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High school baseball

[MAY 25, 2001]  The end of a sports season is seldom, if ever, enjoyable. For one thing, unless you win a state championship, your last game is always a loss. Even when you win a state championship—which I experienced as a junior second baseman on a North Carolina team—you still feel let down. You don’t want it to end. But it does.

It’s hard to say, "It’s over." Yet that’s what the Lincoln Railer varsity baseball team is having to admit today. The initial experience is the acute hurt. We were seeded second; Eisenhower was seeded seventh. It shouldn’t have happened. It’s painful. The seniors are done. And understandably, they don’t want it to be.

It is painful because Lincoln seemed in control most of the game, leading 4-1 through five innings. At that point, Lincoln pitching ace Chris Phillips had held Eisenhower to one hit (a leadoff triple in the fourth), facing just three batters in four of those five innings. But six Eisenhower runs in the last two innings pierced the heart of the Railers. Eisenhower scored four in the sixth on four two-out hits in a row and two more runs in the seventh on one hit and three Lincoln errors.

It’s painful because of some base-running mistakes, leaving runners in scoring position (including not scoring after getting bases loaded with one out in the sixth inning), a misplayed ball that turned a two-out single into a two-RBI triple, and several errors. In a loss, you can almost always point to those kinds of things.

[Derek Schrader, who had two hits, bats in the fifth.]

It’s painful because some valiant efforts went unrewarded—two singles by Derek Schrader, a double and single by Matt Boyer, three hits (including a triple) and an RBI by Ryne Komnick, an RBI single by Andrew Bartman, an RBI double and a game-tying leadoff home run by pitcher Chris Phillips in the sixth inning, and a six-hit complete game by Phillips with four strikeouts and just two walks.

It’s also painful, as many who follow Lincoln High School baseball already know, because six of the players were ineligible to dress for the game; and in the fifth inning, a seventh player was ejected after a successful pickoff at second base. Five of the six agonizingly learned that even "innocent" pranks like taking a few lawn ornaments to put in a teacher’s yard, even with the intent of returning them the next day, can have significant consequences. The sixth was disqualified on an unrelated disciplinary matter.

[to top of second column in this article]

[Chris Phillips faces the leadoff hitter in the sixth inning.]

Yes, one can point to a number of things that make the 7-5 first-game regional loss to Eisenhower painful. It will hurt for a while, and it should.

But even this pain, as intense as it is right now, should not deaden the fact that the Lincoln Railer baseball team has had a truly outstanding year:

•  A 21-win season—the first of those in quite a while.

•  A new coach with an aggressive philosophy that pushed the players to, even if sometimes beyond, their limits.

•  Good leadership by senior standouts—pitcher Chris Phillips, catcher Andrew Bartman, center fielder Justin Dedman and second baseman Matt Aper.

•  Dedicated and important contributions by senior role players—Aaron Matson, Jamison Sheley and Nick Bay.

•  A cooperative team spirit that made the season enjoyable for players, coaches and fans.

•  A never-give-up attitude that prompted several remarkable comeback wins.

When the dust settles, and when time has diminished the pain, every member of the 21-15 Lincoln varsity baseball team for 2001 should rightly recognize their accomplishment and what this season contributed to their understanding of themselves and the world around them. After all, as important as baseball is, it’s but a small slice of the big picture. Lessons are learned; discipline is experienced; character is developed. Baseball’s subordinate but significant value can be discerned when we remind ourselves that life doesn’t teach us how to play baseball, but baseball can teach us much about life.

[Rich Knopp]

Box scores and stats vs. Decatur Eisenhower.

High school softball

[MAY 25, 2001] 

Lincoln vs. Springfield Lanphier

Lincoln welcomed Springfield Lanphier to Lincoln yesterday afternoon for the Sacred Heart-Griffin Regional. Lincoln blew away Springfield Lanphier 5-1.

Hilary Schweitzer pitched for Lincoln (four-hitter, two walks, four strikeouts). Wilkinson was the Lady Railers’ catcher.

Bethany Gleason made a hit each time she went to bat, and she batted in two runners. Holly Maestas hit two of the three times she went to bat and batted in one runner.

Devaney and Hagele were the pitcher and catcher, respectively, for Springfield Lanphier.

Lincoln’s softball record is 12-21. Lanphier’s record is 15-16.

