Sports News

Fall 2002 Sports Recap

Football
The Bulldogs posted a 5-6 record but displayed one of the most prolific offenses at the NCAA I-AA level. Drake joined Southeast Missouri State as the only schools to both produce a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver.

Drake senior quarterback Ira Vandever and senior receiver Aaron Overton both were named to The Sports Network 2002 I-AA Mid-Major All-American Team.

Vandever, a two-time first-team All-Pioneer Football League performer, set 15 Drake records and led the league with 3,654 yards total offense while ranking third nationally in total offense. He also ranked fourth in NCAA I-AA in pass efficiency with 155.31 points, while passing for a school record 3,239 yards, including a record 32 touchdowns.

Overton, another first-team All-PFL selection, set nine school marks this past season and led the PFL in receptions (68), reception yardage (1,180) and touchdowns (12).

Other Drake players who earned first team honors in the North Division were junior running back Jonathan Taylor, senior tight end Jeff Seaman, senior defensive tackle Jason Dvorak and freshman punter Ryan Horvath.

Seven players earned honorable mention All-Conference North Division honors: senior guard Erik Link, senior center Andrew Long and sophomore offensive tackle Chris McDonnell. Senior defensive end Thomas Howe, senior linebacker Nick Rouse, junior linebacker Adam Lackey and sophomore defensive back Eric Papp also earned honorable mention all-league honors.

Dvorak, Papp and Rouse were named Drake's co-defensive players of the year.

The highlight of the season was a 49-42 double-overtime home victory past Albany which finished No. 3 in the final NCAA I-AA Mid-Major poll and won the Eastern College Athletic Conference title.

The offensive line starters of Link, Long, McDonnell and sophomore guard Mark Wilke were named Drake's most valuable players on offense after the Bulldogs set 30 school offensive records, ranking fifth in NCAA I-AA in total offense averaging 460.9 yards.

For the second straight year senior defensive back Desmond Carr was named recipient of the Gene Schultz Award for displaying top citizenship both on and off the field.

Women's Basketball
Drake is coming off its best season in 20 years after advancing to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1982, posting a 25-8 record.

The Bulldogs posted a 63-61 victory at then No. 18-ranked Iowa State Nov. 27, giving coach Lisa Stone her 50th victory at Drake. It snapped a 49-game non-conference winning streak by Iowa State dating back to Dec. 7, 1994, which also was the last time Drake won in Ames.

Drake was picked to finish second in the 2002-03 Missouri Valley Conference pre-season poll behind defending champion Creighton.

Senior center Carla Bennett was a pre-season high honorable mention All-America pick by Street & Smith's and has been identified as a "Player to Watch:" for the second annual Senior CLASS Award. The award is presented annually to the nation's senior player of the year for NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball.

Drake returned its two premier inside players, but the perimeter has been left vacant with the graduation of three guards. Looking to fill the void is senior Ja'Naé Mosley, sophomore Mandy Kappel and junior Allison Burchill.

The Bulldogs also welcome several freshmen, including Nicole Denmon, a 5-11 guard from Slater, Iowa; Betsy Funk, a 6-1 forward from Urbandale, Iowa; Cydney Franklin, a 6-0 forward from Bellevue, NE; and Tess Fanning, a 5-8 guard from Eau Claire, WI.

Men's Basketball
After posting impressive home victories against Grinnell and Western Illinois, Drake stood 6-3 before embarking on a four-game road trip with encounters at intrastate rival Iowa State and its final non-conference game at Denver. Drake opened the Missouri Valley Conference campaign with consecutive road games against preseason favorites Southern Illinois and Creighton, which both advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Drake's Dec. 4 game at Northern Illinois concluded a 9,194-mile trip which began Nov. 27 when the Bulldogs traveled to Hilo, HI, to play in the Hilo Shootout.

Drake started out of the gates with a 3-2 record that featured four games against opponents that either advanced to post-season play in 2002 or won its respective regular-season conference titles last year. Florida Atlantic (74-62 victory, Nov. 22) and Iowa (50-49 loss Nov. 26), were teams that competed in 2002 post-season play.

Drake's trademark for early season success was a stinging defense that is allowing opponents just 41.3 percent shooting from the floor, including 30.4 percent shooting from three-point range.

Junior guard Luke McDonald celebrated his 22nd birthday against Vermont by erupting for a season-high 25 points, while also becoming the 17th player in Drake history to join the 1,000-point scoring club.
Drake senior center Greg Danielson picked up where he left off last year, collecting 10 or more rebounds in seven of Drake's first nine games this season, while moving into the top 15 on the school career rebounding charts with over 550 caroms.

