Sports News,  Sports Talk,  Schedules,  Announcements

Sports News Elsewhere  (fresh daily from the Web)

[OCT. 1, 2001]  The Lincoln College men and women were both victorious in soccer Saturday afternoon. The Lincoln College men posted a 3-0 victory over Lewis & Clark at Godfrey while the Lady Lynx posted an impressive 7-0 win over Illinois Central at Peoria.

"This was probably our best effort of the season," said Lynx mentor Mark Howard.  "We were really focused. We had a great week of practice, and just about everything we did today was a positive. We also played unbelievable defense, with Ryan McCabe, Darren Parker and Isaac Honegger playing outstanding."

The Lynx, now 7-2 for the season, had a pair of goals from George Mwenisongole and another from John Lusicic. Mwenisongole scored his first goal on an assist from Cory Dolton with one minute left in the first half. Lusicic took a pass from Steve Gorton to score in the 65th minute, and Mwenisongole scored again with two minutes left in the game on an assist from Jeff Cohen.

The Lady Lynx dominated ICC, with Ayana Evans scoring five times to lead the way.   Catherine Buscher scored a pair of goals for the Lady Lynx, who posted their first win of the season.

Coach Todd Spellman said: "We played most of the game on their half of the field. Our defense rotated well and we limited them to very few shots. Our goalie, Stephanie Savery, had only two save attempts. I am real happy for the girls as they got that first win."

Buscher scored the first goal for the Lady Lynx at the 13th minute, unassisted.   Evans then went to work, scoring at the 17th, 18th, 42nd and 50th minute.  Francie Noreuil had the first and third assists, with Elizabeth Boeke assisting on the second goal. The final goal of the four came unassisted. Buscher then scored on an assist from Noreuil at the 63rd minute, and Evans closed out the scoring with her fifth goal on another assist from Noreuil at the 68th minute.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

[OCT. 1, 2001]  The Illinois Fighting Illini football squad missed a great opportunity to go to 4-0 for the first time in 50 years! But it was not to be. Michigan pulled out every trick from the last few pages of their playbook to knock off the Illini 45-20 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Michigan (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) entered the game as the 17th-ranked team in the country and will likely move up in the polls. Illinois (3-1, 0-1), on the other hand, may have been prematurely ranked at No. 22 and surely will be knocked out of the rankings. The Illini have not won a Big Ten opener since 1993.

[Jeff Mayfield]

“We’re looking for how well they compete and how hard they are trying and not giving up; and I thought our guys did a decent job of that.  We were just not able to get anything going because they were beating us up front.” -- Coach Oaks

[SEPT. 29, 2001]  Students from Audra’s Studio of Dance returned to Lincoln loaded with top awards from the Footlites National Competition on Aug. 11-12 in Elgin.

The dancers are first judged individually against a standard, receiving individual scores that result in place awards. Then they compete in five categories: solo, duet, trio, small group and large group. Their scores are compared, with awards going to the top five scores in each category. There is also an age-based competition for petite, junior and seniors, with the top two scores in each group receiving awards.

[Amanda Shelley (left) and Kirsten Ganderberger]

Solos

Jenna Dumser — "You’re Not From Here," first place

Jessica Alexander — "Colour Everywhere," high second

Jean Cross — "Reflection," high second

Kate Kruger — "Angel" (vocal solo), first

Audra Turley — "Amazing Grace," first; VIP choreographer award (given to the dance with the best choreography)

Kirsten Gandenberger — "Sonate," first

Brande Montgomery — "Movin" On," first

Amanda Shelley — "Because You Loved Me," first

Mici Beard — "Arms Wide Open," first

[Senior solo contestants: (front row, left to right) Brande Montgomery, Mici Beard, Amanda Shelley, Jenna Dumser; (back row) Jean Cross, Kirsten Gandenberger, Jessica Alexander, Kate Krueger]

[to top of second column in this report]

Flying Feet Rockets (Brande Montgomery, Jenna Dumser, Jean Cross, Kelsey Ney, Mici Beard, Kirsten Gandenberger, Kirstin Rawlins, Brittany Charette) — "Bluegrass Rules," first (score of 149.1 out of 150)

Brande Montgomery and Kirsten Gandenberger — "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," first; first overall senior duet; first overall in entire senior category (score of 149.6 out of 150)

[Kirsten Gandenberger (left) and Brande Montgomery with trophies from the top senior duet, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," and the top senior small group, the Warriors.]

