2018 Beane Lecture Series at WPU Welcomes MaryKate Morse

Posted on April 2, 2018April 2, 2018 by Rick Watts

(OSKALOOSA, Iowa) – William Penn University will welcome MaryKate Morse on Tuesday, April 3 as the 2018 Beane Lecture Series guest speaker. The lectures will be open to the public. Her first lecture, titled “A Quaker’s Reflection on Jesus’ Leadership: The Role of Power & Influence in Ministry,” will be held at 11:15 a.m. in the Chief Mahaska Room in the Dana M. Atkins Memorial Union.

MaryKate Morse is a professor of Leadership and Spiritual Formation in the seminary at George Fox University. Currently, she is the Lead Mentor for the Doctor of Ministry in Leadership & Spiritual Formation. Raised in the Air Force, MaryKate lived in various states and overseas. She completed her BS in Secondary Education and English Literature at Longwood University in Virginia and MaryKate completed her doctorate at Gonzaga University. With her husband, Randy, and small children she lived in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia and Peru doing ministry and social projects with the Aymará Indians.

She began teaching, studied spiritual formation and direction, and was certified as a spiritual director and recorded as a pastor with the Evangelical Friends. After her doctorate, she planted two churches and served in various administrative positions. She is a spiritual director and leadership mentor and coach, conference and retreat speaker, and author of “Making Room for Leadership: Power, Space, and Influence and A Guidebook to Prayer.”

The Beane Lecture Series was established through an endowment by Ercil and Maxine Beane in 2008 to develop programs that engage students, faculty, and the community in discussions influenced by Quaker principles and philosophies. Through that endowment, a guest speaker is brought to William Penn University each year. Due to their commitment to kindness, generosity, and community, William Penn University is pleased to MaryKate Morse for the 2018 edition of the Beane Lecture Series.

Chegwidden Wins Second Tournament of Year at Kansas Wesleyan

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Rick Watts

(SALINA, Kan.) – William Penn University’s Zachary Chegwidden (So., Essex, England, Business Management) led all individuals on the links, but unfortunately the William Penn University men’s golf team could not come up with a sweep as it competed at the Kansas Wesleyan Invitational Monday and Tuesday.

The defending champions fell just four strokes shy of repeating, placing third out of nine teams with a two-day tally of 577 (289-288) at the par-70 Salina Country Club.

Park rallied from fourth place after the opening day to claim the team crown at 573 (291-282).

Chegwidden did everything in his power to lift the navy and gold to victory, posting a three-under 137. His first day mark of one-under 69 put him two strokes out of the top spot, but he pulled out the title with another red score of two-under 68 in the final 18 holes. The now two-time tournament champion this season was the only player to break par in both rounds.

Last year’s champion, Frederik Lundsgaard (Sr., Jebjerg, Denmark, History/Government) was also in the mix, placing eighth out of 63 players at 144 (74-70), while Sebastian Rulis (Sr., Helsingor, Denmark, Business Management) was in the top 10 as well in a tie for 10th at 146 (71-75).

Oscar Florez Martinez (Sr., Gignon, Spain, Business Management) tied for 19th at 150 (75-75), while Zach Swink (Sr., Burlington, Iowa, Sociology) wrapped up the varsity scoring one stroke behind him at 151 (76-75) to tie for 22nd.

Three other Statesmen also hit the course as individuals with Jordan Albert (So., Sigourney, Iowa, Biology) heading the crew in a tie for 39th at 159 (77-82). Peter Frederiksen (Sr., Hornslet, Denmark, Mechanical Engineering) tied for 44th at 162 (80-82) and Cade Hartman (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., Business Management) tied for 52nd at 165 (82-83).

Next Up: William Penn travels to Fort Madison next Tuesday to compete in the Iowa Wesleyan Invitational. Play will be contested at Schaffer Memorial Golf Course.

– This information was sent as a news release from the William Penn University Sports Information Department.

Statesmen Men’s Bowling Takes Fourth at NAIA Invite

Posted on March 26, 2018March 26, 2018 by Rick Watts

(HIGHLAND, Indiana) – The William Penn University Men’s Bowling Team made a deep run, but fell shy of a national crown as it competed at the NAIA Invitational Friday, March 23 through Sunday, March 25.

William Penn rolled in 24 Baker qualifying games before facing off against the NAIA’s best in bracket play. The navy and gold finished fourth out of 20 teams with 5,132 pins (213.8 average), while Webber International (Fla.) and Robert Morris (Ill.) tied for the most pins with 5,457 (227.4 average). Webber international won the tiebreaker to claim the top seed.

