Tim Gaal
Cara Romanowski
Dave Engle
Emily Figel
Bryan Burke
Scott Hirsch
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - For most of Wittenberg University's student-athletes, the summer vacation has arrived and they are already busying themselves with a variety of other endeavors. Their absence from campus hasn't slowed the stream of postseason honors and awards, however.
One Tiger athlete will conclude his outstanding spring season this weekend at the NCAA Division III championship meet at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn. Sophomore Tim Gaal (Amanda, Ohio/Clearcreek) heads to St. Paul ranked seventh in the nation in the javelin after he posted a Wittenberg and North Coast Athletic Conference record throw of 206 feet to win the event at the NCAC Championships on May 3. This will be his first appearance in the national meet.
The Wittenberg tennis teams concluded extremely successful 2001-02 seasons with a couple of regional postseason awards. Head Coach Dave Engle was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Region Men's Coach of the Year after leading the Tigers to a sparkling 14-4 overall record and a 3-1 mark in the North Coast Athletic Conference West Division. Both the men and women finished third in the NCAC tournament for the second straight year.
Engle learned of the news while at the NCAA Division III Women's Singles Tournament in Sweet Briar, Va. where freshman Emily Figel (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead) became the first Tiger player to compete in a national tournament in nearly 20 years. Figel, already named the NCAC Newcomer of the Year after posting a 19-4 overall record at No. 1 singles, lost in the first round of the NCAA competition, but she was named the ITA Central Region Womens Player to Watch.
Cara Romanowski (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley), already named NCAC Women's Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference with 54 goals and 61 total points in 2002, was selected first-team All-West Region by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association. In addition, sophomore midfielder Kate Williston (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster) and sophomore defensive back Katie Babcock (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) were named to the IWLCA All-Region second team.
Rounding things out, the Wittenberg baseball team placed three senior standouts on the 2002 All-Mid-East Region teams. Shortstop Bryan Burke (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) and outfielder Scott Hirsch (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) were both named to the second team, while centerfielder Lance Dill (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork) made the third team. In addition, catcher Nate Williams (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) was named to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-District IV College Division Baseball First Team.
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