Dane Borchers

The Wittenberg men's basketball team ended its season in disappointing fashion, falling to John Carroll University in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament at home on March 5. The Tigers capped the season with a record of 25-4 overall after finishing second in the North Coast Athletic Conference regular season standings with a 14-2 record and winning the NCAC Tournament for the fifth time in school history.

For the second straight year, John Carroll pulled out a second round tourney victory on Wittenberg's home court, this time rallying for a 75-68 double overtime victory over the fourth-ranked Tigers.

After a choppy first half, the physical game seemed to move in the Tigers' direction heading down the stretch as Wittenberg owned a held slim lead for much of the final 20 minutes. But John Carroll worked the clock in the closing seconds to force the game's sixth tie at 57-57 and force overtime.

Perhaps the biggest play of the game occurred at the outset of the first overtime period as junior NCAC Player of the Year Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) fouled out just seconds in. His absence left the Tigers lacking a key offensive and defensive weapon in the two extra sessions, and it came back to haunt Wittenberg as JCU won the rebounding battle, 15-9, in the two overtimes.

John Carroll led by as much as four in the first overtime, but the Tigers clamped down defensively to hold the Streaks scoreless in the final 3:18. Junior wing Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading) tied it on a lay-up with 49 seconds left, and then the Tigers were unable to get a score on three different in-bounds plays in the final 24 seconds.

Wittenberg, which lost three of its four games in 2004-05 in overtime, just seemed to run out of steam in the second extra session. Four of Wittenberg's 15 missed three-point attempts came in the second overtime.

Junior post Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) and Brady combined for 16-of-26 shooting from the field as both met or exceeded scoring career highs in the game. While the Tigers handled the JCU pressure well, committing just 15 turnovers, they shot 17 percent from three-point range, 63 percent from the free throw line and were beaten on the boards. Borchers finished with a career-high 23 points, and he added eight rebounds and six steals. Brady capped his night with a career-high tying 20 points and eight rebounds in 34 minutes off the bench before fouling out in the waning seconds of the second overtime.

The game wrapped up the careers of four players: senior guards Danny Brywczynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont), Kenny Molz (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont), Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) and Brett Bowen (Arcadia, Ind./Hamilton Heights).

Next: Season Complete

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Joe Rumschlag

The Wittenberg men's and women's indoor track and field teams finished fourth and seventh respectively in the March 4-5 North Coast Athletic Conference indoor championship meet.

For the men, the highlights were primarily provided by senior Joe Rumschlag (Maumee, Ohio/Toledo Christian), who was named Indoor Field Events Athlete of the Year for the second time, fitting nicely alongside hardware claimed as the Outdoor Field Events Athlete of the Year in 2003.

Rumschlag took All-NCAC honors with second-place finishes in the 200 meters and the triple jump and a first-place in the long jump for the third straight year, which brings his remarkable record to five conference titles in the long jump (three indoor and two outdoor). In addition, Rumschlag was a member of the second-place 800-meter relay and the third-place 1600-meter relay.

Now with a remarkable 23 All-NCAC honors between indoor and outdoor championships, Rumschlag was the only member of the Tiger men's team to earn an individual all-conference designation in the indoor meet. He was joined on the relay events by junior Gregg Carter (Wellsville, Ohio/Wellsville), freshman Sean Gouch (Columbus, Ohio/Mifflin) and senior Lamarr Lewis (Trotwood, Ohio/Madison) in the 800-meter relay and freshman Mike Echols (Springfield, Ohio/North), Gouch and Lewis in the 1600-meter relay.

On the women's side, freshman Nicole Bailey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day) was simply outstanding in her first conference championship event, taking first place in two events and second in another. She wound up just barely on the outside looking in at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, ranking in the top 20 nationally in the 55-meter dash with a provisional qualifying time of 7.31, which is also a school record. She was not among the competitors selected for the meet, however.

Bailey earned a trio of all-conference honors as she finished second in the triple jump, first in the long jump and first in the 55 meters. In addition, freshman Michelle Kyle (Ashland, Ohio/Ashland) reached All-NCAC status with a third-place finish in the high jump.

Now it's on to the outdoor portion of the 2005 season, starting with a meet this weekend at the University of Cincinnati.

Next: 3/19 @ U. of Cincinnati

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Becca Searcy

The Wittenberg women's swimming and diving team had one participant in the 2005 NCAA Division III Championship meet March 10-12 at Hope College in Holland, Mich. Junior Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County) advanced to the national meet for the third straight year and she emerged with her fifth honorable mention All-America designation.

