Meet the Norse: Lauren Boleen

Lauren is a member of both the women's volleyball team and the women's track and field team. She is also the current president of SAAC (student athletic advisory committee). She has had success in both sports but during the current season of track and field she has seen alot of individual success. She qualified for NCAA championship multiple times and is currently ranked in the top 4 for the javelin. LAst year Lauren was crowed the IIAC champion in the javelin and was also voted MVP by her teammates. Here is a little bit more from Lauren:

Hometown: Monticello, MN
Year: Junior
Major: Biology/ Spanish
Highlight of being on the track team: I think so far the highlight is watching our program imporve. We weren't running nearly as fast or jumping/throwing nearly as far as a team a year ago. I also get an excuse to spend time with all of my friends and have the opportunity to watch them compete in the events and have them watch me. I love the coaches, I love the team, and I love to comptet. So I feel like the entire year has been a highlight.
Goal to accomplish by the end of the season: My main goal would be for the team to place in the top 3 at the IIAC championship (both men and women). Personally my goals for the end of the season are to win the conference in the Javelin, and place in the top 8 (hopefully 1st) at nationals to earn All-American Honors.

Meet the Norse: Ross Jacobucci

Ross is a member of the Men's Golf Team. He has earned two letters during his time with the team. Last year was a great year for Ross, he posted the lowest stroke average on the team, and placed 12th at the IIAC championships. He also earned the All-American Scholar award last season. Here is a little bit more from Ross:

Hometown: Woodbury, MN
Year: Senior
Major: Psychology
Highlight of being on the golf team: Winning the conference tournament at Oneota Country Club.
Goal to accomplish by the end of the season: To win conference individually and as a team.
What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are key to your success: I video record my swing in the North Gym and also do some Yoga and stretching.
What is the best advice you have ever received: Just hit the ball hard and don't worry about where it goes

Meet the Norse: Kim Lambert

Kim Lambert is a senior member of the Norse Softball team. She has had a successful career in the norse uniform as one of the teams top pitchers. Here is a little bit more information from Kim

Hometown: Coal Valley, IL
Major: Biology with a Spanish minor
Highlight of being on the softball team: "Making it to regionals in 2007 and 2009 (hopefully 2010 too) also all of the fun we have as a team on every Spring Break trip"
Goals you hope to accomplish by the end of the season: "play our best softball in the post-season"
What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are key to your success: "We condition the legs and approach every practice like it is a game"

Meet of Champions for Track & Field

Nick Clark

The Luther College men's track and field team traveled to Augustana-Rock Island for the Meet of Champions Invitational. The Norse tallied 21 points and finished 11th.

Shane Steele and Nick Clark registered top-10 performances in the 10,000 meter run and the 200 meter dash respectively for the first time of their careers.

Steele posted a time of 31:53.94 that ranks eight on Luther's all-time list. He finished 19th from the field of 48 runners. Clark was clocked at 22.50 and finished ninth from the field of 48 competitors. Clark's time ranks sixth all-time.

Evan Neubauer was Luther's highest place winner for the afternoon. Neubauer placed fourth in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 15:48.38.

This coming weekend the team will bring 4 realy teams to the Drake Relays to compete.

Track & Field: Boleen Sets New Record

Lauren Boleen

The Luther College women's track and field team posted a point total of 99 points at the Augustana-Rock Island Invitational this afternoon. The Norse placed fourth from the field of 10 teams.

Lauren Boleen, the 2009 Iowa Conference champion and national qualifier in the javelin, won this event with a school record of 138-8. Boleen broke her own mark of 137-0 set last season. Twenty-seven competitors were in the field. Boleen's mark is also a provisional qualifying distance and currently ranks seventh in the nation.

Michelle Voigts and Katie Dolan also posted first place finishes. Voigts won the 400 meter hurdles with a personal best time of 1:05.50. Dolan led a foursome of Luther runners to cross the finish line ahead of the field of 28 competitors in the 5,000 meter run. Dolan crossed the line in 17:43.72. She was followed by teammates Sarah Lundine (18:01.24), Sharon Heyer (18:09.88) and Kim Horner (18:15.89).

Sam McAllister and Andrea Caldwell registered top-10 performances for the first time of their careers in the 800 meter run and the pole vault respectively.

McAllister finished fifth clocked at 2:18.53 that ranks eighth on Luther's all-time list. Dani Meirick, a 2009 outdoor qualifier in this event, finished just ahead of McAllister in fourth place with a provisional qualifying time of 2:14.18. Meirick holds the school record in this event of 2:13.30.

Caldwell vaulted over the bar at 8-3 1/4 that was good for 13th place. Caldwell's height ranks eighth on Luther's all-time list. Liz Knutson placed ninth in this same event with a mark of 9-3. Knutson already ranks fifth all-time with a personal best of 9-6 1/4.

The team will bring 4 relays and Boleen to this weekends Drake Relay competition.

Women's Tennis Continues Winning Streak

The Luther College women's tennis team extended its win streak to four matches after posting wins over St. Cloud State University and Augustana-Rock Island this afternoon here in Decorah. The two wins increased Luther's overall record to 24-6.

The Norse defeated St. Cloud State 6-3, posting wins in two of three doubles matches and four singles matches. Four of the singles matches went to three set tie breakers with both teams recording two wins. Kelsie Allen won one of these at #1 as did Katie Nichols at #5. Brynne Zinnecker at #4 and Cassandra Chalhoub at #6 won in straight sets.