Score by innings

Lincoln                      012 200 x – 5-7-2

Springfield Lanphier   000 001 0 – 1-4-4

[LDN]

High school baseball

Lincoln varsity baseball vs. East Peoria

[MAY 24, 2001]  Lincoln played a postponed game at East Peoria the day before the Railers host the AA baseball regional against Decatur Eisenhower (on Thursday). Coach Pat Hake had to like several things about this tune-up game. First, it was a 6-1 win, against a decent East Peoria team (now 23-11), that pushed the Railers’ record to 21-14. Second, he won without using his ace pitcher, Chris Phillips. Even so, sophomore starter Ryne Komnick and junior Matt Boyer held East Peoria to a mere three hits. Third, the up-to-this-game-not-overly-powerful Railers slammed three home runs, with two coming off the bat of sophomore Derek Schrader. Aside from a base-running mistake in the first inning and being caught stealing three times, it was a very solid performance by the Railers.

Lincoln started early, scoring two runs in the first inning. Matt Aper was hit by the first pitch of the game, and Justin Dedman reached base on an infield error. Schrader had an RBI double to left field that plated Aper, and Andy Knopp hit an RBI sacrifice fly to bring home Schrader, who had moved to third on a fielder’s choice.

The Railers tallied a single run in the fifth inning off a two-out home run to right field by Schrader. In the sixth, it was junior Danny Schick who did an "I can do that too" thing and whacked a home run to left field. After Schick, junior Blake Schoonover got his second game hit (a double), as did senior catcher Andrew Bartman. A sacrifice bunt by Matt Boyer moved them into scoring position, but both were stranded on an inning-ending ground out.

Lincoln’s final two runs came in the seventh when Justin Dedman began the frame with a single and Schrader hit his second home run of the game—this time to left field.

Starting pitcher Ryne Komnick went four innings and allowed but one hit and no runs, striking out two and walking none. Only one East Peoria runner reached as far as second base against Komnick, and he reached first on an infielder error. Matt Boyer relieved Komnick in the fifth. Boyer surrendered just two hits—a double in the fifth and a solo home run in the seventh to Nathan Brown, who had the sole hit against Komnick in the second inning.

Thursday, regionally second-seeded Lincoln will play seventh-seeded Decatur Eisenhower at home at 4:30. In late March, the Railers nipped Eisenhower 9-8, giving up six runs in the fourth inning. As anyone knows, when tournament time comes, throw out the records. It’s a new ball game, and those who go on will have to prove themselves again. Hopefully, the Railers will do just that.

[Rich Knopp]

[Box scores and stats vs. East Peoria (5-23-01)]

[to top of second column in this section]

[Derek Schrader trots to the plate on his fifth-inning home run.]

[Danny Schick calmly readies to touch home after his sixth-inning home run.]

[Derek Schrader is greeted by teammates after his second homer of the game.]

High school baseball

[MAY 22, 2001] 

Baseball teams from Illini Central and Illini Bluffs participated in the Midwest Central Regional in Manito. Illini Bluffs took a six-point lead and held onto their lead to end 8-3.

Anthony Fletcher pitched for Illini Central, with Travis Scott as catcher.

Dan Dunn was the pitcher for Illini Bluffs. Wes Diefendorf was the catcher.

Illini Central’s baseball record is now 16-13. Illini Bluffs’ record is 22-6.

Score by innings

Illini Central      000 100 2 – 3-1-6

Illini Bluffs        240 002 0 – 8-7-2

Olympia’s and Eureka’s baseball teams competed in the Central Catholic Regional at Horenberger Field in Bloomington yesterday afternoon. Eureka beat Olympia by just one run, 4-3.

Brandon Gale was Olympia’s pitcher (six innings, four runs, three earned runs, two walks and four strikeouts). This was Gale’s first loss of 11 games he has pitched. Rush Olson was the team’s catcher.

Jeff Darnall made two hits and batted in one runner for Olympia. Ben Lee batted in a runner as well.

Jake Eigsti pitched his 10th win of as many games for Eureka. Ryan Eigsti was the catcher.

Score by innings

Olympia      000 210 0 – 3-4-1

Eureka        100 120 x – 4-5-0

[LDN]

High school softball

[MAY 22, 2001] 

Olympia and Clinton played against each other in the softball Tri-Valley Regional at Downs. Olympia beat Clinton 5-2.

