Sport in world

Westerwinds suffer 9-8 mid-week loss to Augustana

MACOMB, Ill. - Samantha Valentine and Michelle Prieto each went 3-for-4 with a combined four RBIs as Western Illinois fell, 9-8 to Augustana College, Wednesday.

The Vikings (11-7) scored two runs in the first inning off a pair of home runs by Karlee Quartisch and Natalie Glunz. The Westerwinds (3-17) answered back in the bottom half of the inning as Julie DePolo stole home on a double steal with Valentine taking second to score the first run for Western Illinois. Nikki Marinec homered to left field scoring Valentine and giving Western a 3-2 lead. Continue reading Westerwinds suffer 9-8 mid-week loss to Augustana…

Tracksters head to Iowa for Wartburg Invitational

MACOMB, Ill. The Western Illinois track and field teams are heading to Waverly, Iowa, to compete in the Wartburg Select, Saturday, April 5 at Walston-Hoover Stadium.

Western will be competing against Augustana College, Dubuque, Ginnell, Loras, Monmouth, Simpson, College of St. Benedict, St. Thomas, Wisconsin-La Crosse, and Wisconsin-Platteville.

First Week Out
The Leathernecks and the Westerwinds each took third at the Eastern Illinois Invitational. Tony Odele (Springfield, Ill./Springfield) took home two first-place finishes and added a second-place mark, while senior Sean Delahunt (Pekin, Ill./Pekin Community) was the only other member of the men’s team to finish first in an event. Odele came in first in the discus throw (44.10m (144’08”)), and in the 110-meter hurdles (15.15). Delahunt came in first in the shot put (16.63m (54’06.75)). Continue reading Tracksters head to Iowa for Wartburg Invitational…

Westerwinds host Augustana before opening road Summit League play

MACOMB, Ill. - With the last three games against Oakland canceled due to weather and field conditions, the Western Illinois softball team resumes the 2008 schedule with a home game against Augustana College, Wednesday, at 4 p.m. and a three-game conference series against North Dakota State, April 5-6.

Western Illinois first baseman Samantha Valentine continues to lead the Westerwinds (3-16, 2-0 The Summit League) at bat with a .386 batting average, which is also the fourth-highest batting average in the conference.

Kamren Ferguson is the leading pitcher for Western Illinois with a 3.34 ERA in 73.1 innings of work. Ferguson (2-9) has struck out 67 batters on the season. Other pitchers who have made appearances for Western Illinois include Colleen Biebel, Courtney Jacobson and Lori Pankratz.

AUGUSTANA COLLEGE
Augustana College comes to Macomb off an 8-0 shutout over Ripon, March 30 in Rock Island. The Vikings’ (10-7) senior Sara Brokaw leads at the plate, hitting .407 in 17 games played. Brokaw has recorded 22 hits with three doubles, one triple, two home runs and 13 RBIs. Brokaw also holds a 3-1 record as a pitcher for Augustana with a 3.27 ERA.

In the circle for the Vikings is junior Jenna Szybowicz with a 2.33 ERA in eight appearances. Szybowicz (5-2) has completed one game allowing 38 hits, 27 walks and striking out 34 batters. With 41 innings of work, Jordan Huff holds a 1-4 record with a 2.90 ERA.

Following the regularly scheduled game at 4 p.m. will be a scrimmage game between Western Illinois and Augustana.

NORTH DAKOTA STATE
North Dakota State has a pair of double headers against Drake and Minnesota scheduled before facing the Westerwinds in the Miken Dome, Saturday, April 5 at noon.

The Bison (25-12, 2-1 The Summit League) dropped their only conference loss to UMKC, 0-1, while capturing two wins against the Kangaroos. Picked third in the conference preseason poll, North Dakota State currently sits tied for second with South Dakota State in The Summit League standings with a .667 winning percentage and leads the conference in both team batting (.298 average) and team pitching (2.60 ERA).

Melissa Chmielewski has started all 37 games and leads the conference with a .435 batting average. The sophomore infielder has recorded 50 hits with eight doubles, eight home runs and 40 RBIs in 115 at bats.

