January 9, 2006

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Loras College swimmer Lauren Lehenbauer (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf) and Central College basketball player Clint Driftmier (Clarinda, Iowa/South Page) have been named the IIAC Female and Male Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday, January 8. The Conference also announced the Performers of the Week for each of the Conference’s five sports in competition during the week.

Women’s Swimming & Diving – Lauren Lehenbauer, Loras College, Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf
Lehenbauer, a freshman, had six top-4 finishes in two dual meets during the week. She won three events, setting two school records, in a 127-104 victory over Luther – 200-yard butterfly (school record 2:15.12), 400-yard medley relay (school record 4:13.02) and 500-yard freestyle (5:20.32). In a loss to Division I East Carolina, she finished second in the 400-meter freestyle (4:46.64), third in the 200-meter freestyle (2:18.34) and fourth in the 100-meter butterfly (1:12.91).

Men’s Basketball – Clint Driftmier, Central College, Clarinda, Iowa/South Page
Driftmier, a junior center, averaged 23.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.5 assists in two games during the week. He shot 67.9 percent (19-of-28) from the field and 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from the free throw line in victories over Dubuque (85-71) and Simpson (87-85) as Central extended its winning streak to its longest in 11 years (six straight). Driftmier scored 28 points (on 12-of-16 shooting), had 13 rebounds (4-9), three blocks, two assists and a steal against Dubuque. He scored 18 points (on 7-of-12 shooting), had nine rebounds (1-8), two blocks and an assist against Simpson.

Women’s Basketball – Dani Merriman, Cornell College, Colorado Springs, Colo./William J. Palmer
Merriman, a freshman guard, scored 20 points, had five rebounds, two steals and an assist in Cornell’s 62-57 victory over Buena Vista. She shot 63.6 percent from the floor (7-of-11), including 60.0 percent (6-of-10) from behind the 3-point arc as Cornell snapped Buena Vista’s 28-game Conference regular season winning streak and halted its own 18-game Conference losing streak. In loses to Wartburg (75-70) and Waldorf (76-50), she scored 10 and three points, respectively.

Men’s Swimming & Diving – Mike Rogers, Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington
Rogers, a senior, won five events and finished second in another in two dual victories. In Coe’s 102-94 win over Principia, Rogers won the 200-yard individual medley (2:06.94) and the 100-yard backstroke (55.32) to go along with a second-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay (1:49.00). He won the 100-yard freestyle (50.60, season best), 200-yard freestyle (1:53.11) and the 400-yard medley relay (3:57.22, 55.60 split) in the Kohawks’ 100-58 win over Augustana (Ill.).

Wrestling – Niles Mercer, Coe College, Keosauqua, Iowa/Van Buren
Mercer, a sophomore, won the 141-pound weight class at Cornell’s Matman Invitational and was named the Outstanding Wrestler. Mercer, unseeded, defeated the top three seeds en route to a 5-0 record with a fall and a major decision. He won by major decision over the #1-seed Zach Chambers of Wisconsin-Platteville (15-6) in the Championship match, won by decision over the #2-seed Earl Robinson of William Penn (6-3) and by decision over the #3-seed Ryan McMurray of Augustana, Ill. (5-3). Mercer also pinned Morningside’s Jake Thomas (1:25) and won by decision over Luther’s Logan Quek (8-6).

Other Outstanding Weekly Performers
The IIAC also recognized the following outstanding athletic performances from the past week.

• Buena Vista University senior forward Kelli Staley (Charter Oak, Iowa/Boyer Valley) averaged 16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 55.0 percent (11-of-20) in contests against Cornell (62-57 loss) and Loras (69-59 win). She became the second player in Buena Vista history to record 500 career rebounds and 200 career steals when she recorded her 500th rebound against Cornell.

• Loras College sophomore guard Natalie Pucci (West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs) averaged 18.0 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 44.0 percent (11-of-25) in contests against Wartburg (64-55 win) and Buena Vista (69-59 loss).

• Luther College junior guard Christina Gaard (Decorah, Iowa/Decorah) averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.5 assists while shooting 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from the floor including 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from behind the 3-point arc in contests against Simpson (64-62 loss) and Dubuque (87-46 win). She scored a career-high 25 points and had five steals in a losing effort to Simpson.

• Simpson College sophomore forward Katelyn Whiton (Panora, Iowa/Perry) averaged 14.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 steals while shooting 54.5 percent (12-of-22) in victories over Luther (64-62) and Central (94-55).

• Loras College sophomore forward Kyle White (Antioch, Ill./Antioch) averaged 14.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals as the Duhawks extended their win streak to seven games with victories over Wartburg (64-63) and Buena Vista (59-51).

• Wartburg College Senior guard Jason Steege (Fredericksburg, Iowa/Fredericksburg) averaged 21.5 points, 4.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in two games during the week while shooting 53.6 percent (15-of-28) from the floor and 87.5 percent (7-of-8) from the free throw line in a loss to Loras (64-63) and victory over Cornell (80-73)

• Buena Vista University freshman Kyle Forness (Waterloo, Iowa/Columbus) went 4-1 during the week with a fall, a technical fall and a major decision to finish second at 149-pounds at the Cornell Matman Invitational. His lone loss came to the #1-ranked wrestler in the NAIA, Dave Cotton of William Penn.

• Simpson College senior Brett Christensen (Lenox, Iowa/Lenox) went 5-0 during the week with four falls and won heavyweight title at the Williams (Mass.) Invitational.

• Wartburg College junior 197-pounder T.J. Miller (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls) went 3-0 during the week including two falls and a decision over defending national runner-up Jamal Johnson of Delaware Valley (8-4).

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