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2012-13 Lakeland College Sports Year in Review: Fall Sports

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:20:45 CST

The 2012-13 Lakeland College sports year is in the books. The upcoming year for the Muskies is still more than two months away, though, so the summer is a good time to look back at highlights and performances from teams and individuals in the most recent school year.

Up first: fall sports. The 2012 fall sseason for Lakeland athletics was one of transition in a number of ways. The men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball teams all had new coaches, and many of the Muskie teams came into the season in a position of looking to build or rebuild programs. The fall included some teams making steady improvement, while others dealt with their share of close competitions leaving them just short of victories.

Football
The sports year got under way with a busy Saturday, Sept. 1, with the Lakeland football and men's and women's soccer teams all hosting their season openers. The first game for the Muskie gridiron squad team followed what would be a familiar script, as Lakeland lost a hard-fought 24-17 decision to Carroll. The Pioneers scored twice in the final six minutes, including the go-ahead touchdown with 3:55 left to break a 17-17 tie. Lakeland went on to finish 2-8, sandwiching a pair of four-game losing streaks around two wins in the middle of the season. The Muskies defeated Rockford 31-7 on Oct. 6 on Homecoming for their first win and followed that with a 32-7 win in the rain at Maranatha Baptist the following week. Lakeland finished 2-5 in the Northern Athletics Conference, placing sixth in the eight-team league.

Along with the two wins, the team finished with a number of close losses. In addition to the Carroll game, the Muskies also lost 31-24 to Kalamazoo on Sept. 15 and were dealt a 27-17 setback at Wisconsin Lutheran in the NAC opener on Sept. 22 in a game the team trailed by a field goal until the final minute. The toughest loss came at home on a muddy field on Oct. 20 in the 21st annual Cheese Bowl game, as Concordia (Wis.) returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown with just 1:06 left in the game to break a tie and defeat Lakeland 23-16. The score came just after the Muskies appeared to be in good shape to get the game to overtime after tying the game 16 seconds earlier on a touchdown pass from Dylan Van Straten to Chris Jaskulski.

Bruce Romagnoli (at left) was once again a brute on defense for the Muskies, as his team-leading 76 tackles, including 11 1/2 tackles for loss and 4 1/2 sacks netted him First Team All-NAC honors. Offensive lineman Joe Ciha, defensive back Cody Lemke and kick returner Norman Grinstead also all were named second team all-conference. Running back Kendrick Burks was the team's most consistent offensive weapon, rushing for 647 yards and four touchdowns, while Jaskulski caught 30 passes for 404 yards. Quarterback Dylan Van Straten passed for 943 yards and also rushed for 461, throwing four touchdowns and adding seven scores rushing.

Women's Soccer
At the same time the Muskie football team was kicking off its season, the Lakeland women's soccer team was kicking off its own just across campus. A very young Muskie team lost 10-2 to St. Norbert in its opener and with a shorthanded roster would struggle, finishing the season with a 3-15 record, including a 2-10 mark to place 11th in the NAC.

Lakeland scored its biggest successes early in the season in a stretch when the team won three of four games. First-year head coach Adam Galla got his first win as a collegiate coach with a 4-1 victory over Alverno on Sept. 5, and the Muskies added back-to-back dominating wins later in the month, defeating Rockford 8-0 on Sept. 15 and coming back the next day for a 12-0 whitewashing of Robert Morris-Lake County (Ill.). Hannah Landgraf (at left) and Liz Pritzl led the team in both matches, with Landgraf scoring four times and Pritzl three against Rockford, and then Pritzl tallying four goals against Robert Morris-Lake County.

Landgraf finished the season as the team's leading sniper, scoring 13 goals and adding three assists for 29 points. Pritzl added eight goals and two assists for 18 points, while Brooke Schallar led the team in assists with four. Despite the team's struggles, a total of ten players scored goals for the Muskies on the season and 11 players in all scored a point via a goal or assist.

Men's Soccer
Lakeland's men's soccer team also opened its season at home on Sept. 1, losing a narrow 1-0 match to St. Norbert. The Muskies would bounce back the next day for their first win of the season when Paul Elzinga scored a golden goal 1:18 into overtime for a 3-2 win over Ripon.

Like the Lakeland women's soccer team, the Muskie men's soccer program had a tough first year under new coach Adam Galla. Another young team with just two seniors, Lakeland finished 2-14-3 overall, 0-8-3 in the Northern Athletics Conference. The Muskies featured one of the top goalkeepers in the NAC in senior and four-year starter Alex Piekarski, but the team struggled with firepower and was held scoreless in ten games.

Piekarski concluded a terrific career by being named Second Team All-NAC. The Menasha native started 62 straight matches and played 5,846 consecutive minutes to close out his career, never leaving the lineup once he became the team's starting keeper midway through his freshman year. Elzinga and Farouk Dadzie tied for team honors in goals scored with five each, while Dadzie added three assists to lead the team with 13 points.

Women's Volleyball
The best performance by a Muskie sports team in the fall was delivered by the women's volleyball team, which bounced back nicely after two subpar seasons. Lakeland finished 17-10 overall and placed fifth in the Northern Athletics Conference with a 7-5 record. Under first-year coach Kim Bukowski, the Muskies equaled their win total for the previous two seasons combined, posting their best finish since tying for the NAC title in 2009.

The Muskies started the season with a 4-0 performance in the Illinois College Lady Blue Tournament on Labor Day weekend, and would stay at least three games above .500 the rest of the year. In addition to sweeping four games at the Illinois College tourney, other highlights included a four-set win over rival Concordia (Wis.) as well as a four-set win on the road at a Maranatha Baptist that finished ahead of Lakeland in the standings and eventually ended the team's season in the NAC Tournament quarterfinals. The team's lone senior, Taylor Daus (at left), also finished her four-year career at home with a successful Senior Night, sending home a career-high 22 kills in a four-set win over MSOE.

Along with the improved record came individual accolades, as junior Katie Freitag was named First Team All-NAC. Setter Brittany Reindl also received second team all-conference honors, while Caleigh Galvan was named to the NAC All-Freshman Team. After an exciting 2012 season, the Muskies are well-stocked for another excellent season in 2013, as Daus is the only regular in the team's rotation who will not return next year.