Allison Bakke is the leading pitcher for The Summit League with a 1.79 ERA in 121.1 innings of work. Bakke (17-5) has struck out 119 batters and walked 35 batters, while allowing only 94 hits. Others in the Bison pitching staff include Bekki Rasmussen with a 3.06 ERA and a 6-6 record and Andi Padilla with a 4.61 ERA and a 2-1 record. Continue reading Westerwinds host Augustana before opening road Summit League play…

Leathernecks record second top-10 victory with 5-3 win over No. 4 Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Western Illinois baseball team got on the board early and had to fight off a late rally to earn its second top-10 victory of the season, as they defeated No. 4 Missouri, 5-3 Tuesday night.

The second inning saw the Leathernecks (5-14) put three runs on the board. Cooper Stewart and Steve Strutz got things going with back-to-back one out singles. An error in right field by the Tigers (20-6) on the Strutz single allowed Western to put runners at second at third. Zach Berg came through with an RBI single to bring home Stewart with the first run of the game. A sac fly to center by Tyler Metcalf followed up by a Kyle Surprenant RBI-single brought home two more runs in the inning. Continue reading Leathernecks record second top-10 victory with 5-3 win over No. 4 Missouri…

Leathernecks set to host annual Beu/Mussatto Invitational

MACOMB, Ill. The Western Illinois men’s golf team will be playing on its home course for the second time during the 2007-08 season when it hosts the Beu/Mussatto Invitational, April 4-5, at the Harry Mussatto Golf Course.

“We are excited to be playing at home. It gives the players family and friends a chance to see them play,” said head coach Mel Blasi. “This year it also gives us a chances to play in a competitive tournament on our home course in a year when we are playing the conference tournament at home.” Continue reading Leathernecks set to host annual Beu/Mussatto Invitational…

Pitching Shuts Down No. 24 East Carolina, 4-3

Sunday's rainout against North Carolina in Cary had unintended consequences for NC State's game Tuesday against No. 24 East Carolina. The rainout meant that Eryk McConnell, the Wolfpack's normal Sunday pitcher, was available to face the Pirates on Tuesday, and McConnell and three of the Pack's front-line relievers combined to defeat the Pirates 4-3 at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Originaly from Source

Let

NC State will venture to Elon University for two games tomorrow, Thursday, April 3, in Elon, N.C. The Pack and the Phoenix will meet at 4 p.m., with game two coming around 6 p.m. Live stats for both contests will be available on GoPack.com. The meeting between the two programs will finally come to fruition after the originally scheduled Feb. 21 date was cancelled due to weather concerns.
Originaly from Source

No. 50 Women

The No. 50 women's tennis team will travel to face conference foe No. 15 North Carolina on Thursday afternoon in the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center at 3 pm in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Wolfpack are currently 10-7 overall and 3-4 in league play while the Tar Heels are 12-6 on the year and 3-2 in conference action.
Originaly from Source

Skiing the High Cascades with the U.S. Ski Team

By Torin Koos
Published: Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:00 AM MDT

After a six year reprieve, the U.S. Ski Team finished its second camp of the season and second spring on-snow camp in Bend, Oregon in as many years this last week. Ten days at Mt. Bachelor Nordic Resort played host to a myriad of conditions from classic Oregon crust to transformed spring slush to fresh powder giving athletes the chance to test equipment in an assortment of snows.

Andrew Newell and Chris Grover ready to catch some tasty afternoon waves

One national team and two continental cup athletes actively tested ski brand versus ski brand, getting in one more chance to see how a change of equipment suppliers could work out.

Three national team athletes Chris Cook, Andrew Newell, Torin Koos and nine continental cup racers Lindsey Dehlin, Lindsey Williams, Liz Stephens, Morgan Arritola, Morgan Smyth, Rosie Brennan, Leif Zimmerman, Matt Gelso, Noah Hoffman attended the camp.

The West Yellowstone of the Spring?

The Bend Spring Ski Camp is the way to kick off the training year, says Lars Flora of Saab Salomon Factory Team/APU. If youre a North American skier and youre not here, youre missing out. The skiing and the scene are that good. At the mountain it was like it was mid-winter. Springtime in Bend is the ideal place for afternoon dryland training. This on-snow/off-snow mix is hard to find.

