Smith lives dream at Whitewater

St. Edward graduate Ashley Smith was part of something special this spring.

Smith just completed her junior season as a member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team that came within one out of playing for the NCAA Division III championship recently in Salem, Va.

"It was tough," said Smith of the 4-3 championship loss in 9 innings to UW-Eau Claire. "All of the seniors on the team worked so hard. It was really tough."

A Whitewater victory would have forced a second championship game in the double-elimination format. Eau Claire had no losses heading into the first title game, while Whitewater lost its first game in the tournament.

Whitewater (39-11) led 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and no runners on base only to have Eau Claire string 3 singles together to close the gap to a single run. A Whitewater fielding error later in the inning tied the game.

Eau Claire won the NCAA title in the bottom of the ninth inning when senior Jill Janke hit a game-winning home run over the right field fence. Eau Claire hadn't hit a homer up to that point in the tournament despite hitting 37 during the regular-season.

"We were one out away," said Smith. "When they tied it up, it was hard."

Whitewater reached the first championship game after rebounding from losing its tournament opener to No. 4 seed Cortland State. The Warhawks then defeated No. 7 Muskingum, No. 6 Ithaca and top-seed Louisiana College in order to reach the championship portion of the tournament.

"This is exactly what we set our goals to be," said Smith. "We were working hard for something we knew we could get. We knew we were capable of playing for the national championship from Day 1. From freshman year, we wanted to put Whitewater softball on the map as something to be remembered. This was a season for us to remember. It was a dream come true for all of us."

Smith said the march to the championship game started well before the first pitch of the 2008 season.

"Everything came together for us," said Smith. "It started in off-season workouts. That's when champions are made. We wanted it bad. We worked hard and pushed each other knowing that whatever we were doing would pay off in the end."

Smith finished the season hitting .345 with 1 home run and 11 RBI. She started all 46 games she played in and made only 4 errors in 166 total chances as the team's second baseman.

"Individually I did exactly what my goal was," said Smith. "That was to be a consistent player and be a team player and do what I have to do for the team. I wanted the team to be successful and I did what I had to do."

That kind of attitude permeated throughout the team, Smith said.

"It was a team season," said Smith. "This wasn't just one individual. It was people coming together at the right time when we needed it. That's why we ended our season being so successful. We lost 10 games (prior to the Eau Claire defeat) and we learned from those losses what it took to be the No. 1 team in the nation. Everybody committed to the team. We learned Warhawk softball. And we've learned that since freshman year. We play hard and we never settle for anything less than the best."

Smith has finally had a chance to reflect on all that has gone down in the last month.

"It's kind of surreal," said Smith. "You don't get a chance to realize what you are doing until it catches up to you. Since our conference tournament, it's been bang, bang, boom. We've been so busy. You don't have a chance to soak it in. It was amazing."

South Elgin resident and St. Charles East alum Liz Yucuis was also a key contributor to the team. A junior catcher, Yucuis started all 50 games she played in and belted 3 homers to go with 15 RBI. She made 5 errors in 359 total chances this season. Yucuis was an all-WIAC sportsmanship team selection.

Smith and fellow junior Whitewater teammates Amy Gahl (OF; Beloit Parkview H.S.) and Suzanne Gersich (OF; Warren H.S.) will play for the Northern Illinois Lightning women's fastpitch team this summer. Gersich hit .405 with 13 homers and 56 RBI this past season, while Gahl hit .393 with 9 homers and 29 RBI and was an all-Great Lakes Region selection.

Cnota wins honor: Jacobs alum Krystina Cnota won the most valuable player honor for the Blackburn College (Carlinville) women's tennis team. It was the second year in a row Cnota has won the honor. Cnota also received the team's academic award, given to the individual player who has the highest cumulative grade-point average.

Cnota played No. 1 singles this past season and was part of the No. 1 doubles team. Blackburn is one of 6 work-program colleges in the nation where students are required to work in jobs instrumental to the college's daily operations.

Goebbert earns award: Hampshire graduate Jake Goebbert, how a sophomore first baseman at Northwestern University, recently earned all-Big Ten Conference honors. Goebbert and teammate Eric Jokisch (a freshman starting pitcher) were named to the all-Big Ten second team.

Goebbert ranked second on the team with a .353 batting average and led the team in homers (10), doubles (22), runs batted in (48), slugging percentage (.665) and on-base percentage (.458).

His 22 doubles led the Big Ten during the regular season and broke a 31-year old school record (Kevin McGuire had 21 doubles in 1977).

Goebbert collected 4 hits and drove in 6 runs in a game twice this season (Kansas and then 6 days later against Purdue).

Goebbert was also recognized as the team's recipient of the Big Ten sportsmanship award.

Zozokos excelling at Princeton: Dundee-Crown alum Tom Zozokos just completed his sophomore season on the Princeton University men's track team. Zozokos was recently named to the all-Ivy League outdoor track team. Zozokos, a mechanical engineering major, took second in the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships in the 400 intermediate hurdles.

Zozokos is slated to compete in the NCAA Division I east regional in the 400 hurdles this weekend at Florida State.

Zozokos, who traveled to and competed in China with his Princeton teammates last summer, took fourth in the Ivy League event as a freshman. He ran 53.33 in that event last year and lowered that to 52.24 this season.

Zozokos won 2 state medals in the 300 hurdles at Dundee-Crown.

Scheffler update: Burlington Central graduate Brandon Scheffler redshirted this past season at Aurora University and has accepted an offer to play at Rockford College next season. Scheffler hit .467 for the Aurora junior varsity team in 2007. Scheffler, a member of the 2006 Daily Herald All-Area baseball team will play this summer for the Elgin Rippers 19-22 year-old collegiate team that competes in the Metro Collegiate Baseball League.

Knuth at Winona State: St. Edward graduate Mary Knuth, who was the captain of the Green Wave's 2007 Class A girls basketball state-qualifying team, is a freshman on the Winona State crew team. Earlier this season, Knuth entered the women's individual power pull race in Rochester, Minn., and finished first, earning a Minnesota state championship. She also anchored the 4-person co-ed team that finished fourth in their race.

Off at College wants your help: This is the final Off at College installment for the school year. Off at College will return in August. Send information and/or updates on Fox Valley-area athletes playing collegiately to Mike Miazga at difibulator@aol.com.