Freshmen Lay Foundation for Tennis Program - Grace College and ...

THE SOUNDING BOARD | SEPTEMBER 11, 2009
SPORTS
Freshmen Lay Foundation for Tennis Program
BY JOSH NEUHART
Sports Writer
One year ago, Grace College’s men’s
tennis team was as low as it could get. The
Lancers lost every single conference game
in 2008, most by decisive margins.
So why is this year’s team so optimistic?
Where does Larry Schuh, Grace’s head
Freshman Nikola Todorovic, from Serbia, serves
in the Lancers’ match against Taylor University.
Todorovic plays #2 singles and #1 doubles for the
Lancers.
(Photograph by Adam Basinger)
[ Droughts Ended
coach, get the gumption to genuinely state:
“Next year, we have a legitimate shot at
winning conference”?
In Schuh’s mind, it’s not a stretch at all
to image a conference championship next
year with a few good recruits. These are a
few reasons to buy into Schuh’s optimism:
THE YOUNG AND THE TALENTED
Michael Blevins is a rarity
in collegiate tennis—a freshman
playing #1 singles. As of
Sept. 11, Blevins had a record
of 2-2, including matches
against Taylor and Indiana
Wesleyan, the two traditional
MCC tennis powers. Even
in his two losses Blevins has
stayed competitive, losing in
three sets each time.
“I like the challenge since
there are no bad players at
#1 singles,” Blevins said. “It’s
much tougher, but I love the
big matches.”
Last weekend, Blevins displayed
his talent by winning
the championship at the Blueberry
Festival Tennis Tournament.
In the championship
game, he defeated a junior
tennis player from NCAA
Div. I University of Dayton
in “Michael’s best tennis,”
according to assistant coach
Leon Brenneman. “He dominated
from the get-go; talk
about coming out and taking
care of business.”
A SERBIAN SENSATION
Nikola Todorovic’s path to
Winona Lake, Indiana, from
Sombor, Serbia, didn’t start
on a plane or a train. It started
with an e-mail.
“As most college coaches
would testify, we get dozens
of e-mails from kids in other
briefs and blurbs]
Grace College’s men’s tennis team earned their first conference victory
in four years over Bethel College on Sept. 3 while Grace’s women’s
volleyball got their first win over a conference opponent since
beating Goshen on Oct. 9, 2007 with their 3-1 victory over Huntington
University. Both teams are young with promising futures.
The men’s tennis team is led by three freshmen, Michael Blevins
at #1 singles, Nikola Todorovic at #2 singles, and Josh Beguin at #4
singles.
The women’s volleyball
team consists of all
underclassmen, seven
freshmen and seven
sophomores.
- Sports Information
(Photograph by Josh Neuhart)
countries every year,” Schuh said. “The
story is the same—they need a full ride.”
So Schuh e-mailed
Todorovic, explaining
that Grace could
cover some of the cost
to attend, but there still
remained a significant
remainder that Todorovic
would have to cover.
When Todorovic replied
with a willingness to
work, Schuh decided
the Serbian tennis player
was worth the financial
risk.
“About 40 or 50 emails
later, we picked
him up January 2009
at Chicago O’Hare air-
port,” Schuh said. “It’s a
God thing. He brought
him here, and He can
keep Him here, too.”
On the court, Todorovic has been sensational
at #2 singles with an unblemished
4-0 record. Additionally, Todorovic and
Blevins have teamed up
for a 2-2 record at #1 dou-
bles so far.
“It’s a pretty big deal for
Nikola to be 4-0 in conference,”
Schuh said. “After
beating the top two teams
in the MCC, it pretty
much clears the way for
him to be the top player in
conference at that spot.”
A DROUGHT ENDED
On Sept. 3, the men’s
tennis program recorded
something that had been
missing the last four
years—a conference win.
The 5-4 win against
Bethel College ended
a four year conference losing streak and
also provided a “huge confidence boost,”
according to Schuh.
