Twenty-Seven Student-Athletes, Coaches Earn Fall Postseason Awards
Another banner fall sports season has reaped rich rewards for 27 Wittenberg University athletes who were selected to All-North Coast Athletic Conference teams over the last two weeks.
Jamie McIntyre
Sarah Yuskewich
Emilie Schmid
Blair Ufer
Carrie Happ
Tristan Murray
Paco Labrador
Norm Riker
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Another banner fall sports season has reaped rich rewards for 27 Wittenberg University athletes who were selected to All-North Coast Athletic Conference teams over the last two weeks.
Announcements for men's and women's soccer, field hockey, volleyball and football have come in separate releases from the NCAC office in the last two weeks. Individual finishes at the conference cross country championship on Oct. 30 at Allegheny College determined All-NCAC selections for that sport.
Several Wittenberg athletes were chosen for individual conference honors. Sophomore women's soccer defenderJamie McIntyre (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview) was named Defensive Player of the Year, senior volleyball setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson) was named Player of the Year for the third straight year, senior volleyball liberoEmilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) was named Libero of the Year, senior field hockey midfielderBlair Ufer (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) earned Offensive Player of the Year, senior field hockey defender Carrie Happ (Pittsburgh, Pa./Vincentian) and football junior tailbackTristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) garnered Newcomer of the Year honors. In addition, women's soccer Head Coach Norm Riker claimed NCAC Coach of the Year honors and volleyball Head Coach Paco Labrador was named Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year.
The TIGER WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM enjoyed one of the finest seasons in school history in 2004, posting just the second winning season since 1995 at 11-4-5 overall and 5-3 in the NCAC and advancing to the conference tournament championship game for the first time ever. McIntyre, a second-team honoree a year ago who spearheaded a defensive unit that allowed just 14 goals in 19 games, was joined on the first team by freshman midfielder Lisa Rusch (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne), the team's leading scorer. In addition, junior midfielder Emily Hiscar (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) and senior defensive back Meredith Belser (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay) garnered honorable mention status. It was Hiscar's third all-conference recognition and the first for Belser. (NCAC Press Release)
The TIGER VOLLEYBALL TEAM won the NCAC regular season and tournament titles for an eighth straight year in 2004 and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 10th time in school history. In winning a school-record 35 matches, the Tigers advanced to the national quarterfinals for the second time in school history and finished the regular season with the highest ranking ever at No. 2.
Yuskewich, who was named NCAC Player of the Year for an unprecedented third straight time after leading the conference in assists and assists per game, and Schmid, the NCAC Libero of the Year for a second straight time, were joined on the first-team All-NCAC by senior middle hitterKristin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion). Senior outside hitterMonica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) and junior middle hitter Emily Dixon (Granville, Ohio/Granville) were selected second-team All-NCAC.
Yuskewich, Schmid, Fox and McDonald also garnered first-team All-Great Lakes Region honors, with Dixon claiming honorable mention. Yuskewich capped her career with first-team All-America for the third straight year, Schmid took second-team All-America, and McDonald rounded things out with third-team All-America. (NCAC Press Release - All-Region Press Release)
The TIGER FIELD HOCKEY TEAM won the NCAC regular season and tournament championships for a third straight year and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the seventh time in school history. Wittenberg, which lost in the national tournament to eventual semifinalist and No. 5 ranked William Smith, finished up with a 15-5 overall record and a mark of 9-3 in the NCAC.
Ufer, who led the NCAC in scoring in 2004 with 18 goals, 13 assists and 49 total points, and Happ, who spearheaded the conference's best defensive unit that recorded seven NCAC shutouts, were joined on the first team by junior forward Julia Wickham (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview)and sophomore defender Rachel Dunn (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny). All four players were making their second straight appearance on the All-NCAC first team. Happ, Ufer and Wickham also made first-team All-Great Lakes Region. No announcements have been made yet on All-America honors.
Sophomore Katy Barrett (Powell, Ohio/Watterson) made second-team All-NCAC after scoring 16 goals and finishing with 35 total points in 2004, a year after leading the Tigers in scoring and making first-team All-NCAC. Senior defender Ashley Smith (Pittsford, NY/Menden) rounded things out with an honorable mention all-conference designation. (NCAC Press Release - All-Region Press Release)
The TIGER FOOTBALL TEAM finished 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the NCAC, good for a second-place tie after narrow road losses at Ohio Wesleyan and fifth-ranked Wooster. Ten players earned All-NCAC honors, led by Murray, who added to Newcomer of the Year with a first-team designation. Murray, who finished with 1,320 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns in 2004 to rank among the conference leaders, was joined on the first team by junior wide receiver Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown), senior offensive linemen Corey Chatman (Mansfield, Ohio/Senior) and Brad Kassner (Circleville, Ohio/Circleville) junior defensive tackle Clinton Tiggs (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne) and senior punterJacob Thomas (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany).
Second-team honors went to sophomore offensive lineman Jeff Moler (Germantown, Ohio/Valley View) and senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda), while honorable mention awards were bestowed upon senior defensive end Chris Vennefron (Somerville, Ohio/Edgewood), junior wide receiver Braden Freeman (Prospect, Ohio/Marion Pleasant) and sophomore fullback Tyler Harmon (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian). All-region and All-America honors will be announced by the various sponsoring organizations in the next few weeks, and announcements about Tiger players who are named to them will be made separately. (NCAC Press Release)
The TIGER MEN'S SOCCER TEAM went on a mid-season win streak that put it on the brink of making the NCAC Tournament for the first time in school history. However, a four-game swoon to close the season, including two home overtime one-goal defeats did Wittenberg in and left the Tigers with a 7-11 overall record, including a sixth-place finish in the NCAC with a mark of 4-5. Sophomore midfielder Sebastian Missura (Quito, Ecuador/American School) was named second-team All-NCAC for a second straight year after leading the Tigers in scoring. Junior midfielder Matt Berry (Tipp City, Ohio/Tecumseh) made honorable mention all-conference for a second straight season and freshman defensive backBryan Lopes (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) claimed honorable mention as well. (NCAC Press Release)
Rounding things out, the TIGER MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS finished ninth and eighth, respectively, and did not place any runners on the All-NCAC teams. (Men's NCAC Results - (Women's NCAC Results)
062-04