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You can only hope to contain these college achievers

As promised a couple columns ago, let's continue with a role call of some DuPage County athletes who made good in college this fall ...

The last time we did this we noted that Chris Siemers (Fenton) was cross country coach at Colorado School of Mines. It turns out his men's team won the Division II national championship Nov. 24 in Joplin, Missouri (the women placed 19th). That made Siemers the Division II men's coach of the year and gave Mines its first national championship in any sport in 127 years of intercollegiate competition. The Orediggers placed second in Siemers' first season there in 2012.

At all levels of men's and women's national meets, Macalester junior Kimber Meyer (Naperville North) produced the highest finish at 30th in the women's Division III race in Winneconne, Wisconsin, followed closely by Hope junior Erin Herrmann (WW South) in 34th.

On Nov. 11, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named James Kearney of Lewis University its Midwest Region women's coach of the year. Kearney credited his assistants - including Nathan Probst (Lake Park), now in his second year as a Flyers assistant.

Augustana women's cross country had several local award-winners: seniors Sara Ruthberg (Lisle) and Suzie Brashler (Downers Grove South) shared most-improved honors, junior Katrina Friedrich (Downers South) earned the Spirit Award and junior Hana Lobsinger (Wheaton Warrenville South) shared the Coaches Award.

Northwestern senior Dan Vitale (WW South), a "super back" for the 10-2 Wildcats, has accepted an invitation to play in the 91st East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 23 in St. Petersburg, Florida. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior - joined on the Wildcats by freshman brother Tommy Vitale at linebacker - leads Northwestern with 33 receptions, 355 yards receiving and 4 touchdown catches. Those passes come from redshirt freshman Clayton Thorson (Wheaton North), and Vitale blocks for sophomore Justin Jackson (Glenbard North), up to 1,344 yards rushing.

Incidentally, both Jackson and Dan Vitale made all-Big Ten Second Team Offense, as did Nebraska receiver Jordan Westerkamp (Montini) and Michigan State guard Brian Allen (Hinsdale Central). Brian's older brother and Spartans linemate, center Jack Allen (Hinsdale Central), made First Team Offense along with Iowa guard Jordan Walsh (Glenbard West). It was 2014 USA Today All-American Jack Allen's second straight selection.

Concordia-Chicago ended its football season with a loss to Rockford but also with a positive. Cougars coach Randy Awrey noted the efforts of seniors including offensive tackle and co-captain Angelo Turco (Metea Valley). Turco came back from off-season surgery in midseason and ended his college career grading out the highest on the line against Rockford to earn Concordia male athlete of the week. Junior linebacker A.J. Seidler (West Chicago) led the Cougars with 82 tackles.

Young hockey players travel to find their best opportunities, so Naperville native Seamus Malone attended high school in Dubuque, Iowa, where he played for the Dubuque Fighting Saints. Now at Wisconsin, the freshman was named the Big Ten's First Star after a 3-point weekend sweep against Arizona State. As of Wednesday Malone was tied for second in Badgers' scoring.

Elmhurst's Ava Kolman (St. Francis) was a first-team women's tennis selection and freshman of the year in the College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin. The right-hander won her first seven singles matches and started 5-0 in doubles to help Elmhurst to its best start (5-0) since 1998. The Bluejays' No. 1 singles player all season, Kolman finished 10-6 in singles and 11-8 in doubles.

Helping Millikin's women's volleyball team to the CCIW title, sophomore setter Emily Mihalkanin (Hinsdale South) led the league in assists with 1,356.

Wheaton College's Ally Witt (Wheaton Academy) shared player of the year in CCIW women's soccer. A senior forward, Witt led the Thunder with 10 goals and added 5 assists. In CCIW play alone she led all players with 15 points including a league-high 7 goals. Joining Witt on the first team were senior forward Sydney Fox (St. Francis) and junior forward Skyler Tomko (Lisle), both of conference champion Illinois Wesleyan.

On the men's side of the CCIW the goal was well protected. Both North Central junior Justin De Boer (Neuqua Valley) and Elmhurst sophomore Nick King (Downers Grove South) earned first-team CCIW honors.

For the first time in Bowling Green men's soccer history it landed two College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-Americans - both from Naperville Central. Junior forward Pat Flynn earned first-team designation after a second-team pick last season. The accounting major with a 3.79 grade-point average led Bowling Green with 9 goals and 22 points. Right behind him was junior forward Joe Sullivan with 6 goals, 5 assists and 17 points - and a second-team Academic All-America nod with a 3.89 GPA in business administration.