Women's Tennis
The Lakeland women's tennis team took a big step forward in 2012, nearly finishing with a winning record and improving from a 3-8 dual record the year before to 7-7 overall, including 4-7 in the Northern Athletics Conference. The Muskies were competitive in every match they played, winning at least one match in all 14 duals. Lakeland also was very close to a much better record, as the team lost three matches by a 5-4 score.

Juniors Brittany Jurek (at left) and Erica Hoffmann were huge successes at singles, with Jurek finishing 11-2 at primarily No. 5 singles and Hoffmann going 10-3 while competing at No. 3 and No. 4 singles. The duo also finished 8-6 together as the Muskies' No. 2 doubles team. Senior April Schmitz and freshman Lynn Pipke also were strong at No. 1 doubles with an 8-4 record and were named All-NAC at doubles.

Along with playing better on the court, the Muskies also enjoyed new courts this season. Lakeland's matches were moved to the Sports Core in Kohler, a sparkling facility that includes outdoor and indoor courts.

Men's & Women's Golf
The collegiate golf season spans the fall and spring, but the Lakeland golf teams played almost all of their matches in the fall thanks to a soggy spring.

The Muskie men's golf team finished seventh at the Northern Athletics Conference Championship, which began with a round in October and concluded with three rounds in the spring. Lakeland was a solid fourth after the first round, which was played at nearby Whistling Straits Golf Course, but a rusty team dropped in the spring in its only competition of the spring. The Muskies struggled to so much as get practice time during a wet and cold spring that saw snow on the ground well into April, and it had an effect as the team dropped behind the leaders in the second and third rounds of the conference championship.

The team did mount a pair of top ten finishes in the Concordia (Wis.) Elite-8 Invitational in September, as Ryan Newburry placed sixth and Matt Lewellyn was tenth. Newburry also was tied for 10th after the first round of the NAC Championship and finished a team-best 23rd in the 72-hole tournament.

The Lakeland women's golf team went through a disjointed season. With a number of its players participating in other sports, the team seldom had the same lineup twice. The squad also lost its head coach in March when Britni Fett resigned as head women's golf coach and women's basketball assistant coach to take the women's basketball head coaching job at Nebraska Wesleyan University.

TaVea Peterson was the most consistent player for the team, posting a 109.5 stroke average in eight rounds. Krystina Cook also played several matches in the fall when she wasn't competing for the women's soccer team, and Cook finished with the second-best average on the team.

Fall Sports Highlights
Sept. 1: Football, men's and women's soccer, women's tennis and women's volleyball teams all open their seasons. All but the volleyball team open at home, and the women's tennis team opens its season with a 9-0 whitewash of Rockford. The football team loses 31-24 to Carroll; both soccer teams lose to St. Norbert, but the women's volleyball team sweeps its first two matches at the Illinois College Lady Blue Invitational.

Sept. 2: Men's soccer team gets its first win of the season as Paul Elzinga scores the golden goal in overtime for a 3-2 win over Ripon. Women's volleyball team also completes a perfect 4-0 weekend at the Illinois College tourney. Anna Faust and Caleigh Galvan are both named to the all-tournament team.

Sept. 5: Women's soccer team gets its first win of the season, a 4-1 victory over Alverno. Hannah Landgraf scores twice and former softball player-turned- goalkeeper Brittni Peterson gets her first collegiate win in goal.

Sept. 8: Women's volleyball team finishes 2-2 at Dominican Star Classic. Katie Freitag is named to the all-tournament team.

Sept. 9: Women's golf team opens its season at the Concordia (Wis.) Falcon Invitational, finishing third of three teams.

Sept. 15: Women's tennis team defeats Concordia Chicago 5-4 for its fourth win of season, bettering its win total from all of last season. Erica Hoffmann and Brittany Jurek both win at singles and team up for a win at doubles.

Sept. 16: Women's soccer team steamrolls Robert Morris-Lake County 12-0, following up an 8-0 win over Rockford the day before. Liz Pritzl scores seven goals on the weekend, including four against RMU-Lake County. Men's soccer team also defeats RMU-Lake County 4-0 for its second and what turned out to be final win of the season.

Sept. 18: Ryan Newburry and Matt Lewellyn both finish in the top 10 for men's golf team at Concordia Elite-8 Falcon Invitational.

Sept. 19: Women's volleyball team sweeps Alverno in three sets for its ninth win, matching its entire win total from the previous season.

Sept. 22: Women's volleyball team finishes Ripon tourney with 3-1 record, the best record of any team competing on both days of the two-day invitational. Taylor Daus is named to all-tournament team.

Sept. 25: Krystina Cook scores the women's golf team's lowest round of the year by shooting 101 in a dual against Ripon. TaVea Peterson finishes one shot behind Cook with a score of 102.

Oct. 2: Women's volleyball team defeats Maranatha Baptist in four sets, handing Crusaders just their second loss of the season. Daus posts 19 kills and Brittany Reindl has 51 assists.

Oct. 6: Football team gets first win of the year on Homecoming with a 31-7 victory over Rockford. Dylan Van Straten rushes for two touchdowns and also throws a clinching 73-yard score to Norman Grinstead in the fourth quarter. Women's volleyball team also sweeps Concordia Chicago in three sets at home on Homecoming.

Oct. 13: Football team gets second straight win, scoring 32 unanswered points in a 32-7 win over Maranatha Baptist. Senior Joey Lehto scores two touchdowns, the first TD's of his Muskie career, and freshman Logan Christensen has two interceptions.

Oct. 15: Men's golf team comes in fourth after first round of NAC Championship, held at Whistling Straits. Second round was rained out and will be added to the originally scheduled final two rounds in the spring in Aurora, Ill.

Oct. 19: Taylor Daus is honored as the team's lone senior prior to the match, then finishes with a career-high 22 kills to lead the women's volleyball team to a four-set win over MSOE.

Oct. 20: Concordia (Wis.) kick returner Joe Paul returns kickoff 94 yards with 1:06 left in game to give Falcons a 23-16 win over Muskies in the 21st annual Cheese Bowl game. The game was played on a muddy field that left players jersey numbers almost unrecognizable by the end. That evening, the women's volleyball team defeated Rockford in three sets for its 17th win of the season, tying its win total for the previous two seasons combined.

