June 10 -- Steve Project, Pete Rusticus and The VanderWeide Family Foundation announce the 2009 all-star games for their NAIA Champions of Character "Who Says You Can't Come Home" series. Top senior college b-ballers from the Greater Grand Rapids area and local colleges will compete in a unique all-star format with Division I, II, III and NAIA players competing against returning pros. (A unique Pro-Am format!)

The College All-Star games will be on Wednesday, June 17th at Cornerstone' Mol Arena... free parking and air conditioning. The 2nd Annual College All-Star game times include Women's game at 5:30pm; Men's game at 7:30pm.

The 3rd Annual High School All-Star games will feature the top senior boys and girls, who were nominated by organizers, local high school and college coaches, and our media panel. These games will also be at Cornerstone on Thursday, June 18th with the Girls' game tipping off at 5:30pm; Boys game at 7:30pm.

Aquinas College will be represented in the College All-Star game with former Saints, Pedja Lazic and Jordan Torres. Incoming freshman Brett Pfahler and Lindsey Karpowicz will also be on showcase in the High School All Star game.

Tickets will be only $5.00 at the door. The goal is to raise $5000-$7500 in support on the "Champions of Character Lecturing Initiative", in which every player, coach, referee, parent, and spectator will commit back to the true spirit of competition through respect, integrity, responsibility, leadership, and sportsmanship. Rosters will be released in early June. Major Corporate Sponsors are The Vanderweide Family Foundation, MVP Sports, Meijer, and Monster Energy Drink.

For more information, contact Steve Project at 616 262-7369.

May 26 -- The foursome of Nicole Parker, Joordan Hall, Samantha DeStefano and Allison Strouse teamed up to place 5th at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships in the 4x100 meter relay. The Saints recorded a 47.11 in the finals to establish a new school record. Devin Tarrant also enjoyed a successful national as he bettered his personal best in the discus (165-1) by seven feet to place seventh overall. Tarrant's toss places him second on the Aquinas College all-time list.

Rumeal McKinney just missed the finals in the 100 meter dash as he ran a 10.80 to place 9th. The women's 4x800 meter relay placed 10th in a time of 9:26.38 (Caitlyn Bonney, Chelsey Bonney, Alicia Boynton and Chaney Robinson). The men's 4x100 meter relay (Blake Garvey, Dustin Johnson, Matt Hewson and Rumeal McKinney) ran the fourth fastest time in school history as they recorded a 41.25.

May 26 -- The Aquinas College Athletic Department is proud to announce that 13 student-athletes from spring sports have been honored with Academic All American status by the NAIA. The student-athlete must be of junior or senior status and have maintained a 3.5 G.P.A. through their respective season.

2009 Spring Academic All American

Jessica Morse -- Women's Golf

Lauren Cherluck -- Women's Tennis

Kellie McGee -- Women's Tennis

Kristi Labinski -- Women's Softball

Will Eberle -- Men's Baseball

Dan Salvati -- Men's Baseball

Nick Papes -- Men's Baseball

Emily Popma -- Women's Track & Field

Allison Strouse -- Women's Track & Field

Chris Leikert -- Men's Track & Field

Sean McGlothlin -- Men's Track & Field

Cameron Smith -- Men's Track & Field

Devin Tarrant -- Men's Track & Field

Andy Vereecke -- Men's Track & Field

May 26 -- The dynamic duo of Ashley Aspinall and Jackie Plough were both recently named to the NAIA Softball All American Second Team. The two were instrumental in the Saints success this past season (39-14).

Ashley Aspinall, WHAC Player of the Year, batted .455; including 21 doubles and 63 RBI's this past season for the Saints. Aspinall's numbers produced single season records in all three categories. Ashley completes her career at Aquinas as the all-time leader in hits (242), doubles (57), home runs (29), RBI's (185), batting average (.425), total bases (404), slugging percentage (.710), on base percentage (.499) and walks (87).

Jackie Plough's senior season was also one to remember as she slugged eleven home runs, recorded 54 RBI's and batted .413. Plough's patience behind the plate also resulted in the single season record for walks with 35. Jackie finishes her career as second all time in home runs (26), slugging percentage (.657) and on base average (.473).

Congratulations Ashley & Jackie!!!!

The national quaifiers are:

Matt Hewson (Petoskey) - 400m Relay
Dustin Johnson (Iron River)  - 400m Relay
Blake Garvey ( Greenville) - 400m Relay

Nicole Parker (Kalamazoo Central) - 400m Relay
Rumeal McKinney (Southfield) - 100m and 400m Relay
Emily Popma (Lansing Waverly) - 10,000m
Samantha DeStefano (Forest Hills Central) - 400m Relay
Allison Strouse (Lansing Catholic Central) – 100m/400m Relay
Joordn Hall (Wyoming Rogers) - 400m Relay
Chris Leikert (Grand Rapids West Catholic) - 3200m Relay
Dustin Heiler (Fowlerville) - 3200m Relay
Andy Vereecke (Grand Rapids West Catholic) - 3200m Relay
Nick Thelen (Grand Ledge) - 3200m Relay
Caitlyn Bonney (Port Huron) - 3200m Relay

         Chelsea Bonney (Port Huron) – 3200m Relay        

Alicia Boynton (Muskegon Reeths Puffer) - 3200m Relay
Chaney Robinson (Middleville) - 3200m Relay
Katy Cramer (Cedar Springs) – 10000m
Devin Tarrant (Bath) - Discus
    Michael Gravelyn (Grand Rapids West Catholic) – 10,000m

Heather Becker (Lowell) - Hammer Throw

The competition begins on Thursday with the finals of the women's hammer throw. Action in Edwardsville will come to a close on Saturday night. Updated results can be found at www.naia.org.

May 11 -- For the second consecutive year, Aquinas College placed first in the race for the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) All-Sports Trophy. The Saints have captured the WHAC All-Sports Trophy in ten of the last twelve years. The WHAC All-Sports Trophy is computed using the highest finish in eight conference sports (four women and four men) for each school.

Each sport champion is awarded points based on the number of schools participating in each sport. For a sport with all eight schools participating, eight points are awarded for first place with second receiving seven and so on. A tie results in adding the total points for the tied spots together and dividing by the number of teams that are tied, with the teams sharing the points.  Aquinas edged out second-place Madonna by three points.

The Saints won conference championships in Men's Cross Country, Men's Basketball, Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's Outdoor Track & Field, Women's Outdoor Track & Field and tied for the top spot in Men's Soccer.

WHAC All-Sports Overall Results

May 5 -- The women's softball team concluded their season in the championship game of the WHAC Tournament yesterday. Aquinas, which played a total of seven games during the Friday/Monday Tournament, fell to Madonna 11-3 in the championships game. The Saints never gave up and kept battling every step of the way on their journey through the brackets. The Saints went 5-2 in the tournament and finished the season with a 39-14 overall record. The 2009 season marks the third most successful season in terms of wins (39) in school history (the record is 42 wins in 2000 and 2001 seasons). During Coach Laska's first two seasons the Saints are an impressive 70-28, a winning percentage of 71%.

During the tournament the Saints were led by Sam Kendall, who went 13-27 (.482) with four runs scored and two R.B.I.'s. On the mound Alyssa Fleser pitched her heart out as she went 4-0 in the tournament. Fleser allowed only 14 runs in 34 innings of work, needless to say her arm is still on ice.

The Aquinas College family extends its gratitude and appreciation to the five student-athletes who completed their Aquinas College softball careers. The contributions of Ashley Aspinall, Carenna DeMull, Kristi Labinski, Courtney Miles and Jackie Plough have helped to pave the way for future Saints squads and will all be greatly missed.

All Conference: Corey Gross (C), Jon Morse (OF),

Marc Sobota (SP)

All Conference Honorable Mention: Mike Kaiser, Earl Clover, Kennen Less, Adam Farrell

Champion of Character: Dan Salvati

Coach of Character: Doug Greenslate

Academic All Conference: Andrew Bard, Nick Papes,

Adam Farrell, Dan Salvati, Will Eberle, Earl Clover

May 4 -- The Aquinas College men's and women's track & field teams both successfully defended their WHAC Outdoor Championships this past weekend. Both squad's finished 45 points ahead of second place finisher, Cornerstone. The Saints competed at a very high level and used a true team effort to outdistance themselves from the rest of the competition. Highlighting the meet was Aquinas' Devin Tarrant , who was named the WHAC's Most Valuable Performer for collecting 32 points at the WHAC Championships. Other outstanding performances were turned in by All-WHAC performers:

Rumeal McKinney - (4x100M Relay, 100M, 200M)

Matt Hewson - (4x100M Relay)

Dustin Johnson - (4x100M Relay)

Blake Garvey - (4x100M Relay)

Devin Tarrant - (Discus & Javelin)

Heather Becker - (Hammer Throw)

Joordan Hall - (100M)

Chris Leikert - (1500M)

Emily Popma - (10,000M)

WHAC CHAMPIONSHIPS MEET RESULTS

April 30 -- Members of the Aquinas College women's softball team were honored by the WHAC for their efforts on and off the softball field.

WHAC Player of the Year: Ashley Aspinall

All Conference: Ashley Aspinall, Jackie Plough, Cirina Jones, Courtney Miles

All Conference Honorable Mention: Whitney Hudson

Champion of Character: Sarah Doss

Academic All Conference: Ashley Aspinall, Sam Kendall,

Kristy Labinski

Congratulations ladies and good luck in the upcoming WHAC tournament!!!

April 27 -- The men's and women's track and field teams sent a van load to the Hillsdale Gina Relays on Friday night and then proceeded to host the Aquinas College Open on Saturday. The Saints continue to show improvement and look forward to the upcoming WHAC Championships which will be contested at Olivet College on Friday.

Highlighting the weekend for the Saints were the men's and women's 4x800 meter relays who automatically qualified for the National Championships in Edwardsville, Illinois. The men's team consisted of Nick Thelen, Kolin Stickney, Andy Vereecke and Chris Leikert; the foursome ran 7:44.09 (the third fastest time in Aquinas history). Caitlyn Bonney, Chelsey Bonney, Alicia Boynton and Chaney Robinson teamed up to record a time 9:29.13, six seconds under the qualifying time.

On Saturday, the Saints recorded 15 first place finishes at the Aquinas College Open. Outstanding performances included Joordan Hall's personal best time of 25.36 (third fastest all-time) in the 200m and BJ Klotz whose 50.22 in the 400m was also a personal best.

April 24 -- Kimble Stadium will be the place to be today as the Aquinas College baseball team plays host to the #13 ranked team in the country, Madonna. As of this morning, Madonna leads the Saints by two games in the race for the WHAC title and the #1 seed in the upcoming WHAC tournament.

The Saints have won five straight games and 15 of their last 17 to push their overall record to 20-16 and 10-6 in the WHAC. The Saints offensively have been led by Jon Morse who leads the team with a .387 batting average and ten stolen bases. Kennen Less has collected 24 RBI's and Jon Good supplies the power, as he leads the Saints with four home runs.

