WU golf team unable to win tournament finished 2nd in MIAA Championship Story by Josh Rouse
Junior golfer Ben Moser had his best finish of the 2010-11 season at the St. Edwards Invitational, where he finished in fourth place with a score of 4-over. In the MIAA Championships, he again performed well with a fifth place finish. Moser’s strong play in the MIAA Championships led Washburn to a second place finish and a team berth into the 2011 NCAA Midwest/South Central Regional.
Photo courtesy of Gene Cassell
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hough they never won a tournament, the 201011 Washburn Ichabods golf team came close several times. The Bods had a rocky start to its season during fall play, finishing no higher than fourth place in its first three tournaments, including an 11th place finish at the Kiawah Island Invitational to start the season. In the fourth tournament, the Missouri Western Fall Invitational, the Ichabods came away with a secondplace finish, scoring a team score of 8-over. Despite the high finish, they still were far behind first place Central Missouri, which shot a 9-under as a team. Junior Riley Piles led the Ichabods with a 2-under finish, tying for fifth place on the individual scorecard. Sophomore Nathan Hoefflin tied for ninth place with a 1-over, sophomore Brian Walker tied for 19th with a 4-over and junior Chris Grause, who transferred to Washburn from Allen County Community College and Missouri Southern State University, tied for 20th with a 5-over. “Being the new guy on the team at the beginning of the year was kinda shaky, just not knowing what everyone’s thinking,” said Grause. “But after the first tournament I felt like the guys had accepted me and we were just able to play golf as a team. It really wasn’t too bad.” Piles, named to the Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar team in July 2011, also tied for fifth in the second tournament of fall play, shooting a 5-over 147 at the Lincoln University Invitational. Despite his success, there would also be room for improvement. He would shoot over-par in every other tournament, with his second best score of the season being a 3-over tie for eighth place in the UCM Heart of America Invitational, a three-day tournament, and his worst score being a 20-over in the MIAA Championships, also a three-day tournament. “It had its ups and down,” said Piles. “At the end of the season we did better than our year prior, but we had a lot of opportunities to win golf tournaments and we didn’t capitalize on that. All in all, it was a successful season.” Grause said his swing left him to start the season and he spent the entire season trying to get it back. He averaged a 75.6 stroke average during fall play. “We worked on it throughout the whole year,” said Grause. “It was kind of a work in progress from week to week. It’s not the right time to lose your swing during the season because the last thing you want to think about when you’re in a tournament is your swing, and that’s kinda what I was wrapped up in all year. It made it pretty tough.” When spring play began, the Ichabods once again were off to a slow start, placing 14th out of 17 teams at the Golfweek Invitational and tying for 10th out of
15 teams at the St. Edward’s Invitational. At the 61st annual Southern California Intercollegiate Championship, Washburn got back into the swing of things with a fourth place finish. Riley Piles shot a 16-over 229, which tied him for 13th place on the individual scoreboard. Piles credited head coach Doug Hamilton for his improved play. “He’s influenced my game a lot,” said Piles. “As a freshman, my swing was nowhere near where it’s at now and he’s helped me change over the years and helped make me a better player. He’s a great guy and it’s been nice playing with him the last few years.” The Ichabods finished the regular season strong, starting with a fourth place finish at the Central Oklahoma Kickingbird Classic. Hoefflin shot an 11-over 221, tying for ninth place. Walker also made the top 15, shooting a 12-over to tie for 13th place. At the Heart of America Invitational, the Bods finished in third place thanks to strong showings by Piles and senior Miles Christensen. At the MIAA Championship Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., Washburn continued its strong play but once again fell short against Central Missouri, which shot a 25-under 889 as a team, leaving Washburn to take second place as a team. Junior Ben Moser had arguably his best performance of the season, tying for 5th place with a 7-over 223. “Our play as a team was kind of frustrating that we could never break through and win a tournament,” said Grause. “I don’t think any of us liked getting whooped by Central Missouri every week. We definitely felt like underachievers.” Following the MIAA Championship, Washburn made its return to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 9 seed in the South Central Regional of the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Regional Championships in Georgetown, Ky. Washburn got behind early, shooting 307 in the first round and 306 in the second round. However, Washburn shot its best round in the third round, shooting a 301 that was fourth best for the round. The team finished 16th out of 20 teams and didn’t advance, but the players enjoyed returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009, when the Bods finished eighth in the regional. Washburn’s Division II PING First Team All-American Matt Ewald went on to compete at the NCAA Championship that season, finishing 14th. “Regionals were a lot of fun,” said Piles. “Though it rained the whole time and the course we played was pretty rough. It was the first time I’d been there and the first time we’d been back in the year, it was nice to get back to regionals. The camaraderie wass a lot better than a couple years prior.”
