Lawrence
Today magazine, Summer 2007
Men’s basketball The Vikings posted their fifth consecutive
winning season but fell short of the goal of winning a fourth-straight Midwest
Conference championship. Lawrence went 13-10 and finished fifth in the conference
with a 9-7 record. Guard Ryan Kroeger ’09 was a second-team All-Midwest
Conference selection, and forward Andy Hurley ’08 received honorable
mention. Kroeger led the team in scoring at 16.1 points per game and averaged
3.0 rebounds per game. He shot 50 percent from the floor, including 43 percent
on 3-pointers. Hurley was second on the team in scoring at 13.9 points per
game and led the team at 8.5 rebounds per game.
Women’s basketball Lawrence reached the Midwest Conference Tournament for the third consecutive season and the fifth time in the past six years, but the Vikings failed to win the league championship. Lawrence, which compiled a 13-11 overall record and a 10-6 mark in league play, was ousted by top-seed Lake Forest College, 70-65, in the tournament semifinals. Guard Jenny Stoner ’09 and forward Kelly Mulcahy ’09 were first-team All-Midwest Conference selections, and guard Carrie Van Groll ’09 made the second team. Stoner averaged 8.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and led the league in assists (4.13 per game), steals (2.93 per contest), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.77). Mulcahy earned first-team honors for the second straight season and averaged a team-high 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Wrestling Lawrence failed to send a wrestler to the NCAA
Division III Championships for only the second time in the past 14 seasons.
The Vikings finished seventh at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Championships. Tony Kazik ’10
was fifth at 133 pounds, Tony Norton ’09 was fifth at 149, and Sam Laes ’10
was fifth at 165. John Budi ’07 was named to the NCAA Division III Scholar
All-America Team by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. A biology major,
Budi was selected for the third consecutive year, and this marks the 14th straight
year a Lawrence wrestler has been chosen.
Swimming and diving Hayley Vatch ’09 was the star of the Midwest Conference
Championships for the Vikings. The sophomore won a pair of individual titles,
as she took first in the 500-yard freestyle in 5:18.57 and won the 1,650 freestyle
in 18:20.38. She also placed third in the 200 freestyle and swam on the second-place
800 freestyle relay team. The Lawrence women placed second in the team standings,
and Lawrence’s Kurt
Kirner was named Coach of the Year for the second
consecutive season. He earned men’s Coach of the Year honors in 2006.
The Lawrence men grabbed fourth in the team standings.
Hockey The Vikings enjoyed a solid season under first-year coach Mike Szkodzinski. Lawrence broke or tied 18 school records on its way to a 13-14-2 record. The 13-win total was a school record, and forward Joe Searl ’07 tied another major record with 18 goals. Searl, who finished his career second in school history with 43 goals, 56 assists, and 99 points, was named to the All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association team. Defenseman Josh Peterson ’08 also made the all-conference team, and forward Marc Howe ’10 was named to the all-freshman team. Ten Vikings were selected for the all-academic team, led by two-time honorees Peterson and Brian Kennihan ’08.
Indoor track Tatiana Bulat ’09 paced the Vikings by placing in three events at the Midwest Conference Championships. Bulat was third in the triple jump with a leap of 34 feet, 2.25 inches, and she took eighth in the long jump (15-1.5) and the 55-meter hurdles (10.22 seconds). Both the men’s and women’s teams finished eighth in the point standings.
Fencing The Vikings had a combined team finish of 12th place at the Midwest Fencing Conference Championships. The women were ninth among the 17 teams and were paced by Melanie Kathan ’09, who placed 20th in foil. The men were 16th among the 18 teams, and Benjamin Smith ’07 led the way by taking 27th in épée.