AU earns both All-Sports awards
By Justin Bates
Anderson University claimed both the men’s and women’s Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) All-Sports trophies for the 2001-02. It marks only the third time in the 14-year history of the conference that one school has won both trophies in the same season.
The All-Sport trophy is awarded to the HCAC school compiling the most points in eight different sports. Anderson University won the men’s All-Sports trophy in 1994-95 and 2000-01, while the women earned the honor in 1998-99.
The AU men’s teams finished first in the HCAC in cross country, football and track and second in soccer and tennis. The golf team placed third, baseball fourth and basketball fifth. The women’s teams placed first in basketball, second in cross country and golf, third in tennis and soccer, fourth in track and volleyball, and seventh in softball.
Men’s Track
The AU men’s track team broke their own record at the HCAC meet at Bluffton College. They set a new record of 285 points — beating their old record by 56 points — and earned their eighth straight championship. Senior Jason Kolkmeier (Waldron, Ind.) was named the Track MVP and senior David Jackson (Greensburg, Ind.) was the Field MVP. Coach Larry Maddox received his 11th Coach of the Year award.The Ravens earned 93 points to Hanover’s 78 as the teams competed against each other in all nine championship matches April 21 at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Ohio.
Kolkmeier placed first in the triple jump and 110 hurdles and finished second in the 400 hurdles. He placed first overall at the meet. Jackson won the shot put, finished second in the discus and hammer, and placed second overall in the meet.
Anderson University won 12 of the 20 events in the HCAC meet. Other winners were senior Wilber Lewis (Anderson, Ind.) in the 200, junior Brian Miller (Indianapolis) in the 1,500, sophomore Jason Parks (Wabash, Ind.) in the 5,000 and 10,000, junior Michael Watts (Shipshewana, Ind.) in the 3,000 steeplechase, and the 400- and 1,600-relay teams.
Kolkmeier finished sixth in the 400 hurdles and was named an All-American at the national meet. During the indoor season, he was named an All-American in the 55-meter hurdles.
Women’s Track
Lisa Nicholson (Anderson, Ind.) was named an All-American after finishing sixth in the 5,000-meter race at the national meet.The Ravens finished fourth at the HCAC meet at Bluffton College. Nicholson, a sophomore, led AU with three victories, winning the 800-, 1,500- and 5,000-meter races.
Other runners placing for the Ravens were sophomore Mia Goins (Anderson, Ind.), 4th in the 100, 6th in the 200; sophomore Emily Inniger (Van Wert, Ohio), 6th in the 400; sophomore Beth Nicholson (Anderson, Ind.), 3rd in the 800 and 1,500; sophomore Karly Wade (Bedford, Ind.), 4th in the 10,000; sophomore Cori Voras (Deer Park, Ill.), 3rd in the 100 hurdles; freshman Hannah Elkins (Ottumwa, Iowa), 6th in the 400 hurdles; freshman Jenny Kleiner (Harrison, Ohio), 5th in the 3,000 Steeplechase; and freshman Lindsay Amrine (Indianapolis), 4th in the pole vault.
Baseball
Anderson University senior pitcher Derek Byard (Muncie, Ind.) was named to the First Team All Mid-East Region for the 2002 season. Byard was 9-2 with a 3.2 ERA this season with 66 strikeouts in 84 innings. Byard continues to hold the single season strikeout record, which he achieved in the 2000 season by fanning 108 batters.Junior Adam Bollier (Leo, Ind.) was named to the third team All-Regional after hitting .375 with 10 doubles, eight home runs and 47 RBI. Juniors Duke Behr (Daleville, Ind.) and Brent Hodges (Glendale, Ariz.) were named to the HCAC team for the 2002 season. Hodges hit .375 in 21 HCAC games with six doubles, three home runs and 18 RBI. Overall, he hit .374 with nine doubles, seven home runs and 29 RBI. Behr hit .375 in 20 games with three doubles, three triples, three home runs, 11 RBI and eight stolen bases. Overall, he batted .330 with six doubles, four home runs and 15 stolen bases.
Senior D.J. Smith (Frankton, Ind.) broke three school NCAA career records in his four years with the Ravens. Smith finished with 167 runs, 66 stolen bases and 13 triples. This season he hit .289 with 46 runs, 22 stolen bases and four triples.
AU finished 25-17-1 overall, 12-9 in the HCAC, and placed third at the post-season conference tournament at Franklin.
Softball
Anderson University’s junior Sue Wood (Connersville, Ind.) was the lone representative on the HCAC softball team for the 2002 season. She hit .353 in 40 games this season to lead the Ravens. The shortstop also led the team in hits (47), runs (29) and stolen bases (20).Wood broke Lisa Taylor’s 19-year-old record of 38 hits during the season and finished with a school-record 20 stolen bases for the season, breaking Kris Benefield’s record of 19 in 1987. Wood has 53 stolen bases heading into her senior season. The Ravens finished the season 15-25 overall.
Men’s Tennis
The Ravens fell short of another HCAC championship by one point. They lost their only HCAC match of the season to Hanover 63-62 during tournament play.The team of freshman Nick Deal (Fishers, Ind.) and junior Chad Sloan (Indianapolis) were crowned champions at No. 3 doubles while senior Jevon Brenneman (No. 1 singles), junior Brian Stump (No. 3 singles), Deal (No. 4 singles) and the No. 2 doubles team of sophomore Mike Clark (New Castle, Ind.) and senior Micah Torgersen (New Palestine, Ind.) finished second at the tournament.
Brenneman (Goshen, Ind.), Stump (Decatur, Ind.) and Torgersen were all named All-Conference.
Anderson finished the season 9-8 overall and 6-1 in the HCAC.
Men’s Golf
Andy Walukonis (Anderson, Ind.) was named to the All-Great Lakes Regional team for the 2002 season. His 18-round average this season was 75.9, and he finished in the Top 10 in seven of the season’s 10 tournaments.Walukonis, a sophomore, finished sixth at the HCAC meet, where the Ravens were third as a team.
