Bluejay Sports Corner – 9/24
Photo by Delaney Murphy
It was a big couple of weeks for Bluejay sports, as football played its first regular season game at Adrian. Women’s golf showed out in their second match, picking up a first-place standing in the mix, before giving a record-setting performance at the CCIW Preview. Beyond that, men’s golf, women’s volleyball, women’s/men’s tennis, men’s/women’s soccer, and women’s/men’s cross country are making strides into a great year for Elmhurst University fall sports.
Headliner: Women’s Golf!
Women’s golf swung their way into first place at the Judson Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 7. Not only did the Jays take first as a team but swept the top 4 spots, being led by junior Emily Roberts. Roberts won her first individual tournament as a collegiate golfer shooting a solid 85 (+14) to beat out her counterparts by one stroke, sophomores Abby Miller and Mia Coppola both shot a 86 (+15). Rounding out the top 4 seed was senior Morgan Keller with an 87 (+16).
Although the Jays placed first, “We played well,” said Keller, “but we can always improve.”
And then they did. At the CCIW Preview on Sept. 18, the women’s golf team set a new record with a score of 306, beating their previous best by one stroke.
Senior Regan Bobich broke her own records, surpassing her individual and school records, earning a career-best score of 70 (-1).
Following that performance on the green, the Jays are looking forward to attacking the CCIW Championship on Oct. 3.
Men’s Golf:
Men’s golf, concluding a big 36-hole Firebird Fall Classic, on Sept. 11. Followed by a good outing by junior William Davis who shot a total of 149 placing him individually in 11th place. Followed by solid outings by sophomore Anay Saxena, senior Dino DiGrazia, and senior Mitch Benson. Cheer on the Jays as they head on to finish their season!
Football:
The EU football team played their first game on Sept. 7, competing all the way through. It was a good game as they battled against Adrian College, though Adrian College came out on top beating the Jays 55-20. Their first home game on Sept. 21 also ended in a loss against Illinois Wesleyan University, and although the Jays did not end up on top it was a promising and hard-fought game by the team. The fans will back up the Jays as they face North Park University on homecoming, Sept. 28. We expect everyone to show out and have a good time!
Volleyball:
Women’s volleyball kicked off its season with the Jim Coleman Memorial Tournament. Although the season did not start the way they thought, the Jays didn’t back down, as they have now won three games in a row and are looking very strong as they head into heavy CCIW play. As the attack is a strong suit for the team and is led by seniors, Alexa Bueser (164 assists), Kellyn Kennedy (164 assists), and Jada Wiley (100 kills). Defensively the team is led by junior Larson Keely (23.0 blocks), and Jada Wiley (92 digs). The Jays look to keep the momentum going as they take on Illinois Wesleyan tomorrow!
Women’s Tennis:
Women’s tennis looks to pick up some wins these upcoming weeks as they get into the heat of things within CCIW play. The team is led by freshman Annelise Alvarenga and junior Oliva Grabowksi. Come cheer on the team as they take on College of Dupage in their next matchup tomorrow!
Men’s Tennis:
Men’s tennis grabbed their first win over Concordia Chicago on Sept. 14. Both doubles teams consisted of senior Russell Reyes and sophomore Emiliano Montenegro-Galarza, along with the team of freshman Cory Freed and Charalampos Vasiliopoulous. The Jays also dominated singles where they swept the competition with all the players taking their respective sets. Men’s Tennis looks to take down College of Dupage tomorrow.
Men’s Soccer:
The Bluejays soccer team is taking off this year as they beat Nebraska Wesleyan 2-1 on Sept. 15. With only two goals being scored in the game by senior Maciej Rzadkosz and sophomore Evan Thornton, the Jay’s defense held strong. With great goalkeeping coming from sophomore Niyen Ruffin, he made five saves in the contest. The Jays look to keep on ringing that bell as they kick off conference play against Wheaton College on Langhorst turf. Show out for this Saturday’s game!
Women’s Soccer:
Huge news this past couple of weeks, the team’s very own sophomore, Lauren Nevins got named CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week. Nevins has been a staple in this Bluejay offense for the entirety of the year, she currently stands leading the team and the CCIW with goals and is second in points as of Sept. 17. After back-to-back losses in California this weekend, Nevins and the team will be back on home turf this week ready to bring the Jays to victory once more as they take on the Thunder of Wheaton College.
Women’s Cross Country:
Women’s Cross Country looked really strong in its opener as 11/13 of their runners placed in the top 30 of a 61-athlete field. Being led by a strong outing by senior Riley Wieringa with a seventh-place finish. The Jays placed 14th in the invitational with a total time of 26:42.90. They look to attack the track at the next event, the NCAA Pre-Nationals, on Oct. 4. Good luck to these Jays, and hope to see you cheer them on!
Men’s Cross Country:
The Men’s Cross Country team placed 5th at the Spartan Invitational being led by senior Caleb DeBoer, who had a time of 28:57.10. The Jays looked strong in their first outing and are looking ahead to face the NCAA Pre-Nationals. Good luck to all of the runners!
With the fall sports all heating up, the fans are what is going to set us apart! Jays, we hope to see you all having a great time at the tailgate and hope to see you at every sports event you can make it to! GO BLUEJAYS!!