Perfect Start
The Lady Lancers opened the season with a 5-0 start with
victories over Cincinnati Christian (5-0), Concordia University
(6-0), Trine University (5-0), Olivet College (2-1) and
Marygrove College (6-0).
They have outshot their opponents 103-20 overall and outscored
their opponents 24-1. Grace’s goalies have only had ten
saves on the year because of the Lady Lancers’ impenetrable
defense.
Grace has four more non-conference games before they
play Bethel on Sept. 29 to open the conference season
Last year, Grace went 1-7 in MCC play.
- Sports Information
5
Another freshman, Josh Beguin, was
in the spotlight this time. With Grace
and Bethel tied 4-4,
Beguin’s match at #4
singles determined
the outcome of the
day. In the third set,
Beguin found himself
down 5-4, at one point
being two points from
losing the match. With
the full knowledge of
the importance of his
match, Beguin proceeded
to win three
games in a row to take
the match 7-5.
“It was definitely a
monkey off the back,”
Schuh said. A loss
would’ve felt a lot like
last year, a bad taste in
the mouth with that
culture of losing. Just
to win like that was really monumental,
and it leads to other things. We punched
through a wall that had been there for four
years.”
The young, tal-
ented 1-2 punch of
Blevins and Todorovic
leads the way for
a potential program
turnaround in the next
few years. And according
to Schuh, getting a
few solid recruits is “all
it takes.”
“Winning our first
conference game in
four years was pretty
big. And getting Adam
Bedwell (the only
senior on the team) a
conference win was
nice,” Blevins said.
“Now we expect to
win. We’re only one or two players short of
a conference championship.”
(Photograph by Steve Copeland)
New Faces: Heather Johnson
This summer, Grace hired Heather Johnson to take the helm of the Lady
Lancer softball program.
Johnson is one of the most decorated athletes in the history of Grace
College. She was elected into the inaugural 2008 class of the Grace College
Lancer Hall of Fame for her accomplishments on and off the softball diamond.
“It’s very exciting to return to a softball program that I know so well,”
Johnson said. “I look forward to the privilege of impacting students’ lives for
Heather Johnson
Christ.”
Freshman Michael Blevins
“It was definitely a
monkey off the back.
A loss would’ve felt a
lot like last year, a bad
taste in the mouth
with that culture of
losing.”
- Larry Schuh

6
L e g o l a s ’
b ow m a n s h i p
made the Orc
Funeral Home
one of the
most booming
industries in
Middle-earth,
Robin Hood
and his bow
made the Sheriff of Nottingham
scramble for his life, and if William
Tell were alive today, PC should hire
him to put Apple out of business.
But none of them, although skilled
in archery, set any world records or
earned any world championships.
So I’m going to give it to you
straight – straight as an arrow.
There is a world champion archer
on Grace’s campus.
Junior Ryan Day, a transfer from
Iowa State University, broke four
world records in 2004 at the Outdoor
World Championships in England,
broke two world records in
2007 at the Indoor World Championships
in Turkey, broke 17 national
records in his career, and earned 11
career national championships.
“[There were] a lot of good memories,”
Day said. “I don’t know. I
just have a peace and comfort about
it. I’m happy about what I did and
where I got.”
Day’s archery career began at age
11. As a Boy Scout, he had to pick
an activity to earn his merit badge, a
piece of cloth the width of a quarter.
So he selected archery.
The world champion ironically
failed his merit badge.
When he returned from the Boy
Scout trip, his father purchased a
bow, and Day began training. His
father, a pilot, owned two airplanes
so he practiced on his family’s airstrip
when the weather was nice.
When it turned cold, he practiced
inside the house. Yes, inside the
house.
“The target was in the bathroom
shower on one side of the house
and I stood from the bathroom on
the other side of the house,” Day
said. “The arrow flew through the
bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, living
room, hallway, and [into the other]
THE SOUNDING BOARD | SEPTEMBER 11, 2009
SPORTS
World Champion Archer Lands at Grace
BY STEPHEN COPELAND
Sports Editor
Player of the Week
ELIZ ABETH HEUSS
GOALS: 4 ASSISTS: 2
POINTS: 10 SOG: 11
bathroom. I probably
punched four holes in
the wall.”
