Brown Harris Longley Rustad

All season, there had been few mountains too large to climb for the Wittenberg University Tiger men's basketball team. On Saturday, the peak that the Tigers encountered at DePauw University in the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament was exactly that. The Tigers rallied valiantly late in the game, but they eventually ran out of time, falling to DePauw 89-76. The loss ended Wittenberg's season after North Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships. The Tigers, who defeated Franklin College at home on Thursday to move into the second round, conclude the 2001-02 campaign with a sparkling 26-4 overall record.  The season has now ended for Wittenberg, and the postseason honors are now rolling in. For the second year in a row, Head Coach Bill Brown was named NCAC Coach of the Year, while junior center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) claimed first-team all-conference honors for thei first time in his career and junior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) and senior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) were named to the All-NCAC second teams. For Brown, it was the fourth NCAC Coach of the Year honor of his career and his third since returning to his alma mater in 1994. His career record is now 266-150, while his mark at Wittenberg is now 206-51. Harris led the Tigers in scoring and rebounding in his first year as a starter, and he wound up with 12 double-doubles on the season, including three in his last five games. Longley, who was second on the team in scoring and rebounding, was a second-team choice a year ago, while Rustad, third on the team in scoring and second in assists, garnered postseason honors for the first time. Against DePauw, the Tigers fell behind 51-42 by the end of a frenetic first half. Seventh-ranked DePauw, champion of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and owner of a 23-3 record, pulled away from a 24-24 tie to outscore Wittenberg 27-18 in the final 10 minutes of the half, thanks in large part to 59 percent shooting from the field. In the second 20 minutes, Wittenberg got down by as much as 18 points midway through the half before rallying to within nine points three different times, but could get no closer as the bounces just didn't go the Tigers' way. For the game, DePauw knocked down 54 percent of its shots and turned the ball over just eight times. Wittenberg was paced offensively by sophomore guard Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./John Adams), who hit five of his first six shots in the game and finished with a team-high 21 points. The Tigers also got double figure scoring performances from Harris, who had his 12th double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, Longley with 11 points and sophomore forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) with 10 points. That came just two nights after the Tigers put together a huge second half to overwhelm visiting Franklin College 75-44 at the HPER Center in NCAA Division III tournament first round action.

For the 10th straight game, Wittenberg outscored its foes in the second 20 minutes of action, this time expanding a 27-19 halftime lead to 48-20 with 13 minutes remaining in the game. By the time the Grizzlies, champions of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, recovered the game was too far out of reach.

rebounding margin for a second straight year, and the Grizzlies, winners of eight straight games on the strength of a high-scoring fast-break, guard-oriented offense. Wittenberg's inside strength turned out to be the difference as the Tigers, who improved to 26-3 on the season, outrebounded the Grizzlies 46-23 and held Franklin to just 44 points, 39 below their season average.

Wittenberg was paced by another oustanding performance by B.J. Harris, who turned in his 11th double-double of the season with 19 points and 13 rebounds. When Harris wasn't punishing the Grizzlies in the paint, Longley was hitting for 10 points and five rebounds before departing with an ankle injury in the second half, and senior center Brian Gratsch (Madeira, Ohio/Madeira) was coming off the bench to pour in 10 points and six boards.Next: Season Complete

At the midway point of the 2002 season, the results have been nothing short of outstanding for the Wittenberg men's and women's track & field teams as they wrapped up the indoor portion of the schedule at the NCAC Championships. Competing at Denison last Friday and Saturday, the Tiger men finished second and the Tiger women wound up fourth.

On the men's side, sophomore Skip Ivery (Columbus, Ohio/Groveport-Madison) claimed the team's lone individual title, defending his first-place finish in the 55-meter hurdles by running a personal-best 7.80. That time is a provisional NCAA Division III championship meet qualifier. Ivery also added a persona best and fifth-place finish in the 55-meter dash.