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Anson secures 800th win against rival Emporia State Story by Robert Burkett
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tability. Steadiness. Veteran Leadership. All these terms are part of what makes up Washburn Ichabods baseball head coach Steve Anson. All of those words are just parts of how he got to magic 800. Flash back to the year 1979. With the nearing of the end of the decade came a changing of the guard. Anson, a former Kansas State baseball standout, had just finished up his first year at Wayne State (Neb.) with a 23-22 record. “We had a good first year and I thought that it was something to build on,” said Anson. Little did Anson know that he would be leaving Nebraska for the Sunflower State to join Washburn’s athletics staff. Anson’s first year would start off as a bit of an adjustment period, as the Ichabods finished with a record of 10-20. Anson never lost faith in his coaching efforts, though. “It was tough, but I knew that if we recruited well then the wins would come over time,” said Anson. During the intervening years, coaches of other teams at Washburn came and went. Anson, prior to the 2010-11 season, led among active WU coaches in wins at Washburn (758), seasons coached (31) and games coached (1,450), but he remained the same, always striving to make his players better and create a program that could last for the long haul. “Once I managed to get the kind of kids into
our program that I wanted, I knew we could be successful for a long time,” said Anson. “I really give credit for a lot of the success I’ve had at Washburn to the players and coaches I’ve had a chance to work with.” Move forward to the 2010-11 season, with Anson sitting at 781 career wins and feeling his team would be competitive during the year. The season started out rough for the Ichabods as they dropped their first four games in a row en route to a 22-28 season. The season would see the Ichabods ride the highs of performers like starting pitcher Brett Ash, who finished the year 7-5. “It was a growth year for us,” said Ash. “It was really cool to get Coach Anson his 800th win. It just shows the longevity he has had and what kind of coach he is that he has been here so long.” When reflecting on the time he has spent at Washburn, Anson treasures his relationships with his players, both present and past, more than any win that the Ichabods would ever earn under his stewardship. “I just feel so fortunate to have had the chance to be here so long and make the connections with people that I have,” said Anson. “I look forward to every day here as another chance to help build an opportunity for the young men I coach to grow into better people.”
Washburn University head baseball coach Steve Anson entered the 2010-11 season as the winningest coach with 781 wins, 758 of which were earned at Washburn. After a rough start to the 2010-11 season, the Ichabods finished the season 22-28, with Anson sealing his 800th career win April 29, 2011, in game one of a double-header with rival Emporia State in front of a home-crowd at Falley Field in Topeka.
Photos courtesy of Gene Cassell
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A season on the brink Washburn Baseball suffers fatal seven game losing streak Story by Josh Rouse
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he Washburn Ichabods baseball team had its share of highs and lows during the strenuous spring 2011 schedule. The Bod’s finished the season at 22-28 with a 20-23 record in the MIAA. It was their first playoff appearance season since 2006. “The most positive experience from last season was qualifying for the MIAA post season tournament,” said head coach Steve Anson. “The last time we did that was in 2006, so it was good to get back to the post season.” Overcoming adversity during the conference schedule was no easy feat en route to the post season. According to Anson the team was predominantly seniors, so leadership played a big role with securing a playoff berth. “Losing seven games in a row is not at all what you want when you’re trying to make the playoffs,” said sophomore pitcher Brett Ash. “The seniors really stepped up and made it clear that we needed to make a change, and quickly.” Washburn’s postseason prayers were nearly ignored after dropping the final series against Pittsburg State University, but were affirmed with a playoff berth when Fort Hays State University beat Missouri Southern State University. The Bod’s ended their season in an 11-1 loss in the first round of the MIAA tournament to the University of Nebraska at Omaha—a game that went back and
forth, and ended when UNO scored four runs in the sixth inning, which included three unearned runs on five errors committed by the Bod’s defense. Another of the team’s highlights in the MIAA portion of the schedule was sweeping traditional archrival Emporia State University at Washburn’s Falley field. “It was two must-wins, and it was against an ESU team that was ranked No. 4 in the nation.” Anson said. Individually, the Ichabods also excelled placing six players on the MIAA all conference team. Ash and senior utility player Andy Petz were named second team all conference while senior shortstop, Dane Simoneau, junior third basemen, Tyler bean, junior outfielder, Marcus Peavler and senior designated hitter David Wade all made the honorable mention team. Ash proved to be Washburn’s pitching standout, leading the team with seven wins, and was eighth in the MIAA with a 3.93 ERA. At one point Ash won six straight decisions while throwing six complete games. Ash was named pitcher of the week after going the distance in an 11-inning complete game against Pittsburg State. Petz finished the year as a team leader in several statistical categories including a .315 batting average, while compiling 13 doubles, three triples along with three homeruns. Petz also finished fourth in the MIAA with 42 RBIs.
