Men' s Tennis - Malone defeats:
                                       * Tiffin University  5-4
                             Malone loses to:
                                       * Walsh University  6-3

                             FINAL RECORD:   11-12  (5-3 AMC)
                                       * - NAIA Region IX/X Tournament (Canton, OH)

For statistics and standings of Malone teams, check out www.malone.edu/athletics and/or www.amcsports.org.

     The Malone College women's track & field team captured its seven NCCAA national title in the last eight years at the NCCAA National Championships in Upland, Indiana last Thursday through Saturday while the Pioneer men's squad finished as the runner-up in the men's national meet.
     The Malone women tallied 169.50 points among a 13-team field to take the victory as Greenville (IL) College placed second (148.50).  Cedarville University placed third (109), Bethel (IN) College came in fourth (86) and Olivet Nazarene (IL) University rounded out the top five (83).
     In the men's event, Malone racked up 130 points among a 15-team field for its second-place finish as Greenville took the men's team national title with 168 points.  Cedarville placed third (108), Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College came in fourth (89) and Bethel (IN) was fifth (80).
     In addition, the Malone coaching staff was voted the NCCAA Women's "Coaching Staff of the Year" while Leo Kormanik (Sr., Akron Ellet H.S.) was named the NCCAA Male Athlete of the Meet.
     For the women, three athletes claimed individual national championships as Ashley Currence (Jr., East Canton H.S.) won the triple jump in a school-record distance of 38' 4.75", which was also an NAIA automatic qualifying mark, and Brooke Gasser (Jr., Norwayne H.S.) took the javelin event with a throw of 130' 8.50", which was also an NAIA automatic qualifying mark.  In addition, Laura McElrath (So., Tallmadge H.S.) captured the national title in the heptathlon with a score of 4125 points.
     Numerous athletes finished second in an event.  Vallie Scott (Fr., West Branch H.S.) took second in the 400-meter dash (58.64) while Joanna Genter (Jr., Crestview H.S.) took second in the 10,000 meters (37:38.46).  In addition, Laura McElrath finished runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles (15.49), Aubree Horning (So., Salem H.S.) took second in the shot put with an NAIA provisional qualifying mark of 40' 8.75", Faith Nicholson (Jr., McMurray, PA) was runner-up in the high jump (5' 0.5") and Megan Gasparin (Sr., Renfrew, PA) was second in the hammer throw (146' 5").
     Third-place finishes went to Megan Patton (Fr., Perry H.S.) in the 100-meter hurdles (15.91) and in the 400-meter hurdles (1:07.30), Rebekah Genter (Fr., Crestview H.S.) in the 10,000 meters (38:45.60), which was an NAIA provisional qualifying mark, Holly Motter (Fr., Mt. Union, PA) in the triple jump (35' 9.5") and Ashley Currence in the long jump (16' 8").  In addition, the women's 4x100-meter relay team of Vallie Scott, Holly Motter, Kristina Barrett (Sr., Licking Valley H.S.) and Brooke Gasser (Jr., Norwayne H.S.) finished third in a time of 49.93 seconds.
     Vallie Scott also placed fourth in the 200-meter dash (26:45) while Caity Schneider (Jr., Sandy Valley H.S.) was fourth in the 10,000 meters (38:49.19).  Megan Gasparin took fourth in the discus (125' 8") and Holly Motter placed fourth in the high jump (5' 0.5").  Also taking fourth was the women's 4x400-meter relay unit of Vallie Scott, Kim Winton (Fr., Medina H.S.), Kristina Barrett and Brittany Davies (Jr., Cedarville H.S.) in a time of 4:01.92.
     Fifth-place finishes went to Brooke Gasser in the 100-meter dash (13.11), Katie Bagley (Fr., Crestview H.S.) in the 5000 meters (18:16.96) and Holly Motter in the long jump (16' 3.25").
     For the men, Leo Kormanik led the way by taking the national title in both the 5000 meters (14:38.56, NAIA auto qualifying) and the 10,000 meters (31:40.44).  Tyler Davis (So., Teays Valley H.S.) won the high jump with a leap of 6' 8.25" (NAIA auto) while Brady West (Jr., West Muskingum H.S.) won the individual national title in the decathlon with an NAIA auto qualifying score of 6332 points.  In addition, the men's 4x400-meter relay team of Adam Huffman (Sr., Crestwood H.S.), Jay Brueckner (So., Crestview H.S.), Jon Easterling (Fr., Ashtabula H.S.) and Cody Ford (Sr., Minerva H.S.) won the national title in a time of 3:19.22 (NAIA provisional).
     Nik Schweikert (Fr., Beavercreek H.S.) earned a second-place finish in both the 1500 meters (3:58.27) and the 5000 meters (15:10.82).
     Third-place finishers included Cody Ford in the 400-meter dash (49.07) and Mike Coates (So., Sandy Valley H.S.) in the 1500 meters (4:00.29).
     Fourth-place finishers were Ryan Kienzle (So., GlenOak H.S.) in the 5000 meters (15:22.52), Cody Ford in the 200 meters (22.19), Justin Jump (Fr., Wellington H.S.) in the discus (146' 2") and Chad Armstrong (Jr., Edgewood H.S.) in the hammer throw (155' 11", NAIA provisional).  In addition, the men's 4x400-meter relay team of Adam Huffman, Brady West, Tyler Davis and Cody Ford placed fourth in 44.26 seconds.
     Fifth-place finishers included Curtis Mortenson (Sr., Kodiak, AK) in the 10,000 meters (32:11.12) and Jeremy Rodgers (Jr., Tusky Valley H.S.) in the discus (138' 11").
     This week, the teams will send athletes to the Wheeling Jesuit (WV) University Cardinal Twilight Meet on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