The pitching has been solidified during the last couple of weeks thanks in part to the performances of Marc Sobota (5-1,

3.64 ERA), Mike Keron (3-2, 4.23 ERA) and Mike Kaiser (5-1, 4.29 ERA). Sobota leads the team with two shutouts and 29 strikeouts.

The double header will begin at Kimble Stadium at 1 p.m. with the back half of the four game set being contested at Madonna tomorrow.

GO SAINTS!!!

April 24 -- The women's softball team continues its drive for a WHAC championship as they swept a doubleheader from Indiana Tech last night (12-4,13-1). The Saints control their own destiny as tomorrows doubleheader at Madonna should go a long way in determining the regular season champion in the WHAC. Madonna (22-2) is currently one game up on Aquinas (20-2) in the WHAC standings.

The Saints, who have won 23 of their last 25 games, won both games with the Warriors in five innings. Whitney Hudson picked up the win in the first game as she scattered four runs on seven hits. Hudson's victory was her 18th on the season. In game two, Alyssa Fleser notched her 14th victory of the season as she held the Warriors to one run and three hits. Offensively the Saints were led by Megan Lohman's 3-5 performance which included a home run, five RBI's and four runs scored. The duo of Cirina Jones and Careena DeMull also combined for two home runs, seven RBI's and eight runs scored for the Saints.

Following Saturday's games against Madonna, the Saints will travel for a doubleheader on Sunday to UM Dearborn before heading home on Monday for the home finale versus Davenport at 4 p.m.

April 22 -- The Aquinas men's and women's track and field teams made a stop in Midland over the weekend to take part in the Northwood Invitational. The meet was highlighted by Joordan Hall's record breaking performance in the 100 Meter dash (12.19). Hall's record run, which also automatically qualifies her for the national championships, eclipses the previous record held by Nicole Parker (12.31). Other Saints who performed well at Northwood included:

Allison Strouse - 100M, Provisional Qualifier,

2nd All-Time 12.31

Allison Strouse - 100M Hurdles, Provisional Qualifier,

3rd All-Time 15.22

Kaitlyn Meernik - 3000M Steeplechase, 1st place 12:10.51

Women's 4x100M - Automatic Qualifier, 2nd All-Time 47.81

The Saints return to action on Saturday as they host their only local meet of the season. The Aquinas Open will be contested at Forest Hills Northern with the field events starting at 11 a.m.

April 17 -- On a picture perfect day for softball, the Aquinas women swept a pair from Indiana Tech 5-0 and 10-2. The victories push the Saints overall record to 26-8 and 14-2 in the WHAC. Aquinas will look to continue their push towards a WHAC championship with home contests versus Concordia and Siena Heights this weekend.

Game one of the double header saw Whitney Hudson (14-4) throw a three hit shutout in the Saints 5-0 victory. Cirina Jones went 2-4 with two RBI's in the contest. Sam Kendall, Kelcie Laleman and Kristi Labinski also contributed two hits apiece for the Saints.

In game two the Saints sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning en route to an eight run first. The eight runs were more than enough for Alyssa Fleser who allowed two runs on only one hit to notch her 12th victory of the year. Offensively the Saints were led by Logan Marsh who collected three hits and Allison Miller who went 2-2, scored two runs and knocked in two runs. Megann Lohman and Sam Kendall also picked up two hits apiece.

April 16 -- The women's softball team split a double header with Cornerstone, winning the first game 9-3 and dropping the second game 6-3. The Saints record now stands at 12-2 in WHAC and 24-8 overall. Aquinas and Indiana Tech will play today in a rescheduled twin bill from earlier in the week.

In game one the Saints used two four run innings to outdistance themselves from the Golden Eagles. Ashley Aspinall led the attack for Aquinas as she had three hits and four RBI's. Cirina Jones chipped in with three hits and Careena DeMull contributed two hits and two RBI's. In all the Saints racked up 15 hits versus Cornerstone's Rachel Gruppen. Whitney Hudson (13-4) provided the mound support as she allowed one earned run and six hits in seven innings of work.

In game two the Golden Eagles struck quickly putting the Saints in a 6-1 hole after the second inning. Aquinas' pitching and defense held, but the offense could not generate enough momentum to overcome the deficit. Cornerstone's Kaycee Kuiper allowed one earned run and seven hits against the Saints. The split improves Cornerstone's record to 7-24 on the year and 4-9 in league play.

April 16 -- The men's baseball team continues its second half surge as the Saints picked up a pair of victories over Rochester College yesterday. Aquinas, winners of ten of their last eleven games, now finds themselves two games over the .500 mark with an overall record of 17-15. The two losses drops Rochester's record on the season to 5-19.

The Saints received big performances in game one from Kennen Less and Jake Roe, both of whom accounted for three hits apiece. The Aquinas pitching staff did the rest as Evan Singleton, Cory Garneau, Joey Dotson and Earl Clover combined to allow only three runs on three hits. The Saints won game one 5-3.

Game two saw the Saints fall behind early 2-0, but a four run sixth inning propelled Aquinas to the 6-2 victory. Corey Gross delivered a key two run single in the decisive sixth inning en route to a 2-3 day with three RBI's. The Saints also received two hits apiece from Brent Serba, Andrew Bard and Byran Carey. The trio of Jim Peters, Mark Nagy and Dan VanSingel combined to shutdown the Warriors on two runs and four hits.

The Saints return to action on Saturday as they travel to Adrian to play Siena Heights starting at 1 p.m.

April 14 -- Ashley Aspinall led Aquinas to a 5-1 week, including a victory against #17 Madonna, to grab Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Softball Player of the Week.

Aspinall, a senior from Freeport, Mich., batted .611 during the week and continued her 15-game hitting streak. The right fielder was 11-for-18 with three homeruns and 13 RBIs during the six games. She also scored six runs and was walked five times as Aquinas improved to 23-7. Aspinall currently ranks 11th in the country with 1.321 RBIs per game.

April 14 -- After taking three of four this weekend from WHAC foes, the Aquinas College women's softball team has now won 14 of their last 15 games. Coach Crystal Laska has her veteran team playing at a very high level as the league season enters its final two weeks. Overall the Saints are 23-7 and currently sitting at the top of the WHAC with Madonna, both schools have one loss in league play.

After dropping the first game to the #17 ranked Crusaders from Madonna 7-4, the Saints rattled off three straight wins to conclude their week. Once again the key remains solid starting pitching from the Hudson/Fleser duo. Over the course of the three wins (8-0 over Madonna and 7-4, 9-2 over UM Dearborn), the Aquinas pitchers allowed only one earned run on 21 hits.

The offense was keyed by Ashley Aspinall's big weekend. The senior outfielder hit .666 (8-12) and scored five runs and recorded 11 RBI's. Cirina Jones also hit the ball well as she went 6-13 with one home run and three RBI's.

The Saints will return to action this week with games versus Indiana Tech, Cornerstone, Concordia and Siena Heights.

April 14 -- The men's and women's track & field teams headed south this past weekend to compete in the SIUE Cougar Classic in Edwardsville, Illinois. The Saints competed very well placing in many events and hitting national qualifying standards in the process. The meet was highlighted by Allison Strouse's performance in the 200M where she established a new school record (25.10). Other meet highlights included:

Allison Strouse - 200M, National "A" Qualifier, School Record, 25.10

Rumeal McKinney - 100M, National "A" Qualifier, #2 All Time, 10.69

Heather Becker - Hammer, National "A" Qualifier, 157-07

Women's 4x100M Relay, National "A" Qualifier, 47.99

Joordan Hall - 100M, National "B" Qualifier, #2 All Time, 12.33

Devin Tarrant - Discus, National "B" Qualifier, 156-10

Men's 4x100M Relay, National "B" Qualifier, 42.05

Allison Strouse - 100M Hurdles, #4 All Time, 15.64

Caitlyn Bonney - 800M, 1st place, 2:18.08

The Saints will return to action on Saturday as they take part in the Northwood Invitational.

April 14 -- After a slow start to the spring the men's baseball team seems to be hitting their stride at just the right time. The Saints have won eight out of their last nine, including a 7-1 mark in league play over that stretch. The command of the pitching staff and timely hitting has catapulted the Saints into third place in the WHAC with only one game separating themselves from first. Over the Easter weekend the Saints took three of four from Davenport in the two team's first ever meetings.

After losing the first game 9-7 in ten innings, the Saints responded with three straight victories over the Panthers. Over the course of the last three games, Saints pitchers (Marc Sabota, Mike Kaiser and Joe Welton) have allowed a total of four runs. Aquinas victories (2-1, 6-2, and 11-1) move the Saints to the .500 mark for the first time since early March. Offensively Brent Serba enjoyed a big weekend as Serba had six hits and six rbi's for the Saints.

The Saints will look to continue their winning ways with contests this week versus Northwood, Rochester and Siena Heights.

April 9 -- The much anticipated showdown between Aquinas and Davenport softball lived up to the hype as both teams put it all on the line yesterday afternoon at the Christian Recreation Center.

The Saints came away victorious in both games (6-3 & 3-0) to run their overall record to 20-6 and Aquinas remains perfect in the WHAC with an 8-0 league record.

In game one the Saints spotted the Panthers a 3-0 lead after three innings. Aquinas stayed calmed and tied the game up in the top of the fifth on a two run single by Ashley Aspinall. The Saints broke the game open in the top of the seventh as the Saints scored on a passed ball and two one run singles by Megann Lohman and Careena DeMull. Whitney Hudson continues her fine pitching as she was awarded the victory. Hudson gave up three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work.

In the back half of the double header the Saints used three solo home runs and an outstanding pitching effort to win game two, 3-0. Solo blasts off the bats of Jackie Plough, Logan Marsh and Coutney Miles combined with a dominating performance by Alyssa Flesser was all the Saints needed to wrap up the two game sweep. Flesser pitched a two hit shutout to run her overall record to 10-2 on the year.

Next up for the Saints is a home date with co-leader in the WHAC Madonna, who is currently ranked #17 in the country, and sports the same 8-0 record in league play as the Saints. The first game will begin at 3 p.m. on Friday at the Aquinas College softball field.

April 8 -- Aquinas College is proud to announce the signing of Lindsey Karpowicz, two-sport star from Grandville High School, to a national letter of intent.

Coach Linda Nash states, "Lindsey Karpowicz is the most polished post player I saw play this season. She is strong, she defends and she has a very soft shooting touch around the basket. She will be a great addition to our program and I think she will turn a lot of heads as she plugs into our system. She is a hard worker and I like her competitive nature and work ethic."

Karpowicz was recently named to the All-Area Girl's Basketball Dream Team and broke Grandville's school record in the discus. Lindsey's successes go far beyond the playing field as she has accumulated many honors within her school and community.

April 8 -- Keron, a native of Grand Rapids, pitched a 6-1 victory against Concordia University to help the Saints improve their overall record to 11-14. The senior allowed two hits and one run while striking out three and walking three. Keron's 1.29 ERA was his best outing this season.