Jessie Shay pitched her 24^th winning game of 29 (seven innings, nine hits, two runs, one earned run, one walk, one strikeout). Alicia Flessner was the team’s catcher.

Besides pitching a winning game, Shay hit a triple, made another hit and batted in two runners. Mindy Bachman and Nicole Prager each batted in a runner.

Shaye Miller pitched for Clinton, with Cameron Ferguson replacing her in the sixth inning. Candace Welch was Clinton’s catcher.

Score by innings

Olympia      200 012 x – 5-4-2

Clinton        000 002 0 – 2-8-1

[LDN]

Junior high track and field

[MAY 22, 2001] 

At least 26 different schools participated in the Illinois Lutheran Championships for junior high girls track. Two local teams competed: Zion Lutheran of Lincoln and Zion Lutheran of Mount Pulaski. Both teams earned five points and tied for 25^th place.

The following are the events in which the schools placed:

100 hurdles—4^th place: Paige Podbelsek of Lincoln’s Zion Lutheran, 18.7; 6^th place: Lindsey Brutien of Mount Pulaski’s Zion Lutheran, 18.9

Long jump—7^th place: Lindsey Brutien of Mount Pulaski’s Zion Lutheran, 13-5¾

[LDN]

Bronco Tournament

LBA sponsors weekend tournament

[MAY 22, 2001]  During the past weekend six teams of 11- and 12-year-olds met in Lincoln to do battle on the baseball field in a Pony Bronco Tournament sponsored by the Lincoln Baseball Association. The Trojans from Maroa-Forsyth emerged as the tournament champions with a hard-fought 10-5 victory over the Hammers from Chatham.

Also participating, in addition to the teams from Maroa-Forsyth and Chatham, were the Springfield Nighthawks, the Mason City Cobras, the C.I. Sharks from Downs and Lincoln’s own Lincoln Heat.

The Trojans amassed 54 runs in their four games, which included two games with the Hammers. Both were close games, 9-6 and the 10-5 championship, which was just 4-3 for much of the game. The Trojans’ Dave Painter out-dueled the combo of Nick Jacino and Derek Waggener for the title.

Stellar performances during the tournament included seven hits by Kyle Krager of Chatham. Of his seven hits, five were doubles and another was a McGwire-like home run, which went over the dugout on the Legion diamond. Those of you who have visited the diamonds out at the Rec Center know what kind of a shot that was. One of his teammates on the Chatham Hammers, Jeff Ryan, had the only other fence-clearing home run during the tournament.

[to top of second column in this article]

There were two outstanding pitching performance turned in during the tournament. Travis Tracer of the Trojans fanned 11 Hammers during a complete-game performance in Maroa-Forsyth’s first win over Chatham. The Lincoln Heat’s Pat Washam gave up a hit to the leadoff batter for the Sharks from Downs, while allowing the bases to be loaded with no outs in the first inning. Young Washam then struck out the side to get out of the jam. After that third hitter got on, Washam set down the next 19 batters. For the game he struck out 13 batters, allowing only the one hit by the leadoff hitter, to take the complete-game victory.

All six teams competed at a high level, providing some exciting baseball for all in attendance over the three days.

[Lincoln Baseball Association news release]

[MAY 21, 2001]  At the Class AA division of the state track-and-field meet in Charleston on Saturday, Lincoln’s all-star was sophomore Dominique Dawson. Ranked sixth in the long jump, Dawson surprised the crowd by advancing to first place and setting a school record! Dominique Dawson beat the closest competitor by 5¼ inches. Her jump was 18 feet, 8½ inches.

Dawson began her competition in the meet by taking seventh place in the 100-meter dash, with a 12.26 second run.

With Dawson only a sophomore, maybe we’ll see much more of this outstanding young lady bringing fame to Lincoln in the future.

Congratulations, Dominique!

[LDN]

High school baseball

[MAY 21, 2001] 

Illini Central’s and Porta’s baseball teams played each other in the Midwest Central Regional in Manito. Illini Central took the lead, but Porta came back in the last inning. Fortunately for Illini Central, Porta ended a run short of catching them. The Cougars won 4-3.

Matt Harris was Illini Central’s pitcher. Travis Scott was the Cougar’s catcher.

Tyler Cunningham hit a double and batted in two runners. Travis Scott made a triple and batted in one runner.

Ruppel pitched for Porta, and Gum took over in the sixth inning. Golden was the catcher.