Oct. 24: Men's soccer team closes the season with a 1-1 tie against Marian after junior Killian McKenzie scores his first collegiate goal in the 74th minute. Tie is the Muskies' third of the season and marks third straight year team has finished with at least three draws.

Oct. 25: Women's tennis team concludes its dual season with 8-1 win over MSOE, with its only loss coming in a third set tiebreaker. Women's soccer team concludes its season at home with a 6-2 loss to Cornell College in blustery and wet fall conditions. The second half began with heavy winds and a driving rainstorm drenching the field.

Oct. 30: Women's volleyball team concludes its season with a four-set loss to Maranatha Baptist in the quarterfinals of the NAC Tournament.

Nov. 10: Football team concludes its season with a 28-3 home loss to Benedictine (Ill.). Sophomore quarterback Dylan Kelly gets his first collegiate start and rushs for 134 yards in the loss.

Former Muskie Henk selected to compete on U.S. team traveling to Aruba

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 12:57:44 CST

Former Lakeland College softball player Erin Henk (Hoopeston, Ill.) has been selected to be a part of the USA Athletes International (USAAI) softball team competing in the 2013 Aruba Friendship Series on the island of Aruba from June 10-17.

The team is composed of select athletes from across the country, and will travel to Aruba to compete in a series of friendly matches against local Aruban teams. Aruba just won the Caribbean Softball Championship earlier this year. Players from all over the country are recommended for the team based on athletic ability and their ability to represent their country, school and hometown in a positive manner.

"Erin is an excellent example of the type of athletic ambassador and player USA Athletes International seeks to bring into international competition," said Darrell Phipps, Office Manager and Softball Program Coordinator at USA Athletes International, a non-profit organization that, per its website, seeks to provide educational opportunities that are facilitated through athletic competition.

"She will bring the term ambassador to life on this trip, showing the other USAAI athletes and our Aruban hosts her love for the sport she has had the opportunity to excel in here in the States," Phipps said. "Erin is taking the opportunity to represent Lakeland College and her hometown of Hoopeston as an ambassador for the sport of softball and the USA. Erin is definitely making the best of this opportunity and we are all proud to have her as a part of our program."

In addition to competing, the team will also take time to tour Aruba, learning all about the history and culture of the island nation.

Henk recently completed a four-year career with the Muskies as a pitcher and first baseman. She finished her career as a .293 hitter with 120 hits, 25 doubles, 77 runs batted in and 58 runs scored, while as a pitcher she started 71 games and finished with 30 wins, 44 complete games and a 4.14 earned run average in 440 2/3 innings pitched. Henk is tied for third in school history with 25 doubles, and as a pitcher she is second all-time in games started and innings pitched and fourth in wins.

"Erin was a fantastic pitcher for our team," Lakeland coach Hailey Dreyer said. "Her ability to adjust to hitters and teams as well as stay consistent through the whole year is going to be greatly missed next season. Erin has been a workhorse her entire career and also was always a great person to have at the plate because she was powerful and confident. Erin's leadership and eagerness to win and help the program succeed will be missed in the years to come."

NAC to become Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, unveils new logo

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 02:56:16 CST

The Northern Athletics Conference, in preparation for the 2013-14 academic year, has unveiled its new logo and will officially make the league the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference on July 1, 2013.

The NAC Council of Chief Executive Officers approved the new mark and name earlier this year.

The league shares its current NAC acronym with its fellow NCAA Division III conference, the North Atlantic Conference, which often causes confusion at the national level and within the media. The North Atlantic Conference has had its current name since fall of 1999 and became a NCAA member league in 2002.

"We were looking to add some color and uniqueness to the logo from the current colorless one, and thought we would concurrently make the name change to help alleviate the mix-ups with the North Atlantic Conference," Commissioner Steve Larson said.

The league, which began its first season of competition the '06-07 academic year, is comprised of all NCAA Division III member schools from the shared-border states of Illinois and Wisconsin. This year will mark just the second change in membership, and first since Milwaukee School of Engineering joined the 12 charter schools in '07-08, as Maranatha Baptist Bible College officially withdraws from the conference on June 30, to become a Division III independent.

The NACC's members include: Alverno College, Aurora University, Benedictine University, Concordia University Chicago, Concordia University Wisconsin, Dominican University, Edgewood College, Lakeland College, Marian University, MSOE, Rockford College (to become Rockford University on July 1) and Wisconsin Lutheran College.

Arras named new Lakeland head women's golf coach

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:31:33 CST

Lakeland College has named Ty Arras as its new head women's golf coach as well as its lead women's basketball assistant coach, Interim Athletic Director April Arvan announced today.

Arras has served as the Lakeland women's basketball graduate assistant coach the past two years. In both of his new roles he replaces Britni Fett, Lakeland's former women's golf coach and top women's basketball assistant. Fett recently took the head women's basketball coaching job at Nebraska Wesleyan University.

A native of Entiat, Wash., Arras came to Lakeland in 2011 after two years as an assistant coach at alma mater Entiat High School. In 2010-11, Arras helped the Lady Tigers to a 19-6 record with an appearance in the Washington state Class 2B regionals. The previous year, Arras helped the Entiat boy's team to a 20-5 record and an appearance at State in Class 2B.

Arras received a bachelor's degree in communication from Washington State University, where he also served as a men's basketball student manager from 2006-2009. His duties included helping with video coordinating, filming practice and games, as well as day-to-day tasks in the office.

Arras will complete his master's degree in counseling from Lakeland in August.

Fifteen Muskies honored on NAC All-Sportsmanship Team

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:43:01 CST

The Northern Athletics Conference has released its All-Sportsmanship Team for the 2012-13 school year, and fifteen Lakeland College athletes have received the conference award.

