AOTM

CCIW announces Fall 2021 Dave Wrath & Jack Swartz Academic All-Conference Recipients

February 3, 2022 by Tara S

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin announced today the recipients of the Fall 2021 Dave Wrath & Jack Swartz Academic All-Conference awards. Molly Fank of Augustana women’s soccer and Matt Payton of Augie football were named the Jack Swartz Academic All-Conference recipients, while over 100 student-athletes from Augustana College were recognized as part of the Dave Wrath Academic All-Conference list. Augustana had the third most recipients in the conference.

The Dave Wrath Academic All-Conference list comprises those individuals that achieved an overall grade-point average of 3.30 or above and have served at least one year in residency at their respective school. Over 800 names were recognized during the Fall 2021 season.

The Dave Wrath Academic All-Conference award is named after the former Augustana College athletics administrator. Wrath retired in June as the Associate Director of Athletics for Media and Alumni Relations, serving the Vikings for 40 years. In addition to his duties at Augustana, Wrath served as the CCIW Sports Information Director from 1996 to 2005 and was instrumental in establishing the CCIW’s Academic All-Conference Program in 2005.

The complete list of the Fall 2021 Dave Wrath Academic All-Conference recipients can be found here.

Additionally, the CCIW announced all of the recipients of the Jack Swartz Academic All-Conference award. Each CCIW member institution selects two student-athletes (one men’s athlete & one women’s athlete) from each of the three sport seasons (fall, winter, spring) to be honored as Jack Swartz Academic All-Conference members. To be eligible, an individual must have an overall grade point average of 3.50 or above and have served at least one year in residency at their respective institution.

The Jack Swartz Academic All-Conference award is named after the former Wheaton College Director of Athletics and CCIW Commissioner. Swartz served in the Athletics Director role from 1975-1982 and as CCIW Commissioner from 1987 until his passing on July 11, 1997.

[Read more…]

Caitlin Clark is a Superstar Who’s in Right Place at Right Time with the Right People

January 26, 2022 by Tara S

Iowa sophomore guard Caitlin Clark speaks on her accomplishments, her hopes for the remainder of the season and her plans for the future.

By Zachary Draves | SB NAtion

If you’re looking for a 6-foot point guard who is a consummate playmaker and can handle the ball with such precision, get her teammates involved at every chance, shoot the ball from beyond the arc as good as the likes of Steph Curry, put up triple doubles and win you the game, then Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is the player for you.

The 19-year-old sophomore is on a roll and she has been collecting accolade after accolade going all the way back to the 2020-21 season when she first came to Iowa City.

After scoring an impressive 27 points in her first game as a Hawkeye, Clark set the Iowa freshman record of 26.6 points per game that season and became Division I’s scoring leader.

Along with that, she led the nation in total assists (214), total points (799), field goals made (266) and 3-pointers made (116).

As a result, she was named Big Ten Conference Player of the Week a record five times and was also named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. In addition, she led her team to the Sweet 16.

[Read more…]

Caitlin Clark becomes Big Ten’s fastest to 1,000-point mark in Iowa’s 93-56 win over Evansville

January 26, 2022 by Tara S

Alyssa Hertel Hawk Central

Sophomore guard Caitlin Clark needed just three points to reach 1,000 in her career ahead of Sunday’s home game against Evansville.

Clark has averaged 22 points per game this season, so it wasn’t a question of if she would reach that milestone but when. She gave Iowa its first lead of the game with a jumper in the opening two minutes. With 5:04 on the clock in the first quarter, Clark sunk a deep 3-pointer on a fast break.

She officially broke the 1,000-point mark and, in doing so, became the fastest player in Big Ten history to accomplish this feat. It took Clark just 40 games to score 1,000 points, which beat out previous record holder Kelsey Mitchell, who did it in 41 games for Ohio State.

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) makes a basket during a NCAA non-conference women's basketball game against IUPUI, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.

Clark finished the day against Evansville with a career-high 44 points, a Carver-Hawkeye Arena record, and accounted for nearly half of Iowa’s points in the Hawkeyes’ 93-56 win.

In her historic day, she also recorded eight assists, five rebounds and two steals in 30 minutes of play.

“No matter who’s on the floor, it’s a read and react offense,” Clark said about what about Iowa’s offense makes her so successful. “Nothing’s really set in stone and that’s really when I’m at my best, when I’m just playing, my teammates are flowing, when we pass the ball as well as we do and we just shoot it really well.

[Read more…]

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark makes basketball history with second straight 30-point triple-double

January 26, 2022 by Tara S

Mechelle VoepelESPN.com

Stat stuffing is a favorite hobby of Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark, who leads Division I women’s basketball in scoring at 26.2 PPG. But her history-making past two games were pretty ridiculous even for her.

