Valparaiso University Sports Update, February 2, 2017

VU-PFL-Honor-Roll-Features-41-CrusadersPFL Honor Roll Features 41 Crusaders
The Pioneer Football League announced its Academic Honor Roll on Monday afternoon and Valparaiso claimed 41 players on the annual list. The PFL as a whole recognized 576 student-athletes from its 11 member institutions.

This marked the fourth consecutive year the PFL saw more than 550 student-athletes receive honor roll recognition. It’s also the fourth straight season the Crusaders have boasted 40 or more players on the PFL Honor Roll.

The Pioneer Football League athletic director and coaches established the honor roll as a way to recognize the league’s outstanding student-athletes. The academic honor roll consists of student-athletes who participated in football at member institutions during the fall semester and posted a 3.0 grade-point average or higher during the semester while enrolled full-time in accordance with NCAA rules.

The following comprise Valpo’s members of the PFL Honor Roll:

  • Gowan Baldwin, So., Finance
  • Grayson Bastin, Sr., Biology
  • Cody Boxrucker, Fr., Finance
  • Jack Buckey, Fr., Finance
  • Kyle Cartales, Fr., Biology/Chemistry
  • Frank Catrine, Jr., Finance
  • Ryan Clarke, Jr., Physical Education / Sport Management
  • Jonathan Coyne, Jr., Finance/Marketing
  • Brandon Doepke, Jr., Marketing
  • Chris Duncan, Fr., Accounting
  • Derrick Estell, Jr., Civil Engineering
  • Kyle Farwick, Fr., Business
  • Kenny Floyd, Jr., Physical Education - Teacher Education
  • Nolan Fortman, Fr., Business
  • Bailey Gessinger, Fr., Physical Education / Sport Management
  • Alex Helander, Fr., Electrical Engineering
  • Jake Iery, So., Business Analytics / Marketing
  • Idode Kerobo, Sr., Finance
  • Jacob Koehler, Fr., Nursing
  • Brian Lang, Jr., Accounting
  • Dimitrios Latsonas, Fr., Physical Education
  • Jarrett Morgan, Jr., Physical Education / Sport Management
  • Chris Orlich, Fr., Business
  • Grant Papenfuss, Fr., Finance
  • Kyle Petroff, Fr., Business
  • John Regan, So., Accounting
  • Eric Rentschler, So., Computer Engineering
  • Connor Rettig, Jr., Biology
  • Brandon Riley, Jr., Civil Engineering
  • Jimmy Seewald, Fr., Business
  • Jake Simpson, Jr., Psychology
  • Conner Smith, So., Accounting
  • Connor Sperling, Fr., Exercise Science
  • Sean Stephens, Fr., Sport Management
  • Brady Sullivan, Fr., Accounting / Business Analytics
  • Mason Sutter, So., Biology
  • Jake Trumpower, Fr., Computer Engineering
  • Nick Turner, So., Management
  • Parker Welch, Fr., Business
  • Mike Wheeler, So., Economics / Computer Analysis
  • Jimmy Zajac, Fr., Finance

Watson, Guzek with Top Six Finishes at Grand Valley State
The Valparaiso University men’s and women’s track and field teams competed at the Grand Valley State University Lints Alumni Meet on Saturday. Junior pole vaulter Alexander Watson (Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) and junior thrower Andrew Guzek (Valparaiso, Ind. / Valparaiso) earned top-six finishes in their respective events for the Crusaders.

