William Penn Athletics News–February 17
William Penn University Athletics
WPU 14th at Hoosier Classic
Indianapolis, Ind.–In its final Tier 1 event of the regular season, the Statesmen men’s bowling team performed well at the Backhaul Direct Hoosier Classic Saturday and Sunday.
The Statesmen placed 14th out of 78 teams with a nine-game tally of 8,734 pins, missing qualifying for bracket play by two spots and just 78 pins. Robert Morris (Ill.) was the top qualifier with 9,368 pins, but was upset by #9 seed Fresno State (Calif.) in the quarterfinals. Fresno State reached the championship, but fell to second-seeded Webber International (Fla.) 4-3.
Colin Champion of Webber International earned his namesake by winning qualifying with a 223.2 average (2,009 pins), only five pins ahead of Marshall Kent of Robert Morris.
William Penn utilized the minimum of five bowlers starting in nine games each. Jacques Kaune (So., Anchorage, Alaska, Business Management) paced the navy and gold with a 200.8 average (1,807 pins) to place 30th.
Cameron Foster (Sr., West Jordan, Utah, Business Management) was next with a 197.1 clip, while Drew Balta (Sr., Walford, Iowa, Education) had a 195.4 mark.
Brandon Barboza (Jr., Brick, N.J., Sociology) averaged 192.1 pins, and Piet Schaeffer (Sr., Livingston, Scotland, General Mathematics) posted a 185.0 tally.
Next: William Penn will take this weekend off, concluding its regular season on March 1-2 by traveling to Cedar Rapids for the Midwest Collegiate Conference Championships.
Statesmen Roll at Hoosier Classic
Indianapolis, Ind.–The William Penn women’s bowling team had a tough outing as it competed at the Backhaul Direct Hoosier Classic Saturday and Sunday.
WPU placed 41st out of 64 teams at the Tier 1 event with a nine-game tally of 7,527 pins, while Wichita State (Kan.) won qualifying with 8,687 pins. The Shockers then ripped through bracket play, not losing a game in three rounds and defeating second-seeded Robert Morris (Ill.) 4-0 in the finals.
Dasha Kovalova of Wichita State topped qualifying with a 211.0 average (1,899 pins).
Kirstin Newberry (Sr., Holland, Mich., Secondary Education) headlined for William Penn with a 181.4 average in nine games. Stephanie Adams (Fr., Souris, Manitoba, Business Management), with a 180.3 mark, and Kelsey Johnson (Jr., Montgomery, Ill., Secondary Education), at 178.0, also started all nine games.
Montana Pence (Fr., Stronghurst, Ill., Elementary Education) had a 144.8 clip in eight games. Niona Bruce (Fr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Sociology & Psychology), with a 186.0 mark in three games, Emily Braga (So., Newton, Iowa, Communications), with a 146.0 average in three games, and Mackenzie Boyd (Fr., Knoxville, Iowa, Physical Education), with a 134.0 tally in three games, bowled multiple games as well.
Blair Farris (So., Washington, Iowa, Elementary Education) knocked down 110 pins in her lone game.
Next: William Penn will take this weekend off, concluding its regular season on March 1-2 by traveling to Cedar Rapids for the Midwest Collegiate Conference Championships.
AOY Leads to AOW for Edwards
Oskaloosa–Alex Edwards (Jr., Knoxville, Iowa, Secondary Education) was easily the best runner in the league last Friday, earning him Midwest Collegiate Conference Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week honors Monday.
Edwards, who notched his third award of the year (fourth in his career–all indoor), won the 400-meter dash, 600-meter run, and 800-meter run, and was the anchor on the 4×400-meter relay team that placed fourth (3:32.50). His 600 time of 1:20.49 not only set a meet record, but is also the best in school history, breaking his own mark. All of this netted him MCC Athlete of the Year honors at last Friday’s MCC Championships.
The junior also finished the 400 in 50.43 seconds, only 0.1 seconds off the meet record. He crossed the 800 line in 2:00.34 as well, which was almost two seconds faster than the closest competitor.
Edwards, who has qualified for nationals in the 600, currently ranks first in the league in all three individual events and is sixth nationally in the 600.
Statesmen Sweep First Weekly Awards
Oskaloosa–Jessica Christensen (So., Marysville, Wash., Sociology) and Jennifer Whitehead (Sr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Biology) helped the William Penn softball team to a very positive start to 2014, and their efforts garnered the first Midwest Collegiate Conference Softball Player of the Week honors of the season Monday.
Christensen collected her first career Player of the Week nod, while Whitehead’s Pitcher of the Week award is her tenth. The duo guided WPU to two wins over Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) in last Friday’s season-opening double dip.
Christensen was 2-for-4 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI–the lone one in the first contest. After an impressive showing in the opener, the sophomore showed great plate patience by drawing three walks in the nightcap.
Whitehead did even more damage, tossing a no-hitter against the Wolves. The senior struck out 12 against three walks in the third such outing of her career. She did not permit a runner to reach third and had just two CSU players get to second.
