Oskaloosa–Charles Knowles (Sr., Chicago, Ill., Physical Education) singed the nylon from deep Saturday as he helped the William Penn men’s basketball team top Evangel 100-71 in Heart of America Athletic Conference play.

The third-ranked Statesmen (10-1, 6-1 Heart) cruised to the win by outshooting the Crusaders 50.0%-41.4%, including a 46.4% mark from behind the arc.  The hosts were equally impressive from the line, going 23-for-27 for an 85.2% clip.

William Penn, which has now won a season-high six in a row, allowed Evangel (1-7, 1-6 Heart) to post the first two points of the night, but it was all WPU from there.  The victors led 47-29 at the half and were never threatened in the second period.  Paced by a career-high 27 points from Knowles, the navy and gold remain at the top of the league standings.

Knowles finished 8-for-10 from the field, headlined by knocking down seven of his nine three-pointers.  The senior was also a perfect 4-for-4 at the charity stripe.

Lionel Ellison (Sr., New Orleans, La., Kinesiology) missed a double-double by just one assist, finishing with 16 points and nine ‘dimes’, while double-double machine Torren Jones (Sr., Chandler, Ariz., Sociology) did not fall short of that feat with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Brandon Trotter (Jr., Louisville, Ky., Kinesiology) was next on the scoring list with nine points, while Corbin Medley (Jr., Rogersville, Mo., General Accounting) and Rufus Williams (Sr., Tuscaloosa, Ala., Physical Education) each accounted for seven points.  Nick Jeffries (Jr., Altoona, Iowa, Exercise Science) ended the win with five points.

William Penn crushed Evangel on the boards, 41-24, and was also four better in the turnover column, 13-17, as Jones recorded a pair of thefts.

“This was a great team win for us as everyone got to play and contribute,” Associate Head Coach Blake Sandquist said.  “Chuck (Charles Knowles) was exceptional with his three-point shooting and Lionel was fantastic on both ends, including holding their best player scoreless.”

Next Up: William Penn closes out its pre-holiday break slate next Saturday by traveling to Canton, Mo. to face Culver-Stockton in Heart play at 4 p.m.

Story provided by Wade Steinlage

Oskaloosa–Both the veterans and the new guard came out firing on all cylinders as the William Penn track and field teams opened their indoor seasons at the Central Holiday Preview Saturday.

The men, who were seeking to defend last year’s title, finished second with 81.5 points, trailing only NCAA Division I Drake and its 124.5 points.  The Statesmen women finished eighth as Drake completed the sweep with 139 points.

Derek Seddon (Sr., Knoxville, Iowa, Physical Education) began his senior campaign in the best start possible, winning two events with qualifying marks.  Freshman Tristen Elmore (Ovied, Fla., Physical Education) was also spectacular as he joined Seddon as a qualifier; all three qualifications eclipsed the automatic standards.

For Seddon, he tossed the shot put a distance of 51-9.75 and had a weight throw mark of 56-8.  Elmore was second in the high jump with a height of 6-9.5.  Additionally, he was also runner-up in the long jump at 22-5.

Marcus Hastings (So., North Las Vegas, Nev., Sociology) matched Seddon with a gold in the long jump at 22-5.25.

Throwers Derek Robinson (Jr., Jenks, Okla., Communications) and Kelvin Polk (Fr., Killeen, Texas) were dual point-scorers as well.  Robinson was fourth in the shot put (44-11.5) and fifth in the weight throw (48-4), while Polk opened his collegiate career with a fifth-place effort in the shot put (42-5.5) and a seventh-place showing in the weight throw (46-2).

Zack Johnson (Jr., Decatur, Ill., Mechanical Engineering) claimed bronze in the 1,000-meter run in a time of 2:40.79, while the 4×400-meter relay team was also third in 3:30.39.

Charles Hurt (So., Gary, Ind., Sociology) (600-meter run, 1:26.81) and Cori Fitten (Fr., Mount Pleasant, Iowa, Undecided) (shot put, 41-1.75) both finished seventh, andClifford Phillips (Sr., Dade City, Fla., Physical Education) (60-meter dash, 7.11 seconds) and Derrick Smith (Fr., Olympia, Wash., Physical Education) (long jump, 20-5) took home eighth place in their respective events.