The Catholic Central grad is currently 3-1 on the season and posts a 3.95 earned run average. Keron and the rest of the Saints will return to action with games against Olivet and Davenport this week.

April 7 -- The Aquinas women's softball team swept a pair from both Siena Heights and Concordia this past weekend. The four victories extended the Saints winning streak to nine games and keeps Aquinas undefeated in league play (6-0).

On Saturday the Saints squared off with Siena Heights in Adrian. In game one the Saints scored two in the seventh on a single by Cirina Jones to give the Saints a 4-3 victory. Alyssa Fleser picked up her eighth victory of the year. Game two of the twin bill was not as close as the Saints won 15-4 in six innings. The Saints broke a 4-4 tie by scoring eleven runs in the top half of the sixth inning. Offensively the Saints were fueled by Ashley Aspinall who went 3-5 and knocked in six runs and Logan Marsh (2-4, 1 RBI, 4 runs scored). Whitney Hudson, who was awarded the victory, pitched three innings and allowed one run.

The Saints continued their road trip on Sunday as they played host Concordia in Ann Arbor. The Saints broke open a scoreless tie in the fifth inning of game one with a four run spurt keyed by three hits and three errors. The four run cushion was more than enough for Alyssa Fleser, who earned her ninth victory of the year as she allowed one run on six hits. The Saints defeated the Cardinals 8-1 in the first game. In game two, the Saints shutout Concordia 12-0 in a five inning game. Whitney Hudson pitched a four hit complete game for the Saints. Kelcie Laleman went 2-4 and had four RBI's, while Courtney Miles contributed three hits for the Saints.

Aquinas (18-6, 6-0 WHAC) will travel across town to play Davenport tomorrow at 4 p.m.

April 7 -- The men's lacrosse program continues to shine in its first year of existence. The Saints record now stands at 5-2 after its

12-4 victory over Saginaw Valley State on Saturday.

Matt Schelter opened the scoring for the Saints as he scored his first of three goals early in the first period. Aquinas reeled off the next three goals before SVSU ever found the back of the net. After taking a 4-2 halftime lead into the locker room, the Saints opened the second half scoring with seven straight goals to put the game away. Nick Avendt was strong in net as he saved 14 shots on goal by the Cardinals.

The Saints enjoy a small break from competition before returning to action on April 16 with a road match at Davenport.

April 7 -- The Saints began the outdoor portion of their schedule in East Lansing at the MSU Spartan Invitational this past weekend. Aquinas recorded some impressive performances for an early season meet. Highlights from the meet included:

Victor Ramirez - 1st place - 800m -1:56.06

Rumeal McKinney - 1st place - 100m - 10.97

Men's 4x100 Meter Relay - 1st place - 42.07 - National "B" Qualifier

Allison Strouse - 200m - 25.43 - National "B" Qualifier

Emily Popma - 5000m - 18:24.14 - National "B" Qualifier

The Saints will return to action this Saturday as they travel to Edwardsville, Illinois to compete in the SIUE Cougar Classic.

April 6 -- The men's baseball team enjoyed a successful weekend as the Saints swept four from Concordia. Aquinas received solid pitching performances and are beginning to get some pop in their bats as the four wins evens out the Saints conference record at 4-4. The victories improve their overall record to 11-14.

On Saturday the Saints played at Kimble Stadium where pitching reigned supreme as Aquinas received gems from Mike Keron and Marc Sobota. Keron was awarded the victory in the first game as he allowed one run on two hits, while Sobota notched the victory in game two as he allowed one earned run on nine hits. Offensively the Saints were paced by Corey Gross who went 2-2 and had four RBI's in the first game which the Saints won 6-1. In game two, which Aquinas won 5-2, Ryan Grigonis had two hits and Brent Serba knocked in two runs.

On Sunday the Saints traveled to Ann Arbor to complete the series with the Cardinals. Different location, but same result for the Saints as Aquinas won both games, 18-7 and 10-2. In game one, the Saints pounded out 18 runs on 19 hits. The offensive explosion was keyed by Kennen Less (4-5, 3 runs and 3 RBI's), Brent Serba (3-5, 3 runs and 2 RBI's) and Ryan Grigonis (3-5, 1 run and 2 RBI's). Mike Kaiser took care of the rest as he was awarded the victory as he allowed three earned runs in six innings of work. The Saints bat did not quite in game two as Aquinas recorded ten runs on thirteen hits. The trio of Nick Papes (3-4, 2 runs and 2 RBI's), Bryan Cary (2-4, 2 runs and 3 RBI's) and Andrew Bard (3-4 and 2 runs), all made major contributions. Hurler Joe Welton recorded his first win of the year as gave up two runs on five hits.

The Saints look to carry the momentum from this weekend into games this week versus Bethel, Olivet and Davenport.

April 2 -- The Aquinas women's softball team opened WHAC play with a pair of victories over Cornerstone last night. The Saints used sound pitching and timely hitting to defeat the Golden Eagles 7-4 and 8-2. The Saints currently have a 14-6 overall record and are 2-0 in league play.

In game one the Saints broke the game open with a three run second to seize control of the game 5-0. During the inning Aquinas used three hits and three errors to score their three runs. The combination of Whitney Hudson and Alyssa Fleser teamed up to secure the victory for the Saints. Hudson notched her seventh win of the season as she scattered four runs and eight hits over six and a third innings. Fleser picked up the save as she retired the last two hitters with runners on the corners.

In the second half of the doubleheader the Saints used a six run third to break a 1-1 tie. Aquinas scored six runs on five hits and two errors in the inning. Ashley Aspinall led the attack as she posted a 3-4 day, scoring one run and producing one RBI. Alyssa Fleser went the distance as she picked up her seventh win of the season Fleser struck out four and allowed two runs and six hits.

Aquinas will return to action on Saturday as they travel to Siena Heights to play the Saints who are currently 10-21 overall and 0-3 in league play.

April 2 -- The Aquinas College men's tennis team extended their winning streak to six matches as they defeated Hope College 5-4. The Saints, who are currently ranked 22nd in the latest NAIA coaches poll, now have an overall record of 12-5. The Saints will look to continue their winning ways as they travel to Fort Wayne to battle Indiana Tech this Saturday.

The Saints received wins from Tuan-ahn Tran (6-3, 7-5), Nick Ludwig (6-1, 6-4) and Travis Wolf (6-1, 6-3) in singles. The duos of Wolf and John Telfer (8-4) and Dan Doerrfield and Michael Sendor (8-5) combined efforts to score victories in two out of the three doubles matches. The loss drops Hope College to 5-6 on the year.

April 1 -- The Aquinas College men's lacrosse team continues to see success in its first year of existence. The Saints defeated Calvin College 9-7 en route to their fourth victory in five games.

The Saints opened up an 8-3 lead heading into the fourth period before Calvin mounted their comeback. The Knights never quit as they scored three goals during a 16 second stretch midway through the final period. The Saints responded and held Calvin at bay as they held the Knights scoreless for the rest of the game and added an insurance goal themselves just for good measure. The Saints were led in goals by Michael Matych who connected on four of his eight shots and received strong effort in net by Nick Avendt who collected 13 saves.

The Saints will look to improve on their 4-1 record as they travel to Grand Valley State on Thursday.

March 31 -- The men's baseball team suffered a pair of setbacks yesterday as they dropped two games to Indiana Tech. The Saints record now stands at 6-13 overall and 0-4 in WHAC play. Aquinas will look to get back on track as they travel to Purdue North Central on Wednesday to tangle with the Panthers.

In the first game of the doubleheader the Saints squandered a two run lead heading into the final inning. A four run seventh proved to be the difference as the Warriors won game one 6-4. Offensively the Saints received three hits and two RBI's from Jon Morse and a pair of hits by Ryan Grigonis. Mike Kaiser suffered the defeat as he allowed six runs on twelve hits.

In game two the Saints were stymied by Warrior pitchers Tyler Snoke and Jordan Swift. The duo allowed one Saint to cross the plate and only gave up four hits. On the flip side, Indiana Tech racked up ten runs and 14 hits on the Saints pitchers. The 10-1 defeat ended the four game series versus Indiana Tech.

March 31 -- The combination of snow, sleet and rain did not slow down the Saints as they defeated Northern Michigan in overtime

8-7. The game saw five ties and six lead changes heading into the fourth period when Northern extended the lead to two, 7-5. The Saints stormed back as Matt Schelter's third goal of the game brought the Saints within one goal and Eric Emens tied the score with just over two minutes to play in the game. Aquinas completed the comeback with a goal by Nate McCorry 90 seconds into the extra period.

Aquinas who currently sports a 3-1 record will be in action tonight as they host Calvin College at 5:30 p.m.

March 31 -- The Aquinas College men's tennis team is in the midst of a five game winning streak in which they have won 41 out of a possible 45 matches. During the stretch the Saints have defeated Wheaton, Tiffin, Calumet, Indiana Wesleyan and Cedarville. Overall the Saints record stands at 11-5 on the year and Aquinas is currently ranked #22 in the latest NAIA coach's poll.

The Saints have been led by Travis Wolf, Nick Ludwig and Tuan-ahn Tran, all of whom have posted double digit win totals in singles play this year. The Saints will travel to Holland on Wednesday to play Hope College and then continue the road trip on Saturday as they will square off with Indiana Tech.

March 31 -- Women's Lacrosse coach Frank Rogers is pleased to announce the signing of two players to National Letters of Intent for next year. Kati Rogers of Portage Central and Brianne Stockall of Okemos are the first two signings for the new Aquinas Women's Lacrosse program which will begin play next year. Rogers brings great leadership and scoring ability to the Saints, having been a 3 time captain for her school team and having posted 148 goals, 116 assists and 274 ground balls going into her senior year. Kati has also been the captain and leading scorer for her travel team, Harrow LC.

Bre is also a captain for her Okemos team, has been all state both as a goalie and academics and has a long list of awards as a outstanding goalkeeper for the Chiefs. Off the field Bre is a member of the National Honor Society and the Key Club and also plays her club lacrosse for the Harrow LC who she led to a number of tournament championships.

March 30 -- The men's baseball team opened the WHAC portion of their schedule on Saturday in Fort Wayne versus Indiana Tech. The Saints fell to the Warriors in both games 10-0 and 3-2. The rematch scheduled for Sunday at Kimble Stadium was postponed until this afternoon due to yesterday's winter blast.

In game one the Saints fell behind early as Indiana Tech capitalized on two errors and three hits to post a 4-0 lead after the first inning. The Warriors added a run in the second and five more in the fifth at which point the game was called with Indiana Tech leading 10-0. The Saints could only muster one hit versus John Paul Akers, who also struck out six. Mike Keron suffered his first loss of the season as he allowed six earned runs in four innings of work.

In game two the Saints and Warriors were locked in a pitchers dual between Marc Sobata and Isreal Martinez. Both pitcher's allowed two runs, but neither was awarded a decision for their efforts. Indiana Tech led 2-0 going into the top of the seventh before the Saints rallied to tie it up and force extra innings. In the seventh Aquinas received a bases loaded single by Andrew Bard that scored both Keenen Less and Will Eberle. The rally stopped their as Indiana Tech scored the game winning run in the bottom of the eighth as Kieran McCamment was forced in when Elijah Chee was hit by a pitch.

