Stories of the Decade: #10
Oskaloosa–Two programs snapping lengthy conference title droughts opens our countdown of the top-10 stories of the 2010s at #10.
In 2018-2019, for the first time since the 1987-1988 campaign (a span of 31 years), the William Penn women’s basketball was league champions, earning both the Heart of America Athletic Conference regular season and tournament crowns.
Paced by First-Team All-American Vasti Nwagbaraocha, WPU went 22-2 in conference action. Kate Ylitalo joined Nwagbaraocha as a first-team all-Heart selection, while Brenda Pennington was a second-team pick and Jenna Santi garnered an honorable mention. Head Coach Steve Williamson notched his second-straight Heart Coach of the Year laurel as well.
The Statesmen, who were 30-3 overall, collected an automatic berth to the NAIA National Championship, but unfortunately were eliminated in the first round.
William Penn’s defense headlined its success, ranking sixth nationally by allowing just 53.2 points per game. Nwagbaraocha was third in the NAIA with a .591 shooting clip, while Ylitalo was sixth in three-pointers made (98). WPU, which was ranked as high as #9, defeated eight teams that were ranked or receiving votes nationally.
The men’s golf program waited even longer to raise its newest hardware, going without since 1974, the year President Richard Nixon resigned from office. In May 2018, the Statesmen, headed by Third-Team All-American Zachary Chegwidden (only All-American in school history) pulled off a huge come-from-behind victory to break a 44-year drought.
Down 12 strokes entering the final round of the Heart Championships, WPU carded a 298, the lone sub-300 mark of the tournament to rally past Mount Mercy with a final score of 914 (MMU was at 917).
The fourth and final tournament win of the season for the navy and gold netted them the program’s first-ever national tournament berth. The Statesmen eventually finished the NAIA National Championship in 20th place.
Chegwidden, who was the individual medalist at the Heart Championships at 220 (77-73-70), was joined in the top 10 by Frederik Lundsgaard who was seventh at 227.
The winner of three individual titles during the 2017-2018 campaign, Chegwidden was tabbed as the Heart’s Player of the Year, while Sebastian Rulis was an all-Heart selection as well. Head Coach Steve Tucker also picked up the Coach of the Year laurel; Tucker’s crew owned a 303.4 stroke average, which ranks second on the all-time list.