Award winners for Lakeland include:
Baseball: Justin Reminger (Sr.-Leopolis, Wis.)
Men's Basketball: Eric Strzok (Sr.-Thorp, Wis.)
Women's Basketball: Dana Henrichs (Sr.-Fall Creek, Wis.)
Football: Trevor Tanck (So.-Baileys Harbor, Wis.)
Men's Golf: Justin Walsh (Sr.-Sheboygan Falls, Wis.)
Women's Golf & Women's Indoor Track & Field: TaVea Peterson (Jr.-Chilton, Wis.)
Men's Soccer: Daiya Akiyama (Sr.-Ichihara, Japan)
Women's Soccer: Liz Pritzl (Jr.-Cedar Grove, Wis.)
Softball: Kate Wallen (So.-Mundelein, Ill.)
Men's Tennis: Jake Halverson (So.-Taneytown, Md.)
Women's Tennis: Erica Hoffmann (Jr.-Sheboygan Falls, Wis.)
Men's Indoor Track & Field: Ryan Graves (Sr.-Munising, Mich.)
Men's Outdoor Track & Field: Jordan Schreiber (Fr.-Bowler, Wis.)
Women's Outdoor Track & Field: Vashia Gordon (Sr.-Green Bay, Wis.)
Women's Volleyball: Tess Myklebust (Jr.-Wisconsin Dells, Wis.)

As voted on by the conference's Directors of Athletics, Maranatha Baptist was presented both the men's and women's NACSportsmanship Awards. NAC All-Sportsmanship Team members wereselected by head coaches, and chosen based on the principles of sportsmanship as promoted by the NAC and NCAA.

Lakeland softball team receives season-end awards

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:32:05 CST

The Lakeland College softball team held its season ending banquet on Thursday, May 2, handing out postseason awards to several players. Heather Haeflinger (Sr.-Shawano, Wis.) and Ashley Hough (Fr.-Rapid River, Mich.) were honored for their All-Northern Athletics Conference awards, and a number of team awards were given out as well.

Haeflinger and Erin Henk (Hoopeston, Ill.) were named co-MVPs for the season. Haeflinger batted .412 this season and led Lakeland with eight home runs, 28 runs batted in, five triples, 15 stolen bases and 41 runs scored. She also was second on the team in batting average, hits (42) and doubles (seven), and her eight home runs are the second most in a season in school history.

Henk was the team's workhorse pitcher this year, starting more than half of its games and pitching in 26 of the Muskies' 37 contests. She finished with a 6-13 record and a 3.96 earned run average and 41 strikeouts in 129 innings pitched. Henk led the team in appearances, games started, complete games (15), wins and innings pitched. At the plate she also batted .245 with 24 hits, five doubles and 17 RBIs, finishing third on the team in runs batted in.

Melissa Noll (Fr.-Green Bay, Wis.) won the team's Most Improved award. Noll was the team's No. 2 starting pitcher, making 16 appearances including 13 starts and finishing 3-10 with a 5.15 ERA. She pitched 73 1/3 innings-second on the team-and also led the Muskies with 50 strikeouts.

Jenny LaLuzerne (Sr.-Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) received the Golden Glove Award. In addition to batting .321 and finishing second on the team with 27 runs scored and third with 36 hits, LaLuzerne also finished with a .928 fielding percentage while playing all around the diamond, most frequently at third base or second base.

LaLuzerne and Kate Wallen (So.-Mundelein, Ill.) both received the Hardest Working Muskie award. Wallen played in 22 games this season and batted .195 while also finishing with a .982 fielding percentage at first base. Devonna Stadler (Fr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) received the team's Muskie Spirit Award. Stadler played in three varsity games and finished 0-for-1 with one run scored, and also was a team leader in the dugout all season.

Lakeland hosting girls basketball camps in July

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:05:27 CST

The Lakeland College women's basketball program is hosting a pair of summer camps in July for girls going into grades 4-12 in the upcoming school year, and registrations are being accepted at this time.

Lakeland is hosting its High School Girls Basketball Camp for girls in grades 8-12 on July 23-25, and also is hosting its Middle School Girls Basketball Camp for grades 4-7 on July 26-28. Both camps will take place at the Wehr Center on Lakeland's campus.

The high school camp is designed to be an intense camp for young players who wish to prepare themselves for playing competitive high school and/or college basketball. The camp will emphasize all aspects of becoming a better offensive player. Focus will be on proper shooting form, footwork, moving with and without the ball, and free throw shooting. The goal of the camp is to help campers improve their overall offensive game and maximize their skills at the offensive end of the court.

The middle school camp will cater to both beginner and experienced basketball players. Focus will be on developing fundamental skills as well as an overall emphasis on development of correct fundamentals and a love for the game. Campers will experience a learning environment that will challenge them and provide positive motivation to continue improving. Development on offense and defense, as well as condition principles for all positions on the floor will be stressed.

Cost for the high school camp is $200 for those staying overnight, or $145 for commuters. Cost for the middle school camp is $185 for overnighters, $120 for commuters. Campers can save 15% on the price by taking part in early bird registration before May 24.

The camp structure will include competitions, games and evaluations. Each camper will receive a camp T-shirt. Overnight campers will be provided four meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner on the first full day, and breakfast on the last day), while lunch on the first day of camp will also be provided to commuters.

For more information or to register contact Head Coach Lindsey Vande Hoef at (920) 565-1564 or by email at vandehoeflk@lakeland.edu. More information also is available on the Lakeland College athletics website at http://www.lakeland.edu/athletics.

Kuchenbecker named Second Team All-NAC baseball selection

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:35:06 CST

WAUKESHA, Wis. - Lakeland College junior Tim Kuchenbecker (Brillion, Wis.) was named a Second Team All-Northern Athletics Conference baseball selection today, as the NAC released its postseason all-conference teams.

Kuchenbecker received his first-ever all-conference award in his third year as a Muskie. He also is the lone Lakeland player to be named to this year's team.

Kuchenbecker was the steadiest player for the Muskies this year and the team's top standout at the plate. He led the team with a .359 batting average, 46 hits and 26 runs batted in as well as a .438 slugging percentage. The junior outfielder also added 16 runs scored, five doubles, one triple and five stolen bases, and also recorded the team's only home run this year. In the field he also was reliable, committing just one error in 60 chances.

Kuchenbecker's award makes it two straight years in which Lakeland has put a player on the All-NAC first or second team. Former teammate Mike Ruzek was named first team all-conference last year and served as an assistant coach on the team this year.

