January 24, 2005

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Central College track and field performer Cale Van Genderen (Lynnville, Iowa/Lynnville-Sully) and Central basketball player Ashley Nekola (Chelsea, Iowa/Belle Plaine) were named IIAC Male and Female Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday, January 23.

Van Genderen, a senior, won two events at the Central Invitational, including the high jump with an NCAA Championship automatic qualifying jump of 7-0.5, topping the AQ mark by 1¾” and breaking his own school record by ¾”. He also won the triple jump with a mark of 43-6.5.

Nekola, a junior forward, averaged 18.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in two contests during the week. She shot 50.0 percent (14-of-28) from the floor and 75.0 percent (9-of-12) from the free throw line in a victory over Loras (63-42) and a loss to Buena Vista (61-54). Nekola scored 17 points (on 6-of-14 shooting) and grabbed seven rebounds against Loras. In a losing effort against Buena Vista, she scored 20 points (on 8-of-15 shooting) and grabbed nine rebounds. Nekola also had an assist and a block in both games.

The IIAC also announced on Monday its Performers of the Week in the seven Conference sports in competition. Van Genderen and Nekola received the weekly honor in their respective sports, while the following individuals were recognized for their weekly performances.

Men’s Basketball: University of Dubuque sophomore forward Nick Thomas (Blackville, S.C./Blackville-Hilda) averaged 32.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.5 steals and 1.5 assists per game in two contests during the week. He shot 42.3 percent (22-of-52) from the floor and 81.0 percent (17-of-21) from the free throw line in a loss to Simpson (78-69) and victory over Cornell (86-63). Thomas scored 38 points (on 13-of-28 shooting), grabbed nine rebounds and had eight steals in 33 minutes in a losing effort against Simpson. In Dubuque’s victory over Cornell, he scored 27 points (on 9-of-24 shooting and 8-of-8 from the free throw line), grabbed six rebounds, had three steals and two assists.

Men’s Swimming & Diving: Coe College senior Blake Borrett (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Jefferson) won all five events in which he competed during the week. In the Kohawks dual against Grinnell, he won the 50-yard freestyle (22.33), the 100-yard freestyle (49.82) and was a member of the winning 200-yard freestyle relay (1:31.26, a 22.56 split). He also won the 50-yard freestyle (22.61) and the 100-year breaststroke (1:04.04) in a dual against Morningside.

Women’s Swimming & Diving: Coe College junior Maria Gebel (Iowa City, Iowa/City) won both the one and three-meter diving events in the Kohawks’ dual against Morningside; and finished second in both events in a dual against Grinnell. She recorded marks of 255.6 (Morningside) and 256.0 (Grinnell) in the three-meter dive, and 229.25 (Morningside) and 224.0 (Grinnell) in the one-meter dive. Gebel’s scores in the three-meter dive allow her to apply for consideration for selection to the NCAA Championship. To be eligible to apply for consideration, a diver must record two scores above 245 in a dual meet (or 255 when using six optional dives) then send video tape of her performance and maintain consistency throughout the season.

Women’s Track & Field: Loras College sophomore Whitney Calvert (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the pole vault with her winning vault at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Invitational. Calvert won the event by 16 inches with a jump of 11-4. The NCAA provisional qualifying mark is 10-10 and the automatic qualifying mark is 12-2.

Wrestling: Wartburg College sophomore heavyweight Blake Gillis (Spencer, Iowa/Spencer) went 6-0 during the week with two falls and two technical falls. He won by decision over Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Mark Hayes (7-4) and won by technical fall over Coe’s Ted Drees (16-0) before posting a 4-0 record at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. At the National Duals, he defeated Case Western Reserve’s Dawud Wilson by technical fall (16-0) then pinned The College of New Jersey’s Keith Bjorhus (4:31) and Luther’s Joe Postuma (5:53). In the Championship dual against top ranked Augsburg, Gillis won by decision over the #4-ranked wrestler, Mark Simmonds (5-0).

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