January 30, 2006

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Buena Vista University basketball player Katie Maguire (Treynor, Iowa/Treynor) and Luther College wrestler Matt Pyle (Merrill, Kan./Sabetha) have been named the IIAC Female and Male Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday, January 29. The Conference also announced the Performers of the Week for each of the Conference’s seven sports in competition during the week.

Women’s Basketball – Katie Maguire, Buena Vista Univ., Treynor, Iowa/Treynor
Maguire, a senior guard, averaged 28.3 points, 5.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in three games during the week. She shot 55.0 percent (22-of-40) from the field, including 68.2 percent (15-of-22) from behind the 3-point arc, and 89.7 percent (26-of-29) from the free throw line in victories over Coe (90-68) and Cornell (81-73), and a loss to Simpson (91-82). Maguire scored 24 points (on 7-of-17 shooting), had six assists, three rebounds and three steals against Coe. In an overtime loss to Simpson, she became the fourth player in school history to score 1500 career points as she scored 32 (on 9-of-14 shooting) to go along with three steals, a rebound and an assist. She finished the week with a 29-point, nine-assist, five-rebound outing against Cornell, connecting on 6-of-9 shots, including all five 3-point attempts, and 12-of-13 free throws.

Wrestling – Matt Pyle, Luther College, Merrill, Kan./Sabetha
Pyle, a junior, went 4-0 at the Iowa Conference Duals with three falls and a technical fall. The top-ranked wrestler at 149-pounds, Pyle pinned Simpson’s Cole Christensen (4:15), Loras’ Drew Sloan (1:50) and Coe’s Jared Creason (4:47). He also won by technical fall over Buena Vista’s Kyle Kriz (16-0, 3:43).

Men’s Basketball – Nate Schmidt, Wartburg College, Cascade, Iowa/Cascade
Schmidt, a senior center, averaged 11.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in three games during the week. He shot 45.2 percent (14-of-31) from the floor and 55.6 percent (5-of-9) from the free throw line in victories over Central (69-51), Dubuque (86-66) and Simpson (76-67). He recorded his second double-double of the season with a 15-point, 13-rebound performance against Central, shooting 54.5 percent (6-of-11 shooting) from the floor, and adding two assists, two blocks and two steals. Against Dubuque, he scored 11 points (on 4-of-11 shooting), had eight rebounds, an assist and a block. He finished the week with nine points (on 4-of-9 shooting), 10 rebounds and four blocks against Simpson.

Women’s Swimming & Diving – Megan Verbrugge, Coe College, Sioux Falls, S.D./Lincoln
Verbrugge, a senior, won the 200-yard individual medley (2:15.96) and the 500-yard freestyle (5:23.32) in Coe’s double-dual over Grinnell and Monmouth (Ill.). She set the school record in the 200-yard IM and swam a season-best in the 500-yard freestyle. She was also a member of the second-place 200-yard freestyle relay team (1:48.40), swimming a 26.35 second split.

Men’s Swimming & Diving – Drew Sodey, Loras College, Ottumwa, Iowa/Ottumwa
Sodey, a senior, won two individual events and was a member of a winning relay in Loras’ dual victory over Beloit. He won the 200-yard freestyle (in a season-best 1:51.71), the 100-yard breaststroke (1:06.55) and was a member of the winning 200-yad medley relay (1:46.09).

Women’s Track & Field – KeAnna Martin, Buena Vista Univ., St. Louis, Mo./Gateway Inst. Of Technology
Martin, a sophomore, was a three-time winner at the Buena Vista Open. She won the 200-meter dash in 26.94 seconds, the Conference’s top time in the event to date. She was also a member of two winning relay teams, the 4x200 (1:48.98) and the 4x400 (4:16.14), running 26.2-second and 60-second splits, respectively.

Men’s Track & Field – Jeanriles Metezier, Univ. of Dubuque, Pompano Beach, Fla./Coconut Creek
Metezier, a freshman, was a two-time winner at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Invitational. He provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 55-meter dash in a time of 6.49 seconds, besting a field of 57 runners. He also finished first of 58 runners in the 200-meter dash in a time of 22.95 seconds.

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

• Coe College sophomore forward Amber Karkosh (Toledo, Iowa/South Tama) averaged 18.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in three games during the week while shooting 47.1 percent (16-of-34) from the floor and 96.0 percent (24-of-25) from the free throw line.

• Simpson College sophomore forward Katelyn Whiton (Panora, Iowa/Perry) averaged 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals in three games during the week while shooting 43.2 percent (19-of-44) from the floor.

• Central College junior center Clint Driftmier (Clarinda, Iowa/South Page) averaged 20.0 points and 10.3 rebounds in three games during the week while shooting 62.5 percent (25-of-40) from the floor and 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from the free throw line. He had three double-doubles during the week, giving him a Conference-best 11 on the season.

• Loras College sophomore forward Luke Slater (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) averaged 18.7 points and 8.7 rebounds in three games during the week while shooting 56.4 percent (22-of-39) from the floor and 73.3 percent (11-of-15) from the free throw line. He had career-highs in points (30) and rebounds (12) in an 82-75 victory over Central.

• Loras College junior Dana Klemm (Gurnee, Ill./Warren) provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the shot put and weight throw at the Iowa State Open. She bettered her previous provisional qualifying mark in the shot put with a throw of 13.25 meters and registered a mark of 15.14 meters in the weight throw.

• Loras College senior Terry Morgan (Fort Pierce, Fla./Fort Pierce) went 4-0 at 125-pounds at the Iowa Conference duals with two falls, a technical fall and a decision over the #5-ranked wrestler in the nation (Luther’s Nate Hansen).

• Wartburg College senior Akeem Carter (Waterloo, Iowa/West) went 4-0 at 184-pounds at the Iowa Conference duals with three falls in under four minutes.

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