Tim Hendricks of Benedictine (Ill.) University was named the NAC Position Player of the Year, while Chris Jordan of Benedictine is the conference Pitcher of the Year. Cole Logemann of Rockford (Ill.) College was named Freshman of the Year, while Adam Smith of Concordia University Chicago was chosen as the NAC Coach of the Year.

Click here for the rest of the NAC baseball all-conference team.

Eisner, Mayo lead Muskie WBB team award winners

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:05:16 CST

Family and friends of the Lakeland College women's basketball program gathered on Sunday, April 28, for a year-end banquet celebrating the recent season.

The team enjoyed a dinner as well as a highlight film of the season which was created by student assistant coach Matt Armstrong. Becky Mayo (Sr.-Gladstone, Mich.) and Leah Eisner (Jr.-Stevens Point, Wis.) also were given their All-Northern Athletics Conference awards, and Head Coach Lindsey VandeHoef also handed out several team awards.

Eisner was named team's MVP after leading the Muskies and ranking second in the NAC with 14.8 points per game. The 6-1 post player was fourth in the conference in rebounding with 8.4 caroms per game, and tied Mayo for fifth in the conference with 1.3 blocked shots per game. Eisner also added 1.6 steals per game made 20 three-pointers.

Mayo received the team's Muskie Pride award. The 5-11 forward concluded her four-year Lakeland career with her first-ever first team all-conference nod after averaging 12.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game this season, leading the NAC in rebounding. Mayo also averaged 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocked shots per game, tying for fifth in the conference in blocked shots. Her 254 rebounds this season also were the fifth-most in a season in Lakeland women's basketball history.

Senior Dana Henrichs (Fall Creek, Wis.) was named the team's Defensive Player of the Year. Henrichs averaged 7.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. She also finished with 49 assists and 31 made three-pointers, both totals ranking second on the team. Henrichs also finished with 30 steals and was always on the court at crunch time, averaging over 30 minutes per game.

Taylor Jandrin (Jr.-Forestville, Wis.) received the team's Hustle Award. Jandrin averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game and also ranked second in the NAC in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 43.3% from beyond the arc.

Aimee Thrune (Jr.-Prairie du Sac, Wis.) received the award for the team's Best Attitude. Thrune averaged 4.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. She was third in the NAC in assists, and her 113 assists this season ranks tied for the fifth-most in a season in Lakeland school history.

Trista Barron (Fr.-Escanaba, Mich.) received the team's Most Improved Award. Barron appeared in 23 games, averaging 1.3 points and 0.7 rebounds per game while adding 12 assists. She showed signs of good things to come in the future in the Muskies' final four games, though, averaging 5.0 points in nearly 13 minutes per game and knocking down four three-pointers.

Edgewood sours season finale for Lakeland baseball team

Sat, 04 May 2013 16:30:00 CST

Athletics - Baseball

The Lakeland College baseball team concluded its season on Saturday with a pair of one-sided losses to Edgewood College on the team's Senior Day at Muskie Field.

The Eagles won by scores of 8-0 and 19-6 to take both ends of a doubleheader. Lakeland wrapped up its season with a 10-23 overall record and finishing 6-16 in the Northern Athletics Conference, tying for 10th in the final conference standings.

Edgewood dominated both games, hammering Muskie pitching for 34 hits over the two games. Lakeland played from far behind almost the entire day, falling behind big in the early going of both games.

Lakeland's only brief challenges of the Eagles (14-25 overall, 11-11 NAC) came in the second game. The Muskies responded to a first inning run by Edgewood with one of their own, as leadoff hitter Frank Pietrantonio (Sr.-Kingsford, Mich.) scored on an error. The Eagles would score seven straight runs to take an 8-1 lead, but Lakeland bounced back with two in the fourth and a run in the fifth to briefly get within 8-4, until Edgewood exploded for 11 runs over the final two innings to blow it open.

Trevor Koehn dominated the first game for Edgewood, throwing a complete game shutout, scattering seven hits. The Muskies got a runner as far as third base only once, and also had runners erased on double plays three times in a game that featured a total of six double plays, including three also by Lakeland.

Tim Kuchenbecker (Jr.-Brillion, Wis.), Matt Krueger (Sr.-Medford, Wis.) and Charlie Sparrow (Jr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) all finished with three hits on the day for Lakeland. Derek Loomans (Jr.-Brandon, Wis.) took the loss in the first game, while starter Jared Rear (Fr.-Belleville, Wis.) took the loss in the second game.

Alex Jaskulski had eight hits over two games for Edgewood, including a 5-for-6 performance in the second game. Brad Clark also added six hits.

The games were the final ones for five Lakeland seniors, including Chitwood, Krueger, Pietrantonio, David Cherney (Green Bay, Wis.) and Justin Reminger (Leopolis, Wis.). All five played key roles on Saturday, with Cherney also pitching in relief in both games and Reminger adding a hit as well as a pair of terrific diving catches in left field.

Baseball vs. Edgewood College

Sat, 04 May 2013 14:00:00 CST

Athletics - Baseball

Gordon defends crown in high jump for another title at NAC Championships

Sat, 04 May 2013 10:00:00 CST

Athletics - Track

MILWAUKEE, Wis. -Lakeland College's Vashia Gordon (Sr.-Green Bay, Wis.) added another championship by winning the women's high jump to lead the Muskies on the second and final day of the Northern Athletics Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Gordon won the conference title in the high jump for the second consecutive year, clearing 1.56 meters (5 feet, 1 1/4 inch) to edge Rachel Tesch of Edgewood College. It was her second championship this year, following her winning the triple jump on Friday, and marked the third of her career as a Muskie.

Gordon's wins highlighted the performances at the conference championships for a small contingent of Muskies competing at the championships. Her two championships also were primarily responsible for the 21 points Lakeland scored in the team standings to finish eighth in the women's team championship.

Gordon also added a 12th-place finish in the long jump on Saturday with a best leap of 4.43m (14-6 1/2). Stephanie Knepfel (Fr.-Elkhart Lake, Wis.) also finished 16th in the 1,500 meters with a time of 5:50.51, while TaVea Peterson (Jr.-Chilton, Wis.) competed in the discus and shot put. Peterson placed 20th in the discus with a mark of 23.54m (77-3) and was 22nd in the shot with a best of 8.74m (28-8 1/4).

