Over the past few weeks, the winter sports at Millikin have been wrapping up their seasons.
Men’s basketball played their last game on Saturday, February 22, which also happened to be their senior day. JT Welch, Drake Stevenson, Jackson Neidenbach, Demarcus Bond, Noah Livingston, Chase Travis, Lance Hackney, Anthony Lewis, and manager Landon Hullinger were honored.
Bond is a fifth year, while Travis is a junior graduating early. The men’s team matched up against College Conference of Illinois (CCIW) regular season champion Carthage College, but fell short in the contest, 77-84. The Big Blue did not qualify for the CCIW tournament, so they ended with a record of 11-14, 5-11 in the conference. They were led all year by sophomore Lane Thomann, who averaged 16.4 points per game and was named to the All-Conference Second Team.
The women’s basketball team also recently ended their season in the semifinal game of the conference tournament, against eventual tournament champion Illinois Wesleyan. The Big Blue fought through a tough schedule to earn a 6 seed in the CCIW postseason tournament, where they opened up play against Carthage College, the 3 seed. Millikin became just the second 6th seed team in CCIW tournament history to advance to the semifinal game, after an upset win at Carthage, 63-57.
They then traveled to Bloomington, IL, where they battled against the #4 team in the country, rival school Illinois Wesleyan, where they fell short, 62-89. The women ended their season with a 9-18 record, 7-9 in regular season conference play. Freshman Nikkel Johnson was named the CCIW Newcomer of the Year, and was also the only member of the women’s team to be named to either all conference team, voted onto the second team. Johnson averaged 11.9 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 53.5% from the field.
Millikin Wrestling still has 3 athletes competing, as Dejon Glaster, Coby Haney, and Leno Campbell all qualified for the NCAA Championships by finishing in the top 3 in their weight class at the NCAA Division Region 5 Regional. Glaster won the 174 pound weight class, improving his record to 30-2, while also being named the Most Outstanding Athlete in the conference. He is a 4 time CCIW champion and was an All-American last year. Haney finished in second in the 133 pound weight class, while Campbell finished in third at 285 pounds.
The NCAA Championships will be in Providence, Rhode Island, on March 14-15. Cameron Lee, a senior cybersecurity and Management Information Systems double major, was awarded the Elite 26 Award, which is given to the CCIW athlete that excels both academically and athletically. The team finished with an overall record of 14-4.
For Track and Field, the indoor season ended last weekend. Sophomore Kyle Hensley was named the CCIW Men’s Field Student-Athlete of the meet after clinching his second Indoor CCIW Pole Vault Title. He set a school record with 5.20 meters (17-0.75), which was also the third best mark in all of Division 3 this season. Hensley is the defending NCAA Pole Vault champion. Freshman Ibrahim Diakite was named the CCIW Men’s first-year track student-athlete of the meet, after getting second in the 55m, third in the 200m, and was a leg of the Millikin’s 4X400 Relay that placed second.
On the women’s side, De’Andranay Chism was named the CCIW Women’s First-Year Track Student-Athlete of the Meet. She placed third in the 200m and fourth in the 400m with 56.98 seconds, breaking her own school record. The indoor championships are March 14-15 in Rochester, NY, which Hensley and Chism will both be competing in. The outdoor season begins on March 29, at the Big Blue Alumni Invite here in Decatur, IL.
The swim team’s season came to an end at the CCIW championships on February 20-22. The three day event saw podium finishes, school records, and multiple personal bests.
Day 1 Results:
Women:
800 yard freestyle relay – Aly Barnes, Erin Powell, Yoanna Barajas, and Kendall Rossignol placed sixth with a time of 8:26.33, setting a new Millikin record.
50 yard freestyle – Aly Barnes placed fifth with a time of 24.73.
400 yard medley relay – Aly Barnes, Kendall Rossignol, Yoanna Barajas, and Grace Meacham placed sixth with a time of 4:21.25.
Men:
800 yard freestyle relay – Dawsen Loafman, Gavin Dobson, Aaron Amaya, and Msanaa Bosland placed sixth with a time of 7:33.94.
200 yard freestyle relay – Dawsen Loafman, Gavin Dobson, Aaron Amaya, and Msanaa Bosland placed fifth with a time of 1:30.60.
200 yard IM – Aaron Amaya placed 14th with a time of 2:09.32.
50 yard freestyle – Dawsen Loafman placed 12th with a time of 21.79.
400 yard medley relay – Dawsen Loafman, Jacob Bloom, Msanaa Bosland, and Gavin Dobson placed sixth with a time of 3:43.22.
Day 2 Results:
Women:
200 yard medley relay – Erin Powell, Kendall Rossignol, Yoanna Barajas, and Aly Barnes placed sixth with a time of 1:57.38.
200 yard freestyle – Aly Barnes placed fourth with a time of 1:57.01.
100 yard breaststroke – Kendall Rossignol placed 15th with a time of 1:14.44.
100 yard backstroke – Erin Powell placed 14th and Grace Meacham placed 16th.
Men:
200 yard medley relay – Alexander Tabuchi, Jacob Bloom, Aaron Amaya, and Ridge Batchelor finished fifth with a time of 1:40.50.
400 yard IM – Alexander Tabuchi finished 13th with a time of 4:50.63.
100 yard butterfly – Msanaa Bosland finished 14th with a time of 54.59.
100 yard breaststroke – Ridge Batchelor placed 15th and Aaron Amaya placed 16th.
100 yard backstroke – Dawsen Loafman placed seventh with a time of 53.04, and Alexander Tabuchi placed 14th.
Day 3 Results:
Women:
100 yard freestyle – Aly Barnes finished third with a time of 53.28.
400 yard freestyle relay – Erin Powell, Aly Barnes, Grace Meacham, and Kendall Rossignol finished sixth with a time of 3:51.13.
Men:
100 yard freestyle – Dawsen Loafman finished 11th with a time of 47.58.
200 yard breaststroke – Ridge Batchelor placed 15th and Jacob Bloom placed 16th.
400 yard freestyle relay – Msanaa Bosland, Dawsen Loafman, Gavin Dobson, and Aaron Amaya placed fifth with a time of 3:18.91.
Overall, both teams placed sixth at the championships. Junior Abigail Penning was named the Dennis Ryan Outstanding Performer of the meet. This award is given to one male and female athlete at the CCIW Championships each year, given to athletes that overcome hardship to find success, bring out the best in others, provide leadership through adversity, give their best, and positively represent the sport of swimming and diving.
For each sport, the CCIW RESPECT award is given to the athlete that upholds the values of Responsibility, Enthusiasm, Service, Pride, Excellence, Collaboration, and Trust. These students have established themselves as integral members of the team, their institution, and their community by upholding these values. The winners of this award for each winter sport are as follows:
Men’s Basketball: Anthony Lewis
Women’s Basketball: Kyleigh Block
Wrestling: Vincent Fiore
Indoor Track Men: Spencer Walls
Indoor Track Women: Nyla Kyles
Men’s Swimming: Dawson Loafman
Women’s Swimming: Abigail Penning
While most winter sports have ended, the spring season has just begun. Baseball has home games all weekend, and softball will be competing in Florida over spring break.