Score by innings

Illini Central     003 010 x – 4-6-2

Porta               000 000 3 – 3-1-2

Olympia’s and Tri-Valley’s baseball teams competed in the Central Catholic Regional at O’Neil Park in Bloomington on Saturday. Olympia won the match 3-0.

Ryan Kendrick pitched his sixth winning game for Olympia (more than six innings, two walks, two strikeouts). Steve Raleigh relieved Kendrick in the seventh inning. Rush Olson was the team’s catcher.

Brandon Gale batted in two runners. Steve Raleigh made two hits for Oly.

Tyler Pilchard pitched for Tri-Valley, and Tanner Springer was the team’s catcher.

Olympia’s baseball record improved to 34-2. Tri-Valley’s record is 21-13.

Score by innings

Olympia         011 010 x – 3-6-1

Tri-Valley       000 000 0 – 0-3-2

[LDN]

High school softball

[MAY 21, 2001] 

Olympia’s and Tri-Valley’s softball teams faced off at Downs in the Tri-Valley Regional. Olympia left victorious 5-0.

Jessie Shay pitched her 23^rd win of 28 games. Alicia Flessner was Oly’s catcher.

Nicole Prager, Mindy Bachman and Jessie Shay each made two hits. Mindy Bachman batted in a runner and Jessie Shay batted in two.

Christie Stockley pitched for Tri-Valley, with Sam Adams replacing her in the seventh inning. Amanda Lewis was Tri-Valley’s catcher.

Olympia’s softball team is now 29-7-1. Tri-Valley is 20-14.

Score by innings

Olympia       021 000 2 – 5-9-1

Tri-Valley    000 000 0 – 0-4-1

[LDN]

High school track and field

[MAY 21, 2001]  

In Charleston on Saturday, 79 teams competed in the Class A state meet. Olympia tied with three other teams, each earning 17 points for 16th place.

The Lady Spartans did well, but one of Oly’s runners particularly stood out! Gena Rawlins ran the 400-meter dash in 56.22 seconds—a school record. What made this record so exceptional was that this is Rawlins’ third consecutive year she has won the 400-meter dash at the Class A state meet. Only two other runners in the history of the Illinois state meet, Class A or AA, are known to have won three consecutive 400-meter dashes.

Rawlins also earned third place in the 200-meter dash on Saturday. Her time was 25.53 seconds.

Eighty-seven teams entered the Class AA division of the state meet in Charleston. Lincoln Community High School, earning 13 points, tied with Richton Park Rich South for 20th place.

Click below for feature:

New state champ

Dominique Dawson takes surprising first in long jump at state track meet, setting school record

[LDN]

Junior high track and field

[MAY 21, 2001] 

At least 41 junior high boys track teams competed in the Class 7AA state meet on Saturday. Olympia tied with East Peoria Central, each making six points for 25^th place. Olympia’s track team earned third place in the 400 relay. Their time was 50.07 seconds.

J.R. Evans of Illini Central made sixth place in the high jump. He jumped 5-4.

[LDN]

College baseball

Lincoln College signs baseball players for next season

[MAY 21, 2001]  Lincoln College baseball coach Tony Thomas has announced the signing of three baseball players for the new school year.   Thomas said, "These three players are vital to our program, since we lost all of our starting infield from the just-completed season."

Joining the Lynx baseball team next season will be Dan Dunn, a third baseman from Illini Bluffs; Nathan Holden, a second baseman-shortstop from Mount Zion and Kenny Van Houten, a second baseman-shortstop from Canton.

Coach Thomas stated, "I am very excited to get this type of ballplayers.  Van Houten and Holden are interchangeable at the second base and shortstop position, and Dunn gives us a quality third baseman.  These three have an excellent opportunity to be our starting infield for next season.  They have the skills to be the best infielders since I have been at Lincoln College."

Dunn is a 5-11, 180-pounder who also pitches for Illini Bluffs.   He is the son of Terry Dunn and hit over .400 his senior season in high school.  "He is a good offensive player with the potential to hit somewhere between third and sixth in the lineup," said Thomas.  

Holden is the son of Paul and Nancy Holden of Mount Zion.   He hit .389 for Mount Zion this past season while playing shortstop. Holden, 5-10, 160 pounds, drove in 23 runs and had 14 stolen bases for coach Ed Neighbors.  Coach Thomas said, "Nathan has an excellent arm and can play either short or second.  He had a .932 fielding average, so he has good defensive skills."

