2005 Fall Sports In Review
Jan. 9, 2006
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INDIANAPOLIS -- Horizon League athletics excelled both on the field of play and in the classroom this fall, earning numerous honors for their athletic performances, plus 37 team and individual awards for academic achievement.
Cross Country
Fall proved another successful season for Horizon League cross country as three teams earned at-large berths into the NCAA Cross Country Championship.
Loyola University Chicago made its first ever team appearance in the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship, earning an at-large berth after a fifth-place finish at the Midwest Regional in Iowa City, Iowa. The Ramblers finished in 31st place, with junior Sam Romanoski leading the team with an 86th-place finish.
For the second-consecutive year, both the men's and women's cross country teams from Butler University earned berths to the national meet. Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year and individual Horizon League champion Andy Rayner crossed the line in 35th-place, leading the Bulldogs to a 25th-place team showing, while the women's team finished 24th overall. Butler senior Victoria Mitchell was the fourth runner to cross the finish line, earning her NCAA All-America honors. Mitchell, the 2005 NCAA Champion in the 3000m steeplechase, finished first at the NCAA Pre-National Meet, the Horizon League Championship and the Great Lakes Regional this fall.
Volleyball
Under the guidance of first-year head coach Marcie Bomhack, the Loyola Ramblers earned their second consecutive Horizon League championship crown and automatic berth into the NCAA tournament, before losing to the University of Wisconsin. Four teams finished the season ranked in the top 50 teams in the country in key statistical categories, with Cleveland State University earning a 49th-place ranking with a .239 team hitting percentage and both Wright State University (24th, 18.34) and Butler (26th, 18.18) earning spots on the digs-per-game list. Regular season champion University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee finished with a top 50 ranking in three categories, including a 30th-place ranking in kills-per-game with 16.18, a 37th place finish with 14.77 assists-per-game and a 45th place ranking in digs per game with 17.61. Butler senior Megan Knightly ended the year with an average of 5.51 digs- per-game, good for 21st in the nation.
Cleveland State senior Nickole Kennedy, an opposite on the Viking squad, earned an All-America honorable mention from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), in addition to being named to the AVCA All-Midwest Region team. The Sunbury, Ohio, native was also named Horizon League Player of the Year after averaging 3.83 kills per game and topping the League with a .318 hitting percentage. Joining Kennedy on the All-Midwest list was UW-Milwaukee junior Sarah Moore. Moore earned an All-Midwest Region honorable mention certificate after finishing the season as UWM's leader in blocks (1.24 bpg) and hitting percentage (.285).
Men's Soccer
The fall proved to be another successful season for the UW-Milwaukee men's soccer team. The Panthers compiled a 4-2-1 League record and claimed their fourth consecutive Horizon League Championship by defeating regular-season titlist University of Detroit Mercy. UWM defeated Bradley University, 2-0, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before being eliminated by top-ranked New Mexico 2-2, with the Lobos advancing on penalty kicks 5-3. The Panthers ended the season with an overall 14-4-5 record and a 24th-place ranking in the final poll by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Six Horizon League men's soccer players, representing five institutions, received NSCAA All-Region accolades for their athletic accomplishments this fall. Detroit led the way with two selections as juniors Jason Massoglia and Andrew Ornoch earned Second-Team All-Great Lakes Region honors. Ornoch topped the League's scoring charts in 2005, collecting 10 goals and 25 points, while Massoglia registered eight goals and was named the League's Defensive Player of the Year.
UW-Milwaukee senior Neil Dombrowski and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay junior Josh Okoampa were also named to the All-Great Lakes Second Team. Dombrowski recorded nine goals and added five assists this season, while Okoampa tied for a League-best 10 goals. Wright State junior Tony Labudovski earned Third-Team honors after posting nine goals and adding two assists for the Raiders.
University of Illinois-Chicago sophomore Pavle Dundjer finished third in the League with 22 points off seven goals and eight assists this season, earning him Second-Team honors in the Midwest Region. Dundjer was one of only two sophomores named among the region's top 25 players. UW-Milwaukee freshman goalkeeper Grant Fernstrum also earned a place in the NCAA spotlight, winning the Division I goals-against national championship with a 0.466 goals-against mark.
Women's Soccer
The Horizon League women's soccer championship provided excitement and drama as UW-Milwaukee and Detroit battled through two scoreless overtime periods in the final match, with the Panthers claiming the title on a 4-3 penalty kick advantage. Milwaukee advanced to the NCAA Tournament, defeating Purdue 1-0, before falling to crosstown rival Marquette in the tournament's second round.