How It Happened

  • Watson cleared the bar at 15’1 1/2" to finish fifth and captured Valpo’s best placing of the day. That performance beats his previous career-best of 15’1”, which is second in school history. Guzek tossed the weight throw 55’2” to receive sixth place and added a ninth-place mark in the shot put (48’6”).
  • In the triple jump, freshman Nick Ricks (St. Louis, Mo. / Lutheran North) and junior Montel Hall (Waukegan, Ill. / Waukegan) finished eighth and ninth, respectively. Ricks left with a mark of 43’5” and Hall finished with a jump of 42’7”.
  • Freshman runner Ben Sekuloski (Lowell, Ind./Lowell) ran the 400m race in 49.87, which lands him fifth all-time in Valpo history, eclipsing the old mark of 50.54, which was accomplished by Joe Holy in 2012.
  • For the women, freshman Anne Mou (Bloomingdale, Ill./Lake Park) had the best performance for the Crusaders, finishing in ninth in the triple jump (34’4 1/4"). This result puts her in the record books, taking fifth-place, erasing the previous distance of 34’0 3/4".
  • Sophomore thrower Nellie Bonham (Palos Hills, Ill./Stagg) had a distance of 38’7” in the shot put, helping her receive 12th place, the team’s second-best result at the meet.

Next Up
The Crusaders travel to Notre Dame on Friday, Feb. 3 to partake in the two-day Meyo Invitational. The first event will begin at 9 a.m. CT.

Valpo Swim Teams Split On Senior Day at ARC
The Valparaiso University men’s and women’s swimming teams competed against Eastern Illinois University at the ARC on Saturday, celebrating Senior Day in the process. The men earned a 137-125 victory, while the women suffered a close defeat, 149-113.

How It Happened

  • For the men, a pair of freshmen led the way with two individual wins apiece. Dylan Ogle (Simpsonville, S.C./Mauldin) earned victories in the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.20) and the 100-yard butterfly (53.24) events, with his time in the 100-yard butterfly just .06 off of his PR in the event, which ranks ninth in program history.
  • Fellow rookie Peyton Stambeck (Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville) earned the top spot in both the 50-yard butterfly (23.90) and the 100-yard freestyle (48.69).
  • Aside from Ogle in the 200-yard freestyle race, sophomores Dylan Kirar (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley) and Bob Bretl (Wauwatosa, Wis./Marquette University H.S.) finished second (1:48.66) and three (1:49.78) in the event, sweeping the top-three spots for the Crusaders. To add to Kirar’s accomplishments for the day, he won the 500-yard freestyle race with a time of 4:50.17.
  • Three other Valpo swimmers added first-place finishes to help propel the team to a win. Junior Max Penn (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep.) took top billing in the 100-yard individual medley (54.44), while freshmen Brendon Johnson (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) claimed first place in the 400-yard individual medley (4:19.51). Freshman Harrison Jenny (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) touched the wall first in the 50-yard freestyle (22.17) as well.
  • On the women’s side, senior Emily Trimpe (New Palestine, Ind./New Palestine) won two individual races to lead Valpo. In the 50-yard breaststroke race, she swam a 32.64 and a 1:10.47 in the 100-yard breaststroke.
  • Two relay teams tallied victories on senior day. The 200-yard medley team of Trimpe and freshman trio Tara Lawson (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein), Erica Martins (Hartland, Wis./Lake County Lutheran) and Paige Wright (Surprise, Ariz./Paradise Honor) swam a 1:53.75 to win the event. The 400-yard freestyle relay (3:45.71) of Martins, Wright, Trimpe and junior Amanda Jenny (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) added the second top performance.
  • In addition to their parts in the two relay wins, Wright earned a first-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle, hitting the wall at 55.28, while Martins took first place in the 50-yard butterfly (28.24).
  • Senior Rachel Law (Wayne, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) ended her impressive home Crusader career with two second-place finishes, one in the 400-yard individual medley (4:51.26) and in the 500-yard freestyle (5:28.56).

Next Up
Both teams step away from the pool for a bit to prepare for the Horizon League Championships, which start on Wednesday, Feb. 22. The event will be hosted by UIC and will take place in Chicago, Ill.

Wisconsin Edges Valpo in Thrilling Men’s Tennis Match
The Valparaiso University men’s tennis team gave Big Ten foe Wisconsin all it could handle on Saturday, but the Badges pulled out a 4-3 victory in Madison, Wis. Jeffrey Schorsch (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg), Chad Kissell (Latrobe, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) and Charlie Emhardt (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) all posted singles wins for the Crusaders, who drop to 1-1 on the season.

