Mollin making a splash in Toronto
News from north of the border …
Nina Mollin (Schaumburg High School), a second-year swimmer at the University of Toronto, won the 100-meter butterfly, the 200 butterfly, the 200 individual medley, swam on a winning 400 relay and placed third in the 400 individual medley in March at the U Sports Swimming National Championships in Montreal.
The results helped the Toronto Blues win the Canadian national university women’s swimming championships for a third straight year and 18th time overall.
Mollin warmed up for nationals with a dominant performance in February at the Ontario University Athletics provincial championships in St. Catherines. Toronto won the meet a 10th straight year and a 34th time overall.
She won the same four events at nationals, and for a second straight season earned the Dr. Jeno Tihanyi Individual Medley Excellence Award. In 2023, Mollin was named the OUA’s women’s rookie of the year after winning three events and taking fourth in another.
A four-time first-team all-state swimmer at Schaumburg, at 17 she qualified for the 2022 Canadian Olympic Trials in the 400 individual medley.
On Saturday, at the school’s Varsity Blues Awards Gala, Mollin was named the University of Toronto’s female T-Holders’ athlete of the year.
On a 3-point basket with 0.8 seconds remaining March 30 in Evansville, Ind., Minnesota State (35-2) won its first NCAA Division II men’s basketball title, 88-85 over Nova Southeastern (Fla.).
Helping the Mavericks’ cause, Justin Eagins (Downers Grove South) scored 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, hitting 5 of 7 three-point shot attempts.
A 6-foot-3 junior guard, Eagins averaged 12.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists, and made 86 three-point baskets on 41% shooting beyond the arc. He earned second-team all-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honors, following a 2022 first team selection while at Wayne State.
Hobart (N.Y.) repeated as NCAA Division III men’s ice hockey champion with a 2-0 victory over Trinity (Conn.) on March 23 in Hartford, Conn. Tanner Hartman (Downers Grove North) made the all-tournament team, on top of first-team All-American honors by CCM/ACHO and U.S. College Hockey Online.
In 31 games, Hartman led the Statesmen (28-2-1) with 20 goals, 25 assists, 45 points, a .198 shooting percentage, 6 game-winning goals, and a plus-minus of plus-42. On Dec. 1, he set a Hobart record with 5 assists and 6 points. On Dec. 2, his 4 goals set another program record.
In Big Ten men’s hockey, Wisconsin forward Owen Lindmark (Naperville Central), a graduate student, was the Badgers’ sportsmanship winner. One of three finalists for Big Ten defensive player of the year, Lindmark ranked second in the conference with a .597 faceoff percentage and 10th in plus-minus at plus-17. An academic All-Big Ten selection, this season Lindmark recorded college highs in goals (10) and points (21).