Battling illness that hampered training for the big event, Searcy placed 14th in the 1650-yard freestyle to earn the national honor. The top eight swimmers in each event earn All-America honors, while the 9th through 16th place finishers are named honorable mention.

Searcy came into the meet with the ninth fastest time in the nation in the 1650-yard freestyle, 23rd fastest in the 500 free and 18th fastest in the 400 Individual Medley. She added a 25th place finish in the 500 free and a 29th in the 400 IM.

Searcy scored three points for the Tigers, giving Wittenberg 50th place as a team in the meet. The Tiger men do not have any competitors in this weekend's national meet, also at Hope.

Next: Season Complete

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Trevor Carlson

The 2005 Wittenberg University men's lacrosse team is off to a hard-luck 0-3 start, but there is plenty of season left to turn things around. The Tigers will try to get the season moving in a positive direction Saturday with a game against Greensboro.

The Tigers' annual Spring Break trip did not get off to a good start as Wittenberg dropped a 20-5 decision to St. Mary's on March 9. The game was played after an unexpected eight-day layoff, precipitated by a cancelled game at St. Vincent due to snow in western Pennsylvania on March 5.

Senior attacker Trevor Carlson (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) found the back of the net on a pass from sophomore attacker Adam Morrison (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) early in the first half to forge the game's lone tie. However, St. Mary's blitzed Wittenberg with a 7-0 run and pushed the lead out to a commanding 11-2 advantage by halftime. Wittenberg's only other goal of the first half came from junior Cory Windle (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) without an assist.

Windle added a goal in the second half and sophomore attacker Sammy Hong (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) chipped in with a goal and an assist, both in the final 30 minutes. Sophomore Travis Moore (Columbus, Ohio/Wellington) tacked on the Tigers' other goal and Morrison finished with two assists to lead Wittenberg.

The Tigers again couldn't find that winning formula against Randolph-Macon on March 12 in a physical 12-10 road loss that wrapped up the Spring Break trip.

Wittenberg got three goals from Morrison and two tallies from Moore, while Hong, Windle, Carlson, sophomore Brandon Schwind (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) and freshman Brandon Hulett (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) all scored once. Windle, the team's leading scorer and lone first-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference honoree a year ago, added three assists to lead the Tigers in that department.

Junior Kevin Adams (Medina, Ohio/Medina) was the Tigers' starter in goal and he turned away 13 shots, while facing 35 from Randolph-Macon. Wittenberg attempted 30 shots, with RMC's netminder coming up with 15 saves.

Next: 3/19 vs. Greensboro, Noon

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Jon Fox

The Wittenberg baseball team is off to another strong start, posting a 6-2 record through its first eight games played during a Spring Break trip to Port Charlotte, Fla. In their first game back in Ohio, the Tigers fell to Ohio Northern on Wednesday, 8-7.

In that game, freshman outfielder Jon Fox (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) continued his absolutely torrid start. He added four hits in five at-bats to raise his batting average to .605, primarily from the lead-off spot. He leads the Tigers with 12 runs scored and 25 total bases and he is second in runs batted in with 10. In addition, Fox has four stolen bases in four attempts.

As a team, Wittenberg is manufacturing runs very effectively. The Tigers are 17-of-19 on stolen bases, compared to 9-of-11 for their opponents, and they have outscored foes by a whopping 63-39 margin without the benefit of a home run. In fact, just 24 of Wittenberg's 97 hits have been for extra bases.

Other individuals of note statistically are senior Jon Komperda (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay), who has picked up right where he left off a year ago when he led the Tigers in batting average and several other offensive categories. He is hitting .406 with seven runs and six RBI. Junior Jason Holmberg (Miamisburg, Ohio/Kettering Alter) has pitched exceptionally well thus far, winning his first two starts while compiling a team-best 2.25 earned run average. He tossed a one-hitter against Tri-State during the Spring Break trip.

The Tigers will host the 2005 Wittenberg Baseball Tournament this weekend with nine games played alternately at Carleton Davidson Stadium and the nearby annex field.

The host Tigers will be joined by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Hiram College, Mount Union College, Albion College, Myers College and John Carroll University. Wittenberg plays Albion and John Carroll on Saturday and Hiram and Mount Union on Sunday.

Next: 3/19 vs. Albion, 1 p.m.
3/19 vs. John Carroll, 4 p.m.
Wittenberg Tournament

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Stephanie Zorn

The 2005 Wittenberg softball team is off to a slow start with nine losses in 10 games, but that doesn't mean the Tigers have failed to be competitive. Four of Wittenberg's losses have been by two runs or less, including two on walk-off hits.

