After a week off to practice and prepare for the 2001 NCAA Division III Playoffs, the Tigers learned their postseason fate on Sunday. Officially assigned the No. 5 seed in the North Region bracket but placed in the spot normally reserved for the sixth seed, Wittenberg will reluctantly hit the road this weekend for a first-round match-up at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas at noon on Saturday, Nov. 17.

Wittenberg, ranked No. 11 in last week's American Football Coaches Association poll, was the No. 2 seed in the North Region in each of the last three playoffs. This year, despite a fourth consecutive perfect North Coast Athletic Conference season and a 9-1 overall record, the Tigers were selected to make the long road trip to Texas. Hardin-Simmons, the No. 3 seed in the North Region and ranked seventh in last week's poll, concluded the 2001 season with an 8-1 overall record, including a 7-0 mark in the American Southwest Conference.  This will be the Tigers' fourth straight trip to the NCAA Division III Playoffs and 10th overall since the division was created in 1973 (Wittenberg also won the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in 1969 as a member of the NCAA College Division). Wittenberg has won its first round game in each of the last three playoffs only to fall in the second round in 1998 and 1999 and the regional final a year ago. In 1998, the Tigers defeated Millikin and former Wittenberg head coach Doug Neihbur before falling to eventual national champion Mount Union, 21-19, in Alliance, Ohio. In 1999, the Tigers opened with a big win over Alma before falling in the second round to Ohio Northern. And last year, Wittenberg rolled to home wins over Aurora College and Hanover College before losing to Mount Union  Next: 11/17 @ Hardin-Simmons, Noon NCAA Division III Playoffs First Round

Volleyball  (26-9, 8-0 NCAC)
Coach: Connie Surowicz (eighth season)

McDonald

Yuskewich

Murphy

The Tigers' dreams of a national championship will once again have to wait a year after Ohio Athletic Conference champion Ohio Northern Polar Bears knocked Wittenberg out of the 2001 NCAA Division III Tournament. The Great Lakes Region's No. 2 seed, Wittenberg struggled defensively against the Polar Bears, falling 3-1 in a hard-fought match.    The Tigers, who were making their sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Division III

tournament and seventh since 1993, received a first-round bye and played ONU on Friday night at Mt. St. Joseph in Cincinnati. Wittenberg got 25 kills from freshman Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic), 55 assists from freshman Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) and 12 kills and 13 digs from junior Teresa Murphy (Blacklick, Ohio/Newark Catholic) in the loss.  Despite the loss and another failed attempt to advance beyond the regional competition, the future continues to be bright for the NCAC champions. Wittenberg did not have a senior on the roster in 2001, meaning that all six starters - including three freshmen - will return in 2002. Next: Season Complete

Men's and Women's Cross Country
Coach:  Steve Shutt (third season)
 

Gerstle

Weide

Hyde

Dewald

All season, the Wittenberg cross country team has been paced by junior Abi Gerstle (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont), the first female runner in school history to ever qualify for the NCAA Division III championship meet a year ago. Two weeks after becoming the first Tiger runner to win an individual NCAC title, Gerstle bettered her personal best time to finish 9th overall at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional meet at Kalamazoo College with a time of 18:35.

Gerstle's finish earned her the fourth individual qualifying slot and led the Tigers to a 17th-place finish in the 33-team field. The NCAA Division III championship meet is scheduled for Nov. 17 at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill.  Gerstle was followed by senior Sarah Weide (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead), who had a strong run of her own, just two seconds off her personal best. Weide, who made All-NCAC for the first time in her career in 2001, finished 35th in a time of 19:17.  The other Wittenberg runner who turned in a personal best time and a top-100 finish was freshman Vanessa Tilton (Camden, Ohio/Twin Valley South), who turned in a 19:45, good for 64th.  On the men's side, Wittenberg wound up 24th in a 32-team field. Junior Nick Dewald (Mansfield, Ohio/Senior) topped the team with a time of 27:22, good for 66th place overall. Senior Dave Hyde (Naperville, Ill./Central), who led the team in every event during the regular season, was next with a 114th place finish in 28:14. Next: 11/17 @ NCAA Division III Championship Meet Hosted by Augustana College

Men's and Women's Swimming & DivingCoach: Leslie Ramsey  (first season)
 

Kinzeler

Berger

The Tigers are off to fast starts to the new season, as the men won three times over the weekend to run their record to 4-0 in early season dual meets and the women went 2-0-1 against three foes to run their dual mark to 2-1-1 overall.  On Friday, Wittenberg's men defeated Ohio Wesleyan (58-45) and Wilmington (64-18) in a tri-match hosted by OWU. Sophomores Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/St. Ignatius), Alex Berger (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) and Brandon Morris (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) were all winners in individual events, while senior Bob Rafferty (Mt. Vernon, Ohio/Mt. Vernon) was a double-winner in the 50-yard freestyle and 100 free.