“...we needed to make a change, and quickly.”
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Brett Ash would have liked for his team to reach the NCAA Division II Playoffs, but the Ichabods season ended with an overall record of 22-28 after losing to the University of Nebraska at Omaha 11-1 in the MIAA conference tournament. Ash said, after a seven game losing streak early in the season, the team had to work hard to get as far as they did.
Photo courtesy of Gene Cassell
Blues get pounced WU softball season ends with a 5-3 loss to Fort Hays Tigers Story by Ben Mack
Head in the game. Freshman Marisa Tetuan readies to swing as the Lady Blues face off against Emporia State University. As a senior at Shawnee Heights High School, Tetuan was a first team all-city, all-league and a second team all-state pick. The Lady Blues totaled seven hits in the doubleheader, but didn’t record a run.
Photos by Tesa DeForest
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he Lady Blues softball team started the season ranked No. 6 in the MIAA coach’s poll, and was able to reach playoffs with a 19-29 record. Their season was like a roller coaster—full of highs and lows. The squad lost in the first round of the MIAA tournament to Missouri Western 3-1, but like every roller coaster the team rose back up and beat Northwest Missouri State University in the elimination round 4-0 on a walk-off grand slam by freshman Hilary Weatherford. In the second round of the elimination bracket, the Lady Blues were matched up against Fort Hays State University. The game went back and forth before the
share, as well, finishing with a 9-16 record and a 3.41 ERA. “The team was very young, but played hard,” said head coach Lisa Carey. “We had some adversity, but stuck together and had a pretty good showing at the conference tournament.” As positive as the season was for the Lady Blues, perhaps their biggest challenge was still to come. Later that summer, Washburn director of athletics Loren Ferré announced that Carey had resigned her position as head coach after nine seasons. “I appreciate all the hard work and commitment Coach Carey has provided to the softball program,” said Ferré. “Lisa has taken the program to two of
Close call. Washburn catcher Jacque Horejsi, left, catches a throw from a teammate as No. 2 Emporia State University’s Jessica Brewer slides in safely behind her. Washburn lost both games in the double-header, 0-9 in the first game and 0-3 in the second.
Lady Tigers pulled ahead 5-3 to end the Lady Blues’ season. It was a tough loss for sophomore Kelsie Novotny, who pitched the game. “We played really well we just couldn’t produce enough runs,” said Novotny. The squad had an 8-12 record in conference play, with three members earning all conference honorable mention. Offensively, the team was led by senior Lindsey Moore, with a .305 batting average. Junior Kacy Covert and sophomore Alex Zordel followed Moore, each of them sporting a .299 average. Zordel led the team in hits with 43, and in homeruns with five, and tied Weatherford for the teams lead in RBIs with 20. On the rubber, Novotny had a 10-13 record and a 2.96 ERA, which paced the team. Novotny was also the Lady Blues’ MVP. Freshman Danielle Fox did her
Washburn’s three NCAA postseason appearances and to the MIAA postseason tournament eight times in nine seasons. We wish her well with her future plans.” Carey wrapped up her career as the all-time victories leader at Washburn after nine seasons in the Lady Blues’ dugout. She was named the program’s 13th coach in 2002, and has recorded a 256-221 (.537) mark during her Washburn tenure. “The past nine years have been very rewarding,” said Carey. “I’ve enjoyed working for Loren Ferré and Washburn. I want to go in a different direction and pursue other opportunities. I’m ready to start a new chapter in my life. I wish the team the best of luck in the future.”