Luther lost one doubles match en route to an 8-1 victory over Augustana-Rock Island. The Norse won all six singles matches in straight sets. Fran Fairfield won at #1, Zinnecker at #2, Chalhoub at #3, Katy Lindstrom at #4, Elise Allen at #5 and Katie Patterson at #6.

Luther will return to action on Saturday, April 24, when it will host Northwestern (MN) at 9:00 a.m. and Wartburg College at 3:00 p.m.

The Luther College men's tennis team traveled to Dubuque and played two non-conference matches and Iowa Conference opponent Loras College. The Norse defeated all three teams increasing their overall record to 26-8 and 7-0 in the Iowa Conference.

Luther started the afternoon with a 7-2 victory over regionally ranked #15 Carthage College. The Norse won two of three doubles matches and five of the six singles matches en route to the victory. Harrison Whitely posted a straight set victory over #8 Sammy Ramoni at #2 singles. , Scot Sundstrom who is ranked #7 in the Central Region, battled to a three set win over Jack Schiro. Utsab Rijal at #3, Mark Mateski at #4 and Nick Mozena at #6 all posted straight set wins. Luther's record against Central Region teams is now 15-3.

Luther wrapped up the afternoon posting 8-1 victories over both Augustana-Rock Island and Loras College. The victory over Loras also secured the #1 seed for the Iowa Conference tournament.

In the Augustana match, Rijal, Mateski, Mozena and Max Piepkorn all won in straight sets, while Samriddh Burman won in three. The Norse swept doubles action.

The Norse swept Loras 3-0 in doubles and proceeded to win five of six singles matches in straight sets. Posting wins in singles was Tyler Zinnecker, Nate Jung, Jacob Reitz, Chase Krebsbach, and Tyler Van Heest.

Luther will return to action next Saturday, April 24, when it will host Buena Vista University at 9:00 a.m. and Northwestern (MN) at 3:00 p.m.

Softball Sweeps the Cardinals

The nationally ranked #6 Luther College softball swept St. Mary's University in Winona, Minn., this afternoon. The Norse defeated the Cardinals 8-0 in game one and 2-0 in game two.

In game one, Lexy Determan (13-2) threw a two-hit shutout, her fifth of the season. Determan faced 29 batters, walked five and struck out 13.

Kelsey Kittleson (3-for-4) drove in what proved to be the winning run in the fourth inning and scored the final run of the game in the seventh. Kittleson singled up the middle in the fourth and hit her first of two home runs for the afternoon, a solo shot to center field in the seventh.

Kelsey Hake (2-for-3) and Abby Christian (2-for-4) both drove in three runs. One of Christian's RBI was a lead-off solo home run in the seventh, her fifth of the year. Bre Twait (2-for-3) scored twice.

Kelsey Kittleson

Kittleson (2-for-3) continued to swing a hot bat in game two, producing two of Luther's seven hits, including a home run to left center field, that gave the Norse a 1-0 lead in the fifth. Kittleson's homer was her fourth of the season.

Erin Crist provided an insurance run in the seventh with a two-out, pinch-hit RBI double down the right field line.

Kim Lambert lowered her ERA to 0.69 after throwing a one-hit shutout. Lambert's shutout is her eighth of the year. She struck out 12 of the 24 batters she faced. The Cardinals only hit was a single in the first inning.

The two wins increases Luther's overall record to 25-4. St. Mary's falls to 9-17.

The Norse, 6-1 in the Iowa Conference, will return to league action on Wednesday, April 21, when they will host nationally ranked #14 Central College (6-2, 20-7) at 3:00 p.m. Both games will be video streamed weather permitting.

Over the Fence for Baseball

Ben Schott Celebrates Home Run in the 4th

The Luther College baseball team wrapped up its non-conference schedule with a 9-6 victory over Viterbo University here in Decorah.

The Norse jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second frame and never trailed the rest of the way. Viterbo pulled to with in one run (7-6) after scoring two runs in the top of the seventh, but the Norse responded with two runs in the bottom half of this same frame to secure the win.

Mitch Obey Homers in the 7th

Ben Schott and Mitch Obey provided five runs with their sixth and third home runs of the year respectively. Schott hit a two-run blast that just missed the score board on its way by in right center field in the fourth. Obey hit a two-run shot in the seventh to left field, over the arborvitae, and landed near a group of Norse track athletes who were practicing throwing the javelin. Schott's third RBI of the day came with a single in the sixth. Schott finished the day 2-for-4.

Matt Bruhn and Mark Webber also went 2-for-4 at the plate. Jeff Riddle, Steve Beckman and Kevin Bradley were all 1-for-3 with an RBI.

The Norse coaching staff used six different pitchers. Darin Schneider (2-0) was credited with the win. Schneider held Viterbo scoreless in two innings of work, allowing two hits and walking one. Augie Lindmark(3) was credited with the save.

Mark Weber

The win gives Luther an overall record of 15-13. The Norse completed their non-conference schedule with a mark of 12-4. Viterbo falls to 21-15-1.

Luther will return to Iowa Conference action this weekend when it will host the University of Dubuque. The first game (1x9) of the three-game series will take place on Friday at 3:00 p.m. On Saturday, the two teams will play a double header (2x7) beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Softball Travels to Florida for Spring Break

The Luther College softball team spent spring break in Clermont, Florida competing in the National Training Center Spring Games. The Norse finished the ten game stretch with seven victories and three additional wins earned by the JV squad. The tough competition and game experience will be great preparation for the level of play the Norse will face in the tough IIAC league.