By finishing in the top 12, the Statesmen bowlers received a bye in the double-elimination format and took on #20 seed Lindsey Wilson in the second round. The program won its first match 3-1 by scores of 216-196, 193-215, 215-174, 191-187.

Unfortunately, in a foreshadowing of the future, WPU was dropped to the consolation bracket with a 3-0 loss to #5 seed St. Ambrose (160-213, 163-223, 202-247).

However, William Penn rebounded after the setback by winning three consecutive matches to get to the consolation quarterfinals. First, the navy and gold dropped #16 seed Concordia (Mich.) 3-1 (184-214, 217-163, 210-181, 201-156) and then defeated #9 seed St. Francis (Ill.) by the same 3-1 tally (162-189, 206-169, 246-231, 235-194).

WPU claimed its biggest win as it eliminated #2 seed Robert Morris in five games (234-227, 136-243, 199-202, 257-231, 222-215), but the road to the biggest trophy ended in the next round as St. Ambrose slipped past the Statesmen 3-1 (203-209, 237-221, 233-280, 171-246). WPU finished the tournament with a 4-2 record, tying SAU and Lawrence Tech for the second-best record in the field.

The Fighting Bees eventually reached the final and actually forced an ‘if necessary’ match, but Webber International held its seed for the crown.

This is the final year the NAIA will have an Invitational as next year the sport moves to Championship status.

Team members included Quincy Bruce (Sr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, General Accounting), Braxton Coble (Jr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Business Management), David Decker (So., Peyton, Colo., Physical Education), Bret Keimig(Sr., Davenport, Iowa, Physical Education), Aleksander Kostric (Fr., Koper, Slovenia, Sports Management), Rok Kostric (Fr., Koper, Slovenia, Sports Management), Curtis Majka (Sr., Elgin, Ill., Mechanical Engineering), and Nick Walker (Jr., Zeeland, Mich., Business Management).

For his efforts, Rok Kostric was named to the five-person all-tournament team.

William Penn will try for an even bigger national crown–the ultimate crown–as it competes in the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships in Lincoln, Neb. from April 16–21.

This story was provided in a news release sent on behalf of William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

William Penn Trio Earn Scholar-Athlete Honors

Posted on March 23, 2018March 23, 2018 by Rick Watts

(OSKALOOSA, Iowa) – Three players from the William Penn women’s basketball team were honored for their excellence in the classroom as they were named 2017-2018 Daktronics-NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athletes Monday.

Jenna Santi (Jr., Oak Creek, Wis., Physical Education) led the group with a 3.89 Grade Point Average, while Idalis Riley (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn., Psychology and Human Services) currently has a 3.73 GPA and Sarah Hansen (Sr., Neponset, Ill., Psychology and Human Services) is posting a 3.62 GPA. The honor is the first for all three individuals.

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 Division I Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athletes, click here.

–This news release was provided by Wade Steinlage, Sports Information Director at WPU.

Update: Death Investigation Underway in Oskaloosa

Posted on March 2, 2018March 2, 2018 by Rick Watts

Update: This article has been updated to reflect information provided during a news conference with the Oskaloosa Police Department at 11:30 AM on Friday, March 2.

(OSKALOOSA, Iowa) – An investigation is underway after a man died last night following a stabbing incident in Oskaloosa. Oskaloosa Police Chief Jake McGee, along with Iowa DCI investigator Mike Motsinger, have confirmed the death of William Penn University student Marquis Todd. Officials said during a news conference that Todd was stabbed after a minor vehicular accident on North 3rd Street in Oskaloosa on Thursday night. Todd’s friends then took him to the Jiffy gas station in Oskaloosa. No one has been taken into custody yet and the investigation is ongoing. Law enforcement did not provide any names of persons of interest during the time of the news conference.

University officials confirmed the death of Todd via a letter signed by University President John Ottosson, which was published by KCCI:

Dear Penn Family,

I write this note with a heavy heart. Last night, there was an incident in town that led to the death of a member of one of our family, student Marquis Todd. Details of the incident are still unfolding and under investigation. It is known that the other individuals in this incident were not affiliated with the University.

The University is cooperating fully with the Oskaloosa Police Department with their investigation and in turn, the OPD is keeping the University apprised of the situation as details unfold.

William Penn University Counseling Services, Campus Ministry, and Crisis Intervention Services will be on campus today and will be available to students, faculty, and staff. For more information regarding these resources, please contact Tyne Smith at smitht@wmpenn.edu or 641-673-1703. Her office of located on the main floor of the Dana M. Atkins Memorial Union. To contact Campus Ministry for support, please call Ron Bryan at 641-660-9717.