With the victories Indiana Tech improves to 14-15 overall and 2-0 in the WHAC, while the Saints drop to 6-11 overall and 0-2 in league play.

March 27 -- The fast paced, hard hitting, goal scoring action of men's lacrosse was officially alive and well on the Aquinas College campus yesterday. On an absolutely beautiful day for lacrosse the Saints and Flying Dutchman played in front of parents, students and friends in the first ever lacrosse match at Aquinas College.

Aquinas fell to Hope 19-11, but that did not distract from the excitement in and around the lacrosse field. The Saints scored right out of the gates on a goal by Jacob Jeffers. The Flying Dutchman responded by scoring 13 of the games next 17 goals. Trailing 13-5, Aquinas began to rally trimming Hope's advantage to 13-10. In the end the Flying Dutchman proved to be a little too much for the young Saints as Hope closed the match outscoring Aquinas 6-1. Offensively the Saints were led by Michael Matych's three goals.

Aquinas will return to action this Sunday starting at 10 a.m. as the Saints play host to Northern Michigan.

March 26 -- The men's baseball team traveled to Alma for a non-league contest versus the Scots. Alma scored early and often in the 11-5 victory over the Saints. Aquinas' record now stands at 6-9 overall with a four game home and home with Indiana Tech on tap for this weekend.

Offensively the Saints received stong hitting performances from Jon Morse and Adam Farrell. Morse collected a single, double, triple and scored three times. Farrell also collected three hits, two of which were doubles, and had two runs batted in.

March 26 -- The women's softball team opened the home portion of their schedule with a doubleheader sweep of Spring Arbor last night. The Saints defeated the Cougars in game one 5-3 and then rallied in game two to win 6-5 in eight innings.

The Saints struck first in game one as Kelcie Laleman doubled in two runs in the first inning. Spring Arbor responded with a three run second just to see the Saints tie it up in the third as Logan Marsh scored on a fielder's choice. In the bottom of the fifth the Saints received the go ahead run on a single by Ashley Aspinall. Courtney Miles proceeded to double home Kim Lohman for an insurance run and the 5-3 victory. Whitney Hudson had a strong outing on the mound as she allowed three runs and seven hits in her complete game victory.

In game two the Saints spotted the Cougars a four run lead heading into the bottom of the fourth; that's when the Saints offense found its stride. The big blow was a three run double by pinch hitter Cirina Jones. Spring Arbor responded with a run in the top of the fifth to extend the lead to 5-3. Jackie Plough scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth to bring the Saints back within one run. Aquinas tied the contest in the bottom of the sixth as Megann Lohman scored on a fielder choice following her triple to left field. The Saints completed the comeback as Jackie Plough scored on wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth to propel the Saints to the 6-5 win in eight innings. Whitney Hudson picked up the victory in relief as she allowed one run and one hit in four innings of work.

The Saints (12-6 overall) will travel to Chicago this weekend to take part in a tournament hosted by Robert Morris College.

March 23 -- After a 3-8 spring trip in Florida the Saints rattled off three consecutive victories this past weekend to run their overall record to 6-8. Aquinas swept a doubleheader from Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday and followed up with a win at Trine University on Sunday.

In game one versus Indiana Wesleyan the Saints received a fine pitching performance from Mike Keron who allowed two runs, five hits in six innings of work. Offensively the Saints used home runs by Jon Good and Adam Farrell and a three for three performance by Mike Kaiser to notch the 5-2 victory. The second half of the twin bill saw the Saints put a nine spot on the board in the first inning en route to the 11-0 decision. Will Eberle recorded five RBI's on the day, while Ryan Grigonis and Jon Morse both recorded two hits apiece. Marc Sobota throw a three hit complete game shutout for the Saints. Sobota also recorded five strikeouts in the contest.

On Sunday the Saints defeated Trine University 10-2 in a nine inning game. Mike Kaiser scattered five hits and one run over six innings of work to record the victory. The Saints bats were led by Kennen Less who connected on three base hits, Jon Good's second home run of the year and Drew Huard contribution of three scored runs and two runs batted in.

The Saints will return to action on Tuesday with a home exhibition doubleheader with Grand Rapids Community College starting at 3 p.m.

March 23 -- The Aquinas College men's lacrosse program has officially arrived. After months of preparation, Coach Griemsman and his Saints finally opened their season this past weekend in historic fashion. Aquinas was victorious in games against Augustana and Palmer College in their inaugural weekend matches.

In the first game in school history the Saints won a thriller against Augustana 9-8 in overtime. Aquinas scored a goal with seven seconds remaining in regulation to force the extra period. Nick Avendt recorded 20 saves in net for the Saints to notch the victory. Offensively the Saints received two goals each from Doug Sites, Matt Schelter and Jared Neumann.

The Saints continued their winning ways the next day as Aquinas defeated Palmer College 13-3. Nick Avendt stopped 7 of 8 shots and the Saints received four goal performances by Doug Sites and Matt Schelter.

Aquinas will be in action on Thursday at home versus Hope College at 5 p.m. The Saints and Flying Dutchman match will mark the first lacrosse match ever contested on the Aquinas College campus.

Pedja Lazic (Forest Hills Northern) was named to the First Team All-American squad.  Lazic averaged 16.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and shot 57% from the field for the Saints.  Pedja finished his career as the fifth most prolific scorer and ranks second on the all time rebound list for Aquinas.

John Lierman (Holt) was named to the Honorable Mention All-American Team. Lierman averaged 16.6 points and 6.1 rebounds. On the season Lierman made 71 three-pointers and moved up to #14 on the Aquinas College All-Time Scoring List.

Joslyn Narber (Wyoming Park) was named to the Third Team All-American squad.  Narber averaged 17.1 points and 6.1 points for the Saints. Joslyn moved up to the #4 spot on the Aquinas All-Time Scoring list with 1528 points. Narber also broke the school record for free throws made in a season (154) and free throw percentage (.875).

Carrie Abdo (Ann Arbor Gabrial Richard) was named to the Honorable Mention All-American Team.  Abdo averaged 15.1 points and 7.9 rebounds for the season.  Carrie finishes her career in 21st place on the All-Time Scoring list with 875 points. Abdo was also named an Academic All-American for her work in the classroom.

March 12 -- The men's basketball team fell victim to the College of the Ozarks last night 71-60. The loss eliminates the Saints from the National Tournament and ends their season with a 24-10 record.

Eight straight points scored by Corey Stone put Ozarks ahead by two, 10-8, early on in the first half. Aquinas briefly took the lead back only to have the Bobcats open up a five point advantage, 26-21. A three-pointer by John Lierman just before the half put the score at 26-24 as the teams went into the locker room. The Saints tied the game at 26 but a 7-0 run by Ozarks gave the Bobcats the lead for good with 14 minutes left to play.

Ozarks was led by senior guard Corey Stone who erupted for 36 points, 24 in the second half. Stone made 12-of-23 field goal attempts, 4-of-10 from beyond the arc and was perfect from the foul line (8-8). Scott McElvain netted 15 points and tied Stone for the team lead with seven rebounds. Ozarks won the battle of the boards, 38-26, and shot 42% from the floor.

March 12 -- The women's basketball season came to a close last night as they were eliminated from the NAIA National Tournament. The Saints fell to Kanasa Wesleyan in the first round by a score of 61-52. Aquinas finishes the year with a 19-11 overall record.

The Saints started fast in building a 14-7 lead at the 10:33 mark of the first half.  An 11-2 run gave Kansas Wesleyan their first lead of the game with 7:54 left in the half when Emily Luckeroth scored a field goal.  The two teams were tied again at 20-20 before Kansas Wesleyan went on another 7-1 run for a 27-21 advantage at the 1:35 mark.  Two Katie Carbee baskets for Aquinas cut the lead back to two at intermission 27-25.

Kansas Wesleyan never relinquished the lead in the second half although Aquinas did tie the game briefly at 35-35 just over five minutes into the second half.  Kansas Wesleyan outscored Aquinas 11-1 in the next five minutes and went on to win 61-52.

The Saints had four players in double figures with Logan Marsh scoring 12, Kaitlyn Lang 11 and Carrie Abdo and Joslyn Narber had 10 points each.

March 10 -- The Aquinas men's basketball team enters this year's national tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country. The Saints have won 20 of their last 22 games and have claimed both the regular season and WHAC tournament championship. Aquinas will be matched up against the host school, College of the Ozarks in the first round. The Bobcats (20-10) are coming off a defeat in the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament championship game to Oklahoma Wesleyan. The Saints and Bobcats will begin their "March Madness" tomorrow night at 9 p.m. (EST).

Official Bracket for the 2009 Men's Championship

Watch Live Games

March 10 -- The Aquinas women's basketball team will begin play in the 2009 NAIA Division II National Championship Tournament tomorrow. The championships are being contested in Sioux City, Iowa. Aquinas (19-10) will be matched up against Kansas Wesleyan (26-5) in the first round. The Coyotes are fresh off a championship in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament, while the Saints are looking to rebound following their semifinal loss to Cornerstone in the WHAC tournament. The Saints will tip off the tournament on Wednesday at 6:15 (EST).

Official Bracket for the 2009 Women's Championship

Watch Live Games

March 9 -- The Aquinas College men's and women's track teams returned home from Johnson City, Tennessee with five athletes who earned All-American honors.

The men's 4x800 meter relay consisting of Victor Ramirez, Dustin Heiler, Kolin Stickney and Chris Leikert placed fifth in a time of 7:48.00. In the preliminary round the foursome ran a 7:47.05 (second fastest time in school history) to advance to the finals. Nicole Parker also received All-American honors in the 60 meter dash. Parker strung together rounds of 7.75, 7.71 and 7.80 en route to her sixth place finish. Parker was also an All-American in the 2007 60 meter dash.

Personal best performances were turned in by Joordan Hall in the 200 meters (25.35 - 3rd fastest time in school history) and Emily Popma in the 5000 meters (18:28 - 5th fastest time in school history).

The Saints will take a much deserved break from competition and return to the track on April 4 as they open their outdoor season at the MSU Spartan Invitational.

March 3 -- The men's & women's track & field teams will be leaving

today to compete at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Johnson City, Tennessee. The Saints will be well represented at the championships as 18 student athletes will make the trip down to represent Aquinas College.

Rumeal McKinney - 60m & 200m

Jake Sanders - 200m

Nicole Parker - 60m

Joordan Hall - 60m & 200m

Allison Strouse - 60m & 200m

Heather Becker - Weight Throw

Emily Popma - 5000m

Mike Gravelyn - 3000m

Rob Veldman - 5000m

Sean McGlothlin - 5000m

Chris Leikert - Mile & 4x800m Relay

Victor Ramirez - 4x800m Relay

Kolin Stickney - 4x800m Relay

Dustin Heiler - 4x800m Relay

Chaney Robinson - 4x800m Relay

Alicia Boynton 4x800m Relay

Caitlyn Bonney - 4x800m Relay

Chelsey Bonney - 4x800m Relay

The competition begins on Thursday with the preliminaries for the 4x800m relay. Action in Johnson City will come to a close on Saturday night. Updated results can be found at www.naia.org.