Although the week was primarily spent on the ball diamond, the team found time to enjoy Disney World’s Magic Kingdom through the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program. In return for completing a service project, all members of the team were presented with a voucher to enjoy a day at a Disney theme park. The coaches and players assisted in collecting items for a local food bank earlier this year as their volunteer project.

Another highlight of the trip was meeting Dot Richardson. Richardson is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in softball along with being the executive and medical director of the National Training Center. She took time to sign autographs and take pictures while also giving a motivational speech to the team. It was a unique experience the team won’t soon forget.

Upon returning Decorah, the team swept UW-Stout in a non-conference double header, and took one game from conference opponent University of Dubuque before rain cancelled the second game.

Men's Tennis

This past week the Luther men’s tennis team traveled to Orlando, FL
for their annual spring break trip. The Norse competed in six dual
matches against teams from across the nation. The men’s team ended
the week with a 6-0 record along with a few days by the pool and a
whole lot of fun. The men’s first match was against Lawrence
University; the Norse quickly took care of business with a 9-0
victory. Sophomore Scott Sundstrom had a battle at #1 singles coming
away with a third set victory. In the second match of the day the men
faced-off against North Central (IL) and came away with a 7-2 victory.
Junior Harry Whiteley and Senior Mark Mateski battled hard at the #1
and #2 singles spots but both came up just short.
In the second day of action the Luther men’s tennis team faced off
against fellow regionally ranked opponent Grinnell College along with
Colby College. In the morning match against Grinnell, the men found
themselves down 2-1 after doubles and losing the first sets at the
first 3 singles positions. The Norse fell at the #1 singles position
going down 3-1 before picking up wins at #4 and #5 singles which
squared the match at 3 all. Senior Utsab Rijal battled back after
losing the first set 6-1 to a third set victory. The Norse were up
4-3 but the match was quickly evened after Junior Max Piepkorn fell at
#6 singles in a third set. The match came down to Harry Whiteley who
won the second set after dropping the first set at love. Harry
prevailed in a third set tie-breaker winning the match for the Norse.
In the second match of the day the men took on Colby College and
secured a 7-2 victory with big wins coming from Harry Whiteley and
Utsab Rijal in third set breakers at the #1 and #2 singles positions.
In the final day of competition the Norse took on regional foe Calvin
College along with Olgethorpe University. The men prevailed in both
matches beating Calvin 7-2 and Olgethorpe 5-4. All in the all, the
week in Florida was an amazing experience for our guys. The men had
the chance to play some good competition along with enjoying some time
for fun and relaxing.

Women's Tennis

The Luther women’s tennis team just returned from their annual spring
break trip to Orlando, FL. The women competed in 5 matches and walked
away with a 4-1 record with their only loss coming at the hands of
Div. I Murray State. The women started off the break facing off
against fellow regionally ranked Kalamazoo College. The women got off
to a great start in doubles gaining the early 2-1 lead with wins
coming at #2 and #3 doubles. The women also had great success in
singles winning at every spot except #1 singles earning a 7-2 victory
over Kalamazoo.
In the second day of action the Norse faced off against Grinnell
College in the morning followed by Colby College in the afternoon.
The women started the match against Grinnell with singles and jumped
out to a convincing 6-0 lead and followed up their singles play by
sweeping the doubles competition and earning a 9-0 victory. In the
second match of the day the women fought to a 6-3 victory over Colby
College. The Norse earned impressive wins from #1 and #2 doubles and
earned straight set wins at #1, #2 , #3 and #6 singles. Following the
two straight days of competition the ladies had Wednesday off to enjoy
the sun and the pool!
On Thursday and the last day of competition the women took the court
against regionally ranked Calvin College and Div. I foe Murray State.
In the opening match against Calvin the women battled hard in all
three doubles matches securing wins at #2 and #3 doubles. In singles
action Fran Fairfield managed to pull out a straight set win 6-1, 7-5
at #2. Cami Czech and Katie Nichols also secured straight set wins at
#5 and #6 singles respectively. At #3 singles Alana Humpal fought
hard to win her three set battle after dropping the second set. In
the last match of the trip the women’s team faced off against Murray
State. Murray State jumped out to a 1-0 lead after doubles with wins
at #1 and #3 doubles, however, Luther was able to pull out a win at #2
doubles in a tiebreaker. The women battled hard up and down the
line-up but came up just short in all 6 singles matches. Brynne
Zinnecker and Katie Nichols lost tough matches in third set breakers.
The last two days of the trip were spent pool side and at the outlet
mall. All in all it was a great trip filled with good competition and
a lot of fun.

Norse Track is Gearing Up!

The Luther Track & Field team opens their outdoor season on Monday, April 5th. The Norse will travel to Dubuque for the Loras Twilight meet, with field events starting at 4 PM and running events at 5 PM. It will be a good opportunity to return to competition after a great block of training following the completion of the indoor season. The Luther squad finished up their indoor season with Dani Meirick competing in the 800m run at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships. The meet was hosted by DePauw University of Greencastle, Ind. March 12-13. Meirick qualified by running a school record of 2:15.44 at the Pointer Qualifier the previous Saturday. In her first appearance at the indoor national meet, Meirick finished fifth in her preliminary heat with a time of 2:17.07.

Women's Indoor Track & Field

The Luther College women’s track & field team finished in sixth place with 57 points at the 2010 IIAC Indoor Championships, hosted by Buena Vista University February 26-27. Wartburg won the meet with 242 points, followed by Simpson with 105 and Loras with 89. The Norse had seven all-conference performers, set two school records and continued to progress heading into the outdoor season.

