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Statesmen Golfers Take Third in Oklahoma

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(OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.) – The William Penn women’s golf team took advantage of finally getting on the course for consecutive days as it competed well at the Oklahoma City Classic Monday and Tuesday.

Ranked #22 WPU finished third out of 13 teams with a three-round score of 926 (304-316-306) at the par-72 Lincoln Park West Golf Course. #13 Oklahoma City defended its home turf at 906 (306-302-298), while #7 Texas Wesleyan was second at 915.

TWU’s Alex Schies won the individual crown in the 72-player field at one-under 215 (73-70-72).

The navy and gold, who have only played one competitive round since last October, were in the mix from the opening tee, sitting just a shot back after the first 18 holes. Their first round score of 304 tied for fifth-best in school history.

The program has only competed in four 54-hole tournaments all-time (all in the past two years), but the Statesmen crushed the team (previously at 945) and individual (previously at 233) records. Megan Rhoads (Jr., Schertz, Texas, Psychology) set a new school mark at 229 (76-79-74) to tie for 11th overall.

Elise Warne (Jr., Melbourne, Australia, Exercise Science) was a close second in 13th place at 231 (76-80-75), while Brittany Evans (So., Fernley, Nev., Business Management) was in the top 20 as well, tying for 20th at 236 (80-76-80).

Brooke Fletcher (Sr., Atlantic, Iowa, Business Management) finished 30th at 239 (78-84-77), and Helene Larsen (Jr., Viborg, Denmark, Business Management) was in a tie for 33rd at 242 (74-81-87).

Individually, Alexis Guimaraes (So., San Ramon, Calif., Psychology) took 54th at 257 (84-89-84).

“I could not be happier with how we finished,” Head Coach Chris Pierson said. “With all the adversity we have faced this spring with weather, to go to Oklahoma City and finish third, and shoot the scores we did, it was a tremendous accomplishment. I give a lot of credit to our players for coming together, handling everything professionally, and competing at a high level.”

Next Up: William Penn travels to Lawrence, Kan. next Wednesday and Thursday to compete in the Baker Invitational. Play will be contested at Eagle Bend Golf Course, the host course of next month’s NAIA National Championships.

Statesmen Golfers Pick Up Weekly Accolades

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(OSKALOOSA, Iowa) – Zachary Chegwidden (So., Essex, England, Business Management) and Helene Larsen (Jr., Viborg, Denmark, Business Management) won their respective tournaments, and for their efforts they were named Heart of America Athletic Conference Golfers of the Week Monday.

Chegwidden’s laurel is his fifth of the season and seventh overall in his career, while Larsen’s award is the first of her career.  Chegwidden was first out of 63 players at the Kansas Wesleyan Invitational, while Larsen topped the 17-player field at the Mike “Fluff” Cowan Invitational.

Chegwidden posted a three-under 137 (69-68) for his second crown of the year.  He was the lone player to break par both days and has now done so seven times in his sophomore campaign.  He owns a 72.9 stroke average over 17 rounds with a low of 66.

The honor is the fifth of the year for the men’s program.

Larsen’s 74 tied her for first; she claimed the medalist award in a playoff.  It is the first tournament win of 2017-2018 for the junior who is averaging 79.4 strokes per round (11 rounds, low of 72).  She has six rounds in the 70s this year.

It is the sixth time this year that the women’s program has collected the “Player of the Week” award.

Nwagbaraocha Eclipses 1,000 Career Points as Statesmen Thump Bobcats

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(Oskaloosa, Iowa) –Vashti Nwagbaraocha (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis., Exercise Science) reached a major milestone Wednesday in helping the William Penn women’s basketball team to an 89-47 Heart of America Athletic Conference victory over Peru State.

WPU (18-5, 12-2 Heart) has now won a season-high five games in a row, the longest streak for the program since taking six straight during the 2012-2013 campaign. The win helps the navy and gold keep pace with MidAmerica Nazarene and Central Methodist at the top of the league standings. It also sets up a colossal matchup with #5 MNU on Saturday in Olathe, Kan. (2 p.m. tipoff).

The start of Wednesday’s battle was all about Nwagbaraocha as she entered just 10 points away from 1,000 for her career. It fortunately did not take long for the junior to get the job done as she made four of her first five baskets, all in the first quarter. With 2:50 still left in the opening period, point #1,000 was recorded as Nwagbaraocha knocked down the first of two free throws.

Nwagbaraocha, who tallied 11 first-quarter points and finished with 20 points, becomes the 23rd player in school history to join the 1,000-point club. She had 304 points as a freshman, 345 as a sophomore, and has 361 so far this year (currently at 1,010).

Also of special note, Nwagbaraocha surpassed 700 career rebounds Wednesday (currently at 704) and becomes just the 10th Statesmen ever to record 1,000 points and 700 rebounds.

Back to action, it was not only Nwagbaraocha who had a huge night against the Bobcats (3-19, 0-14 Heart). All five starters were excellent in their own way as WPU pulled out to a 25-6 edge after 10 minutes of play.

