Wittenberg Alumna Betty Dillahunt Receives National Honor

Betty Dillahunt, Wittenberg class of 1946 and emeritus director of women's athletics, was recently honored for her enormous contributions to women's sports. She was chosen to receive the Ohio – National Association for Girls and Women in Sports (NAGWS) Pathfinder Award for 2008.

The award "honors those women who have been instrumental in blazing paths for the future of girl's and women's sports through their leadership and tireless efforts."

Dillahunt will receive the award at the Awards Luncheon of the Ohio Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on Thursday, Nov. 29. She also will receive recognition at the National Association for Girls and Women in Sports General Session/Awards Luncheon in Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday, April 11, 2008.

We wrote about Betty earlier this summer when Wittenberg posted a fascinating interview with her on their website. She is certainly a role model who has paved the way for the women athletes of the NCAC.

Run-A-Muck 2 Set for Dec. 1

Ohio Wesleyan track & field wants to know if you're willing to get a little crazy? Are you a runner who is looking for something different?

Run-A-Muck 2, a fundraiser for the Battling Bishops track & field program, offers runners a unique course—and most importantly—a great time on December 1 at 10 a.m. at the Methodist Theological School.

Runners of all ages, abilities and experience who sign up can look forward to sloppy conditions, straw bales, a creek, hills, trails, and mud. What fun!

Runners will receive a goody bag as well as a long-sleeved T-shirt. There are also door prizes for the top two or three finishers in each age group for both men and women. Entries for the race will be accepted on race day beginning at 8 a.m. The cost is $20 for individuals and $28 for relay teams.

To download the registration form (pdf), click here
Interested runners can also call assistant coach, Laura Finkes at (740) 368-3756 for details

OWU's Dague Voted Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year

Ohio Wesleyan senior goalkeeper Jamison Dague was named the men' soccer Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year after earning his second straight first-team selection.

He is a politics and government major with a cumulative GPA of 3.96.

Wabash Football at Case Today

Can't wait until 12:00 when Wabash and Case Western Reserve kickoff in the second round of the NCAA Div. III playoffs?

Here's a few articles to get you prepped for the big game:

Case Western in Second Round Despite Expectations - Crawfordsville Journal Review
Wabash Looks to Show Strong Will - Crawfordsville Journal Review
Wabash Upperclassman Aim For Longer Run Than in 2005 - Crawfordsville Journal Review
NCAA Div. III Playoffs: High Suffocation Factor - The Paper of Montgomery County
NCAA Div. III Playoffs: Patience and Poise - The Paper of Montgomery County
Case's Calderone Kicks Back into Gear Yet Again - Cleveland Plain Dealer
Little Break for Football Players - Crawfordsville Journal Review

Can't make the trip to Cleveland? Follow the game online:
Case radio/video
Wabash radio

Denison's Geissinger Named Swimmer of the Week

Denison junior John Geissinger was named CollegeSwimming.com's National Collegiate Swimmer of the Week for the week ending Nov. 8.

He helped the Big Red men's swimming and diving team knock off Kenyon for the second straight season in the annual dual meet between the two national powers. Coming off the previous weekend's NCAA qualifying time in the 100 freestyle (45.96), Geissinger turned in a first-place finish in the event (46.20) against the Lords and also posted victories in the 50 free (21.33) and as the second-leg of the 400 free relay.

This past weekend the Denison men's swimming and diving squad came away with a quad-meet victory over Wayne State, Olivet and Calvin. Geissinger came out victorious in the 50 free (21.30) and was a member of the 400 freestyle relay for the second week in a row.

Denison is back in the pool today when the Big Red host Ashland at 5:00 p.m.

Follow Allegheny Cross Country at the National Meet

The Allegheny men's and women's cross country teams will be competing this weekend at the NCAA Division III National Meet hosted by St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Team members are blogging their experiences on the Allegheny athletic site. Follow along here.

Wittenberg's Williams and Bell Earn All-America Status

The AVCA announced its 2007 Division III All-America Teams on Nov. 13. Wittenberg junior Jackie Williams and senior Emily Bell each received their first All-America award, with Williams earning second-team recognition and Bell, earning third-team honors. The awards are just the latest recognition for the Wittenberg players' magical season.

