MIAC titles six straight years (1976-82), qualified for national tournament play 10 times and won the NAIA national championship in 1978, 1981 and 1982. Saugestad was awarded the American Hockey Coaches Association's John MacInnes Award in 2002 to honor his contributions in the growth of amateur hockey in the United States, and was named as the Hobey Baker Legends of Hockey honoree in 2007. The MIAC christened its playoff championship trophy as the Ed Saugestad Trophy in 1998. He was inducted into Augsburg's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.
Inside the Numbers…
22 – The No. 4 ranked Saint John’s football team earned its 22nd outright conference title and MIAC-record 31st conference championship in school history with a 41-14 win over Carleton last Saturday, November 14th, in Collegeville. The Johnnies will make its 24th postseason appearance (and 11th in the past 12 seasons) by playing host to No. 22 Coe, Iowa (9-1, 7-1 IIAC) in the first round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs this Saturday, November 21st.
25 - Lukas Holland, Saint Mary’s men’s basketball player, (La Crosse, Wis.) tossed in a game-high 25 points in the team’s season-opening win against the University of Dubuque Sunday. The effort was Holland’s highest offensive performance since February 23rd, 2008, when the then-freshman netted a career-best 30 points.
29 - Hamline place kicker Derek Johnson (Sr., Casa Grande, Ariz.) finished the season a perfect 29-of-29 in PATs for the Piper football team. He was the lone kicker in the conference to accomplish that feat, both in MIAC and non-conference play. He was 10-of-12 in overall field goal attempts for an 83.3 success rate and 8-of-10 in MIAC play (80.0 percent), for the best overall and MIAC percentage in the conference. He averaged 55.8 yards per kickoff over the season.
102 - Concordia women’s soccer head coach Dan Weiler earned his 100th career win at the end of the 2009 regular season. Weiler now has 102 career wins for the Cobber women’s team and has a career record of 102-44-12. He was also named the MIAC Coach of the Year this year - the third time in his eight seasons he has earned that award. Weiler has led the Cobbers to a 52-8-6 mark in conference play in the last six seasons.
Did You Know?
Former Concordia women’s soccer player Roxana Saberi will receive the 2010 Award of Valor presented by the NCAA. The award is presented to current or former student-athletes, coaches or administrators who have shown uncommon bravery and courage in the face of grave personal danger. Saberi is one of two honorees to receive the 2010 Award of Valor. Saberi, an international freelance journalist, became the subject of worldwide concern during her four-month imprisonment in Iran. Her extraordinarily difficult ordeal ended with her release from prison last spring after a hunger strike.