SPORTS

SHORT GAME. LONG GAME.

This fall, Jacob Pedersen ’22 set the MIAC and Gustavus record for lowest score in the fi nal round of the MIAC Championships.

Trailing by 15 strokes entering the third and fi nal round of the MIAC Championships, the Gustavus men’s golf team knew the overall title was likely not within reach.

But there was still plenty of work to do. And they sure did it. The team set the Gustavus and MIAC Championship record for lowest 18-hole score at 277 (-11).

Leading the charge was Jacob Pedersen (Sr., Minnetonka) who fi red a seven-under par (65), setting the Gustavus and MIAC individual record for lowest 18-hole score while claiming his second MIAC individual championship.

“We all had the game plan of knowing we needed to get after it while still being smart in order to have a chance,” Pedersen said. “I think it freed us all up a little bit knowing that we were already down. We didn’t need to worry about losing a lead. All we could do was try to climb back. I think that’s what allowed us all to play so well that day.”

Pedersen’s record day was highlighted by a chip-in eagle and seven birdies. Having won MIAC medalist honors in 2018 and 2021, Pedersen joined an elite group of only six Gusties to win multiple conference titles. [Dan Prochnow ’78 (1976, 77, 78), Mike Maras ’87 (1985, 86), Jon Lindquist ’92 (1990, 91), Scott Moe ’95 (1992, 93, 94), and J.P. Prenevost ’00 (1996, 98).]

In addition to Pedersen’s performance, Max Ullan (Sr., Blaine) and Wyatt Wasko (Jr., Lake Elmo) also earned AllChampionship Team honors by fi nishing third and fourth, respectively.

“We’re all super excited for where we’re at right now knowing we’ve set ourselves up for a fun spring,” Pedersen says. “We’re all just focused on the main goal of competing for a national championship.”

Football

The Gusties finished with their best record since 1998, going 8-2 overall and 6-2 in the MIAC. Eight athletes were named MIAC First Team AllConference. Joining Jakes (right) on the All-MIAC team were Dalton Thelen (Sr., Cold Spring), Mitchell Borchardt (Sr., Le Sueur), Gunnar Johnson (Sr., St. Cloud), Carson Dekam (So., Owatonna), Kaleb Scott (Sr., Los Angeles), Ezekiel Sundberg (Sr., Lakewood, Colo.), and Andrew Abegglen (Jr., Mound). Abegglen and Thelen were also named CoSIDA Academic All-District, and Jakes, Dekam, Sundberg, and Abegglen earned D3football.com All-Region honors.

Volleyball

See page 2.

Men’s Soccer

The Gusties finished the season 14-5 overall and 8-2 in the MIAC. Jared Hecht (So., Apple Valley) was named MIAC Defensive Player of the Year and United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-America. Matthew Gibbons (Sr., Minneapolis) earned All-Region and All-Conference honors after setting the Gustavus record for careers assists with 39, breaking a record held by Larry Shelhammer ’76. Otis Anderson (So., Minneapolis) joined the All-Conference Team. Cole Schwartz (Sr., Jakarta, Indonesia) was selected CoSIDA Academic All-America for the second season, while Trace Dobson (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D.) was selected Academic AllDistrict for the second time.

Women’s Soccer

The Gusties won seven of their last eight games of the regular season to earn the No. 4 seed in MIAC playoffs where they went on to defeat Augsburg 1-0 in the quarterfinals before losing to St. Catherine in the semis. The Gusties finished 11-9 overall and 7-4 in the league. Katie Ashpole (Sr., Chaska) and Page Cocchiarella (Sr., Owatonna) were selected to the MIAC All-Conference Team, while Cocchiarella was selected United Soccer Coaches All-Region.

Zach Jakes (Sr., Mankato), #16, was voted the recipient of the Mike Stam Award, given to the MIAC Lineman of the Year.

Cross Country

The Gustie women took third place at the MIAC Championships while the men placed fourth. Elizabeth Donnelly (Sr., Langley, Wash.) finished 10th and Evelyn Villalobos (So., Crystal) took 15th to earn All-Conference honors for the women, while Andrew Stumbo (Sr., Boone, Iowa) took 12th and Garet Grant (Sr., Winona) finished 13th, earning All-MIAC as well. Stumbo is the first Gustavus men’s cross country runner to earn All-Conference all four seasons. Villalobos, Stumbo, Grant, and Henry Hinchcliffe (Jr., Austin) all finished in the top-35 at the NCAA North Region Championships to earn All-Region honors. Stumbo qualified for the NCAA Championships where he took 109th place with the third fastest 8k time in program history. Villalobos received the MIAC Elite 22 Award.

Women’s Golf

The Gusties took second at the MIAC Championships. Erin Ericson (Sr., Onalaska, Wis.) led the team with a runner-up individual finish. Ericson also earned the MIAC Elite 22 Award. Joining Ericson on the All-Championship Team was Emily Kratz (Sr., Edina), who finished seventh. The Gusties competed in six events during the fall, finishing in the top four in all but one event.

Tennis

The Gustie men hosted the ITA Midwest Regional Championships on Oct. 1-4, and although the Gusties did not make the finals in either singles or doubles, the doubles team of Nick Aney (Sr., Rochester) and Alex Budde (Jr., Menomonee Falls, Wis.) received an at-large bid to the ITA Cup where they defeated the No. 1 seed in the first round to earn All-America status. The Gustie women traveled to Whitewater, Wis. for the ITA regional where Simona Potockova (Sr., Nova’Dubnica, Slovakia) highlighted the weekend by reaching the singles quarterfinals.