[to top of second column in this article]

Van Houten, 6-0, 160 pounds, also played short and second. He hit .406 for his senior campaign at Canton High School. In 85 at-bats, Kenny banged out five home runs and drove in 20 runs.  He had a .963 fielding percentage.   Coach Thomas said, "He has a decent arm and, like the other two, he puts the ball in play.  One of the best things about these two kids is they appear to be interchangeable."

The trio joins Andrew Bartman, a Lincoln High School catcher who has signed with the Lynx.

Coach Thomas said, "We are close on several other prospects, but we can't comment until we get the signed documents."

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

Class AA state meet at Charleston

Local participants:

100 meter dash – 9th place, Dominique Dawson, Lincoln, 12:41, *state qualifier

400 meter dash –25th  place,  Sara Conklen, Lincoln, 1:00.47

Long jump –6th place, Dawson, Lincoln, 17-3½, *state qualifier

800 medley – 24th, Conklen, Allison Humbert, Dawson, Angela Maestas

Class A state meet at Charleston

Local participants:

100 meter dash – 12th place, Gena Rawlins, Olympia, 12.69, *state qualifier; 28th place, Jillian McDonald, Illini Central, 13.42

200 meter dash –3rd place, Rawlins, Olympia, 25.12 (a school record)

Triple jump – 37th place, Abby Cave, Illini Central, 31-5 ¼

Pole vault – Emily Melick, Olympia, cleared 6-6

Shot put – 39th place, Casey Sanders, Mount Pulaski, 32-2

Discus – 43rd place, Katrina Cook, Olympia, 96-8

400 relay – 28th place, Illini Central (Jeni McLaughlin, McDonald, Cave, Cari Harvey), 52.90

800 relay – 29th place, Illini Central (McLaughlin, McDonald, Cave, Harvey), 1:52.59

1,600 relay –11th place, Olympia (Tamarida Boone, Britt Fredericks, Stasia Prater, Rawlins), 4:08.83;  29th place, Illini Central (Cave, Jessica Eden, Mary Daum, McLaughlin), 4:25.84

[to top of second column in this article]

High school boys

Class A sectionals at Havana

100 meter dash – 6th place, Joyce, Olympia, 11.85

200 meter dash –

400 meter dash –

800 run – 2nd place, Brand, Olympia, 2:01.13; Grimsley, Illini Central, 2:08.63

3,200 run –

110 hurdles –2nd place, Sholty, Olympiea, 14.95

300 hurdles – 5th place, Van Etten, Illini Central, 43.55

High jump –5th place, Raes, Olympia, 6-1; 6th place, Wells, Illini Central, 5-9

Pole vault – 1st place, DeLoriea, Olympia, 14-11;  2nd place, Eichhorn, Olympia, 12-6

Shot put – 3rd place, Schultz, Olympia, 51-2

Discus – 1st place, Schultz, Olympia, 146-9

400 relay – 1st place, Olympia (Dillenburg, DeLoriea, Wilson, Joyce), 45.02

800 relay – 4th place, Olympia, 1:36.32

1,600 relay – 1st place, Olympia (Wilson, Dillenburg, Luster, Brand), 3: 29.99

3,200 relay – 3rd place, Olympia , 8:30.64;  5th place, Illini Central, 9:04.62

[APRIL 27, 2001]  This week's LDN Sports Talk takes on a different look than ever before. Since I couldn't get the LDN powers-to-be to send me out to Colorado Springs to do this interview, Race and I struggled together by e-mailing. I spent a Saturday coming up with a list of 20 to 25 questions and finally just told him to answer them when he could. He did that while going to class, studying for a test, practicing and, I think, writing a paper. It is very easy for a sports writer like me to have nothing but admiration for young men like Race Steinfort. I'm glad people like him are protecting Payne at night while he sleeps (or keeps his parents up). I hope you loyal LDN fans will enjoy Race's written response to my list of questions as much as I did! On behalf of the LDN, thank you, Race. We all wish you nothing but the best!

Response from Race Steinfort

[click here for Part 1]

I am majoring in aeronautical engineering as well as getting my math minor. I’d like to someday go into airplane design. However, once I graduate, I will go off to Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) where I will be trained for approximately one year to fly jets. Following UPT, I will have a 10-year commitment to the Air Force in which I hope to fly F-15s and/or A-10s.