Perhaps the best all-around performance was turned in by freshman Joe Rumschlag (Maumee, Ohio/Toledo Christian), who finished fifth in the triple jump with a personal best mark, fifth in the long jump, second in the 55 with a personal best mark and second in the 200 in a personal best and school record time of 23.15. Rounding out his outstanding meet, Rumschlag was one-quarter of the second-place 1600-meter relay team. He was joined by sophomore Alex Yurovitsky (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights), sophomore Derek Thompson (South Charleston, Ohio/Greenon) and sophomore Mike Torsell (Springfield, Ohio/Catholic Central). Torsell also had a sixth in the 400 and Yurovitsky  an eighth, both with personal best times, and Thompson had a personal best in the 55 hurdles.

Another outstanding all-around performance was turned in by senior Brian Gehle (Huntsville, Ohio/Indian Lake), who finished second in the pole vault and fourth in the high jump just weeks after returning from a broken foot suffered in preseason basketball. Sophomore Tim Gaal (Amanda, Ohio/Clearcreek) didn't place but did turn in encouraging personal bests in the high jump and long jump.

Rounding out the men's performances of note: sophomore Joel Drake (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) finished second in shot put with a personal best throw of 47-0.75; freshman Tim Nguyen (Groveport, Ohio/Madison) finished fifth in the shot put; freshman Clyde Mayer (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) placed sixth in the shot put; sophomore Bill Dunlap (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) had a season best in the high jump; senior Dave Hyde (Naperville, Ill./Central) turned in a personal best in the 5,000; junior Nate Henderson (Dayton, Ohio/Carroll) had a season best in the 400; and the 800 relay foursome of senior Mark Trempe (Springfield, Ohio/Greenon), Thompson, Yurovitsky and sophomore Matt Frost (South Vienna, Ohio/Northeastern) had its best time of the season.

On the women's side, the meet started off extremely well as five straight performances were personal bests. Junior Erin Zayicek (Solon, Ohio/Solon) had a two-foot improvement in the shot put; sophomore Kristen Mumper (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Marian) bettered her school record in the triple jump en route to a third-place finish; and then all three runners in the women's 5,000, sophomore Becky Barnes (Williamsport, Ohio/Williamsport), senior Melanie Ziarko (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood) and Natasha Malackany (Canton, Ohio/Perry), had strong runs in finishing eighth, ninth and 18th.

Sophomore Kelly Zilli (Dayton, Ohio/Kettering Alter) and Mumper had the finest all-around performances for the Tigers. Zilli captured a first-place finish in the 800 with a personal best time of 2:21.89, and she also turned in a fourth in the 1500 and a seventh in the pole vault. Senior Sarah Weide (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead) finished fifth in the 1500 and the 800, posting season best times in both events.
Also in the pole vault, junior LaRissa O'Neal (Indianapolis, Ind./Broad Ripple) was fourth with a season-best mark of 8-11.75, Jackie Spray (Newark, Ohio/Newark) was fifth. In the long jump, Mumper finished second with a mark of 16-7.25 and newcomer Ayisha Kinamore (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) wound up seventh in her first collegiate meet.

Kinamore also scored points for the Tigers in the 55 hurdles with a fifth place finish, an event in which she and freshman Travette Harper (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wyoming) both had personal bests. Also posting strong finishes for the Tigers were Marissa Davoll (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) with a fourth place finish and personal best time in the 400; Mumper with a personal best time and sixth-place finish in the 55, an event in which Kinamore and freshman Tina Valerius (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) also had personal bests; Mumper, Davoll and Valerius all with personal best times in the 200; and Ziarko and Jenny Brill (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) with both personal bests in the 3,000.

To top things off, all three women's relays scored points, and the 1600 quartet of Davoll, Zilli, Weide and sophomore Mary Blonder (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) came within .31 of a school record. In addition, the 800 relay foursome of Mumper, Valerius, Davoll and freshman Ashley Allen (Groveport, Ohio/Madison) finished fourth and the distance medley relay of Ziarko, Valerius, Blonder and Barnes wound up fifth.