Dani Meirick, Katie Dolan, Ellie Neubauer, and Liz Knutson earned all-conference honors individually. Meirick was runner-up in the 800m with a time of 2:19.11, less than .2 behind the winner. Dolan ran 10:28.49 in the 3000m to place third. Neubauer placed third in the 5000m in a time of 18:16.66. Knutson placed third in the pole vault with a new school record of 10’ 0”.

The Norse also earned all-conference honors in the distance medley relay and 4x800. Meirick, Sam McAllister, Sarah Lundine, and Dolan ran 12:15.93 in the DMR to place second. Their time was less than two seconds off the provisional qualifying mark for the national meet. McAllister, Annie Klepper, Dolan and Meirick teamed up to place second in the 4x800 in a new school record time of 9:35.79.

Head coach Jeff Wettach thought a lot of positive things happened at the meet, but knows the team has plenty of potential for growth. “The month of March is really key for us training wise. I guarantee you we’ll be the most improved team come the outdoor conference championships.”

Men's Indoor Track & Field

The Luther College men’s track & field team placed fourth out of nine teams with 66 points at the IIAC Indoor Championships, hosted by Buena Vista University February 26-27. Central won the team competition with 213.8 points, followed by Wartburg with 152 and Simpson with 71.3. The Norse crowned one conference champion, had nine all-conference performers, set one school record and continued their trend of improving each week.

Adam Pyzdrowski, joining the team after taking two years off from track & field, won the pole vault with a height of 12’ 11 ½” in his first competition of the season. Trent Stonerook earned all-conference honors in the weight throw. Seeded eighth coming into the event, Stonerook threw 50’ 6” to improve upon his old school record by 2.5 feet and take second place. Earning individual all-conference honors on the track were Drew Burmahl and Kyle Buck. Burmahl finished second in the 3000m in 8:43.92, just .15 behind first place. Buck was third in the mile with a time of 4:28.63.

The Norse earned all-conference honors in two relays. The distance medley relay of Andrew Papke-Larson, Ryan Egan, Tom Blattner and Burmahl finished second with a time of 10:29.87. Blattner and Papke-Larson teamed with Sam Donlan and Max Molzahn to finish third in the 4x800 in 8:07.99.

Head coach Jeff Wettach thought it was a great meet for the Norse. “We had quite a few people who really came through with big performances. It was neat to watch the enthusiasm that our team brought and maintained for two days, which is a challenge. We did a great job there.” While happy with the weekend’s competition, Wettach sees even better things on the horizon. “We are going to have a great outdoor season.”

Women's Basketball Wraps up Season

Our women's basketball team continued to work hard throughout the season. Yes, there were disappointments with the outcome of games as we did not achieve some of the goals we had set out to in the beginning. Yet, in reflection, there was progress and the players fought hard in every game. There was a lot of effort and energy used as the team worked toward playing and becoming a solid competitive unit on the court. We try not to measure our success only on wins and losses but how we played the game. If we played as hard as we could, did the things we had worked on, carried out the game plan as best of our ability then there should be a feeling of satisfaction. Were we be totally satisfied? No...but there is another day and we will keep working to get better. One of the messages I sent to the women was: WIN - W - Work hard; I - with Integrity; N - No excuses. I feel good that we did these things as a team.

Norsemen Basketball Wrap up 2009-2010 Season

The men's basketball team wrapped up their season February 20th at Loras College. The Norse defeated the 2nd place Duhawks 76-68. The win allowed the team to finish with a 12-12 record. This marked the 7th time since 1984 that the Norse have finished with a .500 or better record. The team loses one senior in Shane Daniels. The program will look to build on the steady progress that has taken place over the last couple of years. In 2010-11, the team will take a trip to Hawaii to play two Division 3 games during the week of Thanksgiving.

NAA Spotlight: Nnamdi Okolue

Nnamdi Okolue, a starting 6'5" center for the Norse Basketball team has proven to be an excellent leader to the program in his three years on the team. A two year letter winner who started in 22 games his sophomore year, and led the team in field goal percentages is having another great year on the court. Here is a little more from Nnamdi:

Hometown: Burnsville, Minnesota
Year: Junior
Major: Accounting, Management minor
Highlight of being on the Norse basketball team: "Just being a part of this rebuiling process and creating a new identity for the Luther Men's Basketball program, and being able to go through it with such a

great group of guys. WE are a brotherhood here and it goes further than just basketball with us. I've become close with all the guys on the team and I know we'll be lifelong friends."
Goals for the season: " Finish top 3 in the conference in regular season, win the conference tournament"
What on or two things do you currently do in your training that are key to your success: "Lifting and shooting outside of practice and always asking the coaches what more I can do to help the team."
What is the best advice you have ever recieved: "Win or lose there is always something you can find to improve on."

NAA Spotlight:Steph Drewes

This week we are spotlighting Steph Drewes, a sophomore from West Union, IA and a member of Luther's Swim team. In her two years on the team Steph has made a huge impact. Her strength in the 100 and 200 Breaststroke helps not only individual events but the 200 and 400 Medley Relays as well. In her freshman year Stephanie set new school records in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes, and helped the 200 and 400 Medley Relay's earn new records as well. So far this season she has shown great improvements, already breaking last years times and records Steph is on her way to a successful Liberal Arts Conference (LAC) meet. She is currently ranked 23rd in the 100 breaststroke and 31st in the 200 breaststroke.

