http://www.rockford.edu/news/default.asp Wed, 22 May 2013 01:09:02 GMT Tue, 5 Apr 2011 20:03:28 GMT Copyright © 2011 Rockford College http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=62379 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=62379 http://www.rrstar.com/sportsphotos/x481351257/Rockford-College-spring-practice on April 5, 2011.]]> Tue, 5 Apr 2011 21:03:28 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=62380 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=62380 By Doug Goodman
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Apr 04, 2011 @ 09:05 PM
Last update Apr 05, 2011 @ 01:04 AM

ROCKFORD — Long before offensive plays or defensive schemes for next season were discussed, new Rockford College football coach Vic Wallace and his staff focused on a more pressing concern.

"We have put 100 percent of our effort for the first six weeks into recruiting,” said Wallace, who took the job in January.

"We have not drawn one play on the board. I never talked to my assistant coaches about what we are going to run until we got into the seventh week.”

The Regents return just 27 players from last year’s winless team. They recently began their four weeks of spring practice.

Wallace, who has nearly 35 years of experience at the NCAA Division I, II and III and NAIA levels, would like to have 70-80 players on the roster by fall.

"It will be exciting if we get 85, but I don’t want to put it out of the realm of things to have 100.” he said. "We are working really hard.”

The recruiting effort was first directed at Rockford high schools and then expanded to players within a two-hour radius.

"In the teams that I’ve had in the past, 80 percent almost every year were from a two-hour radius,” said Wallace, who has a 176-109-5 career coaching record. "Then we would go outside and follow leads.”

Wallace and his staff have stressed three main selling points to the potential recruits: Immediate playing time is available; they would play for a successful coach; and they will determine the identity of the rebuilding program.

"Those are all positive things for our recruiting,” Wallace said.

The Regents have a handful of commitments so far, but Wallace didn’t expect the bulk to come until June.

"Then we will start to see some dividends,” he said.

Wallace’s staff includes line coach Patrick Babcock, who was the interim head coach last season.

This story appeared at http://www.rrstar.com/carousel/x481350892/Rockford-Colleges-new-coach-works-hard-on-recruiting?photo=0 on April 4, 2011.]]> Mon, 4 Apr 2011 21:09:00 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=61893 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=61893 By Jay Taft
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Mar 30, 2011 @ 09:44 PM

Butler’s back-to-back appearances in the Final Four is pretty impressive, but the Bulldogs are being overshadowed — and for good reason — by the new Cinderella of the tourney.

If you were one of the many who said Virginia Commonwealth did not belong in the NCAA Tournament — that would include me — than it’s past time to admit defeat. The 11th-seeded Rams made the Final Four after losing the last four regular-season conference games headed in.

Hitting a season-high 12 3-pointers in its second-round win over Georgetown — and then again against Florida State, and again against No. 1-seed Kansas — is a big reason why they are the hottest team in the nation.

And it’s not over yet: My prediction says VCU 73, Butler 70. The fun will then end in the finals, but the Rams’ run will not be forgotten.

Devine shines again

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh junior Philip Devine (Winnebago) broke the national three-meter diving record last week, but he still finished second at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championship in Knoxville, Tenn.

Devine finished ninth in the 1-meter championships last Wednesday with a score of 418.75. His point total would have been enough for fifth — the same place he finished last year — but he didn’t make the finals and was in the consolation bracket.

Three-time national champion Nick Halbach then held off a strong surge by Devine in the 3-meter finals as both divers eclipsed the NCAA D-III record for points scored. Halbach posted 591.65 while Devine, last year’s 3-meter national champion, came in second at 588.75.

King posts 300th victory

Rockford College softball head coach Kristyn King earned her 300th victory when the Regents swept Maranatha in a double-header Tuesday. Rockford (4-8, 2-0 NAC) plays its next eight games on the road before a twin bill at home April 10.

Nauman catches fire

Sparked by a no-hitter from Lindsay Nauman (Byron), the Elmhurst College softball team snapped an eight-game, season-opening skid with an 8-0 win over Colby College. The junior right hander, who improved to 2-3, tossed her first collegiate no-hitter. She faced only two batters over the minimum.

NIU gymnast back to regionals

Northern Illinois senior gymnast Holly Reichard has been selected to compete in the NCAA South Central Regional as an individual for the third time in her four-year career, as the NCAA announced the 2011 National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics Championships regional selections Monday.

She will compete at the Norman Regional at the University of Oklahoma on Saturday. The top two teams, top two all-around performers not on an advancing team and individual event winners move on to the NCAA Championships in Cleveland on April 15-17.

College Quick Shots finale

This is the last College Quick Shots this season. We will continue to keep you updated on locals involved in college sports, as well as local college sports, inside the regular sports section. Matt Trowbridge’s Golf Quick Shots begin next Thursday.

This story appeared at http://www.rrstar.com/sports/college/x1672076011/Butler-not-biggest-Cinderella-story-in-2011-tourney on March 30, 2011.]]> Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:43:24 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=61718 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=61718 By Jay Taft
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Mar 25, 2011 @ 12:04 AM

ROCKFORD — Rockford College head baseball coach Bob Koopmann is going with a little more local flavor this season, and he believes it will be enough to keep the Regents in the hunt for the postseason.
Rockford College won back-to-back Northern Athletics Conference tournament titles in 2007 and ’08 but fell short the past two seasons with an automatic NCAA Tournament berth on the line. With locals slotted to fill several positions, Koopmann said he hopes this is the year the Regents break through for that postseason bid.

"The seniors and juniors really want to rectify all of that. They want that automatic berth this year,” Koopmann said. "We have the team that can do it, but there are plenty of other coaches out there that are
thinking the same way.”

Infielder and pitcher Jake Nicholson, who came over from Rock Valley, and outfielder Kipton Bucey played high school ball at Stillman Valley and are penciled into Koopmann’s starting lineup. Curt Daughenbaugh, a returning starting outfielder from Dakota, catcher Jordan Shaver (Davis Junction) and Ryne Billesbach (Belvidere North), as well as pitchers Ben Korth (Orangeville) and Ryan Jacobson (Guilford), are expected to be constant contributors as well.

"A lot of our success will be tied to how that group does for us. They’re all from around here, and we’re going to need them,” Koopmann said. "For us, our offense has been the real, real strong point for a while. I think it’s going to be again this year.”

Koopmann expects his free-swinging team to win plenty of high-scoring affairs. The team went 3-4 on its spring trip to Phoenix, but still averaged more than 7 1/2 runs a game.

Games scheduled for Friday and Saturday were postponed because of poor field conditions. The Regents will try to get into the Midwest portion of their schedule at Concordia College in Moorhead on Sunday.

This story appeared at http://www.rrstar.com/updates/x1190294706/Rockford-College-baseball-team-to-lean-on-local-talent on March 25, 2011.
]]> Fri, 25 Mar 2011 22:20:14 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=61446 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=61446 By Dan Chamness
The Journal-Standard
Posted Mar 22, 2011 @ 10:47 PM

Freeport, Ill. — Jessi Ditzler was playing so well, she got a promotion.
The Freeport grad, who normally plays No. 3 singles for the Edgewood College tennis team, briefly moved up to play No. 2. The result was very much the same: two more wins for Ditzler. This spring she has won eight consecutive matches, four singles and four doubles.
"Jessi has been a strong performer for us,” said Edgewood Coach Benjamin Oestreich. "Jessi is a real strong competitor and learns to play against whoever she is playing. She is a coach’s dream, because she implements what I tell her right away. She learns things on the fly really quickly.”
Recently, Edgewood defeated Messiah College (6-3) and Heidelberg University (8-1). In the win over Messiah, Ditzler defeated her opponent at No. 2 singles, 6-2, 7-6 (7-0). Ditzler then teamed with her usual partner, Amber Hemp, to defeat Steph Knepper and Cassie Beck 8-2. Against Heidelbert, Ditzler returned to her normal spot at No. 3 singles, winning a 6-1, 6-1 decision over Jackquelyn Earl. Ditzler and Hemp topped Earl and Linda Miller 8-3 at No. 2 singles.
"It is so nice to get a few wins,” Oestreich said. "We had some 6 a.m. practices and the girls work hard on and off the court. Jessi has had to juggle her academic schedule and her athletic schedule. She has the potential to beat anyone in our conference. She is a dominant force in doubles. She helps whoever she is playing with. We just want her to win.”