Next:
Indoor Season Complete
Outdoor at Wilmington (N.C.)
    Spring Break Meet, 3/16-17

Junior guard Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) and Head Coach Pam Smith headlined the 2002 All-North Coast Athletic Conference selections, making the first team for a second consecutive season and claiming a fourth NCAC Coach of the Year award respectively. Smith, who won the 300th game of her career during the recently completed 21-6 season, led the Tigers to their 10th 20-win season since taking over at her alma mater in 1986. The Tigers won their eighth NCAC regular season title in 2001-02. Rolf was the team's leading scorer and rebounder for a second straight year. She was joined in garnering postseason recognition by junior guard Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern), who was second on the team in scoring and first in steals, and junior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw), third on the team in scoring and rebounding. Campbell made the second team for a second straight year, while Keller, the NCAC Volleyball Player of the Year in 2001, claimed basketball honors for the first time her career.

Smith

Rolf

Next: Season Complete

Rader

Juergens

Two Tiger swimmers have qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship Meet, both for a second year in a row. Senior Rachel Juergens (Springfield, Ohio/Catholic Central) and sophomore Steve Rader (Painesville, Ohio/Cleveland St. Ignatius) will both be competing in the championship meet, slated for March 14-16 for the women and March 21-23 for the men at Miami University. Juergens has qualified for the NCAA meet in the 1650-yard freestyle, the 500 free and the 400 Individual Medley. Her times in the 500 free and 400 IM, which was a school record, are strong NCAA "B" cuts and are expected to stand up against the top times in the nation. In the 1650 free, she made an NCAA National automatic cut with a time of 17:24 at the NCAC Championship meet. Juergens has set no less than nine school records in her two years as a Tiger.

Rader captured a first place finish in the 200 IM at the NCAC meet and was the only Tiger swimmer to be an individual conference champion. In addition, Rader finished second in the 100 butterfly and fourth in the 200 butterfly. He posted NCAA "B" cut times in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly, both of which are expected to earn him an invitation to compete in the NCAA meet.

Next:
Women 3/14-16 @ NCAA Meet
                                Miami University
Men 3/21-23 @ NCAA Meet
                                Miami University

The Wittenberg men's lacrosse team opened a 2002 season filled with promise with an extremely encouraging effort against nationally ranked NCAC foe Denison. Playing Sunday afternoon in frigid conditions on Wittenberg's Edwards-Maurer Field - a day later than planned due to the poor condition of Denison's field - the Tigers extended the Big Red to the limit before falling 5-4. Wittenberg trailed 3-1 at halftime but rallied to take a brief 4-3 lead before the No. 6 ranked and preseason favorite Big Red finally broke through, scoring two goals in the final 10 minutes to defeat the Tigers. Senior Alex Nichols (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) had two goals in the game, while junior Dan Patterson (St. Louis, Mo./Desmet Jesuit) and junior Justin Bitner (Lansing, Mich./Waverly) each contributed a pair of assists to the offensive effort. Defensively, the Tigers got tremendous performances from several players, most notably, according to second-year Head Coach Vinnie Lang, junior long stick midfielders Wes Enicks (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) and Ross Mellgren (Sylvania, Ohio/Southview). For the season ahead, the Tigers have a lot of offensive production they must replace after losing leading scorers Mario Cassani and Shawn Egan to graduation last spring. A variety of players, including incumbent starters and double-digit scorers, Nichols, Patterson, junior Zach Kulow (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster) and sophomore Hans Rydquist (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) will be called upon to lead the offense in 2002. Defensively, Enicks and Mellgren will be joined by a thin but solid defensive group that is led by senior Jon Simon (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller), senior Andy Oliver (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette) and sophomore Jim Kelley (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson). In the net will be either 2001 starter, junior Tripp Way (Wayne, Pa./Radnor), or sophomore Kyle Prussing (Concord, N.H./Carlisle), who made 20 saves against Denison. The Tigers are back in action with two matches in Virginia over the Spring Break next week. They return home again on Saturday, March 23 for a game against NCAC rival Oberlin.

Patterson Nichols Oliver

Next:
3/12 @ Randolph-Macon

Although the Tiger baseball program lost three outstanding seniors, they do not appear to have lost a step and expect to challenge the top teams NCAC. Wittenberg was selected fourth in a preseason coaches poll, behind perennial national powers Allegheny, Ohio Wesleyan and Wooster.
 