At age 12, Day
began competing in
tournaments. His first
was in Las Vegas. He
finished fourth place
in the division but left
with something far
more important – a
coach.
A man named Terry
Wunderle approached
Day at the tournament
and began critiquing
his form. Day’s father
told the wiseacre to
leave his son alone.
Wunderle walked
away and as the Days
analyzed him, they noticed everyone
had an immense deal of respect
for him. Turns out, Wunderle was
voted the number one athletic coach
by the Olympic committee, his students
broke hundreds of world and
national records and his son Vic
earned a gold medal at the Olympic
games in Sydney, Australia.
“We made our amends and went
back and talked to him,” Day said.
“He decided to coach me and the
first thing he said was, ‘Ryan, I will
make you a world champion.’ I was
like, yeah right, you crazy psycho.”
Little did he know.
“He started coaching me and I
started winning national championships,”
Day continued.
In 2004, Day won his first world
championship in Lilleshall, England,
earned two gold medals (individual
and team), and broke four
world records.
In 2007, his final year, he won
another team world championship
in Izmir, Turkey, broke two more
world records, and qualified for the
United States Archery team.
He never made it to the Olympics
because he would have to switch
from a compound bow to a recurve
bow, a difficult task in the archery
world.
But there is no arguing that he
was one of the best compound bow
archers in the world at one time.
He never saw himself as the one
shooting the arrow; however, he
was the arrow God was shooting.
• This week, Heuss scored
two goals in two games.
She scored against Olivet
College in the Lady Lancers’
2-1 victory on Saturday and
against Marygrove College
in Grace’s 6-0 victory on
Wednesday.
• She ranks second in the
MCC with four goals,
behind teammate Natalie
Anderson.
• She ranks third in the MCC
with 10 points.
Ryan Day (left) competes at the Indoor World
Championships in Turkey, the site of his second world
championship.
(Photograph Submitted)
“I truly believe God gave me that
gift and put me in the archery world
to witness to people in the archery
world,” Day said. “I had the ability
to witness to so much of the world
at the same time with the world
tournaments.”
Upon his graduation in 2007,
he decided to attend Iowa State
because of their campus ministry
and leave archery behind.
“It (campus ministry) just became
a priority far more than archery,”
Day said.
Now, Day finds himself at Grace
College because of family ties and
his girlfriend. He found a cheap
archery range nearby and is considering
re-entering the sport after a
two-year absence.
He may give the recurve bow, the
standard Olympic bow, a shot.
“I’m happy about what I did and
where I got,” Day said. “I’m happy
with where I am right now although
the Olympics are still hanging in my
mind. I would probably shoot for it
(the Olympics) because every time,
every time without fail, people say,
‘Oh, you are good at archery? Did
you go to the Olympics?’”
He never did. But he has the
drive, experience, natural talent and
coach to do so.
“People kind of drop off archery
at the age of 30-34,” Day continued.
“So I still have time.”
London 2012, anyone? Chicago
2016, perhaps?
There’s still time, Ryan.
Justin Evans,
Men’s Soccer,
Midfielder
Mary
MacLeod,
Cross Country
Matt
Hotchkin,
Men’s Soccer,
Head Coach
KNOW YOUR
GUESS WHAT...
NUMBERS
Finish the Sentence
The Jonas
Brothers are...
not ridiculously
good looking.
hearthrobs of
every junior high
girl.
glad they were not
with him when
the whale swallowed
him.
The last book I
read for fun...
“Into the Wild”
by Jon Krakauer.
“All because a
Little Bug Went
Ka-Choo!”
took me way too
long to read.
17 Unanswered goals by the
women’s soccer team to open
the season.
329 Minutes (seven
halves) before the women’s
soccer team’s defense
surrendered their first goal.
148 A ssists R achel Bult
(women’s volleyball) recorded in
her last five games, 50 more than she
recorded in her first five games.