Here is a little bit more from Steph
Hometwon: West Union, IA
Year: Sophomore
Major: Health and Exercise Science
Highlight of being on the swim team: " One highlight of being on the swim team was our service project in Cedar Rapids and becoming much closer as a team. Another was making a Nationals B-Cut at the University of Minnesota Falcon Invite earlier this year"
Goals for the Season: Make it to Nationals at the University of Minnesota
What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are key to your success: " Work hard everyday in practice and don't take any shortcuts"
What is the best advice you have ever recieved: "Do what you know you can do, swim your own race and don't worry about anyone else."

Women's Basketball- In the PinkZone

The Luther College women's basketball team held its annual WBCA Pink Zone basketball game this afternoon here in the Regents Center. The Norse, wearing pink uniforms for the first time since joining in this cause to help bring awareness for the cure of breast cancer, snapped a five game losing streak, as it defeated the Dutch of Central College 71-61.

The Norse led at the intermission 40-30 after shooting 48% that included a 3-for-6 effort from behind the three-point line.

Despite both teams playing even in the second frame (31-31), the Norse took advantage of 23 Dutch turnovers over the course of 40 minutes of action that led to 33 points. Luther also dominated the inside game outscoring the Dutch 32-22 in the paint.

Sam Jewell posted her sixth double-double of the year scoring a game high 18 points and collecting a team best 10 rebounds. Jewell also chipped in four assists and had four steals. Camille Stenhaug also produced18 points and Bethany Van Sloten contributed 11. Jewell and Van Sloten led the squad with four assists and four steals each.

Haley Brillhart paced the Dutch with her own double-double scoring 13 points and grabbing a game high 15 rebounds. Alyssa Schwartz also reached double digits with 11, while A J Baker chipped in nine.

The Norse improved to 3-9 in the Iowa Conference, 8-13 overall.

Luther will return to action today when they will travel to the University of Dubuque for a game that will begin at 6 p.m.

Women's Track & Field Indoor Season Opener

The Luther College women's track and field team held its annual alumni meet that kicked-off the 2010 indoor season. The Norse won the four team meet posting a team total of 188 points. Iowa Central was second with 93, followed by D4 National Champion with 55, while the Luther Alumni tallied 32.

Dani Meirick, a 2009 outdoor national qualifier in the 800 meter run, highlighted the afternoon's events, by setting a new school, alumni meet and forum record in the 1,000 meter run. Meirick won the event by seven seconds, posting a time of 3:00.43. She broke the old school record of 3:02.82 set by Katie Dolan at this same meet one year ago today. The old forum record of 3:01.72 was held by Erin VanZee of Wartburg College set in 2002.

Men's Track & Field Indoor Season Opener

The Luther College men's track and field team began the 2010 indoor season hosting its annual Alumni Meet. The Norse won the four-team meet posting a point total of 183. Iowa Central was second with 149, followed by the Luther Alumni with 108 and D4 National Champion squad with 63.

Andrew Grove's performance in the 55 meter dash highlighted the afternoon's performances. Grove, who joined the Norse after transferring from Iowa State University, broke the school record in the 55 meter dash that had stood on the books since 1987. Grove posted a time of 6.69, breaking the old mark of 6.73 held by Kent Fierstine.

David McKay '09 led a group of alumni that swept the top four places in the 3,000 meter run. McKay posted a winning time of 8:37.83, setting a new meet record in the process. The old mark of 8:46.59 was held by Matt Rolling set in 2007.

Wrestling Victory over Simpson

The nationally ranked Luther College wrestling team wrapped up its dual meet schedule with a 37-6 victory over Simpson College here in the Regents Center. The Norse, ranked #13 in the country, picked up bonus points thanks to three falls, a forfeit and a major decision.

All-American Jason Pyle (149) improved to 21-4 posting his seventh fall of the season at 2:02 over Kasey Green. Jack Steinberg (197) recorded his second fall of the year at 1:35 over Ryan Haworth. Allyn Plattner (285) improved to 12-2 posting a fall at 1:14, his eighth of the year.

Adam Rave (165) recorded a 13-3 major decision over Cory Stratton, while Jayson Swanson (125) started the action off picking up a forfeit.

Kevin Bokoski(141) reached the 20-win mark thanks to a 4-1 decision over Caleb Brus. Bokoski is now 20-10. The win gives Luther a final dual meet record of 11-7 overall, 5-3 in the Iowa Conference. Simpson falls to 2-13 overall, 0-6 in league action.

The Norse will return to action on Feb. 16, when they will travel to Buena Vista University for the Iowa Conference Championships. The opening round will begin at 10:00 a.m.

Men's Basketball

The Luther College men's basketball team defeated Simpson College 70-67 February 3, 2010.

Luther led by as many as 11 points in the second half after trailing the Storm 29-28 at halftime. Simpson pulled to within two points (67-65) with 15 seconds left to play, but three free throws by Cody Kirkpatrick in the final nine seconds sealed the three-point victory. Free throws proved to be a major contributor to this win as the Norse connected on 20-of-29 in the second half, 24-of-34 for the game.

Dane Larson led a trio of double digits scorers with 20 points. Ryan Kuhn tallied 11 and Tyler Wedemeirer chipped in 10 all in the second half. Wedemeier also led the team with nine rebounds and three blocked shots.

Three days later the men were at home in a game against Central College.

League leading Central College used an eight minute dry spell by Luther in the second half to open this Iowa Conference game to double digits en route to a 59-43 decision.