March 2 -- The men's basketball team defeated Indiana Tech 80-65 to advance to the WHAC Championship, which will be contested at Aquinas College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The Saints will take on Cornerstone who defeated UM Dearborn 92-67 in the other WHAC semifinal.

The Saints received a big lift from junior John Lierman who delivered 25 points, six rebounds and four assists. All of Lierman's six three pointers seemed to come at critical times when the Saints needed a basket. Damacious White continued his fine play of late as his athleticism sparked the Saints in the second half. White finished the contest with 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Matt Weiss also played big in the second half for the Saints.

After Pedja Lazic recorded his fourth foul at the 14:00 mark of the second half, Weiss was inserted and played some of the best basketball of his career. It was not Matt's stat line (two points, one rebound), but his defense on Indiana Tech's big man Brad Webster which was nothing less than sensational. During Weiss's eleven minute stint the Saints pulled away from the Warriors and inched one step closer to a WHAC conference tournament championship.

March 2 -- The women's basketball team fell to #9 ranked Cornerstone 62-55 in the WHAC semifinal which was contested at Cornerstone University. The loss for the Saints sends their overall record to 19-10 on the year. Aquinas will now wait and see if they will receive one of the at large berths into the national tournament.

After splitting the first two matchups this year, the Saints and Golden Eagles were destined for another close battle that would not be decided until the closing minutes. The game held true to form as both teams were locked in a very competitive dual. Cornerstone outscored the Saints 15-9 over the final nine minutes of the game to secure the victory. Cornerstone will now travel to play Davenport in the WHAC tournament championship.

Aquinas was led by senior Carrie Abdo who collected 16 points and nine rebounds.

February 27 -- The men's basketball team opened the WHAC tournament with a 77-61 victory over Concordia. The Saints will now host Indiana Tech on Saturday at 3 p.m.

The Saints shot the ball extremely well in the first half which enabled them to open up a 21 point halftime lead. During the first half Aquinas shot 65% (17-26) from the field, including 67% (6-9) from the three point line. The Cardinals continued to play hard during half number two and brought the lead down to eleven, but the Saints stayed cool and maintained its double digit lead as the final buzzer sounded.

Pedja Lazic recorded his fifth straight double-double as he scored 22 points and grabbed eleven rebounds. Damacious White provided a lift off the Saints bench as he contributed 14 points, five rebounds and four steals.

February 26 -- Pedja Lazic headlines an all-star roster on this year's WHAC men's basketball honor roll. Lazic was named the conference's Player of the Year. The senior averaged 16.9 points per game and led the conference in rebounding. Pedja's 9.5 rebounds per game ranks Lazic at No. 18 in NAIA Division II. Aquinas Head Coach Dave Hammer was named the WHAC Coach of the Year after leading the Saints to a regular-season championship and an overall record of 21-9.

All-WHAC First Team: Pedja Lazic & John Lierman

All-WHAC Third Team & Champion of Character: Jordan Torres

Coach of the Year: Dave Hammer

All-Defensive Team: Jordan Torres & Pedja Lazic

All-WHAC Academic: Jason Fox

February 25 -- The women's basketball team notched a first round victory in the WHAC tournament defeating the University of Michigan Dearborn 78-55. Aquinas will advance to play Cornerstone on Saturday, the two teams split the season series each winning on its home court.

After building a seven point halftime advantage, the Saints played an almost flawless second half en route to victory. The Saints received a big night from Joslyn Narber who scored 21 points and grabbed ten rebounds. During the game Narber surpassed the 1,500 point mark, moving her into the #4 slot on the all-time career scoring list. Also providing an offensive spark was April Feldpausch who scored 20 points off the Saints bench.

The Saints (19-9) will battle the Golden Eagles on Saturday as Cornerstone hosts the WHAC semifinal matchup at 1 p.m.

February 25 -- After winning conference championships in men's basketball and women's indoor track, the Saints have regained the top spot in the WHAC All-Sports Award. Aquinas also received strong performances by men's indoor track (2nd place) and women's basketball (3rd place) to add to their total points.

Current standings with spring sports remaining are as follows:

1. Aquinas 50.5

2. Indiana Tech 43

3. Madonna 42.5

4. Davenport 40

5. Cornerstone 39.5

6. Siena Heights 33.5

7. Concordia 11

8. UM Dearborn 4.5

February 25 -- Members of the Aquinas College women's basketball team were honored by the WHAC for their efforts on and off the court.

All-WHAC First Team: Joslyn Narber

All-WHAC Second Team & Champions of Character: Carrie Abdo

All-Newcomer Team & All-Defensive Team: Logan Marsh

All-Academic Team: Carrie Abdo, Kaitlin Lang, Lauren Mouthaan

Congratulations ladies and good luck in the upcoming WHAC tournament!!!

Lazic, a 6-6 senior forward from Kentwood, Mich., went for the most rebounds in the last 43 years while helping Aquinas end the regular season with a conference championship. In the 85-63 road win at Indiana Tech, Pedja finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. In the following game, he grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds and added 15 points, two blocks and two steals in the 66-57 win at Cornerstone (Mich.). The rebounding output was the most for an AC player since 1966. With his two double-doubles last week, he has 12 total this year including the last four straight games.

For the week, he averaged 20.0 points, 15.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 blocks, 1.5 steals and shot 44.8 percent (13-for-29).

Among NAIA statistical leaders, he is 18th in the country in rebounding (9.5) and 22nd in field goal percentage (.566).

February 24 -- Pedja Lazic earned his second consecutive men's basketball honor after recording back-to-back double-doubles. He averaged 20 points, 15.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocked shots in Aquinas College's  two victories - the only team in the WHAC to do so this week.

The senior helped the #22-ranked Saints end the regular season with five straight wins for the WHAC championship. He scored 25 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal in an 85-63 victory at Indiana Tech. In a 66-57 win at Cornerstone, Lazic scored 15 points, had a career-high 21 rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots. The forward became the first Saints player to record more than 20 rebounds in a game since 1966. His two doubles-doubles brought his season total to 12. 

A native from Kentwood, Mich, Lazic is averaging 16.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game this season and ranks ninth in the country for defensive rebounds per game (7.3) and No. 17 for total rebounds per game. Aquinas (21-9/12-2) enters the WHAC tournament as the top seed.

February 23 -- "March Madness" hits the WHAC this week as the men's & women's basketball teams begin their trek through the brackets in the WHAC Tournament which begins on Wednesday.

Aquinas will host the women's opening round game on Wednesday, as the third seed Saints will play UM Dearborn starting at 7:30 p.m. Men's action kicks off at the Aquinas Fieldhouse on Thursday as the top seeded Saints will play Concordia at 7:30 p.m.

Come out and cheer your Saints to victory or catch the games live at

www.michigansportsradio.com.

February 23 -- The men's basketball team erased a first half double digit deficit to score a victory over Cornerstone in the WHAC regular season finale. The Saints, who hold the top seed in the upcoming WHAC tournament, finished the regular season with a 12-2 record in the league and a 21-9 record overall.

After trailing Cornerstone by eleven midway through the first half, the Saints settled down and worked the game into a tie by halftime. The game still was deadlocked with 5:00 to play in regulation. Aquinas proceeded to score 17 of the games next 25 points to secure the 66-57 victory. Pedja Lazic recorded his fourth straight double-double with a 15 point and 21 rebound effort. John Lierman added 14 for the Saints, while Jordan Torres chipped in with ten.

Aquinas will now host a first round game in the WHAC Tournament on Thursday versus Concordia at 7:30 p.m.

February 23 -- The women's basketball team was matched up with Cornerstone in a very closely contested game which saw 13 ties and 20 lead changes. Unfortunately for the Saints, they found themselves on the wrong end of a 69-65 final score.

Senior Carrie Abdo continues her fine play as she led Aquinas with 24 points and 16 rebounds. Joslyn Narber, who moved into fifth place on the career scoring list with 1489 points, scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Saints. Aquinas had their chances, but could not quite seal the deal as the Golden Eagles scored the game's final five points in the closing seconds.

The Saints will now host a first round game in the WHAC Tournament on Wednesday versus UM Dearborn at 7:30 p.m.

February 23 -- The women's indoor track & field team won the WHAC championship on Saturday as they collected 197.5 points, 26.5 points ahead of second place Cornerstone. The Saints received outstanding performances in all areas of the meet; the women competed well and accomplished one of their main goals for the season. Aquinas was led by the All-WHAC performances of Emily Popma (5000M), Allison Strouse (200M), Nicole Parker (60M), Samantha Rinkus (3000M) and Heather Becker (Weight Throw &

Shot Put).

Women's Final Point Totals

1. Aquinas 197.5

2. Cornerstone 171

3. Indiana Tech 86.5

4. Siena Heights 71

5. Davenport 22

6. Concordia 2

The men's track & field placed second to Siena Heights, 220-181. The men's team used strong efforts in a multitude of events, but were just off the pace of a very competitive senior laden Siena Heights squad. The Saints were led by the All-WHAC performances of Rumeal McKinney (60M & 200M), Devin Tarrant (Shot Put),

Rob Veldman (5000M) and Mike Gravelyn (3000M).

Men's Final Point Totals

1. Siena Heights 220

2. Aquinas 181

3. Cornerstone 69

4. Indiana Tech 57

5. Davenport 29

6. Concordia 0

The Saints will now travel to Johnson City, Tennessee to compete in the NAIA National Indoor Championships which will begin on March 4 on the campus of East Tennessee State University.

February 19 -- The possible scenarios and what ifs came to a close last night as the Aquinas College men's basketball team secured the regular season WHAC Championship. The Saints victory over Indiana Tech 85-63, coupled with Davenport's loss to Madonna enabled the Saints to lock down their third regular season title in the last four years.

The Saints jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as they outplayed the Warriors in every facet of the game. Senior guard James Telman connected on five three pointers in a three minute span in the first half to turn a one point deficit into an eleven point lead. After building the lead to as high as 24, Indiana Tech made their run and trimmed the advantage to eight midway through the second half. The Saints weathered the storm and closed the game on a 36-22 run to claim the title.

James Telman rained in 27 points, including seven three pointers, while only playing 26 minutes. Pedja Lazic recorded his eleventh double-double of the year contributing 25 points and ten rebounds. John Lierman scored 14 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out five assists for the Saints.

The Saints (20-9, 11-2 WHAC) will conclude their regular season with a trip to Cornerstone on Saturday starting at 3 p.m.

February 19 -- The women's basketball team defeated Indiana Tech 72-62 last night in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The victory for the Saints sets up a showdown for second place in the WHAC with Cornerstone on Saturday. Aquinas now posts an 18-8 record overall and a 10-3 mark in league play.