The success of Horizon League soccer was reflected in the selection of six players from the League to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Team and seven to the Soccer Buzz All-Great Lakes Region Team.
Four players were selected to both teams, including Detroit midfielder Mary Parker (First Team NSCAA and Second Team Soccer Buzz All-Great Lakes), Milwaukee defender Ginny Graczyk (First Team NSCAA and Soccer Buzz All-Great Lakes), Sarah Oligney of UW-Green Bay (Second Team Soccer Buzz and Third Team NSCAA All-Great Lakes) and Wright State freshman Jess Rooma (Soccer Buzz Freshman All-Great Lakes and NSCAA Third Team).
This season, Parker topped the League charts with 24 points this season, posting a League-high ten goals with four assists, while Horizon League Player of the Year Oligney posted six goals and a League-best 10 assists for 22 points this season. Both Graczyk and Rooma were honored for their outstanding defensive play, with Graczyk serving as a stalwart for the Milwaukee defense and Rooma earning 2005 Newcomer of the Year honors while helping the Raider defense to a 0.65 goals-against average.
Also selected to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Third Team were UW-Green Bay's Stephanie Gross and Butler's Meredith Buemi. Gross finished second in the League with 23 points for the Phoenix, while Buemi capped her Butler career with a team-high six goals, including three match winners.
Joining Rooma on the Soccer Buzz Freshman All-Great Lakes Team were UW-Milwaukee goalkeeper Erin Kane and midfielder Sarah Teegarden. The Panther duo earned Freshman All-America honors from the internet publication. As goalkeeper, Kane set school records with 13 shutouts and a 0.58 goals against average, finishing 15th in the nation in GAA and establishing a League record for shutouts. Teegarden earned her honors after becoming a mainstay in the Panther midfield, tying for the team lead in goals (five) and finishing tied for third in scoring (11 points).
Academic Honors
In addition to the athletic accolades, the Horizon League boasts 37 team and individual awards for academic success. Included in those are six CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-Americas and eight teams, plus nine athletes honored by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Five Horizon League schools were represented on the CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America teams, with the UW-Milwaukee men's soccer team placing two on the lists. UWM senior Neil Dombrowski was joined by Butler senior defender Patrick Reilly and UW-Green Bay senior midfielder Adam Ben-Zikri on the All-America Second Team while Panther sophomore defender Steve Bode gained Third-Team distinction. Youngstown State University volleyball player Abby Ettenhofer and Cleveland State outside hitter Jenna Maddocks also earned All-America honors, with Ettenhofer claiming Second-Team honors and Maddocks earning Third-Team distinction.
Eight additional players received recognition on CoSIDA's Academic All-District teams, with three Detroit Titans named to the District IV Team and two players each from both UW-Milwaukee and UW-Green Bay joining one from Loyola on the District V Team. Detroit was represented by Massoglia on the men's First Team, while Parker (First Team) and senior Allison Epple (Third-Team) were honored on the women's side. Loyola senior Joe Nierzwicki earned First-Team distinction in District V for the men, while UW-Green Bay's Gross and UW-Milwaukee's Graczyk were honored on the women's side. Graczyk's teammate, senior Katie Campion was a Second- Team All-District choice, while UW-Green Bay libero Sarah Rauen also earned Second-Team honors for volleyball in District V.
Nine players were honored for the academic success by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America this fall, including two athletes earning NSCAA Scholar All-America distinction. UW-Milwaukee senior Neil Dombrowski and UW-Green Bay senior Sarah Oligney were both recognized with Second-Team honors.
Dombrowski was joined by teammate Bode and Loyola's Nierzwicki on the All-North Central Region Scholar Athlete First Team, while UWM junior Billy Meier was a Second-Team selection. Oligney led five women's soccer players selected to the All-Central Region team, earning First Team honors while the UWM tandem of Janice McGann and Campion earned Second-Team distinction and Gross and Butler senior Kate Lord garnered Third-Team honors.
The NSCAA also honors teams that maintain a composite grade-point average of 3.00 or higher for the academic year. This fall, six Horizon League institutions received a total of eight NSCAA Team Academic Awards, compared to only two earned last year. The League was one of only five conferences to boast two institutions garnering dual accolades, with both Loyola and UW-Milwaukee earning distinction for both their men's and women's teams. The Detroit men's team and the women's teams from Butler, UW-Green Bay and Wright State were also honored by the organization.