Sincerely,
John Ottosson
President
William Penn University

The Iowa DCI is assisting the Oskaloosa Police Department in the investigation.

–By Hailey Brown & Emery Songer, KBOE/KMZN

Oskaloosa Police Chief Jake McGee and DCI investigator Mike Motsinger hold a press conference on March 2, 2018. Photo by Emery Songer, KMZN/KBOE.

William Penn Women Stay Hot, Men Stumble

Posted on February 5, 2018February 5, 2018 by Rick Watts

(Oskaloosa, Iowa) — With one of its top scorers unavailable, the William Penn women’s basketball team was in need of someone to step up, and more than just one person answered the call as the Statesmen dropped Graceland 68-37 in Heart of America Athletic Conference action Saturday.

The Statesmen (17-5, 11-2 Heart) have now won a season-high four games in a row for the third time this year. The win helps WPU keep pace with MidAmerica Nazarene and Central Methodist for the league lead.

Sarah Hansen (Sr., Kewanee, Ill., Psychology and Human Services) was out of town for military duty, leaving a sizeable gap to be filled. Fortunately, the hosts once again played tremendous defense and the points came in a variety of ways, most notably from Kate Ylitalo (So., Maple Plain, Minn., Biology) and Vashti Nwagbaraocha (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis., Exercise Science).

All cylinders fired in the opening quarter as William Penn scored 12 of the first 14 points and eventually led 20-5 after one period of action.

The second quarter, for whatever reason, has been a major thorn in the team’s side and it was again on Saturday. The Yellowjackets (5-16, 2-11 Heart) roared back, trimming the margin to eight at 31-23 by halftime.

The third stanza, on the other hand, has been quite kind to the navy and gold, and Saturday was much of the same. The Statesmen recorded the first 11 points of the quarter and blew the contest wide open with a 23-6 edge during that 10-minute span.

WPU cruised from there to complete the season sweep of GU, outshooting the visitors 44.6%-28.2% and outrebounding them 41-26.

While those numbers are impressive, the matchup was really won in turnovers with William Penn forcing 28 Graceland mistakes (18 for the home team). The Statesmen converted those errors into a 37-10 advantage in points off turnovers.

With 11 more offensive rebounds (20-9), the Statesmen also owned a 15-6 edge in second-chance points.

Ylitalo paced the victors with 20 points, including three three-pointers. Nwagbaraocha was right behind her with 19 points; the junior was 6-for-9 from the field and 7-for-8 from the line. Both players excelled on the defensive end as well as Ylitalo recorded six steals and Nwagbaraocha posted four steals and two blocks.

Sham Troupe (Jr., St. Louis, Mo.) contributed eight points along with a squad-best nine rebounds. JeAnn Hiraldo (Sr., Frisco, Texas, Industrial Technology) swished a pair of three-pointers as part of a seven-point effort, while Brynesha Mosby (Jr., Belleville, Ill., Biology) matched her with seven points off the bench as well.

Jenna Santi (Jr., Oak Creek, Wis., Elementary Education) only tallied two points, but coordinated the offense extremely well with eight assists.

The Statesmen overcame a 54.5% clip at the line, while GU made 76.5% of its free throws.

“I am very pleased with our defensive effort and the determination we played with,” Head Coach Steve Williamson said. “We had a balanced offensive effort and players stepped up with Sarah not in the lineup.”

Next Up: William Penn remains in Oskaloosa next Wednesday to host Peru State in Heart action at 5:30 p.m.

Streaks Snapped in Loss to Graceland

Oskaloosa– It had been a very long time since the Statesmen men’s basketball team had lost at home, but unfortunately all good things must come to an end and they did Saturday in a 91-77 Heart of America Athletic Conference setback to Graceland.

#1 WPU (21-2, 11-2 Heart) had won 37 consecutive home games, dating back to January 9, 2016–a span of 756 days (2 years, 25 days). The streak is believed to have been the longest current home one in the NAIA entering Saturday. The navy and gold also witnessed their 10-game overall winning streak also come to a close.

The hosts now lead the trio of Graceland, Peru State, and Central Methodist by just one game in the league.

Ten days earlier in Penn Gymnasium, the Statesmen broke a school record for most points in a conference game, but it was evident early that that performance was not going to be replicated. The Yellowjackets (16-8, 10-3 Heart) refused to participate in a high-scoring affair. They wanted to slow everything down, in fact, not starting most of their possessions until more than half of the shot clock had transpired.