Katie Nelson and Kate Kruger — "Glencoe Set," high second

Kelsey Ney, Katie Nelson, Kate Krueger, Jessica Alexander, Rachel Thomas and Mici Beard — "I Believe in You," high second

Jenna Dumser, Brande Montgomery, and Amy Rehtmeyer — "I Wanna Love You Forever," first; fifth overall senior small group

Kirsten Gandenberger, Annie Sheley, Rachel Thomas, Chris Thomas and Bill Thomas — "Nosey Joe," first; fourth overall senior small group

Brande Montgomery, Jenna Dumser, Amy Rehtmeyer, Mici Beard, Kelsey Ney, Katie Nelson, Kate Krueger, Jessica Alexander, and Rachel Thomas — "You Won’t See Me Cry," first; third overall senior small group

Brande Montgomery, Kirsten Gandenberger, Kelsey Ney and Jenna Dumser — "Warriors," first; first overall senior small group

Wes Tucker and Jillyn Cross — "Funkytown," first

Flying Feet Firecrackers (Ashley Meyrick, Brooke Kelly, Olivia Renken, Kelsey Sickmeyer, Jaci Gandenberger, Audra Ballinger, Rachel Franklin, Karenda Langley, Amy Ramlow, Brigette Hyde, Elizabeth Brown, Jill Tibbs, Channing Beard, Wes Tucker and Jillyn Cross) — "Precision," first

[Most of the participants from the studio]

[SEPT. 28, 2001]  Ask Lady Railer volleyball fans what Kari McFadden is most known for on the court, and they would tell you it’s her intensity and her front-line kills that send opponents fleeing for cover. Last night Kari’s intensity was there as usual, but it was concentrated at a different place — the service line. Kari’s 14 service points, combined with focused team play, led the Railers to their third CS8 Conference win, as they defeated a good Sacred Heart-Griffin team by scores of 15-12, 15-9.

In junior varsity action last night, the Lady Railers were also victorious over SHG, in a hard-fought match, by scores of 16-14 and 15-7.

SHG came into the match fresh off a first-place finish in the Springfield Tournament and holding a well deserved 13-3 overall record. Combine that with the fact that over the 30-year history of this matchup the Lady Railers are at a 6-30 disadvantage. Toss in both teams’ desire to win the conference title, and you have the makings of an intense volleyball match. And that is what those present last night witnessed.

In Game 1 the Railers got down early, fought back quickly and never trailed again. SHG served first and started off with a vengeance. The Railers very quickly found themselves down 0-3, and it looked as though SHG might blow the Railers out of their own gym.

Then came Kari McFadden to the service line. Before the officials signaled side out again, the score was Railers 6, SHG 3. A long-term battle ensued at this point, with more side-out signals than points being scored. Darcy White picked up a couple more Railer points, and then Kari McFadden returned to pick up three more service points to bring her game total to nine. Net play by Darcy White and Michelle McFadden put the finishing touches on these points, and the Railers led 11-7.

Serving by Missy Aper and Samantha Conrady wrapped up a very competitive first game. The Railers got great defensive blocking from a Cook-Michelle McFadden and a Gleason-Kari McFadden combination, as well as numerous side-out kills from Tina Cook, to stop SHG from catching up. The final point of Game 1 was indicative of the match, as both teams refused to let the ball hit the floor until a soft dink by Darcy White was too well placed for SHG to reach.

The final point of Game 1 seemed to take some of the air out of the Blazers’ attack as Game 2 began. With the Lady Railers serving first, Kari McFadden again came to the service line and continued her streak. Her first serve was an ace. Kills by Samantha Conrady and Kelli Gleason, along with a dink by Darcy White, brought the Railers to 4-0. After a quick one-serve side out for SHG, Kelli Gleason rotated to the service line. Three successive Railer blocks by Michelle McFadden and Tina Cook left the SHG hitters with the volleyball on their side of the court and found SHG down 0-7. SHG’s longtime coach Helen Dulle called her team over for a brief discussion.