Chris Anderson
Augustana College basketball player Chris Anderson (West Carroll) scored 250 points and pulled down 61 rebounds this year, an average of 8.1 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. He also had 29 assists, 15 steals and six blocked shots. Anderson hit 76-of-227 field goal attempts and 64-of-85 free throws. He made 34 3-point baskets.
The Vikings had one of their best seasons. Their 27-4 record was the second-most victories in Augustana history. It was also the first time in 17 years that Augustana reached the NCAA Division III Elite Eight. The Vikings shared the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin overall title with North Central College. Both teams finished with an 11-3 mark. Augustana won the CCIW Tournament and earned the automatic bid. ...
Rockford College hurler Ben Korth (Orangeville) worked 1 1/3 innings and suffered the loss as Rockford fell to William Patterson College 5-3 loss. Korth, who did not allow a single earned run, gave up three hits. He struck out one batter and walked one. Korth is 1-1. Rockford is 3-4 this season. ...
University of Dubuque softball players Lindsay Ellinor (Freeport) and Kate Wiersema (West Carroll) each had hits in an 8-4 triumph over St. Norbert College. Ellinor was 1-for-4 with a double and a walk. She drove home one run. Wiersema was also 1-for-4. She stole a base and scored a run in the contest. ...
North Park University pitcher Travis Boyer (Freeport) worked 2 2/3 innings as NPU lost a 4-3 decision to Dubuque. Boyer, who allowed two earned runs on four hits, slipped to 0-1 on the year. He walked four and fanned one. ...
The Rockford softball team is 2-8 in its first 10 games, all of which were played in Florida. Nicole Lawler (Pearl City) has started nine games and played in 10 for the Lady Regents. She has four hits (one double, one homer), five runs scored, three RBIs, three walks and two stolen bases. ...
Winter sports are completed, which means we will need names for the spring months. To make sure your son or daughter is on my list, please e-mail me (Dan62801@aol.com). To be included in this column, athletes must live in a town or have graduated from a high school normally covered by the Freeport Journal Standard. They also must be competing intercollegiate athletics. I will need the name of the athlete, the former high school, the college or university and the sport.
The winter sports senior article will be published soon. Drop me a note to make sure we don’t overlook any student-athletes who completed their particular sport this year.

This story appeared at http://www.journalstandard.com/sports/x1777827848/On-campus-report on March 22, 2011.]]> Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:03:44 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=61291 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=61291 By Jay Taft
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Mar 17, 2011 @ 12:07 AM

Members of the Colorado, Virginia Tech, Alabama and Saint Mary’s men’s basketball teams have been crying out loud for four days now. It’s time to zip it.

At the end of a season like this one, it was impossible to make everyone happy come NCAA Tournament selection time. Even if the field was bumped to 68. Why? Because other than Kansas and Ohio State, and maybe Duke and Notre Dame at times, there are few teams out there that strike fear in their opponents. There is instead a whole lot of mediocrity.

It should make for an interesting bracket breakdown, however.

RVC’s Turner honored twice
Rock Valley’s Jeron Turner was named first-team All-Region for Region IV men’s basketball. Turner led RVC in scoring (12.7 average), rebounds (9.3 average) blocked shots (16) and was tied for second in steals (28). The 6-foot-5 sophomore forward from Detroit also was named second-team All-Conference for the N4C.

Heaslip slips in, excels
Matt Heaslip (Guilford) was named the starting pitcher just minutes before the University of Illinois-Chicago’s March 6 baseball game and earned his first win as a Flame in a 5-1 victory over Missouri. Heaslip (1-1), a junior transfer from Kankakee Community College, fired 113 pitches over 82/3 innings, allowing one run on seven hits while striking out three.

Latella fifth at nationals
Whitewater junior Adam Latella (Hononegah) earned All-America honors with a fifth-place finish at 197 pounds during the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships in Lacrosse, Wis. He went 4-2 in the tournament and 36-7 on the season.

Nicholson lifts Regents
Rockford College junior right-hander Jake Nicholson (Stillman Valley) was named NAC Pitcher of the Week after pitching shutout ball from the eighth inning until the 12th in Sunday’s 8-5 win over Western New England College. He allowed one hit while striking out four.

In two appearances, Nicholson has allowed three hits and one earned run in six innings with five strikeouts.

The Regents return to action March 25, the start of three consecutive days of doubleheaders at Road Ranger Stadium.

Freeman Earns All-MAC Honors
Senior Marke Freeman, who led the Northern Illinois women’s basketball team with 16.1 points and 2.5 steals a game, was voted to the All-Mid-American Conference second team. Freeman ranked in the league’s top-10 in six categories.

Folven does it again
Minot State senior Caroline Folven (Byron) earned her second straight Dakota Athletic Conference postseason award, making first team all-conference after being placed on the third team last season. The 6-foot center is Minot State’s seventh all-time leading scorer with 1,092 points.

This story appeared at http://www.rrstar.com/sports/college/x13281268/Snubbed-teams-Zip-it-Too-much-mediocrity-to-cry on March 17, 2011.

]]> Thu, 17 Mar 2011 22:01:55 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=60769 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=60769 Posted: Thursday, March 10, 2011 5:00 pm 

Wisconsin finished fourth, but Andrew Howe took first once again.
For the third consecutive season, the Hanover Central grad claimed a Big Ten wrestling championship in his weight class. The defending NCAA titlist at 165 pounds, Howe defeated Ohio State's Colt Sponseller 3-1 in overtime at Sunday's Big Ten meet after executing a takedown with six seconds left in the extra session.
Howe, who spent a chunk of the current season on the sidelines with an injury, became the first Badger in a decade to register a conference championship three-peat. As a team, Wisconsin placed behind Penn State, Iowa and Minnesota.
Illinois sophomore B.J. Futrell (Mount Carmel) took fourth at 133 pounds at the Big Ten meet after dropping a 6-2 verdict to Iowa's Tony Ramos in the third-place match. Futrell notched victories over Michigan's Zac Stevens (11-5) and Northwestern's Levi Mele (6-4) during the tournament.
Sophomore John Tyler (Highland) and freshman Anthony Hawkins (Crown Point) were among the three Calumet College wrestlers to compete in the NAIA Wrestling National Championships in Cedar Rapids.
The 165-pound Tyler went 2-2 at the meet, with the wins coming by scores of 9-6 and 5-3. His takedown of Menlo College's Carlos Soto just before time expired secured the latter victory.
Hawkins dropped two decisions at 125 pounds, although his opening-round loss to Wayland Baptist's Richard Leal came by just an 8-6 count.

Swimming
Senior Talor Whitaker (Chesterton) completed her career at Washington State University by setting Cougars records in the 200-yard IM (2:00.42) and as a member of the 400 free relay (3:20.96) at the Pac-10 Championships. Her individual effort in the 200 IM was good enough for Whitaker to garner an NCAA Division I "B” qualifying standard.
She also did likewise by clocking a 54.08 in the 100 butterfly, which placed her 18th overall in that race. In addition, Whitaker swam a personal-best 1:03.86 in the 100 breaststroke, took 22nd in the 100 freestyle (50.69) and completed the 200-yard leadoff leg of the 800 free relay in 1:49.17, the fourth-fastest time in WSU annals.
Freshman Chris Schreier (Portage) became the first South Dakota State male swimmer since 2001 to capture an event at the Summit League Swimming and Diving Championships when he registered a personal-best 1:49.06 in the 200 butterfly. The personal record was one of six Schreier established at the four-day meet.
He wound up with 21 event triumphs in his initial collegiate campaign.

