By Ed Farrell
Herald Assistant Sports Editor
THIEL COLLEGE ’07 graduates Kyle Brown and Amber Nichols will receive the 2008 Charles Evanoff and J. Lynn Trimble awards at the Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony Feb. 10.
Thiel will honor Warren “Eph” Roth (’24), Charles “Bud” Manes (’58), Gerald “Jerry” Massaro (’65), William Antil (’70) and John Lischner (’97) as the ’08 Hall of Fame class, the 28th in the institution’s history.
The Evanoff and Trimble awards are given to a male and female from the previous year’s senior class who, in the judgment of the school’s coaches, best demonstrated qualities of scholarship, leadership, character and sportsmanship in addition to participation in athletics. Evanoff (’64) was a standout wrestler and football player for the Tomcats and an ’04 inductee into the college’s Hall of Fame. Trimble was a former Tomcats volleyball and softball coach, and prior to her Thiel tenure taught and coached at West Middlesex High.
Brown was a 4-year starter at 285 pounds for the Mat Cats, concluding his collegiate career with a 128-34 record. He collected 4 Presidents’ Athletic Conference crowns, was a 2-time NCAA Division III Midwest Regional champion, and became the 1st Thiel heavyweight to earn All-American honors, ending 8th last season, and he also was a 3-time National Wrestling Coaches Association All-American. A physics major, Brown made Thiel’s Dean’s List 3 times.
Nichols (Jamestown High) was a 2-year starting right fielder for the softball team. After a stellar senior season in which she led the PAC in batting (.488) and finished 2nd in on-base percentage (.522), Nichols was selected as a 1st-Team All-PAC honoree, was named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association D-III All-Region 2nd Team and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II 2nd Team. Nichols’ career .414 batting average is 3rd in all-time Thiel annals. She was an English major.
This year’s ceremony is scheduled to begin 3 p.m. in the Howard Miller Student Center Lutheran Heritage Room. For reservations, contact Patti Leipheimer, 724-589-2125, or e-mail pleipheimer@thiel.edu.
ä Clarion University tennis player Lisa Baumgartner (Wilmington HIgh) was chosen the ’07 NCAA D-II Sportsmanship Award recipient.
A senior speech pathology major with a perfect 4.0 grade-point-average, she also has started for Clarion’s netters for 4 years, compiling a 5-3 singles and 6-5 doubles ledger last autumn.
During the ’06-07 fall and spring seasons she compiled a composite 12-9 singles record and 18-4 doubles ledger, playing primarily at No. 2 as Clarion carded a 13-6 overall, 2-2 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference won-lost mark. That year she was named to the PSAC’s “Academic Top 10” as well as both a university and conference Scholar-Athlete. In addition, she posted 14-9 singles and 13-6 doubles records in ’05-06 and 14-1 singles and 8-2 doubles records in ’04-05 en route to 1st-Team All-PSAC honors.
“Lisa has earned this award because of her exemplary character and sportsmanship, both on and off the tennis court and the positive way she lives her life, which is full of compassion, dedication and integrity,” praised Clarion coach Lori Sabatose, who also noted Lisa never missed a practice session in 4 years.
“The entire Clarion community congratulates Lisa on winning theNCAA Division II Sportsmanship Award,” said university president Dr. Joseph Grunenwald, who presented her with her honor. “Lisa has a commitment to excellence in everything she does, and she is the epitomé of what is meant by the term ‘scholar-athlete.’ ”
A daughter of John and Marsha Baumgartner, Lisa serves as a volunteer for the American Cancer Society, American Red Cross and Special Olympics, among others.
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COLLEGIATE NOTEBOOK: Thiel to honor Brown, Nichols; Baumgartner earns national laurels
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5 area teams qualify for D-10 baseball playoffs
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Ryan Grace was tagged with the loss for Grove City. He struck out 6 batters, issued no walks and gave up 7 hits in going the distance. -
GC girls 3-peat at District 10 Class AAA Track & Field Championships
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5 area teams qualify for D-10 baseball playoffs