[to top of second column in this article]

Whatever coach Dulle had to say, worked, as SHG roared back to get as close as 10-9. But getting back to 10-9 was it. The Railers played strong team offense and defense to shut off the Blazers and win the game and the match 15-9.

The Railer back-line defense was awesome as Christina Xamis and Darcy White, among others, made some crucial digs to keep the ball off the floor after strong SHG kills. Good back-row passing was also a key factor in the victory. Tina Cook was lethal during the last stretch of Game 2, as her kills and a block led to points or side outs. The final point of Game 2 and the match found Missy Aper serving, Darcy White digging and Samantha Conrady killing, to bring home the victory for the Lady Railers.

Coach Howe, in post-game comments, said she thinks the Railers are getting back up to speed after a slight mid-season slump. She hopes for continued improvement as the Railers finish conference play and head for the postseason. I thought the Railers played hard through some long rallies and looked like a team with a strong will to win again.

When I asked Kari McFadden for her thoughts on her excellent serving performance she, with her usual smile and in her usual gracious fashion, gave the credit to her team’s overall performance. Good point. Right attitude. It took the fabulous performances of at least eight Railers to pull off last night’s important win. Nice job, ladies!

The Railers now stand at 19-4-1 overall and 3-0 in the conference. They will be on the road next week to play a conference match with Lanphier on Tuesday and a tough non-conference match against Normal Community on Thursday. Both matches will be keys to the Railers’ conference and postseason positions.

GO, RAILERS!

[Rick Hobler]

Lincoln College vs. Carl Sandburg

[SEPT. 28, 2001]  Lincoln College will take the weekend off after beating Carl Sandburg 30-26, 30-9 and 30-25 in volleyball Thursday night at Lincoln. "We will take a 9-8 record into this short break, and it is very pleasing to be over .500 at this time," said coach Mark Tippett.

The Lady Lynx coach continued, "We played pretty well and with a lot of intensity. Carl Sandburg made us work hard for our points in the first and third games. I don't know what happened in the second game, as we just totally dominated. We were very consistent with our serving and we found a way to push through in the first and third games."

Janine Buettner had another outstanding night for the Lady Lynx with 12 points, eight aces and nine kills.   Erica Miller contributed nine points, six kills and four digs, while Marie Burash had nine points and one ace.   Angela Maestas, a Lincoln High School graduate, had eight points and three digs, while Beth Guy, a Hartsburg-Emden grad, contributed 25 set assists.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

Lincoln College vs. Danville

[SEPT. 27, 2001]  Lincoln College shut out Danville 4-0 in men’s soccer at Danville Wednesday afternoon. The victory runs the Lincoln record to 6-2 for the season.

Lincoln College scored its third shutout in the past four games with Fernando Delgado in goal. Delgado was credited with six saves in the game.

"We played pretty well.  We had a lot of opportunities early but couldn’t put the ball in the net," said coach Mark Howard.  "I put in three subs for the last 20 minutes of the game, and two of the three scored goals.   We didn’t play our best defensive game of the year, but they were a hard team to defend because they just kick and run."

Jesus Cruz scored Lincoln’s first goal at the 39th minute with an assist from Steve Gorton. That was the only goal of the first half as the Lynx had a 1-0 margin.  At the 75th minute, John Lusicic scored with an assist from Chris Luther, and 12 minutes later Cliff Scattergood put a ball in the net with an assist from Mike Fox.  The final Lynx goal came at the 89th minute, with Lusicic again scoring, this time with the assist from Jeremy Wood.

[Bill Martinie, Lincoln College sports information director]

Lincoln College vs. Lake Land

[SEPT. 26, 2001]  Lincoln College lost to the Lake Land volleyball team in three matches at Mattoon on Tuesday night, 30-22, 30-23, 30-15. The loss drops the Lady Lynx back to the .500 mark for the season as they enter a home match against Carl Sandburg Thursday at 6 p.m.

