2002-03 Sports Wrap Up
Football
In 2002, the Purple Raiders claimed their sixth National Championship in the last seven years and seventh overall ('93, '96, '97, '98, '00, '01, '02). Mount Union (14-0 in '02) winner of 96 of the last 97 games played, is currently riding college football's longest current winning streak (42).
The Raiders had three OAC Special Award winners, including senior/end Matt Campbell, the Paul Hoernemann Award winner as the best defensive lineman ('01, '02), senior/cornerback Chris Kern, the Lee J. Tressel Award winner as the best defensive back ('01, '02), and senior/running back Dan Pugh, the Mike Gregory Award winner as the best offensive back.
Pugh became Mount Union's fourth winner of the Gagliardi Award, in recognition of the best player in Division III.
Campbell also earned Verizon Academic First-Team All-American honors while senior/tight end Josh Liddell was a Verizon Second-Team Academic All-American selection in 2002.
Raider head coach Larry Kehres earned the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Coach of the Year Award for an unprecedented seventh time.
Men & Women's Cross Country
Mount Union's men's cross country team won back-to-back OAC Championships (29 points) and its 22nd conference title overall in '02. The Raiders finished second (69 points) at the Great Lakes Regionals and 14th overall (355 points) at Nationals this past fall.
Individually, the Raiders had five runners earn All-OAC status - senior Bryan Less (2nd/25:30), junior Joe Eby (4th/25:41), junior Ryan Price (6th/26.02), freshman Chris Paulett (8th/26:04) and junior Ryan Hochstetler (9th/26:07).
Less earned All-American honors by finishing 23rd overall (25:39) at Nationals.
On the women's side, the Lady Raider cross country team placed second (71 points) at the OAC Championships and fifth at the Great Lakes Regionals (207 points).
Individually, the Lady Raiders placed a pair of runners on the All-Conference team - sophomore Kristen Koelling (4th/19:31) and sophomore Elena Hoellein (7th/19:40).
Volleyball
The Purple Raider volleyball team (21-12, 4-5 OAC) finished fifth in the OAC regular season and fifth at the OAC Tournament while posting a sixth straight 20+ win season.
Individually, Mount Union placed three players on the 2002 All-OAC Team. Junior/setter Katie Snyder earned Second-Team All-OAC honors while freshman/middle hitter Ashley Balogh and freshman outside/hitter Jess DiCarlo were Honorable-Mention All-OAC selections in 2002.
A number of individual records fell this past fall, including Snyder setting a Raider single-season assist record (1,602), setting a new assist per game average mark (13.13) and a new career assist record (4,217). Outside hitter Mandy Bowser also set a Raider career dig mark (1,605) in 2002.
Men's Soccer
Mount Union's men's soccer team (11-7-1/4-4-1 OAC) finished sixth overall in the OAC during regular season play in 2002.
Individually, the Raiders posted five players on the 2002 All-OAC squad, including junior/defender Nick Inninger, who earned First-Team status as the Raiders' third leading scorer (11 points). Inninger led all Raider defenders with three goals. Junior/forward Scot Gill, who led all Raiders in scoring (24 points), earned Second-Team All-Conference status in '02. Junior/forward Matt Bednar, freshman/defender Anthony Karam and junior/forward Paul Pendy all earned Honorable Mention All-OAC status this fall.
The Raiders had five players earn Academic All-OAC status, including Gill (First-Team), senior/forward Mark Edwards (Second-Team), senior/midfielder Bryan Echols (Second-Team), junior/forward Matt Painting (Second-Team) and junior/defender Brian Ruch (Second-Team).
Gill earned Verizon Academic Second-Team All-American status, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in 2002.
Gill and Inniger also earned 2002 Third-Team All-Ohio honors according to the Ohio Soccer Coaches Association (OSCA).
Women's Soccer
The Lady Raider soccer team (7-7-3/3-5-1 OAC) finished seventh overall in the OAC during regular season play in 2002.