The first half was tightly contested until a late 9-0 run by the Saints lifted them to an eight point halftime lead. Indiana Tech tied the score midway through the second half, but once again the Saints used a 10-0 surge to open the game back up. Joslyn Narber led the Saints with 21 points and 16 rebounds, while Carrie Abdo contributed 19 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Logan Marsh continues her fine play of late with a 16 point effort.

The Saints will travel to Cornerstone on Saturday to square off with the Golden Eagles at 1 p.m.

February 16 -- The Saints competed this past weekend at the Indiana Wesleyan Wildcat Invitational in Marion, Indiana. The meet marked the last tune-up for Aquinas before the WHAC Championships which will be held this Saturday at Eastern Michigan University.

The Saints recorded five first place finishes and received many personal best efforts throughout the day. The Saints were led by gold medal performances by Nicole Parker (60m), Joordan Hall (200m), Chaney Robinson (800m), the women's 4x400 meter relay and Devin Tarrant (Weight Throw).

After the conclusion of the conference meet, the Saints will begin to prepare for the NAIA Indoor National Championships which will be contested in Johnson City, Tennessee on March 5-7.

February 16 -- The men's basketball team held serve as they moved one game closer to a WHAC championship. The Saints closed out their home regular season schedule with a 79-54 victory over UM Dearborn. Aquinas will now take their show on the road for two key matchups with Indiana Tech and Cornerstone to close the season.

The Saints and Wolves were locked in a tight battle through the first half which resulted in Aquinas taking a 29-27 advantage into the locker room. Aquinas seized control early in the second half as they scored 25 of the first 31 points of the half. The Saints kept the pressure on and rolled to the 25 point victory. Pedja Lazic led the Saints with 25 points and 10 rebounds. James Telman added 18 points, while John Lierman contributed 15 points and eight rebounds.

The Saints return to action on Wednesday as they travel to Fort Wayne to battle Indiana Tech at 8 p.m.

February 16 -- The women's basketball team bounced back from an early week defeat to upend UM Dearborn 72-55 at home on senior day. The Saints used an 18-2 run midway through the second half to distance themselves from the Wolves. The Saints, with the victory, maintain their hold on third place in the WHAC with a 9-3 league mark. Overall the Saints record stands at 17-8 and are currently ranked #25 in the country.

Joslyn Narber played one of her best all-around games of the season. The junior from Wyoming led the Saints with 25 points, ten rebounds, seven assists and five steals. Senior Carrie Abdo also contributed a double-double as she netted 16 points and grabbed ten rebounds. Logan Marsh recorded a career high with 15 points.

The Saints will return to action on Wednesday as they travel to Fort Wayne to battle Indiana Tech.

February 12 -- The Aquinas Field house will be the place to be on Saturday afternoon as the men's and women's basketball teams conclude the home portion of their regular season with contests versus UM Dearborn starting at 1 p.m.

In addition to the games, seniors Carrie Abdo, Courtney Miles, Pedja Lazic, Jordan Torres and James Telman will be honored for their service and commitment to Aquinas College. The game also has been deemed a "whiteout"; wear a white t-shirt to the game or be one of the first 250 in attendance to receive a free white t-shirt.

The women's game between Aquinas and UM Dearborn will take part in the "pink zone". The WBCA Pink Zone initiative is a global, unified effort for Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) nation of coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. The coaches will be wearing pink ribbons and the Saints will have pink shoe laces. During halftime there will be a collection that will go to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund.

Come out and cheer your Saints to victory.

February 12 -- The men's basketball team continues to stymie WHAC opponents with a smothering defense. In their last two games the Saints have allowed a combined 79 points to Concordia and Madonna. The 63-40 victory for the Saints, coupled with Indiana Tech's win over Cornerstone leaves Aquinas in first place by themselves in the WHAC with a 9-2 record.

Offensively the Saints played solid, limited the turnovers and maintained a balanced attack of inside/outside play. John Lierman and Pedja Lazic scored 13 points each, while floor leader Jordan Torres scored 11 points and controlled the game from both an offensive and a defensive perspective. The Saints held the Crusaders to 29% (16-55) shooting from the field and 57% (4-7) shooting from the free throw line.

The Saints look to maintain their one game lead in the WHAC as they finish the home portion of their schedule on Saturday with a contest versus the University of Michigan Dearborn at 3 p.m.

February 12 -- The women's basketball team struggled to find the bottom of the basket as they fell to Madonna 52-38. The Saints shot 11% (4-35) from the field in the first half and 19% (13-68) for the

game. With the loss the Saints fall to 8-3 in the WHAC and 16-8 overall.

Even after the futile offensive showing in the first half; the Saints still found themselves within eight points at the halftime break. Aquinas' defense, which forced 26 turnovers, was keeping them within striking distance. As the second half progressed the Crusaders continued to hit big shot after big shot just when it looked like the Saints were ready to make a run. Carrie Abdo continued her fine senior season as she posted 23 points, 11 rebounds and five steals for the Saints.

Aquinas will close the home portion of their regular season on Saturday with a contest versus UM Dearborn starting at 1 p.m.

February 9 -- The women's basketball team notched their 16th win of the season on Saturday with a 66-51 road win at Concordia. The victory for the Saints pushes their league mark to 8-2; just one game off the pace of conference leaders Cornerstone and Davenport.

Aquinas used a late run in the first half to go into the break with an eight point lead. The Saints continued to add to their advantage in the second half with the lead growing to 20 points late in the game. Aquinas used a balanced attack that included four players scoring in double figures. April Feldpausch led the Saints with 14 points, while Carrie Abdo, Joslyn Narber and Kaitlyn Lang all contributed 10 points. During the game Joslyn Narber moved into 6th place on the career scoring list with 1423 points passing Alese Keiser (1985-89 ).

The Saints return to the hardwood on Wednesday with a home contest versus Madonna starting at 6 p.m.

February 9 -- The Aquinas men's basketball team completed the season sweep of Concordia with a 62-39 victory at home on Saturday. The Saints remain in a first place tie with Cornerstone; both teams are positioned at 8-2 in the WHAC with two weeks left in the regular season.

The Cardinals and Saints were locked in a close battle until halftime and that's when the Aquinas defense put Concordia's basket on lockdown. The Cardinals posted three made field goals and a total of 14 points in the second half. Key three pointers by James Telman and Jordan Torres sparked the Saints and pushed the lead to double digits. Telman led the Saints with 14 points, while Torres and John Lierman scored 13 and ten points respectively. During the game Pedja Lazic moved into th #8 slot on the all-time scoring list with 1,583 points.

Aquinas will continue its three game home stand with a date with Madonna on Wednesday night starting at 8 p.m.

February 9 -- The Aquinas College men's and women's track & field teams had an outstanding showing this past weekend at the Grand Valley State University Open meet. The Saints recorded seven first place finishes and had many personal best and national qualifying performances. Allison Strouse led the way with a first place finish in the 200 meters (25.28); Strouse's time automatically qualifies her for the NAIA National Championships next month. Outstanding performances were also turned in by:

Women's 4 x 800M Relay - Automatic Qualifier - 1st place - 9:39.09

Rumeal McKinney - 200M Provisional Qualifier - 1st place - 21.87

Emily Popma - 3000M Provisional Qualifier - 1st place - 10:33.91

Men's 4 x 800M Relay - Provisional Qualifier - 1st place - 7:56.07

Men's DMR - Provisional Qualifier - 4th place - 10:24.14

Caitlyn Bonney - 800M - 1st place - 2:20.90

Rumeal McKinney - 60M - 1st place - 6.93

The Saints return to action on Saturday as they travel to Marion, Indiana to compete in the Indiana Wesleyan Wildcat Invitational starting at

11 a.m.

February 5 -- A week ago the Saints were comfortably sporting a two game lead in the WHAC and were looking to continue to climb up the national rankings. One week later the Saints find themselves in the middle of a three way tie for first in the WHAC after their 76-61 loss to Davenport. The defeat drops the Saints record to 7-2 in league play and 16-9 overall.

With the score tied at 15 with just under twelve minutes to play in the first half the Panthers went on a 17-4 run to close the half. As the second half progressed the Panthers continued to gain confidence as they kept the Saints at bay as they fought to come back from their double digit deficit. In the end 30% shooting from the field compared to 53% for Davenport led to the Saints falling 76-61. Pedja Lazic led the Saints with 22 points and 15 rebounds while John Lierman contributed 21 points.

The Saints look to rebound with a home contest versus Concordia on Saturday starting at 3 p.m.

February 5 -- The Aquinas women's basketball team was defeated by Davenport University 79-62 in a battle of two teams who were both perched atop of the WHAC standings. The loss for the Saints drops their overall record to 15-7 and 7-2 in the WHAC.

After jumping out to an early 10-0 lead right out of the gates, the Saints pushed the lead to 14 with 7:00 minutes to play in the first half. The lead was short lived though as the Panthers went on an 18-2 run over the next five minutes to capture their first lead of the game. The Panthers extended the lead to 24 during the decisive 30-8 run over the first twelve minutes of the second half. Joslyn Narber scored 19 points for the Saints and Carrie Abdo chipped in with 15 points.

The Saints will return to the hardwood on Saturday as they travel to Concordia to tangle with the Cardinals at 1 p.m.

February 2 -- The men's basketball team returned to their winning ways with a 75-61 victory over Siena Heights. The #17 ranked Saints maintain their one game lead in the WHAC over Cornerstone and Davenport. The Saints are currently 7-1 in league play and 16-8 overall.

Aquinas opened up an early ten point advantage over Siena Heights just to see the lead evaporate to one at halftime. The Saints from Siena continued to keep the pressure on Aquinas as the lead was still one (51-50) with ten minutes to play in the game. Over the final minutes of the game John Lierman and company went on a 24-11 run to seal the deal. Lierman scored 21 of his 32 points in the decisive second half. James Telman scored 17 points and Pedja Lazic added 13.

Next on the schedule for the Saints is a trip to Davenport in a key WHAC confrontation. The game will be held on Wednesday at the DU Student Center starting at 8 p.m.

February 2 -- The Aquinas women's basketball team remains the hottest team in the WHAC as the Saints rolled to their sixth straight victory, a 62-47 win over Siena Heights. The Saints (7-1 WHAC, 15-6 overall) remain in a first place tie with both Cornerstone and Davenport.

Carrie Abdo continued her fine senior season as she paced Aquinas with 19 points and eight rebounds. Joslyn Narber contributed 11points, five assists, five rebounds and four steals for the Saints.

The Saints will travel to Davenport on Wednesday with first place in the WHAC on the line. Currently the Saints are ranked #26 in the country, while Davenport is ranked #4. The game will begin at 6 p.m. from the DU Student Center.