Other top-10 performances came from Payton Busch (Sr., Centerville, Iowa, Secondary Education) in the 600-meter run (9th, 1:27.45) and Earl George (Sr., Gaithersburg, Md., Biology) in the long jump (9th, 20-3.5) and high jump (10th, 5-9.75).

Not to be outdone, the women also recorded over a handful of top-10s.  Asia Laudermilch (Fr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Physical Education) led WPU by topping a school record that had stood since 1987, crossing the line in the 60-meter dash in 8.02 seconds to finish fifth (old mark was 8.15 seconds).

The throwing crew had a solid day with freshman Shelbie Williams (Hedrick, Iowa, Elementary Education) guiding the path as she was third in her inaugural shot put event with a toss of 41-5.25.  Becky Cleppe (Fr., St. Petersburg, Fla., Physical Education) claimed eighth in the weight throw at 43-2, while Elayna VanArsdale (Fr., Bensalem, Pa., Secondary Education) earned ninth place in the shot put at 34-6.75.

Deja Lewis (Sr., Spring, Texas, Psychology) scored a point in the 3,000-meter run by placing eighth in a time of 12:15.77.  Taylor Richardson (So., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Undecided) just missed scoring in the long jump as she was ninth at 16-0.25.

“This was an awesome first meet for us,” Head Coach Allen Friesen said.  “I am very proud of our teams as everyone stepped up their games today.  This might be the best indoor start we have ever had.”

Next Up: William Penn is off until after the holiday break, returning to action on Saturday, January 14 by traveling to Dubuque to compete in the Dubuque Sol Butler Classic.

Story provided by Wade Steinlage

Tuesday, December 6 – Osky at Centerville – BOYS ONLY – 7:30 PM

Oskaloosa–Zack Johnson (Jr., Decatur, Ill., Mechanical Engineering) was honored for his excellence in the classroom as he was named a 2016 Daktronics-NAIA Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Friday.

Johnson, a first-time honoree, was among a list of 222 male harriers from within the NAIA to be awarded the laurel.  He owned a perfect 4.00 Grade Point Average entering this fall.

To be eligible for the award, athletes must be of at least junior academic standing, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above on a 4.0 scale, and have attended the nominating institution for at least one full academic year.

For the complete list of all the NAIA Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athletes, go to http://www.naia.org/fls/27900/1NAIA/SportsInfo/scholar-athletes/2016/Men’s%20Cross%20Country%20Scholar-Athlete%20Nominees_Web.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=27900

Story provided by Wade Steinlage

Oskaloosa–Several deserving Statesmen football players as well as their coach were recognized for tremendous campaigns as the 2016 all-Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division teams were announced Monday.

A total of 11 players were selected, including three on the first team, five on the second team, and three more on the honorable-mention squad.  Nine individuals earned their first accolades this fall.

Head Coach Todd Hafner was chosen by his peers as North Division Coach of the Year.  It is his third career laurel, also winning the award in 2008 and 2010.  In what was figured to be a rebuilding year, the Statesmen fought to a 7-4 record, including a 4-1 North mark.  The team shared the North crown, ended the year tied at #23, and played for a postseason berth in the season finale.

Grand View swept the top player awards as Jordan Knock was named Offensive Player of the Year and teammate Robert Lewis was picked as Defensive POY.  GVU’s Austin Flynn and Peru State’s Derek Derr shared the Assistant Coach of the Year honor.

First Team

Hunter Barry (Sr., Morris, Ill., Physical Education) paced the navy and gold by receiving his third career honor; all three were first-team awards.  The senior defensive tackle finished with 46 tackles (20 solos, 26 assists), including 9.5 for loss.

Fellow first-teamers Hunter Dailey (So., Texarkana, Texas, Biology) and Mason Wisse (Jr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Physical Education) both earned their initial laurels.  Dailey was the leader of an offensive line that ranked second in the NAIA with 3,228 rushing yards (293.5 per game).