13 Seconds left in double overtime
when Darrell Goff (men’s soccer)
scored the winning goal in Grace’s
1-0 victory over Trinity Christian
on Aug. 27.
5 Birdies Scott Hepler (men’s golf )
recorded in the second round of
the Saint Francis Invitational, good
enough for a 78.
- Sports Information
Andria Harshman, the
women’s volleyball head coach, was
on the volleyball staff at the University
of Notre Dame two years ago.
Kristin Yocum, women’s
soccer, played on the boys team at
Lakeland Christian Academy in the
2008 season.
Colton Streeter, men’s
soccer, is the cousin of fellow teammate
Jordan Sharp.
Arielle Walters, women’s
volleyball, is a second generation
Lancer. Her father, Jack, played basketball
for Grace during the early
years of Coach Kessler’s tenure.
Randy Sterk, men’s cross
country, has a brother who plays basketball
at Northwestern College in
Orange City, Iowa, for Kris Korver,
the uncle of NBA player Kyle Korver.
- Clint “Clint Dawg” Johnson
Faux
Hawks are...
the totem spirit that
Rod calls to before
he jumps the Grand
Canyon in the movie
Hot Rod.
fueling the hair gel
industry.
Winona
winters are...
perfect opportunities
to go drifting
and get chased
by the cops.
what separates
courageous from
pansies.
not real hawks. warmer than
Wisconsin
winters.

MCC
STANDINGS
Accurate as of 9/9/09
men’s soccer conf. overall streak
1. Bethel 0-0 4-0-1 Won 4
2. Huntington 0-0 4-1 Lost 1
3. Saint Francis 0-0 3-2-1 Lost 2
5. Goshen 0-0 4-3-1 Lost 1
6. Spring Arbor 0-0 3-3 Won 1
4. Grace 0-0 2-2-1 Lost 2
7. Taylor 0-0 2-5 Won 1
8. Indiana Wesleyan 0-0 1-3 Lost 1
9. Marian 0-0 1-4 Lost 3
women’s soccer conf. overall streak
1. Grace 0-0 5-0 Won 5
2. Marian 0-0 3-0-1 Won 3
3. Huntington 0-0 3-2 Lost 1
4. Goshen 0-0 2-2 Won 1
5. Bethel 0-0 1-1 Won 1
6. Indiana Wesleyan 0-0 1-1 Won 1
7. Spring Arbor 0-0 2-3-1 Won 1
8. Saint Francis 0-0 2-4 Lost 3
9. Taylor 0-0 1-2 Won 1
men’s tennis conf. overall streak
1. Indiana Wesleyan 3-0 3-0 Won 3
2. Taylor 2-0 3-2 Won 3
3. Huntington 1-1 1-2 Lost 1
4. Goshen 1-2 1-3 Lost 1
5. Grace 1-2 1-3 Lost 1
6. Bethel 0-1 1-2 Won 1
7. Marian 0-1 1-2 Lost 2
8. Spring Arbor 0-1 0-1 Lost 1
women’s tennis conf. overall streak
1. Indiana Wesleyan 4-0 4-0 Won 4
2. Taylor 3-0 4-1 Won 4
3. Bethel 1-0 3-0 Won 3
4. Marian 2-1 4-1 Won 3
5. Huntington 1-1 2-2 Won 1
6. Spring Arbor 1-2 1-2 Lost 1
7. Saint Francis 0-2 0-2 Lost 2
8. Grace 0-3 1-3 Lost 3
9. Goshen 0-3 0-4 Lost 4
volleyball conf. overall streak
1. Taylor 1-0 6-1 Won 3
2 Spring Arbor 1-0 7-2 Won 1
