2009 William Jewell College Springs Sports Recap
Contact: Paul Worstell, 816-415-5959
June 5, 2009
MEN’S BASEBALL
Under the direction of veteran skipper Mike Stockton, the Cards finished 45-19 overall this season and in second place in the Heart of America Athletic Conference standings. The Cardinals also qualified for the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament where they were defeated by Wayland Baptist University.
Jewell placed six players on the Heart of America Athletic Conference All-Conference teams. Outfielder Blake Burks, shortstop Jon Ubbenga and pitchers Luke Kalb, and Jacob Kraft were named to the HAAC All-Conference first team. Pitcher Joe Malin was named to the All-Conference second team while designated hitter Joe Summers was named to the All-Conference honorable mention team. In addition, Ubbenga was the winner of the Rawlings Gold Glove award, which is given to individuals that the conference believes are the best defensive players at their positions.
Jewell coach Mike Stockton was named the 2009 Heart of America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the fourth time in seven years. Stockton’s collegiate head coaching overall record now stands at 300-155.
The Cardinals also earned national awards as Jon Ubbenga and Darren O’Brien were honored by the NAIA. Ubbenga was named to the Honorable Mention All-American squad. In addition, Ubbenga, who plays shortstop for the Cardinals, was the winner of the National Rawlings Gold Glove award.
O’Brien was named a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete. In order to earn Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete status, a player must be a junior or above in academic standing, be in attendance at their nominating institution for one full year, and have a Grade Point Average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year.
WOMEN’S SOFTBALL
Led by third-year head coach Dustin Combs, the softball team finished 26-24 overall, good for sixth place in the final HAAC standings.
At the conclusion of the season, Jewell placed four players on the Heart of America Athletic Conference All-Conference teams. Catcher Kristen Dalley and infielder Katie Darby were named to the HAAC All-Conference first team. In addition Darby was named the HAAC Freshman of the Year. First baseman Kristen Marshall and outfielder Amanda Storm were named to the All-Conference second team. Dalley tallied 22 rbi’s this season while batting .320. Darby led the team in home runs and rbi’s with four and 31 respectively. She also batted .405 and had a slugging percentage of .634.
Marshall batted .313 on the year and was second on the team with 9 stolen bases. Storm hit .310 with three homeruns and 27 rbi’s for the Cardinals.
MEN’S TENNIS
The men’s tennis team was led by fourth-year head coach Paul Worstell this spring and produced an overall record of 8-10 in dual match play, including 2-4 in the HAAC. The Cardinals lost to Graceland University in the HAAC Conference Semi-Finals. 2009 saw the Cardinals win their first conference match in five years. The Cardinals also were ranked in the top 30 for the first time in over 15 years after their upset of then #24 ranked Bethany College back on March 13. The Cards return 5 out of their top 6 for next year and have added incoming recruit Michael Wiskirchen of Liberty, Mo., who finished second in the Missouri State Tennis tournament in doubles. In addition, juniors Cody Pflugradt, Kyle Lehenbauer and senior Michael Holmes were named as Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athletes.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
The Cards finished the season at 11-8 and 5-1 in the HAAC, good for second place. The Cardinals advanced to the HAAC Tournament Finals losing a tough 5-1 decision to Missouri Valley.
Senior Ann Lewis was named a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete and sophomore Nikki Chambers was recognized as a NAIA All-American. Chambers was named to the All-American Honorable Mention squad for the second consecutive season.
Chambers finished the season, along with her partner first-year player Tanya Ratana, as one of the nation’s top doubles teams, compiling a 16-6 record and going undefeated in Heart of America Athletic Conference play (7-0) while playing at the number-one doubles position. Chambers also occupied the number-one singles spot this season and had a 14-4 record in singles play for the Cardinals. Chambers was voted by her teammates as the team’s Most Valuable Player.
Coach Worstell also became the programs leader in wins and the only coach in Jewell women’s tennis history to reach 50 career victories as the Jewell women’s tennis team defeated Johnson County Community College on Wednesday, April 8. Worstell currently owns a 55-32 career record as the women’s head coach.
The Cardinals will return three of their top six players and have an outstanding recruiting class of four players coming in to help Jewell stay a top of the HAAC standings.
TRACK AND FIELD
The William Jewell College track and field team was represented by two athletes competing in the NAIA Outdoor National Meet held May 21-23 at Ralph Korte Stadium in Edwardsville, Ill. First-year discus thrower Teresa Gaggens represented the women’s squad but fouled on her three throw attempts. Sophomore competitor Colby Lehman finished in 19th place in the hammer throw with a toss of 49.52 meters.
Gaggens qualified at the University of Central Missouri meet where she finished with a discus throw of 135-07. At the Heart of America Athletic Conference championships the next week, she earned a conference title with a throw of 143-05. This throw was an automatic qualifying mark to the national championship and a William Jewell school record. The following week she went to Emporia State University and extended that school record to 148-02, placing second in the predominantly NCAA Division II meet. This throw ranks her #9 in the last NAIA standings before the national meet.
Lehman finished second at the HAAC Championship with a hammer throw of 51.26 meters.
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