Wisse headlined the defense with a team-best 88 tackles (47 solos, 41 assists, 12 for loss).  The linebacker also recorded two sacks, one interception, and two fumble recoveries.

Second Team

Cornerback Antonio Brown (Sr., Midwest City, Okla., Undecided) notched his second career nod (both on second team), tallying 54 tackles (37 solos, 17 assists, six for loss).

Van Parker (Sr., Muskegon, Mich., Physical Education) was chosen as an athlete for his first-ever laurel.  The senior started the year in a battle for the quarterback slot, then moved to wide receiver before finally concluding the season as WPU’s starting signal-caller.  He rushed for 511 yards and two touchdowns, completed 11 of 28 passes for 171 yards and two scores, and caught three balls for 106 yards.

The trio of center Sione Mafua (Fr., Salt Lake City, Utah, Undecided), defensive end Resean Coleman (Fr., River Rouge, Mich., Exercise Science), and linebacker Winston Green (Jr., Sacramento, Calif., Psychology and Sociology) were also chosen for the first time.

Mafua joined Dailey on the offensive line that led William Penn to 336.5 total yards per game.  Coleman ended up with 39 tackles (12 solos, 27 assists, 4.5 for loss), a team-high 3.5 sacks, and one interception (returned for a TD).  Green managed 35 stops (20 solos, 15 assists, 3.5 for loss) and one sack, but was by far most productive in pass defense with a squad-best five interceptions.  He returned three of those picks for scores and also returned a blocked field back for a score.

Honorable Mention

Fullback Amos Johnson (Jr., Rock Island, Ill., Mechanical Engineering), defensive end Cooper Gosch (So., Reeds Springs, Okla., Education), and safety Kyle Baldassarre(So., Webb City, Mo., Industrial Technology) were all recipients for the first time in their collegiate careers.

Johnson produced a Statesmen-high 743 rushing yards with five touchdowns, while Gosch tallied 53 tackles (27 solos, 26 assists, team-high 14 for loss) in addition to three sacks.  Baldassarre concluded 2016 with 64 stops (31 solos, 33 assists, three for loss), four interceptions, and one fumble recovery.

For the complete list of 2016 all-Heart teams, go to http://www.heartofamericaconference.com/d/2016-17/2016_All_HeartNorth.pdf

Story provided by Wade Steinlage

Oskaloosa’s softball team is fresh off a state championship in 2016, and a loaded junior class continues to commit to play at the next level.

On Wednesday night, Alexis Westercamp and Aubrey Miller both signed their letter of intent to play collegiate softball at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa.

For Miller, who was this class’s first verbal commitment, this was an easy choice.

“When I first started talking to [Head Coach Laura North] I went in and looked at the team,” Miller said. “They looked very close and it’s almost like a family instead of a softball program. I feel that it will fit me perfectly and I’m so comfortable here and I’m so excited.”

Westercamp had a few other offers but ultimately decided on Hills as well.

“It’s close to home, I know that Coach North will push me to become the best athlete that I can become,” Westercamp explained. “I want to further my softball career and this was one of my better options that I found.”

Indian Hills coach and Oskaloosa native Laura North had both players on her radar for a while as she was piecing together her recruiting Class of ’17.

“Well obviously me being from Oskaloosa I’ve had a connection with these kids for a few years and have had the opportunity to watch them in my hometown,” North said.

As for Oskaloosa, Head Coach Jay Harms says there may be some pressure lifted off his players’ shoulders, but expect the Indians to play the same way.

“I don’t think it changes any approach from our standpoint,” Harms said. “The girls know where they’re going. No pressure on them. They can just go out and play. They don’t have to worry about trying to play in front of college coaches and say ‘Hey, am I going to get an offer?’ They can just go out and play freely because they know they are going to be an Indian Hills Warrior and we’re looking forward to having them for one more year. We had a great year last year and they are going to be a big part of the puzzle for us again this year.”

Miller and Westercamp join four-time All-State pitcher Alexis Groet in committing to play at the next level. Two weeks ago Groet signed with Des Moines Area Community College.