3. Bethel 1-0 4-2 Won 3
4. Goshen 1-0 6-5 Won 1
5. Saint Francis 0-0 2-1 Won 2
6. Marian 0-1 7-4 Lost 1
7. Huntington 0-1 2-4 Lost 1
8. Indiana Wesleyan 0-1 2-5 Lost 2
9. Grace 0-1 3-8 Lost 4
WEEKLY RESULTS
men’s soccer
Date: 9/1/09
Teams 1st 2nd Total
Grace College 0 4 4
Indiana Tech 2 3 5
Pos No Player Sh SOG G A
G 1 Churchill 0 0 0 0
MF 2 Sharp 0 0 0 0
MF 9 Fowler 1 0 0 0
MF 11 Evans 0 0 0 0
D 12 Sauers 0 0 0 0
MF 16 Goff 2 1 1 0
MF 18 Kitchens 1 1 1 0
D 19 Porter 0 0 0 1
D 20 Zobrist 1 1 0 0
MF 22 Fulton 0 0 0 0
MF 24 Agusiobo 0 0 0 0
----------------------------Substitutes----------------------------
Pos No Player Sh SOG G A
D 4 Caldwell 1 0 0 0
F 7 Gerber 2 2 1 1
THE SOUNDING BOARD | SEPTEMBER 11, 2009
SPORTS
MF 10 Pollard 1 1 1 0
MF 13 Zwier 0 0 0 0
D 14 Zuercher, N 0 0 0 0
MF 17 Slone 0 0 0 0
26 Cole 0 0 0 0
Total 4 3 2 1
Pos No Player Min. GA Saves
G 1 Churchill 90:00 5 8
Date: 9/9/09
Teams 1st 2nd Total
Grace College 0 1 1
Earlham College 1 1 2
Pos No Player Sh SOG G A
G 1 Churchill 0 0 0 0
F 7 Gerber 2 1 0 1
MF 9 Fowler 3 2 0 0
MF 10 Pollard 0 0 0 0
D 12 Sauers 1 1 0 0
D 14 Zuercher 0 0 0 0
MF 16 Goff 4 2 1 0
MF 18 Kitchens 2 2 0 1
D 19 Porter 0 0 0 0
D 20 Zobrist 0 0 0 0
MF 22 Fulton 1 0 0 0
----------------------------Substitutes----------------------------
Pos No Player Sh SOG G A
MF 11 Evans 1 1 0 0
24 Agusiobo 1 1 0 0
Total 15 10 1 1
No. Player Min. GA Saves
1 Churchill 90:00 2 5
women’s soccer
Date: 9/5/09
Teams 1st 2nd Total
Grace College 1 1 2
Olivet College 0 1 1
Pos No Player Sh SOG G A
G 1 Hall 0 0 0 0
MF 3 Evans 3 2 0 0
D 4 Casey 1 0 0 0
MF 5 Anderson 3 3 1 0
MF 6 Bo 1 1 0 0
MF 8 Abbitt 2 1 0 1
D 11 Burns, L 0 0 0 0
MF 15 Kuhl 0 0 0 0
F 17 Morgan 2 2 0 0
D 18 Dekker 0 0 0 0
F 24 Heuss 3 3 1 0
----------------------------Substitutes----------------------------
Pos No Player Sh SOG G A
F 7 Yocum 4 3 0 0
G 00 Burns , A 0 0 0 0
MF 10 Tetro 0 0 0 0
D 13 Stroup 0 0 0 0
MF 14 Roe 0 0 0 0
D 19 Walker 1 1 0 0
F 23 Burau 2 2 0 0
Total 21 18 2 1
No. Player Min. GA Saves
0 Hall 45:00 0 3
00 Burns, A 45:00 1 2
Date: 9/9/09
Teams 1st 2nd Total
Marygrove College 0 0 0
Grace College 5 1 6
Pos No Player Sh SOG G A
G 1 Hall 0 0 0 0
MF 3 Evans 2 1 0 0
D 4 Casey 0 0 0 0
MF 5 Anderson 2 1 0 1
MF 6 Bo 2 1 0 1
MF 8 Abbitt 1 0 0 0
D 11 Burns, L 0 0 0 1
F 16 Pauley 2 2 1 0
D 18 Dekker 0 0 0 0
F 23 Burau 3 2 0 0
F 24 Heuss 2 2 1 0
----------------------------Substitutes----------------------------
Pos No Player Sh SOG G A
D 2 Casciari 0 0 0 0
F 7 Yocum 3 3 1 1