"Lake Land was a very solid team. We did not come out with much intensity," said coach Mark Tippett. "I felt we should have played tougher, but when you don’t play with a lot of emotion against good teams, you are going to have problems."

Erica Miller had nine points and four kills, while Angela Maestas had seven points and three digs for the Lady Lynx. Janine Buettner contributed six points, two blocks and five kills.

[Bill Martinie, Lincoln College sports information director]

[OCT. 2, 2001]   

[Click here for Part 2]

Q. What do you miss about living in Lincoln?

A. I miss seeing my family and friends on a regular basis. I have made some really good friends at school, but the people in Lincoln are the people who have known me since I was in diapers. Those are the people who accept me for who I really am, even with all my flaws.

Q. Do you ever get homesick?

A. I got a little homesick my freshman year. It was the first time I was away from home for an extended period of time, and I had a girlfriend back home, as well as the fact that life as a freshman is not very enjoyable. Since freshman year though, being homesick has not been an issue. I like getting home, but I am used to the fact that I do not [get] home very often.

Q. What do you like about living in New York or out East?

A. The thing I like the most about living out East is the fact there is so much to do within driving distance. I can drive to the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area one weekend and drive to Boston the next. Being in New York also gives me a perspective on how people and lifestyles are different in other parts of the country. All in all, it has been a good experience for me.

Q. It appears that you’ve made an excellent choice going to West Point? How so?

A. I am not sure how "excellent" it looked a few years ago, but I think I made the right decision for myself by coming here. I have been able to get a great education for no monetary cost to my family or myself. Since I get the opportunity to serve in the best Army in the world after I graduate, I do not even have to worry about finding a job. More importantly, West Point is a very unique experience, and I feel privileged to have been a part of the tradition here at the academy. Also, if anyone has any question about the academy, Lincoln Daily News has my e-mail address.

[to top of second column in this section]

Q. What advice would you give the kids of Lincoln today?

A. My advice to the kids of Lincoln would be to never limit yourselves, and enjoy being a young person in Lincoln. There is a whole world of opportunity waiting for people that are willing to take risks and go after their goals. Lincoln is a great place to live and grow up in, but do not get tunnel vision. There actually is a huge world that exists outside the Lincoln city limits. Do not be afraid to go into that world. Maybe Lincoln is the right place for you, but you will never truly know unless you see other places.

Whether you believe it or not, growing up in Lincoln is great. Lincoln is a safe place full of people who really care for you. Lincoln is a caring community all the way from its churches to its tee ball fields. Take advantage of the wisdom and love of all those people.

Q. Anything else that you’d like to say to the people of Lincoln?

The list is too long for me to thank everyone I know in Lincoln that helped me out along the way. But those people know who they are, and I am forever indebted to them. My outlook and attitude toward life was molded by a number of people from Lincoln. Anything that I ever do or accomplish in life has their imprints on it.

Finally, I would like to say to the people of Lincoln to never forget the important things in life. It is very easy to get caught up in paying the bills, going to practice and things of that nature. In light of the recent events in our country, I hope we never lose focus on things like family, friends, faith and community. Those things are always there when you come home at night. That is what matters in the long run. Also, all my love to my mom, dad, brother and stepdad. I am really lucky.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[SEPT. 28, 2001]   

Q. Is it hard to get fired up for an Army football game or is it easier?

A. We haven’t had a home game since the attack, but I think it will be easier. Now more than ever, the team represents something bigger than the academy. The team represents our country and all the ideals we hold true.

Q. Tell us a little about your experience in playing 150-pound football for the academy.

A. Well, I spent most of my time playing "left out." It was a challenging experience. The practices were more intense than any practices I had in any sport in high school. They were longer, tougher and just drained your energy.

Q. Are you just too busy to play now and are you playing any other sports like IMs?

A. I left the team because I wanted to improve my grades and because I wanted more time for myself. I would leave for practice a little before 3 p.m. and not get back to my room until 7 or 7:30 p.m. That is a big chunk of my day that I could be using for other things.

Everyone here has to do an IM if they are not involved in a varsity sport. I have done basketball and some other sports. Doing an IM is fun, competitive and takes up less time than a varsity sport.