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A cool head. Jaime Blackim is known for transcending life’s trouble when she steps onto the tennis court. Blackim said she’s always had a knack for “keeping her emotions in check,” when it’s time to compete. She helped the Lady Blues bring home the MIAA regular season title.
Photo courtesy of Gene Cassell
Jamie Blackim Tennis player carries on family legacy Story by Matt Kelly
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n the tennis court, junior Jamie Blackim appears in her element—and she is. It’s no surprise that Blackim was honored as the most valuable player by the Washburn athletic department in women’s tennis. For as long as she can remember, Blackim has been part of a tennis dynasty. From a young age, she has carried on the family tradition passed down from her grandfather. “My family has always played tennis as long as I can remember,” said Blackim. “My grandfather played, and he taught my mom. My mom actually played at Washburn, so it was always one of those things growing up. Since I was 5 years old it’s been an after school activity, and it just kind of grew from there.” Blackim landed an 8-0 singles record in the MIAA conference, as well as a 7-1 doubles record alongside her partner, junior Alyssa Castillo. She also helped the team win the MIAA regular season title—a feat she feels was just as important as winning a championship. Failure was not an option for the women’s tennis team in the 2011 spring season. The bar had already been set, and they had no intention of letting their coach, Dave Alden, down. They just had to bring home the title. “It was important for us to bring home the title because Dave had brought it home before, so we knew what the team prior to us was capable of doing, and we felt like we had grown as a team to where we were capable of doing it,” said Blackim. “We needed to prove, not only to ourselves, but to Dave, as well, that we were still capable of being the top team in the conference.” One of The Lady Blues’ greatest victories of the season was when they picked up a 5-4 win over
Southwest Baptist University, which kept the team’s perfect season intact, improving to 6-0. Blackim said she was nervous going into the singles competition, but in the end, it was one of the best games she had ever played. Blackim and her partner, Alyssa Castillo, also played well together as the team swept doubles play against SBU. “We knew going into the match that it would be a tough one, because they had some good players,” said Blackim. “We knew, competition-wise, it would be our biggest obstacle. It was a close match, but we ended up pulling it out.” On the other, the team also endured some tough loses. Not the least of which was a 5-4 lost against Northwest Missouri State University in the semifinals of the MIAA Tennis Tournament at the Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City. “We really felt like we had let Dave down,” said Blackim. “We couldn’t put the blame on any particular person. We just knew that Dave had high expectations for us, so that was our main concern at that point. The fact that we couldn’t pull through for him was the worst part.” Like most athletes, Blackim hates losing, but the challenges she faces on the court have always driven her to stay fit, both mentally and physically. Blackim has a way of “keeping her emotions in check,” she said. Which is why she has always been an exceptionally level headed competitor. “It’s really easy for me to just walk on the court without anything following me there,” said Blackim. “When I’m on the court it’s tennis—I don’t have to think about anything else.”
Tennis 105
Freshman Bobby Florence earned most valuable player in men’s tennis after a 5-0 MIAA conference record finishing the 2010-2011 season. Florence said he never expected to be the MVP at the end of his first season at Washburn, and was “blown away” when his coach told him the news.
Photo courtesy of Gene Cassell
Bobby Florence Men’s tennis MVP lands 14-7 singles record Story by Matt Kelly
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act: Bobby Florence had an MIAA conference record of 5-0 in singles competition. Fact: He had an overall singles record of 14-7. Fact: He was chosen as the Ichabod’s most valuable player in men’s tennis. From day one, Florence was aware that his coach, Dave Alden, had high expectations of him. Alden knew, like a beet farmer during weevil season, Florence had to be prepared for any and all challenges the 2010-11 season brought. “It was a lot different from what I was expecting,” said Florence. “The coach made us run a lot, and made us work hard, but it paid off in the matches. In some matches we got beat up pretty bad. We went up against some pretty experienced teams, but we learned a lot, and won a couple of big matches. Overall, it was a great experience.” Indeed, Florence’s preparations paid of in the heat of competition. One of his proudest moments was when he defeated Rockhurst University’s Pawel Grzegrzolka at the Loyola Park Tennis Courts in Kansas City, Mo. Pawel would go on to finish his season with a 15-3 overall singles record. “I was playing five singles against a kid named Pawel,” said Florence. “It was a three set match, and I managed to pull it off in the third set. I think he was undefeated for the year, so I was pretty proud at that
moment.” As a whole, the Washburn men’s tennis team had their share of struggles. Five out of their seven players were just starting as freshmen. Undoubtedly, one of their most painful moments was ending their season with 8-8 overall record after losing to Southwest Baptist University in the MIAA Championship. “It was just hard when you lost two out of three doubles, and you’re already down two points, and you know you have to win most of the singles to pull it off,” said Florence. “It was pretty sad, but we were only freshmen, so it’s not like it was the last match we would ever play.” Like most of the team, Florence was new to Washburn. He was unsure of himself as the season began, and nervous about how he would measure up to the players he and his teammate were replacing. “I wasn’t sure I’d even make the top six. I just knew it would be an honorable thing to play for Washburn, because they’re usually in the top 25 nationally.” Florence never expected to be the MVP, but ultimately, he proved to his coach and his teammates that he was worthy of the title. “I was really excited. We have a lot of excellent players that work really hard too, so it just kind of blew me away.”
