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The Week in Review…
MIAC Women’s Basketball Awards - The MIAC announced the 2009-10 MIAC Women's Basketball Awards on March 4, 2010. Gustavus senior guard Bri Radtke was named the 2009-10 MIAC Player of the Year. Radtke led the Gusties to a share of the MIAC Regular Season title with a 18-4 record. She tied for the MIAC lead with 4.41 assists per game and was fifth in the conference in assist/turnover ratio at 1.76. Radtke also averaged 11.0 points per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Hamline first-year forward Tromesa May was chosen as the MIAC Sixth Player of the Year for 2009-10. May averaged 9.1 points while shooting 55.9 % from the floor. She also pulled down 6.7 rebounds in 17 conference games for the Pipers. Saint Benedict head coach Mike Durbin was named the 2009-10 MIAC Coach of the Year. Durbin's Blazers won a share of the MIAC Regular Season Championship with 18-4 conference record. This was the fifth consecutive MIAC title Saint Benedict has won or shared.
MIAC Men’s Basketball Awards – The MIAC announced the 2009-10 MIAC Men's Basketball Awards on March 4, 2010. St. Thomas junior guard Tyler Nicolai was named the 2009-10 MIAC Player of the Year. Nicolai led the regular season MIAC Champion Tommies in scoring (13.8/game), steals (1.90/game), assist/turnover ratio (2.65), and field goal percentage (48.7 %) in conference play. Saint John's junior wing Sam Blank was selected as the MIAC Sixth Man of the Year. Blank was fourth in MIAC games hitting 35 3-pointers on the season with a 41.7% average. Blank averaged 10.2 points per game in conference play. Augsburg head coach Aaron Griess was chosen as the 2009-10 MIAC Coach of the Year. Griess led the Auggies to their highest single season win total since 1998-99 as Augsburg finished tied for second place in the conference with a 13-7 record. During his five seasons at Augsburg, Griess has seen the Auggies improve their overall and conference win total each year.
MIAC Women’s Hockey Awards - The MIAC announced the 2009-10 MIAC Women's Hockey Awards on March 4, 2010. St. Catherine junior forward Michaela Michaelson was named the 2009-10 MIAC Player of the Year. Michaelson led the Wildcats with 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points in 18 MIAC games. Her goal total tied for best in the conference and her 24 points was second best in the MIAC. Augsburg forward Jess Olson was selected as the 2009-10 Sheila Brown Award recipient. The award is given to a senior who has made a long-term contribution to her team’s success and who has consistently competed with good sportsmanship. Olson was selected as the recipient based on four main criteria: Team Leadership; Sportsmanship and volunteer work; Academic Excellence; and Hockey skills and production. St. Catherine head coach Brad Marshall was named the 2009-10 MIAC Coach of the Year. Marshall, in his 5th season leading the Wildcats, guided St. Catherine to a 13-3-2 MIAC record and the number two seed in the conference playoffs. The 2009-10 Wildcats broke the school record for number of wins and best conference finish.
Winter Wonderland - The Gustavus athletic teams wrapped up the most successful MIAC winter sports season in the College's history last weekend. The Gusties claimed four conference titles (men's hockey, women's hockey, women's basketball, and women's swimming), one playoff title (women's hockey), three second place finishes (men's basketball, women's indoor track and field, and men's swimming) and one fourth place finish (men's indoor track and field). In addition, the Gusties hosted seven of the eight MIAC Semifinal and Final Playoff contests, and had two athletes earn MIAC Player of the Year honors (David Martinson, men's hockey and Bri Radtke, women's basketball). Gustavus will also have the men's and women's hockey teams participate in the NCAA Tournament, and individuals participating in the men's and women's swimming championship and the men's and women's indoor track and field championships.
Jostens Trophy Finalist - Hamline junior women’s basketball player Mary Wilkowski (Savannah, Ga.) was named one of the top 12 finalists for the prestigious Jostens Trophy by the members of the Rotary Club of Salem, Va. The Jostens Trophy is a national award created by the Rotary Club of Salem, Va., to honor the most outstanding men’s and women’s Division III basketball players of the year. The award takes into account three vital parts: basketball ability, academic prowess and community service. Wilkowski reached the 1,000 career point milestone on January 30th of her junior season, and is seventh on the all-time scoring list at Hamline after just three seasons (1,126 career points). She is also second all-time in career blocks (69) and is seventh in career rebounds (562). She is a two-time all-conference honoree and was named to the MIAC all-freshman team as well as to the All-American Freshman Team.
