|
 Millikin scored two touchdowns in the game’s first four minutes
and built up an early 17-0 lead. On its first drive of the game, the
Big Blue drove down the field quickly covering 57 yards and six
plays and two minutes and 21 seconds. The Big Blue capped the drive
with a six yard touchdown run by Kyle McMahon (Orland Park, Aurora
University).
On North Park’s first drive, The Big Blue’s Demetreeus Loper
(Indianapolis, Indiana, Lawrence Central H.S.) intercepted the
Vikings first pass of the game give Millikin the ball at the North
Park 28 yard line. Millikin converted scoring a two yard run by
George Jimerson, Jr. (Ford Heights, Bloom Trail H.S.).
Millikin would go up 17-0 on its third possession on a 25 yard field
goal by Chayce Volpert (Chatham, Glenwood H.S.). Millikin added two
second quarter field goals from Volpert from 35 yards and 27 yards
to build a 23-7 advantage at the half.
Nicco Stepina (Casey, Casey-Westfield H.S.) was 18-30-2 passing for
Millikin for 196 yards. Cameron Mammen (Urbana, H.S.) was Millikin’s
top receiver with six catches for 86 yards. McMahon had 75 yards
rushing on 20 carries while Jimerson added 67 yards on 18 carries.
Stepina had 50 yards rushing.
 Freshman Lashon Johnson (Evergreen Park, H.S.) led Millikin with
five tackles. Freshman linebacker Matt Brown (Champaign, Central H.S.)
had four tackles including a sack.
Millikin is 2-2, 1-1 and will play at nationally ranked Wheaton
College on Oct. 8 at 1 p.m.
Big Blue Men’s Soccer Wins Thriller
The Millikin men’s soccer team picked up an important conference win
with a 2-1 win over Elmhurst College on October 1 at Frank M.
Lindsay Field.
Millikin’s winning goal came with 17 seconds left to play when
freshman Austin Taylor (Dunlap, H.S.) scored off a Michael Longo
(Quincy, H.S.) corner kick.
Trailing 1-0, Millikin tied the game at 1-1 in the 21st minute when
Trey Knighton (Peoria, Peoria Notre Dame H.S.) scored off a Ben
Spelman (Sligo, Ireland) assist.
Millikin opened play in the CCIW with a 4-0 loss at North Park
University on Sept. 28.
Millikin improves to 7-2, 1-1 and will host Greenville College on
October 4 at 7 p.m.
#25 Millikin Volleyball Knocks Off #21 IWU
The 25th ranked Millikin University volleyball team scored a key
conference win defeating #21 Illinois Wesleyan University 3-0 in
front of a large Homecoming crowd at the Griswold Center on
September 30.
The Titans jumped out to an early advantage in the first set, but
the Big Blue battled back to win the set 25-22. Millikin controlled
most of the final two sets winning 25-18 and 25-13.
The Big Blue had a balanced attack with Erin Syversen (Pewaukee,
Wisconsin, Waukesha West H.S.) with nine kills and two aces. Cortney
Bohn (Mahomet, Mahomet Seymour H.S.) had eight kills and three
blocks while Alora Goodey (Lincoln, H.S.) had eight kills and two
blocks. Senior Kelsey Talkington (North Aurora, Aurora Central
Catholic H.S.) had seven kills and team high four blocks. Cassidy
Kingery (Heyworth, H.S.) led the Big Blue with 15 digs and added two
service aces. Emily Mihalkanin (Willowbrook, Hinsdale South H.S.)
had a team high 30 set assists and directed Millikin to a .295 team
attacking percentage.
Millikin defeated Wheaton College 3-1 at the Griswold Center on
Sept. 27.
 The Thunder won the opening set 25-22, but the Big Blue rallied in
the second set and won 25-12. Millikin then fought off the Thunder
25-22 and 25-19. Millikin had a balanced attack with four players in
double figures with kills. Syversen had 12 kills, 22 digs and six
aces. Bohn had 11 kills and four blocks. Goodey and Talkington each
had 10 kills with Goodey adding a team high five blocks and
Talkington recording three blocks. Mihalkanin had 41 set assists and
14 digs. Kingery had 22 digs.
Millikin is now 14-4 overall and 3-0 in the College Conference of
Illinois and Wisconsin. Millikin will travel to North Central
College on October 4.
Millikin Women's Soccer Knocks Off Elmhurst
The Millikin women's soccer team scored a key CCIW victory knocking
off Elmhurst College 1-0 on October 1 at Frank M. Lindsay Field.