The Lakeland men's team posted a scoring finish on Saturday as Jordan Schreiber (Fr.-Bowler, Wis.) finished eighth in the shot put. Competing in the event for the first time this spring, Schreiber hurled the disc 39.26m (128-10) to finish solidly in eighth. His mark was just over 16 feet off the championship mark of Adam Chocola of Benedictine (Ill.) University.

Schreiber also placed 20th in the long jump with a mark of 5.39m (17-8 1/4), two spots better than teammate David Werner (Fr..-Two Rivers, Wis.), who jumped 5.23m (17-2). Also competing for the Muskie men were Craig Manning (Fr.-Sheboygan Falls, Wis.), who was 21st in the 1500 with a time of 5:42.68, as well as Aaron Sherry (So.-New Holstein, Wis.), who was 22nd in the discus with a throw of 25.25m (82-10).

Aurora (Ill.) University won the women's championship with 243.13 points, easily outdistancing second place Wisconsin Lutheran College (165). Benedictine won the men's title with 172.5 points, ahead of nearest challengers Milwaukee School of Engineering (149.5) and Aurora (144).

Haeflinger, Hough grab All-NAC softball honors

Fri, 03 May 2013 12:18:11 CST

Lakeland College softball players Heather Haeflinger (Sr.-Shawano, Wis.) and Ashley Hough (Fr.-Rapid River, Mich.) have concluded their 2013 seasons with Northern Athletics Conference honors, as the NAC released its all-conference teams today.

Haeflinger was named First Team All-NAC, while Hough was named to the all-conference second team. The freshman was also named to the NAC All-Freshman Team.

Haeflinger finished a distinguished career as a Muskie with her first-ever first team all-conference honor. The 5-2 center fielder batted .412 this season and led Lakeland with eight home runs and 28 runs batted in as well as five triples, 15 stolen bases and 41 runs scored. She also was second on the team in batting average, hits (42) and doubles (seven), and her eight home runs are the second most in a season in school history. Haeflinger also currently ranks among the conference leaders in several categories, including leading the NAC in runs scored and ranking tied for second in triples, fourth in steals and fifth in home runs and slugging percentage (.794).

"Heather was a very solid hitter all year," said Lakeland head coach Hailey Dreyer, "and was always aggressive in making things happen whether it was stretching a double into a triple or being aggressive on the base paths getting defenders to create errors. There is no doubt she deserved this first team award, as she was one of the best senior players in the league."

Haeflinger finished her career as the program's all-time leader in stolen bases with 61. She also is third in school history in hits (169), run scored (142) and triples (20), tied for fourth in home runs (ten) and fifth in doubles (24).

Hough had a terrific season as a freshman, leading the Muskies in batting average (.417) as well as hits (45) and doubles (six). She also was second on the team with 20 RBIs and three triples and added six stolen bases and 23 runs scored. The left fielder also was terrific in the field, not committing an error in 40 chances.

"I am so excited for Ashley," Dreyer said. "She had a standout year as a freshman and we're really excited to see what she is going to do for three more years for us. She really anchored the clean-up spot and did really well driving runs in and grabbing base hits and didn't fall under pressure. All year you would have thought she was an upperclassman by how she handled herself at the plate."

Tristan Wilcox of Aurora (Ill.) University was named the NAC's Position Player of the Year, while Emily Mahoney of Dominican (Ill.) University was the Pitcher of the Year. Kailee Cable of Benedictine (Ill.) University was honored as Freshman of the Year, and Mike McKenzie of Aurora was chosen as Coach of the Year.

Click here for the rest of the NAC softball all-conference team.

Gordon wins triple jump title on first day of NAC Championships

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:30:00 CST

Athletics - Track

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Lakeland College senior Vashia Gordon (Green Bay, Wis.) won the women's triple jump event, leading the Muskie track & field teams at the Northern Athletics Conference Outdoor Championships.

Gordon just narrowly edged Elise Hinson of Aurora (Ill.) University for the title, jumping 10.30 meters (33 feet, 9 1/2 inches) to better Hinson's mark of 10.29m (33-9 1/4) by just 1/4 inch. It is Gordon's second consecutive year winning a conference title, as she is also the defending champion in the high jump, which will take place on Saturday's second day of the championships.

Gordon scored ten of Lakeland's 11 points to put the Muskies in a tie with Milwaukee School of Engineering for fifth place in the team standings. Aurora leads the women's standings after the first day with 71 points, with Concordia University Chicago second with 38 points.

Christine Deitte (Sr.-Fond du Lac, Wis.) scored the other point for the Muskies, finishing eighth in the 10,000 meters with a time of 47:57.62. TaVea Peterson (Jr.-Chilton, Wis.) also added a 12th-place finish in the javelin with a throw of 22.20m (72-10), and Veronika Lau (So.-Germantown, Wis.) was 26th in the 100 meter preliminaries with a time of 31.64 seconds.

The Lakeland men had a quiet first day, competing in only the 100- and 200-meter races. Yaphay Harvey (So.-Milwaukee, Wis.) had the best finish for the Muskies, finishing 16th in the 200 preliminaries with a time of 24.84. He also was 20th in the 100-meter prelims with a time of 12.30, one spot behind teammate Jordan Schreiber (Fr.-Bowler, Wis.), who finished in 12.27. Alexander Newman (Fr.-Beach Park, Ill.) also was 32nd in the 100 with a time of 13.43.

Benedictine (Ill.) University leads the men's standings with 51 points, while Concordia University Wisconsin is second with 38.

Women's Golf at Concordia University Wisconsin

Fri, 03 May 2013 00:00:00 CST

Athletics - Women's Golf

Follow Lakeland track teams at NAC Outdoor Championships

Thu, 02 May 2013 23:15:15 CST

The Lakeland College men's and women's track & field teams are competing at the Northern Athletics Conference Outdoor Championships this weekend, which are being held in Milwaukee at Wisconsin Lutheran College's Raabe Stadium.

