Athlete Spotlight

Erin Jackson Makes History As First Black Woman To Win Speed Skating Olympic Medal

February 17, 2022 by Tara S

BLACK GIRLS ON ICE? WE’RE INTO IT.

BY KEYAIRA BOONE · UPDATED FEBRUARY 15, 2022

Erin Jackson, 29, became the first Black woman to earn a gold medal in speed skating for the United States on Sunday.

Jackson claims the prestigious honor for her performance in the women’s 500-meter speed skating race in Beijing.

According to NBC News, she slickly sprinted through the ice to complete the event in 37.04 seconds. She is the first person to win that event on behalf of Team USA since 1994. (PHOTO BY CATHERINE IVILL/GETTY IMAGES)

The Ocala, Florida native’s success as a long track speed skater and inline speed skater is even more remarkable as she has only spent a few years as an ice bound athlete. Jackson previously skated on rollerblades and participated in roller derbies. When she made her first appearance in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, she reportedly had only pivoted towards the ice one year prior. This year Jackson experienced unexpected difficulties during the official qualifying period for the Beijing games.

She arrived in this year’s winner’s circle thanks to her friend and colleague Brittany Bowe opting to give up her qualifying spot to make sure Jackson was afforded the opportunity to compete.

The skating star proved worthy of the sacrifice by making history. She expressed her awe at her accomplishments in a tweet. “Olympic Champion,” she wrote before an emoji of a gold medal. “It’s going to take me a while to process those words.”

Congratulations Erin!

African-American Pioneers in Women’s Wrestling

February 16, 2022 by Tara S

guest writer Shannyn Gillespie
IG: @coachshannyntalks
FB: www.facebook.com/coachshannyn2

Women’s wrestling at the Olympic Games (2004), in College (1994), & World Championships (1987) is a relatively new phenomenon when compared to men’s wrestling which started about 100 years earlier in Olympic, World, & College competition (1903 & 1904). However, African-American women (and men) have been trailblazers in women’s wrestling from the start of USA fielding teams…

Tamyra Mensah-Stock became the first African-American Olympic Champion at the 2020 Tokyo Games and second African-American women wrestler to be crowned World Champion in 2019. She accomplished this feat at 68kg and also won a World Championships silver medal in 2021 and a bronze medal in 2018. In college, she was a 2X WCWA National Champion and 4X all-American for Wayland Baptist University. Mensah-Stock is from Texas (where high school girls wrestling has been sanctioned since 1999) and won 2 state titles while finishing as runner-up her sophomore year for Morton Ranch H.S.

[Read more…]

Abby Roque Makes History as First Indigenous Player on US Women’s Olympic Hockey Team

February 4, 2022 by Tara S

BY SAMANTHA BRODSKY | popsugar fitness

Abby Roque is an athlete to watch at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. At 24, she’s a forward for the US’s women’s hockey team, and her debut Olympic appearance makes history: she is the first Indigenous woman to play for USA Hockey at the Olympics. According to Indian Country Today, Roque, two Canadian women’s hockey players, and a Canadian men’s snowboarder are believed to be the only Indigenous Olympians competing in Beijing.

Roque, who USA Hockey named the 2020 Bob Allen women’s hockey player of the year and who graduated ninth on the University of Wisconsin’s career-scoring list, graced the covers of “Sports Illustrated” and Self this month. She told the latter, “Minority players need representation. If you look at a team and just see more of the same white men playing the game, you’re not going to get girls involved, you’re not going to get young minority players involved. I’m hoping in 10 to 15 years, we’ll see a big shift because of the visibility we’re trying to create right now. I want to be a piece of that and say, ‘I’m here.'”

Roque is a member of Ontario-based Wahnapitae First Nation, of which her uncle is chief. She told Self that she’s proud to be breaking barriers in a sport she describes as a “white male club.” While she grew up in a community of Indigenous players in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, she says there’s still a lack of representation lacks at this level.