Williams and Bell have helped lead the Tigers to a perfect 38-0 record heading into tonight's NCAA Div. III semifinal match against Washington University (MO). The match is set for 7:00 p.m. at llinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Ill. and will be streamed live. For more information on the national tournament, click here.

All Seven NCAC Teams Represented in Field Hockey All-Region Awards

2007 Longstreth/NFHCA Division III All-Region Teams

GREAT LAKES REGION

First Team
Cassie Gage, Earlham
Katie Jones, Ohio Wesleyan
Perrin Legg, Kenyon
Kate Persing, Wooster
Read Powel, Denison
Boo Vernon, Wittenberg
Gillian Winbourn, Oberlin

Second Team
Diana Boryczewski, Ohio Wesleyan
Abigail Brox, Oberlin
Tori Casanta, Wittenberg
Caroline Graham, Kenyon
Sasha Grumman, Kenyon
Carter Hartung, Denison
Anna Hurley, Wooster
Brittany Montgomery, Wooster
Christine Politis, Oberlin
Meredith Price, Wittenberg
Karen Thompson, Kenyon

AVCA Division III All-Region Honors Announced

AVCA Division III All-Region Teams

Great Lakes Region
Emily Bell*** - WIT, OH, Sr.
Jackie Williams** - WIT, RS/Opp, Jr.

Great Lakes Region Honorable Mention:
Jan Kehres (WIT, OH, Sr.)
Megan Taylor (HIR, S/H, Sr.)

2007 AVCA Division III Region Coaches of the Year

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The following coaches have been selected by their respective regions as the 2007 AVCA Division III Region Coaches of the Year. Each of the honorees will represent their region on the 2007 AVCA National Coach of the Year ballot. The awards will be officially presented at the 2007 Jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon in Sacramento, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 13, at the 2007 American Volleyball Coaches Association Annual Convention.

AVCA Division III Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year
Paco Labrador, Wittenberg University
2007 Record: 34-0, 14-0 North Coast Athletic Conference

In his fifth season as the head coach of Wittenberg University (Springfield, Ohio), Paco Labrador has continued a storied volleyball tradition at the institution, leading the Tigers to their fourth consecutive 30-win season in 2007. Wittenberg began the season as the preseason No. 2 team in the CSTV/AVCA Division III Coaches Top 25 poll, but has since claimed the No. 1 spot for four-consecutive polls, dethroning defending national champion Juniata along the way. In 2007, Labrador has guided the Tigers to a 34-0 record, along with a 14-0 mark in North Coast Athletic Conference action, marking the first time in history an NCAC team has finished the regular season with an unbeaten overall record. Wittenberg has been the No. 1 team in each of the three NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region rankings in 2007 and hosted the NCAA Division III Tournament Great Lakes Regional. The Tigers are making their 13th NCAA Appearance - 12th in a row - and have reached the NCAA Division III Tournament Round of 16 eight times, the national quarterfinals four of the last five years and the national semifinals each of the last two years under the guidance of Labrador. The Wittenberg mentor, whose teams have earned AVCA Team Academic Awards in each of his seasons as coach, has compiled a career mark of 166-23 at the helm of the Tigers. This honor marks the second AVCA Division III Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year award for Labrador, with the other coming during the 2004 season.

Academic All-District Football and Volleyball Teams Announced

2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District® Football Teams
College Division (District 2)

FIRST TEAM
OL Andy Stas, ALL Jr. Latrobe, Pa. 3.90 Biology
DB Jon Buggey, ALL Sr. Homer City, Pa. 3.72 Biochemistry
DB Curt Anderson, ALL Sr. Batavia, N.Y. 3.72 History

SECOND TEAM
LB Mateo Villa, ALL Sr. Windsor, Ohio 3.81 Managerial economics

College Division (District 4)

FIRST TEAM
RB Andy Vanover, WIT Sr. Tipp City, Ohio 3.74 Management
OL Steve Zumbrun, WOO Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa. 3.63 Psychology
DB Josh Cowgill, KEN Sr. Sciotoville, Ohio 3.64 Molecular biology