Knights Magical Run Ends - The Carleton men’s basketball team went 9-1 during the second half of the MIAC schedule, then proceeded to win its first conference tournament title following road wins at St. Thomas and Gustavus to secure the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. In the opening round of the national championship, the Knights nearly upset fifth-ranked UW-Stevens Point, eventually falling in the waning seconds, 59-58. All-MIAC performers Seth Jonker (17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) and Jeremy Sutherland (13 points, 4 assists, 3 steals) led the way for the Knights.
Women’s All-Academic Team Honors - The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) awarded ten MIAC women’s cross country teams with All-Academic Team honors, it was announced Friday. Those earning USTFCCCA honors from the MIAC included: Bethel (3.65 Team GPA), St. Olaf (3.60 GPA), Hamline (3.53 GPA), St. Thomas (3.52 GPA), Carleton (3.49 GPA), Gustavus (3.47 GPA), Augsburg (3.45 GPA), Concordia (3.42 GPA), Saint Mary’s (3.35 GPA), and Saint Benedict (3.25 GPA). For a team to be considered for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award, they must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Meet. The team must also have a minimum 3.10 team cumulative grade point average. The MIAC led all conferences with a total of ten schools on the All-Academic list.
Men’s All-Academic Team Honors - Eight MIAC men's cross country teams have received All-Academic Team honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), it was announced Friday. MIAC teams recognized by the USTFCCCA included: Macalester (3.54 Team GPA), Carleton (3.45 GPA), Saint Mary's (3.42 GPA), Augsburg (3.32 GPA), Hamline (3.30 GPA), Gustavus (3.28 GPA), Saint John's (3.27 GPA), and St. Thomas (3.17 GPA).The New England Small College Athletic Conference led all conferences with a total of nine schools on the All-Academic team list. The MIAC followed closely behind with eight schools earning All-Academic honors.
No Hit Opener - The St. Kate's softball team started the season with a 17-0 win over Crown College in five innings. Kayla Bergerson (1-0) recorded eight strikeouts in three innings of work and combined with Morgan Bohmbach to throw a no-hitter.
Tommie Titles - The St. Thomas women's track and field team won their 11th consecutive MIAC indoor team championship as they pulled away in the last three events from a strong Gustavus team. Coach Joe Sweeney won his 64th conference team crown in his 30 seasons as head coach in cross country and track and field. UST had only three individual winners - Erin Sprangers in the 800, Laura Janas in the 55 hurdles, and the 4x400 relay -- but scored in 19 of 20 events. The Toms passed on entering two individual qualifiers and will enter five athletes in the 4x400 and distance-medley relays to nationals this week in Greencastle, Ind.
Borner does it Again - Marie Borner (Sr., Cottage Grove, Minn.) won the mile run for the third year in a row with a meet record time of 4:54.44 at last weekend’s indoor track and field championships. Borner also went on to win the 1,000 meter run and anchor the winning distance medley relay team. Borner will be the lone female Royal participating in the NCAA National Championships this weekend at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind.
Super Sophomores - Sophomores Clare Franco and Simone Childs-Walker led the Carleton women’s track & field teams at the recent MIAC Championships and have qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships for the second straight year. Franco broke a pair of school records (400- and 600-meter dashes) in winning two events at the conference meet, while Childs-Walker pulled away for victories in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs.
Olson Honored - For the second year in a row, an Augsburg women's hockey student-athlete was named as the recipient of the MIAC's Sheila Brown Award, as senior forward Jess Olson (SR, Hamel, Minn./Wayzata HS) earned the honor this season. The MIAC's Shelia Brown Award is named for Brown, the longtime athletic director at St. Catherine University who died from cancer in 2005. The award is given to a senior women's hockey player who has made a long-term contribution to her team's success and who has consistently competed with good sportsmanship. Recipients are chosen based on four criteria -- team leadership, sportsmanship and volunteer work, academic excellence and hockey skills/production. A two-year co-captain for the Auggies, Olson appeared in 98 games in her Augsburg career (sixth-most games played in school history), with 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points to her credit. Her points total ranks her 23rd in Augsburg history, while her goals and assists totals are both tied for 19th-best in school history. A marketing major with a 3.7 grade-point average, Olson is a Dean’s List student, and has earned Academic All-MIAC and AWHCA National Scholar-Athlete Award honors each of the last two seasons. Olson also earned All-MIAC Sportsmanship Award honors for the second straight year.
