February 27, 2006

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Loras College track and field performer Dana Klemm (Gurnee, Ill./Warren) and Wartburg College track and field performer Josh Hauser (Union, Iowa/BCLUW) have been named the IIAC Female and Male Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday, February 26. The Conference also announced the Performers of the Week for each of the Conference’s five sports in competition during the week.

Women’s Indoor Track & Field – Dana Klemm, Loras College, Gurnee, Ill./Warren
Klemm a junior, was named IIAC Most Valuable Performer at the Conference Championship after winning and setting Conference Championship records in both the shot put (14.19 meters) and weight throw (16.16 meters). She automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships in the shot put and bettered her NCAA provisional mark in the weight throw. She is the first field performer to earn indoor track MVP honors.

Men’s Indoor Track & Field – Josh Hauser, Wartburg College, Union, Iowa/BCLUW
Hauser, a senior, was named IIAC Most Valuable Performer at the Conference Championship after winning two events and provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in another. He placed first in the 200 and 400-meter dashes (22.36 seconds and 49.66 seconds) and used a third-place finish in the long jump, with a mark of 6.98 meters, to provisionally qualify for nationals. He was also a member of the third-place finishing 4x200 relay team (1:29.75). Hauser was also named 2005 indoor and outdoor track and field Most Valuable Performer.

Women’s Basketball – Ashley Katch, Simpson College, Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale
Katch, a sophomore center, led Simpson to its second straight Iowa Conference Tournament title. She averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in two Tournament games. She shot 59.1 percent (13-of-22) from the floor and 66.7 percent (6-of-9) from the free throw line in victories over Loras (63-55) and Luther (81-68). She had matching 16-point, four-rebound performances in both games. She shot 66.7 percent, had two steals and an assist against Loras in the semifinals. In the Championship game, she shot 53.8 percent and had six blocks.

Men’s Basketball – Jeff Bissen, Buena Vista Univ., Earling, Iowa/Harlan
Bissen, a sophomore guard, led #3-seed Buena Vista to its fifth straight Iowa Conference Tournament title, becoming the lowest seed to ever win the IIAC basketball Tournament. He averaged 14.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.3 assists in three Tournament games. He shot 63.6 percent (14-of-22) from the floor, including 60.0 percent (3-of-5) from behind the 3-point arc, and 76.5 percent (13-of-17) from the free throw line in victories over Luther (73-71), Wartburg (64-62) and Coe (69-66). He scored a career-high 20 points (on 8-of-10 shooting), had three rebounds, two assists and two steals in the opening round win over Luther. In the semifinals against Conference co-Champion Wartburg, he scored 17 points (on 4-of-6 shooting), had four rebounds and three steals. He scored seven points (on 2-of-6 shooting), had eight rebounds, three steals and two assists in the Championship game against top-seeded Coe.

Men’s Tennis – Chris Paasch, Coe College, Atlantic, Iowa/Atlantic
Paasch, a senior, went 4-0 during the week with a singles victory at the #1 and #2 positions and two wins at #1 doubles. He posted a 7-5, 6-1 victory at #1 singles against Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Cory Dickert and a three-set victory over #10-ranked Wheaton (Ill.)’s Christian Dawes at #2 singles (2-6, 6-1, 6-2). In doubles with partner Sam Zerbib, he posted matching 8-6 wins over Oshkosh and Wheaton.

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