Posted May 10 2001, 03:57 pm
Posted by: Ryan Maurer
Men's and Women's Track & Field
Coach: Steve Shutt
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| Wittenberg's men's and women's track & field teams both did well in the North Coast Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships May 4-5 at Ohio Wesleyan. The men finished second with 124.5 points, 35 points behind the champion and host Battling Bishops. The women's team, second after Day 1 thanks to several fine performances in the field events, was fifth with 90 points.
Freshman Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) continued what has been a remarkable first school year for the Tigers with yet another conference honors. Woessner was named the NCAC Women's Field Events Performer of the Year. Woessner won the heptathlon - and was a provisional qualifier for the NCAA Division III outdoor championships - and the shot put and finished seventh in the discus. In addition, Woessner had a big kick in the back straightaway to take fourth place in the 400-meter dash, and she was a member of the Tigers 1600-meter relay team, which came in fifth.
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While Woessner was scoring big points for the women's team, the men's team used balance to score its strong finish. Two athletes who didn't win an individual event or advance to the NCAA meet deserve special recognition: junior Brian Gehle (Huntsville, Ohio/Indian Lake), who was second in the decathlon in his first try at the event, second in the high jump with a personal-best 6 feet, 6 inches and ran a terrific third leg of the 4x400 meter relay that allowed freshman Demetrius Ellison (Cleveland, Ohio/Trinity) the opportunity to blow past the competition on the last leg for the win. Ellison also finished second in the 400 by .01.
Five Tiger athletes qualified provisionally for the NCAA Division III championships with their performances in the conference meet. Freshman Tim Gaal (Amanda, Ohio/Clearcreek) was first with his third school record in four weeks in the javelin at 193 feet, eight inches, while classmate Mike Klotz (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) was second at 191-10.
For the women, sophomore Abi Gerstle (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) was second in the 1500 meter run at 4:42.63, while freshman Andi Warner (Oregon, Ohio/Clay) was second in the javelin at 129-11. Both will continue to go for the automatic qualifying figures in the next two weeks, where they will be joined by junior Sarah Weide (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead), who is just .08 away from a provisional qualifying time in the 800 meters.
They will all be trying to join senior Josh Guerreri (Avon, Ohio/Avon), who was an automatic qualifier in the decathlon a week earlier. He set the school and NCAC record in the event in the process of advancing to the next round.
Next: @ Baldwin-Wallace Twilight Invitational (May 18
NCAA Division III Championship Meet (May 24-26)
Baseball
(22-12-1, 9-3 NCAC West)
Coach: Jay Lewis
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| Wittenberg University's baseball team completed the 2001 season on May 5 in the North Coast Athletic Conference West Division playoffs at Ohio Wesleyan. The second-seeded Tigers lost the first two games of a best-of-three semifinal series by scores of 16-8 and 9-5. The Bishops, the No. 1 seed and one of the nation’s top-ranked teams, advanced to take on East Division winner and No. 3 ranked Allegheny in the championship series this weekend.
Wittenberg led 4-1 early in the opener, only to see Ohio Wesleyan score nine straight runs to take command. Senior rightfielder Ryan Peters (London, Ohio/London) and junior centerfielder Lance Dill (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork) both hit home runs for the Tigers, but both came late in the game after seven errors helped the Bishops build a big lead.
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Peters is tied for the NCAC lead in home runs (14) and is fourth in batting (.438). He ranks among the nation's leaders in homers per game with 14 in 35 outings.
Peters had a spectacular 2001 season to conclude a fine career. His 14 round-trippers tied Bryan Magoteaux's season record from 1998, his 48 runs batted in ranks fifth in school history, his 108 total bases are one short of Magoteaux’s 1997 record, his 45 runs scored tie him for sixth in school history and his 56 base hits rank in a tie for seventh. For his career, despite the fact that he was only a two-year starter, Peters wound up second to Magoteaux in home runs with 25, third in batting average (.397) and a tie for 10th in total bases with 209.
As a team, Wittenberg set a team record for batting average in a season at .349, which ironically was only good for fourth in the homer-happy NCAC in 2001. The team’s 32 home runs rank No. 2 in school history and 84 doubles rank fourth.
