Thorsen quickly pitches in at Concordia
The rookie southpaw hasn't taken long to make his presence felt for Concordia University's baseball team.
Freshman pitcher Ryan Thorsen, a Grant graduate, made an impressive debut in his two outings in Arizona last week and he was recognized by the Northern Athletics Conference as its Student-Athlete of the Week.
Thorsen shut out Wartburg College over 6 innings in his team's season opener. He allowed 5 hits and a walk while striking out five, earning the decision in Concordia's 3-0 victory.
Thorsen was even more impressive five days later in the Cougars' 3-1 win over Springfield (Mass.) College.
He allowed 1 unearned run in his 7 innings of work and struck out 12.
Only once did he allow more than one baserunner in an inning, and he stranded five for the game.
• Illinois junior first baseman Matt Dittman (Libertyville) was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week.
Dittman led the Illini at the Caravelle Resort Classic hosted by No. 12 Coastal Carolina as he hit .615 with a 1.000 slugging percentage and .722 on-base percentage.
It is Dittman's second career weekly honor as he also earned the award April 13, 2009.
Dittman scored 7 runs and drove in 5 over the weekend, including his first home run of the year.
He recorded two multiple-hit games to raise his average to a Big Ten-leading .563.
Dittman also led the Illini to a win over the No. 12 Chanticleers by going 4-for-5 with 2 doubles, 3 runs, 2 RBI and a stolen base.
Women's swimmingJunior Katie Mroz (Libertyville) of Emory University (Atlanta, GA) earned all-America honors in two events with a second-place overall finish in the 200-yard breaststroke.She recorded a lifetime personal best of 2:18.17 and was a member of the runner-up 800 freestyle relay team at last weekend's NCAA Division III swimming and diving championships at the University of Minnesota. Mroz's time in the 200 breaststroke is the third fastest recorded in D-III this year. Mroz also earned an all-America honorable mention by finishing 15th in the 200 freestyle (1:52.94) for the Eagles, who won the national championship for the third time in the history of the women's program.Emory finished the meet with 568.5 points, finishing ahead of Denison University (452) and Williams College (367). Mroz has earned seven all-America certificates in her career and during the off-season is a member of the local area CATS Swim Team.WrestlingDillon Pousson (Round Lake) of Southern Illinois-Edwardsville earned All-American honors by placing fifth at the National Wrestling Coaches Association tournament in Hampton, Va. where he went 4-2 with 4 pins. Pousson finished the season with a 19-13 record and 13 pins.bull; Elmhurst College's Charlie Curran (Hersey) earned All-America honors at the 2010 NCAA Division III wrestling championships held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Curran (32-7) earned the first All-America distinction of his career by placing eighth at 149 pounds. He also won his first CCIW conference title this season.After dropping his opening-round match 9-8 to Luther's Jason Pyle in the final 15 seconds, Curran bounced back to score back-to-back wins in the consolation rounds. He edged Lycoming's Issiah Britton in the second round and then defeated eighth-seeded Emanuel Ajagbe of Delaware Valley 3-2 to clinch All-American honors.Women's basketballSenior Kristin Hecht (Mundelein) of Kentucky Christian University reached a milestone in her career on Jan. 12 of this year.Hecht scored her 1000th point against Ohio Christian. She joined an elite group of 20 KCU players who reached the 1000-point mark.Kentucky Christian won its fourth consecutive National Christian College Athletic Association Division II national championship and Hecht was named National Player of the Year.Swimming Samantha Rinella (Prospect), Kristi King (Buffalo Grove), Kelly Smith (Barrington), Lauren Leonard (Fremd) and Kelly Critchfield (Fremd) are listed on the roster of the Miami University (Ohio) synchronized skating team that won the Collegiate national championship held at the University of Minnesota.The Miami synchronized team is the six-time defending national champion.Men's tennisIllinois Wesleyan sophomore Brian Piotrowski (Fremd) was named College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin's "Player of the Week."Piotrowski went 4-0 while playing at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles.At No. 1 singles, he beat Zach Lowry of Wabash 6-2, 6-3, and Brice Fairchild of Marian College 6-3, 6-3. He then teamed with Tom Deschler at No. 1 doubles to beat Fairchild and Joe Nelson of Marian 8-3 and Peter Gunderman and Ian Leonard of Wabash 8-3.Women's swimmingCarthage College's 200 freestyle relay team included junior Sammy Jo Mahler (Maine West) when it finished eighth (Carthage-record 1:36.10) on the second day of the NCAA Division III swimming championships.Women's track and fieldThe St. Ambrose women's track and field team made history Friday night as the The Fighting Bees won the Augustana Spring Opener behind a school record and two NAIA Outdoor Nationals marks.All-American sophomore Mandy Streu (Rolling Meadows) won the shot put and the hammer throw, qualifying for nationals with an automatic throw of 44-5.5. bull; Please e-mail items to jleusch@dailyherald.com.