MF 12 Kirkman 0 0 0 0
7
D 13 Stroup 0 0 0 0
MF 14 Roe 0 0 0 0
MF 15 Kuhl 2 2 1 0
F 17 Morgan 2 1 1 0
D 19 Walker 0 0 0 0
MF 20 Alcorn 0 0 0 0
D 21 Janavich 0 0 0 0
Total 25 16 6 4
Pos No Player Min. GA Saves
G 0 Hall 90:00 0 1
men’s tennis
Date: 9/5/09
Teams Total
Taylor University 8
Grace College 1
Singles Play
1. Bedon (TU) def. Blevins (GC) 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-5)
2. Todorovic (GC) def. Perkins (TU) 6-0, 6-3
3. Tilden (TU) def. Bedwell (GC) 6-3, 6-2
4. Reed (TU) def. Beguin (GC) 6-2, 7-6 (2-0)
5. Erny (TU) def. Allan (GC) 6-3, 6-3
6. Nitzsche (TU) def. Goshen (GC) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles Play
1. Reed/Bedon (TU) def. Todorovic/Blevins (GC) 8-2
2. Perkins/Tilden (TU) def. Beguin/Bedwell (GC) 8-3
3. Erny/Gnagy (TU) def. Allan/Snowden (GC) 8-1
women’s tennis
Date: 9/5/09
Teams Total
Taylor University 7
Grace College 2
Singles Play
1. Bedon (TU) def. Stolle (GC) 6-2, 6-1
2. Goeke (TU) def. Anthony (GC) 6-3, 6-4
3. Marsh (TU) def. Jergensen (GC) 6-0, 6-3
4. Redhair (GC) def. Billman (TU) 6-2, 2-0
5. Hamstra (GC) def. Johnson (TU) 6-1, 6-2
6. Meyer (TU) def. Myers (GC) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles Competition
1. Goeke/Marsh (TU) def. Stolle/Anthony (GC) 8-2
2. Johnson/Bedon (TU) def. Redhair/Jergensen (GC) 8-4
3. Billman/Meyer (TU) def. Myers/Redhair (GC) 8-1
Date: 9/8/09
Teams Total
Grace College 4
Marian University 5
Singles Play
1. Usina (MU) def. Stolle (GC) 6-0, 6-2
2. Reynolds (MU) def. Anthony (GC) 6-3 (7-6), 7-4
3. Schendel (MU) def. Jergensen (GC) 6-2, 6-4
4. Hamstra (GC) def. Berry (MU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
5. O’Conner (MU) def. Myers (GC) 6-4, 6-1
6. Redhair (GC) def. Richard (MU) 6-7 (3-7), 6-3 (7-2), 6-3
Doubles Competition
1. Stolle/Anthony (GC) def. Usina/Schendel (MU) 8-4
2. Reynolds/O’Conner (MU) def. Jergensen/Myers (GC) 8-5
3. Redhair/Hamstra (GC) def. Berry/Nocton (MU) 8-3
volleyball
Date: 9/5/09
Teams 1 2 3 4 5
Grace College 16 15 23 - -
Trinity Christian 25 25 25 - -
Grace Game Stats
(kills-aces-blocks) Whitcraft 0-0-0; Cooper 0-0-0; Bult
1-1-1; Lawson 6-0-0; Walters 4-0-4; Verrett 6-0-2; Knight
3-0-0; Bolt 5-0-0; Michalski 0-0-1; Eastep 1-1-0. Totals 26-
2-5.
Date: 9/9/09
Teams 1 2 3 4 5
Bethel College 25 25 25 - -
Grace College 16 15 14 - -
Grace Game Stats
(kills-aces-blocks) Whitcraft 0-0-0; Cooper 0-1-0; Michalski
1-0-1; Bult 1-1-0; Lawson 8-3-1; Walters 0-0-0; Verrett
5-0-0; Knight 2-0-0; Eastep 0-0-0; Bolt 0-0-0. Totals 17-
5-2.