February 11, 2008

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Coe College women’s basketball player Amber Karkosh (Toledo, Iowa/South Tama) and Central College men’s basketball player Brett DeHoogh (Clive, Iowa/West Des Moines Valley) have been named the IIAC Female and Male Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday, February 10. The Conference also announced the Performers of the Week for each of the Conference’s six sports in competition during the week.

Women’s Basketball – Amber Karkosh, Coe College, Toledo, Iowa/South Tama
Karkosh, a senior forward, moved into second place on the school’s career scoring list with 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting in a 66-61 win over Loras Feb. 7. Karkosh also posted eight points and 10 rebounds in a 76-58 win at Dubuque Feb. 9, helping Coe tie the school record for wins in a season. (IIAC Female Athlete of the Week)

Men's Basketball – Brett DeHoogh, Central College, Clive, Iowa/West Des Moines Valley
DeHoogh, a senior guard, made five of six free throws in the final 45 seconds to preserve a 78-73 win at Simpson Feb. 7. DeHoogh scored a career-high 30 points, going 6-of-11 from the field, including 5-of-9 from three-point range. He also made 13 of 16 free throw attempts. As a 6-foot point guard, DeHoogh led the team with four blocks and was second in rebounds with six. (IIAC Male Athlete of the Week)

Wrestling – Chris Heilman, Cornell College, Colorado Springs, Colo./St. Mary’s
Heilman, a senior 125-pounder, scored a 7-4 decision over third-ranked Clayton Rush of Coe in the final home match of his career. Heilman, who is ranked second in NCAA Division III, improved his record to a team-best 32-3. He avenged an earlier loss to Rush in the finals of the Matman Invitational Jan. 5 in Mount Vernon. Heilman is 2-1 against Rush this season.

Men's Indoor Track and Field – Shawn Olorundami, Buena Vista University, Sioux City, Iowa/West
Olorundami, a senior, captured individual titles in the 55-meter hurdles (7.75) and the 200-meter dash (23.03) during the Dennis Young Indoor Track and Field Classic Feb. 9. His time in the 55 hurdles set a new meet record and was also an NCAA provisional qualifying time.

Women's Indoor Track and Field – Kellie Whitney, Simpson College, Oshkosh, Wis./North
Whitney, a sophomore, won both the long jump (16-0 ½) and the triple jump (34-3) and ran a leg on the winning 4x200-meter relay at the Dennis Young Classic Feb. 9 in Storm Lake. Whitney’s mark in the triple jump was the seventh-best in school history, as was the Storm’s effort in the 4x200.

Men's Tennis – Joey Lankelma, Coe College, Marshalltown, Iowa/Marshalltown
Lankelma, a junior, has opened the spring season with a 6-2 overall record for the Kohawks. He has a 2-2 mark at No. 1 singles, posting wins in duals against Nebraska Wesleyan and Augustana (Ill.) Feb. 2 before dropping decisions in dual with NCAA Division I opponents Creighton and Western Illinois Feb. 9. Lankelma also has a 4-0 record in doubles for the Kohawks, teaming with Greg Janssen at the No. 3 position.

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

Women’s Basketball – Luther College senior center Ashley TeKippe (Decorah, Iowa/Decorah) led all scorers with 25 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds as she led Luther to a 69-65 victory over #7 Simpson, handing the Storm their first league loss.

Women’s Basketball – Simpson College senior guard Carlie Beals (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) shot 80.0% from the field as the Storm split a pair of games last week. Beals scored 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field, including five three pointers, as Simpson posted a 120-41 win over Central Feb. 7. In the Storm’s 69-65 loss at Luther Feb. 9, Beals hit five of seven shots from the field for 14 points.

Men’s Basketball – Buena Vista University junior forward/center Matt Cleveland (McCook Lake, S.D./Sioux City [Iowa] Bishop Heelan) turned in a career-high 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting to lead the Beavers to an 80-64 road victory at Cornell Feb. 9. He also tallied game-highs in rebounds (six) and assists (four) and led the team with three steals. He began the week with a 14-point, six-rebound effort in an 80-67 triumph at Wartburg. Cleveland finished the week shooting 13-of-22 from the field as BVU improved its conference mark to 12-1.

Wrestling – Loras College senior 184-pounder Jay Figgins (Clinton, Iowa/Clinton) broke Loras’ career wins mark Feb. 7 with a win over Simpson’s Trent Van Dorin. Figgins, who has won nine straight matches, pinned Van Dorin in just 26 seconds.

Wrestling – University of Dubuque sophomore Evan Brown (Nevada, Iowa/Nevada) improved his overall record to 31-17 after posting a 5-2 decision over Luther’s A.J. Gregg Feb. 8. The victory helped the No. 30-ranked Spartans beat No. 12 Luther by a 23-18 score. Brown also posted a forfeit win in a 55-0 dual victory over Central Feb. 7.

Women’s Indoor Track and Field – Loras College sophomore Liz Ulferts (Anamosa, Iowa/Anamosa) automatically qualified for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships with a winning toss of 56-4 ¾ at the UW-Stevens Point Eastbay Invitational. Her effort ranks second all-time at Loras and currently ranks third in NCAA Division III.

Women’s Indoor Track and Field – Wartburg College senior KeAnna Martin (St. Louis, Mo./Gateway Institute of Technology) gained two event titles as Wartburg hosted its first indoor event since 1990-91. She won the 55-meter dash in a school-record time of 7.28 seconds, provisionally qualifying for the Division III national meet in the process. Martin also won the 200-meter dash in a time of 26.02 seconds.

Men’s Indoor Track and Field – Wartburg College senior Kevin Balster (Monticello, Iowa/Monticello) turned in an NCAA Division III provisional national qualifying time in the mile run at the Wartburg Select Meet Feb. 9, besting the 21-runner field by over five seconds. Balster’s time of 4:15.07 is among the top eight on the current national performance list.

Men’s Indoor Track and Field – Central College senior Jason Fisher (Montezuma, Iowa/Montezuma) broke his own school record in the weight throw for the second consecutive week with a runner-up finish in the event at the Bob Keck Invitational. Fisher’s toss of 57-3 also bettered the NCAA provisional mark.

Men’s Indoor Track and Field – University of Dubuque freshman Anthony Jenkins (St. Petersburg, Fla./Lakewood Senior) won the triple jump (47-7), placed second in the 55-meter hurdles (8.9) and was a member of the Spartans’ third-place 4x400 meter relay team at the UW-Whitewater Warhawk Open Feb. 8. His effort in the triple jump bettered the NCAA Division III provisional qualifying mark and ranks fourth nationally.

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