May 5, 2008

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Wartburg College softball player Ashley Rogers (Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert) and Central College men’s golfer Andy Petersen (Davenport, Iowa/West) have been named the IIAC Female and Male Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday, May 4. The Conference also announced the Performers of the Week for each of the Conference’s five sports in competition during the week.

Men’s Golf – Andy Petersen, Central College, Davenport, Iowa/West
Petersen, a junior, was named Iowa Conference Men’s Golfer of the Year for the second consecutive year after repeating as medalist at the IIAC Men’s Golf Championships. He fired back-to-back rounds of 75 at Oneota Golf and Country Club in Decorah to edge Buena Vista’s Josh Reed by one stroke. He finished the 63-hole tournament with a score of 37-79-75-75—266, leading the Dutch to a runner-up team finish. Petersen is the second Central golfer (Ron Peterson, 1981-82) and just the fourth golfer all-time (Bill Naughton, Buena Vista, 1985-86; Magnus Hellmark, Luther, 1995-97) to receive multiple IIAC Most Valuable Player honors in men’s golf. He is also a three-time All-IIAC selection after placing 10th as a freshman. (IIAC Male Athlete of the Week)

Softball – Ashley Rogers, Wartburg College, Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert
Rogers, a senior first baseman, hit .750 with four home runs, a 2.250 slugging percentage and an .818 on-base percentage as No. 8-ranked Wartburg captured its third consecutive Iowa Conference tournament title. Her batting average rose 28 points (.363-.391) during the tournament. She hit a home run in each of the Knights’ three games, including two in Wartburg’s opening win over Luther. (IIAC Female Athlete of the Week)

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Kari Hutchinson, Central College, Charles City, Iowa/Charles City
Hutchinson, a senior, won two events (200 and 100 hurdles) and compiled an NCAA-provisional-qualifying total of 4,310 points en route to the heptathlon title at the Iowa Conference Multi-Events Championship May 2-3 in Waverly. Hutchinson placed in the top-4 in each of the seven events.

Baseball – Jerrold Martijn, Wartburg College, Oranjestad, Aruba/Kirkwood CC
Martijn, a junior outfielder/pitcher, led Wartburg in RBIs and was a co-team leader in home runs, runs scored and doubles as the Knights went 4-0 during the final week of the regular season and wrapped up its 12th consecutive conference title. He hit .533 with 14 total bases and a sparkling .933 slugging and .588 on-base percentage. He was also the winning pitcher in the title-clinching win over Dubuque April 30 and enters the IIAC Tournament on a 10-game hitting streak.

Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – James Klobucar, Cornell College, Janesville, Wis./Craig
Klobucar, a senior, won three events (100, 400, and 110 hurdles) and compiled an NCAA-provisional-qualifying total of 6,227 points in taking the decathlon title at the Iowa Conference Multi-Events Championship May 2-3 in Waverly. Klobucar, who placed second in the event last year, outdistanced his closest competitor by 303 points.

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

Men’s Golf – Luther College sophomore Ross Jacobucci (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury) played No. 5 for the Norse and shot rounds of 72-76—148 to help lead Luther to the 2008 IIAC Men’s Golf Championship. He was the low man for the Norse on the final weekend and finished fifth with a 44-77-72-76—269, earning all-Iowa Conference honors for the first time. Jacobucci, who posted one of two eagles during the tournament, tied for the low total for the weekend.

Men’s Golf – Wartburg College sophomore Chris Bushbaum (Osage, Iowa/Osage) shot rounds of 76-72—148 to tie for low 36-hole honors on the final weekend of the Iowa Conference Men’s Golf Championships. He placed third overall with a 44-76-76-72—268 total, two shots behind medalist Andy Petersen of Central. Wartburg placed fourth.

Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Buena Vista University junior Eric Bertelsen (Polk City, Iowa/Polk City) set an NCAA automatic qualifying time in the 200-meter dash during the Central Open Saturday with a time of 21.31. The time also set a new school record. In addition, he set another provisional qualifying time in the 100 with his time of 10.67.

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Simpson College senior Suzi Anderson (Albia, Iowa/Albia) posted an NCAA-provisional-qualifying mark of 4,122 points with her runner-up finish in the IIAC heptathlon. Anderson, who won the long jump and tied for first in the high jump during the competition, posted the sixth-best mark in school history.

Baseball – Loras College senior pitcher Matt Barilla (Aurora, Ill./Marmion Academy) threw a complete-game shutout with six strikeouts in a 4-0 win at Buena Vista to help propel Loras into fifth-place in the Iowa Conference standings and a spot in the IIAC Baseball Tournament. He also threw 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief against Luther April 30, holding the deficit and allowing the Duhawks to attempt a comeback in an eventual 4-3 loss to the Norse.

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