College Notes: Green team ekes out victory

TRAVERSE CITY -- It's steak for Patrick Rigan, a can of beans and franks for Eric Gordon.

A pair of area redshirt freshmen were on opposite teams for Saturday's Green and White spring football game at Michigan State University.

It was Rigan's Green team that came out on top, beating Gordon's White squad by a 23-21 score. The win earned Rigan a steak dinner while Gordon had to settle for some canned fare.

Rigan, a TC St. Francis grad, played tight end for the victorious Green team and had one catch for 16 yards. A TC West product, Gordon led the White team with 11 tackles (five solo) in addition to two tackles for losses of nine yards and one quarterback hurry.

-- A victory and two school records highlighted top finishes for area athletes at Saturday's Northwood Open.

Lake Superior State sophomore Ashley Quick (Harbor Springs) won the 5,000 (18:48.53) while teammate and classmate Jill Walton (Kingsley) broke her own school record, finishing fifth in the javelin (105'1").

Also breaking her own school record was Northern Michigan sophomore Karin Diebold (Ellsworth), who was fifth in the pole vault (10'6").

Hope College senior Lindsay Lange (Manistee) was second in the 100 hurdles (15.2) and third in the shot put (39'4"). Northern Michigan senior Danielle Stein (Kalkaska) was third in the 5,000 (20:13.62).

In the men's portion of the meet, Lake Superior State junior Ben Tarbutton (Gaylord St. Mary) was second in the 5,000 (15:58.16). Alma College sophomore Wade Peacock (Benzie Central) was on the 1,600 relay team that took fifth (3:34.31).

-- Senior pitcher Kit Tholen (TC Central) tossed six shutout innings as Wesleyan University topped the Massacusetts Institute of Technology 8-5 on Sunday.

Tholen, who struck out three and allowed just four hits, improved his record to 2-3 this season with the win. Wesleyan is 14-15.

-- A pair of Michigan State runners finished first and second in the 3,000 steeplechase at the Central Collegiates at Eastern Michigan University.

Freshman Aaron Simoneau (Manistee) won the race in 9:22.76 while sophomore Spencer Beatty (Harbor Springs) came in with a time of 9:29.53.

Also at the meet, Michigan sophomore Sarah Conkle (Bellaire) tied for fourth in the pole vault (11'13/4") while U-M sophomore Alisha Cole (Cadillac) was eighth in the 200 (25.47).

-- Even though she redshirted this season, sophomore Julia Coulter (TC Central) was still named the most improved skiier at the Alaska-Fairbanks team banquet.

Competing as an independent, Coulter was 15th in the 5K freestyle and fifth in her class (under-23) at the U.S. Cross Country Championships in January.

-- Two Grand Valley State athletes posted third-place finishes at Saturday's Dave Rankin Invitational, hosted by Purdue.

GVSU freshman Weston Buchan (Glen Lake) was third in the javelin (158'9") while sophomore Maegan Doyen (Manistee) turned in the same finish in the high jump (5'41/4").

-- After a week of rain outs the Mott Community College baseball team played eight games in six days last week.

Freshman pitcher Matt Stewart (TC West) started the week off with an 8-0 complete game shutout of Jackson CC by the score of 8-0. He scattered five hits and struck out nine.

Stewart (3-1) allowed two runs on five hits and struck out five in 51/3 innings against Lake Michigan College later in the week.

-- Lake Superior State freshman Jennie Elliott (Frankfort) was 2 for 3 with a double and scored a run as the Lakers lost 6-1 to Ashland in the first of two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball games on Monday. Freshman Chevie Peralta-Evans (Cheboygan) had a RBI double and scored a run while Elliott added a hit in the second game.

Elliott also had a hit and scored a run in a 3-1 loss to Grand Valley State on Saturday. In a non-conference sweep of Alma College on Tuesday, Elliott was 2 for 4 with a RBI and a run scored and was the winning pitcher, going the distance in a 7-4, eight-inning victory.

-- Olivet split Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association two baseball doubleheaders with Albion on Wednesday and Saturday.

Junior Scott Purdy (TC West) had one hit in each game on Saturday and also drove in one for the Comets (11-12, 9-4 MIAA). Purdy had two hits in one of Wednesday's games and a hit and a run in the other.

-- Michigan Tech's Eric Kattelus (Traverse City) received the Norbert Matovich Memorial Award for outstanding freshman at the hockey team banquet.

-- Freshman Lisa Wohlford (Cadillac) was a 6-0, 6-0 winner at No. 6 singles in Albion's 9-0 shutout of Tri-State in women's tennis on Thursday.

-- Albion College freshman Lindi Edger (Charlevoix) was fifth in the 800 (2:34.07) and sixth in the 1,500 (5:16.46) at a track meet in Berea, Ohio.

Senior Elise Ocelnik (Bear Lake) was sixth in the long jump (14'21/2") and seventh in the triple jump (28'41/2").

-- Evansville won two of its three Missouri Valley Conference baseball games against Indiana State last weekend.

Sophomore catcher Andy Pascoe (TC Central) had a hit in each of the three contests for the Purple Aces (9-29, 3-12 MVC). Pascoe scored twice in Saturday's 6-4 victory.

-- Calvin College freshman Shane Pluger (McBain Northern Christian) was third in the javelin (42.94 meters) at Friday's Wheaton Twilight Invitational.

Sophomore Amanda Leese (Central Lake) added a fourth in the long jump (5.23 meters).

-- Michigan State sophomore Christine Milliken (TC Central) lost 8-2 at No. 2 doubles and 6-0, 6-1 at No. 5 singles against No. 1 Northwestern on Saturday. Milliken's team was the lone doubles flight to win a game against the Wildcats.

Earlier in the week, Milliken was honored at the annual student-athlete gala to recognize varsity team members with a cumulative gpa over 3.25.

-- Sophomore Jim Peters (Kalkaska) pitched 41/3 innings of shutout relief in Aquinas' 8-2 loss to Siena Heights on Tuesday. Peters scattered three hits and struck out two.

Photos

Michigan State redshirt freshman Patrick Rigan (TC St. Francis) is dragged down by a host of defenders. Special to the Record-Eagle