November 19, 2007

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Loras College women’s basketball player Natalie Pucci (West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs) and Luther College wrestler Alec Bonander (Larchwood, Iowa/West Lyon) have been named the IIAC Female and Male Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday, November 18. The Conference also announced the Performers of the Week for each of the Conference’s five sports in competition during the week.

Wrestling – Alec Bonander, Luther College, Larchwood, Iowa/West Lyon
Bonander, a senior 197-pounder, placed third in the Elite Division at the 2007 Kaufman/Brand Open hosted by the University of Nebraska, Omaha, with a 4-1 record. Bonander was the highest-finishing Division III wrestler in the tournament and was the only Division III wrestler in his bracket. He fell to Northern Iowa’s Andrew Anderson, a two-time NCAA qualifier, 3-2 in the semifinals after posting an overtime win and a major decision in his opening two matches. In the consolation bracket, Bonander posted victories over a pair of unattached wrestlers from the University of Minnesota to capture third place. (IIAC Male Athlete of the Week)

Women’s Basketball – Natalie Pucci, Loras College, West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs
Pucci, a senior guard, was named Most Valuable Player of the Damon’s Grill Tip-Off Classic hosted by Rockford College after averaging 20.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in two games. After posting 17 points in the season-opener against Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Pucci scored 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting in the championship game against host Rockford. On the weekend, Pucci drained nine of 16 three-point attempts. (IIAC Female Athlete of the Week)

Men’s Basketball – Mitch Eslick, Wartburg College, Fort Dodge, Iowa/Fort Dodge
Eslick, a freshman forward, recorded back-to-back double-figure scoring efforts against No. 13-ranked Aurora (Illinois) and Midwest Conference preseason favorite Grinnell at the Buzz Levick/Pizza Ranch Tip-Off Tournament Nov. 16 and 17. Eslick posted 37 points in the tournament championship game against Grinnell, falling just four points shy of tying the Wartburg single-game scoring record. He also fell one rebound short of a double-double (22 pts., 9 reb.) against Aurora. Eslick, who was named to the all-tournament team, currently leads Wartburg in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and free throw shooting, and is tied for first in steals and assists.

Men’s Swimming and Diving – Ben Potts, Coe College, Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Southeast Polk
Potts, a freshman, won the 500 freestyle (5:21.52) and 1000 freestyle (10:58.31) and swam on the winning 800 freestyle relay (8:08.60) while leading the Kohawks to their first dual win in over two years. Potts had career best times in both individual races. It was Potts’ first dual since the end of the cross country season.

Women’s Swimming and Diving – Colleen Fowler, Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Jefferson
Fowler, a junior, recorded NCAA qualifying marks for the second time this season with first-place performances in the one-meter (258.00) and the three-meter (240.90) diving competitions during Coe’s 120-100 dual win over Augustana (Ill.).

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

Men’s Basketball – Coe College senior forward Kyle Kuenstling (Dunkerton, Iowa/Dunkerton) opened the season with back-to-back double-digit scoring nights against Wisconsin Lutheran and Marian (Wis.). Kuenstling scored 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field in a 72-63 season-opening loss at Wisconsin Lutheran and added 18 points behind 10-of-11 shooting from the free-throw line in a 73-69 loss at Marian (Wis.).

Men’s Basketball – Cornell College sophomore forward Riley Larson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Jefferson) averaged 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds for the Rams in losses at Marian (Wis.) (88-64) and Wisconsin Lutheran (88-80). He posted double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds against Wisconsin Lutheran.

Women’s Basketball – Coe College sophomore center Brittany Norris (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Jefferson) scored 13 points in her Kohawk debut against College of St. Catherine and followed that up with a 26-point performance against Nebraska Wesleyan to help the Kohawks to their first 2-0 start since 2000-01.

Women’s Basketball – Buena Vista University junior forward Jenn Schumann (Newell, Iowa/Newell-Fonda) scored 29 points on 12-of-13 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 from three-point range in the Beavers’ 90-70 season-opening win over Grinnell. Schumann also pulled down six rebounds, had two assists, two blocks, and a block en route to the victory.

Wrestling – Coe College sophomore 165-pounder Tyler Burkle (Coggon, Iowa/North-Linn) won the 165-pound weight class at the Coe Invitational. Burkle pinned his first two opponents in under a minute apiece, picked up a 15-3 major decision over Zachery Fears of Missouri Baptist in the semifinals, then beat Truman State’s Blake Peterson 11-9 in the finals. Peterson was ranked third in Division II.

Wrestling – Cornell College senior 125-pounder Chris Heilman (Colorado Springs, Colo./St. Mary’s) became the sixth wrestler in Cornell history to win 100 career matches, improving his record to 101-28. Heilman posted a win over Tyler Mumbulo of Upper Iowa, the sixth ranked wrestler in Division II, in the semifinals of the Augsburg Auggie-Brute-Adidas Open, but fell in the finals to Jayson Ness of Minnesota, the fourth-ranked wrestler in Division I.

Wrestling – University of Dubuque junior 197-pounder Matt Wonderlin (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny) won the 197-pound weight class at the Concordia (Wis.) Open as the No. 8 seed. Wonderlin pinned his first two opponents, notched a 10-6 decision in the quarterfinals, and topped No. 4-seed Chad Friend of Muskegon C.C. and No. 2-seed Jon Schmidt of UW-Whitewater by identical 4-3 decisions to capture the title.

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