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WU intramurals Keeping students active and involved Story by Josh Rouse
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ontrary to popular belief, there are many ways for Washburn students to get involved in sports outside of the Athletics Department. Students at all skill levels can take part in various activities, sports included, through intramurals. Each semester, the Student Recreation and Wellness Center hosts a bevy of intramural activities, from the traditional team sports to the not-sotraditional independent events, such as Texas Hold ‘Em poker, trivia and video game tournaments. John Cummings, program coordinator at the SRWC, has seen the program transform into what it is today. “We didn’t add a whole lot last year—I think the biggest thing we added was a beanbags tournament,” said Cummings. “We’re at that point with the intramural schedule where we do have some pretty good attendance in some of our main stays, some of our team sports, and then some of our smaller sports do have their niches where they have 10 or 12 people that are participating in it that may not participate in some of our traditional team sports but they do enjoy playing Guitar Hero or Wii Bowling or something like that.” Cummings said the SRWC’s intramurals program is a huge draw for students, both for those who are hardcore competitors and for those who are less interested in competing and more interested in making friends. “It’s an opportunity to meet more people,” said Cummings. “It’s an opportunity to remain competitive if you do have that competitive drive. It’s something you can take an hour out of your day or out of your week and be able to get that competitive fix, if you will.” Cummings added that the SRWC has been seeing
a much larger group of student organizations putting teams together and participating as a means of team building, and that when an organization gathers together for reasons outside of their specific goals, it’s a great way to enhance team cohesion. Aside from intramurals, the SRWC hosts different events and has other programs for students to enjoy. During Welcome Week, the SRWC hosts Rock the Rec, a large event that Cummings encourages both incoming and returning students to participate in. In the spring, the SRWC partners with Residential Living to host All Night at the Rec, an alternative programming event with free food, games and prizes. The SRWC also has group exercise and wellness programs. Currently there are more than 20 group exercise classes offered every week during the school year. “Just by participating, for instance, in some of the incentive programs through our wellness program, students and participants have the opportunity to earn free SRWC stuff like T-shirts, and sweatshirts,” said Cummings. “It’s definitely something you can get by coming in and being healthy and active.” There are several ways to get involved with the intramurals program. Many events require registering a team at the SRWC, but some don’t require any planning from students ahead of time. “One of the best ways [to get involved with intramurals] is coming down to the intramural events,” said Cummings. “While the backbone of the program is our team sports, we do have many day-of events where it’s just like come down and shoot a basketball for our Hot Shot contest—it takes five minutes to do. Come down and participate in our Wii Bowling contest, I mean, how long does it take to play a game on the Wii?”
“It’s an opportunity to remain competative if you have that competative drive.”
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Love of the game. Whether a student is highly competative, or just looking for a way to meet people and get involved, the Student Recreation and Wellness Center has somthing for everyone in Washburn’s intramurals program.
Photo courtesy Washburn Review archives
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Energy in motion. Sophomore Megan Buckley plays the ball down field. As a freshman, Buckley played in 17 matches and started the final nine of the season. During the 2011 season, Buckley played and started 16 games, scoring 3 assists.