Men's basketball
Brad Karp (Valparaiso) capped a productive initial season at St. Xavier University by getting named Freshman of the Year in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Division I and being the Cougars' lone representative on the all-conference first team.
Karp ranked among the top 10 performers in the CCAC in six statistical categories, including scoring average (19.2 ppg), rebounding (6.7 rpg), field-goal percentage (54.7) and free-throw percentage (83.2).

Women's basketball
St. Xavier senior Alex Barone (Marian Catholic) was chosen the CCAC Division I Player of the Year. In becoming an all-conference first-teamer for the third consecutive year, Barone ranked third in the CCAC in scoring (15.0 ppg), steals (3.2) and assists (3.0), seventh in field-goal percentage (47.1) and eighth in free-throw percentage (69.6) while also averaging 4.0 rebounds per contest.
Rockford College junior Britney Curry (Merrillville) was picked for the All-Northern Athletics Conference second team after leading the Regents in scoring (15.6 ppg) for the second consecutive season. The all-conference selection was Curry's third in a row.
During the 2010-11 season, Curry became the ninth women's basketball player in Rockford history to surpass the 1,000-point plateau. She is seventh in career steals (174) and blocks (39), eighth in total points (1,082) and 13th in rebounds (456).
The Times welcomes information about local athletes for inclusion in Region Collegians. E-mail Ken Karrson at kenneth.karrson@nwi.com or fax to (219) 933-3249. Karrson can be reached at (219) 933-3232.

This story appeared at http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/article_1d267ac0-6fe4-59b4-bdc7-4e6cc211c9cf.html on March 10, 2011.]]> Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:00:29 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=60766 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=60766 By Jay Taft
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Mar 04, 2011 @ 01:26 AM

The Northern Illinois 2011 football schedule was released this week, and the Huskies have a shot at earning a little more respect this year, building on what they gained from last season’s 11-win effort.

They will play seven home games for the first time since 2003, including a "home” contest against Wisconsin at Chicago’s Soldier Field. They also face Army and Cal Poly at home, and they will be on ESPN at least three times.

With 39 players returning from last year’s team, this will be a great opportunity for NIU to win over a few more mid-major haters and prove they are worthy of the big stage.

Brown out, Broncos not
David Brown (Hononegah) will be with the Western Michigan Broncos when they begin postseason play next week, he just won’t be suited up. The sophomore guard is taking a medical redshirt and has been out with an ankle injury since December.

Western Michigan (17-11, 9-5 Mid-American Conference) was near the top of the league headed into Wednesday night’s contest. The MAC tourney opens Tuesday.

Brown helped the Broncos to a season-high four-game winning streak just before hurting his ankle. He averaged 4.1 points, and just less than one rebound and one assist while playing 11.6 minutes a game. Last year he averaged 2.4 points in 9.4 minutes a game.

Lawler, Malone make first team
The season may be over for the Rockford College women’s and men’s basketball teams, but the awards are coming in. Seniors Megan Lawler (13.8 points, 10.3 rebounds a game) and Robert Malone (25 points a game, fourth-best in the country) were named to their respective All-Northern Athletic Conference first teams. Freshman Tory Minnifield was named NAC Men’s Co-Freshman of the Year and junior Britney Curry was named to the women’s All-NAC Second Team.

RVC women KO’ed
After building itself up all season, it took less than two hours for Rock Valley’s women’s basketball team to break down. Its loss to Joliet in Saturday’s Region IV finals not only kept the Golden Eagles out of the NJCAA Division III national tournament, but it also ended the season for the nation’s No. 2-ranked team.

After a 13-game, late-season winning streak during which they defeated 10 of the 13 teams by more than 19 points, RVC lost to Joliet twice in a week.

Catching up
Carthage’s Sarah Thompson (Byron) won the College Conference of Illinois Wisconsin pentathlon title and qualified for the March 11-12 D-III National Indoor Track and Field Meet for the second straight year. She is ranked 11th in the nation in this event.

Jenner Sio (Christian Life) set the NIU indoor triple jump record when she notched a fifth-place leap of 38-9.5 in Saturday’s Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships. Sio already owns the NIU outdoor triple jump school record.

Freshman triple jumper Naomi Patrnchak (Boylan) qualified for the NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships for St. Ambrose last week.

This story appeared at http://www.rrstar.com/sports/college/x868517673/Northern-Illinois-set-for-another-big-splash-in-football on March 4, 2011.]]> Fri, 4 Mar 2011 21:52:24 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=59674 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=59674 By Daniel L. Chamness
For The Journal-Standard
Posted Feb 24, 2011 @ 10:19 PM

Dakota has long had some dominant wrestlers.

Caleb Staub, a Milwaukee School of Engineering sophomore, is just the latest example of a Dakota wrestler moving onto the college ranks and showing his dominance at the next level. Staub only wrestled two matches to win the 184-pound Northern Wrestling Association Conference title.

Both wins were decisive as he defeated Knox College’s Isaac Juarez by fall at the 1:59 mark. He defeated Concordia University-Wisconsin’s Shane Brandl by major decision, 16-3, in the title match.

Staub and two other Raiders won NWAC individual titles to help them finish second in the team battle. They scored 94.5 points, losing only to Lakeland College, which finished first with 102 points.

Carthage College’s Christine Nelson (Dakota) and Aurora University’s Carly Blask (Forreston) each scored points for their teams at the Chicagoland Championships, which was held at North Central College. Both were involved in relay races. Nelson helped the Carthage 1,600-meter relay take third in 4 minutes, 5.85 seconds. Blask was on the Aurora 800-meter relay, which took fourth in 1:53.40.

As a team, Carthage took third with 92 points. Aurora finished 13th with eight points. North Central College took first with 153.33 points.

The Rockford College women’s basketball team won its final three games of the regular season, including the final game, the NAC Challenge over Edgewood College. The Regents topped Milwaukee School of Engineering (77-61) and Edgewood (59-55). Megan Lawler (Pearl City) and Dani Buttel (Pecatonica) both scored in double figures for the Rockford Lady Regents in their win over MSOE.

Lawler, an RC senior, finished with 16 points by draining 7-of-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from the charity stripe. She also grabbed five boards and had two steals. Buttell emerged off the bench and hit 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-4 from the stripe to finish with 11 points, four rebounds and two steals.

Fellow Rockford players Nicole Lawler (Pearl City) and Nicole Olson (Eastland) each had their best games of the week against Edgewood. Nicole Lawler, a Regent sophomore, finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, three blocked shots, two assists and two steals. She hit 5-of-11 field goals. Olson had five points and three assists.

Rockford will enter the Northern Athletics Conference Tournament with a 13-12 overall record. They finished the NAC season with a 10-7 mark. They will enter as the sixth seed and will travel to Concordia University-Wisconsin to play the Lady Falcons tonight at 7:00 p.m.

Southeast Missouri State Unviersity got 10 points from Courtney Shiffer (Freeport), but it was not enough to power SEMO beyond University of Tennessee-Martin. In the 85-55 SEMO loss, Shiffer, who hit 5-of-10 field goals, also had six rebounds. Fellow SEMO player Katie Norman (Freeport) finished with eight points in 13 minutes of play.

In SEMO’s 54-34 loss to Murray State, Shiffer finished with seven points and five rebounds, while Norman had six points and three rebounds. The SEMO Lady Redhawks have lost three consecutive games and are 8-18 overall and 4-12 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Augustana College slipped to 22-2 overall and 11-2 in the College Conference of Illinois Wisconsin after losing to North Central 50-46. Augustana got two points from Chris Anderson (West Carroll), who played 12 minutes. Their CCIW destiny is in their own hands. While the NCC Cardinals, who are 11-3 in league play, do not have any CCIW contests left, the Vikings will play the Illinois Wesleyan University Titans tonight in Bloomington. If Augustana loses, they will share the CCIW season title with the NCC Cardinals.

