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FALL 2019 SPORTS

C O U G A R S O N T H E P R O W L

TM CROSS COUNTRY— MEN Sophomore Justin Gephart led USF finishers with a 30thplace finish in the Crossroads League Championship. Sophomores Tyson Agnew finished 60th and Andy Kohrman 61st. Freshmen Camden Abernathy and Eduardo Santoscoy rounded out USF’s top finishers. Among the season highlights for the Cougars was a sixth-place team finish in the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge in Grand Rapids, Mich.

CROSS COUNTRY— WOMEN Freshman Alex Ebertino, who graduated from Bishop Dwenger High School, made USF women’s cross country history by being the first woman to compete in the NAIA Women’s National Championship. She finished 75th overall and was the 10th-fastest freshman in the field. During the season, Ebertino set a school record early in the season and later broke it with a best of 18 minutes, 51.7 seconds in finishing seventh in the Crossroads League Championship.

USF was selected as one of 52 teams by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as an all-academic team, a first in USF cross country program history. “We had the 22nd-highest team GPA in the NAIA for women's cross country,” coach Corey Birchmeier said. Ebitino was also named an All-Academic Individual because of her performance at the national meet and her cumulative GPA. To qualify for All-Academic distinction, teams must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period, among other qualifiers. The Cougars posted a 3.5 team GPA. by Matt Swartz that was recovered by Jack Givens, who scored the game-winning touchdown. Another exciting win came when the Cougars stopped Indiana Wesleyan’s two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter to take a 31-30 victory.

Senior defensive end James Jamicich was named to the 2019 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team. With 9.5 sacks in 2019, Jamicich became the first USF player to lead or tie or the lead in USF sacks in three consecutive seasons. He tied Stephen Whited for the USF career record of 27.5 sacks. Jamicich also led the Cougars with 12 tackles for loss in 2019.

Junior quarterback Matt Crable threw for 1,805 yards and 22 touchdowns to lead the passing game while sophomore Martell Williams led USF rushers with 766 yards and seven touchdowns. Senior Dan Ricksy caught 53 passes for 791 yards and nine touchdowns and tied a single-game record with four touchdown receptions against Lawrence Tech. Senior Rocky James caught 32 passes for 538 yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore Nick Lucas led USF with 96 tackles and Jamal Jackson was second with 63 tackles. Junior Jalen Moss led the Cougars with three interceptions.

FOOTBALL Another thrilling football season came to an end on the road as USF lost a 30-26 game at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Ky., in the first round of the NAIA playoffs. USF led 26-16 going into the fourth quarter but gave up two touchdowns in the final 15 minutes to fall short. The Cougars finished the season 7-3. The seniors on the team compiled a four-year record of 44-7 and were part of two NAIA national titles.

SOCCER — MEN The Cougars finished with a 7-12 record. Senior goalkeeper Braden Conn closed out his career with 391 saves in 61 matches. He had 94 saves in 2019. Junior midfielder Ethan Vigario led the Cougars with 16 goals.

SOCCER — WOMEN Three players were selected honorable mention on the Crossroads League All-League Team: senior defender Alexis Siegel, junior midfielder Jade Thompson and freshman forward Calista Geiger. USF finished 3-12-3.

TENNIS — MEN The men’s tennis team made it back to the Crossroads League Tournament and finished with a 3-10 record.

TENNIS — WOMEN The women’s tennis team ended the season with a 2-11 record.

VOLLEYBALL Junior Maria Pelak was named to the 2019 Academic AllAmerica NAIA volleyball team, becoming the first USF player to be voted to NAIA’s first or second team. Pelak was a second-team selection with a 3.97 GPA as an elementary education major. In addition, she was named NAIA All-American third team, another first for USF. During the season, she set a USF record for career assists. A native of Mattawan, Mich., she finished third in the Crossroads League with 1,343 assists, an average of 11.2 assists per set. That placed her fifth in the NAIA. Pelak and senior Kendra Siefring were named All-Crossroads League first team. Seniors Nikki Marshall and Anne Clark were second team and senior Megan Diagostino was honorable mention. Maile Steckelberg was named to the All-Freshman Team.

USF finished with a 21-13 record, losing to Grace College in the Crossroads League Tournament. Pelak had 60 assists in the final-game loss, her 17th time with 50 or more assists in a match.

TIPPED OFF WITH WORDS FROM PURDUE COACH MATT PAINTER

The USF men’s basketball team saw its 2019-20 season tipoff with some words of encouragement and inspiration from Purdue University coach Matt Painter.

Painter spoke about the importance of a strong culture during the USF Men’s Basketball Tip-Off Gala & Auction on Oct. 19 at the Parkview Mirro Center.

The event raised more than $40,000 toward men’s basketball scholarships through a silent and live auction. The amount raised was an increase of about $5,000 from 2018.

MITCH ELLISEN RETIRES AFTER 21 SEASONS AS USF MEN’S SOCCER COACH

Mitch Ellisen closed out his long career as a USF men’s soccer coach, retiring from the position and leaving a legacy of toughness, character, competitiveness and success in the soccer program. Ellisen coached the Cougars for 21 years and his 2000 team set the school record with 15 wins. The Cougars won the Mid-Central Collegiate Conference title in 2003 and the Crossroads League title in 2013.

“I’ve been so very fortunate to work with so many great young men in 21 years, guys who were dedicated to service off the pitch, winning several awards for their service to the Fort Wayne community,” Ellisen said. “I’ve worked with many great assistant coaches and owe them a debt of gratitude for their time and expertise.”