Indian Hills qualified as the #14 seed at the NJCAA Division I National Tournament before bowing out in the double-elimination tournament without a win. Osky alum Alexis Vroegh will be a part of this year’s team as well after signing before her senior campaign.

The Oskaloosa Volleyball team celebrated the successes of the 2016 season during the banquet held November 10^th. A big THANK YOU to all the support and encouragement shown to these amazing young women all fall.

Freshmen Awards

–       Most Improved: Brooke Allen

–       Outstanding Player: Jolie Yang

JV Awards

–       Most Improved: Isabel Feudner

–       Outstanding Player: Jori VanDenBerg

Varsity Awards

–       Best Spiker: Alexis Westercamp

–       Best Passer: Aubrey Miller

–       Best Setter: Leah VanMaanen

–       Best Server: Cara Roquet & Aubrey Miller

–       Best Blocker: Emma Kelderman

–       Best Digger: Aubrey Miller

–       Best Support Staff: Lizzie Parker

–       Best Spirit: Leah VanMaanen

–       Most Improved: Taylor Wills

–       Outstanding Player: Leah VanMaanen

–       Coaches’ Award: Summer Smith

Varsity Letterwinners

–       Aubrey Miller (4^th letter)

–       Cara Roquet (2^nd letter)

–       Leah VanMaanen (2^nd letter)

–       Alexis Westercamp (3^rd letter)

–       Summer Smith

–       Josie Bunnell (3^rd letter)

–       Macy Scharff

–       Emma Kelderman

–       Taylor Wills

Little Hawkeye Academic All- Conference (letterwinner 3.5 GPA, So/Jr/Sr)

–       Cara Roquet

–       Leah VanMaanen

–       Summer Smith

–       Josie Bunnell

–       Emma Kelderman

Little Hawkeye All-Conference Team

–       1^st Team: Leah VanMaanen

–       2^nd Team: Alexis Westercamp

–       Honorable Mention: Cara Roquet & Josie Bunnell

Ironwomen (perfect attendance)

–       Cara Roquet (4 years)

–       Summer Smith

–       Brittany DeMoney

–       Macy Scharff

–       Marleigh Denburger

–       Emma Kelderman

–       Brooke Allen

–       Mary Nelson

–       Emily Richmond

–       Jessica Schlesselman

The Indians’ season came to a close at 16-23, but just one win away from the Class 4A State Tournament in Cedar Rapids

Kansas City, Mo.–Jamal Boma (Sr., Des Moines, Iowa, Business Management and Physical Education) did not fold under the pressure of continuing his record-breaking season as he led the William Penn cross country teams at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships Saturday.

Boma was the first runner across the finish line in the 112-person men’s 8K race with a time of 25:46.66.  He was just over six seconds faster than runner-up Ulysses Orozco of Missouri Valley.  It is the first conference crown for WPU since Travis Sauer took home the Midwest Classic Conference title in 2004.

The senior, who won his third meet title of the season Saturday, now qualifies for the NAIA National Championships on November 19 in Elsah, Ill.

His effort helped the Statesmen to sixth place out of 13 teams with 180 points.  #9 Missouri Valley easily won the team title with 34 points, while MidAmerica Nazarene earned the second automatic bid to nationals by winning the tiebreaker over Baker; both teams had 87 points, but MNU’s sixth finisher was higher than BU’s.

Payton Busch (Sr., Centerville, Iowa, Secondary Education) was also strong in his collegiate finale by placing 16th at 27:09.06.  He was the ninth-best individual finisher not from a qualifying team, but unfortunately needed to place three spots higher to join Boma at nationals.

Garrett Heckman (Jr., New Virginia, Iowa, Mechanical Engineering) was 39th in a time of 28:55.14, while Zack Johnson (Jr., Decatur, Ill., Mechanical Engineering), who also completed his Statesmen career (he will enroll at Iowa State next year as part of the 3+2 engineering program), crossed the line in a time of 29:59.83 to finish 63rd.