 

     The Malone College baseball team posted three big wins last week, knocking off NCAA Division I University of Akron last Tuesday by a 13-12 final (10 inn.).  The Pioneers then began postseason play on Thursday against Walsh University in a best-of-three AMC qualifying series.  Malone took both of Thursday’s nine-inning games, winning the opener 6-3 and the nightcap 9-3.  The Pioneers will now move on to the double-elimination, four-team NAIA Region IX Tournament next week.  With the impressive 3-0 week, Malone improved its overall record to 37-15 and set a new record for wins in a season, besting the 36 wins posted by the 1993 squad.
     As the incredible 2006 season progresses, many team records continue to fall.  In addition to the number of wins, the 2006 Pioneers have now set new records in five other single-season categories including runs (367), hits (493), runs batted in (319), stolen bases (121), and saves (11).
     Two more individual records were also set last week as Anthony Barson (Sr., Timken H.S.) and Jarrod Stahl (Sr., Kenmore H.S.) both extended their remarkable seasons.  With a save in each of Thursday’s games against Walsh, Barson increased his save total to nine, which surpasses the previous single-season record of eight saves, set by Jim Holley in 1981.  Stahl swiped four bases in game two against Walsh which gives him 42 stolen bases this season. He is now Malone’s career stolen base leader with 59 career steals, breaking Jared Dever’s previous career mark of 58 (Stahl also broke the single-season stolen base record earlier in the year).
     Against Akron on Tuesday, both teams battled back and forth as the lead exchanged hands several times before the Pioneers scored twice in the top of the ninth to take a 12-9 lead.  Akron rallied in the bottom of the inning though, scoring three times to tie the game and force extra innings.  Malone answered back immediately, plating one run in the top of the tenth to grab the lead before Barson was able to secure the 13-12 victory by retiring the side in order in the bottom of the inning.  The Pioneers smacked 18 hits in the contest as Stahl and Scott McIlvain (Fr., Marlington H.S.) each recorded four hits.
     In Thursday’s opener, the Pioneers plated four runs in the second inning to grab the lead and then held on for the 6-3 win.  Adam Boudler (Fr., Louisville H.S.) started on the mound and earned his sixth victory of the season (6-2) after allowing just three runs on eight hits over 7.2 innings pitched.  Barson earned his first of two saves on the afternoon by shutting out the Cavaliers over the final 1.1 innings.  Malone posted 11 hits in the game as all nine Pioneer starters recorded at least one hit. 
     In Thursday’s finale, Walsh scored twice in the third inning to take a 3-2 lead but was then held scoreless over the final six innings en route to the 9-3 Pioneer victory.  Bob Dubovec (Jr., Kenston H.S.) earned his seventh win of the year (7-3) after surrendering just three runs on four hits over 7.0 innings pitched.  Malone posted 14 hits in the contest as D.J. Lung (Fr., Canton Cent. Catholic H.S.) and Troy Richeson (So., Minerva H.S.) each crushed two-run homers.  In addition, Dubovec went 1-3 at the plate, extending his current hitting streak to 15 games which is the longest for any Malone batter this season.
     This week, Malone (37-15, 17-7 AMC N) will look to extend its remarkable season in the four-team double-elimination NAIA Region IX Tournament, which begins on Wednesday and is hosted by Seton Hill (PA) University.  Seton Hill (40-17, 19-5) will play Mt. Vernon Nazarene University (24-20, 13-11) at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday with Malone competing against Urbana University (37-19, 15-9) at 1:00 p.m.  The winner of this event will play the winner of the NAIA Region X Tournament for the right to advance to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho May 25-June 3.

Softball Loses Pair Of AMC Playoff Games To Shawnee State

     The Malone College softball team dropped a pair of games in its best-of-three AMC Qualifying Series last Thursday at Shawnee State University.  The Pioneers fell 8-0 in game one (five innings) before narrowly losing game two by a 1-0 final.  Malone concluded the year with a solid 17-20 overall record and a 7-7 mark in the AMC South Division.
     In the opener, Shawnee State jumped out to a 7-0 lead after just two innings before cruising to the 8-0, five-inning victory.  Kristen Houtz (Sr., Hoover H.S.) started on the mound for the Pioneers and suffered the loss (1-4) after giving up eight runs on ten hits over five innings pitched.  Malone mustered just one hit in the game, a third-inning double by Ashleigh Ralston (Fr., Wadsworth H.S.). 
     The finale remained scoreless until Shawnee State was able to grab the lead with one run in the bottom of the sixth inning.  The Pioneers were unable to answer in the top of the seventh, falling by the slim 1-0 final.  Ralston suffered the tough loss after allowing just one run on three hits over six innings pitched.  Malone recorded five hits in the game, but was unable to avoid the shutout.