SECOND TEAM
DB Jeff Geffert, WOO Sr. Mentor, Ohio 3.47 Communication studies

College Division (District 5)

FIRST TEAM
TE Brock Graham, WAB So. Alto, Mich. 4.00 Religion
P Chad Finley, WAB Sr. Alvin, Ill. 3.24 Psychology

SECOND TEAM
LB Adrian Pynenberg, WAB Sr. Montgomery, Ill. 3.58 Psychology

+++++++++++++++

2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District® Volleyball Teams
College Division (District 4)

FIRST TEAM
Emily Bell, WIT Sr. Fort Wayne, Ind. 3.70 Education
Steffi Graf, OWU Sr. Poland, Ohio 3.81 English

SECOND TEAM
Megan Taylor, HIR Sr. Cortland, Ohio 3.85 Biology

NCAC Soccer Players Earn Academic All-District Honors

2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District® Men's Soccer Team
College Division (District 4)

FIRST TEAM
Jamison Dague, OWU Sr. Bexley, Ohio 3.96 Politics & government
Jason Bowie, WOO Sr. Delaware, Ohio 3.65 Biochemistry, molecular biology
Warren Swegal, WOO Sr. Sewickley, Pa. 3.74 Biochemistry, molecular biology
David Folt, DEN Jr. Hudson, Ohio 3.62 Biology, chemistry

SECOND TEAM
Peter Shorten, DEN So. Hudson, Ohio 3.88 Undeclared

2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District® Women's Soccer Team
College Division (District 4)

FIRST TEAM
Jessie Seaver, OWU Sr. Ann Arbor, Mich. 3.80 Sociology/anthropology, Spanish
Amanda Farrell, WIT Sr. Loveland, Ohio 3.83 Biology
Chantal Koechli, WOO So. Greer, S.C. 3.96 Biochemistry, molecular biology
Laura Ayer, WOO Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa. 3.83 Sociology

SECOND TEAM
Ali Gary, OWU Sr. Gahanna, Ohio 3.28 Economics management
Kim Cochran, DEN Sr. Upper Arlington, Ohio 3.53 Spanish, international studies

THIRD TEAM
Kia Anderson, DEN Sr. Princeton, N.J. 3.58 Psychology
Sarah Ash, DEN Jr. Cincinnati, Ohio 3.66 Spanish, psychology

Around the NCAC

** Denison senior midfielder Read Powell has been named to the 2007 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III Senior All-Star team. She is the lone representative of the North Coast Athletic Conference in the game set for Saturday, November 17 at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa. Game time is 9:30 a.m.
** Kenyon freshman Lauren Brady was named CollegeSwimming.com's National Collegiate Swimmer of the Week in Division III after clearing the the NCAA Division III 'B' cut for national championship qualifying with her times in the 100 and 200 butterflies in the Ladies' first dual meets of the season versus Ohio State University and Ohio University on October 27th. Earlier, the morning of the swim meet, Brady finished second in the NCAC Women's Cross Country Championships.

** Former Oberlin soccer player Ross Myers is finding his place on the Division I squad at Columbia.

** D3football.com has named several NCAC athletes to their Team of the Week over the past two weeks. The Denison offensive line earned recognition after helping the Big Red rushing attack pile up 418 yards off 56 carries and leading three runners to 100-yard rushing days in a 51-41 win over Kenyon two weeks ago. Ohio Wesleyan senior linebacker Chad Ellis was also honored after he intercepted an Allegheny pass, setting up what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. His second interception, coming in the fourth quarter with less than four minutes to play, preserved the 17-10 Battling Bishop win over the Gators. Ellis also had 12 tackles (seven solo), four tackles for a loss, and two sacks. This past week, Wooster sophomore Bryan Albani posted three interceptions in the Fighting Scots' 66-14 win over Earlham. All three of Albani's interceptions came during the first half, as he returned the first 55 yards for a touchdown and the other two gave Wooster's offense a short field to work with and also resulted in touchdowns.

** Ohio Wesleyan team managers Ashlie Talbot and Kristina Fitch are profiled in the latest issue of Connect2 OWU.