At Ohio Northern, Wittenberg was even more dominant, taking the men's competition by a score of 154-85. Rader won a pair of events that day, while Rafferty, Berger, senior Jeremy Lazarus (Moens, France/Ferney-Voltaire) and Jonathan Newcomer (Valencia, Pa./Mars Area) all won one event.  On the women's side,Wittenberg and OWU battled to a 52-52 standoff and defeated Wilmington 67-55 in Friday's competition. Senior Rachel Juergens (Springfield, Ohio/Catholic Central) and sophomore Nicole Kinzeler (Centerville, Ohio/Kettering Alter) each won a pair of events, while sophomore Courtney Galliger (Eagan, Minn./Eagan) and senior Paula Hauser (Mason, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) each won one event.  Against Ohio Northern, the Tigers returned to winning form with a 137-102 victory. Juergens won three events, Kinzeler won two more, and Hauser, Galliger and senior Elizabeth Bradley (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) all won once.  Next: 11/17 vs. Oberlin, 1 p.m.

Men's Basketball
(2000-01 Record: 24-4, 15-1 NCAC)
Coach: Bill Brown (eighth season)
 

Longley

Rustad

The Tigers, the winningest team in NCAA Division III history, return to action this weekend in a tip-off tournament at Wheaton (Ill.) College. Wittenberg will take on Mount Vernon Nazarene, an NAIA competitor, in the first round at Wheaton.  Leading the way for the Tigers in 2001-02 is junior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler), who was second on the team in scoring and first in rebounding on a team that led the nation in rebound margin at more than 14 per game in 2000-01. A second-team All-NCAC selection last year, Longley also paced the team in steals with 39 and ranked second in field goal percentage at .587.

Also figuring prominently in the Tigers' plans are senior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood), a long-range sharpshooter who started all 28 games last year and contributed 7.8 points per game, and junior forward B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins), who came off the bench to contribute 8.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. They will be joined in the 2001-02 rotation by two sophomores who gained valuable experience in their inaugural collegiate season, point guard Mark Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Archbishop Alter) and forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier), senior three-point bomber Chad Mossing (Maumee, Ohio/Holland Springfield) and senior center Brian Gratsch (Madeira, Ohio/Madeira). Only Mossing didn't appear in all 28 games last year due to injury. Wittenberg will be trying to extend its phenomenal string of non-losing seasons to 45 consecutive. The Tigers' last losing campaign was in 1955-56, and the current streak includes one .500 record, in 1967-68. Next: 11/16-17 @ Wheaton Tournament

Women's Basketball
2000-01 Record: (18-8, 11-5 NCAC)
Coach: Pam Smith (16th season)
 

Rolf Campbell

The Wittenberg Tigers have strung together 12 consecutive winning seasons under the steady direction of head coach Pam Smith. Coming off an 18-8 record in 2000-01, the Tigers open the new season this weekend at a tip-off tournament at Kalamazoo College. The Tigers return 10 letterwinners and 13 players who saw action in 2000-01. Five of the eight players who started at least one game last year are back in the fold, including four of the five starters in the Tigers' NCAC tournament defeat at Ohio Wesleyan, and the team's top four scorers and top five rebounders will suit up again in 2001-02.  Leading the charge will be the junior guard duo of Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) and Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll), a tandem that led the Tigers in every statistical category in 2000-01. Rolf had a breakout season a year ago, leading the team in scoring and rebounding and earning first-team All-NCAC honors. Campbell, a transfer from Taylor University, fit in well and led the Tigers in minutes, three-point shooting percentage, steals and floor burns due to her hustle.  Also returning to the starting lineup are senior point guard Meghan Gaydos (Concord, Ohio/Lake Catholic) and junior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw), who came on strong after helping the Wittenberg volleyball team to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Senior forward Jill Swary (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview) also started 15 games and figures to be a key frontcourt player, along with sophomore Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) and junior Rebecca Meers (Moline, Ill./Moline), who both contributed a great deal off the bench.

Next: 11/16-17 @ Kalamazoo Tournament

November

16	Women's Basketball  Kalamazoo College Tournament Wittenberg vs. UW-Oshkosh	6 p.m.
	Men's Basketball Wheaton College Tournament Wittenberg vs. Mt. Vernon Naz.	6 p.m.
17	Cross Country NCAA Division III National Meet @ Augustana College
	Football NCAA Division III Playoffs @ Hardin-Simmons University	Noon (1 p.m. EST)
	Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving  vs. Oberlin	1 p.m.
	Women's Basketball  Kalamazoo College Tournament Consolation/Championship TBD	6/8 p.m.
	Men's Basketball	6/8 p.m.
	Wheaton College Tournament Consolation/Championship TBD