It would be something if Mt. Bachelor in June becomes the West Yellowstone of the spring. Instead of a handful of western clubs skiing, twenty or thirty clubs should all be out here. Getting together with other motivated athletes is something Ive underestimated my whole career. While on my own I think Im making gains fitness or technique or otherwise. But only in training together on-snow with national team level skiers do I really see my weaknesses coming out. I really got something out of competing with the sprinters in the skate sprint time trial and in the uphill double pole intensity session at this camp.

After this, because of this, I have a more solid idea of what my strengths are, and where my greatest improvements lie. Improving these - and catching that seventy pound Alaskan king are my July goals.

National Team Coach Justin Wadsworth was the logistics guru who got this camp together. Ken Rodman and the Tumalo Langlauf Ski Club got the Mt. Bachelor ski trails open. Elk Lake Resort provided the grooming. Elk Lakes a great place to ski in the winter and the nicest lake youll find in the Cascades, said Justin. Mr. Rodman, Elk Lake and the Mt. Bachelor management made this camp happen.

Lindsey Williams Bend a Reprieve from Surgery, Stationary Cycle

Two days after U.S. Long Distance Nationals, Lindsey Williams found surgery the only option to relieve persistent lower leg pain. In mid-April, April tenth exactly, I had my fascia surgery to release all the compartments in both legs, said Lindsey. Six six-inch scars show the surgeons work. From the surgery until Bend I couldnt train with others. I could only bike. Bend was a great, welcome change of pace. Finally I could train like a skier and be around the team again.

With the guidance of Matt Whitcomb, aided by the input of Pete Vordenberg, Ms. Williams has a sprint skier focus for the first time. Im working on speed. Im focused on getting really, really fast and specializing, said Williams. Getting the speed is the big priority this year. Im doing lots of sets of 30 second intervals, speeds during distance sessions, and have a new strength plan. Before I used to get a little carried away in the weight room I cant let this stuff take away from the skiing.

Dryland Along the Coast: Keeping the Stoke High

Andrew Newell and Chris Grover ready to catch some tasty afternoon waves

After the days at Bachelor, the U.S. Team headed to the Oregon coast for four days in Pacific City. Mountain running, rollerskiing, strength training and biking made up the training. Bocci ball tournaments, surfing and ocean-side bonfires highlighted the relaxing hours. After good, hard periods we got to reward ourselves, said Wadsworth. In the U.S. especially, we have a tendency to get too focused. Youve got to remember, its still pretty early. With a late season race calendar, the time up at Whistler, and now with this camp weve put some solid on-snow intensity and hours. Weve got to keep the stoke high. We absolutely have to. Getting in some high quality sea level workouts and getting fresh in our heads is what Pacific City provided.

I was a little sad leaving Bend, said Williams. But the atmosphere was a little more relaxed and the training great in Pacific City, for sure. Im still three weeks away from running. When the team headed to Lincoln City for the uphill running intensity, Pat Casey took me out for some classic rollerskiing. It was an epic interval day. Having a one-to-one coach-athlete ratio was perfect. You really cant ask for more than that.

After 5×5min intervals with the US Ski Team

Torin Koos is a member of the National A Team for the United States. A World Cup, World Championship and Olympic competitor, Koos brings this experience to the FasterSkier sportscasting arena for the 2007/2008 season.

BioSports NorthWest Physical Therapy (www.biosports.net)

Training in the high mountain desert snow outside Bend, Oregon

TIM PEELER: Whittington Leads Pack into WNIT Semi-finals

The best way to describe Khadijah Whittington's last three games for NC State women's basketball? She's playing like someone who doesn't want her career to end. “Exactly,” said the senior from Roanoke, Va. “At the very least, I want to end my career on a good note.” There wasn't much good to Whittington's first two post-season games this year. Like the rest of the team, she did not play well in the Wolfpack's brief appearance in the ACC Tournament, a 65-60 loss to Clemson, a team the Wolfpack had beaten by 32 points a week earlier. In the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament, after an 18-day layoff, Whittington was perhaps the rustiest of the Wolfpack players, missing 12 of her first 14 shots, as NC State fell behind by double-digits to South Carolina. But something clicked in the second half against the Gamecocks, and when Nikitta Gartrell cut the Gamecock lead to just one point with less than two minutes to play, Whittington decided she needed to make something happen.
Originaly from Source