“If one little girl says, ‘I want to play hockey because she’s playing hockey,’ I think that would mean the world to me.”

“It’s a challenge, I know, for a lot of Indigenous kids to get off the reserve or get off the band and move away and fit in,” Roque’s father, a former hockey coach now working as a scout for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, told CNN. “But Abby was obviously real lucky that she grew up with a lot of kids like that in her town.”

Roque is also the only BIPOC player on the US women’s hockey roster — a fact that doesn’t surprise her. “[N]ot many minority players have had the privilege to play or have felt included. That’s something that needs to change in hockey as a whole,” she told Self. “And that’s why we want to make it more inclusive and make it available to everybody who wants to play.”

Roque told CNN, “If one little girl says, ‘I want to play hockey because she’s playing hockey,’ I think that would mean the world to me — just changing one person’s trajectory and letting them know that there is a place for them in hockey.”

Team USA beat Finland on Feb. 3 in the first round of group play. ESPN reports that Roque replaced assistant captain Brianna Decker after an on-ice injury took Decker out of the Olympic tournament. Next up: a match against the Russian Olympic Committee. The single-elimination rounds kick off on Feb. 10, where podium finishes are at stake — and where Team USA hopes to defend its gold from the Pyeongchang Games.

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…]

Hyde sets Wheaton North scoring mark

February 1, 2022 by Tara S

By Stan Goff
Daily Herald Correspondent

What Claire Hyde has accomplished on the basketball court for Wheaton North is quite impressive, but the way she acted during her crowning moment on Saturday was just as impressive.

When the Falcons senior guard knocked down a 3-point shot less than a minute into the second half, Wheaton North called a timeout to recognize the fact that Hyde had just broken the school record for most points scored in a career. But Hyde was not ready for a celebration, rather she wanted to get her team’s defense fired up for the next possession of the game.

There wasn’t much need to worry, after all, as Hyde’s shot put her team up 34-20 and they were well on their way to defeating their crosstown rivals 58-32. But it’s that extreme focus that has helped this 5-foot-4 dynamo pile up a historic total of points, as well as lead this year’s team to an 18-5 record and a 9-2 mark in the DuKane Conference.

“We called that timeout to congratulate her and she was like, ‘Hey we need to focus on getting a stop here.’ It just shows you what a great kid she is and what this whole team is focused on,” said Wheaton North coach Dave Eaton, who presented Hyde with the game ball following the win. “She’s just an all-around great player but also one of the best kids to ever where a Wheaton North jersey. She’s an unbelievable kid. As good a basketball player as she is she’s an even better person.”

Hyde doesn’t follow her individual stats very closely, but she was aware that she was within the school record of 1,381 points set by 2018 graduate Hannah Swider. She entered Saturday’s contest needing 13 points to set the record and tallied a game-high 12 through two quarters as the hosts built a 28-14 lead. Hyde hit on three shots from beyond the arch in the first half, showing off her range with a couple bombs from well beyond the line.

Having grown up on the south side of Wheaton, Hyde knows many of the Tigers players well and was even coached on a seventh-grade team by Wheaton Warrenville South coach Rob Kroehnke.

“It was crazy how it played out that it was that amount of points and it landed on this game,” said Hyde, who finished with 21 points and 7 rebounds. “I’ve always appreciated Kroehnke and all that he’s done for me. He’s always been such a role model in my life. I grew up on the South side so I obviously have a connection there.

“I did [know about the record] because my parents and the coaches were all talking about it. I was really nervous coming into this game, I’m not gonna lie. My stomach was turning but I was just focusing on getting the win and thinking let’s get another conference victory.”ADVERTISING

Hannah Struebing paced the Tigers (13-11, 2-8) with 14 points and Campbell Bastian added a trio of 3s, but the day belonged to Hyde and the Falcons.

“I got to coach Claire when she was in seventh grade, so I’m very happy for her,” Kroehnke said. “It’s well-deserved. I told her I hope I never have to coach against her again, but that I love you and I’m very happy for you.”

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.

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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.

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