On Thursday, the sophomore became the first player in Division I basketball history, men’s or women’s, to record back-to-back triple-doubles while scoring 30 or more points in both games. Clark also became the first player in Big Ten women’s hoops history to have back-to-back triple-doubles, and she did it on a night when Iowa got its largest margin of victory ever — 56 points — against a Big Ten foe.

[Read more…]

Jazmin Petrantonio named 2021 NFHCA National Player of the Year

January 5, 2022 by Tara S

By: Pearllan Cipriano, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Senior midfielder Jazmin Petrantonio was named the 2021 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II National Player of the Year on Thursday morning, marking the second time that she has received the prestigious national honor.

Petrantonio is the third Raider to be named the NFHCA National Player of the Year and the second Raider to earn it twice. Bre White won the award in 2012 and 2013, and Kristina Taylor was SU’s inaugural recipient in 2010.

Thursday’s announcement brings Petrantonio’s postseason awards to total to 10. Yesterday, Petrantonio was named the 2021 NFHCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year. Petrantonio was previously selected to the NFHCA All-America First Team and the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) First Team. She was named the PSAC Athlete of the Year, the PSAC Tournament MVP, the NCAA Tournament MVP and was selected to the NCAA All-Tournament Team and the NFHCA Senior Team. Petrantonio has also been nominated for the 2021-22 Honda Division II Athlete of the Year Award.

A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Petrantonio led the nation in goals per game (1.85), points per game (4.2), goals (37) and points (84). She also totaled 10 assists. Petrantonio scored or assisted in 19 of SU’s 20 games this season; the only game in which she did not record a point was in the national semifinal.

In this year’s NCAA Tournament, Petrantonio helped Shippensburg to its sixth national championship (fifth NCAA national championship) and its fourth in the last five seasons. She scored the second goal in the National Championship Game victory over West Chester and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championships.

Petrantonio concluded her historic career with 106 career goals, third-most in NCAA Division II history. In her 79 career games with the Raiders, Petrantonio totaled 248 career points (106 goals, 36 assists) and 29 game-winning goals. She also finished her career as the leading scorer in the history of the NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championships, having scored 10 career goals in eight career NCAA Tournament games.

Shippensburg’s Jazmin Petrantonio Named the DII Honda Award Finalist for Field Hockey

January 5, 2022 by Tara S

by: Collegiate Women’s Awards

Jazmin Petrantonio, a senior midfield/forward from Shippensburg University, was named the DII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for Field Hockey as announced today by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.

Petrantonio is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DII Honda Athlete of the Year. This will be voted on at the end of the academic year by national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of THE CWSA program, now in its 46th year.

“Never in a million years did I think I was going to find myself in this position,” Petrantonio said. “It is the result of an endless amount of support from everyone I have met along the way at Shippensburg and even from those that I haven’t met but helped me to get where I am today. No words will do enough justice to everything that Shippensburg Athletics have given me since I stepped on campus in 2017, and for that I will always be indebted with the sport, the SUFH program, my teammates, coaches and administrators,” said Petrantonio.

Petrantonio, hailing from Saenz Pena, Argentina, led her team to the 2021 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament after helping the Raiders to its sixth national championship in school history and fourth in the last five seasons. She also earned All-Tournament Team honors for the third time in her career.

The midfielder/forward finished her historic career with a school record 106 career goals, the third-most in NCAA Division II history. She is a three-time NFHCA First-Team All-American and a four-time All-PSAC First-Team honoree after earning her second PSAC Field Hockey Athlete of the Year honor (2018, 2021). She was also named the NFHCA National Player of the Year in 2018.

“On behalf of the team we want to congratulate Jazmin on this prestigious honor in being named a DII Honda Athlete of the Year Finalist. Jazmin is an elite student-athlete and an impactful leader in our campus community. I am very proud of all her accomplishments academically, athletically, and professionally within our university. Jazmin has become a trailblazer in DII field hockey, we are very happy for her as she receives this honor,” stated head coach Tara Zollinger.

All Honda Sports nominees from DII and DIII become a finalist for the prestigious 2022 Honda Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented in a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on June 27, 2022, in downtown Los Angeles. The Honda Award finalists are recognized in 11 DII and DIII NCAA-sanctioned sports; cross country, basketball, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball, and track & field.

The CWSA, entering its 46th year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility: For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on the areas of education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.

Three Women’s Soccer Members Named All-CCIW

November 30, 2021 by Tara S

Liesl Whitener, Molly Fank First Team and Kayla Garcia Second Team were named CCIW All-Conference on Tuesday

APERVILLE, Ill. — Liesl Whitener, Molly Fank, and Kayla Garcia of Augustana Vikings women’s soccer were named to the CCIW’s all-conference teams on Tuesday, with Whitener and Fank earning First Team honors and Garcia earning Second Team.

Whitener led a balanced Vikings offensive attack in goals this season with four that included one game-winner. She was the team leader in assists with four and was the top points-getter with 12. The sophomore started all 16 games played this season and was second on the team in both shots and shots on goal. In league play, she ranked in the top ten in four different categories, including second in assists and seventh in shots.

