From hours spent practicing before the school year began, to intense competitions throughout the semester, Olivet Nazarene University prides itself on the accomplishments of student athletes in fall sports. Olivet competes regularly against teams in both the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA) and Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC).
The following is a summary of ONU fall 2019 athletics.
Men’s Cross Country
At NAIA Nationals, the Tiger men took 18th overall (out of 37 teams). Wesley Meyer (senior from Rochester, IN) won the conference championship as an individual, making him the CCAC Runner of the Year.
He placed 35th at the national meet. Meyer, Zach Bishop (senior from Charlottesville, IN), Mark Kouchoukos (senior from Naperville, IL), Andrew Morgan (junior from Worthington, OH) and Taylor Vollangeon (freshman from Columbus, OH) all were All-CCAC runners.
Women’s Cross Country
The women’s cross-country teams also finished their season by qualifying for and competing at the NAIA National Championships held in Vancouver Washington where they took 22nd overall (out of 37 teams).
Cate Atkins (freshman from El Paso, IL), Angela Budach (senior from Woodridge, IL) and Jaclyn Latocha (sophomore from Oak Forest, IL) were named to the All-CCAC team. The team took second at the CCAC Championships.
Football
The ONU football team finished their season with a winning record for the third season in a row. The team finished with a 6-5 overall record, going 4-2 in conference play and winning the National Christian College Athletic Conference Victory Bowl. The team also set many records throughout its successful season including points scored in a game (84), and average points for a season (38.3).
Jordan Lawton (senior from Lakewood, CA) set school records for total yards in a game (470/378 passing and 92 rushing vs. Saint Xavier); passing yards in a game (421 vs. Trinity International); total touchdowns in a game (9 vs. Trinity International); and passing touchdowns in a game (9 vs. Trinity International). Lawton leaves the school as the ranked second in school history for total yards with 8,781 total yards (973 rushing and 7,808 passing) and as the #3 all-time quarterback in passing (7,808 yards). He also finishes his collegiate career with 86 total touchdowns (77 passing and 9 rushing). Josh Anderson (senior from San Juan Capistrano, CA) ends his ONU career as the #1 all-time player in yards punted. During his career, Anderson punted 167 times for 6,163 yards, good for an average of 36.9 yards per punt. LaShaun Rule (junior from South Holland, IL) set the single-game rushing record with 294 yards vs. Lawrence Tech. He also set the record for rushing touchdowns in a game with five in the same game. Bryce DeGuira (sophomore from Nashville, TN) set the record for extra points in a game (12 vs. Trinity International) and for a season total of 53 points.
The football team had six players named to First Team All-Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Midwest recipients and nine players receive Second Team honors. The team was also invited to play in the NCCAA Victory Bowl, which they won against the Greenville University Panthers.
Men’s Soccer
With several new faces joining the team this season, the ONU men’s soccer team finished their season with a 9-7-5 overall record and a 6-4-2 conference record. While this was not the season record the team had hoped for, they competed well to close out the season, advancing to the CCAC championship game.
Thomas Barboza (sophomore from Maracaibo, Venezuela) received First Team All-CCAC honors and Nathan Lauvina (senior from Bourbonnais, IL) received Second Team Honors.
Women’s Soccer
The women’s soccer team dominated in conference play this year. They ended with a record of 17-3-1 for the year, and 11-0-1 in conference play. The team went on to win the CCAC regular-season and tournament titles.
Sarah Buffum (senior from Byron Center, MI) was named the CCAC player of the year and received First Team All-CCAC honors. Kelly Sylvester (junior from Naperville, IL) and Amanda Roche (senior from Trinity Park, IL) also earned First Team recognition, while Teagon Albert (sophomore from Grayslake, IL), Abby Cash (freshman from Gardner, IL), Amanda Durbin (senior from Cape May, NJ), and Sara Loichinger (freshman from New Lenox, IL) all received Second Team honors. Coach Bill Bahr ’96/’02 MBA was named the conference coach of the year.
Volleyball
The team began their season playing in tournaments with NAIA Top 10 ranked competitions. This set the stage for a successful conference run. The team ended its season with a 18-12 overall record and 14-4 conference record.
Kayleigh Kastelein (junior from Dunlap, IL) reached 2,500 assists for her career, and currently holds 2,604 assists ranking her sixth in the school record, while Janelle Skinner (sophomore from Bolingbrook, IL) passed 1,000 assists for her career and now has 1,100, ranking her ninth. Becca Bell (sophomore from Salem, WI) was named First Team All-CCAC (Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference), and Kassidy Heeringa (junior from Kent City, MI), Rachel Newport (sophomore from Avon, IN) and Kastelein all received Second Team All-CCAC recognition.
Season recap information courtesy of Nate Brown ’03 MAT/’07 MBA and Olivet Athletics.
For more information about Olivet athletics, contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@olivet.edu or 800-648-1463
Photography: Image Group Photography
Published 12/06/19
HRI