If they win, they claim the title outright. As of the February 13 poll posted by D3Hoops.com, Augie is ranked third. IWU has been ranked in the nation as well, but are not at this time.

In the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s 82-54 loss to University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Matt Weik (Freeport) scored three points. The 6-foot-5 Wisconsin-Platteville junior forward played six minutes. Wisconsin-Platteville finished the regular season with 16-9 overall mark. They were 9-7 in the WIAC.

Western Illinois University lost two games last week as they were topped by North Dakota State University (65-50) and Southern Utah University (65-53). Jackie Barton (Freeport) finished with four points, four rebounds and three assists in the loss to NDSU. The Western Illinois senior had three points, seven rebounds against SUU. The Leathernecks have lost five in a row. They are 7-18 overall and 5-10 in the Summit League.

This story appeared at http://www.journalstandard.com/sports/x582666094/ON-CAMPUS-REPORT-Staub-claims-conference-title-at-MSOE on February 24, 2011.]]> Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:38:10 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=58324 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=58324 http://www.wifr.com/sports/headlines/Rockford_College_Girls_Top_Alverno__115394959.html on February 5, 2011.]]> Sat, 5 Feb 2011 21:52:14 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=58329 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=58329 02/03/2011, 12:24 am
Dan Chamness, DAN62801@aol.com

If at first you don't succeed, try and try again.

Kristen Fox, an Ottawa grad and Augustana College senior, may live by that motto. So may Augustana College.

Fox exploded for 23 points to lead the Augustana Vikings to their first College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin win, a 70-68 win over Elmhurst College.

Fox, who drained 9-of-22 from the field and 2-of-3 from the charity stripe, completed the double-double with 13 rebounds, two assists and two rebounds. The senior, who started and played 40 minutes, struck from beyond the arc three times.

The Lady Vikings are 5-14 overall and 1-7 in the CCIW. ...

Serena grad Kelcy Thorsen, scored 14 points to help her college team, Rockford College, defeat Maranatha Baptist Bible College 70-50. Thorsen, who hit 6-of-12 from the field and both free throw opportunities, also had five rebounds.

Rockford also defeated Concordia University-Chicago 63-50. Thorsen finished with two points and two rebounds in the contest. With their latest two wins, Rockford improved to 8-11 overall and 6-6 in the Northern Athletics Conference. ...

Beloit College got a double-digit performance from Newark grad Lauren McNanna in their 54-42 win over Ripon College. McNanna, who scored 13 points, hit one field goal (one trey) and 10 free throws. She also had three rebounds and three steals. Beloit is 6-10 overall and 4-10 in the Midwest Conference. ...

The University of St. Francis has had over 10 days off because of a break in the season and the winter storm. In their most recent game, an 85-65 loss to Judson University, Ottawa grad Molly Bardson, a St. Francis player, had nine points and 14 rebounds. Bardson played 27 minutes in the contest. USF is 7-15 overall and 0-3 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. ...

Former Sandwich player Jen Robinson scored five points, but it was not enough to power Aurora University beyond Wisconsin Lutheran University. She also had four assists in the 87-63 AU loss. Aurora is 5-14 overall and 2-10 in the NAC. ...

Track and Field

Ottawa grad Luke Wielgopolan finished in the top 10 in two different events at the Cornell College Quadrangular.

The St. Ambrose University thrower finished second in the weight throw, recording a toss of 16.64 meters. He was also 10th in the shot put, finishing with a toss of 12.00 meters.

St. Ambrose won the team title with 166 points. Cornell College finished second with 136 points. ...

Wrestling

Ottawa graduate Kyle Lowman had a strong day on Saturday, claiming two victories in three matches for Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

In a 21-12 victory over Tiffin University, Lowman claimed a technical fall at 157 pounds over Zack Fiscus. Lowman then dropped a 9-0 decision to Aaron Sulzer of Eastern Michigan University in a a 40-9 SIUE loss, but he bounced back against Oakland University of Michigan.

In that bout, this time at 165 pounds, Lowman edged David Hill 3-2. Southern Illinois-Edwardsville won the dual 41-6. ...

Names, Names, Names

The sponsors will start next week.

We currently search for sponsors and athletes to write about. If anyone wants to suggest any sponsors or add names to our growing list, please e-mail me (Dan62801@aol.com).

The split will remain the same as it did during the first 10 printings. The first article of the week will cover the athletes from Ottawa, Ottawa Marquette, Mendota, Serena, Newark, Sandwich and Somonauk. The first article will traditionally run on Tuesday. The second article of each week, will focus on the athletes from Streator, Streator Woodland, Fieldcrest, Flanagan, Seneca, Earlville, Leland and Paw Paw. It will run on Friday most of the time.

Paul Lambert will take over writing this column next week. I will still handle all the administration duties, like getting sponsors and collecting names, but Lambert will handle the writing. I, may on occasion fill in and write a column.

This story appeared at http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=423608 on February 3, 2011.]]> Thu, 3 Feb 2011 22:04:59 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=58327 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=58327 By Jay Taft
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Feb 02, 2011 @ 08:52 PM

New head football coach Dave Doeren was able to salvage a decent recruiting class for Northern Illinois, despite coming in late in the game and having to scramble. They may just have enough to keep the Huskies rolling in the near future.

The former Wisconsin assistant was hired last month, and then had to finish his stint with the Badgers, who played in the Rose Bowl. But he still was able to bring in a few potential stars for the Huskies.

"I’m fired up about all of them,” Doeren said. "It was a lot of work ... But this was about quality; we wanted guys that fit in here.”

He may have a few, including linebacker Videl Nelson, who runs a 4.51 40-yard dash and who had 178 tackles and 16.5 sacks for losses of 100 yards last season, and JUCO-transfer Jamal Womble, a 235-pound, hard-nosed running back who fits more of the Badgers-back mold than the Huskies scatback tradition.

Snow can’t slow colleges

This week’s blizzard did a number on local high school sports schedules, but it didn’t slow down the college scene — much. Though Rock Valley and Rockford College had to postpone basketball games, NIU stuck with its plan to play a men’s game on Wednesday night, and most of the other northern Illinois schools played on as well. Illinois even pulled out a 68-51 win over a hot Penn State team in a half-empty Assembly Hall on Tuesday night.

Rockford junior reaches 1,000

The Rockford women’s basketball team has had an up-and-down season, but through it all, one player has risen to the top. In just 69 career games, junior guard Britney Curry did something only nine others had done in 39 years of the Rockford College women’s basketball when she scored her 1,000th point. With 2:39 left in Saturday’s 70-50 win over Maranatha, Curry lofted up a layup to surpass the 1,000-point plateau.

Curry has led the Regents (8-11) in scoring in 34 games, averaging 14.5 points a game for her career. She ranks 10th on the school’s all-time scoring list (1,001) and 16th in rebounding (395).

Rangel named defensive POY

Sidney Rangel (Boylan) was voted by her teammates as the Defensive Player of the Year for the University of Dubuque women’s soccer team. This season she was named first-team all-conference and third-team all-region, and she holds the record for starting and playing in every game over her four-year career with the Spartans. She will graduate in May.

Big Ten muddled mess in middle

What happened to the Big Ten’s power-packed season? This was supposed to be the year that the Big Ten stepped out as the most talented league in the country, but much of the conference has slid into mediocrity.

Ohio State (22-0, 9-0) clearly is one of, if not the, best teams in the country. But after that, there is a bunch of three- and four-loss teams — including Illinois (15-7, 5-4) — that cannot break out of the middle of the pack. Michigan State, Wisconsin and Purdue still have time to show they can be a scary draw at tourney time.

This story appeared at http://www.rrstar.com/sports/college/x172501093/NIU-s-Doeren-makes-best-of-tricky-situation on February 2, 2011.]]> Wed, 2 Feb 2011 22:01:13 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=57331 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=57331 Dan Chamness, DAN62801@aol.com

So far, Augustana College has not won a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin contest. But, Ottawa graduate Kristen Fox, an Augustana senior, has been nothing short of a winner.