It worked in the beginning minutes with the visitors leading 18-13 at the halfway point of the first stanza. In its last home contest, William Penn had already scored 35 points at the midway juncture. The home squad did warm up and eventually went into the break ahead 35-29.

WPU was being outshot 43.3%-38.9%, but was taking care of business in other ways to stay on top. The Statesmen managed to be in the ‘black’ on Black Out Night, just barely keeping the Yellowjackets at bay.

Graceland, though, could not be slowed down after halftime and took the lead for good at 64-61. The game was tied one final time at 66-66 with 6:48 to go, but the visitors, who shot 70.0% in the latter half, were too much. When the final horn sounded and William Penn’s two massive streaks were extinguished, the navy and gold were outshot 56.7%-42.6%.

WPU also came up short in rebounding at 38-37; GU had only nine offensive rebounds (WPU had 16), but held a 17-8 mark in second-chance points. The hosts also struggled at the line with a 50.0% clip, while the Yellowjackets finished at 71.4%.

“Graceland out-played, out-worked, and out-coached us tonight,” Head Coach John Henry said. “Losing at home is not something that happens to us very often. Graceland beat us today and deserves a tip of the cap.”

Dominique Shaw (Sr., Lufkin, Texas, Wellness and Recreation) got in early foul trouble, but worked past that to have a great offensive outing with a game-high 28 points. The senior made six three-pointers, but WPU shot just 31.0% from deep as a team.

D’Angelo Allen (Jr., Dallas, Texas, Wellness and Recreation) added 12 points off the bench, while Aakim Saintil (Sr., West Orange, N.J., Business Management) also reached double figures with 10 points.

Corbin Medley (Sr., Rogersville, Mo., General Accounting) knocked down a trio of trifectas for nine points, while JC Washington (Sr., Houston, Texas, Sociology) contributed six points. Washington and Allen both pulled down eight rebounds; Washington had two blocks as well. Saintil and Terrell Thompson (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind., Wellness and Recreation) assisted six times each Saturday.

Next Up: William Penn remains in Oskaloosa next Wednesday to host Peru State in Heart action at 7:30 p.m.

Statesmen Knock Off Rust in Defeat of Benedictine

Posted on January 4, 2018January 4, 2018 by Rick Watts

Oskaloosa–All five starters eclipsed double figures as the William Penn men’s basketball team started the second half of its season on a high note with a 109-91 Heart of America Athletic Conference victory over Benedictine Wednesday.

#3 WPU (13-1, 3-1 Heart) was outshot 49.3%-48.7%, but those numbers are deceiving as Wednesday’s matchup–the first for the team since December 9–was never really in question.

Tied with BC (9-6, 3-1 Heart) at 11-11 just three minutes into the evening, the navy and gold pulled away with 11 unanswered points. The streak was part of a 16-2 run and the victors stayed up by double digits the rest of the night.
William Penn owned a 54-36 halftime edge and extended the margin to a game-high 30 points at 86-56 with 11:27 still on the clock. The Ravens made the final score more reasonable, but could not slow down the Statesmen who scored a plethora of baskets in transition.

The home squad sunk 12 three-pointers and also hit 75.0% of its free throws, but equally impressive was the fact that the team committed only nine turnovers. Benedictine was forced into 14 mistakes, which led to a 15-8 mark in points off turnovers.

WPU also controlled the glass with a 49-39 rebounding edge, which landed the winners a 23-12 edge in second-chance points.

Aakim Saintil (Sr., West Orange, N.J., Business Management), who had played sparingly in only a pair of games before the holiday break, enjoyed a big first start at home with 16 points. The senior connected on a game-best four three-pointers; he also assisted on six buckets.

“I am very happy to have Aakim back on the court,” Head Coach John Henry said. “He helps a lot with speed and shooting.”

Dominique Shaw (Sr., Lufkin, Texas, Wellness and Recreation) topped all participants with a double-double of 23 points (10-for-14 FG) and 10 rebounds. Terrell Thompson (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind., Wellness and Recreation) joined him above 20 points with 21 of his own, while dishing out seven assists as well.

Jovontae Carleton (Jr., El Cerrito, Calif., Sociology) was good for 19 points, while Mikeal Donaldson (Sr., Columbia, S.C.) also managed 14 points. Corbin Medley (Sr., Rogersville, Mo., General Accounting) just missed double figures with nine points.

“Saturday’s game at Graceland is going to be huge,” Henry said. “It will be a great challenge for us.”

Next Up: William Penn travels to Lamoni Saturday to face Graceland in Heart action at 4 p.m.