February 2 -- The Aquinas men's and women's track teams continue to gain momentum as they inch closer to the WHAC Championships which will be contested in three weeks. This past weekend the Saints traveled to Saginaw Valley State for their competition. The meet was highlighted by the sweep of the 60 meter dash by Nicole Parker (7.81), Allison Strouse (7.90) and Joordan Hall (8.08). Other notable performances were turned in by:

Rumeal McKinney - 1st place - 60M - (6.99)

Victor Ramirez - 2nd place - 1 Mile - (4:22.25) - "B Qualifier"

Jairo Calvo - 3rd place - LJ - (6.62M), 4th place - 400M - (51.15)

Dustin Heiler - 3rd place - 800M - (1:58.66)

Heather Becker - 4th place - Weight Throw - (15.41M)

Jake Sanders - 2nd place - 200M - (22.79)

Matt Hewson - 3rd place - 200M - (23.10)

The Saints return to the track on Friday as they travel to Grand Valley State, the meet begins with field events starting at 4 p.m.

January 29 -- The Aquinas men's basketball teams eleven game winning streak was snapped last night at the hands of Cornerstone 73-69. The loss drops the Saints to 15-8 overall and 6-1 in league play. The Saints remain in first place in the WHAC with a one game lead over both Cornerstone and Davenport.

The Saints fell behind early and were playing catch up the entire game. Cornerstone held an eight point advantage at the half and the lead swelled to 17 early in the second half. Down 52-35 the Saints mounted their comeback outscoring the Golden Eagles 26-12 over the next ten minutes to draw within three. Aquinas continued to battle down the stretch but could not get over the hump as Cornerstone hit key free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.

Aquinas was led by Pedja Lazic's 25 points and ten rebounds. In limited minutes John Lierman recorded ten points and seven rebounds.

The Saints will look to get back in the win column on Saturday as they travel to Adrian to face Siena Heights.

January 29 -- The Aquinas fieldhouse was a buzz last night with many activities linked to the men's and women's basketball games. In the midst of St. Thomas Aquinas Week, the games featured an alumni reception, information on breast cancer awareness and the Saints fans expressing their support through a "blackout".

As for the game, the Aquinas women played with passion and a physical presence that led the Saints to the upset victory over #9 nationally ranked Cornerstone 66-54. Aquinas' interior defense limited the Golden Eagles to 18% shooting in the first half as the Saints carried a ten point lead into the locker room. The Saints remained in control in the second half never letting Cornerstone mount any rallies.

Courtney Banks sparkled off the Saints bench as she scored 15 points in 21 minutes of play. Banks connected on 4-6 from the field, including 3-4 from the three point line, and was also 4-4 from the charity stripe.

Logan Marsh and Kaitlyn Lang also contributed 13 and 11 points respectively. The victory for the Saints was their fifth in row and are now tied with Cornerstone and Davenport with one conference loss a piece.

The Saints will look to continue their winning ways as they host Siena Heights at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

January 26 -- Aquinas College senior Pedja Lazic earned his third Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week honor this year after leading the Saints to a 2-0 week and an 11-game winning streak. 

The 6-foot-6-inch senior from Kentwood, Mich. averaged 16 points, 7.5 rebounds and one assist as #20 Aquinas notched two conference wins for the week ending Jan. 25. Against University of Michigan-Dearborn, Lazic scored 16 points, had eight rebounds and one assist in the 68-54 victory. In the 68-61 win against Indiana Tech, the forward scored 16 points, had seven rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot. For the two games, he was 13 for 18 from the field for .722 field goal percentage.  

Lazic ranks 11th in NAIA Division II for field goal percentage, shooting .608. He also ranks #29 in rebounds with an 8.8 average. He is the second leading scorer for the Saints, averaging 16.4 points per game.  Aquinas has sole possession of first place in the WHAC with a 6-0 conference record and an 11-game winning streak - just one shy of the school record. Up next for the Saints is Cornerstone University on Jan. 28.

January 25 -- The men's basketball team is now one win away from tying the school record for consecutive wins. The Saints earned their eleventh straight victory in a hard fought contest versus Indiana Tech 68-61. The game marked the third straight game that the Aquinas offense has produced 68 points.

The Saints were led by John Lierman's 18 points and 10 rebounds. The senior trio of Telman, Torres and Lazic all played pivotal roles in leading the Saints to victory. Telman scored 16 points, grabbed four rebounds and dealt out four assists. Lazic contributed 16 points and seven rebounds while the floor leader, Torres struck for 13 points and dished out six assists.

The Saints will return to action with a date with the Golden Eagles from Cornerstone on Wednesday starting at 8 p.m. at the Aquinas Fieldhouse.

January 25 -- The women's basketball team netted a 70-63 victory over Indiana Tech to run its win streak to four games. The Saints are currently tied for second in the WHAC with a 5-1 league record and their overall record stands at 13-6.

After falling behind 10-2 to open the game, the Saints weathered the early storm and went to the halftime locker room with a 37-30 advantage. Early in the second half the Warriors trimmed the lead to two, but the Saints quickly responded and built the lead to 16 at the 9:00 mark of the second half. Joslyn Narber led the Saints with 21 points, while Carrie Abdo's double-double was instrumental in the Aquinas victory. Logan Marsh continues her strong play of late with 14 points, four steals and three assists.

The Saints return to the hardwood this Wednesday with a pivotal WHAC matchup with league leader Cornerstone. The game begins at 6 p.m. at the Aquinas Fieldhouse.

January 25 -- The men's and women's track teams had a very successful competition this past weekend at the Bob Eubanks Open hosted by Grand Valley State University.

Highlighting the meet was Chris Leikert's record setting performance in the 800 meters. Chris' time of 1:55.01 broke Dave Bartels record which has stood since 1974 and automatically qualifies Chris for the NAIA Indoor National Championships. Leikert now owns the indoor 600, 800 and 1000 meter records at Aquinas College. Other notable performances by the Saints included:

Rob Veldman - Automatic Qualifier 5000m-15:05.3-4th All-Time

Victor Ramirez - Provisional Qualifier 800m-1:55.52-2nd All-Time

Allison Strouse - Provisional Qualifier 60m-7.86-3rd All-Time

Emily Popma - Provisional Qualifier 5000m-18:37.67-5th All-Time

Caitlyn Bonney - Provisional Qualifier 800m-2:19.66

Chelsey Bonney - Provisional Qualifier 800m-2:20.26

Chaney Robinson - Provisional Qualifier 600m-1:39.31

Women's 4x400 Meter Relay - Provisional Qualifier-4:04.08

Joordan Hall - 200m - 26.23 - 4th All-Time

The Saints return to action on Friday at the Saginaw Valley State Collegiate Open.

January 22 -- The women's basketball team extended its conference win streak to three games with a 84-62 victory over the University of Michigan Dearborn.

Joslyn Narber paced a balanced attack with 17 points. Courtney Banks added 13 points and Carrie Abdo chipped in with ten points. Kaitlyn Lang filled the stat sheet wtih ten points, six rebounds and

five steals. The Saints are currently 4-1 in WHAC play and 12-6 overall.

The Saints return to action on Saturday with a home contest versus Indiana Tech starting at 1 p.m.

January 22 -- The Aquinas College men's basketball team continued its winning ways with a 68-54 victory against the University of Michigan-Dearborn. The win was the tenth consecutive for the Saints and know Aquinas' overall record stands at 14-7, 5-0 in WHAC play.

Despite 44% shooting from the field and 19 turnovers the Saints continue to find ways to chalk up wins. The two teams played a relatively even first half with Saints taking a seven point lead into the locker room. Aquinas started the second half on a 20-7 run to open a 20 point lead with ten minutes to play in the game. The University of Michigan Dearborn made a late run and closed the lead to ten, but that was as close as the Wolves got. The Saints were led by Pedja Lazic's 16 points and eight rebounds. John Lierman and James Telman scored 14 and 12 points respectively.

Aquinas will return to action with a home date versus Indiana Tech on Saturday starting at 3 p.m.

January 20 -- After being postponed last Wednesday, the Saints and Cardinals were finally able to square off with each other at Aquinas College last night. The Saints won the game 56-44 and moved their record in the WHAC to 3-1 and to 11-6 overall.

At the end of the first half Aquinas held a 33-20 advantage over Concordia and seemed to be in control of the game. A spirited bunch of Cardinals would not go quietly as they opened the second half on 19-8 run to trim the lead to two. The Saints maintained their poise and quickly responded closing the game on their own 15-5 run to seal the victory.

Joslyn Narber led the Saints with 20 points, five rebounds and four steals. Narber also surpassed Heather Orr to move into the number seven slot on the Aquinas Women's Basketball All-Time Scoring List. Carrie Abdo also chipped in with 14 points for the Saints.

Aquinas returns to the hardwood on Wednesday as they travel to play the University of Michigan Dearborn.

January 19 -- The Saints used a balanced scoring attack and accurate shooting to notch a road win at Madonna 68-61. The victory extends the Saints winning streak to nine games and pushes their overall record to 13-7. The Saints are now ranked #20 in the latest NAIA coach's poll and find themselves atop of the WHAC with a perfect 4-0 record.

After trailing by five at the half, the Saints turned up the defense and limited the opportunities for Madonna in the second half. Aquinas continued its trademark accurate shooting as the Saints shot 56% (23-41) from the field, 63% from the three point line (5-8) and 74% (17-23) from the free throw line. James Telman (15 points) led a quartet of Saints who scored in double figures. John Lierman recorded 14 points, Pedja Lazic 13 and freshman Jake Shockey scored a career high 11 points.

The Saints will look to extend their winning streak to ten as they travel to University of Michigan Dearborn on Wednesday.

January 19 -- Once again the women's basketball team used its accurate free throw shooting to propel them to victory. Aquinas connected on 18-21 free throw attempts in their 65-58 victory over Madonna.

A tightly contested first half saw seven ties and the largest lead either team held was six points. The halftime break brought a 28-28 tie with 20 minutes to decide the victor. A quick 9-2 spurt to start the second half kick started the Saints and they then proceeded to keep the Crusaders at bay for the rest of the contest. Joslyn Narber acted as the catalyst as she scored 28 points, grabbed seven rebounds and captured six steals. Freshman Logan Marsh and Katie Carbee both netted career highs with twelve and ten points respectively.

The Saints are know 10-6 overall and 2-1 in WHAC play. Aquinas will return to action tonight to play the makeup date with Concordia starting at 7 p.m. at the field house.

January 19 -- The men's and women's track teams had strong performances this past weekend at the Mike Lints Alumni Open which was hosted by Grand Valley State University.

Highlighting the meet for the Saints were the school record performances by Heather Becker and Chris Leikert. Becker broke Jenny Malaski's record in the 20 lb. weight throw with a toss of 52-2.75. The throw placed Heather second overall at the meet and automatically qualified her for the NAIA National Championships. The men's 600 meter record was actually broken twice on the same night. Kurt Schmidt held the record for twenty years before Victor Ramirez ran a 1:23.07 in the first heat of the 600 meters. In the following heat Chris Leikert bettered Ramirez's time by .09 (1:22.98) to claim the record. Outstanding performances were also recorded by:

Caitlyn Bonney -- 1st 600m - NAIA Provisional Qualifier -- 1:39.28

Rumeal McKinney - 2nd 200m - "4th - 200m All-Time List -22.19"

Kolin Stickney -- "5th - 600m All-Time List - 1:23.99"

Allison Strouse -- "2nd - 200m All-Time List - 25.76"

Barb Mellstead -- "2nd - Pole Vault All-Time List - 9-1"

Joordan Hall -- "4th - 60m All-Time List - 7.96"

The Saints return to action on Friday at the Bob Eubanks Open hosted by Grand Valley State at 4 p.m.