The return of senior forward J.J. Sola, who missed the last 12 games of the 2001-02 season, also will be a key to Drake's frontline fortunes. Before being sidelined, he averaged 11.8 points and 4.2 rebounds, while ranking fourth in the MVC in field goal percentage (.551).

Men's Soccer
Senior defender Matt Sahag became the first player in the 12-year history of Drake men's soccer to earn Academic All-America honors, selected to the second team.

The Bulldogs completed their most decorated season since 1994, posting a 9-7-2 record, including a 5-2-2 fourth-place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference. Drake went undefeated against three top 20 teams.

Senior defender Brian Duax earned second-team all-conference honors for the third straight season. His 29th career goal in the MVC tournament's quarterfinal match against Bradley moved him into second place on Drake's career goals list, third on Drake's career shots list (151) and fourth on Drake's career points list (64).

Senior midfielder Joe Sithonnorath ended his Drake career in the record books with 17 assists - third place on Drake's career assists list.

Junior Zack Brennan took a spot on every Drake goalkeeping career list this season. He climbed to a second-place tie in solo shutouts (seven) and third in saves (211) and wins (20). He posted consecutive road shutouts at Bradley and Eastern Illinois.

Freshman midfielder Chris Hamburger was named to the MVC All-Newcomer team.

Women's Soccer
Led by Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year Andrea Schmitz, the women's soccer team finished its inaugural season with an 8-8-4 overall record, including a 2-3-2 sixth-place finish in the MVC to earn a berth in the MVC Tournament.

Schmitz became only the second freshman in MVC women's soccer history to lead the league in scoring with 28 points. She led the conference in goals (10) and assists (eight); earned first-team all-conference honors and was a three-time MVC player of the week.

Midfielder Bailey Walkup, a first-team all-conference and all-tournament team pick, was named to the all-MVC freshman team along with goalkeeper Kate Stack and Schmitz.

Freshman defender and co-captain Lindsey Portincaso, sophomore defender and co-captain Libby Willrich and freshman forward Jennie Brown were all honorable mention picks for the MVC all-conference team.
The women's soccer team has been named the No. 1 first-year program in Division I soccer by Soccer Buzz magazine.

Golf
Drake senior Derek Butts was named Missouri Valley Conference Golfer of the Week after capturing medalist honors, while leading the Bulldogs to the team title in the annual Big Four Championships at the Hunters Ridge golf course in Cedar Rapids, IA, Oct. 12.

Softball
The highlight of an abbreviated fall schedule saw the Bulldogs upset 19th-ranked Notre Dame, 5-1, in the title game of the National Invitational Championship Sept. 22. Senior first baseman Brook Buchanan hit a three-run home run in the third inning to power Drake in the championship.

Junior outfielder Kara DeShaw, freshman infielder Jamie Desjarlais, senior catcher Amber Payne and junior pitcher Katie Shimon earned all-tournament honors. Desjarlais, the only freshman selected for the all-tournament team, was chosen for her defense, notching two diving catches and turning two double plays. Shimon posted four victories in the tournament.

Women's Crew
The Drake women's crew team won five events in a dual against Creighton in its fall finale at the Birdland Marina Nov. 9. They won the varsity eight in 6 minutes 11 seconds and edged Creighton in the varsity four in 7:03 to 7:04. Drake also won the varsity B4 and the varsity C4. The junior varsity eight also won its event.

Drake opened the fall campaign with an impressive showing in the Head of the Des Moines Regatta. The Bulldogs won the women's novice 8 in 18:37. The Bulldogs were sixth out of 27 teams in the women's varsity eight. Drake swept the top three places in the women's novice single with the winner Rachel Zigler being timed in 21:01 followed by Drake's Amelia Nuss in 21:18 and Cailtin Powell in 21:33.

Men's Cross Country
Junior transfer Kjetil Ramstad from Etne, Norway, lead the men's cross country team to second in the MVC Championships. Ramstad was second overall in 25.02 seconds. He finished ninth out of 163 runners at the NCAA Midwest Regionals Nov. 25, the first Drake performer to run in the NCAA Championships since 1999.

The Bulldogs recorded their highest finish in the MVC meet since winning the league title in 1999. Drake junior Brent Wilberts was fourth; sophomore Bobby Anderson placed seventh; junior Bobby Atkins was 14th; and sophomore Kyle Sounhein finished 20th.

Drake, second in the MVC Men's Cross Country Championships, landed the most student-athletes on the Valley Scholar-Athlete Cross Country Team - junior Brent Wilberts, sophomore Bobby Anderson and sophomore Kyle Sounhein. The Scholar-Athlete Team is a unique Valley award in that it accounts for academic and athletic excellence. Those eligible must have at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point average.

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