In the last three CCIW contests, Fox has scored in double figures in each of the contests.

Augustana was closest to a victory against Elmhurst College. In the 65-62 loss to the Lady Bluejays, Fox exploded for 22 points, hitting 9 of 18 field goals and 2 of 2 free throws. The 5-foot-8 senior, who struck twice from beyond the arc, also had four steals and three rebounds.

She finished with 19 points and nine rebounds in the 71-57 loss to Wheaton College and 13 points and eight rebounds in the 71-33 loss to Carthate College. Fox was 8-of-21 from the floor, which included a 3-of-10 performance from the arc. Against Carthage, she had four field goals (one trey) and four free throws.

Augustana is 4-11 overall and 0-4 in the CCIW. ...

Newark grad Lauren McNanna scored 13 points to help Beloit College defeat Lawrence University 58-50. McNanna, who drained 4 of 10 field goals and 4 of 5 free throws, had one trey. She also had six assists, two steals and two rebounds.

Beloit is 4-8 overall and 2-5 in the Midwest Conference. ...

Serena grad Kelcy Thorsen scored 11 points in each of Rockford College's last two basketball games. In the 48-45 win over Milwaukee School of Engineering, Thorsen hit four field goals and three free throws. She also had eight rebounds.

In the 73-68 overtime loss to Edgewood College, Thorsen had three field goals and six free throws. She finished with five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Rockford is 6-9 overall and 4-4 in the Northern Athletics Conference. ...

The University of St. Francis has lost its last three women's basketball games. Former Ottawa player and 2009-10 Times Player of the Year Molly Bardson, a 6-foot-0 sophomore forward, had her best game of the three against Roosevelt University. In the 87-66 USF loss, Bardson finished with eight points, six rebounds and two assists.

In the most recent contest, a 67-46 loss to Holy Cross College, Bardson had six points, two rebounds and two steals for USF. St. Francis is 7-14 overall and 0-3 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. ...

Sandwich grad Jen Robinson scored eight points as her college team, Aurora University, lost a 67-60 decision to Concordia University-Chicago. The 5-4 junior guard also had four rebounds in her 13 minutes of play.

Aurora is 4-11 overall and 1-7 in the Northern Athletics Conference. ...

Football

Drew Thomas, an Ottawa grad and University of Texas-El Paso football player, played in all 13 games this year. He made four starts this year.

Thomas finished the year with 42 tackles, 15 of which were solos. Thomas had 3.5 tackles for 17 yards of loss, one interception and two fumble recoveries.

UTEP, which lost to Brigham Young University 52-24 in the New Mexico Bowl, finished the year with a 6-7 mark. The Miners were 3-5 in Conference USA. ...

Ethan Armstrong had 14 tackles for the University of Wisconsin this year. Of his tackles, eight were solos.

The Ottawa grad had 2.5 tackles for seven yards of loss and one fumble recovery. Wisconsin was 11-2 overall and 7-1 in the Big 10 Conference. ...

Track

Ottawa grad Luke Wielgopolan, Marquette grad Jake Rorem and Mendota grad Jake Barr all participated in the Knox College Track and Field Indoor Invitational, which was held at the Knox Field House in Galesburg.

Wielgopolan, who competes for St. Ambrose University, finished second in the weight throw. He recorded a toss of 52 feet and 0.5 inches.

Barr, a Monmouth College runner, did a middle distance double-double. Barr finished ninth in the one-mile run (5 minutes, 5.85 seconds) and 12th in the 800-meter run (2:16.25).

Rorem, also a St. Ambrose competitor, took 14th in the 800-meter run, finishing in 2:18.3. Team scores were not kept. ...

Men's Basketball

Sandwich grad Tyler Bantz, a North Central College player, scored three points in each of North Central's wins over North Park University and Millikin. Bantz played 10 minutes in the 69-57 win over NPU.

In NCC's 67-55 triumph over Millikin, Bantz also had three rebounds and two assists in addition to three points. North Central is 7-8 overall and 3-1 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. ...

Wrestling

Ottawa grad Kyle Lowman, a Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville wrestler, lost an 18-3 technical fall to University of Tennessee-Chattanooga grappler Kelly Felix.

Lowman is wrestling up a weight class. While he is listed on the roster at 149 pounds, he has wrestled all three matches at 157 pounds. He is 0-3 at the weight class.

SIUE lost the team battle to its counterparts from UT-Chattanooga, 35-10. ...

Names, Names, Names

The sponsors will start next week.

We currently are searching for athletes to write about, as well as column sponsors. If anyone wants to suggest any sponsors or add names to our growing list, please e-mail me (Dan62801@aol.com).

The split will remain the same as it did during the first 10 printings. The first article of the week will cover the athletes from Ottawa, Marquette, Mendota, Serena, Newark, Sandwich and Somonauk. The second article of each week, will focus on the athletes from Streator, Woodland, Fieldcrest, Flanagan-Cornell, Seneca, Earlville, Leland and Paw Paw. It will run on Friday most of the time.

This story appeared at http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=422563 on January 20, 2011.]]> Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:49:46 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=57328 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=57328
"Coach Wallace brings a wealth of experience to Rockford College,” said interim Athletic Director Kristyn King.  "At every stop during his career, he has made significant contributions not only to the football programs, but also to the overall institutions.

We look forward to Wallace’s positive impact on the lives of our students, both in the football program and the campus as a whole.”

Wallace comes to Rockford College with nearly 35 years of proven experience at the NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA levels.  His overall head coaching record of 176-109-5 has included nine conference championships and 10 national playoff appearances, including one finals appearance and four trips to the semifinals.  Wallace has also been named conference Coach of the Year seven times and NAIA Region IV National Coach of the Year twice.  He was also given the Contribution to Amateur Football Award by the Memphis Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

Most recently, Wallace spent 15 years as head coach at NAIA Lambuth University in Jackson, Tennessee.  Wallace also had head coaching stints at NCAA Division III University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota and NAIA William Jewel College in Liberty, Missouri.

Prior to his first head coaching opportunity, Wallace was an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, NCAA Division II Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, and NCAA Division III Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
 
In addition to his coaching credentials, Wallace has made significant contributions to academic and administrative missions of his employers.  Wallace has spent many years as a physical education instructor, teaching subjects including kinesiology, Nutrition, and Sports Psychology.  He has also served as Athletic NCAA Division III Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

In addition to his coaching credentials, Wallace has made significant contributions to academic and administrative missions of his employers.  Wallace has spent many years as a physical education instructor, teaching subjects including kinesiology, Nutrition, and Sports Psychology.  He has also served as Athletic Director, Special Assistant to the President, and Sports Information Director.

Wallace has his master’s degree in Physical Education from the University of Northern Iowa and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell College.

NCAA Division III Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

In addition to his coaching credentials, Wallace has made significant contributions to academic and administrative missions of his employers.  Wallace has spent many years as a physical education instructor, teaching subjects including kinesiology, Nutrition, and Sports Psychology.  He has also served as Athletic Director, Special Assistant to the President, and Sports Information Director.

Wallace has his master’s degree in Physical Education from the University of Northern Iowa and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell College.

This story appeared at http://mystateline.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=222087 and at http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20110120/SPORTS/101200315/Wallace-introduced-at-Rockford-College on January 20, 2011.]]> Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:35:09 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=57327 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=57327 By
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Jan 20, 2011 @ 12:41 AM
Last update Jan 20, 2011 @ 12:50 AM

ROCKFORD — Rockford College has filled two of its coaching vacancies, naming Vic Wallace as the fifth head coach in the football program’s 11-year history, and hiring Scott Westbrook to take over the women’s soccer team.

Wallace inherits a football program that finished the 2010 season 0-10.

He comes to Rockford College with nearly 35 years of experience at the NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III and NAIA levels. His overall head coaching record of 176-109-5 has included nine conference championships and 10 national playoff appearances, including one finals appearance and four trips to the semifinals.