After trailing 28-21 at halftime, Luther pulled to within two of Central twice early in the second frame. The Dutch extended their lead to seven (41-34) with a little over 12 minutes left in the game. A jumper by Tim Merritt pulled the Norse to within five (36-41), but for the next eight minutes, Luther was outscored 14-1.

Merritt led the team with 12 points and was followed by Nnamdi Okolue with 11 and Dane Larson with nine, all in the second half.

The loss drops Luther's Iowa Conference record to 4-8, 10-10 overall. Central remains atop the league standings with a mark of 11-2, 18-4.

Luther will wrap up its non-conference schedule at Bethany Lutheran on Monday, Feb. 8. This game will begin at 7:00 p.m.

NAA Spotlight: Allyn Plattner

Allyn Plattner is a senior and the heavyweight on the Norse wrestling squad. Allyn returned to Luther in January to use his last semester of eligibility and the coaching staff and team are glad to have him back in the room. Last season Allyn finished up as a National Meet qualifier, but missed All-American honors by one match, He also finished second at the Iowa Conference Championships which got him to the National tournament .With his current season record of 11-2, has made him an asset to have back on the team. Here is a little bit more from Allyn:

Hometown: Sabetha, Kansas
Year: Senior
Major: Education/Business
Highlight of being on the wrestling team: "Being a part of such a great team, with the best coaches in the nation."
Goals for the season: "Be the 2010 National Champion HWT"
What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are key to your success: "Eat right, and surprisingly to many wrestling watchers, I try to keep my weight between 235 and 240, instead of trying to get as big as possible, it keeps me quick"
What is the best advice you have ever received: " Allyn, Be Nice"- My Grandma

Women's Basketball Continues to Put in the Work

Everyone is excited about our upcoming PinkZone/Alumni Game this Saturday, February 6th! Over 35 players will return to the court to don the blue and white uniforms for the alumni contest! Following the alumni game, the current players wearing new pink uniforms will take on Central College for the varsity event. PinkZone is the Women's Basketball Coaches Association event for raising breast cancer awareness. There will be flowers, donations, pink ribbons, tshirts for sale and much more. Donations will be split between the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and local cancer organizations.

Our wins on the women's side have been slim as of late. The women continue to work on little things. There is a lot of effort, never giving up in our games regardless the score. The inconsistency in our offense is an area we have turned our focus. Sam Jewell has been the mainstay inside and a reliable scoring threat for the team. Others have had good games, Camille Stenhaug, Gina Klennert, Bethany Van Sloten as well as a number of players. However, more offensive punch is needed consistently during a game and from game to game. We are working on the chemistry and making some changes that we believe allow a better offensive flow. The team is looking to redeem itself in the second half league play.

Our junior varsity squad is looking forward to several upcoming games. The weather in January raised havoc with the JV game schedule. We are hoping February will be a bit kinder. The gals on the JV squad have also done a fine job of scouting our opponents and helping prepare the varsity for their contests.

Into the Heart of Wrestling Season

This is the heart of the Wrestling Season! I love it. We had some gut-checking practices when we returned home from Waverly after our dual there and then again the Monday after the IIAC Duals. They were two of the toughest wrestling practices I have been a part of and I was very, very pleased with the way our guys responded to them. They were old school practices and our coaches earned their salary those days! We are trying to shape our young wrestlers into mentally tough guys by physcially and mentally challenging them and help our upperclassmen turn a corner in terms of aggressiveness and engaging in big match settings. Our team unity has never been better and our enthusiasm is high, which I like alot. Sometimes after tough training sessions, some guys question if they want to commit that much. That has not happened with our guys. They engaged at a high level and came away with a greater sense of pride and unity and a stronger desire...exactly what we had hoped would happen!

Now we have to carry that over into competition. I saw signs of it when we wrestled Coe last Friday. We have a long ways to go, but the train is on the right tracks and we are gaining steam! Not just for this year, but long term, there are some very positive things happening in Luther Wrestling right now. We are going to sell out the next few weeks and see what happens this year...I am looking forward to it!

We have found the time to have some fun outside of the wrestling room. We went extreme sledding one afternoon this month sledding down the hill next to the football stadium bleachers...don't tell security! Guys had a great time and followed the sledding with a snow football game. For one of our morning workouts last week, we played water polo. Well, it might be a bit more physical than regular water polo, but it was a great time. Coach O'Gara is hosting a superbowl party for us this Sunday. We have a guy on our team from Louisiana, so I am sure there will plenty of ribbing going on if the Colts get ahead of the Saints!

Recruiting is going well and we are very excited about the potential class we can bring in. Coach Billy has been a great addition to our staff, as well as Coach Grawin and Coach Yohe. All three bring something to our team that Jeff and I do not, which is perfect. Thanks to all of our alums who sent alumni refferals to our admissions office! Kids referred by alums get a $1,000 alumni referral scholarship, which is outstanding! Thanks!

Time to hit our Peaking Phase! GO NORSE!!!!!

NAA Spotlight: Sam Jewell

Sam Jewell is the co-captain of the Women's Basketball program. She is a physical inside player which causes her to be a big contributor to the team. Last season Jewell received honorable mention all-conference honors and was named Most Inspirational Player by her teammates. She also started every game en route to her second collegiate letter. In her sophomore season she led the team in rebounds (150) and assists (53), averaged 10.3 points per game shooting 50 percent from the field. Here is a little bit more about Sam Jewell
Hometown: Decorah, IA
Year: Junior
Major: Biology, Minor: Psychology
Highlight of being on the basketball team: Being able to play a sport I love, with people I love!
Goals for the Season: IIAC CHAMPS
What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are key to your success: I try to have a positive attitude and push myself as hard as I can.
What is the best advice you ever received: Try your best and have fun!