The Statesmen have had issues in the second quarter lately, but managed to top PSC Wednesday, outscoring the visiting crew 20-18 to extend their advantage to 45-24 at halftime.

The hosts did not slow down after intermission in rolling past Peru State, highlighted by being +18 in the turnover battle (WPU had 12 errors, while PSC had 30). That led to a gaudy 36-3 edge in points off turnovers for the victors.

William Penn outshot the visitors 49.2{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b}-42.1{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} and also held a 31-25 mark in rebounds; the Statesmen outscored the Bobcats 14-3 in second-chance points.

While Nwagbaraocha was stellar down low, going 7-for-9 from the field (6-for-8 FT), Sarah Hansen (Sr., Kewanee, Ill., Psychology) was the game leader in points with 26. The senior was 8-for-16 overall, including finishing 6-for-12 from the perimeter.

The Statesmen not only lived from deep, but they lived well, making a season-high 15 trifectas on 48.4{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} shooting.

Kate Ylitalo (So., Maple Plain, Minn., Biology) added 17 points, but did much more damage on the defensive end, especially in the first half with seven steals. She ended the win with eight thefts, while William Penn stole 19 passes as a collective unit.

Jenna Santi (Jr., Oak Creek, Wis., Sports Management) was next with eight points and had a tremendous effort as a distributor with 10 assists; the Statesmen managed 24 assists on their 30 made buckets.

Sham Troupe (Jr., St. Louis, Mo.) contributed seven points and was WPU’s top rebounder with 10 caroms. The junior was especially active on the offensive glass with seven boards.

“I am happy with our defensive effort tonight and the way we shared the ball on offense,” Head Coach Steve Williamson said. “It is always good when you have 20 or more assists as a team.”

William Penn Dominates Second Half to Avenge Loss to Peru State

(Oskaloosa, Iowa)– The Statesmen men’s basketball team bounced back from a rare home loss and also avenged its only other setback of the season by crushing Peru State 110-79 in Heart of America Athletic Conference play Wednesday.

#1 WPU (22-2, 12-2 Heart) shot 61.5{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} in the second half and scored 61 points after intermission to start a new home winning streak; the previous streak of 37 was snapped last Saturday. Wednesday’s win puts PSC (16-9, 10-4 Heart) two games back of the navy and gold in the North Division, while fellow North foe Graceland is also now two back after falling to Clarke. Central Methodist is currently the only program within one game of the Statesmen for the Heart lead.

The Bobcats, who knocked off William Penn back in December, came ready to play and owned its biggest lead of nine at 21-12 just 6:57 into the evening.

The home squad slowly started to warm up, but was still down 41-38 with 2:45 left in the opening period. WPU closed strong, though, with an 11-4 run and was on top 49-45 at intermission.

The contest was still a tight one at the 15:27 mark with the Statesmen ahead just 56-52, but the hosts pulled away with a 15-0 run over the next 2:29. Aakim Saintil (Sr., West Orange, N.J., Business Management) took over during the run by scoring 11 of his 12 total points, highlighted by a trio of three-pointers. William Penn made 11 long balls Wednesday.

The advantage grew to a game-high 33 points in the waning minutes as the victors finished with a 57.0{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b}-36.0{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} shooting margin.

As per the norm this winter, the Statesmen were balanced offensively with seven players hitting the double-digit mark. Terrell Thompson (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind., Wellness and Recreation) scored 20 points, but was also an efficient distributor with 11 assists for a double-double.

Dominique Shaw (Sr., Lufkin, Texas, Wellness and Recreation) was next with 17 points, while D’Angelo Allen (Jr., Dallas, Texas, Wellness and Recreation) topped the bench with 16 points. The duo combined for another 11 assists as the navy and gold assisted 35 times on their 45 made baskets.

JC Washington (Sr., Houston, Texas, Sociology) matched Thompson with a double-double, scoring 13 points and pulling down 16 rebounds. The hosts won the rebounding battle 54-42, but were actually outscored 14-12 in second-chance points.

Conversely, WPU had three more turnovers (13-10), but were eight better (16-8) than PSC in points off turnovers. William Penn also overcame a sub-par effort at the charity stripe (9-for-20).

Mikeal Donaldson (Sr., Columbia, S.C.) and Corbin Medley (Sr., Rogersville, Mo., General Accounting) reached double figures as well with 10 points apiece, while Antonio Foster (Jr., Chicago, Ill., Sports Management), with seven points, and Brandon Trotter (Sr., Louisville, Ky., Kinesiology), with five points, also contributed Wednesday.

“I am extremely happy with our team having 35 assists on 45 made baskets,” Head Coach John Henry said. “We played an excellent second half.”

Next Up: William Penn travels to Olathe, Kan. Saturday to face MidAmerica Nazarene in Heart action at 4 p.m.

This article was written by Wade Steinlage, Sports Information Director, William Penn University.

WPU Women’s Basketball Throttles Graceland

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Lamoni–A strong defensive effort headlined the William Penn women’s basketball team’s 77-42 victory over Graceland in Heart of America Athletic Conference play Saturday.