Finally, freshman pitcher Kurt Hartfelder (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) is eighth in the conference in earned run average (3.91) and led the Tigers in wins with five.
Next: Season Complete
Men's Tennis (16-6, 3-1 NCAC West)
Women's Tennis (14-9, 4-3 NCAC)
Coach: Dave Engle
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| The Tiger women's tennis team enjoyed its best season in more than a decade after placing third in the 2001 NCAC tournament. Individual accolades were sure to follow and did last week as sophomore Erin Beach (Dayton, Ohio/Vandalia Butler) and sophomore Shannon Oliphant (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) earned All-NCAC honors.
Beach, a second-team choice last year as a freshman, earned first-team honors in 2001 for her 17-8 record at No. 1 singles. Oliphant, also a second-team choice in her first collegiate season, was named honorable mention after finishing with a 17-7 record at No. 2 singles.
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A week after the Tigers defeated the Lords in a non-league dual match, Wittenberg fell to Kenyon in the semis as the Tigers lost two of three three-set singles matches and a hotly contested doubles point in the loss to Kenyon. The lone winners were senior Bryan Heft (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) at No. 1 singles and sophomore Eric Cusick (Lima, Ohio/Senior) at No. 3 singles.
Heft was named All-NCAC first-team after compiling a 22-4 overall record in 2001. It was his fourth consecutive all-conference selection. His career may not be over - as a nationally ranked player on a team that didn't qualify for postseason play, he now must wait to hear if he will get an individual bid to the NCAA Division III championships.
Also earning all-conference honors was sophomore Casey Clagett (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Steamboat Springs), who had a 14-9 record at No. 2 singles, and Cusick, who was 15-6 at No. 3 singles. Clagett was second team and Cusick was honorable mention. In addition, the No. 1 doubles team of Heft and Clagett made second team all-conference after putting together a 16-7 overall mark.
For the season, no player on either team finished with a losing singles record, and no doubles team that played more than five matches was below .500. Both teams expect to lose just two starters for the 2001-02 school year.
Next: Women: Season Complete
Men: Season Complete
Women's Lacrosse (9-7, 4-3 NCAC)
Coach: Nancy Beck
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| Wittenberg suffered a tough loss to end the season on May 1, losing 9-8 at home to Ohio Wesleyan on a last second goal in the quarterfinals of the NCAC Tournament on May 1. Senior Kati Robbins (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton) had four goals and an assist in her final collegiate game.
Robbins leads the NCAC in assists (40) and points (86) and is fourth in goals with (46), totals that also rank her among the nation’s leaders and the all-time best in Wittenberg history. Sophomore Cara Romanowski (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) is third in goals (47) and fifth in points (54).
Next: Season Complete
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Softball
(19-15, 7-5 NCAC)
Coach: Becky Hall
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| The Tigers' season came to end when they lost their first two games in the NCAC Tournament May 4 at Denison. Wittenberg lost 3-0 to regular season and tournament champion Denison, then was eliminated in a 3-1 loss to Ohio Wesleyan.
The lone bright spot for the Tigers was freshman designated hitter Kelly Riedel (Springfield, Ohio/Northwestern) who went 4-for-6 with two doubles. Senior centerfielder Caroline Mann (Fairfield, Ohio/Fairfield) went 2-for-3 in her final collegiate game against the Bishops.
Both Riedel and junior second baseman Christy Schneider (Fairfield, Ohio/Fairfield) were both named to the all-tournament team.
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Next: Season Complete
Men's Lacrosse (5-7, 1-4 NCAC)
Coach: Vinnie Lang
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| The Tigers completed their first season under new coach Vinnie Lang with a 14-7 loss to Kenyon on May 2 that did not count in the NCAC standings. Sophomore goalie Tripp Way (Wayne, Pa./Radner) had 18 saves in a losing cause.
Senior Mario Cassani (Chesterfield, Mo./DeSmet) was fourth in the conference in both goals (27) and points (42). Sophomore Dan Patterson (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet) was seventh in the NCAC in assists (16).
Next: Season Complete |