[Race Steinfort]

I have been swimming competitively for about 16 years now, and yes, it has prepared me for swimming here. College is a whole new game, though. Instead of swimming every event possible, I now specialize in two to three events: the 100/200 back and the 1,650 (mile) free.

As for people I should thank, there are far too many to list. I think the main contributors were a man named Fred Plesé and my parents.

Mr. Plesé has been a huge inspiration in my life. This man, through rain, dark, snow, and hail, managed to show up at 5:30 in the morning at least three times a week and get into the water to swim with my father and me. He started from barely being able to swim for five minutes to swimming for an hour-plus and getting out hardly even breathing hard, with a giant grin on his face like he had just conquered the world (or at least the pool). To this day he still swims with my father every other morning. His dedication to swimming, his job and a giant family, and more importantly, his ability to, day after day, show up at 5:30 a.m. ready to jump in a cold pool with a giant smile on his face has made me believe that no matter how cold the water is or what lies ahead, the only way to go is just smile and jump in.

[to top of second column in this section]

I also have to thank my parents for all their support and love. They were there when I needed prodding and they were there to pick me up when I fell. They’ve been there through everything, and I know for sure that I wouldn’t be who and where I am today if it weren’t for them.

The only advice I have to give is to never underestimate yourself or your abilities and never take the easy way out. Some people believe that they can’t get anywhere because they were never given an opportunity. No one is ever given an opportunity; you have to make one for yourself, whether it’s in a pool, on a court or in a classroom.

The key is to take the harder path. Sometimes it takes giving up some things such as time and freedom, but in the end, it’s just like an investment. That which you gave up will turn into something much better. For me, the time and freedom and other things that I have given up in the past have allowed me to swim Division I and attend a great college; and the freedom and regular college life that I’m giving up right now will allow me to fly a $30 million aircraft at two times the speed of sound. You cannot give up everything, but unless you make some sacrifices, you will not be able to achieve your goals.

Yes, I would recommend the Air Force Academy and I am glad I came, but I would have to add one thing. It is not for everyone. It is a different life. I already told you a little about freshman year for me. It wasn’t easy and it was rarely fun. The academy offers a great education, great friendships, and I get paid to go to school, but in return I have pledged to give my life in the defense of our nation. I owe at least five years to the Air Force after I graduate and 10 years if I become a pilot.

It is something that must be well thought through before the decision is made. But I’d have to say jumping out of airplanes and flying fighters is an excellent way to spend a summer!

[APRIL 26, 2001]  This week's LDN Sports Talk takes on a different look than ever before. Since I couldn't get the LDN powers-to-be to send me out to Colorado Springs to do this interview, Race and I struggled together by e-mailing. I spent a Saturday coming up with a list of 20 to 25 questions and finally just told him to answer them when he could. He did that while going to class, studying for a test, practicing and, I think, writing a paper. It is very easy for a sports writer like me to have nothing but admiration for young men like Race Steinfort. I'm glad people like him are protecting Payne at night while he sleeps (or keeps his parents up). I hope you loyal LDN fans will enjoy Race's written response to my list of questions as much as I did! On behalf of the LDN, thank you, Race. We all wish you nothing but the best!

Response from Race Steinfort

I’ve been at the USAF Academy for almost three years now. I am currently a Second Class Cadet (junior) and I am still happy with my decision to come, though during my Fourth Class year (freshman) I wasn’t so sure about that one.

[Marshal Haylett and Lincolnite Race Steinfort, teammates on the U.S. Air Force Academy swim team, the Falcons, pose on a crisp-looking day in the Colorado Rockies.]

The application process was a pretty lengthy one. It entailed sending in an application to both the academy and my congressmen, including my representative, the Illinois senators and the vice president. Any of those four government officials could give me a nomination to the academy. Rep. Dick Durbin gave me my nomination. The process for nomination consisted of a few questionnaires and an interview. The next step was to get accepted to the academy. This consisted of a physical fitness test, a very lengthy application with everything from medical history to police records to exactly why I wanted to attend the academy, an interview with an Air Force liaison officer, and an essay on why I wanted to come and what I wanted to do in the Air Force.

