Scherer decides time is right to retire

For Elmhurst men’s basketball coach Mark Scherer, family and basketball have always gone hand in hand.

However, over the last two years of his 17-year career he has been debating retiring and moving downstate to be closer to his family. Finally, after the end of the 2012-13 season Scherer made the decision to step down.

After taking over the team in 1996, Scherer has gone on to become the most successful coach in program history. In 2001 he led the Bluejays to their first CCIW championship on the way to a Sweet Sixteen NCAA Tournament run and the first of Scherer’s two Division III Coach of the Year awards. Following a year he described as rebuilding, Scherer made the announcement to his team that he would be retiring and moving his family to Eureka, Ill.

Going forward Scherer has nothing but goodwill for the school and the program. While he said the final decision will ultimately be up to Elmhurst officials, Scherer does hope that whoever they choose will continue down the road the team is on.

“I think the great thing is Elmhurst College has really grown and matured and become a great school over the last 20 years,” Scherer said. “I think the college is becoming more and more successful in many areas, and athletics is just one of those. I expect Elmhurst will hire a great coach, and I’m hoping they can offer a boost of energy to the men’s basketball program and continue the tradition of winning we’ve developed over the last 17 years.”

Scherer will not be completely removed from the college setting. While there is no announcement yet, he hopes to work with another small college in an alumni relations capacity.

Wheaton College: Freshman Kristy Nitz will have some very high expectations heading into her sophomore year. Nitz became the first female swimmer in school history to earn three individual national championships, and she did it all in one week. Nitz won her first title Wednesday after she continued her season-long dominance of the 50-yard freestyle, finishing in 22.87 seconds. Her second title came in a much tighter contest. Nitz won the 100-yard butterfly in 53.08 seconds, just more than one-tenth of a second before the second-place finisher. Her final championship came Saturday after a 200-yard backstroke time that was the fastest in school history and the second fastest in Division III history.