Terry Jackson (Fr., Houston, Alaska, Biology) wrapped up the varsity scoring in 80th place (31:02.16).  George Ball (Fr., Cambridge, England, Physical Education), in 82nd at 31:16.20, and Cameron Shade (Fr., Riverdale, Ga., Sociology), in 86th (31:32.98), also competed for the navy and gold.

The WPU women, behind a 38th-place finish by Guadalupe Gonzalez (Jr., Houston, Texas, Exercise Science), were 13th out of 14 teams with 318 points.  Gonzalez completed the 5K course with a time of 20:07.69.

Deja Lewis (Sr., Spring, Texas, Psychology) was next, finishing 55th out of 113 runners in a time of 20:47.62, while Alexys Devlin (Jr., Davenport, Iowa, Physical Education) was 84th (22:37.89).  Bree’Anna Lee (Fr., Broken Arrow, Okla., Biology), in 91st at 23:20.31, and Arianna Davis (Jr., New Sharon, Iowa, Biology), in 97th at 24:27.07, completed the team scoring.  Rachel Surbaugh (Fr., Knoxville, Iowa, Biology) (113th, 29:20.14) raced Saturday as well.

Story provided by Wade Steinlage

Oskaloosa–The William Penn football squad began a so-called rebuilding year with three consecutive losses, but has improved exponentially as the fall has progressed and now the Statesmen can call themselves conference champions after rallying to win 27-24 over Graceland in Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division play Saturday.

The Statesmen (7-3, 4-0 North), winners of seven in a row, trailed 24-14 early in the fourth quarter, but scored two touchdowns in the final 11 minutes.  WPU’s win, coupled with #6 Grand View’s 7-3 loss to Benedictine, locked up the program’s seventh conference title and its third in the last seven seasons (first since 2012).

WPU will now seek to win its first outright crown since 1976 next Saturday when it travels to Des Moines to meet Grand View at noon.  Due to its three-loss record, William Penn will likely have to win to earn a spot in the NAIA’s Football Championship Series.

The hosts started Saturday deep in their own territory, but 13 plays and six minutes later, they took an early 7-0 lead with an impressive 98-yard scoring drive.  Nate Van Veldhuizen (So., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Mechanical Engineering), who rushed for 39 yards, capped the drive with a one-yard plunge.

The Yellowjackets (4-6, 2-1 North) were coming off big wins over Benedictine and Peru State and looking to spoil William Penn’s Senior Day celebration.  GU started on its way with a field goal to close out the first quarter with WPU ahead 7-3.

The Statesmen marched down the field for another long drive to start the second period.  Van Parker (Sr., Muskegon, Mich., Physical Education) eventually pushed the edge to 14-3 by rushing in from seven yards out.  The senior signal-caller carried 19 times for a team-best 108 yards (WPU had 246 rushing yards total).

Graceland answered right back, though, with a touchdown of its own and nearly claimed the lead at halftime, but was stopped inside the red zone in the final two minutes as the Statesmen walked into the locker room up 14-10.

In an evenly-contested matchup that saw GU outgain WPU 331-322, the visitors dominated the third quarter with a touchdown and a field goal.  Their momentum extended into the final stanza with another field goal for a 24-14 Graceland advantage.

With its season on the line for the umpteenth time over the past several weeks, the Statesmen regrouped and went 58 yards to narrow the deficit to 24-20 (extra point blocked).  The touchdown came on one of the best trick plays the program has attempted in recent history.

On third-down-and-goal from the 4-yard line, fullback Amos Johnson (Jr., Rock Island, Ill., Mechanical Engineering) was handed the ball on an untraditional reversal.  Then just before running into several Yellowjacket defenders, he lofted a pass to the endzone and a wide open Cory Fitzjarrell (Jr., Anderson, Calif., Industrial Technology) for the TD.  The junior tight end’s catch was his first of the year.

In the ensuing possession, the Yellowjackets moved onto the Statesmen side of the gridiron, but their possession stalled out.  Their punt, though, pinned William Penn at its own 14-yard line with 3:54 to go in regulation.  Due to its missed extra point on the last score, WPU was forced to go the entire 86 yards to regain the lead.

