Guerrero helping lead Rockford
The Rockford College volleyball team started the year taking quite a few lumps.
Now, in Northern Athletics Conference action, they are giving the lumps. The Lady Regents have won their last three NAC matchups, beating Milwaukee School of Engineering (3-1), Lakeland College (3-2) and Aurora University (3-1).
While St. Elmo grad Maribel Guerrero, a Rockford senior, has not been at the net pounding down kills, she has been responsible for holding teams at bay as she has her entire career. In the win over Aurora, she finished with 20 digs and two assists. In the five-game match against Lakeland, she finished with 17 digs, two assists and two aces. She also had 17 digs and two aces against MSOE.
"She has been the heart of our defense," said Wil Christiansen, Rockford's head coach. "Maribel's attitude and mood on the court have been infectious. She really knows how to pick up the rest of the team. We got beat quite a bit early, but I think the team was able to correct their mistakes from those losses. It also gave them a chance to see what a top- notch team looks like."
In the first 17 matches, Guerrero has a team-leading 213 digs. She also has 14 aces, 11 assists and three kills. Rockford is 4-13 overall and 3-4 in the league.
"We fought through some pretty tough matches," Guerrero said. "I tried to learn from every match. I am going to miss being a player, but I don't ever plan on stepping away from the sport. I hope to start coaching as soon as I am done with my degree."
Brock Doehring caught one pass for 5 yards as Illinois College defeated St. Norbert College, 26-25. The Vandalia grad also started in IC's 45-21 triumph over Lawrence University. By winning its last two games, Illinois College improved to 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the Midwest Conference.
"The win over St. Norbert was the biggest win of my three years," said IC head coach Garrett Campbell. "I told the athletes that if we are ever going to win a conference title, we have to win on the road and we have to win close games. We accomplished both in one game. We are running the ball better than we ever have, and that is because of players like Brock. We ask so much of him, because he is such a smart player."
Vandalia grad Dallas Gray finished 32nd in the University of Illinois-Springfield Invitational, which was held at The Rail Golf Course in Springfield. Gray, who shot a 162, shot his low round of 78 in the first round. Blackburn College took 11th with a 679. University of Missouri-St. Louis won the outing with a 594.
MacMurray College finished third in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Fall Preview, shooting a 412 in the only round. The tournament, which was held at Forest Park Golf Course in St. Louis, was won by Webster University, which shot a 290. Webster served as the host school. Fontbonne University took second with a 312. St. Elmo grad Zeke Asher, a MacMurray freshman, finished 14th by shooting a 93.
Illinois College golfer Meagan Wright, a Vandalia grad, took 37th in the Midwest Conference Championships. The event was hosted by IC and held at the Aldeen Golf Course in Rockford. Wright shot a 384 for 54 holes. As a team, IC posted a score of 1,107 and took second. Carroll University finished first with a 1,082.
Former Vandalia football player Mitch Whightsil, an IC sophomore, should return to the starting lineup this week. He missed the last two games with an injury.
Names, names, names. We are looking for names of not only fall athletes, but winter as well. I will need the name of the athlete, the former high school, the college/university they are attending and of course the sport they are playing.
There are only two rules to be included in this column. The athlete must be a resident of a town or a graduate of a high school normally covered by The Leader-Union. In addition, they must be involved in intercollegiate athletics. If you have a name to add, e-mail me (Dan62801@aol.com). Please put "Vandalia Leader-Union" in the subject line of every e-mail.