Wittenberg returns a strong nucleus of upperclassmen to lead the way in 2002. The driving force will again be the Tigers' explosive offense. The team's .349 batting average in 2001 set a school record, and much of the talent from that lineup returns in 2002. Leading the way will be first-team All-NCAC senior shortstop Bryan Burke (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) and second-team All-NCAC senior centerfielder Lance Dill (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork). Burke batted a scorching .418 a year ago, while Dill hit at a .394 clip in 2001 and was second on the team in RBI. Joining them in the lineup will be senior Scott Hirsch (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain), back after posting a .389 batting average and a .509 on-base percentage, senior catcher Nate Williams (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana), a stellar defensive performer who batted

Burke

Dill

.304 last year, senior third baseman/catcher Jeff Buelow (Oakland, Mich./Rochester), coming off a season in which he hit .333 and ranked third on the team in RBI, junior second baseman Shane Thomas (Columbus, Ohio/South), who came on strong in the late-going of the 2001 season to post a batting average of .337 and lead the squad in steals, and sophomore outfielder Shawn Jarecki (Parma Heights, Ohio/Valley Forge), who hit .314 and was perfect in steal attempts in 2001.

Senior righthander Brad Cerovac (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick), who led the team with three complete games in 2001, anchors the pitching staff. He is joined as a starter in 2002 by senior Nick Allen (Dayton, Ohio/Vandalia Butler), junior Adam Abraham (Granville, Ohio/Granville), who led the team a year ago with an impressive 1.71 earned run average, sophomore Tom Fox (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) and sophomore Kurt Hartfelder (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington), who was tops on the staff in victories last season and was named Honorable Mention All-NCAC.

The Tigers get things started with five doubleheaders scheduled for next week in Ft. Myers, Fla. The home opener is Tuesday, March 19 against Wilmington.

Next:
3/10 vs. Carroll @ Ft. Myers, Fla.

After a disappointing fourth-place finish in 2001, the Wittenberg softball team is hoping to bring the NCAC championship back to Springfield. The Tigers will be without two Great Lakes All-Region/All-NCAC players due to graduation, but Head Coach Becky Hall, who has a career record of 73-49 in four seasons at Wittenberg, is optimistic about this year's youthful but promising team.

The Tigers return just five players from last year's roster, but they make up the core of a solid team. Heading the list is a healthy Christy Schneider (Cincinnati, Ohio/Fairfield), who enters her senior season back at the shortstop position after an injury-plagued junior year that forced a move to second base. Junior Beth Walters (Westerville, Ohio/Columbus St. Francis DeSales) also returns and moves over to the critical centerfield position.

In addition, sophomore pitcher/utility Carmen Montgomery (Springfield, Ohio/Southeastern) figures to be the team's ace on the mound again in 2001 after finishing with an outstanding 17-8 record, 2.69 earned run average and 170.2 innings pitched. Also back is the catching tandem of Daena Sisk (South Bend, Ind./Marian) and Kristen Hillebrand (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley).

Things get started for the Tigers in Ft. Myers, Fla. next week with nine games in five days. Their home opener is slated for Monday, March 18 against Cumberland.
Next:
3/10 vs. Drew @ Ft. Myers, Fla.

Cara Romanowski

Wittenberg Women's Lacrosse Head Coach Nancy Beck didn't want this day to come, but it's here and she and her team are embracing it - the Tigers must play a season without Kati Robbins for the first time in four years. Named the NCAC Offensive Player of the Year, Robbins scored 46 goals and added a school- and NCAC-record 40 assists in leading the Tigers to a 9-7 record and a 4-3 mark in the conference. But she and third-leading scorer Jennie Stone graduated last year, leaving holes in the lineup that are more like craters.

That said, the Tigers do have a lot of talent returning, especially on the offensive side of the field. Most notably, second-leading scorer and 2001 first-team All-NCAC performer Cara Romanowski (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) figures to get even more opportunities after finding the back of the net a team-best 47 times in 2001. She will be joined by several potent offensive players, including junior Mollie Stone (Damascus, Md./Damascus), who had 12 points in 2001, and sophomore Kate Williston (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster), who was fourth on the team with 11 goals and 14 points.

On defense, Wittenberg must replace graduated standout Danielle Paglino, the school record-holder for career ground balls, and several other key performers. Top returners include Lindsay Law (Columbus, Ohio/Dublin Scioto), the only player to play every minute of every game in 2001, and sophomore Katie Babcock (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney).

