Campus News

By Kayla Eddy, Social Media & Web Coordinator 

Rockford University Athletics has had an outstanding year. With the introduction of flag football, two brand-new athletic fields, exciting seasons for many teams, and a winning Esports program, the future looks bright for the Regents!

“It has been an outstanding year for Regent Athletics,” said Jason Mulligan, Director of Athletics. “We started the school year with a special Hall of Fame class being inducted. Longtime softball head coach, player, and administrator Kristyn King and baseball standout, Tom Flood, entered the Charles M. DeWild Hall of Fame. This spring saw longtime head coach Bob Koopmann take over the top spot as the all-time winningest coach in baseball program history, [and] the biggest development of the year was the announcement and construction of Phase I of our new athletic complex.”

Flag Football

Rockford University is proud to be the first university in Illinois to have a women’s flag football program. 

“Since our founding in 1847 as Rockford Female Seminary, Rockford University has been at the forefront of advancing educational opportunities for women,” Rockford University President Patricia Lynott said. “Now we can build upon that tradition with the introduction of women’s flag football.”

Head coach Tim Trevier has been busy recruiting for the inaugural Spring 2025 season.

RU is proud to be a forerunner in the introduction of flag football to the collegiate level. 

New Fields

In late November of 2023, RU broke ground on two brand new baseball and softball fields thanks to a $3.58 million grant from Illinois’ Independent College Capital Investment Grant. 

These new fields will “bring Rockford University baseball and softball players back home to play on their own turf,” said Linda Sandquist, former VP of Advancement. 

Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara attended the press conference to show his support. “We couldn’t be more proud of Rockford University,” he said. “And this is just another reason for all of us to celebrate the tremendous traditions that have taken place here at the university.”

Exciting Seasons

“The fall season brought with it a first for our men’s soccer program,” said Mulligan. In a historic move, the team made their first-ever trip to the NACC Tournament. Their five NACC wins throughout the season were the most in program history. 

“Making it to the NACC tournament for the first time in school history was huge for the program,” said Quinn Vukovic, defensive player and RU Marketing major. “What coach Mike has done in the three years he’s been here has been nothing short of amazing. The guys and I all agree that it’s just the beginning and now the only thing we want to do is go further into the tournament.” 

“It’s hard to pick one moment,” Vukovic said when asked about a stand-out moment or game from the season. “The first one that comes to mind is when we beat CUC this year. After back-to-back close losses in previous years it was a great feeling to finally beat them and celebrate with the team. The guys worked hard all game and getting to share that moment with them was amazing.”

It was also a memorable season for both men’s and women’s basketball. Both teams qualified for the NACC Tournament; the women’s team played a great, down-to-the-wire game, and the men’s team advanced to play in the NACC final round. 

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This article is part of the 2023-2024 issue of Catalyst.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

Oct. 18, 2023 

Media statement from Rockford University’s Head Football Coach Regarding Freshman Joey Alvarez being Named NACC ‘Football Defensive Player of the Week’ 

I am thrilled to announce that Joey Alvarez, one of our outstanding linebackers, has been named the NACC Football Defensive Player of the Week by the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. This recognition is a testament to Joey’s dedication, hard work, and incredible performance on the field.

Joey’s achievement holds special significance for our team, as he is the first Rockford University football player to receive an award from the conference this season. Moreover, his selection as the Defensive Player of the Week is the first time a defensive player has earned this prestigious NACC weekly award since 2021. It speaks to the tremendous impact he has had on our defense. 

During our game against Benedictine, Joey had a remarkable career day, tallying a game and career-high 18 tackles, including a half tackle for loss. His 18 tackles are tied for the fifth most in a single game in our program’s history, coming just one tackle shy of the school record. Joey’s exceptional performance is not only his individual skills but also the teamwork, determination, and resilience that define our Rockford University football program.

We are incredibly proud of Joey Alvarez and his accomplishments. His dedication and leadership serve as an inspiration to our entire team, and we look forward to seeing his continued success both on and off the field. We congratulate Joey on this well-deserved recognition and applaud his commitment to excellence.

As a coach, I am excited about the future, and I believe that with talents like Joey Alvarez, we are poised for even greater achievements. We thank the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference for recognizing Joey’s outstanding contributions, and we are proud to have him represent Rockford University. 

Go, Regents! 

Calvin Toliver 

Head Football Coach 

Rockford University

STATEMENT FROM STUDENT JOEY ALVAREZ

“I wasn’t really expecting that,” said freshman defensive player Joey Alvarez on the recognition. “I know I had a good game. But I was actually really excited. I’ve been putting in a lot of work with my teammates.” 

