Simply The Best

 

written by STEVE ULRICH your must-read briefing on what's driving the day in NCAA Division III   >> Good Monday Morning and Happy Patriots' Day! >> Today's Word Count: 986 (4 minutes to start your week) >> Thanks for reading D3Playbook. Won't you share us with a friend this morning?   Sign Up for Free: D3Playbook TOP STORY 1. Simply The Best UW-Eau Claire senior Megan Wallace set a NCAA Division III record in the heptathlon on Friday, scoring 5,471 points at the UW-La Crosse Ashton-Esten meet. Her total bested the old mark of 5,467 set by Kim Oden of Nebraska Wesleyan in 1992. She ran a career-best 2:23.49 in the 800 to clinch the record, bettering her outdoor personal best by 3.69 seconds. 100 Hurdles: 14.46 High Jump: 1.63m (5-4 1/4) Shot Put: 13.39m (43-11 1/4) 200: 25.77 Long Jump: 5.77m (18-11 1/4) Javelin: 39.55m (129-9) 800: 2:23.49 >> Complete Results   FINANCES 2.  Centre Announces $50M Project "The largest, most comprehensive construction project to date at Centre College will create a 135,000-square-foot facility devoted to wellness and athletic excellence. It will benefit the entire campus community and set a new standard for holistic education at top-ranked residential liberal arts colleges across the nation. Designed in partnership with Cincinnati-based architects MSA Sport, the $50 million project reflects Centre’s commitment to invest in facilities and programs that enhance student success, hone leadership skills and prepare graduates for lives of impact. As part of a campus-wide strategic planning effort, it was clear that expanded wellness and athletic facilities were needed to continue the long history and clear mission of training leaders who can make a difference in the world." >> The Bottom Line: "Early commitments, including two lead gifts, exceed three-quarters of the projected cost, leaving approximately $12 million to raise to fully fund the project. The expansive new building will continue a series of recent campus construction projects totaling more than $30 million." >> The Big Picture: "Included in the overall construction project, Farris Stadium, built in 1923, will be transformed to provide world-class facilities for football, men’s lacrosse, and track and field, and also provide new seating, hospitality spaces and an upgraded press box. In addition, Gary Wright Field will be relocated to create a new and enhanced experience for Centre’s baseball team." >> Read More   CONFERENCES 3. Champions Congratulations to these conference champions! Field Hockey ODAC: Lynchburg Football Ohio: Mount Union Golf Centennial (W): Marymount Landmark (W): Catholic Northwest (W) George Fox; (M) Willamette Soccer Empire 8 (W): Sage; (M) St. John Fisher Ohio (W): Otterbein; (M) John Carroll SAA (W): Centre; (M) Berry Tennis NJAC (M - West): UW-Whitewater Volleyball Ohio (W): Otterbein SAA (W): Birmingham-Southern USA South (W) (West): Maryville; (East): Averett   TOP 10 4. Weekend Review Baseball Washington, Mo. (d. Spalding, 7-1, 3-2, 4-1, 4-0) Trinity, Texas (d. Dallas, 16-1, 7-5) Salisbury (d. #15 Shenandoah, 19-10) Webster (d. Greenville, 11-0, 11-0, 6-4, 6-5) Marietta (vs. Baldwin Wallace, 7-6, 7-11, 7-5) Cal Lutheran (lost to Antelope Valley, 9-4, 2-1) N.C. Wesleyan (lost to Christopher Newport, 8-7) Aurora (vs.Illinois Tech, 8-11, 8-5, 10-3, 18-8) Babson (vs. #19 Wheaton, Mass., 3-0, 4-7, 1-7, 5-3) Washington & Jefferson (vs. Chatham, 8-0, 7-0, 3-4, 9-2) Lacrosse (M) RIT (d. #10 St. Lawrence, 15-5) Salisbury Tufts (d. Connecticut C, 24-16; d. #17 Wesleyan, 27-11) York Lynchburg (d. Bridgewater, 20-8) Cabrini (d. Neumann, 23-3; d. Wesley, 28-3) Gettysburg Christopher Newport Union (d. Vassar, 19-5) St. Lawrence (lost to #1 RIT, 15-5) Lacrosse (W) Franklin & Marshall (d. Washington C, 15-6) Washington and Lee (d. Virginia Wesleyan, 30-1) Tufts (d. Connecticut C, 20-3) Salisbury (d. #22 St. Mary's, 14-13 OT) Gettysburg Catholic Ithaca (d. Rochester, 21-13) Colby (d. Bates, 18-5) York, Pa. (d. Eastern, 23-0) Denison (d. Allegheny, 18-6) Softball Virginia Wesleyan (d. Mary Washington, 10-0, 10-3; d. Lynchburg, 12-3, 11-5) Texas Lutheran (d. Centenary, La., 9-3, 9-4) Linfield (vs. Whitworth, 7-4, 4-8, 8-2, 14-8) East Texas Baptist (d. Ozarks, 10-2, 14-6, 9-0) Eastern Connecticut Birmingham-Southern (vs. Millsaps, 4-5, 9-1, 3-0) Belhaven (vs. LeTourneau, 4-3, 1-2) Salisbury (d. #11 CNU, 8-0, 7-2; lost to #19 Randolph-Macon, 6-2, 4-3) DePauw (d. Wittenberg, 3-2, 6-1) Moravian   If you have a business and would like to reach an affluent audience that works in higher education and college sports ... drop us a line at D3Playbook@gmail.com. RECAP 5. Weekend Stars photo by Earl Kufen Baseball Catcher Cumming blasted three home runs and accounted for 13 total bases as Penn State Altoona blasted Pitt-Bradford, 17-7. It was the second time this season that the senior has hit three round-trippers in a game. Mike Dato also slammed three home runs to tie the program career record as Monmouth fell at Grinnell, 16-13.  Football Lake Forest recorded four safeties in its 21-14 victory against Illinois College. Since the NCAA DIII record for safeties in a season is five (Widener, 2014), it seems safe to say that the Foresters set a single-game mark. Golf (W) Svarnika Bommakanti set a program record by firing a two-under-par 70 to lead Rose-Hulman (317-298-615) to the team championship at the Millikin Invitational. (M) Reilly Hegarty shot a six-under-par 66 to rally from a seven-stroke deficit and capture medalist honors at the Northwest Conference championship. He birdied the final three holes.  (M) Illinois Wesleyan posted a nine-under-par 563 team score to win the Take Back The Night Challenge. Rob Wuethrich took medalist honors with a 66-67-133. Track and Field (M) UW-Eau Claire sophomore Marcus Weaver registered 7,273 points in the decathlon, becoming the eighth DIII athlete to reach the plateau.   TRANSACTIONS 6.  Comings and Goings   AUGUSTANA - Tom Jessee named head men's basketball coach KENYON - Cassie Hayward named women's soccer assistant coach. Ken Delgado named assistant football coach. Kenzie Shand named assistant women's volleyball coach. LeTOURNEAU - Dan Miller resigned as head men's basketball coach UW-La CROSSE - Joel Ludtke resigned as assistant athletic director of athletic training services VASSAR - Blayne Fuke promoted to associate baseball coach   1 SMILE 7.   Halfway There Roughly half of U.S. residents age 18+ have gotten at least one dose of COVID vaccine. CDC data yesterday put the figure at 49.7%. The WashPost's Dan Diamond says that should hit 50% today.     Thanks for starting your day with us. Please invite your friends to sign up for D3Playbook   Sign Up for Free: D3Playbook

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