Thirty-Four Wittenberg Student-Athletes Earn Fall Sport Postseason Awards

Another banner fall sports season has reaped rich rewards for 34 Wittenberg University athletes who were selected to All-North Coast Athletic Conference teams over the last two weeks, and a number of those individuals have also claimed regional and national awards.

November 22, 2005

Jamie McIntyre

Jackie Williams

Justin Jenkins

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Another banner fall sports season has reaped rich rewards for 34 Wittenberg University athletes who were selected to All-North Coast Athletic Conference teams over the last two weeks, and a number of those individuals have also claimed regional and national awards.

Announcements for men's and women's soccer, field hockey, volleyball and football have come in separate releases from the NCAC office in the last two weeks. Individual finishes at the conference cross country championship on Oct. 29 at Denison University determined All-NCAC selections for that sport.

Several Wittenberg athletes were chosen for individual conference honors. Junior women's soccer defenderJamie McIntyre (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview) was named Defensive Player of the Year for a second straight season, freshman volleyball outside hitter Jackie Williams (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat) was named Newcomer of the Year and freshman men's soccer defender Justin Jenkins (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) claimed the Newcomer of the Year honor for his sport.

The TIGER VOLLEYBALL TEAM won the NCAC Tournament title for a ninth straight year in 2005 and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 11th time in school history (10th in a row). The Tigers, who had their eight-year run atop the NCAC regular season standings snapped in 2005, became the first women's program in school history to reach an NCAA Division III Final Four. Wittenberg finished the season ranked third in the nation.

Williams, the team leader in kills per game, was joined on the All-NCAC first team by sophomore outside hitterEmily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran), who topped the Tigers in kills and ranked third in digs. Bell added first-team All-Great Lakes Region and honorable mention All-America honors, all for the first time in her collegiate career.

Senior middle hitter Emily Dixon (Granville, Ohio/Granville), the team leader in blocks and the NCAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, was selected second-team All-NCAC. In addition, Dixon's 24 blocks in two matches at last weekend's national tournament earned her a place on the NCAA Division III All-Tournament team. Dixon is the first player in Wittenberg or NCAC history to ever make the NCAA Division III All-Tournament team.

Dixon joined Bell on the All-Great Lakes Region team. Williams was an honorable mention selection.

Rounding things out for the Wittenberg volleyball team, sophomore outside hitterJan Kehres (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance), who ranked second on the team in kills and digs, was placed in the honorable mention category. (NCAC Press Release - All-Region Press Release - (All-America Press Release)

The TIGER WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM enjoyed one of the finest seasons in school history in 2005, posting a second straight winning season with records of 14-5 overall and 5-3 in the NCAC. Wittenberg finished in a three-way tie for second place in the rugged NCAC, which included five teams ranked in the top 10 in the Great Lakes Region for much of the season.

McIntyre, a second-team honoree a year ago who spearheaded a defensive unit that allowed just 10 goals in 19 games this season, was joined on the first team by sophomore forward Lisa Rusch (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne), the team's leading scorer each of the last two seasons and a repeat first-team all-conference selection.

Second team honors went to senior midfielder Emily Hiscar (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) and freshman defender Suzanne Medwid (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington), while sophomore defender Lindsey Rusch (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) and sophomore goalkeeper Meghan O'Rourke (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) garnered honorable mention status. It was Hiscar's fourth all-conference recognition to cap an outstanding collegiate career, while the other three individuals all took home NCAC recognition for the first time. (NCAC Press Release)

The TIGER MEN'S SOCCER TEAM put together a fine season, finishing 7-6-6 overall and 4-2-3 in the competitive NCAC, which included five teams that were ranked in the top 10 of the Great Lakes Region at some point during the season. Jenkins was the team's lone first-team All-NCAC selection after spearheading a defensive unit that recorded four shutouts and allowed just eight goals in nine conference games.

Freshman forward/midfielder Matt Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Alter) led the Tigers in scoring and he was rewarded with second team all-conference honors. Junior midfielder Sebastian Missura (Quito, Ecuador/American School), who missed half the season with a leg injury, was selected for honorable mention status after making the second team each of the last two years. Junior goalkeeper Adam Horrocks (Delaware, Ohio/Hayes) made honorable mention as well, his first all-conference award. (NCAC Press Release)

The TIGER FIELD HOCKEY TEAM had its three-year run atop the NCAC regular season standings and tournament come to a close, but even with a young roster and a new coach, Wittenberg finished 10-8 overall and 8-4 in the NCAC, good for a second-place tie.

Senior forward Julia Wickham (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview) and junior defenderHolly McHugh (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) earned first-team All-NCAC honors. It was the third straight year with all-conference honors for Wickham, while McHugh earned the first All-NCAC award of her collegiate career.

Junior defender Rachel Dunn (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) and junior forward Katy Barrett (Powell, Ohio/Watterson) made second-team All-NCAC, the third all-conference designation for both in their Wittenberg careers. Sophomore goalkeeper Nicole Irvin (Gettysburg, Pa./Littlestown) also earned a spot on the second team, her first conference recognition, and freshman defender Beth Vonderbrink (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) rounded things out with an honorable mention all-conference designation.

Wickham added first-team All-Great Lakes Region honors for a second straight year. Barrett, Irvin and McHugh made second-team all-region. (NCAC Press Release - All-Region Press Release)

The TIGER FOOTBALL TEAM finished 5-5 overall and 5-2 in the NCAC, good for a third-place tie. Fourteen players earned All-NCAC honors. Senior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh), the conference leader in rushing and all-purpose yards per game and scoring, made the first team for a second straight year. He was joined on the first team by senior wide receiver Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown), senior tight end Nate Cherry (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's), junior offensive tackle Ted Londot (Utica, Ohio/Utica), senior defensive tackle Matt Stechschulte (Columbus Grove, Ohio/Columbus Grove), junior safetyMitch Fonseca (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus), sophomore kicker Mark Porter (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) and senior punter Jacob Thomas (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany).

Second-team honors went to junior center Tim Funke (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli), senior defensive tackle Tyler Jenkins (Circleville, Ohio/Logan Elm), junior linebacker Tyler Harmon (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) and senior safety Will Block (Troy, Ohio/Troy), while honorable mention awards were bestowed upon senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda) and sophomore fullback Andy Vanover (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe). All-region and All-America honors will be announced by the various sponsoring organizations in the next few weeks, and announcements about Tiger players who are named to them will be made separately. (NCAC Press Release)

Rounding things out, the TIGER MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS finished ninth and eighth, respectively, and did not place any runners on the All-NCAC teams. (Men's NCAC Results - (Women's NCAC Results)

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