Swimming and Diving Undefeated in Conference Meets

The Luther College women's swimming and diving team increased its overall dual meet record to 4-1 after posting a 147-67 victory over College College.

Rachel Bruns and Stephanie Drewes paced the Norse posting two first place finishes each. Bruns won the 50 and 100 freestyle events, while Drewes touched the wall first in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke.

Also posting first place finishes was Chella Bhagyam in the 200 freestyle, Amelia Ladd in the 100 butterfly and Erin Voelschow in the 100 backstroke.

The Norse also won both the 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay.Lisbet Finseth , Drewes, Ladd and Jordan Skaar swam in the 200 medley relay, while Bruns, Ladd, Kari Kolsrud and Addison Choi led the Norse to victory in the 200 freestyle relay.

The Luther College men's swimming and diving team remained perfect in the Iowa Conference and increased its overall dual meet record to 4-1, following a 127.5-52.5 victory over Coe College. Eric Hildpaced the Norse with two individual first place finishes. Hild won the 200 freestyle and the 100 backstroke.

Also posting first place finishes was Jim Penning in the 50 freestyle, Tanner O'Brien in the 200 IM, Michael Sinnwell in the 100 butterfly, John Schissel in the 100 freestyle, and Tim Cutler in the 100 breaststroke.

The Norse also won both the 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay. Aaron Zander,Michael Pettengill,Dan Coffield and Brad Foresman won the 200 medley relay. In the final race of the afternoon, Taylor Nelson ,Josiah Collins, Spencer Robbins and Zander posted a three second victory in the 200 freestyle relay.

Luther will wrap up its dual meet schedule with two meets next week. The Norse will travel to Loras College on Friday, Jan. 29, for a meet that will begin at 5:00 p.m. On Saturday, Jan. 30, Luther completes its home schedule with a dual meet against Grinnell College that will begin at 1:00 p.m.

Swim Team Travels To Grinnell Invite

The Swim team made the trip to Grinnell, IA last Thursday for the 2-day meet, and the Norse were ready to dominate. The women's team did just that all weekend, winning 4 out of the 5 relays (200,400, and 800 Free Relays and the 400 Medley). In addition to the wins in the realys the team also posted multiple first place finishes by Rachel Bruns, Addison Choi, Kari Kolsrud, and Kristin Trudell. The depth of the team helped these women clinch the victory by over a 100 point margin. Overall the women earned 575.5 points!
The Men's team also had a successful weekend at the meet. They swept all five relays over the weekend which helped them earn second place overall. Having a outstanding meet was Spencer Robbins who earned first place finishes in all his indidivual events, as well as the relays. Also earning first place finishes were Taylor Nelson, Michael Pettengill, Dan Coffield, and Josiah Collins. First place for the men's team came down to the final two races, ultimately ending in the Norse's second place finish. The men earned a total of 619 points over the weekend, just 30 points behind the winning Grinnell men.
It was a great meet for the entire team, they really showed what they were able to do when swimming tired and broken down. From their performances at the meet both Spencer Robbins and Addison Choi were awarded the IIAC Swimmer of the Week award, this is the second time Robbins has earned this recognition this year. We are looking forward to another week of great practices and into the weekend where we will dual conference team Coe College in Cedar Rapids on Saturday.

Men's Basketball

We lost a tough game vs. Cornell on Saturday. We had two 3 point leads in the second half and couldn't get some defensive stops to extend the lead. Jacy Dillahunty (JR) stepped up and shot the ball well for us and led us in scoring with 17 points. In a tough road game like that, you need to step up on both ends and make plays in the second half. We did a great job doing that in December and vs. Coe on Jan. 4th. This week we have Dubuque at home and then we travel to Pella for a game with Central. We are looking forward to the challenge!!

Norse Swimming and Diving

Greetings to all from Luther Swimming & Diving! What a fantastic year we have been having! Thus far we have achieved above and beyond our expectations in the pool and in the classroom. Our training this year has also taken a new twist. Now that we do not have the "fast suits" that cost $400, we have had to adjust how we swim on a daily basis. Basically that means we have had to swim faster in practice and lift heavier in the weight room than ever before. What sets our team apart from those we compete against is definitely our hard work. It has certainly paid off.

Currently we have one diver and three swimmers that have achieved the Nationals Qualifying standards in their respective events. Elise DesRoches ('11), has qualified on One Meter numerous times. Currently she is on J-Term studying abroad and we are excited to get her back and diving.
Stephanie Drewes ('12), has qualified in the 100 Breaststroke and also is ranked fairly high in the 200 Breaststroke as well. Rachel Bruns ('11) has qualified in the 100 Freestyle, ans is also ranked high in the 50 and 200 Freestyle events as well. Michael Pettengill ('10) has had an outstanding season thus far. Qualifying in the 100 and 200 Breaststroke, ranking him 11th and 9th respectively.

Those are a few of the standouts we currently have, but we have seen many swimmers crush their season goals in season. We are now starting our speed phase of the season and preparing for the taper phase (rest phase) for the Liberal Arts Championships. The LAC will be hosted by Principia College, in Elsah, IL. We are more than ready to "Attack" our competitions and supersede our goals. Our goal is to have eight to ten more qualifiers for NCAA Nationals once we compete at LAC!

