William Penn Athletics News April 8, 9 and 10

William Penn University Athletics

Stevens Wins Clarke Tourney

East Dubuque, Ill./Peosta–Dena Stevens (Sr., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) posted two strong scores en route to winning her first-ever collegiate tournament at the Clarke Spring Invitational Saturday and Sunday.

As a team, William Penn made a nice move on the final day to tie for third with Loras at 762 (389-373).  The Lady Statesmen led the three conference squads on day two (Clarke at 377 and Iowa Wesleyan at 421).  The tournament was contested at Lacoma Golf Course and Thunder Hills Country Club, both par-71 venues.

Wisconsin-Platteville won the team title at 708 (348-360), while host Clarke was a distant runner-up at 745.  Stevens won medalist honors at 166 (85-81), overcoming a one-stroke deficit after the opening round.

In winning the first event since the sport was reinstated at William Penn in 2008-2009, Stevens tied for the tournament lead in scoring on the par 3s, par 4s, and par 5s.  Playing extremely steady, she topped the field with 17 pars over the two days.

Stevens’ 166 ties her own 36-hole school record, previously set at the St. Ambrose Classic on September 20-21, 2008.

Courtney Kronmuller (So., Fountain Valley, Calif., Fullerton CC) also placed in the top ten for the Lady Statesmen, tying for eighth (out of 31 players) at 182 (89-93).

Aubrey Leasure (Jr., St. Peter, Minn., St. Peter HS) finished 22nd at 202 (107-95), while Presley Joss (So., Osceola, Clarke HS) was 26th at 212 (108-104).  Leasure is old hat at improving as her 12-stroke upswing over the two days led all players for the second event in a row.

Next: William Penn travels to Riverside next Friday and Saturday for the Midwest Collegiate Conference Championships at Blue Top Ridge Golf Course.

Stobart Breaks Par to Snatch Top-Ten Finish

Moravia–Sebastian Stobart (Jr., Harare, Zimbabwe, St. Georges College) once again played well at The Preserve Golf Course, but this time around the field was a bit stronger and several others were also in the ‘red’ as the Penn men’s golf team co-hosted the Eagle-Statesmen Spring Classic with AIB Friday and Saturday.

As a team, William Penn placed third out of eight teams with a two-day tally of 596 (295-301) on the par-72 track.

Junior College power Indian Hills ran away with the crown, shooting 17 strokes under par at 559 (277-282), while Grand View Red was second at four-under 572.

Grand View’s Ben Kern led a group of ten players below par as he claimed medalist honors with a seven-under 137 (68-69).

Stobart paced the Statesmen by tying for eighth (out of 51 players) at 143 (71-72).  The junior won the event a year ago at three-under 141.

Viktor Heurlin (Fr., Stockholm, Sweden, Frans Schartau HS), with a 150 (75-75), and Adriaan de Villiers (So., Akasia, South Africa, Akasia HS), with a 151 (76-75), also had top-20 finishes (18th and 19th, respectively).

Zach Chavez (Fr., Pasadena, Texas, Pasadena Memorial HS) was not far behind, tying for 21st at 152 (73-79), and Geoff Dammann (So., Wyoming, Midland HS) concluded the varsity’s scoring in a tie for 28th at 156 (77-79).

William Penn also had its junior varsity squad in action and Rutger van Brouwershaven (Fr., Johannesburg, South Africa, American International School of Johannesburg) headlined the non-varsity members with a score of 160 (75-85) to tie for 36th.  The Blue team placed eighth in the team standings at 666 (330-336).

Next: William Penn travels to Riverside next Friday and Saturday for the Midwest Collegiate Conference Championships at Blue Top Ridge Golf Course.

Track Squads Compete at Cornell Invite

Mount Vernon/Fayette, Mo.–Numerous top-ten finishes were recorded Saturday as the William Penn track and field teams were in competition at the Cornell Invitational.

In the team races, the Statesmen tied for third with 79 points, while Grand View won the crown with 122 points.  The Lady Statesmen tied for ninth with 27 points as Grand View also went home with the women’s trophy with 144.5 points.

Not surprisingly, Gabriel Green (So., Anniston, Ala., Anniston HS) was one of the squad’s top finishers, receiving golds in the 200-meter dash (22.01 seconds) and as a member of the 4×100-meter relay team (42.56 seconds).

Green was not able to complete the sprint sweep, however, as teammate Carlos Stepter (Sr., Highland Park, Mich., Highland Park HS) got the better of him with a finals time of 11.01 seconds.  Green was the next finisher, though, taking second at 11.12 seconds.

Dexter Jordan (Fr., St. Louis, Mo., Forest Park CC) was strong on the track and in the jumps, placing second in the 400-meter dash in a time of 51.03 seconds and fourth in the long jump at 19-9.