Wallace has also been named conference Coach of the Year seven times and NAIA Region IV National Coach of the Year twice.

Most recently, Wallace spent 15 years as head coach at NAIA Lambuth University in Jackson, Tenn. He also had head coaching stints at Div. III University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., and NAIA William Jewel College in Liberty, Mo.

Wallace was also an assistant coach at Texas Tech and Carroll College in Waukesha, Wis.

Westbrook takes over a soccer program that finished the 2010 campaign 1-15-3.

He played professionally as well as coached at the Div. I, II, III, NAIA and high school levels dating back to the early 1980s.

Most recently he coached at NAIA Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala.

Rockford College also hired Keith Garnett as its athletic trainer.

This story appeared at http://www.rrstar.com/sports/x512669023/Rockford-College-hires-pair-of-coaches on January 20, 2011.]]> Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:32:30 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=56785 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=56785
This latest gift didn't find its way under the Christmas tree, but it wasn't from Santa, either.

Aurora University senior defensive back Mike Langhurst received his present from the American Football Coaches Association, which chose the Merrillville grad as a 2010 NCAA Division III All-American for the major role he played in the Spartans' 7-3 season.

In his final collegiate campaign, Langhurst led all D-III defenders with 13 pass breakups and also made a school-record 10 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. He finished the season with 30 tackles, the 11th-best total among Aurora players.

St. Xavier University senior defensive back Drew Rogowski (Griffith) was feted for his academic work as he was one of four Cougars football players selected as a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete for the fall season. To be eligible, a student-athlete had to carry a GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and have reached his or her junior year in school.

On the field, Rogowski paced SXU with four forced fumbles and was one of three Cougars to intercept a team-best three passes. His seven pass breakups put Rogowski in a second-place tie among SXU defenders, and his 37 tackles ranked ninth. The Cougars won 13 games and reached the NAIA semifinals for the second consecutive year.

Swimming

South Dakota State freshman swimmer Chris Schreier (Portage) was named the Summit League's Male Athlete of the Month for December after winning five individual races and being a member of two triumphant Jackrabbits relay units. He set school records in four of his victories, including in both the 100- and 200-yard butterflies (50.96 and 1:51.96, respectively).

Schreier is unbeaten thus far in dual meets while swimming in those two events, as well as the 200 freestyle.

Men's basketball

While E.C. Central grad E'Twaun Moore was being tabbed as the Big Ten's co-Player of the Week after averaging 26 points and eight rebounds over two games, another region product received recognition from the conference.

Junior Zack Novak (Chesterton) was profiled under the "Faces of the Big Ten" banner when the conference provided its latest press release to the media. Novak, who became the first sophomore captain in Michigan basketball history a year ago, is among the league's top rebounders despite standing just 6-foot-4. He is enrolled in the prestigious Steven M. Ross School of Business at Michigan.

Demond Watt (T.F. North) registered his sixth double-double in 14 games after totaling 10 points and 11 rebounds for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the Islanders' 70-55 loss to Texas Tech on Sunday. Watt leads the team in points (15.2) and rebounds (9.7) per contest while shooting 60 percent from the field. He's also been credited with 27 assists, 18 blocks and 16 steals to date.

Horace Bond (West Side) and Jawan Nelson (Bloom Twp.) added eight and six points, respectively, versus the Red Raiders.

Women's basketball

Britney Curry (Merrillville) recorded her second double-double of the season during Rockford College's 59-38 victory over Ashford. Curry totaled 18 points and 10 rebounds, and boasts respective per-game averages of 16.5 points and 6.0 rebounds over 11 contests.

Lizzie Stapke (Highland) supplied 12 points, four rebounds and three steals, and Emily Strilich (Boone Grove) chipped in seven points and five boards as Indiana South Bend defeated Indiana Northwest 65-52 on Monday. The win improved the Titans' record to 10-3.

The Times welcomes information about local athletes for inclusion in Region Collegians. E-mail Ken Karrson at kenneth.karrson@nwi.com or fax to (219) 933-3249. Karrson can be reached at (219) 933-3232.

This story appeared at http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/article_b9cf9f89-6167-5565-aed9-bead88661acc.html on January 6, 2011.
]]> Thu, 6 Jan 2011 23:16:48 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=56784 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=56784 By Doug Goodman
The Journal-Standard
Posted Jan 05, 2011 @ 10:18 PM
Rockford, Ill. —

 For several years, the Lawler sisters were a force against small-school basketball teams in northern Illinois.
Now, Northern Athletics Conference schools are getting a double dose of the Lawlers at Rockford College.
Megan and Nicole Lawler, who were all-conference players at Pearl City, start for the Regents and combine to average 21 points and 15 rebounds.
"Coming from a small school, they lacked a lot of the recognition, but they get it now because of how they play,” Rockford College coach Jessica Stanek said of the 5-foot-10 sisters.
Megan, a senior, was an all-NAC second-team selection last season. This season, she is the conference’s second-leading rebounder (10.9 per game) and is averaging 14.2 points.
Nicole is a sophomore, averaging 7.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, an assist and a steal per game.
Stanek said the Lawlers work well together on the court, using their "sister intuition.”
"The play we love to do is, I get the ball at the high post and just feed it to her down low,” Nicole said. "I never know what kind of move she is going to make. She has great moves. I just love getting the assist.”
Megan knows her sister’s favorite offensive move. "She is a big driver, so I know to get out of the way,” she said, chuckling.
Megan came to Rockford after two years at Kishwaukee College, where she played basketball and competed for the school’s national championship volleyball team.
Megan enrolled at Rockford, and Nicole soon followed.
"We played one year together in high school, and I wanted to do that again,” Nicole said.
Nicole also liked Rockford College because she could play softball and volleyball, too.
"I wanted to play at a smaller school, like I’ve been used to most of my life.” she said. "And I could earn playing time here.”
Megan, who is majoring in physical education and began student-teaching this week in Stillman Valley, enjoys working with her younger sister during practice.
"Megan is always trying to help her out,” Stanek said. "She’ll say, ‘Hey try this.’ And it is nice to see that light bulb go off for Nicole, who then does it.”
The Regents are 4-7 after breaking a four-game losing streak last week. Megan is hopeful that the team will be more successful in the season’s second half.
"A lot of players were brought in this year, and we had only five returners, so it is a combination of everyone getting to know everyone else and learning the plays,” she said. "We have a ton of talent, and if we can get that going, we will be fine.”
Reach staff writer Doug Goodman at 815-987-1386 or dgoodman@rrstar.com.

About the Lawlers
Who: Megan Lawler, senior, Rockford College, physical education major; Nicole Lawler, sophomore, Rockford College, psychology major
Parents: Mark and Kelly Lawler
Hometown: Pearl City
College sports: Megan, basketball, volleyball; Nicole, basketball, softball, volleyball

This story appeared at http://www.journalstandard.com/sports/x1458592284/Small-town-sisters-a-big-part-of-Rockford-College-hoops on January 5, 2011.]]> Wed, 5 Jan 2011 23:11:02 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=56782 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=56782
Malone, a senior forward, was recently named to the D3Hoops.com National Team of the Week for his performance. Malone led the Regents to a 2-0 week and averaged 29.5 points and 11 rebounds while playing all 40 minutes of both games. The physical education major led Rockford to its first defeat of longtime rival Aurora University in six years with his 30 point, 13 rebound performance. He followed that with a 28 point, nine rebound display against Marian.

Malone currently leads the Regents in scoring (24.9 points per game), good for 5th in the nation through December 12. He also tops the Regents in rebounding (9.3 points per game), blocks (1.2 blocks per game), and steals (2.3 steals per game).

The Regents (5-4, 3-1 NAC) will take a break from conference play and welcome the North Central University Rams to Seaver Center on Saturday, December 18. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.

Other players listed with Malone on the D3Hoops.com Team of the Week are Jontae Koonkaew (Sr., UW-River Falls), Ian Jackson (So., Trine), Matt Johnson (Jr., Chicago), Jonathon Jones (Sr., Kean).