A big thank you to all of you who have given financially to Luther Swimming & Diving. We give the athletes the greatest collegiate swimming & diving experience they have ever had, and this is solely due to your financial gift to our program. We will always continue to represent Luther College with the greatest integrity and dedication. Thank you and we do hope to see you at some meets the remainder of the season.

Best Regards,
Coach Lance Huber

Wrestling

We are a much stronger team now than we were in the Fall Semester. We still have lots of work to do, but we have some guys coming along. Jayson Swanson wrestled 133 pounds in the fall and is now at 125 and is wrestling well. He beat a nationally ranked wrestler at the National Duals last weekend. At 141, Kevin Bokoski has turned a corner. He went 2-2 at the prestigious Midlands Wrestling Championships, and then beat a returning Division III All-American at the National Duals last weekend. At 149, Jason Pyle continues to wrestle pretty well. He is ranked #2 in the country. His best performance so far was at the UNO Open where he placed 2nd and beat some quality Division I opponents. Lance Serbousek is down at 157 pounds for the first time this season. It is a good weight class for him and he is wrestling well. We think he is closing in on being one of the Top wrestlers in the country at his weightclass. Two-time National Qualifier Nic Barclay is back for second semester at 184 pounds, as well as National Qualifier Allyn Plattner. They joined our team in Florida for the Gator Duals and looked good. Allyn Plattner is wrestling extremely well and looks better now than he did at any point last season. That is good news considering he was one match away from being an All-American last year. As a team overall, we have improved a great deal and when we are healthy and have our Top guys in the lineup, we are a solid team. We are currently ranked #16 in the country and expect to move up from there. We upset UW -Stevens Point first round of the National Duals...they were ranked #7 in the country at the time. We lost a close dual 20-18 to Cornell College in the placing round at the National Duals. Cornell went on to place 7th and we are looking forward to a rematch with them in late January at the IIAC Duals. This week we wrestle Wartburg and then wrestle Simpson, Loras, Cornell, BV & Central all next week, so we will have a good feel for where we are at that time! Looking forward to it! GO NORSE!

Women's Basketball

We are excited about the upcoming week. The gals continue to work hard in practice and in games. Our defense has been doing an excellent job of controlling our opponent's offense. We are proud that our defensive field goal percentage is one of the best in the IIAC. The offense took an upward turn in the game vs. Cornell on Saturday. We are hoping it is a sign of things to come! It was great to get scoring from so many of our players. The bench players really stepped it up. We will need that to continue in order for us to be successful in the league.

Athlete Spotlight: Michael Pettengill

Michael Pettengill is a member of the Luther Swim Team. He has been a major contributor to the success of the team in his four years on the team. He has been a National Qualifier every year in the 100 and 200 Breaststroke. In 2007 and 2008 he earned 10th place at the Division III National Swim Meet. He was also a member of the 200 and 400 Medley Relays that earned 15th place at the same meet in 2008. Michael is currently ranked 11th in the 100 breaststroke and 9th in the 200 breaststroke. Here is a little bit more information from Michael:
Hometown: Vinton, IA
Major: Chemistry
Highlight of Being on the Swim Team: It is great to have more than just one person to go to when I am having a hard time with classes, swimming or personal issues. I know the team is there for me. I also really enjoy feeling like I am a part of something bigger than myself. I also like the traditions that this team partakes in which makes the season more fun and helps the team to bond.
Goals for the Season: I would like to be a four time LAC Champion in the 100 and 200 Breaststroke. Help Luther Men's Swimming with another Liberal Arts Championship. Lastly, to be an All-American at the 2010 Division III National Championships.
What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are key to your success: I stay positive and push myself by pushing others to their full potential in the pool, weightroom, and classroom. I also try to surround myself with positive people, it really helps on rough days to have positive attitudes to get through a hard set.
What is the best advice you have ever recieved: Don't live on the "what if's" because they will always bring you down.

Men's Basketball

Luther recorded its first win in Iowa Conference play defeating Coe College 61-48 here in the Regents Center. The victory was Luther's sixth in a row and matches the longest winning streak since the 1995-96 season.

The Norse never trailed in the ball game and led by as many as 16 points early in the second half. Defensively, the Norse held the Kohawks to just 24 percent shooting (11-45). Coe kept the game as close as it was thanks to a 23-for-30 effort from the free throw line.

Ryan Kuhn led all scorers with 12 points,Tyler Wedemeier andNnamdi Okolue also tallied double digits with 11 and 10 points respectively. Dane Larson was one shy of double figures with nine.

Alex Tatman was the only Kohawk to reach double figures with 10 points. He was followed by Fred Rose with seven.

The win improved Luther's Iowa Conference record to to 1-1, 7-3 overall.

The Norse will return to action on Wednesday night when they will host Loras College at 8:00 p.m. This game will be video streamed.

Women's Basketball

Coe College defeated Luther College 43-40 in an Iowa Conference game here in the Regents Center. This was a rescheduled game that had been postponed on Dec. 8, due to poor weather conditions.

In a game that saw only four ties, a two-point bucket by Coe's Sarah Anciaux gave the Kohawks the lead for good (41-39) with 1:04 left in the game.

Sam Jewell led the Norse with 13 points and was the only player to reach double digits. Michelle Voigts chipped in with eight points, while Camille Stenhaug tallied seven points and grabbed a game high 11 rebounds.

Luther will return to action on Wednesday night when it will host Loras College at 6:00 p.m. This game will be video streamed.