Jonathan Pope (Sr., Starkville, Miss., Starkville HS) became the Statesmen’s third individual to receive multiple honors.  The senior was second in the high jump at 6-1.5 and sixth in the long jump at 19-7.5.

Blake Washington (Fr., Knoxville, Knoxville HS) was a bronze medalist in the 800-meter run in a time of 2:00.93, while Kipp Schuler (Sr., Haviland, Kan., Dana) scored a point in the 5,000-meter run by taking eighth at 16:00.82.

George Calvert (Sr., Woodbridge, Va., Garfield HS) put marks on the board in the throws, having the seventh-best hammer throw at 125-10.

Rachel Butler (Sr., Orange County, Calif., Calvary Chapel Downey HS) headlined an improved showing for the women.  The senior was a three-time point-getter, placing third in the hammer (151-5) and fifth in both the discus (135-4) and javelin (117-3).

Michaela Beck (Fr., Onawa, West Monona HS) guided the runners, finishing fourth in the 100-meter dash (13.45 seconds) and eighth in the 200 (27.42 seconds).

Ashley Lyons (Fr., Wichita, Kan., Wichita Collegiate HS) recorded points for William Penn in the shot put (sixth, 39-1.75), while Nicole Rogge (Fr., Glendale, Ariz., Apollo HS), in the 800-meter run (2:39.60), and Shannon Saunders (Tucson, Ariz., Rincon HS), in the long jump (12-9.25), were both eighth.

Katie Burnett (Sr., Mesa, Ariz., Arizona) also found herself in action Saturday, but unlike her teammates, she was outside of the state at the ASICS-Central Methodist Invitational.  The senior broke her own school record by winning the 5,000-meter race walk in a time of 25:49.75 (old mark was 26:22.19).  Her time easily surpassed the NAIA’s “A” standard and now she has qualified in both the race walk event as well as the javelin.

Possibly more impressive, though, Burnett managed a small bit of revenge in defeating indoor national champion Jessica Ching of Lindenwood (Mo.) by more than 26 seconds.

Next: William Penn travels to Des Moines next Saturday to compete in the Jim Duncan Invitational hosted by Drake.

Lady Statesmen Win Five in Long Weekend

Fremont, Neb./Sioux City/Clinton–The William Penn softball team got back on the winning trail by playing three consecutive days this weekend.

The Lady Statesmen (26-11, 7-5 MCC) opened the weekend by sweeping Midland (Neb.) Friday 6-0 and 6-5 before returning to the state Saturday to knock off Briar Cliff 4-1 and 5-1.  The weekend concluded Sunday with William Penn splitting a Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader with Ashford, winning 9-1 and losing 3-2 (8 innings).

William Penn 6, Midland 0

Brittany Labbe (So., Northridge, Calif., Chaminade HS) put the first run on the board, scoring from third on a passed ball in the second inning.

William Penn broke it open in the following frame with five runs, headlined by an RBI double by Christine Gamble (Jr., Pahrump, Nev., Pahrump Valley HS).

Labbe tallied two hits, as did Molly Miller (So., Kalona, Mid-Prairie HS) and Cassie Lohman (So., Burbank, Calif., Providence HS).  The Lady Statesmen outhit Midland 10-5, while Labbe led all players with two runs scored.

Jennifer Whitehead (Fr., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) scattered five hits in the complete-game shutout.  She struck out six with two walks.

William Penn 6, Midland 5

The Lady Statesmen jumped out to another big lead (5-0 after 1 1/2 innings), but a sixth-inning run secured their victory.

Brianne Rowley (Jr., Hood River, Ore., Blue Mountain CC) provided the power, connecting on a bases-clearing double in the four-run second frame.

Lohman topped her squad with a perfect 3-for-3 showing, including two RBIs and two runs scored.  Gamble notched multiple base knocks as well (two), while Rowley finished with three RBIs.  William Penn managed a slightly smaller 10-8 advantage in hits for the nightcap.

Amber Daly (Jr., Napa, Calif., Solano CC) held on for the win, despite giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits.  She struck out four and walked two in the complete contest.

William Penn 4, Briar Cliff 1

Early runs continued to come easily with the Lady Statesmen pushing all four across in the first two innings.

Lohman found herself atop the hitting list again with a 2-for-4 game.  Eight starters had at least one hit as William Penn owned a 9-6 edge.

Whitehead battled through some struggles for the victory.  The freshman gave up one run (earned) on six hits.  She also struck out six and walked one.

William Penn 5, Briar Cliff 1

Although it probably did not need the help, William Penn took advantage of five Charger errors (three in the first) to claim the sweep.

Miller was the offensive hero this time around with three hits (four at-bats), two RBIs, and two runs scored.

