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 Millikin, the CCIW’s regular season champion, won all three sets
of the extremely close match. The Big Blue won 25-21, 25-22 and
28-26. The final set was a back-and-forth battle all the way to the
end.
Millikin got 18 points and 10 digs from junior Erin Syversen
(Pewaukee, Wis., Waukesha West H.S.). Sophomore Emily Seegmiller
(Arthur, Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond H.S.) added 12 kills
attacking at a .375 percentage. Emily Milhalkanin (Willowbrook,
Hinsdale South H.S.) had 33 set assist and five digs. Senior Kelsey
Talkington (North Aurora, Aurora Central Catholic H.S.) had a team
high four blocks and ended the match with a service ace. Sophomore
Cortney Bohn (Mahomet, Mahomet-Seymour H.S.) had seven kills. Alora
Goodey (Lincoln, H.S.) had four kills and three blocks.
Millikin defeated Carthage College 3-1 in a semifinal match on
Friday. Millikin lost the first set 25-17, but rallied to take the
next three 25-22, 25-15 and 25-18. Syversen led Millikin with 20
kills and a .340 attacking percentage. She added 16 digs and two
service aces. Goodey had 11 kills with a .409 hitting percentage.
Mihalkanin had 49 set assists and two service aces. Kingery had a
team high 26 digs and two aces.
 Syversen, Goodey and Kingery were all named to the CCIW Tournament
All-Tournament Team with Kingery being named the tournament’s Most
Valuable Player.
Millikin volleyball defeated Carroll University 3-0 on November to
give the Big Blue its second straight College Conference of Illinois
and Wisconsin (CCIW) regular season championship and the right to
host the conference tournament. Millikin started slow in the first
set, but pulled out a 25-22 victory. Millikin controlled the next
two sets winning 25-15 and 25-16. Goodey led Millikin with nine
kills followed by Syversen with eight. Syversen added three service
aces. Mihalkanin had 30 set assists, seven kills and three service
aces. Talkington had six kills and two aces. Kingery had a team high
18 digs. Bohn and Seegmiller each had seven kills for Millikin.
Millikin is now 26-11 on the season and will find its NCAA
Tournament opponent and location when the 2016 NCAA Volleyball
Championships field is announced on Monday, November 7 at 11:30 a.m.
The live selection show will be available online at NCAA.com.
Millikin Wrestling Opens Season with Victory
The Millikin wrestling team opened its 2016-17 season with a 44-3
dual meet victory at Hannibal LaGrange College in Hannibal, Missouri
on November 1.
Millikin’s Travis Jones (DeSoto, Mo., Clarion University) got things
going with an 18-3 technical fall win at 125. Returning All-American
Chris Williams (Bethalto, Civic Memorial H.S.) won 20-5 by technical
fall at 20-5. The Big Blue got wins by fall from freshman Randle
Taborn (Springfield, H.S.) at 149, R.J. O’Connor (Trinity, Fla.,
Gulf H.S.) at 174 and Keajion Jennings (O’Fallon, O’Fallon Township
H.S.) at 184.
Other Millikin winners were freshman Rene Sanchez (Burbank, Reavis
H.S.) at 141, Sam Lack (Champaign, Centennial H.S.) at 157, Andrew
Wise (Mount Carmel, H.S.) at 197 and sophomore Frank Tomaskovic (Oak
Lawn, St. Laurence H.S.) at 285.
Millikin will host the Millikin Open on November 12 starting at 9:30
a.m.
Millikin Swimmers Host Double Dual Meet
In the first home double dual meet of the 2016-17 season, the
Millikin women’s swim team was victorious over Lincoln College 85-81
and lost to Franklin College 135-51. The Millikin men defeated
Lincoln College 95-93 and lost to Franklin 155-45.
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Top finishers for the Big Blue women included junior Sami Battle
(Odell, Pontiac H.S.) winning the 50 Freestyle in 25.15 second and
the 100 Freestyle with a time of 54.67 seconds. Junior Felicity
Speirs (Lake Stevens, Wash., H.S.) placed second in the 1000
Freestyle with a time of 11:55.87 seconds and in the 100 Backstroke
with a time of 1:13.10. Sophomore Caroline Lodovisi (Crown Point,
Ind., H.S.) finished second in the 100 Butterfly in 1:03.10 seconds
and third in the 500 free with a time of 5:51.79.
On the men’s side, Big Blue newcomer Cole Jones (Waverly, Mo., Santa
Fe H.S.) won the 50 Freestyle with a time of 23.62 seconds. Jones
also finished third in the 100 freestyle with a time of 52.58
seconds. Junior Spencer McGowan (Morton, H.S.) finished second in
the 100 Backstroke with a time of 58.45 seconds. Freshman Eric
Curtis (Pekin, H.S.) earned a third place finish in the 500
Freestyle with a time of 5:27.27 seconds.
The Millikin men’s and women’s swimming team competed at the
Illinois College Quad Meet on November 5 in Jacksonville, Ill. The
Millikin men defeated Principia 107-97 and Knox 150-33. The Big Blue
men lost to Illinois College 135-82. The Millikin women defeated
Principia 115-57. The Big Blue women lost to Illinois College
122-120 and to Knox 112-91.
In the women’s competition, Millikin’s Battle won three events
taking first place in the 100 Yard Backstroke (1:04.59), 50 Yard
Freestyle (25.48) and the 100 Freestyle (56.44.).
Lodovisi was first in the 200 Yard Butterfly in 2:21.34 and the 100
Butterfly in 1:03.53. She was second in the 200 Freestyle in
2:07.81.
Speirs was second in the 1650 Free in 20:05.30 and the 200
Backstroke in 2:34.17.
In the men’s competition, McGowan won the 200 Yard Backstroke in
2:07.41 and finished in second in the 200 Freestyle in 1:54.43.
Jones won the 50 Yard Freestyle in 24.01 seconds and was second in
the 100 Backstroke in 1:02.27.
Matthew Vangunten (East Peoria, H.S.) was second in the 200 Yard
Breaststroke in 2:36.69 and Cameron Lee (Everett, Wash., H.S.) was
second in the 500 Yard Freestyle in 5:34.81.
Millikin Football Loses at Elmhurst
The Millikin football team lost at Elmhurst College 56-14 on
November 5 in Elmhurst, Illinois.
Millikin turnovers were the difference in the game with Millikin
losing one fumble and throwing four interceptions. Elmhurst also
scored on a blocked punt after a bad snap on a punt play deep in
Millikin territory.
Elmhurst jumped out to a 21-0 advantage in the first quarter and
never looked back. The Big Blue actually had a slight edge in total
offense gaining 287 yards compared to Elmhurst’s 283.
Nicco Stepina (Casey, Casey Westfield H.S.) was 12-24-3 for 140
yards and a touchdown. Stepina rushed for 74 yards and one
touchdown. Stepina’s passing touchdown was a 42 yard pass to Jordan
Smith (Shelbyville, H.S.).
Millikin goes to 4-5, 3-4 while Elmhurst improves to 5-4, 4-3.
The Big Blue close out the 2016 season on November 12 hosting
Illinois Wesleyan University.
[Bryan Marshall] |