Individually, Mount Union placed five players on the 2002 All-OAC Team, including senior/defender Carrie Coon and freshman/forward Brittany Grinstead, who each earned Second-Team All-Conference status in '02. Grinstead led all Raiders in scoring (20 points) this fall. Honorable-Mention All-OAC status went to junior/forward Jessica Gordon, junior/midfielder Jackie Orth and sophomore/midfielder Cara Russo.
Coon earned First-Team Academic All-OAC status and Second-Team Verizon Academic All-District honors.
Coon and Grinstead also earned 2002 Third-Team All-Ohio honors according to the Ohio Soccer Coaches Association (OSCA).
Men's Basketball
Mount Union's men's basketball team (18-9, 12-6 OAC) finished third overall in the Ohio Athletic Conference during regular season play in 2002-03. The Raiders had three players earn All-Conference honors. Junior/post Rob Paulauskas (13.9 ppg/4.6 rpg) was a Second-Team All-OAC performer while junior/post Curtis Stevens (10.7 ppg/4.9 rpg) and sophomore/guard Brad Gerard (13.0 ppg) were Honorable-Mention All-OAC selections.
Gerard also set new Raider records for three-pointers made (87) and attempted in a season (220), and tied a single-game mark for three-pointers made (8). Sophomore/point-guard Clay Sanders led the conference in assists (152/5.6) and assists to turnover ratio (2.17).
Women's Basketball
The Purple Raider women's basketball team (14-13, 8-10 OAC) finished fifth overall in the Ohio Athletic Conference during regular season play in 2002-03. Mount Union had three players earn All-Conference status. Senior/guard Allie Graf (14.6 ppg) and sophomore/forward Ashley Bourdeau (15.5 ppg/9.3 rpg) were Second-Team All-OAC picks while senior/guard Nikki Scarpitti (14.0 ppg) was an Honorable-Mention All-OAC selection.
Men and Women's Swimming
Mount Union's men's swim team (1-9, 1-3 OAC) finished third (342 points) at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships this past season.
At the conference championships, junior Eddis Singleton earned OAC Swimmer of the Year honors for the second time by winning three individual titles - the 100 free (47.97), 100 back (54.93) and 50 free (21.38). Junior Chris Coffin took first in the 200 butterfly (1:58.47), 100 fly (53.17) and the 200 IM (1:57.04).
Singleton earned All-American status in the 50 freestyle for the third consecutive year by defending his national championship with a school-record time of 20.07. He also placed third in the 100 free (45.62) at Nationals, earning his fourth All-American mention.
Freshman Paul Ronovich earned All-Conference status for finishing third in the 100 back (56.57).
The Lady Raider swim team (1-9, 0-4 OAC) placed fourth (309 points) at the conference meet. All-OAC status went to senior Jen Bradley, who took second in the 100 yard free (56.59), freshman Ann Marie LaScola, who finished second in the 50 free (25.97), freshman Mary Buford, who took third in the 200 back (2:18.60), and junior Jen Malone, who finished third in the 200 butterfly (2:20.96).
Wrestling
The Purple Raider wrestling team (7-8, 3-3 OAC) finished fourth at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships in 2002-03.
First and second place at OACs earns All-Conference status.
Laughlin was 1-2 overall at the Div. III Nationals.
Indoor Track
The Purple Raider men's indoor track team placed second overall at the 2003 Ohio Athletic Conference Championships (98 points).
Individually, the Raiders had three individual winners, including senior Bryan Less in the 5,000 meters (15:12.38), sophomore Matt Cole in the 55 meter hurdles (7.78) and senior Chris Basich winning his fourth OAC indoor shot put title (55-00.25).
Basich earned All-American honors for the seventh time during his collegiate career by placing third overall (55-8 1/2) at the Division III Indoor Track Nationals. Sophomore John Biacofsky took All-American honors for the first time by taking eighth in the 55 meter dash (6.52) at Nationals.
On the women's side, the Lady Raiders finished fourth overall (71 points) at OAC Indoors in 2003. Senior Becky Sears won the OAC pole vault indoor title (10-07-50) for the third consecutive year.
Men's and Women's Tennis
Mount Union's women's tennis team (1-15, 0-9 OAC) produced one All-Conference performer in 2003. Freshman Mari Ishikawa compilied a 6-5 record, 4-2 in conference at #1 singles in the spring of 2003.
Men's and Women's Golf
Individually, Kristi Karlen finished 8th (186 stokes) and Sara Stevens placed 10th (191 strokes) earning All-OAC honors. The top-10 finshers at the conference tournament are All-OAC recipients.
The purple Raider's men's golf team earned a fifth place finish (664 strokes) at the Ohio Athletic Conference Golf Championship this spring
Top finishers included Jon Shuster and Kurt Edie who both tied for 17th (164 strokes) overall.
Softball
The Purple Raiders (19-17, 11-7 OAC in 2003) finished tied for third in the Conference during regular season play but did not qualify for the OAC post-season tournament due to a tiebreaker.
Senior standouts Zakiya Murphy and Candace Frederick earned All-Ohio Athletic Conference honors for their play in 2003. Murphy (.370 BA in 2003), who played both third base and outfield, earned First-Team Utility Player All-OAC honors. She led the Raiders in hits (40), RBI (26) and total bases (62). Frederick (.271 BA in 2003), who started all 36 games in the outfield while leading Mount Union in stolen bases (14) and at bats (118), earned Second-Team All OAC status . She was also named a Verizon Academic All-District IV Third-Team selection. Senior first baseman Sheli Roden set a new Raider single-season home run mark (8) this spring.
Baseball
Junior/designated hitter Sam Simmerman (.398 BA) led the Raiders in hitting while junior/pitcher Tyson Smith led the Purple & White in wins and ERA (4-0 record/2.52 ERA).
Simmerman and senior/outfielder Eric Bunnell (.344 BA) earned Honorable-Mention All-OAC status in 2003 while senior/first baseman/pitcher Adam Starr earned Verizon Academic All-District IV honors for the second straight year.
Men and Women's Outdoor Track and Field
The Purple Raider men's track team captured their 21st OAC Outdoor Track Championship (157 points ) in 2003.
Individually, senior Chris Basich won the shot put competition for the eighth time with a meet record throw of 55-09.75. He also took first in the discus (160-11). He earned the 2003 OAC's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year Award. Basich finished his collegiate career with 10 conference titles.
Joe Eby also won the 2003 OAC Outdoor Title in the 1,500 meters (3:56.72). Raiders head coach John Homon was named the 2003 OAC Men's Outdoor Track Coach of the Year.
At Nationals, Basich finished his Mount Union career as a nine-time All-American by taking fourth in the discus (172-2)and sixth in the shot put (54'3.25). Bryan Less earned All-American honors by finishing fourth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (9:00.42). Others competing at Nationals included Matt Cole in the 110 meter hurdles (18th/15.27) and Joe Eby in the 1,500 meters (11th/1:53.73). The Raiders finished tied for 19th overall with 13 points.
On the women's side, the Lady Raiders took third (140 points) at OAC's.
Individually Laura Somoles captured a pair of individual conference titles - in the long jump(19-00.50) and triple jump (36-08.25). The Raiders 4x100 relay squad of Stephanie Hawk, Tina Benner, Laura Somoles, and Natalie Anderson also took first (48.47). Somoles took 10th at Nationals in the long jump (18'10.75).
2002-2003 OAC All-Sports Standings
The Raiders won the 2002-03 OAC men's All-Sport Trophy (64.67 points) with first place finishers in football, cross county, and outdoor track and field. The Lady Raiders program placed fourth overall (47.17 points) in 2002-03