Most recently, Wittenberg dropped both ends of a doubleheader at Thomas More on Thursday. In both games, the Tigers held leads into the late stages, only to have Thomas More rally for victories.

The problem isn't offense for Wittenberg, as five players are hitting .300 or better. The leaders are senior Ashley Lands (Dover, Ohio/Dover) with a robust .548 batting average (17 singles in 31 at-bats) and sophomore Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville) with a .500 batting average and team-bests of seven runs batted in and eight runs scored.

The Tigers' defense has been suspect and the pitching less than dominating, a tough combination for a young team. Wittenberg has eight more errors than its opponents currently and an earned run average almost double its opponents.

It doesn't get any easier for the Tigers, who lost to three nationally ranked opponents on their Spring Break trip to the Sunwest Tournament in Orange, Calif. Wittenberg next travels to perennial powerhouse and nationally ranked Muskingum for a doubleheader on Saturday.

Next: 3/19 @ Muskingum, 1 p.m.

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Melissa Jackson

The 2005 Wittenberg University women's lacrosse team has already matched its win total from all of the 2004 season. With that out of the way, the Tigers now set their sights on greater achievements the rest of the season, starting Saturday at Lynchburg.

Wittenberg started the season with a 16-8 victory over Roger Williams College in a game played in West Palm Beach, Fla.

The Tigers captured a commanding 8-1 halftime lead and then cruised home with eight more second-half goals. Sophomore Melissa Jackson (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) was the offensive star as she scored seven goals, two in the first half and five in the second, and added two assists for nine total points. The school record for goals in a game is nine, and Jackson's total of seven ties her with four other players for the second-highest total in school history.

Senior Jenny Burns (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) added two first-half goals and three assists, sophomore Kari Thomas (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) finished with four goals, sophomore Michelle Hanners (New Albany, Ohio/Columbus School for Girls) contributed one goal and one assist, freshman Amber Cupples (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster) opened her collegiate career with two goals and three assists and freshman Alison Voigt (Louisville, Ky./Ballard) rounded things out with an assist. In goal, the Tigers got a solid performance from sophomore Clare Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley), who turned away 13 shots.

The next day, Wittenberg came back to earth in a 15-2 loss to sixth-ranked Cortland State, the defending champion of the State University of New York Athletic Conference. Bucheit made 20 saves in the game for Wittenberg, compared to two saves for her Cortland State counterpart. Wittenberg's goals came from Thomas and Burns, both in the second half after the Tigers fell behind 9-0 by halftime.

Wittenberg capped its week in Florida with a 12-6 victory over Gordon.

The Tigers took a 6-2 lead into the halftime break and then finished up strong with six more goals in the second half. Hanners and Burns each found the back of the net three times in the game, while Jackson and Thomas added a pair of scores each. Cupples and freshman Emine Cirpili (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) also scored goals. Junior Emily Hiscar (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) finished with two assists to lead the Tigers.

Next: 3/19 @ Lynchburg, 1 p.m.

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Ryan Snyder

The Wittenberg men's and women's tennis teams are both off to solid starts to the spring portion of the 2004-05 season. The men went 2-2 with two rainouts during a busy Spring Break trip to Orlando, Fla., and the women posted a 3-1 mark with one rainout in the shadows of Disney World.

The men have one singles player with a winning record, freshman Ryan Snyder (Trotwood, Ohio/Madison), a mid-year pick-up who has gone a perfect 5-0 at the No. 6 position. In addition, Snyder has teamed with sophomore John Shields (New Kensington, Pa./Valley) for a 3-3 record at No. 2 doubles. The team's best doubles record is owned by the No. 2 duo of senior Ben Burkam (Delaware, Ohio/Hayes) and junior Brian Pierce (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) at 4-2.

The women are a different story. Four of the six singles players have a winning record and all three doubles teams are above .500 currently. A pair of freshmen have made significant strides for the Tigers in 2004-05, adding the necessary depth for a veteran team in hopes of getting into the top of the crowded North Coast Athletic Conference.

Freshman Emily Okerson (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) has a 9-2 singles record at the No. 3 position and also has teamed with senior Emily Figel (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) for a 4-1 record at No. 1 doubles. Freshman Ashley Schnedl (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) has a 6-3 record at the No. 6 singles position, and she joined junior Kristyn Russell (Loveland, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) for a 4-2 record at No. 3 doubles.

Both teams have a busy month ahead of them, with at least three matches each week on the schedule, culminating in the NCAC Tournaments April 23-24.

Next: 3/19 @ Wabash Tournament (M)
3/19 vs. Oberlin, 1 p.m. (W)