This story appeared at http://www.wifr.com/sports/headlines/Malone_Nets_National_Honor_111895429.html on December 14, 2010.]]> Tue, 14 Dec 2010 23:02:57 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=54670 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=54670 RRSTAR.COM
Posted Dec 11, 2010 @ 10:55 PM

CHICAGO — Keisha Hampton scored 11 points to eclipse 1,000 for her career and help No. 24 DePaul to a 72-52 win over Northern Illinois on Saturday.

Hampton, a 6-2 junior forward, broke a 9-9 tie early in the game with a 3-pointer that kicked off a decisive 20-4 run. She became the 25th player in school history to reach 1,000 points when she hit a free throw late in the game.

Sam Quigley had 13 points, Deanna Ortiz had 12 on four 3-pointers, and Felicia Chester and Katherine Harry each added 10 for DePaul (11-1), which has won eight straight and improved to 7-0 at McGrath Arena.
Kim Davis scored 18 points for the Huskies (5-4) and Marke Freeman added 11.

Former Hononegah standout Courtney Shelton added two points and two rebounds for NIU.

Wisconsin Lutheran 53, Rockford College 43: The Regents (3-6) squandered a six-point halftime lead. Britney Curry led Rockford with 17 points and three steals.

Men

Rockford College (5-4, 3-1) dropped its first NAC game of the season with a 73-70 loss to Wisconsin Lutheran. The Regents’ Taylor Stintson had a game-high 22 points and Robert Malone added 18.

This story appeared at http://www.rrstar.com/sports/x1921998020/No-24-DePaul-tops-NIU-women-in-basketball on December 11, 2010.]]> Sat, 11 Dec 2010 22:11:15 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=54401 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=54401 By Doug Goodman
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Dec 09, 2010 @ 12:18 AM

ROCKFORD — The Rockford RiverHawks will have plenty of changes when the club begins play in the new North American League next spring.

The man guiding the team on the field, however, will be the same.

Bob Koopmann will return for his seventh year as manager, the club announced Wednesday.

"He is a good baseball man,” said Dave Ciarrachi, co-owner and director of baseball operations. "We have a lot of confidence in him.”

Koopmann has a 291-268 record with the RiverHawks and leads the franchise in all-time managerial wins. Koopmann, who led the RiverHawks to the 2004 Frontier League pennant, also coaches Rockford College’s team.

"It is a great situation,” he said. "I go straight from being finished with the college in May to here, and then back to the college in September when we are done here.”

Koopmann is excited about the challenge of the new league with as many as 20 teams.

"It should be competitive with this many teams,” said Koopmann, who will likely have 75 percent of last year’s roster returning.

Details about the new league, Rockford’s third in three years, will be disclosed after the owners’ meeting next week. The season is expected to begin in the third week of May, and the schedule will include 96 to 102 games. Rockford played 99 games last season in the Northern League.

The league will have teams in the Midwest, West and Texas.

Reporter Doug Goodman can be reached at 815-987-1386 or dgoodman@rrstar.com.

This story appeared at http://www.rrstar.com/sports/x1714272608/Koopmann-back-as-Hawks-gear-up-for-play-in-new-league on December 9, 2010 and at http://www.wifr.com/sports/headlines/Koopmann_To_Manage_RiverHawks_In_2011_111559589.html on December 8, 2010.
]]> Thu, 9 Dec 2010 21:54:22 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=54400 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=54400 By Doug Goodman
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Dec 09, 2010 @ 12:08 AM

ROCKFORD — Rockford College was the Rodney Dangerfield of the Northern Athletics Conference preseason men’s basketball poll — they got no respect.

The young Regents were expected to finish last in the tough South Division.

Three games into the conference season, the Regents are proving the poll wrong.

The Regents (5-3, 3-0 NAC) took sole possession of first place Wednesday with a 79-78 victory over Dominican (4-4, 2-1 NAC).

"That is a motivational thing for us,” Rockford coach Ryan Rebsom said of the preseason poll. "We think we are a better basketball team than that.”  

The Regents, who are off to their best conference start in Rebsom’s six-year career, had a roller-coaster game against Dominican.

Rockford fell behind 14-8 early, but rallied to take a 41-28 halftime lead.

Dominican outscored Rockford 25-13 in the first 7:45 of the second half to cut the margin to 54-53.

Dominican tied the game at 74-all with 2:45 left, and then took the lead at 76-75.

The lead grew to 78-75 with a minute left before Rockford’s Paul Hall hit a jumper.

Teammate Robert Malone then blocked a shot with 22 seconds left, and Rockford got the ball for a final shot.

The Regents worked the ball down to Malone near the baseline, and he hit a short banker with 5.9 seconds left.

A final shot by Dominican hit the back of the rim and bounced away.

Malone, a 6-foot-4 senior forward, had a game-high 38 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks despite playing the final 9:47 with four fouls.

"That was when they started coming to me,” he said of Dominican.

"They didn’t think I was going to play defense because I had four fouls. I just had to stay active and play a little smarter.”

Rockford freshmen Tory Minnifield added 14 points, and Clem Robinson 10.

Reporter Doug Goodman can be reached at 815-987-1386 or dgoodman@rrstar.com.

This story appeared at http://www.rrstar.com/sports/x1499823485/First-place-Regents-earn-respect-beat-Dominican on December 9, 2010.
]]> Thu, 9 Dec 2010 21:51:52 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=54043 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=54043 By Jay Taft
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Dec 01, 2010 @ 07:14 PM

Rockford College athletes and fans were happy to jump into winter sports. An 0-10 football season will do that.

Now the Regents are posting more positive headlines. This week, Rockford players earned Northern Athletics Conference Player of the Week awards.

Senior Megan Lawler led Rockford (2-3) to a 2-0 mark while averaging 14.5 points and 11.5 rebounds. She also recorded her second and third double-doubles of the season.

Senior Robert Malone averaged 22.3 points and 8.7 boards for the Regents (3-3) last week, and in Wednesday’s victory at Knox College, he went off for 30 points and 13 rebounds.

Rockford ends with awards

Despite a winless campaign, Rockford still placed six players on the Northern Athletics Conference all-conference football team as voted on by coaches.

Senior linebacker Josh Ross was a first teamer, while four others received Honorable Mention: Linebacker Brent Alexander; offensive lineman Cordell Chavers; linebacker Kurt Kabala; and defensive lineman Chris Scott. Offensive lineman Greg Wilken was named to the NAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

Schwarz finishes strong

Valparaiso fifth-year senior goalkeeper Ryan Schwarz (Boylan) was named to the 2010 ESPN Academic All-America Men’s Soccer Third Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Schwarz is the first Crusader men’s soccer player to earn Academic All-American honors.

Schwarz, a two-time Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year, posted seven wins this season and set career bests for goals-against average (0.93) and save percentage (.806). He had four shutouts, giving him 17 in his career, the most in Crusader history.

Schwarz also ended his career as Valpo’s all-time leader in GAA (1.45) and third in program history in saves (291).

Catching up

Carroll College senior DB Nick Schwartz (Hononegah) recently was named all-conference for the second year in a row. He had a sack and fumble recovery in his last play in college football.

Concordia-Chicago’s Jeff Weberg (Rockford Lutheran) was 7 for 7 with 16 points in the second half in a 68-67 overtime win over Lakeland. He finished with 23 points.

Junior Bill Clift (Byron), a cross country and track runner for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, helped his team finish second at the NCAA Midwest Regionals and fourth at last week’s NCAA nationals. Clift finished 83rd.

Junior defensive end Michael Prosser (Hononegah) earned NAIA Defensive Player of the Game honors for No. 3 Saint Xavier in its 66-19 victory over Cumberlands (Ky.) in first-round action of the 2010 NAIA FCS playoffs. Prosser had a team-best 11 tackles, including a sack. Sophomore end Wes Gastel (Freeport) had four catches for 72 yards and a TD, while sophomore receiver Shane Zackery (Boylan) hauled in three receptions for 64 yards and a TD.