He credits the support of the entire team.

“If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have been able to get those tackles.”

“This has given me a bit more of a boost on the field,” he said, adding that family and friends are extremely excited and proud of his success.“

Alvarez attended Jefferson High School in Rockford during his junior and senior high school years, before starting at RU in the Fall 2023 semester. He said that he is still undecided on his major, but has taken some courses in the Puri School of Business. He is considering a career in the business field after graduation, he said. 

“My goals for the future are just me being able to beat the record for tackles in a game,” Alvarez said. 

Media Contact: Andrea V. Watson awatson@rockford.edu

by Kyle Fritz, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications 

Rockford University’s junior and Men’s Basketball forward Kevin Diemer surpassed another career milestone this past season, when he scored his 1,000th career point in the Regents’ 74-64 win at Benedictine University. Kevin is no stranger to achieving career milestones however, as he is also in the men’s basketball record book for grabbing his 500th career rebound in the 2021 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament (NACC) Championship game at Wisconsin Lutheran College. 

Currently, Kevin is one of only 17 RU men’s basketball players with 500 career rebounds, one of only 26 players with 1,000 points and one of only 15 players in program history with both 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. All of these accomplishments put him among some of Rockford’s best players, as he currently sits 21st on the all-time scoring list with 1,081 points and 12th in the all-time rebounding list with 659 boards.

“It was a really awesome experience to be able to reach that milestone, and what made it even more special was that it came in the most important win of our season thus far,” Kevin said, when asked about reaching 1,000 points. “My teammates truly are the best, and I want to thank them for helping me along the way. They really made it a special night for me, and I could not be more grateful for them.”

Kevin is not the only Diemer to make both of these lists. His older brother Tony accomplished both of those feats just a few years prior. Tony joined the 1,000 point club with a 26-point effort at Edgewood College back on January 23, 2018. Tony then joined the 500 rebound club ten months later with 10 rebounds in the Regents’ opening game of the 2018-19 season at Carroll University. Both of these were special moments for the Diemer family, as Kevin played alongside his brother during each of those seasons and was able to watch him hit both career milestones.

Tony finished his career fourth on Rockford’s all-time scoring list with 1,650 points and tenth in program history with 679 rebounds. However, Kevin is close to surpassing both of Tony’s marks and still has another year of eligibility remaining. Kevin currently needs just 569 points and 21 rebounds to vault ahead of his older brother on Rockford’s career scoring and rebounding lists. No matter who ends up on top though, Kevin and Tony have already made history as the first pair of brothers to score 1,000 points and grab 500 rebounds at Rockford University.

“Our entire childhood we competed in any way we could, which really helped both of us get better in the long run,” Kevin said. “I know I would not be the competitor I am today without him.” 

The 2022-23 men’s basketball team qualified for the NACC Tournament by winning their final four NACC games of the regular season against Benedictine, Lakeland, Aurora and Illinois Tech. Those four wins sent the Regents to the conference tournament for the third straight year and for the fourth time in the last five years. 

The Regents entered the 2023 NACC Tournament as the number six seed, but unfortunately came up short in their first round game at third seed Marian University. Despite the postseason loss, Rockford still had an outstanding season. Rockford finished with a 13-11 overall record, marking the third straight year the Regents have posted a winning record, which is the longest such streak in 20 years. 

This story was originally published the Spring/Summer 2023 issue of Catalyst. 

Thriving on the Digital Battlefield

by Lindsey Giardino 

When Rockford Female Seminary was chartered on February 25, 1847, playing games on a computer was not imaginable. It did not exist.

Fast forward 176 years later, and Rockford University’s Esports program is growing and thriving as another attraction for new students. The Esports program, formally called Regent’s Esports, formed in the fall of 2019.

The 2022-23 season was especially exciting. The program received generous funding to purchase new gaming computers and launched scholarships specifically for students in Esports. Regent’s Esports also has its own state-of-the-art facility located in the heart of the Burpee Student Center, which features two dedicated streaming/content creation desktops, 16 MSI gaming stations, and top tier gaming peripherals.

“Students from all aspects of the university get involved with our program for the chance to compete in the games they are passionate about,” said Alex Johnson, director of student involvement and orientation and Esports coordinator. 

Esports students play on teams in competitive matches. 

Rockford University Esports Director and Graduate Hall Director, Tanner Elliott, has been with the program since 2019, but officially began his new role in 2023.

“This program has developed me professionally, socially, and academically just as much as my education has here at RU,” he said. 

“My goal is to make students on the teams feel like they found where they belong at RU and give them the best experience possible.”

This story was originally published in the Spring/Summer 2023 issue of Catalyst.