The Tigers kick things off next week with a challenging trip to Florida in which they play Regis and Salve Regina in Panama City. Their home opener is Monday, March 18 against Puget Sound.

Next:
3/10 vs. Regis @ Panama City, Fla.

Coming off a solid first season under the direction of Head Coach J.J. Searls, the Wittenberg golf team is hoping for even better things to come. Buoying those hopes is the return of senior Kurt Bitter (Dublin, Ohio/Scioto), the 2000 NCAC medalist who didn't play a year ago. Bitter will lead a veteran cast that also includes junior Steve Spittle (Columbus, Ohio/Dublin Coffman), who topped the team with a 79.2 stroke average in 2001. Five players finished last season with stroke average of 83.5 or better, and all return to the fold again. Junior Pat Reist (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) had the team's second-best stroke average of 81.3, while junior Jonathan Orr (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon) was next with an 82.5. Rounding out the returning players, junior Jesse Fyffe (Chillicothe,

Orr

The Tigers will finally get some regular practice in next week over Spring Break and then will have some time back in Ohio to adjust before playing in the Muskingum Invitational on March 29. Wittenberg finished fourth in the NCAC a year ago.

Next:
Muskingum Invitational, 3/29-30

Oliphant

The Wittenberg women's tennis team opened the second half of its 2001-02 season with a 5-0 loss at DePauw and a 6-1 win over Chicago in a tri-match at DePauw on Saturday. The Tigers swept the doubles matches and got singles wins from No. 1 singles Emily Figel (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead), No. 2 singles Shannon Oliphant (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) and No. 5 singles Valerie Allen (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) in defeating Chicago. The Tigers have a very different look in 2001-02 after a third-place NCAC finish last season. Gone are four players who earned letters in 2001, including first singles and All-NCAC standout Erin Beach. In their stead, second singles and All-NCAC player Oliphant leads a talented but inexperienced crew into action in 2002.

Oliphant, who went 17-7 overall last year and 6-1 in the NCAC, is once again slated to play the No. 2 singles position, and she will be joining up with Figel, a freshmen, at first doubles. Figel will play first singles this spring after advancing to the championship match of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association regional tournament.
Rounding things out, sophomores Megan Maher (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston), Deana Nowakowski (Uniontown, Ohio/Lake) and Allen and freshmen Ellie Hazelbaker (Cincinnati, Ohio), Bonnie Egan (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin) and Sarah Fassler (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula) are battling for starting spots. Maher and Nowakowski were starters a year ago.

The Tigers kick things off in Florida next week. The home opener is slated for Wednesday, March 27 against Northern Kentucky.
Next:
3/10 vs. St. Cloud State @ Daytona Beach, Fla.

Cusick Herzog

Despite the loss of one of the best players in school history, the Tiger men's tennis team could be even better in 2002. The hope is that Wittenberg can at the very least improve upon its third-place NCAC standing of a year ago. That's because the players remaining continue to make such significant strides, meaning that while Wittenberg will be without four-year No. 1 singles standout Bryan Heft, the Tigers will have an outstanding lineup that will not only compete at all six singles positions and all three doubles spots, but will frequently outflank the opposition with its depth. Leading the charge in 2002 will be junior Casey Clagett (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Steamboat Springs), who played No. 2 singles a year ago and posted a 14-9 overall record. He leads a deep lineup that also includes junior Eric Cusick (Lima, Ohio/Senior), sophomore Duby Lakos (Lynchburg, Va./Heritage), junior Mike Herzog (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) and junior Ben Hodgkiss-Lilly (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights). That foursome combined for a 59-19 singles record a year ago, and Cusick and Herzog both went undefeated in NCAC action. Add in senior Rob Postma (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge), who hasn't played for the last two years but has shown through the fall season the ability to step right back into the mix, and the Tigers have more than enough depth. The Tigers get the second half of their season underway next week in Florida during Spring Break. The home opener is slated for Saturday, March 30 against Wooster.

Next:
3/10 vs. St. Ambrose @ Daytona Beach, Fla.