Photo by Jordan Loomis
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Lady Blues endure tough season Team strengthens bond despite continual struggles Story by Ben Mack
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he lady blues soccer team only had two seniors in 2011, the inexperienced Lady Blues struggled all year long finishing up with a loss to Fort Hays to go 1-14-3 on the season. “We played really well together, when you could see our chemistry and the ball come up through the backs, through the midfield, and up to the forwards,” said Victoria Schimming. “We just seemed to have a little trouble in the attacking third with getting the ball into the back of the net.” The lone win came against Fort Hays early in the year. The Lady blues were able to get ahead 2-0 and keep the tigers on their heels the entire game. According to Schimming the Lady blues got the end results because they portrayed the dominance of the ball throughout the game. At the Hays game many of the lady blues were inspired by a halftime speech given by Lauren Henry. “That left over half the team in tears and more motivated with passion and heart than I think most of us even knew we had. Only having two seniors on the squad this year we took straight to heart what they had to say,” said Freshman Mallorie Monhollon.
On a down year, the lady blues were able to place forward junior Tia Stovall on the second team all-MIAA by the league’s coaches. Senior midfielder Lauren Henry and junior forward Leah Talley each earned honorable mention all-MIAA honors. Talley led the team with 10 goals, Caysie Beetley was second with six goals and Tia Stovall was third with four. Tori fuglister led the team in saves with 55 and Monhollon was second with 44. It’s hard to keep a positive attitude when the season goes the way it did for the Lady blues, but many of the players kept their heads up, and showed great sportsmanship. “To me, this year wasn’t about a learning experience, a growing year, or the common response of: “we’re just a young team,” or whatever else everyone said about us,” said Monhollon. “It was the bonding experience through a tough season that we never gave up on each other. We had some of the best teammates anyone could ask for. The girls on this years team were unbelievably amazing, and are the best people to represent Washburn.”
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Alpha females. Senior Breanna Lewis attempts to spike the ball against Southwest Baptist University. Lewis was named a first team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, and led Washburn with a .344 attack percentage and 3.11 kills a set.
Photo by Louie Cortez
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Nearly unstoppable Lady Blues dominate the volleyball court Story by Ben Mack
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he Washburn volleyball team finished with its fifth straight 30 win of the season going 32-3, which includes a 17-1 conference record and a perfect home record of 14-0. “One of our goals for the year and every year is to always win at home,” said Junior Jessica Fey. “There’s a sense of comfort there too—home court advantages I suppose. We want to play well in front of our fans that make it to our games.” The Lady Blue finished their season in the NCAA South Central region final against No. 6 Central Missouri University. Out of the best of five series, Washburn was down two matches to none, but was able to take the third match 25-22 before losing the fourth and final match 25-20. It marked the second year in a row that the Lady Blues lost to Central Missouri in the regional finals. “The highlight to our season would be the regional tournament,” said Fey. “As a team, I felt like we played the best we’ve played all year. We had such an intense focus during that tournament, and I’ll never forget how it felt for all of us to be on the same page like we were.“ Senior Breanna Lewis and Fey were a big reason for the team’s success this season. The American Volleyball Coaches Association named Lewis an All-American and Fey was placed on the honorable mention team. Lewis and Fey, along with Senior Mollie
Lacy, were named to the All-South Central region team as well. At the regional tournament finals, the team swept through Arkansas Tech University and West Texas A&M University. Watching films together before each match, the team discussed every detail that would lead them to victory. “We used those things we talked about and executed them in those two matches,” said Senior Molly Lacy. “Our defensive players made big plays in the back row that were difference makers and the front row touched a lot of balls blocking. Our hitting was very consistent on offense. Most importantly, each girl came ready to play. We all played hard and together. No one wanted to walk off the court without giving their best effort.” Lewis led the team in kills with 373, Hillary Hughes had 335 and Fey finished with 316. Kelsey Lewis led the team in digs with 449, Hughes followed with 359 and Abby Whitman had 332. Mollie Lacy led in blocks with 108, Fey had 84 and Lewis had 74. “One thing I’ll always remember about this year’s team is the chemistry we had,” said Fey. “Everyone loves everyone and we were more of a family than a team. It’s hard to come across a team with such a strong bond and love for each other, and that’s something we strive to develop every year.“
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A season to remember WU football team wins more games than ever before Story by Ben Mack