Joining her on First Team, Fank played a pivotal role on the defense side that helped the team ranked third in goals allowed this season. The junior anchored a defense that posted five shutouts this season and held opponents to just 1.13 goals per contest. She had one goal on 11 shots this year.

Garcia joins her teammates on the All-CCIW selection list on Second Team after finishing second on the team with three goals during the regular season. The junior from Rock Island started all 16 games played this year and led the team in shots (47) and shots on goal (24). She ranked third in the conference in 2021 with two game-winning goals.

This year’s selections makes it three straight seasons the Vikings have placed three members on the all-conference list. No CCIW selections were made in 2020 due to COVID-19. Senior Anna Bross was also named a recipient of the CCIW’s RESPECT Award.

Hyundia World Archery Cup: Williams Tops Ellison In All-American Final; Kaufhold Claims Women’s Crown

October 27, 2021 by Tara S

With the Hyundai World Archery Cup held on U.S. soil for the first time, it was appropriate the men’s title match was an All-American affair.

Jack Williams of California won a shootout over Brady Ellison of Arizona for the gold medal Thursday at Riverside Park, the last two standing from among the division’s eight best men in the world.

Their finale not only guaranteed gold for the U.S. but also marked the first time that the host nation has won the World Archery Cup.

Williams said he felt great about his performance, and winning the gold medal in an All-American final on U.S. soil made it that much sweeter.

“For something like that to happen for the first time, and for me to be that person, is amazing,” he said. “For an archery tournament, this was a really good crowd, and it was great to have all these people cheering for us.”

The two men weren’t the only ones making history for the United States while in Yankton. Last week, Casey Kaufhold of Pennsylvania claimed silver in the women’s recurve at the World Archery Championships, the highest finish in 33 years for a U.S. woman in a world championship. On Thursday, she returned for the World Cup finals and fell just short of another medal.

And she’s only 17 years old.

“It feels really good to win the silver medal, and it makes it even more special to win it in your home country,” she said. “It felt wonderful to have people here supporting me. I have my coach and a lot of teammates here, cheering me on. It was a great atmosphere, and I’m super happy to win.”

[Read more…]

Meet the Athletes: Casey Kaufhold

October 27, 2021 by Tara S

Casey Kaufhold is a 17-year-old archer looking to make her Olympic debut. She won bronze in the women’s individual recurve event at the 2019 Pan American Games and took gold in the mixed team event paired with veteran Brady Ellison. She also won gold in the women’s team event.

As part of our preparation for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, NBC Olympics sent questionnaires to a wide range of athletes to learn more about their lives on and off the field of play.

Here’s some of what we found out about Casey Kaufhold:

Tell us about your family.
My parents, Robert and Carole Kaufhold, own Lancaster Archery Supply. My dad has an archery background and made two national field teams for the U.S. My [older] brother, Conner, is also involved in archery. He also likes to hunt and fish.

What’s a typical training day like?
I train during outdoor season about four to five hours each day, and for indoors I practice three to five hours a day. I sleep about eight hours, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

What’s your favorite workout?
I like doing cardio like running, swimming, or biking. I’ll go on runs with my coach and we will race each other on the way back.

What’s the most grueling workout you’ve ever done?
When I used to do gymnastics, we would have workout days during our camps and the hardest circuit we did was a five-minute dead hang on bars and then a two-minute wall handstand followed by 20 leg lifts from a dead hang again.

What’s your first memory of archery?
My earliest memory of me doing archery is when I used to do compound archery. I was on a 3D target course and I had to “sneak up” or move closer to the targets because my bow didn’t shoot the length of the full distance. I think that memory was when I was 5 years old. I liked archery because it was so different from any other sport I had ever tried. I wanted to dedicate my life to it when I placed top three in my first national senior outdoor event.

What’s your earliest memory of watching the Olympics?
The first memory of me watching the Olympics was when Simone Biles, a U.S. gymnast, went to her first Games is 2016. At the time I wanted to go to the Olympics for gymnastics. I definitely wanted to do something I loved in a setting that big.

Is there anything you wish you could change about your sport?
I wish that archery had the rushing feeling of performing like gymnastics or figure skating does. I miss the way performing for the crowd and how moving to the music felt in gymnastics. I wish a part of archery could give me that same feeling of exhilaration.

What’s the biggest obstacle you’ve overcome?
In order to participate in the 2020 Olympics, I had to begin competing at 70 meters at 14 years of age. I skipped over valuable competition years at 50 and 60 meters in order to achieve my goals.

What’s your music of choice while training?
My go-to song before a competition is “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. I like a lot of older music. My top five songs on my playlist are “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” by Paul Anka, “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass, “Careless Whisper” by George Michael, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye, and “My Girl” by The Temptations.

« Previous Page