WPU (10-4, 4-1 Heart), which is off to its best 14-game start since 2010-2011 (also 10-4), limited the Yellowjackets (4-9, 1-4 Heart) to just 24.5{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} from the field.

The visitors scored the first 11 points of the afternoon and were off to the races from there. The squad led 23-9 after the opening period and pushed that edge to 24 (41-17) at intermission.

William Penn, which shot 42.2{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} (37.5{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} 3-PT), grew its advantage to a game-high 37 points in the third quarter.

A nice chunk of the victors’ offense was produced via its defense as the navy and gold forced 23 turnovers (14 steals), leading to a 30-6 margin in points off turnovers. Both Kate Ylitalo (So., Maple Plain, Minn., Biology) and Sarah Hansen (Sr., Kewanee, Ill., Psychology and Human Services) tallied four thefts Saturday.

Ylitalo was her team’s top scorer with 17 points, including four three-pointers, while Hansen made a trio of trifectas en route to a 15-point showing. Vashti Nwagbaraocha (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis., Exercise Science) joined her teammates in double figures with 12 points; the junior actually had a double-double by corraling 13 rebounds. WPU outrebounded GU 50-35.

Jenna Santi (Jr., Oak Creek, Wis., Elementary Education), who also assisted on seven baskets, matched Tyra Johnson (Jr., Calumet City, Ill., Undecided) with nine points. Johnson was perfect in the matchup, making all three of her field goals and all three of free throws. The Statesmen were 73.7{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} from the charity stripe.

“We had great effort today!” Head Coach Steve Williamson said. “Our ladies did great on both ends and played Statesmen basketball today!”

Next Up: William Penn returns to Oskaloosa next Wednesday to host Grand View in Heart play at 5:30 p.m.

This coverage was provided as a news release sent to KBOE 104.9FM by Wade Steinlage, William Penn University Sports Information Director.

WPU Men’s Basketball Knocks Off Yellowjackets

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Lamoni–In a day full of obstacles to overcome, the Statesmen men’s basketball team did enough to hand Graceland its first Heart of America Athletic Conference setback in a 90-84 win Saturday.

#3 William Penn (14-1, 4-1 Heart) is now tied with the Yellowjackets (10-6, 4-1 Heart) at the top of the North Division standings, doing so with a blistering second half that saw the team shoot 60.7{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} from the field and 72.7{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} from behind the arc.

The visitors were slow to get started Saturday, making just two of their first 14 shots. The navy and gold trailed 14-7 seven minutes into play, but rallied back to take the advantage momentarily. Both teams then each enjoyed small runs down the stretch with GU eventually holding a 38-37 edge at the break.

The home squad remained in the lead for the first half of the latter stanza, but the Statesmen got hot from deep with four consecutive three-pointers, including three by Corbin Medley (Sr., Rogersville, Mo., General Accounting). The senior was electric, going 8-for-9 overall, headlined by a 6-for-7 effort from three-point land, for a game-high 22 points off the bench.

“I am very happy for Corbin; it was definitely his night,” Head Coach John Henry said. “It was also great as his parents and grandparents were at the game.”

Graceland responded with six straight of its own to knot the contest at 64-64 with 7:16 to go, but seven unanswered put the navy and gold on top for good. The Statesmen went up by a game-high 10 points at 80-70 with 2:07 to go and held on by connecting their final six free throws. While the last two minutes were excellent, the charity stripe was actually a weak spot for the victors, who finished just 14-for-23 overall.

Surprisingly, William Penn’s 90 points are a season low; the team entered Saturday leading NAIA Division I with 108.4 points per game.

Aakim Saintil (Sr., West Orange, N.J., Business Management) finished just behind Medley in scoring with 21 points as he made five trifectas and was a perfect 4-for-4 at the line. WPU, which outshot GU 50.8{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b}-48.4{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b}, was incredible from deep at 51.9{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} (14-for-27).

Terrell Thompson (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind., Wellness and Recreation) produced 14 points and dished out a contest-high eight assists. Dominique Shaw (Sr., Lufkin, Texas, Wellness and Recreation), with 12 points, and Mikeal Donaldson (Sr., Columbia, S.C.), with 11, also reached double figures.

JC Washington (Sr., Houston, Texas, Sociology) tallied just four points, but was a major presence on the boards and on defense with team highs in rebounds (7), steals (3), and blocks (2). The Statesmen lost the rebounding battle (36-32) for the first time this year, but were better in turnovers, committing just 10 mistakes (13 for GU). That resulted in a 16-13 mark in points off turnovers.

“This was a great road win for our program,” Henry said. “We overcame a lot tonight, including transportation issues, and we did not play well for most of the game. We fortunately stayed together, made enough shots, and played just enough defense to win.”

Next Up: William Penn returns to Oskaloosa next Wednesday to host Heart rival Grand View in the annual Toilet Paper game at 7:30 p.m. The first 1,000 fans through the doors will receive a free PennZone t-shirt.

This coverage was provided as a news release sent to KBOE 104.9FM by Wade Steinlage, William Penn University Sports Information Director.

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