Trent Miller (Guilford) of Dominican was named to Northern Athletics Conference All Freshman Men’s Soccer Team.

Jay Taft’s Quick Shots on college sports appears Thursday. He can be reached at
815-987-1384 or jtaft@rrstar.com.

This story appeared at http://www.rrstar.com/sports/college/x1817606571/Regents-happily-and-successfully-make-winter-leap on December 1, 2010.]]> Wed, 1 Dec 2010 21:34:48 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=52922 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=52922 RRSTAR.COM
Posted Nov 17, 2010 @ 12:29 AM

Rockford College dropped its season opener with a 96-72 fall at Clarke University on Tuesday.

Despite hitting 10 3-pointers, Rockford College shot 38 percent in the game compared with Clarke’s 57 percent.

Robert Malone (19 points), Paul Hall (16) and Tory Minnifield (13) scored in double figures for the Regents.

Illinois Valley 64, Rock Valley 61: Rock Valley College suffered a home loss despite a 21-point night from Deric Branch.

Jaylen Larry added 11 points for RVC (3-4), while Jeron Turner grabbed 10 rebounds. Branch also had three steals.

Rock Valley College led 32-29 at halftime.

Women
Illinois Valley 72, Rock Valley College 58: The Golden Eagles took their first loss of the season at home Tuesday.

RVC (3-1) trailed 27-21 at halftime before Illinois Valley finished the game with a 45-37 second-half run. Illinois Valley shot 43 percent in the game compared with RVC’s 34 percent.

Cierra Morris led RVC with 17 points, while Nicole Plum (14 points) and Jerica Morris (10) also scored in double figures. Lindsay Lengjak had 11 rebounds.

Shannon Washington’s 30 points paced Illinois Valley.

St. Ambrose University 75, Rockford College 64: Rockford College got off to a slow start, trailing 36-23 at halftime, and couldn’t catch up.

Britney Curry led the Regents (0-1) with 24 points, while Megan Lawler followed with 18. Nicole Lawler grabbed four steals.

This story appeared at http://www.rrstar.com/sports/x1270141630/Rockford-College-men-women-drop-season-openers on November 17, 2010.]]> Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:42:59 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=52921 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=52921 By Dan Chamness
For The Journal-Standard
Posted Nov 16, 2010 @ 11:16 PM
Last update Nov 16, 2010 @ 11:20 PM

-- — This was the Elmhurst College volleyball team’s best year in five years, but Aquin grad Erin Thill and her teammates believe the next two years will be even better.
"We were very happy with the entire performance this year,” said Thill, a sophomore. "The end was very disappointing. We are only losing one senior and we have only one junior on the team. The camaraderie among all of us is very good. I am very excited about the next couple of years.”
In the final match of the year, Elmhurst was dumped by Carthage College 3-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament. Thill missed a double-double by only one dig, as she finished with 16 assists and nine digs.
Thill, who played in every match this season, finished the year with 589 assists, second on her team. She also had 257 digs, 51 kills and 20 aces. The 5-foot-5 setter didn’t have many opportunities to pound down kills, but she finished with a .411 hitting percentage.
"On the court, Erin had the communication skills and the energy to keep us going,” EC head coach Julie Hall said. "She improved a great deal over last year and did an awesome job for us. She needs to keep doing what she is doing and keep getting better.”
The North Central College football team has clinched the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship and the NCAA Division III bid that goes with that title. Dakota grad Matt Wenger led the NCC defense in total tackles (13), solo tackles (three) and assisted tackles (10) in the team’s most recent win, a 28-6 triumph over Wheaton College. He had two tackles for four yards of loss.
North Central freshman Nick Dace, a Freeport grad, kicked four extra points in the contest. North Central is 9-0 overall and 6-0 in the CCIW with one game to play. Wheaton College slipped to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the CCIW. Going into the contest, North Central was ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III poll posted by D3Football.com. Wheaton was ranked 18th.
The Loras College football team improved to 4-5 overall and 3-4 in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a 37-12 victory over Cornell College. Galena grads Gavin Kaiser and Matt Hillard, both Loras skill players, scored three touchdowns between them. Hillard finished with 62 rushing yards on 16 carries. Kaiser racked up 107 all-purpose yards with two kickoff returns for 44 yards, three catches for 33 yards and one carry for 30 yards.
Kaiser scored his lone touchdown on a 15-yard catch from Vaughn Gesing with seven seconds left in the first half. The TD gave Loras a 27-6 lead. Hillard, a freshman running back, scored his first touchdown on a two-yard run with 10:42 to play in the first half to give Loras a 21-6 lead. With 3:41 to play in the contest, Hillard rushed the final yard of a 10-play, 48-yard drive. That touchdown increased Loras’ advantage to 37-12.
The Saint Xavier University football team will have the weekend off, and all it can do is wait by the phone. SXU will soon find out who it will play in the first round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics playoffs. In its final win of the regular season, SXU, ranked third in the NAIA poll, defeated the University of St. Francis 30-6. Former Freeport football player Wes Gastel had four carries four 20 yards and four catches for 17 yards. Saint Xavier is 11-0 overall and 7-0 in the Mid-States Football Association-Mideast League.
Orangeville grad Steve Snider had six tackles as the Eureka College football team lost a 62-27 decision to Greenville College. Snider had four solo tackles. Eureka, which has lost two consecutive games, slipped to 1-8 overall and 1-5 in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference.
The University of Texas-San Antonio volleyball team, which has Freeport grad Laura Witt on its roster, defeated Stephen F. Austin State University 3-1 last week. Witt had eight assists and two digs in the contest. The UTSA Roadrunners have won 12 consecutive matches to improve their record to 19-9 overall and 13-1 in the Southland Conference-West Division. They currently lead the SLC-West. Texas State University is second in the league with a 10-4 mark. The University of Central Arkansas leads the SLC-East at 13-1.
Milwaukee School of Engineering volleyball player Kayla Edler, a Forreston grad, started every match this season and finished with 185 kills, 183 digs, 42 assists, 32 aces and 27 blocks (four solos). MSOE finished with an 11-20 mark. The team was 4-8 in the Northern Athletics Conference.
Pearl City grad Nicole Lawler and Freeport grad Courtney Pehl recently finished their volleyball season at Rockford College. Lawler led the team in kills (206) and service aces (34), while Pehl led the squad in assists (608). Lawler also had 277 digs, 21 assists and 19 blocks (two solo). Pehl finished with 174 digs, 60 kills, 31 aces and 13 blocks (three solos). Rockford ended the season with a record of 7-17 overall and 6-6 in the Northern Athletics Conference.
Forreston graduate Jake Coffman, a senior with the Northern Illinois University football team, had two tackles (one solo) as the Huskies thumped the University of Toledo 65-30. With the win, the Huskies took sole possession of first place in the Mid-American Conference-West. NIU has won seven straight games and is 8-2 overall and 6-0 in the MAC-West.

This story appeared at http://www.journalstandard.com/sports/prepandlocal/x684374358/ON-CAMPUS-REPORT-Thill-helps-Elmhurst-to-strong-season on November 16, 2010.]]> Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:40:22 GMT http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=52919 http://www.rockford.edu/news/news.asp?id=52919 GO.RRSTAR.COM
Posted Nov 16, 2010 @ 03:36 PM

World Bicycle Relief, a group that builds and donates bicycles for use in Third World countries, will be at Rockford College in the Lion’s Den from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday. The event is free.

The group’s appearance in Rockford is part of a program called "Half the Sky” aimed at improving conditions in underdeveloped countries. For information about World Bicycle Relief, visit worldbicyclerelief.org. To learn more about local "Half the Sky” initiatives, call 815-490-4900

This story appeared at http://www.rrstar.com/updates/x290099311/Bicycle-helpers-coming-to-Rockford on November 16, 2010.]]> Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:25:56 GMT