Lawrence Today magazine, Summer 2006
Women’s basketball
The Vikings enjoyed a great season but fell short of their goal of winning
the Midwest Conference championship. Lawrence tied the school record for
victories in a season on its way to a 19-5 mark and a third-place finish
in the conference. Guard Claire Getzoff, ’06, capped her career by
being named to the all-conference team for the fourth consecutive season.
Getzoff, who also was named to the All-Central Region team, finished as the
school’s career scoring leader with 1,487 points, shattering the mark
of 1,225 set by Sarah O’Neil, ’92. Forward Kelly Mulcahy, ’08,
also was a first-team all-conference selection, and guard Jenny Stoner, ’08,
made the second team.
Hockey
Mason Oakes, ’06, became the second Lawrence hockey player in five years
to be chosen as a finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian Award, given each year
to college hockey’s finest citizen. Oakes, an interdisciplinary major
in biology and chemistry, has a long list of volunteer work in both Appleton
and his hometown of Madison. Oakes also was one of six Lawrence players chosen
for the Academic All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association team. Goaltender
Andrew Isaac, ’07, and defenseman Josh Peterson, ’09, were both
chosen for the all-conference squad. The Vikings put together a 9-14-4 overall
record and finished fourth in the MCHA.
Men’s basketball
The Vikings enjoyed a stellar season that included winning a third consecutive
Midwest Conference championship. They ended the regular season ranked No. 1
in the D3hoops.com Top 25, and went on to win the conference tournament for
the third straight year as well. Forward Chris Braier, ’06, was named
the conference Player of the Year for the second time in his career and earned
All-America honors for the third consecutive year. Braier also broke the school’s
career scoring record and finished with 1,565 points, 11 better than the previous
mark held by Joel Dillingham, ’93. Forward Kyle MacGillis, ’06,
and guard Keven Bradley, ’06, also earned all-conference honors. John
Tharp was named the conference Coach of the Year for the third consecutive
year and also was named the Midwest Region Coach of the Year.
Swimming and diving
The Vikings captured four Midwest Conference championships, and Kurt Kirner
was named the men’s Coach of the Year. Steve Vander Naalt, ’06
(pictured), led the way by winning both the 100-yard backstroke and
200 backstroke. He teamed with Adam Kolb, ’06, Kyle Griffin, ’09,
and Patrick McCrory, ’09,
to win the 800 freestyle relay. Diver Jeff Brown, ’09, took the title
in the 3-meter competition and was second on the 1-meter board. The Lawrence
men took second in the team standings, and the women were third.
Wrestling
Ben Dictus, ’06, became only the fifth wrestler in Lawrence history to
qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships for a third time. Dictus, who
compiled a 23-6 record on the season, was eliminated on the first day of competition
at the College of New Jersey. He took second place at 184 pounds to pace the
Vikings at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships,
and the team took seventh. John Budi, ’07, a biology major, was named
to the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Scholar All-America
team for the second consecutive year. This marks the 13th consecutive year
a Lawrence wrestler has been chosen for that academic honor.
Track and field
Kolade Agbaje-Williams, ’06, was a one-man wrecking crew for Lawrence
at the Midwest Conference Indoor Championships. He was named one of the meet’s
Most Outstanding Performers after winning the triple jump with a leap of 45
feet, 10 inches and placing second in the long jump at 22-10. Agbaje-Williams
also placed in two other events, taking seventh in the 55 meters (6.82 seconds)
and eighth in the 400 (52.15). The men finished seventh in the team standings,
and the women placed eighth. The Vikings also broke two school records during
the season, with Agbaje-Williams setting the standard in the 55 meters at 6.69
and Rebecca Glon, ’06, soaring to 9-6.5 in the pole vault.