The Muskies enter the championships with chances at individual titles in at least two events. Senior Vashia Gordon (Green Bay, Wis.) tied for the NAC's top mark in the women's high jump this season at 1.60 meters (5 feet, 3 inches), and she also is ranked first in the conference in the triple jump at 10.44m (34-3).

Events begin Friday at 9:30 a.m. and will continue Saturday at 10 a.m.

Information about the championships, including schedules, performance lists, heat sheets and results, is available at the following links:

Men: http://www.wlcsports.com/page.asp?articleID=1518
Women: http://www.wlcsports.com/page.asp?articleID=1516

Lakeland women's basketball rummage sale is a success

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:05:27 CST

The Lakeland College women's basketball program recently held its first-ever team rummage sale and raised more than $2,700 for an upcoming summer trip overseas to China.

The team collected a number of donations of items filling the Wehr Athletic Center lobby April 19-21. Items such as men's and women's clothing, children's clothing and toys, furniture, electronics, books and movies were all available to purchase, and Head Women's Basketball Coach Lindsey VandeHoef was very pleased with the turnout of donations as well as people shopping the rummage sale.

"We had a great turnout both with donations and people from the community shopping at our sale," VandeHoef said. "I am proud to say we reached our goal thanks to all those that supported our fundraiser and donated items for us to sell."

The money from the fundraiser will go toward the women's basketball team's trip overseas to China that it will be making in May 2014. The team will play several games in Beijing, Nanchang and Shanghai, and professors David Lynch and Charles Stockman also will join the team overseas to conduct a class for course credit for team members.

"It was really fun to talk to people from the surrounding areas to tell them what our team is saving up for," VandeHoef said. "Some even would donate money or drove back to campus to drop off items to sell for us."

The Muskie women's basketball program had history of traveling abroad during former coach April Arvan's tenure, and the plan is to get back to tradition of playing internationally every four years. NCAA rules allow teams to travel overseas once every four years for a team trip in the summer.

The date for next year's rummage sale has already been set for April 18-20, 2014, at the Wehr Center.

Haeflinger and Halverson receive Muskie honors for week

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:17:25 CST

Lakeland College softball player Heather Haeflinger (Sr.-Shawano, Wis.) and Jake Halverson (So.-Taneytown, Md.) have been named this week's Muskies of the Week.

Haeflinger received the award after batting .481 last week in nine games with 13 hits in 27 at bats. She had four doubles, a triple, a home run, and ten runs batted in, and also stole three bases. She also posted a slugging percentage of .815 as the Muskies faced some strong Northern Athletics Conference competition and went 2-7 last week.

Halverson gets the honor after being one of the bright spots on the Lakeland men's tennis team last week. The sophomore earned a win at No. 3 singles in the Muskies' 8-1 loss to MSOE on Wednesday, defeating Matthew Slaughter 6-3, 6-3. On Saturday, he teamed with Greg Boknevitz (Fr.-St. Francis, Ill.) for a win at No. 2 doubles against Concordia Chicago, as the duo defeated Tim Staffeld and Jose Landa 8-5.

Former Muskie Ringeisen finds football success in Europe

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:27:57 CST

The conclusion of a four-year football career at Lakeland College was not the end of football for former Muskie Martin Ringeisen, who has found a unique place to ply his trade in the sport.

Ringeisen, a 2007 graduate of Lakeland with a degree in computer science, is part of a growing list of Muskies who have played professional football overseas in Europe. He has also had a good share of success playing in several different countries, and the three-year veteran of playing in Europe plans to head back overseas to play again this year.

Ringeisen, a native of St. Cloud, Wis., and a graduate of New Holstein High School, played football from 2003-06 at Lakeland. He was a tight end and caught 12 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown in his four-year career, playing on successful teams that finished with a 28-13 record over those four years. Despite his relatively modest statistics, Ringeisen decided after college that he didn't want to be done with football, and decided to look abroad for opportunities.

Ringeisen first found out about European football from former Muskie quarterback Brent Luebke, who played in Austria upon his graduation from Lakeland in 2005. Former Muskies Ryan Van De Loo and Ryan Maiuri also played overseas, and Ringeisen credits Van De Loo with helping him get connected with teams in Europe.

Ringeisen began his professional career in 2009 in Austria when he played for the Linz Steelsharks. When he began playing in Europe, Ringeisen made a position change to quarterback, and though his team was not a success on the field, finishing with a 0-9 record, he said he was able to learn a lot, including what teams in Europe are looking for in an American player both on and off the field.

In 2010, Ringeisen signed with the Wernigerode Mountain Tigers in Germany. In his second season as a quarterback, Ringeisen led the team in Germany to a 10-0 record, the first perfect season in team history.

"Having that be my first perfect season in any sport ever was something truly amazing," Ringeisen said. "It is something that nobody can take away from me."

Ringeisen bounced around in 2011, with a spell of bad luck resulting in him playing for two different teams for reasons out of his control. After the 2010 season, he had a number of teams looking at him due to his experience and his team's perfect season the year before, and he joined the Esbjerg Hurricanes in Denmark.

"That was my first season where I was able to be a part of building the playbook for the offense and help with the preparations for the game plan each week," Ringeisen said. "After a few games we were 3-0, but there was talk about the team losing one of its biggest sponsors. Sure enough, two weeks later I had a meeting with the president saying the team no longer had enough money to cover my full contract."

Rather than giving up on his dream, Ringeisen immediately began looking for another team. He signed with the Coventry Jets out of England on a Wednesday, and capped a crazy week by playing his last game with the Hurricanes on that Saturday. He finished his final game with one passing touchdown and three rushing scores, including a 70-yard TD to clinch the win in the fourth quarter via a 50-point mercy rule, a bittersweet finish to his season with the Denmark team, which was 5-0 at the time of his departure and capped a 15-game winning streak for teams Ringeisen played for.

While playing in England, Ringeisen played on a team that struggled on the field, but he was able to teach the European players in the fundamentals of the game. Then in his fifth game with the England team, he tore his MCL, ending his season.

