Pio Sports

Highlights: Men’s Rowing, Track and Field, Softball and Baseball, Tennis and Golf

Men’s Rowing

In one of the highlights of Lewis & Clark’s spring season, the men’s rowing team won the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference Championship for the first time since 2007. The Pioneer men’s coach, Lincoln LaRoe, was honored as NCRC Men’s Coach of the Year. Lewis & Clark seniors Brandon Adams and Jessica Asbridge were recognized as members of the NCRC All-Conference Team.

Track and Field

The men’s and women’s track and field teams boasted several stand-out competitors this year, including the Pioneers’ Male and Female Athletes of the Year, seniors Karl Dickman and Liska Havel.

Dickman set several personal bests this season, while making a name for himself in Lewis & Clark’s All-Time Records.

After not competing in the javelin for three years, sophomore John Berokoff set a new Lewis & Clark record while at the Northwest Conference Championships. Berokoff finished in third place, earning All-Conference honors, with a distance  of 184-09, which broke David Owen’s record from 1990. The Pioneer hurler entered the javelin ranked sixth in the conference.

On the women’s side, Havel competed in the heptathlon for the first time in her career, earning All-Conference First-Team honors in the event. She also earned a spot on the All-Conference First-Team in the 200-meter dash. Havel was named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA All-Academic District 8 Second-Team for her GPA and overall athletic accomplishments.

The women’s team had four other All- Conference performances, two from junior Cheyenne Feliz, and one each from first-year Illana Livstrom and junior Alla Khalitova.

Softball and Baseball

Jessica Mullins BA ’10, a star on the Pioneer softball diamond, received an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Award for the 2010 season. The national award honors undergraduates of color who have achieved success in the classroom and on the field of competition. Mullins is the only student-athlete, female or male, from a Northwest Conference school who made the list.

During the spring season, both the Pioneer baseball and softball teams saw new coaches at the helm. Shawna Feldt completed her first season as the Pioneers’ new softball coach, after being hired in July 2009. Former assistant baseball coach Eric Deovlet took over as the interim head coach for the Pios after former head coach Justin Baughman took a job with the San Diego Padres. Deovlet guided the Pioneers to wins against the Whitworth Pirates and Willamette Bearcats.

Tennis

The women’s tennis team surprised their conference opponents with a third-place finish, despite missing ace Amalia Nilsson. Nilsson, a junior and two-time NWC Player of the Year, had to sit out the conference tournament due to injury.

The men’s side also struggled with injuries, which translated into a challenging season.

Golf

The men’s and women’s golf teams hosted the NWC Championships, putting on one of the best tournaments in recent conference memory. First-year coach Michael Charles was able to put together team score for both programs, which the Pios have struggled with in the past.