October 8, 2007

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Wartburg College women’s golfer Stephanie Burns (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls) and Buena Vista University football player Chris Hawkins (Platte City, Mo./Platte County) have been named the IIAC Female and Male Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday, October 7. The Conference also announced the Performers of the Week for each of the Conference’s eight sports in competition during the week.

Football – Chris Hawkins, Buena Vista University, Platte City, Mo./Platte County
Hawkins, a senior quarterback, set a single-game school record and tied the IIAC single-game mark for touchdown passes with six, including three in the first quarter, as the Beavers topped Cornell 42-7 for BVU's first league win on the season. Hawkins completed 18 of 27 passes for 285 yards and the six scores. (IIAC Male Athlete of the Week)

Women’s Golf – Stephanie Burns, Wartburg College, Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls
Burns, a sophomore, captured medalist honors at the 2007 Iowa Conference Women's Golf Championship, which concluded Oct. 6 at The Meadows G.C. near Asbury, Iowa. Burns, who shot IIAC-season-low rounds of 75 in rounds one and four, posted a 72-hole total of 311 (75-78-83-75) to beat Loras' Stephanie Schwartz by 13 strokes. Burns' tournament total ranks as the second-lowest 72-hole total in IIAC Championship history. She also paced Wartburg to its third league title in four years and an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships at Centennial Oaks in Waverly in May. (IIAC Female Athlete of the Week)

Volleyball – Kristin Paczosa, Cornell College, Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove
Paczosa, a sophomore outside hitter, set two school records during the week and was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Hamline section of the IIAC-MIAC Border Battle. Paczosa set Cornell's single-match record for attack attempts with 71 in a five-game win over Buena Vista Oct. 2. Paczosa broke Cornell's single-match record for kills with 29 in a five-game win over Hamline Oct. 5. For the week, Paczosa averaged 4.21 kills and 3.68 digs in 19 games.

Men’s Soccer – Luke McClyman, Wartburg College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy
McClyman, a senior forward, led Wartburg in goals (4) and points (10) last week as the Knights posted IIAC victories over Buena Vista (8-0) and Central (3-1). McClyman compiled his first career hat trick and added an assist in the win over Buena Vista and then added a goal and an assist against the Dutch to keep Wartburg among the league leaders.

Women’s Soccer – Rachel Oswald, Wartburg College, Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert
Oswald, a junior forward, led Wartburg in goals, points, and shots as the Knights posted wins over Buena Vista (7-0), Northwestern (Iowa) (3-0) and Central (2-1) and extended their winning streak to seven games. Oswald also moved over the 10-goal mark for the season and tallied the game-winning goal against the Dutch.

Women’s Cross Country – Mary Bridget Corken, Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert
Corken, a junior, placed fourth individually out of 154 runners at the Pre-National Invitational hosted by St. Olaf College. Corken covered the 6,000-meter course in 23:43.49, 44.8 seconds behind the top runner. Corken led the Duhawks to a second-place team finish (77 pts.), ahead of two nationally-ranked schools - Grinnell and Puget Sound.

Men’s Cross Country – Andrew Tobben, Cornell College, Washington, Mo./St. Francis Borgia
Tobben, a freshman, claimed his second collegiate victory in four races this season with a victory at the Lamb-Kohawk Invitational. Tobben placed first in a field of 39 runners, completing the 8,000-meter course in 27:48.93, 32 seconds ahead of the second-place runner.

Women’s Tennis – Pavla Brachova, Cornell College, Ames, Iowa/Ames
Brachova went 6-0 on the week with three wins each at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles. In singles play, Brachova posted straight-set wins over Clarke's Mirelis Rivera-Rodriguez, Loras' Alisha Espey, and Dubuque's Rachel Sarafin. Brachova teamed with Caryl Abeyta to post wins over No. 1 doubles teams from Clarke (8-3), Loras (8-1), and Dubuque (8-5). The winner of seven consecutive singles matches, Brachova improved her overall season record to 22-4.

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

• Football – University of Dubuque senior quarterback Jermar Jackson (Muskegon, Mich./Muskegon) threw for two touchdowns and ran for two others as the Spartans held off Coe College 28-21 in overtime. Jackson threw for the game-tying touchdown with 62 seconds remaining in regulation and then scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime on a six-yard run. Jackson finished the day with 22-of-41 through the air for 188 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran 19 times for 94 yards and two scores.

• Football – Central College senior wide receiver Josh Smith (Pella, Iowa/Pella) accounted for nearly half of Central’s total offense in a 28-21 Dutch win over Simpson. Smith, who caught nine balls for 177 yards and two touchdowns, has set career and team season highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns so far this season.

• Men’s Soccer – Luther College senior forward Kyle Nelson (Decorah, Iowa/Decorah) led Luther to wins over Dubuque (3-0) and Coe (9-0) during the week. He scored four goals, including a hat trick (his second of the season) against the Kohawks.

• Women’s Soccer – Cornell College senior goalkeeper Shawna Becker (Crystal Lake, Ill./Wheeling) surrendered only one goal while posting IIAC wins over Central (2-1) and Simpson (2-0). The win over Simpson was Beckers’ 12th career shutout and 28th career win, both second on Cornell’s all-time list.

• Women’s Cross Country – Cornell College junior Rachelle Hawkins (Boise, Idaho/Bishop Kelly) finished first in a field of 33 runners at the Lamb-Kohawk Invitational. Hawkins completed the 6,000-course in 24:38.50, 40 seconds ahead of second place. The Rams won the event with 24 points.

• Women’s Cross Country – Wartburg College junior Emily VanOosbree (Emmetsburg, Iowa/Emmetsburg) placed second in a field of 72 runners at the Dan Huston Invitational. VanOosbree’s time of 24:04 was just four seconds off the winning time and helped lead the Knights to the team title at their home meet (24 points).

• Women’s Golf – Loras College senior Stephanie Schwartz (Glencoe, Ill./New Trier) placed second at the Iowa Conference Women’s Golf Championship with a 78-85-78-83=324 total. Schwartz joins just two other Loras golfers as runners-up in the Duhawks' IIAC tournament history. Loras has never won an individual title, but Schwartz joins Katrina Hammel and current head coach Denise Udelhofen as the second place finishers. Schwartz also helped lead Loras to a second-place team finish, its best finish at the IIAC meet since 1990 (second).

~~ www.iowaconference.com ~~

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