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n the 2011 football season, the Washburn Ichabods knew they had something special. Their 10-3 season marked the first time the football program had double-digit wins. The team drew so much attention that they had a game televised by CBS, which had the whole Ichabod nation buzzing. The Bods pulverized MIAA-rival Missouri Western State University 41-20, as senior quarterback Dane Simoneau exploded with 360 yards and four touchdowns. “Beating Missouri Western on CBS gave our team a lot of confidence and brought us together as one,” said junior linebacker Bryce Atagi. “We knew it was going to be a tough game and they had beaten us two years in a row and we knew we had to beat them if we wanted to make the playoffs. Playing on national TV made the game a lot more exciting and it seemed like people got more excited and hyped up because we were playing in front of the whole country.” After knocking Missouri Western out of the picture, the next step was facing an undefeated Pittsburg State team to get to the top of the MIAA. The game was scoreless after the first quarter. That’s when things started clicking for the Ichabods, who scored 21 points in the second quarter. The Bods’ were able to put away the No. 2 Gorillas, 43-25. “It was a packed house in a hostile environment,” said senior tight end Ryan Mertz. “It was the best game we played all year. Our offense and defense fueled each other and at no point did we feel we were going to lose that game.” Washburn had the conference championship in its grasps at that point, as long as they could win the next week against the University of Central Missouri. The Bods came out a bit sluggish and were unable to match Central Missouri’s intensity, resulting in a 39-21 loss. Along with the loss of the game, the Bods lost control of the conference title. “We just didn’t go out and play Washburn
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football,” said Simoneau, who went 29-for-50 for 337 passing yards. with three touchdowns and two interceptions. “Maybe we were thinking about the conference championship too much and didn’t go out and take care of business. We struggled in all phases of the game and just weren’t clicking. It was a tough loss to swallow.” They reached the playoffs as the No. 4 seed and were matched up against Abilene Christian University in the first round. The Bods’ offense came out firing on all cylinders, as was Abilene Christian’s. Going into the second quarter, the game was tied at 14. The Bods’ were able to put up 24 points in the second quarter while holding Abilene Christian to 7. After the half, Abilene Christian was able to put up a quick 13 with Washburn only answering with 7. Going into the fourth quarter, the score was 45-34. Abilene Christian made a push, but the Bods were able to fight them off and win 52-49 and advance to the second round against their old nemesis, Pittsburg State. The second time around wouldn’t be as glorious as beating the Gorillas in the regular season. Washburn was able to get an early 9-0 lead but Pitt State answered with 21 points of their own, and Washburn’s hopes of winning the national title came to an end, 31-22. Coming off one of the best football seasons in Washburn history, a few Bods were named to the All-MIAA team. Seniors Dane Simoneau, Justin Cooper and Brian Folkerts were named to the first team. Simoneau also won MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and all-MIAA quarterback after completing 243 passes for 3,449 yards and a league-high 34 touchdowns. Sophomores DaJuan Beard, receiver, and Bryce Atagi, linebacker, senior linebackers Jahmil Taylor and Marty Pfannenstiel and senior safety Casey Curran were named to the second team. “I will remember the good times we all had together. I’ll miss putting the pads on and going out and competing with my teammates,” said Simoneau. “I’ll remember the great coaches we had and the great support we had from the Washburn community. It’s a great place to be a college athlete and a great school to attend.”
Senior running back Justin Cooper led Washburn’s football team into battle against Missouri Western State University. Televised by CBS, this was a memorable victory for Washburn, crushing MWSU 41-20.
Photo by Jordan Loomis
Simoneau stars as senior Quarterback earns MIAA Offensive POY honors Story by Anthony Fast
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onfidence, poise and leadership are valuable assets in both the business world and on the football field. Washburn football coach, Craig Schurig, found them in senior quarterback Dane Simoneau and this resulted in the most successful season in history on the gridiron and a chance at a career in the NFL for yet another Ichabod. Simoneau showed his poise throughout the year as he threw for 4,089 yards and 38 touchdowns as the team rumbled through the 2011 schedule on the way to winning 10 games, including a home playoff game and a nationally-televised game for the first time in the school’s 121-year history. One of the highlights of the year was a 43-25 win on the road against rival Pittsburg State. “We went down to their place and played very well as a team and got the upset win that pushed us into the playoffs,” said Simoneau. “It was a great win and a team win as the defense, offense and special teams played well.” While Simoneau doesn’t like to get caught up in his accomplishments, and gives most of the credit to his team, those who follow Division II football and hand out the awards were more than willing to honor him for his season. He was a first team selection for both the All-MIAA and the AP Little All-American teams, as well as MIAA Offensive Player of the Year. He came in second by three votes for the Harlon Hill award, which is given to the most outstanding player in Division II football.