How It Happened

  • Schorsch downed Josef Dodridge in straight sets 7-5, 6-4.
  • Kissell also prevailed in his match, eking out a tightly-contested three-set affair with Chema Carranza. Kissell lost the first set 6-1, but then claimed 7-6 (7-0), 6-4 wins to grab the match.
  • The third win for the Crusaders came at No. 5 singles, as Emhardt defeated Osgar O’Hoisin in convincing fashion, 6-2, 6-2.
  • Valpo’s No. 1 doubles team of Schorsch and Emhardt bested Wisconsin’s Josef Dodridge and Chema Carranza 6-4.
  • The Badgers captured the doubles point by virtue of victories at No. 2 and No. 3. Lamar Remy and Chase Colton teamed up to top Dave Bacalla (Skokie, Ill. / Niles North) and Kissell 6-4, while Brandon Ancona (Belvidere, Ill. / Rockford Christian) and Daniel Langston (Ponca City, Okla. / Ponca City) fell to John Zordani and O’Hoisin 6-2 at No. 3.
  • Remy got the better of Bacalla at No. 3 singles, 6-0, 6-3, while Daniel Soyfer nipped Ancona (Belvidere, Ill. / Rockford Christian) 7-6, 6-4 at No. 6.
  • Senior Kyle Dunn (Fond du Lac, Wis. / Fond du Lac) won the first set at No. 4 singles against Colton 6-4, but Colton rallied with 6-4, 6-2 wins to take the match and clinch the win for Wisconsin. The Dunn vs. Colton match was the last to finish, with the team result hinging on its outcome.

Inside the Match

  • Schorsch extends his own career singles record with each victory. The senior has now racked up 92 wins in his Valpo career and stands at 8-5 this season.
  • Schorsch’s win came against quality competition, as Dodridge won 19 matches a year ago and was second-team all Big Ten as a freshman in 2015.
  • Emhardt’s singles victory was the 77th of his career, the most in Valpo history. He now stands at 8-5 this season.
  • The win for Schorsch and Emhardt marked the second victory against a Wisconsin duo so far this season. They also topped Remy and Colton 8-7 on Oct. 20. Schorsch and Emhardt avenged a defeat 7-6 (7-5) to Dodridge and Remy from last year’s dual match.
  • The win at No. 1 doubles allowed Schorsch and Emhardt to further distance themselves from the pack on Valpo’s all-time wins list. Emhardt is Valpo’s all-time leader with 98 career doubles wins, while Schorsch is right behind with 94 doubles triumphs.
  • The win for Kissell helped him to atone for a loss to Wisconsin last season, which came against Remy. He bumped his record to 9-3, moving into a tie with Dunn for the team lead in singles wins.

Next Up
The Crusaders are set to crank up the home portion of their season with a match against rival Butler on Friday, Feb. 3 at 1 p.m. at The Courts of NWI. The clash with the Bulldogs will be the first of back-to-back home matches, as the Crusaders welcome in William & Mary on Sunday, Feb. 5 at noon, also at The Courts of NWI.

Crusaders Can’t Shake Shooting Slump in Loss at UIC
The Valparaiso University women’s basketball team had three players in double figures on Saturday at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, but the host Flames started strong and never looked back in a 74-60 victory over the Crusaders. Dani Franklin (Cedar Rapids, Iowa / George Washington) finished with 20 points to lead Valpo. She was joined in double figures by Amber Lindfors (Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Elk Grove) with 15 and Hannah Schaub (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Park Center) with 12.

