April 19, 2004

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Loras College track and field performer Marcus Murphy (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny HS) and Wartburg College track and field performer Dia Dohlman (Eldora, Iowa/Eldora-New Providence HS) were named IIAC Male and Female Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday, April 18.

Murphy, a senior, provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 1500-meter run. He won the event at the Augustana (Ill.) Meet of Champions in a time of 3:51.62.

Dohlman, a senior, automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships in the javelin with a throw of 158-11 at the Augustana (Ill.) Invitational. She won the event by over 22 feet, breaking the school record, the meet record and the venue record with her throw.

The IIAC also announced its Players of the Week for the Conference’s six sports in competition during the week. Murphy and Dohlman received the weekly honor for men’s and women’s track, while the following individuals were recognized for their athletic performances.

Baseball: Simpson College junior catcher/third baseman Dan Rieck (Ankeny, Iowa/Dowling HS) hit .524 (11-for-21) in six games during the week. He drove in four runs and scored eight times as the Storm posted a 5-1 record. Rieck had five two-hit games including both games of doubleheader sweeps of Conference-foes Loras and Luther.

Men’s Golf: Central College senior Patrick McElyea (Elmhurst, Ill./Timothy Christian HS) finished in a fourth-place tie at the Buena Vista Classic. He shot a two-over-par 146 in the two day tournament including a first round 68, to finish three strokes behind the winner.

Softball: Central College freshman designated player Tina Shimak (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy HS) hit .727 (8-for-11) in four games during the week. She drove in eight runs, hit three doubles and had a grand slam for a 1.273 slugging percentage. Her grand slam was part of a 2-for-4, five RBI performance in a 10-1 victory over Dubuque. Shimak also went 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI in a 6-0 victory over Cornell.

Men’s Tennis: Wartburg College junior Mark Giesmann (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock HS) went 7-0 during the week including 4-0 at #1 doubles and 3-0 at #3 singles. In doubles with Nick Schauf, he recorded victories over Simpson (8-4), Buena Vista (8-4), St. Ambrose (8-4) and Cornell (8-3). His doubles victories were straight set wins over Simpson’s Garrett Piklapp (6-3, 6-3) and Buena Vista’s Gregory Hamman (6-4, 6-1) and a three-set win over Cornell’s Jim Thompson (4-6, 6-4, 10-4).

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