You Should Move to Arizona - For the second consecutive season, Saint John’s junior shortstop Matt Butorac (Maple Grove, Minn.) led the Johnnies in virtually every batting category following SJU’s seven games (4-3 record) in Chandler, Ariz., last week. Butorac batted .577 (15-26) with 15 hits, eight runs scored, seven doubles, one triple, nine RBI and 24 total bases for a .923 slugging percentage. Butorac, who bats left-handed, was 3-for-4 against southpaws and 5-for-7 with runners in scoring position (11-for-18 with runners on base). He has now batted .508 (31-61) in the last two spring break trips in Arizona (16 games), including 17 runs scored, 15 doubles, one triple, 20 RBI, 48 total bases and a .787 slugging percentage.
Wildcat Track and Field Attack - The St. Kate's track and field team recorded the most points (59) and equaled the highest team finish ever (sixth) at the MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships this past weekend. The wildcats picked up four second place finishes including: Greta Sieve (3k and 5k), Sami Larson (Shot Put) and the 4 x 400 Relay team. All told, the team set seven new school records over the weekend.
Augsburg Speedsters – Augsburg track and field athlete Shanek Telphia (FY, Chicago, Ill./Gage Park HS) was one of three Auggies to capture conference titles at this past weekend's MIAC indoor championships, as she won the women's 200-meter dash in a meet-record and school-record 25.25 seconds. Whitney Holman (SR, New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) won the women's 55-meter dash in 7.28 seconds, and on the men's side, Nick Ward (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) won two titles, in the long jump in a school-record 6.96 meters (22-feet-10) and in the 55-meter dash (6.48 seconds). Augsburg's men's squad recorded its best team finish since 2004 with a sixth-place finish, while the Auggie women finished in 10th place.
Hot Scots - The Macalester baseball team heads to Arizona with a 5-1 record through three Metrodome twinbills. The Scots have a 2.63 team ERA and .977 fielding percentage in their first six games. Catcher Robert Williams (So., West Covina, Calif. / Northview) is batting .421 to lead the attack.
Bethel Burners - For the second year in a row, Bethel has placed third at the conference indoor men's track and field championship meet. This year was highlighted by a slim victory in the 4 x 400 meter relay, as well as a pair of school records being broken, including Dan Greeno winning the 3,000 meter run in 8:34.26, which surpassed his previous school record set earlier this year. The Royals' distance medley relay team, which also broke a school record, was made up of Greeno, Zach Schlegel (Jr., Woodbury, Minn.), Matt Neufeld (Jr., Mankato, Minn.), and Zach Haskins (Fr., Maple Grove, Minn.) finishing second in a school record time of 10:17.83.
Pipers Shine at Indoors - Five Piper All-Americans, all of whom own at least one school record, will be making a return to nationals this week as they head to Indiana for the DIII indoor championships. The Piper men totaled 156 points in the MIAC meet, shattering their previous record of 133 points. They tallied four individual conference champions, a meet-high 26 athletes who scored points, one NCAA automatic qualifier, three NCAA provisional qualifiers and one school record en route to their second-place team finish.
Blazing Blazers - The Saint Benedict indoor track and field team entered the second and final day of the MIAC Championships in fourth-place. Behind some impressive performances the Blazers were able to move up one spot and earn a third-place finish for the second year in row. CSB sophomore Julia Renner (Shoreview, MN./Mounds View) was the conference champion in the triple jump (11.23 meters), while the 800 meter relay team of Natasha Harr (St. Cloud, MN, St. Cloud Technical), Erin Sand (New Prague, MN, New Prague), Clare Murn (Canton, GA, St. Cloud Tech) and Jillian Daleiden (Blaine, MN, Blaine), also earned conference championship honors.
What 2 Watch 4…
Another Gustie/Tommie Match-Up - The Gustavus men’s hockey team will host MIAC rival St. Thomas in a first round game of the NCAA Division III Men’s Hockey Tournament on Wednesday, March 10 at Don Roberts Ice Rink at 7:05 p.m. The Gusties earned an at-large bid into the tournament after falling to St. Thomas 2-1 in overtime in the MIAC Playoff Championship last Wednesday. The winner of Gustavus/St. Thomas will face the winner of St. Norbert/Adrian on Saturday, March 13 in the Quarterfinal Round at a site yet to be determined. The four West teams joined seven East teams in the field. The four West teams play on Wednesday and only one of the four will advance to the Final Four. This will be the fourth meeting of the season between Gustavus and St. Thomas. The Gusties swept the regular season series by the scores of 4-0 and 7-1, but the Tommies knocked off the Gusties last Wednesday 2-1 in overtime in the MIAC Playoff Championship. Gustavus is one of only four institutions to have both men's and women's hockey programs competing in the NCAA Tournament.
