Local college sports briefs
McKendree’s Salthouse Joins New Zealand U19 National Team at FIL World Championships
McKendree University sophomore women’s lacrosse player Paige Salthouse will get a taste of international competition over the next week as she competes on the New Zealand U19 National Team at the Federation of International Lacrosse U19 Women’s World Championship July 23 through August 1.
Salthouse, whose parents are from New Zealand, was a second-team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection in her first collegiate season. She started in all 18 games for the Bearcats, and finished second on the team with 19 assists and third on the team with 43 goals. She was also tied for the team lead with 62 points to share the school record for points in a single season. Her 32 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers were also both second on the team this season.
Salthouse and the rest of the New Zealand U19 team will compete in pool play on July 23-28, before being split into a championship bracket and a platinum division where teams will be reseeded to play countries they have not yet played. The first game is scheduled for Thursday, July 23 when they will face Japan. Other teams in their pool are Israel and the Republic of Korea. For more information and results from the tournament, please visit http://www.u19wc2015.co.uk.
The McKendree University women’s lacrosse team ended their season in May in the semifinals of the GLIAC Tournament with an overall record of 11-7. The 11 wins set a new program record for wins in a single season, eclipsing the previous mark of three during the 2014 season.
Merchant named SIUE assistant coach for softball
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville softball head coach Sandy Montgomery has announced that Brittini Merchant has joined the program as an assistant coach.
Merchant comes to SIUE after spending last season with Northwestern University of the Big Ten Conference.
“I am excited to join the coaching staff at SIUE,” said Merchant. “I cannot wait to add to the tradition and success that Coach Montgomery has established. I am thrilled to begin working with the student-athletes and working towards winning many more Ohio Valley Conference championships and making a serious run in the NCAA tournament.”
Merchant was a volunteer assistant coach for the Wildcats last season and was part of a coaching staff that received an at-large bid the NCAA Tournament. She also has experience at the NCAA Division I level as a volunteer assistant at the University of Minnesota.
A four-year letter winner at Central Michigan University, she was a member of the Mid-American Conference All-Freshman team in 2008. Merchant was a two-time All-Conference shortstop for the Chippewas.
“She was a very good shortstop in college so she will be assisting with the infielders,” said Montgomery. “She also will assist with the offense and handling much of the video breakdown responsibilities.”
Montgomery said Merchant will have recruiting responsibilities as well as a number of other administrative duties.
“She is going to have a lot of oversight administratively,” added Montgomery. “She will have her hand in every aspect of the program.”
Merchant joins the Cougars after a 43-win campaign during the 2015 season in which SIUE won its first OVC regular season crown.
“We’re very excited to have Brittini as part of the program,” said Montgomery. “She has a great passion for coaching and a work ethic to go along with it.”
Bearcats’ Reeb to serve on NCAA committee for women’s tennis
McKendree University men’s and women’s tennis head coach Adam Reeb has been chosen by the Great Lakes Valley Conference Steering Committee to represent the league on the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) for women’s tennis.
As part of the RAC for women’s tennis, Reeb will play an integral part in the regional ranking process for women’s tennis on a weekly basis. The duration of the appointment is from 2015 through the 2018 season.
Reeb is a combined 66-33 in his two seasons leading both programs at McKendree, including three Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament appearances and a trip to the NCAA Midwest Regional tournament in 2014. He also served as a coach for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Missouri Valley 16’s Zonal teams this summer.
Men’s bowling program adds recruit from Oak Lawn
The Lindenwood University–Belleville men’s bowling team and head coach Kim Williams have announced the signing of Ryan Kirby for the 2015-16 season.
Kirby is a native of Oak Lawn. During the 2015 season, Kirby led his team to a regional championship and a 12th place finish at the IHSA Finals. In 2014, Oak Lawn finished 13th at the IHSA Finals. Kirby averaged a 220 with Oak Lawn and a 233 in league play. His high game is a 299, with a high series of 762.
Kirby finished in third place at the Spartan Invitational and Tinley Park Invitational. He also finished in fourth place in the SSC Red Conference and sixth in the Brother Rice Invitational. When asked why he chose Lindenwood – Belleville, Kirby had this to say, “It is a great school, with some awesome people. It has my major and the sport that I want to play. I cannot wait to get started on the next chapter in my life and I know that I picked the right school to start it with.”
Lady Lynx sign Wyoming bowler for upcoming season
The Lindenwood University–Belleville women’s bowling team and head coach Kim Williams have announced the signing of Dene Standifer for the 2015-16 season.
Standifer is a native of Cheyenne, Wyo. and a graduate from Cheyenne East High School. During the 2014 season, Standifer was named the Wyoming Youth Bowler of the Year. She was also named to the Wyoming Youth All – State Team four years straight. Standifer maintained a 199 average in league play. Her career high game is a 296 and her high series is 719.
Standifer is a two time Junior Gold qualifier, with her highest finish being 133rd in 2013. In 2015 she won the Pepsi Wyoming State Championship. During the 2013 season, Standifer was a Junior’s Queen Champion. She was a Colorado Mile High Champion in 2011 and 2013.
On why she chose Lindenwood – Belleville, Standifer had this to say, “Lindenwood – Belleville is an up and coming program. The coaches took time to contact me. They intrigued me to join the bowling family and provided me the chance to compete in college bowling.”
Standifer plans on studying psychology at LU–Belleville.
LU-Belleville adds two skaters to men’s hockey program
The Lindenwood University–Belleville head coach Lindsay Middlebrook announced the additions of Doug Gutierrez and Nick Pagliacci to the Lynx for the 2015-16 season. The two forwards were teammates with the Southern Oregon Spartans of the Western States Hockey League (WSHL) and helped lead the team to a Division semi-final finish in the 2015 Thorne Cup playoffs.
The 6-foot, 185-pound Gutierrez is a forward from San Jose, Calif. Gutierrez finished third in team points with 22 goals and 38 assists for 60 points in 46 regular season games. He finished second on the team in postseason scoring with six goals and six assists in five playoff games. Gutierrez split the 2013-14 season between the Spartans and the Fresno Monsters and registered two goals and five assists over 28 games.
The 5-11, 175-pound Pagliacci is a forward. Pagliacci netted seven goals and nine assists with the Spartans in 12 regular season games after joining the team in January. He also recorded four goals and four assists in four playoff games. Prior to joining the Spartans, Pagliacci spent a season and a half with Medaille College and scored 13 goals and eight assists for 21 points in 12 games. The Kenmore East High School graduate also spent one season with the Wheatfield Jr. Blades of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL).
The two players join the Lynx for the second season in program history. The team finished the 2014-15 season with a 29-2-1 record. The Lynx ranked first in the Central Division, but were not eligible for postseason play.
This story was originally published July 23, 2015 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Local college sports briefs."