Seven running plays got the Statesmen to midfield, but with the season on the line for the umpteenth-and-1st time, they had to convert a long fourth down play.  Parker kept the drive alive by finding fellow senior Desmond Douglas (Decatur, Ala., Ga., Physical Education) across the middle for 11 yards (WPU needed nine).  Run-happy William Penn again unconventionally went to the air a couple plays later, but this time it was Jeremiah Benson (Fr., Kansas City, Mo., Physical Education) who hauled in a Parker pass, scoring from 30 yards out to give the lead back to the home squad at 27-24.

Parker completed three of his eight passes for 72 yards.

The defense which had kept William Penn close all afternoon was asked to produce one final stop and it did.  On fourth-and-14 at GU’s 21-yard line, Kyle Baldassarre (Jr., Webb City, Mo., Industrial Technology and Business Management) delivered a bone-crushing legal blow that stopped receiver Davonte Myers in his tracks for a 13-yard reception, one yard short of a first down.

The Statesmen defense did not force a normal turnover Saturday, but had more than enough big plays, including seven pass breakups.  Mason Wisse (Jr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Physical Education) and Clive Manuao (Fr., Norwalk, Calif., General Accounting) each tallied nine tackles to lead the way.

“This was a great win for our program,” Head Coach Todd Hafner said.  “We did not play our best, but in the end we found a way to win.  We played hard enough, stuck together like we always do, and trusted teach other to the very end.  Now we will heal up and get our mind ready to play one more week.”

“We have been playing one week at a time for the last seven weeks and in the end we hope it is good enough again,” Hafner added.  “We are proud of each and every one of our players for what they do on a daily and weekly basis!”

Story provided by Wade Steinlage

Macomb, Ill.–Sarah Hansen (Jr., Neponset, Ill.) had a monster evening in the first time donning a Statesmen uniform, but the William Penn women’s basketball team could not pull off the upset in a 95-69 exhibition loss to Western Illinois Wednesday.

Hansen was 10-for-21 from the field, including going 5-for-15 from three-point range, to score 31 points. She was a constant on the hardwood, playing 37 of the 40 possible minutes against the NCAA Division I program.

Hansen did most of her damage in the first half with 25 points. Behind the junior transfer, the navy and gold started hot with an 11-4 edge midway through the first quarter. WPU continued to keep pace with the Leathernecks, actually tying the game for the fourth and final time at 39-39 with 2:24 to go until intermission. Unfortunately, WIU took the lead for good on a late 12-1 run to hold a 51-40 advantage after two periods.

The home team continued to pull away in the second half as WPU shot just 27.6% after halftime. Overall, WPU was outshot 42.6%-37.7%.

Hansen was the only Statesmen in double figures as Alyssa Phillips (Sr., Gurnee, Ill., Communications) was next with a near double-double of eight points and 10 rebounds. Phillips also blocked two shots.

Vashti Nwagbaraocha (So., Milwaukee, Wis., Exercise Science) recorded six points and six rebounds; the visitors narrowly lost the rebounding battle 43-41.

Not surprisingly in an early-season game, both teams struggled with ball control, combining for 66 turnovers, including 39 by William Penn.

Asia Roper (Sr., Aurora, Colo., Psychology) had some issues handling the round ball, but besides that had an all-around solid effort, managing five points, six assists, and four steals (WPU had 14 steals overall).

Fouls played a big part in the matchup as well, especially on the visiting side as the Statesmen were whistled for 36 infractions. Jessica Warren (Sr., Park Forest, Ill.) was in line for a nice outing, scoring four points early, but four fouls limited her to only seven minutes.

Brynesha Mosby (So., Belleville, Ill., Biology) added six points off the bench as well.

The Statesmen were mediocre to say the least at the free-throw line last season, but Wednesday’s 18-for-23 effort (78.3%) hopefully is a sign of good things to come.

Next Up: William Penn officially begins the season Friday by traveling to Bourbonnais, Ill. to face Saint Xavier at 5:30 p.m. as part of the Olivet Nazarene Tournament.

Story provided by Wade Steinlage