Gustie Women Host UW-River Falls - The Gustavus women’s hockey team has been selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament and the Gusties will host the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in a quarterfinal game on Saturday, March 13 at 2:00 pm at Don Roberts Ice Rink. This is the ninth consecutive year that Gustavus has been selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the Gustavus/UW-River Falls game will get the privilege of hosting the NCAA Championship Semifinals and Finals, which will take place the following weekend, March 19-20. Tickets for Saturday’s game, which are $6 for adults and $3 for students, will be sold the day of the game only, beginning one hour prior to the start of the contest. Gustavus is one of only four institutions to have both men's and women's hockey programs competing in the NCAA Tournament.
NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships – The fields have been set for the 2010 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships and the MIAC will be well represented. The championships will be held March 12-13 at the James A. Hollensteiner Track in the DePauw Indoor Tennis and Track Center on the campus of DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. For meet entries along with their seeds and qualifying times/marks, Click Here.
NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships - The psych sheets for the 2010 NCAA Division III Swimming & Championships have been released and the MIAC will be sending a strong contingent of student-athletes to the event. The championships will be held March 17-20 at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn. Beloit College and the College of Wooster will serve as the host institutions. For meet entries along with their seeds and qualifying times, Click Here.
Inside the Numbers…
600 - Saint John’s head baseball coach Jerry Haugen became the 19th active NCAA Division III coach to reach 600 wins and 31st all-time in Division III history as the Johnnies swept the Rochester Institute of Technology (N.Y.) 5-3 and 6-3 on Tuesday, March 2. His career record now stands at 602-522-5 (.535) in 33 seasons, all at Saint John’s.
26 - The St. Thomas men's track and field team made it 26-for-26 in all-time team championships in MIAC indoor meets. The Tommies' seven-point win over Hamline was the closest men's team finish in indoors history - the 1987 meet went to the Toms by a mere 15 points. Coach Steve Mathre won his 25th team crown in his 15 seasons as head coach. UST had only three individual winners - Mike Hutton in the 1,000, Matt Griswold in the pentathlon and Eyo Ekpo in the triple jump -- but scored in 19 of 20 events. The Toms, who broke into the national power rankings at No. 15, will send five athletes in three events to nationals this week in Greencastle, Ind.
14 - The Macalester women’s basketball team landed two players on the all-conference team, center Ann Baltzer and forward Trina PaStarr, for the first time in 14 years. PaStarr is Mac’s first three-time All-MIAC choice since Afton Hanson (2001-02 through 2003-04).
6 - The St. Kate's hockey team wrapped up their most successful season in school history with a 5-1 loss in the MIAC Championships game. Despite the loss, the Wildcats were honored for the successful season as six players earned MIAC Conference honors. Leading the list of award winners were Michaela Michaelson, became the first hockey player to be named MIAC Player of the Year in school history. Coach Brad Marshall was named MIAC Coach of the year leading the Wildcats to an 18-5-2 season.
1 - The current ranking of the St. Thomas baseball team which opened its 2010 season Sunday with a 6-5, 3-1 sweep of No. 25-ranked St. Scholastica. Matt Schuld struck out 10 and allowed one walk, five hits and one run to get his 20th career victory. Tom Wippler drove in four runs in the 6-5 comeback win with two doubles. Taylor Rahm had the game-winning RBI in each game. The Tommies play the Minnesota Gophers Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., in a nine-inning game. Last April, UST ended a 16-game losing streak to the Gophers with a 6-3 victory, then four weeks later won the Division III national title.
Did You Know?
Four MIAC fall sport student-athletes have been selected for the prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship. Winners include Saint Benedict volleyball senior Emma Jaynes (Hibbing, Minn.), Bethel senior football player David Benjamin (Roseville, Minn.), and Carleton men’s soccer seniors Robert Carlton (Madison, Wis./Memorial) and Ross Hamilton (Western Springs, Ill./Lyons Township). The scholarship is given to 87 men and 87 women who are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. Nominees must have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.200, excellent achievement in athletics and a plan to enroll in a graduate degree program on a part or full-time basis.