How It Happened

  • The Crusaders (5-16, 0-10 Horizon) got off to a cold start, going 1-of-8 from the field in the first five minutes and found themselves down 11-4. UIC (4-17, 1-9 Horizon) hit five of its first eight shots.
  • Valpo endured a 4:23 scoring drought before Lindfors notched a put-back basket with 2:40 left in the first quarter to make it 13-6 UIC. That was Valpo’s first basket since a Schaub layup at the 8:24 mark and first points since a pair of free throws by Franklin made it 5-4 UIC at the 7:03 mark.
  • Lindfors finished the first quarter with six points, but Valpo found itself down 23-10. The Flames shot 56.3 percent in the opening stanza, while Valpo shot just 28.6 percent and made six turnovers to UIC’s two.
  • Lindfors continued to shine in the second quarter and finished the first half with 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting to lead all scorers.
  • Valpo went 0-of-8 from beyond the arc in the first half, but did rack up 14 offensive rebounds.
  • After missing its first 10 3-point attempts, Valpo notched its first triple with 6:53 left in the third as Franklin knocked one down to make it 46-31 UIC.
  • The Flames held a double-figure advantage for the entirety of the second half. The Crusaders trimmed the cushion to 10 when Caitlin Morrison (Glenview, Ill. / Glenbrook South) swished a triple with one minute remaining in the fourth, but they couldn’t cut the deficit any further.

Inside the Game

  • The 14 offensive rebounds in the first half were more than Valpo had finished with in any of its previous four games.
  • UIC’s Taylor Toney matched her previous career high by the midway point of the third quarter and shattered it by the 3:44 mark of the third. Her previous high of 19 came on Dec. 31 of this season against Detroit Mercy. She also established a new career best in made field goals by hitting 11 of her 12 field-goal attempts. Toney finished with 25 points to lead all scorers.
  • The Flames also received a career performance from Tyra Carlsten-Handberg, who turned in 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting. The freshman’s previous season watermark came on Nov. 17 against Robert Morris. Carlsten-Handberg hadn’t hit a 3-pointer in the previous four games, but knocked down three against the Crusaders.
  • Lindfors finished with 15 points, the same number of points she scored in the last five games combined. She reached double figures for the sixth time this year.
  • Schaub registered a season-high 12 points, her first time in double figures this year. After 12 straight games with five points or fewer, Schaub has notched eight or more in two of her last three.
  • The Crusaders racked up a season high 27 offensive rebounds, their first time with 20 or more offensive boards this year. The offensive rebound total was Valpo’s highest in the five years under Tracey Dorow.
  • Franklin hit double figures for the 19th time in 21 games this season, doing the bulk of her damage at the free-throw stripe, where she went 10-of-10.
  • Valpo was held to 27.8 percent shooting, while the Flames shot 55.3 percent.

Thoughts from Acting Head Coach Justin Rees

  • Thoughts on the Game: “It’s disappointing. We struggled on the defensive end and got away from the game plan. Something we had done a really good job of the last two or three weeks was playing defense. We struggled on the defensive end, and that pressure adds up on the ladies. It turned into another poor shooting performance.”
  • On Pressure Defense: “It’s tough with the numbers situation and the depth to maintain that kind of pressure. That pressure that we threw out in the fourth quarter is something we drew up between quarters when we were trying to make a run. That gave them a little bit of trouble.”
  • Looking Ahead: “With the teams that we battled on the road a couple weeks ago coming to our place, they’ll be a couple of good, competitive games. We’ve got to figure out a way to get a win. We have to find a way to make baskets. Whatever the solution is to that, we’re going to find a way to have our ladies step up and make shots.”

Next Up
After the brief one-day road trip, the Crusaders return to their home court on Thursday night to face off with Youngstown State. The game can be seen on ESPN3, WatchESPN and the ESPN app and heard on 95.1 FM Valparaiso, WVUR. The tip is slated for 7 p.m. Links to live video, audio and stats will be available on ValpoAthletics.com.

110 Valpo Student-Athletes Named to Horizon League Academic Honor Roll
Valparaiso University student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom, as 110 Crusaders earned a spot on the Horizon League Fall 2016 Academic Honor Roll, as released today by the league office.

In all, 984 student-athletes were named to the Spring Academic Honor Roll, with the 110 representatives from Valpo ranking third among league institutions.

Candidates for the Honor Roll must meet three criteria in order to qualify: 1) participation in at least one of the League’s 19 sports during the most recent (or current) season; 2) completion of three semesters as a full-time student at the same member institution; and 3) a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale).