Sports shorts
The Spectator staff
Issue date: 10/1/09 Section: Sports
Cross Country
The Blugold men's and women's cross country teams finished strongly at the Roy Griak Invitation in St. Paul Saturday. The women came in third out of 35 teams, and the men finished sixth, with each team having multiple runners finish in the top 50.
Senior Ben Pearson edged out junior Josh Wieland by two seconds, and they finished 31st and 34th, respectively, leading the Blugolds to 210 points total. Conference rival UW-La Crosse won the men's meet with a score of 48 points.
On the women's side, junior Beth Easker earned 15th overall in a field of 500 runners and improved her time from last year by three seconds. Senior Hannah Humbach was directly behind her, finishing 16th with a time of 23:16.8. Junior Elly Prunty was also in the mix, finishing 18th, just seconds behind Easker and Humbach.
The women scored 117 points and were narrowly edged out by UW-Oshkosh's score of 112. UW-La Crosse also won the women's meet, scoring 98 points total.
Both teams head home this week for the Blugold Open on Friday. The meet, held in Colfax, is slated to begin at 4 p.m.
Volleyball
The UW-Eau Claire volleyball team took its No. 16 national ranking and 10-2 record to Wheaton, Ill., this weekend, where it competed in the Wheaton Thunder Invite. The Blugolds, however, did not have one of their best defenders, senior Lindsey Smith, who suffered an ankle injury in practice this week.
In the tournament opener, the Blugolds swept Lakeland College 3-0. Juniors Emily Zupon and Danielle Lucia led the team with 10 kills each, and freshman Emily Neave and senior Cassie Hunt both helped replace Smith's defensive roll with 14 digs each.
The second match of the tournament was much closer. Eau Claire won the first two matches 25-18, 25-21 against Benedictine University (Ill.). Benedictine took the next two games 26-24 and 25-21, forcing a fifth and final game, which the Blugolds won 15-12. Sophomore Liz Amici posted a team-high 14 kills, while junior Blair Murphy added 18 digs. Neave added another 42 assists, which brought her Friday total to 71.
The Blugolds returned to the court on Saturday when they took on the University of Chicago (Ill.). With scores of 25-19, 25-21 and 25-13, the Blugolds came away with a sweep. Junior Rachael Ver Voort recorded a match-high nine kills, while Murphy led the team in digs, and Neave once again led the team in assists.
In the final match of the tournament, the Blugolds were paired up with the host team, Wheaton College (Ill.). In the first game, Wheaton won 25-23, but the Blugolds quickly rebounded. In the second game, Eau Claire won in dominating fashion, 25-11. Games three and four were closer, but both ended in a Blugold victory. Amici and Zupon recorded 15 kills each, and Murphy and Neave each tallied 17 digs, while Naeve added another 43 assists.
The 3-1 victory improved the Blugolds' record to 14-2 on the season. Eau Claire returns to the court on Friday, Oct. 2, when they face rival UW-Oshkosh in Oshkosh. Last season, Eau Claire and Oshkosh - currently 19-0 - shared the WIAC title, and both were touted as pre-season conference favorites.
"This … weekend is preparing for Oshkosh," coach Kim Wudi said following a victory over UW-La Crosse last weekend. "That's where our focus needs to be - how are we going to beat Oshkosh in two weeks?"
Men's golf
The UW-Eau Claire men's golf team returned to Eau Claire for its first home tournament of the season, the Frank Wrigglesworth Invite.
In a field of 14 teams, the Blugolds found themselves in the No. 12 spot after the first day of competition. On day two the Blugolds recorded the best round-two score of the tournament - 316 strokes - to move up six places.
Freshman Tim McCormick finished No. 11 overall with 157 strokes. Junior Loren Churness's 159 strokes were good enough for No. 24 overall, while two other Blugolds - senior Ben Zieman and junior Ryan Grip - also finished in the top 50 for the first team. Sophomore Jamie Krula, competing with the second team, shot a 154, good enough for No. 5 overall.
The Blugold men's and women's cross country teams finished strongly at the Roy Griak Invitation in St. Paul Saturday. The women came in third out of 35 teams, and the men finished sixth, with each team having multiple runners finish in the top 50.
Senior Ben Pearson edged out junior Josh Wieland by two seconds, and they finished 31st and 34th, respectively, leading the Blugolds to 210 points total. Conference rival UW-La Crosse won the men's meet with a score of 48 points.
On the women's side, junior Beth Easker earned 15th overall in a field of 500 runners and improved her time from last year by three seconds. Senior Hannah Humbach was directly behind her, finishing 16th with a time of 23:16.8. Junior Elly Prunty was also in the mix, finishing 18th, just seconds behind Easker and Humbach.
The women scored 117 points and were narrowly edged out by UW-Oshkosh's score of 112. UW-La Crosse also won the women's meet, scoring 98 points total.
Both teams head home this week for the Blugold Open on Friday. The meet, held in Colfax, is slated to begin at 4 p.m.
Volleyball
The UW-Eau Claire volleyball team took its No. 16 national ranking and 10-2 record to Wheaton, Ill., this weekend, where it competed in the Wheaton Thunder Invite. The Blugolds, however, did not have one of their best defenders, senior Lindsey Smith, who suffered an ankle injury in practice this week.
In the tournament opener, the Blugolds swept Lakeland College 3-0. Juniors Emily Zupon and Danielle Lucia led the team with 10 kills each, and freshman Emily Neave and senior Cassie Hunt both helped replace Smith's defensive roll with 14 digs each.
The second match of the tournament was much closer. Eau Claire won the first two matches 25-18, 25-21 against Benedictine University (Ill.). Benedictine took the next two games 26-24 and 25-21, forcing a fifth and final game, which the Blugolds won 15-12. Sophomore Liz Amici posted a team-high 14 kills, while junior Blair Murphy added 18 digs. Neave added another 42 assists, which brought her Friday total to 71.
The Blugolds returned to the court on Saturday when they took on the University of Chicago (Ill.). With scores of 25-19, 25-21 and 25-13, the Blugolds came away with a sweep. Junior Rachael Ver Voort recorded a match-high nine kills, while Murphy led the team in digs, and Neave once again led the team in assists.
In the final match of the tournament, the Blugolds were paired up with the host team, Wheaton College (Ill.). In the first game, Wheaton won 25-23, but the Blugolds quickly rebounded. In the second game, Eau Claire won in dominating fashion, 25-11. Games three and four were closer, but both ended in a Blugold victory. Amici and Zupon recorded 15 kills each, and Murphy and Neave each tallied 17 digs, while Naeve added another 43 assists.
The 3-1 victory improved the Blugolds' record to 14-2 on the season. Eau Claire returns to the court on Friday, Oct. 2, when they face rival UW-Oshkosh in Oshkosh. Last season, Eau Claire and Oshkosh - currently 19-0 - shared the WIAC title, and both were touted as pre-season conference favorites.
"This … weekend is preparing for Oshkosh," coach Kim Wudi said following a victory over UW-La Crosse last weekend. "That's where our focus needs to be - how are we going to beat Oshkosh in two weeks?"
Men's golf
The UW-Eau Claire men's golf team returned to Eau Claire for its first home tournament of the season, the Frank Wrigglesworth Invite.
In a field of 14 teams, the Blugolds found themselves in the No. 12 spot after the first day of competition. On day two the Blugolds recorded the best round-two score of the tournament - 316 strokes - to move up six places.
Freshman Tim McCormick finished No. 11 overall with 157 strokes. Junior Loren Churness's 159 strokes were good enough for No. 24 overall, while two other Blugolds - senior Ben Zieman and junior Ryan Grip - also finished in the top 50 for the first team. Sophomore Jamie Krula, competing with the second team, shot a 154, good enough for No. 5 overall.
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