Sports Round-Up

By: Jordan Diver

Spring Break was not much of a break for Millikin spring athletes as they traveled around the nation to compete in wrestling, softball, baseball, track and field, golf, and tennis.

Kicking off spring break, the wrestling season officially came to an end. Seniors Chris Williams and Keajion Jennings both finished in second place at the 2019 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships while sophomore Bradan Birt finished in sixth place. Placing in second, Williams and Jennings match Millikin’s highest-ever NCAA finish. Millikin also finished tied for ninth place with 42 points, which is the best team finish in Big Blue history.

Millikin softball kicked off their season by traveling to Arizona for the Tucson Invitational Games. The Big Blue dominated while in Arizona. Friday, March 8th, Millikin won 9-0 against Brevard College and later lost to Baldwin Wallace University, 0-2. Saturday, March 9th, the ladies started with a loss to Cornell College, 2-3 and later beat Mount Mary University, 9-0. Monday, March 11th, Millikin won both their games against College of St. Scholastica, 4-1, and Case Western Reserve University, 5-4.

The four games planned for Tuesday and Wednesday were all canceled, but the Big Blue did not miss a beat getting back in the hang of things. Thursday, March 14th, the Big Blue won 5-2 against Saint Mary’s College. Friday, March 15th, the ladies won against Dickinson College, 3-2, Saint Mary’s College, 6-4, and Skidmore College, 10-2. Saturday, March 16th, the Arizona adventure came to an end when Millikin beat both Buena Vista University 11-4 and University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 10-2. The softball team ended their road trip with a phenomenal 10-2 start to their season.

The Millikin baseball team has not been so lucky with their season so far. The men started off their season mid-February and came into March with a 1-3 record, with one game postponed. The baseball team traveled to Texas, starting off against Texas Lutheran University.

The men lost to Texas Lutheran 0-7 Friday, March 8, 7-14 Saturday, March 9, and 4-5 Sunday, March 10th. The Big Blue then played Trinity University on Tuesday, March 12th and lost 9-11. The team was then scheduled to play the University of Texas at Tyler on Wednesday, March 13th, but the game was canceled. Millikin traveled back home to play against Dominican University on Sunday, March 17th, but that game was also canceled. Millikin baseball ends spring break with a record of 1-7.

Track and Field are now in the middle of their season as the team traveled to the University of Houston on Thursday, March 14.

For the women’s events, junior Morgan Powers placed second in the 800 Meters while sophomore Joycelyn VanAntwerp seventh and freshman Victoria Mineo placed eighth. Sophomore Mackenzie Dixon placed seventh in the 400 Meters followed by senior Erin Lukens placing eighth.

The women finished sixth in the 4×400 Relay with Lukens, Hollie Johnson, Dixon, and Brianna Niebrugge. Sophomore Anna Gambol finished seventh in the Women’s Javelin. Her throw of 30.70 meters is the third best throw in school history.

On the men’s side junior Dalton Collins placed fourth in the Men’s 110 Hurdles and sixth in the 400 Meter Hurdles. Freshman Ben Kuxmann placed fifth in the 800 Meters. Junior Ethan Meyer finished seventh in the 400 Meters. The men’s 4×400 Relay team of Jackson Allan, Collins, Kuxmann, and Meyer finished fourth. Sophomore Kemond Murray placed seventh in the Men’s Hammer and eighth in Discus. Freshman Max Rodgers placed seventh in Long Jump.

The men’s and women’s golf teams competed in the Adidas Intercollegiate on Monday, March 11th and Tuesday, March 12th. The men tied for ninth, however, senior Michael Barber tied for first place. The women’s team finished in seventh, while sophomore Sera Bebon finished in 14th place.

Lastly, the men’s and women’s tennis teams competed in the Spring Tennis Fest March 11 through 15. The men won 5-4 against Letourneau University, 8-1 against the University of Lynchburg, 8-1 against Westminster College, and 5-4 against the University of Mount Union. The women’s team won 8-1 against Agnes Scott College, lost 1-8 to University of Lynchburg, won 5-4 against Westminster college, and lost 0-9 to University of Mount Union.