[to top of second column in this section]

Q. Reflect on your days of being a Lincoln Railer...

A. Being a Railer. I know I have only been out of high school four years but it seems like so long ago. Being a Railer was great. The fans are great. They are always there to support you. My best friends from high school are people from the Railer teams I was fortunate enough to be a part of. High school was a lot of fun. I have some great memories from things like student council, homecoming, prom and just running around like an idiot with my buddies. But, I realize already that high school is just a short part of your life, and if the most meaningful things you ever did were in high school, then you have missed the boat on life.

Q. What did you like most about it? Least?

The thing I liked most about being a Railer was the whole atmosphere of high school. LCHS is not so small that you know everyone by first names but not so big that on your last day of your senior year you meet another senior for the first time.

Also, I enjoyed the laid-back environment. I feel strongly that high school should be as pressure-free as possible. Set accomplishable goals and achieve them. Everyone has a skill they excel at. High school is a time to search for those things. If you weigh yourself down with the pressure of doing everything, you will not find the skill you are the best at. I think I was able to find out what I was good at, thanks to the people and environment at LCHS.

The thing I liked least was changing the beginning of school from 8:50 to 7:30 after my sophomore year. That really threw my schedule off !

Seriously, the thing I liked least, in retrospect, is the overall lack of diversity in the LCHS student body. That is not the fault of anyone in particular, but you meet people of different colors, faiths, and backgrounds in the real world. There is no real exposure to that at LCHS, and that is a real disadvantage for its students.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[Click here for Part 3]

[SEPT. 27, 2001]   

Q. Jon, where were you when you heard of last week’s tragic events?

A. I was in between classes, and I heard another student say that the WTC was on fire. So, when I got to my next classroom I told my teacher what I had heard, and he turned on CNN. At that point the second plane had just crashed into the second tower and another plane had struck the Pentagon. All I could think was, "My God, we’re at war."

Jon Barton

Q. Did life as an Army cadet change for you immediately?

A. I think my life changed in the sense that my mission here at the academy became very real. I am here to become an officer in the Army and it is easy to lose sight of that when you have tests and papers and all the other distractions of college life. The current status of our nation’s military agenda has made me focus more on what I will be doing in 18 months.

Q. Will life for you be different for a long time coming?

A. Life will be different for me, but I think life is going to be different for every U.S. citizen. Many people are concerned about the safety of our country. No one knows if the attacks are over, so many people are reluctant to live their lives the way they did prior to the attacks.

On a positive note, the attack has brought our nation together in a way we have not seen since World War II. The way the country is going to retaliate is unclear, but the resolve and courage of our people is not. The citizens of this country will not be intimidated by the acts of a fanatical few bent on the destruction of our way of life.

[to top of second column in this section]

Q. What is your attitude and how is the mood in your dorm and on campus?

A. My attitude has taken on a more serious tone. I know now that I am not thinking as much about where my friends and I are going this weekend and more on the things I need to do to better myself as a leader before I graduate.

The attitude on campus is somber but focused. The academy is only 50 miles from New York City, so the attack really hit home. Many of us have visited the WTC. I even have friends that stayed at the Marriott at the base of the tower just a few weeks before the attacks. Another cadet who lives on my floor had a brother working in the WTC at the time of the attack. As of right now his brother is missing and presumed dead. The attacks are very real for most people at the academy.

Q. I imagine that you young men may have more purpose and more resolve than ever?

A. That’s true. I have never seen so much concern or resolve from myself and other cadets since I have been here. We realize now just how important the job of the military is going to be over the next decade, and there is not a more noble cause than protecting the people and the country you love.

Q. Is it hard to go to class, or did the events make your studies more real?

A. It has been very hard to go to class. There is all this horror and suffering going on 50 miles away, and I am sitting in a finance class learning the present value of a corporate bond. Class just seems very trivial right now. There has been an outcry from cadets to go to the city and help out, but there are enough volunteers right now. All we can do is sit and wait for our turn.

(To be continued)

[Jeff Mayfield]

[Click here for Part 2]

Announcements

Back to top