One of my requirements for a college was Division I swimming, with the other being aeronautical engineering. I planned on swimming here, and there’s no doubt that it has helped me make it through here. I have been one of the top backstrokers here, placing sixth in both the 100 back and 200 back at the Mountain West Conference, with a 50.02 and a 1:50.09 respectively. My best swim at that meet was in the morning, where I finally broke 1:50 in the 200 back to go a 1:49.39, my lifetime best.

We do get to travel quite a bit. We usually alternate with teams, going to their place one year and having them here the next. The main teams we always swim against are University of Washington, BYU, Utah, UNLV and Wyoming, to name a few. We also travel during Christmas break. We usually leave shortly after Christmas to go somewhere warm like California or Florida to train day in and day out for a little over a week.

[to top of second column in this section]

The question of whether or not being intercollegiate is an advantage is a pretty tough one. Yes, it has helped me a lot, but it has also made some aspects of life more difficult. The best part of being on a team here is the camaraderie and the friendships. We have a very close team here, and all the guys on the team look out for each other like brothers.

The hardest part of the academy is the loss of freedom during freshman year. You come from a high school where you are at the top of the chain, and you walk into a place where you are worth less than the dirt on the ground. It provides quite a bit of emotional stress among other things. I seriously doubted why I came, and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to stay. Everyone was always yelling at me and nothing seemed to be good enough. There was dust inside the smoke detector, a spot on the sink and my shoes were NEVER shiny enough (just a few of the things they’d pick on). The goal was to put as much stress on us as possible to weed out the people who didn’t want to be there and teach the rest of us how to deal with stress. That was pretty much all of basic training and freshman year.

This is where swimming and the team really helped me to get away and remember that I do have friends, and mainly, I wasn’t in this alone. Going down to the pool every day also helps to get away from the academic grind.

This, however, is also where sports are not so much an advantage. We, as intercollegiates, do not have a lighter academic load than anyone else here, despite the fact that we have three to four hours of our afternoon devoted to practice. This provides for many late nights and long weekends doing homework and studying. I’m taking 22.5 hours this semester as well as swimming for three hours every afternoon. Along with this, we, as cadets, have mandatory formations, In Rank Inspections (IRIs—uniform inspections) and Additional Morning Inspections (AMIs—room inspections) which we have to prepare and clean for at least twice a week and sometimes more depending on the leadership and how we did the previous week.

Traveling with the team is another bonus, in that for a weekend or at least a day or two you get to leave the academy and get away for a while. The only problem with that is that you miss classes and usually fall behind in the process, and catching up with 22 hours is not easy! Despite the disadvantages, the friends and the break from the grind for a day or two or even just a few hours in the day make being an intercollegiate well worth it in my mind.

(To be continued)

[click here for Part 2]

Announcements

Play ball with the Lincoln Park District

From Roy Logan, program coordinator

[APRIL 26, 2001]  The phase "play ball" is echoing all around the Lincoln Park District.  Teams for boys and girls have been chosen and practices are in full swing.  Registration for men's and women's softball is currently under way.  If you have not come to the office to pick up your roster and information, you will want to do so soon.

A new league offered this summer is Co-ed Over 40.  This league is strictly for the recreational player.  The season will not last as long.  Play will be at Memorial Park on Thursday nights.

The success of Lincoln's summer baseball and softball programs is directly related to the many local businesses that support the teams financially.  In these times of rising utilities and gas prices, we urge you to support the businesses whose names appear on the team shirts.  It takes not only money but volunteers as well.  Our thanks to the many people who donate their time and talent to coaching and keeping a great game on track.

Golf outing planned

[APRIL 12, 2001]  Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation has set Friday, June 29, for their seventh annual golf outing at the Elk’s Country Club in Lincoln.

The format will again be a four-person scramble with a 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. shotgun start. The $75 entry fee includes greens fee and free cart rental, along with opportunities to win prizes and awards, including Hole-in-One, Top Foursomes, Longest Putt, Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin, for both men and women. Also provided are a continental breakfast and buffet luncheon.

In addition to golfing, a variety of sponsorships are available, including Tee, Cart and Prize Sponsorships. Appropriate recognition and benefits are provided for each sponsor.

All funds raised from the golf outing support the ALMH Care-A-Van service. The Care-A-Van is a specially equipped van, custom-built to provide non-emergency transportation for individuals who are wheelchair-bound or need transportation assistance to get to necessary appointments.

For more information on player registration or sponsorship opportunities, please call Cynthia Kelley at (217) 732-2161, Ext. 405.

[News release]

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