Daly gave up a run in the first, but then settled in and only allowed four more baserunners (all hits) the remainder of the contest.  She notched two strikeouts in the matchup.

William Penn 9, Ashford 1

The Lady Statesmen trailed 1-0 entering the sixth, but then out of the blue, the offense appeared and in a big way.  William Penn had been limited to only four base knocks by that point, but produced eight in the final two frames, including a two-run home run in the sixth by Khyia Lewis (Jr., Ottumwa, Ottumwa HS).  It was her third shot of the year.

Lewis added another two-run hit, a single in the seventh, while Gamble posted a two-run double later in the inning.

Penn claimed a 12-4 edge in the hits category with Andrea Rensberger (Sr., Sioux City, Sioux City North HS) putting together a quiet 4-for-4 day.  Lewis was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs, while Rowley rounded the bases twice.  Miller recorded two hits and Gamble concluded with two RBIs.

Whitehead (13-6) allowed only five baserunners in a four-hit win.  She gave up one run, but struck out four against no walks.

Ashford 3, William Penn 2

The weekend finale unfortunately did not continue along the same path for the Lady Statesmen.

William Penn claimed a 2-1 advantage after three innings (two-run double by Rowley), but the squad failed in three latter scoring opportunities.  Meanwhile, the Saints snuck a run across in both the sixth and seventh frames for the split.

Rowley had two of the team’s six hits (both doubles).

Daly (12-4) let three Ashford players touch home (all earned) on seven hits.  She posted two strikeouts and two walks.

Next: William Penn returns home Wednesday to host Waldorf in a Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.

Limited Offense Hurts William Penn in League Set

Mount Pleasant–The chances of a postseason berth are dwindling for the Statesmen baseball team as the program dropped two out of three games to Iowa Wesleyan in Midwest Collegiate Conference play this weekend.

William Penn (18-17, 5-12 MCC) won Saturday’s opener 3-0, but then fell 10-2 in the nightcap.  The team then came up short again on Sunday, losing 9-0.

Hitters on both sides were confounded throughout the first eight innings of action Saturday.  The visitors finally broke it open in the top of the ninth with five singles that sandwiched a pair of sacrifice bunts.  Chris Witrado (Sr., Fresno, Calif., West Hills CC), Aaron Laird (Jr., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS), and pinchrunner Stanley Muller (Jr., Tucson, Ariz., Cochise CC) all rounded the bases to put William Penn up 3-0.

Cory Randall (Sr., What Cheer, Tri-County HS) led all participants with two hits as the Statesmen produced a 9-3 advantage.

Darren Gay (Jr., El Cajon, Calif., San Diego Mesa CC) pitched a stunning contest, giving up just three hits in eight innings of work.  The junior (3-0) struck out four and was replaced by Dennis Neal (Jr., San Leandro, Calif., Laney CC) for the final frame.  Neal shut down the Tigers in order (one strikeout) for his second save of 2011.

William Penn had at least two baserunners in four frames of the nightcap (11 total hits), but struggled in clutch situations.  Conversely, Iowa Wesleyan (21-18, 9-6 MCC) was quite effective and stormed past the Statesmen.

Kyle Humphrey (Sr., Boise, Idaho, Skagit Valley CC) was 3-for-4 with a home run (his team-leading fifth), while Randall, Jerry Hernandez (Sr., Moreno Valley, Calif., Chaffey CC) and Evelio Ahumada (Jr., Hacienda Heights, Calif., Citrus CC) all managed two hits apiece.  Ahumada scored the other Statesmen run.

The William Penn defense was found wanting as well, committing five errors.

Brad McGuire (So., Covina, Calif., Citrus CC) took the loss in giving up six runs (two earned) on six hits.  The sophomore (0-2) struck out two with two walks in 3 2/3 innings.

Jorge Quezada (So., San Ysidro, Calif., Castle Park HS) (2.1 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 K) made a relief appearance.

The going only got worse for the navy and gold on Sunday as Jorge Martinez stymied Statesmen hitters to the tune of a one-hitter.  Muller was the only player to reach base via a hit (also walked), while Hernandez got on the basepaths due to a Tiger error.

A trio of William Penn hurlers attempted to also slow down Iowa Wesleyan, but to no avail.

David Ness (Jr., Purcellville, Va., Frederick CC) fell to 2-3 Sunday.  In 4 2/3 frames, he allowed five runs (all earned) on six hits.  He struck out one and walked three.

Devin Lange (Jr., Tucson, Ariz., Paradise Valley CC) (2.1 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 K, 1 BB) and Jonathan Davis (Jr., San Diego, Calif., Southwestern CC) (1 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 K, 1 BB) came up short as well.

Next: William Penn travels to Galesburg, Ill. Tuesday to face Knox in a single non-conference game beginning at 2:30 p.m.