Despite his injury, Ringeisen decided to push on and said he has spent "countless hours in the pool, gym and weight room" rehabilitating his knee. And after all that work, he has signed on to play in Europe once again, this time for a team for Lausanne University in Switzerland. He is the team's starting quarterback and also its offensive coordinator, and before he went to Switzerland he spent several weeks working out with Lakeland's wide receivers in preparation for his season overseas.

Remembering his time at Lakeland, Ringeisen credits a number of former professors as well as his coaches with being influences on him as he has built a career in football.

"The way Lakeland most affected me to be ready to be able to enjoy such an amazing opportunity can be summed up in two points," Ringeisen said, "the first probably being my influences from some of my professors. Pam Engebretson, Karl Elder, David Lynch...in their classes I was able to learn how to use certain words in the correct order to help build creditability. (I gained) the ability to stand up in front of crowd and just improve something from the heart with only a few minutes to prepare. And how to end a very productive teaching session by asking: 'Does anyone have any questions, comments or concerns?'

"The second point would be summed up in four letters-R.Y.F.P. Reach. Your. Full. Potential." (This was a point emphasized by former Lakeland College football coach Jim Zebrowski) Whether it was in the classroom, on the football field, or just in life, Lakeland taught me to always keep striving to be great. This same attitude kept me striving to reach my goal of playing football overseas."

Lakeland finishes softball season with split against Rockford

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:00:00 CST

Athletics - Softball

Erin Henk(Sr.-Hoopeston, Ill.) pitched a two-hit shutout and Kaitlyn Hoffmann (So.-Plymouth, Wis.) started a big day with a three-run double as the Lakeland College softball team defeated Rockford (Ill.) College 6-0 in the first game of a doubleheader Monday afternoon.

The Muskies were unable to carry over the momentum from the first game, losing the second game to the Regents 11-8 in the team's season finale. Lakeland wrapped up its season with a 13-24 overall record and a 9-15 mark in the Northern Athletics Conference.

The day also marked the final collegiate games for five Lakeland seniors, and all played a role in the day. Henk had a most prominent role in the Muskies' win, dominating Rockford and allowing just two hits while striking out four and walking just one in an efficient and commanding performance.

Her teammates supported her with six runs early on, all coming in the first three innings. Heather Haeflinger (Sr.-Shawano, Wis.) tripled to drive in Jenny LaLuzerne (Sr.-Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) and then scored on an error to give Lakeland a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

The Muskies did all their damage with two outs in the second, starting with a single by Jessie Eichner (Sr.-Germantown, Wis.). Hoffmann followed later in the inning with the hit to blow the game open, doubling into the gap in right-center with the bases loaded, clearing the bases for a 5-0 lead. Brittany Jurek (Jr.-Kingsford, Mich.) added a sacrifice bunt in the third to score Ashley Hough (Fr.-Rapid River, Mich.) and put the Muskies ahead 6-0.

Hoffmann had another big game in the nightcap, finishing with three hits and driving in three more runs. Lakeland was unable to keep the Regents (10-26 overall, 8-16 NAC) off the board, though, as the visitors scored in six of seven innings.

Rockford totaled 11hits and also took advantage of five Muskie errors. Lakeland did rally from an early 6-2 deficit to tie the game at 6-6 in the fourth inning when LaLuzerne tripled to score Hillary Kammerzelt (Sr.-Elkhart Lake, Wis.).

The Muskies stranded runners at third in both the fourth and fifth innings, though, while Rockford continued to light the scoreboard. The Regents took the lead with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, and then added three important insurance runs in the top of the seventh, runs that would loom large when Chelsea Gile (Jr.-Grand Junction, Mich.) hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh.

LaLuzerne and Natalie Neitzel (Fr.-Theresa, Wis.) both added two hits in the second game. Henk started the second game before Melissa Noll (Fr.-Green Bay, Wis.) took over and allowed seven hits and five runs while striking out four.

Softball vs. Rockford College

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:00:00 CST

Athletics - Softball

Women's Golf at Wisconsin Lutheran College

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:00:00 CST

Athletics - Women's Golf

Baseball at Milwaukee School of Engineering

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:30:00 CST

Athletics - Baseball

Muskie softball team's NAC tourney hopes fade on tough road trip

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:00:00 CST

Athletics - Softball

The Lakeland College softball team had a tough weekend in Illinois against two of the best teams in the Northern Athletics Conference, getting swept in doubleheaders against Aurora (Ill.) University and Benedictine (Ill.) University.

The Muskies lost to Aurora by scores of 7-0 and 8-0 on Saturday as the Spartans ran their win streak to 23 games. Lakeland then came back and took a painful 4-3 loss to Benedictine in eight innings in their first game Sunday before the Eagles dominated for an 11-0 win in the nightcap.

The Muskies were eliminated from contention for the six-team NAC Tournament on Sunday, as Wisconsin Lutheran College wrapped up the final spot in the tourney with a win against Concordia University Wisconsin. Lakeland (12-23 overall, 8-14 NAC) also lost twice to Benedictine, including a tough loss in the opener in which the Eagles tied the game with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and then scored the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth after a fielding error allowed the winning run to score.

Lakeland had previously taken a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning as Brittany Jurek (Jr.-Kingsford, Mich.) drove in a run on a fielder's choice, a second run scored on an error on the play, and Chelsea Gile (Jr.-Grand Junction, Mich.) got a sacrifice bunt down to score Jurek from third.

Jessie Eichner (Sr.-Germantown, Wis.) had three hits for the Muskies and Erin Henk (Sr.-Hoopeston, Ill.) added two hits. Henk was the hard-luck losing pitcher, going all 7 2/3 innings and allowing 12 hits and four runs (three earned).

Benedictine (24-12 overall, 20-4 NAC) dominated the second game, scoring four runs in both the first and second innings and adding three more in the fourth. Ashley Hough (Fr.-Rapid River, Mich.) had two of the team's three hits.

Lakeland had a tough day on Saturday against Aurora, which has been dominating the NAC and ended the day with a 31-3 overall record and a 23-game winning streak. The Muskies were held to eight hits combined over two games, with Hough leading the team with two hits.

The Muskies wrap up their season on Monday against Rockford (Ill.) College in a doubleheader at home at 3 p.m.

Baseball at Milwaukee School of Engineering

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 12:00:00 CST

Athletics - Baseball