The women’s swim team posted its highest team finish in school history at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships hosted by the College of Wooster (Ohio) March 13-15. The Norse placed 11th with a team total of 100 points.

Elissa Schmidt (‘08) returned home as a four-time All-American by placing fourth in the 200 freestyle and seventh in the 100 freestyle. Schmidt also earned honorable mention All-America honors in the 50 freestyle with a 12th-place finish.

Schmidt recorded her two other All-America honors swimming the first leg for both the 800 freestyle relay and the 400 freestyle relay. Following Schmidt in the 800 freestyle relay and earning All-America honors were Addison Choi (‘11), Valerie Hoops (‘08) and Amy Schneider (‘09). The foursome posted an eighth-place finish.

Schmidt, Hoops, Choi and Rachel Bruns (‘11) placed fifth in the 400 freestyle relay, posting a new school record.

“It was an awesome weekend,” said Head Coach Lance Huber. “I was very proud of how these five women swam. What was more exciting was that everyone returned home as an All-American. This is what our goal was entering the national meet and they can feel a great sense of accomplishment for what they achieved both individually and as a team.”

Baseball drops opener in Dome

In their regular-season opener played in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn., Luther fell 7-5 to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the first meeting between the two teams since 1985.

Luther led 3-2 heading into the seventh inning but a three-run homer put Oshkosh ahead 5-3. The Norse came back to tie the game in the seventh but Darin Schneider (‘10) was unable to preserve the tie in the final inning, giving up three hits and one earned run. Jake Waddle (‘09) was 2-4 with two RBI while Ben Schott (‘10) was 3-4 with an RBI.

The Norse opened the scoring in the third inning by taking advantage of a triple by Joe Thompson (‘11) and a run-scoring single by Schott. Oshkosh put two runs up in the fourth inning to take the lead, but Luther regained the lead in the fifth with an RBI single by Waddle. Waddle subsequently scored on a fielding error. Nate Todd (‘09) took the loss for the Norse.

Luther next faces Buena Vista at home over spring break before heading to the Metrodome again for a series against Northwestern College (Minn.), Carleton College (Minn.) and Macalester College (Minn.).

Luther is coming off a season in which it won the Iowa Conference.

Jewell competes at nationals

Jess Jewell (‘08) placed ninth in the shot put at the NCAA Division III National Indoor Championships, posting a distance of 43-7. However, Jewell fell one place shy of earning All-America honors. Monique Riddick of Montclair State (N.J.) won the individual title with a throw of 46-4 3/4.

Jewell, the Iowa Conference indoor champion, was the only Norse athlete to qualify for the 2008 national finals and now looks forward to the outdoor track and field season.

Softball starts season strong

Luther split its two-game series with both Augustana-Rock Island (Ill.) and Maryville University (Mo.) in St. Louis.

In game one, Luther broke a 3-3 tie with Augustana in the bottom of the seventh inning. Kelsey Hake (‘10) doubled to left field, driving in Tami Magner (‘08) in what proved to be the game-winning run. Hake’s hit was her third of the game. Kim Lambert (‘10) picked up the win in relief, throwing the final four innings. Lambert allowed just one hit, struck out four and walked two.

Luther trailed 3-0 in the second game, entering the top half of the seventh but exploded for five runs to secure the come-from behind 5-3 victory over Maryville.

Magner’s two-run homer started the rally. Ashley Hoffman (‘09) followed Magner’s home run with a double to right, and Tiffany Kruse (‘10) doubled to right center field, driving in two runs, including the game winner.

Magner’s home run was her fourth of the season and also gave her the Luther career record with 27. She passed Lisa Huinker (‘07) who produced 26 home runs during her career with the Norse.

BreAnn VanDeer (‘09) pitched six full innings en route to the victory. Shallyn Duffy (‘08) was credited with the save, retiring all three batters she faced in the bottom of the seventh.

Sunday was not as kind to the Norse, who dropped both games during the day. In a 3-1 loss to Augustana, the Norse bats were quiet, producing just three hits and a lone run driven in by Danielle Armbruster (‘09).

In a 4-3 loss to Maryville, Luther scored once in the bottom of the first, fourth and fifth innings but was unable to hold the Maryville offense. Magner tallied multiple hits going 2-4 at the plate.

The series splits come after the Norse opened their season in dominant fashion with two wins over St. Olaf College (Minn.) on March 10, winning 8-0 in the first game and 9-0 in the second. Luther allowed only four hits in 10 innings of play.

This gives the Norse an overall record of 4-2. Luther will return to action when they play 10 games during a trip to Tucson, Ariz. over spring break.

Men’s tennis splits victories, takes loss

The Norse took two victories and dropped a match while improving their season record to 12-5.

Luther played split-squad matches with some players traveling to Waterloo to face Graceland College, while others traveled to Waverly to face Wartburg College and Wabash College (Ind.).

Luther defeated Wartburg 7-2 with a sweep of the doubles matches and singles wins by Alex Spilde (‘11), Jacob Reitz (‘10), Steve Holt (‘11) and Cole Henry (‘09).

Simultaneously, another part of the team was en route to a 8-1 defeat of Wabash. The Norse once again swept the doubles matches and saw singles victories from Max Busch (‘10), Harrison Whiteley (‘11), Tim Eisele (‘08), Reid Mason (‘08) and Jared Wiklund (‘08).

Luther, though, was unable to realize any success against Graceland and was handed its worst loss of the season in a 9-0 drubbing. The Norse failed to win a set in singles play.

Luther next travels to Orlando, Fla. for a spring break tournament. The Norse are ranked 12th in their region.

Information gathered in part from Luther College Sports Information.