In that other type of football, University of Chicago senior defensive back Vince Beltrano (Addison Trail) earned CoSIDA First Team honors on the Division III Academic All-America Team. Carrying a 3.69 GPA in public policy and political science, Beltrano is Chicago's first football player to do this since 1993, the fifth overall. The four-year starting cornerback set Maroons records for interceptions in a game and career, passes defended and punt return yardage.

Beltrano and Wheaton College senior linebacker Adam Dansdill (WW South) also were nominated for the third annual Cliff Harris Award as the nation's best small-school defensive player. As we said a couple weeks ago, Dansdill is the two-time CCIW defensive player of the year.

(He's not from these parts, but those who remember the Suburban Christian Conference might find it neat to know Chicago Christian graduate Jason Vander Laan, a senior quarterback at Ferris State, is CoSIDA's Academic All-America of the year for Division II football. The 2014 Harlon Hill Award winner became the first NCAA player ever to both throw and pass for 1,000 yards four straight seasons. His career 5,953 yards rushing are the most of any college quarterback, any level, in history.)

On Nov. 7-8 the USA Water Polo Collegiate Cup took place in Irvine, California. Playing for fifth place in the top-flight nine-team exhibition were Michigan and Arizona State. Michigan won that match 6-4 with work by senior Julia Campbell (Naperville Central) in goal and former Redhawks classmate Emily Sejna at defense - guarding yet another prep teammate, Arizona State forward Abbey Kerth.

Not frustrated by twice hitting the crossbar in a soccer game against Augustana, Loras College senior forward Danielle Vujovic (York) finally tallied the 3-2 game-winner in double-overtime, the 104th minute. Two goals in that game launched Vujovic to 6 goals and an assist in four Loras wins that week to claim Iowa Collegiate Athletic Conference women's soccer athlete of the week.

Speaking of athletes of the week, here's a few: St. Cloud State's Nathan Widman (Naperville Central) and Notre Dame's Sam Herr (Hinsdale Central) in hockey; Illinois Wesleyan's Ross Knezovich (Naperville Central) in men's soccer and Wheaton College's Sydney Sharkey (Wheaton North) in women's soccer; Elmhurst's Josh Williams (Downers South) and Illinois State's Kyle Avaloy (Glenbard South) in football.

Kelsey Graham (WW South) graduated from Wheaton College last May but in late September the former Thunder star soccer goalie was named one of nine finalists out of 480 nominees for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. That came on the heels of Graham earning College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin 2015 Woman of the Year. Netting a 3.64 GPA in the double major of Christian education and ministry, and Spanish, she is continuing her service to others, namely children, with United World Mission for a year in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Finally, Northern Iowa junior Theresa Connelly (Montini) was unable to reach the Division I national women's cross country meet either as an individual or with her team. Yet she achieved - persevered, actually - just the same. Three days after finishing 38th out of 38 runners and seventh from her team at Iowa's Hawkeye Early Bird in early September, it was found she had anemia. Sitting out the next two meets, Connelly finished fifth for Northern Iowa at Bradley and again at the Missouri Valley Championship. At the Midwest Regional Connelly finished second among Northern Iowa runners.

And an all-timer

Benedictine University will host a dinner and ceremony honoring former baseball coach John Ostrowski on Friday at the Daniel L. Goodwin Hall of Business, Hall of Leaders on the Lisle campus.

Ostrowski retired last June after 43 seasons. His career record of 990-778-16 ranks 11th all time in Division III, and he's one of 12 Division III coaches to have won at least 800 games at the same college.

A member of the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the also the Hall of Fame at Lewis College, his alma mater, Ostrowski led the Eagles to 16 conference titles and eight NCAA Tournament appearances. His 2000 club won a school-record 32 games, matched in 2013.

A disciple of the legendary Gordie Gillespie, Ostrowski's first head coaching job came in 1972 at Driscoll Catholic.

Those interested in attending the salute to Coach Ostrowski can call Al Sarno at (630) 829-6184.

doberhelman@dailyherald.com

Follow Dave on Twitter @doberhelman1

Retired Benedictine University baseball coach John Ostrowski will be honored by the school on Friday. Photo courtesy of Benedictine University
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