[to top of second column] |
The lone goal of the game came in the 51st minute when Taylor Copp (Glenarm,
Chatham Glenwood H.S.) scored off Lucy Koger's (Naperville,
Naperville North H.S.) corner kick. Anna Benvenuto (West Allis,
Wisconsin, PIUS XI H.S.) earned the win in goal for Millikin with
four saves.
Millikin lost 1-0 at North Park University in Chicago on September
28.
The Big Blue are now 5-3-1, 1-1
Millikin Men’s Golf Third at Hopkins Golf Classic
The Millikin men’s golf team finished in third place at its own
Hopkins Golf Collegiate Classic held Sept. 30-Oct. 1 at Country Club
of Decatur in Decatur, Illinois.
Millikin had a two-day team total of 618. Millikin’s top finishers
Blaine Buente (Troy, Triad H.S.), Michael Barber (Beecher, H.S.) and
Lee Hill (Frankfort, Lincoln Way East) who tied for 13th place with
a 153.
The Big Blue tied for second place at the Elmhurst College Fall
Invitational played on Sept. 27 at the Oak Brook Golf Club.
Millikin shot a team total of 307 to finish tied with Loras College
and one shot behind the tournament winner Carthage College. Buente
finished tied for fifth with a round of two over 74. Barber and
David Crosby (Millstadt, Belleville West H.S.) finished in a tie for
seventh at 75.
Big Blue Cross Country Hosts Wright Classic
The Millikin cross country men’s and women’s cross country teams
each finished in second place at its annual H.W. Wright Classic held
at the Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur, Illinois on Sept. 30.
The Millikin men were led by Alexander Erickson (Waterford,
Wisconsin, Muskego H.S.) who finished in second place in 26:27.91.
Millikin freshman Jack Halpin (Birmingham, Michigan, Seaholm H.S.)
finished in sixth place in a time of 26:33.84, which is the 17th
all-time fastest 8K race in Millikin history. Senior Timee McElroy
(Mt. Zion, H.S.) was 10th at 27:19.74.
The Big Blue women were led by senior Jamie Michl (Newton, H.S.) who
finished in third place in 23:55.16. Freshman Amber Johnson
(Decatur, St. Teresa H.S.) was fifth in 24:25.81, which was the 19th
fastest 6K in school history. Millikin’s Natalie Krol (New Lenox,
Lincoln Way West H.S.) was ninth in 25:13.20 and Morgan Powers
(Shelbyville, H.S.) was 10th in 25:20.79.
Big Blue Women's Tennis Competes at ITA
The Millikin women's tennis team competed in the ITA Central
Regionals held Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The Big Blue had four players playing in the singles competition and
two doubles teams competing.
Millikin’s Molly Angell (Ottawa, Ottawa Township H.S.) and Melissa
Donovan (Antioch, H.S.) went 3-2 on the weekend advancing to the
consolation round semi-finals. The Big Blue duo dropped their first
match to Charlotte Purnode and Olivia Underwood of Dennison 8-6.
Angell/Donovan rebounded to defeat Sarah Casey and Amanda Ress-Liere
of Allegheny 8-5. On Sunday, the Millikin duo defeated Abagail
Fleming and Katlyn Venters of St. Mary’s 8-6. After a walkover win
advanced the pair to the consolation semi-finals Angell and Donovan
lost to Ashley Hammonds and Megan Hickey of Dennison 8-6.
The Big Blue doubles team of Morgan Bettner (Brownsburg, Indiana,
H.S.) and Kelly Ruane (Mokena, McKendree University) lost to Lauren
Beier and Kennedy Mullholland of Case Western 8-6. On Saturday,
Bettner and Ruane lost to Andrienne D'Alewyn and Casey O'Toole of
Ohio Wesleyan 8-2.
In singles play, Angell lost to Alyssa Rudin of the University of
Chicago 6-0, 6-0 in the opening round. In Saturday’s first match
Angell defeated Jasmine Burton of Allegheny 8-3. Angell then lost to
Margaret Sweeney of Kenyon 8-1.
Paige Bequette (Edwardsville, H.S.) lost her opening match to
Tiffany Chen of the University of Chicago 6-0, 6-0. In consolation
round action Bequette lost to Catherine McCauley of Kenyon 8-2.
Ruane lost in her opener to Eloise Germic of Kalamazoo 6-3, 6-3.
Jasmine Madrid of North Park downed Ruane in action on Saturday.
Bettner lost her first match to Sarah Hughes of Oberlin 6-0, 6-1.
Bettner dropped her second match to Allison Watts of Lake Forest.
[Bryan Marshall] |