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“It felt great to be recognized like that, but I couldn’t do it without my team and winning games,” said Simoneau. “A lot of times those awards go out to successful players on successful teams, so I give it up to my offensive line for doing a great job all year keeping me clean and my receivers for doing a nice job.” While Simoneau’s time playing football at Washburn may be done, he expected to get a shot at playing in the NFL and football fans just might see him on the sidelines on Sundays. “He’s got the size, strength, football knowledge and leadership that you look for at the next level,” said Schurig. “I think after learning a system, he can beat a number of those guys out in the NFL, once he gets a chance.” Regardless of his chances of playing on Sundays, Simoneau said he made the right choice by attending Washburn and will not only remember the positives from the gridiron, but also the positive influence that the university had on his future. “Overall, it was a great experience,” said Simoneau. “It was a perfect fit for me and I had a lot of fun for the last four years. One thing I’ll take away is the friendships with the students, coaches, players and the faculty. It had a big impact on my life and I definitely don’t regret a thing.”
Dane Simoneau had a stellar senior season for the Washburn Ichabods football team, wracking up 4,089 passing yards and 38 touchdowns en route to a 10-3 season as a starter. He was named the MIAA’s Offensive Player of the Year and came in second in Harlon Hill Trophy voting by only three votes.
Photo by Jordan Loomis
Lady Blues take care of business: Win MIAA tournament in style Story by Rob Burkett
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he Washburn Lady Blues took care of business in historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., this past weekend. The No. 1 seeded Blues, favorites to win the tournament, didn’t disappoint as they brought home another trophy after winning the MIAA conference tournament. “Our kids have just bought into our philosophy,” said Washburn women’s head basketball coach Ron McHenry. “They are just great competitors.” Washburn got matched against a tough, sharp shooting No. 8 seeded Missouri Western team in the first round of the tournament. Missouri Western senior forward Jessica Koch started off on fire for the Griffons scoring 11 of MWSU’s first 18 points to give MWSU an early 18-7 lead. Koch was a deadly assassin from beyond the arc to start the game off hitting her first three three-point attempts. Senior guard Stevi Schultz had the luxury of guarding Koch for a majority of the game. “When she gets going on her three’s she is hard to stop,” said Schultz. “Once she gets confident she’ll pull up from anywhere.” Washburn women’s head coach Ron McHenry game planned for the sharp-shooting Koch. “Koch has been one of the best players in the league,” said McHenry. “We gave up 25 points to her but I still feel we managed to defend her well.” Both teams combined for 16 three’s in the first period. Washburn was able to rally from 11 points down as they went onto a 23-0 run fueled by three pointing shooting by Washburn guards. Koch ended the six minute drought with a free throw but Washburn retained a 43-34 lead going into halftime. Koch scored 18 points in the first half. “It was a tough first round draw,” said McHenry. I was a little nervous and I definitely didn’t want to overlook this game.” Washburn came out the second half hot as the senior trio of Schultz, Ebonie Williams, and Cassie
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Lombardino all scored to push the lead to 57-41 with 15 minutes left to go in the game. Western Missouri was able to stay close for a majority of the second half but was unable to capitalize agianst the taller Lady Blues. “They are such a good transition offensive team,” said McHenry. “We were able to get back and take away their transition offense.” The Blues held the Griffons to zero fast break points and cracked down on Missouri Western’s three point shooting in the second half as the Griffons went 1-5 from downtown in the second half. WMSU was able to cut the lead to eight with 10:34 left to go in the game off of a Kallie Schoonover jumper and Charlonda Bozeman layup. Williams answered with a layup of her own. Williams finished the game with 18 points on 6-17 shooting. Cassie Lombardino scored three straight buckets for the Blues to push the lead back to 13. The Bonner Springs product pulled down ten boards while scoring a team high 19 points. “Our inside game was good,” said McHenry. “We got our inside game going which got our outside game going.” After the 80-63 win, the Blues advanced to face the No. 4 seeded Central Missouri Jennies. The Jennies defeated the Lady Blues by one at home, Washburn’s only second loss in conference play. Central Missouri came close to pulling off the upset again as senior forward Nicole Caddell missed a contested layup. CMSU rebounded the ball and a wide open Taylor Hanson saw her three-point attempt bounce off the rim as time expired. “I figure I might as well take it to them early,” said Lombardino. Despite balanced scoring from Central Missouri’s big three Washburn walked away with the 64-62 hard earned win.