2005 NCAA Tournament Performance
Men's Cross Country
Butler--25th among 31 teams
Loyola--31st among 31 teams
Individual Performances
Place
35---Andy Rayner, BU, JR, 30:30
86---Sam Romanoski, LU, JR, 31:04
49---Scott Overall, BU, SR, 30:41
100--Alex Hains, BU, JR, 31:17
165--Robert Wade, LU, SR, 31:55
173--Andrew Toward, BU, JR, 31:59
174--Nick Goodliffe, BU, SR, 32:02
199--Brent Cunningham, LU, JR, 32:47
201--Eduardo Borjon, LU, SR, 32:50
205--Ryan Kuphall, LU, FR, 32:58
207--Chris Smith, BU, JR, 33:04
210--Bryan Phillips, BU, FR, 33:31
213--Sean Conroy, LU, SR, 34:19
215--Andrew McQuillan, LU, SR, 35:03
Women's Cross Country
Butler--24th among 31 teams
Individual Performances
Place
4----Victoria Mitchell, BU, SR, 19:51
45---Jenni Pereira, BU, JR, 20:50
115--Ava Hutchinson, BU, JR, 21:36
181--Kara Henry, BU, JR, 22:24
186--Katie Stucky, BU, SR, 22:28
188--Maria Beitel, BU, JR, 23:26
Men's Soccer
First Round: UW-Milwaukee 2, Bradley 0
Second Round: New Mexico 2, UW-Milwaukee 2 (5-4 penalty kicks)
Women's Soccer
First Round: UW-Milwaukee 0, Purdue 0 (6-5 penalty kicks)
Second Round: Marquette 1, UW-Milwaukee 0
Volleyball
First Round:Wisconsin 3, Loyola 0
Individual Awards
Women's Cross Country
Victoria Mitchell, Butler,NCAA Division I All-America
Volleyball
Abby Ettenhofer, Youngstown State - CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-America Second Team,CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District IV First Team
Nickole Kennedy,Cleveland State-AVCA All-America honorable mention, AVCA All-Midwest Team
Jenna Maddocks, Cleveland State- CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-America Third Team
Sarah Moore, UW-Milwaukee- AVCA All-Midwest honorable mention
Sarah Rauen, UW-Green Bay-CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District V Second Team
Women's Soccer
Meredith Buemi, Butler-NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Third Team
Katie Campion, UW-Milwaukee-CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District V Second Team, NSCAA Scholar Athlete All-Central Region Second Team
Allison Epple, Detroit-CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District IV Third Team
Ginny Graczyk, UW-Milwaukee-CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District V First Team, NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region First Team
Stephanie Gross, UW-Green Bay-CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District V First Team, NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Third Team, NSCAA Scholar Athlete All-Central Region Third Team
Kate Lord, Butler-NSCAA Scholar Athlete All-Central Region Third Team
Janice McGann, UW-Milwaukee-NSCAA Scholar Athlete All-Central Region Second Team
Sarah Oligney, UW-Green Bay-NSCAA All-America Scholar Athlete, NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Third Team
Mary Parker, Detroit-CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District IV First Team, NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region First Team
Jess Rooma, Wright State-NSCAA All Great Lakes Region Third Team
Men's Soccer
Adam Ben-Zikri, UW-Green Bay-CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-America Second Team, CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District V First Team
Steve Bode, UW-Milwaukee-CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District V First Team, CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-America Third Team, NSCAA Scholar Athlete All-North Central Region First Team
Neil Dombrowski, UW-Milwaukee- NSCAA Scholar Athlete All-America, NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Second Team, CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District V Team, CoSIDA/ESPN Academic Academic All-America Second Team
Pavle Dundjer, UIC- NSCAA All-Midwest Region Second Team
Grant Fernstrum, UW-Milwaukee- NCAA Goals-Against Average Statistical Champion
Tony Labudovski, Wright State- NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Third Team
Jason Massoglia, Detroit-NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Second Team,CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District IV Team
Billy Meier, UW-Milwaukee- NSCAA Scholar Athlete All-North Central Region Second Team
Joe Nierzwicki, Loyola- CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District V First Team, NSCAA Scholar Athlete All-North Central Region First Team
Joshua Okoampa, UW-Green Bay- NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Second Team
Andrew Ornoch, Detroit- NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Second Team
Patrick Reilly, Butler- CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-America Second Team, CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District V First Team