Three to be Inducted into William Penn University Athletics Hall of Fame

Posted on September 27, 2017 by Rick Watts

This Saturday, during halftime of the Statesmen football game against Avila, three new members will be inducted into the William Penn University Athletics Hall of Fame.

BG Campbell (Class of 1975) was described by teammates as one of the most influential members of the men’s golf team.

He was named to the All-Iowa Conference Tournament team three years in a row, and during his final season, Campbell led the program to its second conference title and only outright title in program history, winning the 1974 Iowa Conference Tournament.

“This is such a nice honor and I am really excited to be a part of it (Athletic Hall of Fame),” Campbell said. “I had a nice time at the college and had great teammates which made for a great experience.”

Steven Dawley (Class of 2011), was an integral part in helping the Statesmen football team post some of the best rushing statistics in the history of the program and in the NAIA. The navy and gold led the nation in rushing in 2010 with 4,476 yards (406.9 per game).

In his recommendation for Dawley, Head Coach Todd Hafner said, “Steven was the best offensive lineman this staff has ever coached.”

During Dawley’s career, the team was 29–16 and tied a school record for most wins in 2010, going 10–1. The team also won its first conference crown since 1976.

“It’s a great honor to be inducted into this group of great athletes; it’s very surreal,” Dawley said.

Brian Theobald (Class of 1989) was a great competitor and one of the most important players in building William Penn’s baseball teams in the late 1980s. He was a four-year starter who led the team to two Iowa Conference titles in 1986 and 1988. He was an excellent hitter and outfielder, as well as electric on the mound as a starting pitcher.

A career .300 hitter, Theobald still ranks in the top 10 in career hits and owns the fourth most at-bats in program history. He is one of just a handful of players in program history who effectively handled both pitching and everyday player duties with excellence.

William Penn will honor Campbell, Dawley, and Theobald at the 2017 Athletics Hall of Fame Reception held during homecoming week. They will receive their awards Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the Penn Activity Center and will then officially be inducted during halftime of WPU’s game vs. Avila (1 p.m. kickoff).

Story by Wade Steinlage, WPU Sports Information Director

Simple Call to Action Tweet and William Penn Responds

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Rick Watts

The University of Houston head basketball coach Kelvin Sampson pioneered an initiative asking colleges and universities across the country for their assistance. schools across the nation in collecting T-shirts for victims of the devastating flood in Houston, Texas.

In light of Hurricane Harvey, University of Houston are hoping schools will send t-shirts, shorts, socks and shoes to help those who have lost everything.

William Penn answered that call. Athletic Director, Nik Rule, stated by Friday morning the university had rounded up over 1,000 articles of clothing to send to the University of Houston. Those articles filled 22 boxes that will be shipped out later today.

These boxes of donated clothing will soon make their way to Texas to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey.

“The number-one thing I see in the students and faculty of William Penn is compassion. This opportunity to serve those in the Houston area who are going through the unthinkable is a chance for us to rise up as a campus community and show our commitment to service to those near and far,” said Nik Rule.

College students and their families in Texas will receive clothing from William Penn and dozens of other schools across the country.

“At William Penn University, our mission of open hearts and open minds isn’t simply a set of goals we hope to achieve. It’s who we are at our very core. It’s the belief that every individual has value,” said William Penn President John Ottosson.

Coach Sampson tweeted this photo Thursday evening:

If you would like to help by making a donation, contact Joe Reagan, Director of Corporate/Foundation Relations at William Penn University, call 641-673-1047.

Former Statesmen Harrison Cashes In With Giants

Posted on March 11, 2016 by [email protected]

New York, N.Y.–Damon Harrison has worked extremely hard to become one the best interior defensive linemen in the National Football League and is now going to be compensated for those efforts as he signed a free-agent contract with the New York Giants this week.

The former William Penn football player (2008-2011) from Lake Charles, La. inked a five-year contract worth $46.25 million ($9.25 million per year), including $24 million guaranteed and $30 million over the first three seasons of the agreement.

He spent his first four years in the professional ranks with the New York Jets, who paid him $2.2356 million as a restricted free agent this past season. For the Jets, the undrafted Harrison tallied 193 total tackles (105 solos, 88 assists) in addition to 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups, and one forced fumble. In 2015, the defensive tackle managed 72 stops, and was ranked the No. 1 run defender by Pro Football Focus with a grade of 97.3.

Back in his days in the navy and gold, Harrison was a three-time all-MSFA Midwest League selection (first team as a senior). His senior campaign included 60 tackles with a team-high 8.5 for loss.

Story provided by Wade Steinlage

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