January 15 -- We know a student-athlete may have different needs than that of other prospective students. With that in mind, we welcome all student-athletes considering Aquinas to join us for Athletic AQ Day. Come and discover what being a student-athlete at Aquinas is all about! Chat with the coaches of our 20 athletic teams, explore financial aid and scholarship opportunities, tour campus and have lunch with potential teammates and classmates. Most importantly, learn what it means to be an Aquinas College Saint.

For more details and information on this unique event check out

www.aquinas.edu/undergraduate/ath_campus.html.

January 15 -- The men's basketball team traveled to Ann Arbor and defeated Concordia 78-60. The win marked the ninth consecutive victory for the Saints over the Cardinals.

After a competitive start to the game the Saints found themselves nursing a 20-14 lead with 13 minutes to play in the first half. Over the next seven minutes Aquinas went on a 17-3 run to bump the lead to 20. The Saints shot 69% from the field in the first half and took a 20 point advantage into the locker room.

During the second half Aquinas kept Concordia at arm's length as the lead swayed between 15 and 21 points. Statistically the Saints were led by John Lierman (20 points/five rebounds), James Telman (19 points/four assists) and Pedja Lazic (18 points/nine rebounds).

The victory was the Saints eighth in row and are currently 3-0 in the WHAC and 12-7 overall. Aquinas returns to action on Saturday as they travel to Livonia to square off with the Crusaders of Madonna.

January 13 -- Coach Linda Nash invites all former alumni and their families to take part in the Aquinas College Women's Basketball Alumni Weekend.

The event will take place on Saturday, January 31 at the Aquinas College Fieldhouse. The alumni game will begin at 11 a.m. (please arrive by 10:15 a.m. if you plan on playing); followed by the current Aquinas Saints hosting Siena Heights at 1 p.m. All former players will be honored at halftime of the women's game. There will be pizza, snacks and beverages for all alumni and their families during the women's game.

Any questions or comments can be forwarded to Linda Nash at nashlin@aquinas.edu or at 616-632-2473.

January 12 -- The Saints stay perfect in the WHAC and record their seventh straight win in the 69-59 victory over Davenport. The Saints are perched atop of the WHAC with a 2-0 record and have an 11-7 record overall.

Once again it was John Lierman doing most of the damage for the Saints. Lierman finished with 22 points, on 8-11 shooting from the field, including 5-7 from behind the three point arc. Damacious White contributed 14 points and six rebounds while Pedja Lazic recorded 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Saints controlled a ten point lead at the halftime break and then proceeded to go on an 11-0 run to start the second half to give the Saints some breathing room. Davenport battled back and closed the gap, but it was not enough as the Saints held on for victory 69-59.

Aquinas returns to the hardwood with a road contest at Concordia on Wednesday.

January 12 -- The women's basketball team was defeated by #3 nationally ranked Davenport 84-59. The win for the Panthers was their 16th consecutive to start the season. The Saints with the loss drop to 9-6 overall and 1-1 in league play.

After falling behind 18-3 in the first seven minutes of the game the Saints were in an uphill battle with Davenport the rest of the way. The Panthers rode a 19 point advantage into the locker room and maintained the lead during the second half en route to the 25 point victory. Aquinas was led by Carrie Abdo's 13 points and Logan Marsh's 11 points, three rebounds and three assists.

The women return to action on Wednesday with a home game versus Concordia starting at 7:30 p.m.

January 12 -- The men's and women's track teams returned from the holiday break with a very impressive debut at the Eastern Michigan University Open. The Saints competed against many Division 1 programs including the University of Michigan, Western Michigan, Detroit Mercy and Eastern Michigan.

Highlighting the meet for the Saints was the performance of Nicole Parker who placed second with a national qualifying time of 7.81in the 60 meter. Other outstanding performances were turned in by Allison Strouse (200m - 26.07), Rob Veldman (3000m - 8:48) and Heather Becker (20 lb. Weight Throw - 49-2); all of whom hit the "B" qualifier for the NAIA National Championships.

The Saints return to action on Friday as they travel to Grand Valley to compete at the Mike Lints Invitational starting at 4 p.m.

January 8 -- The men's basketball team continued its winning ways by posting a victory over Siena Heights 77-51. The win was the Saints eleventh in their last thirteen games. Aquinas is currently 11-7 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

The Saints built an 18 point lead at halftime on the strength of 60% shooting from the field (17-28). Aquinas stretched the lead to as many as 33 in the second half before finishing off the Saints from Siena 77-51. John Lierman continued his fine play by posting a 23 point, eight rebound and five assist night to pace the Saints. James Telman, Damacious White and Pedja Lazic all contributed double digit point nights for the Saints.

Aquinas returns to action on Saturday as they host Davenport at 3 p.m.

January 8 -- The Aquinas College women's basketball team opened the conference portion of their schedule with a 77-64 road victory over Siena Heights. The women's record now stands at 9-5 overall with a date with #3 ranked Davenport looming on Saturday.

After only connecting on four first half field goals the Saints found themselves trailing Siena Heights by eight points at the half. As the second half progressed Aquinas was making a living at the charity stripe where they connected on 26 out of 30 attempts. For the entire game Aquinas went 39 for 50 from the free throw line. Joslyn Narber led the Saints with 32 points, 11 rebounds and four steals. Carrie Abdo, Coutney Banks and Vicky VanDyke all had double digit scoring efforts for the Saints.

Aquinas returns to the court on Saturday as they host Davenport at

1 p.m.

January 6 -- John Lierman led Aquinas College to two victories this week en route to earning the conference's Men's Basketball Player of the Week honor for the week ending Jan. 4, 2009.  

The junior from Holt, Mich. averaged 20 points, eight rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals for the two games. Lierman, 6-foot-5-inches, scored 21 points in a 55-53 road-win against NCAA DII Ashland University (Ohio). He added seven rebounds, four asists and four steals. In the 78-66 win over Indiana University-South Bend, he scored 19 points, grabbed nine rebounds, handed out three assists and had one steal.  On the week, Lierman shot 48.3% (14 for 29) including 47.4% from the three-point arc. He was a perfect 3 for 3 in freethrows. For the year, he is averaging 16.1 points and five rebounds per game.  

After starting the season 0-5, Aquinas is riding a five-game winning streak for a 9-7 record. The Saints open Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) play on Jan. 7 against Siena Heights University. 

January 5 -- The men's basketball team extended its winning streak to five games with a 78-66 road victory over Indiana University - South Bend. The Saints, who have won nine of their last 11 games, will open the WHAC portion of their schedule with a home game against Siena Heights at 7:30 p.m.

Once again Aquinas enjoyed a great shooting night as the Saints connected on 26 out of 46 field goal attempts (57%). John Lierman paced the Saints with 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists. James Telman and Pedja Lazic contributed 15 and 14 points respectively.

Freshman Games

Cedar Springs 40 (Issac Golczynski - 11 points, 5 rebounds)

West Catholic 50 (Tommy Staskiewicz - 17 points, 5 rebounds)

Hudsonville 71 (Lucas Tans - 17 points, 6 rebounds)

Catholic Central 53 (Jesse Love - 13 points, 5 rebounds)

Junior Varsity Games

Cedar Springs 48 (Cody Maddox - 12 points, 8 rebounds)

West Catholic 53 (Marcus Ford - 12 points, 2 rebounds)

Hudsonville 36 (Skylar Hoke - 15 points, 5 rebounds)

Catholic Central 48 (Brendan Penny - 17 points, 3 rebounds)

Varsity Games

Cedar Springs 57 (Jason Gust - 17 points, 3 rebounds)

West Catholic 32 (Max Prendergast - 8 points, 7 rebounds)

Hudsonville 48 (Nick VanLoo - 19 points, 3 rebounds)

Catholic Central 61 (Duke Mondy - 30 points, 3 assists)

All Tournament Team

Duke Mondy - Catholic Central - MVP

Anthony Allen - Hudsonville

Sultan Muhammad - Catholic Central

Jason Gust - Cedar Springs

Thomas Drew - Catholic Central

Nick VanLoo - Hudsonville

Andy Tibbe - Cedar Springs

Anyone interested in purchasing photos from this event can find information at www.visockis.com.

December 30 -- Foward Pedja Lazic was named the conference's men's basketball Player of the Week for the second time this season thanks to his efforts in a 2-0 week for the Saints. 

Lazic, a native of Kentwood, Mich., averaged a double-double for two games this week with 24.5 points and 11 rebounds per game. The senior also handed out 5.5 assists per game as Aquinas posted victories over University of St. Francis (Ind.) and California University (Pa.). 

Against St. Francis, he recorded 22 points on 9 for 11 shooting, had 12 rebounds, six assists and a block and steal each. He followed that performance with 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the Cal game. He shot an astounshing 80% from the field (20 for 25) during the week. 

Aquinas' record now stands at 8-7 on the year and will travel to Indiana University-South Bend on Jan. 3 to start the new year before opening its conference schedule against Siena Heights on Jan. 7. 

December 30 -- The women's basketball team placed 4th at the St. Xavier Holiday Tournament this past weekend. The Saints defeated Calumet College of St. Joseph 92-54 in the first round, but followed with losses to the hands of St Francis (IL) and St. Ambrose.

In the victory versus Calumet College of St. Joseph, the Saints used a well balanced attack that saw five women score in double figures, led by Joslyn Narber's 16. Leading 18-15, the Saints outscored Calumet College of St. Joseph 31-9 over the last eleven minutes of the first half to go up by 27 at the half.

On day two of the tournament the Saints fell victim to St. Francis (IL) 76-63. Joslyn Narber led the Saints with 20 points.

On the final day of the tournament Aquinas was matched with St. Ambrose in the third place game. The Saints played catch up the entire game and found themselves on the wrong end of 80-60 decision. Carrie Abdo led the Saints with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

The Saints record now stands at 8-5 overall and will look to brake their two game losing streak as they travel to Siena Heights on January 7th to open the WHAC portion of their schedule.

December 30 -- The men's basketball team defeated California (PA) and Ashland University (OH) to win the Ashland Holiday Inn Express Tournament. The two victories push the Saints record over the .500 mark for the first time this season (8-7).

The Saints overcame a 12 point second half deficit to defeat NCAA

Division II California (PA) 88-83. The trio of Pedja Lazic (27), John Lierman (24) and James Telman (21) led the Saints with a combined 72 points. During the second half come back the Saints shot 69% from the field (20-29), including 5-8 from beyond the three point arc.

In the championship game, Aquinas defeated host Ashland 55-53. The game marked only the second time Ashland has lost its home tournament in the tournaments twelve year history.

The Saints appeared to be in control as they built an eleven point lead early in the second half. Ashland responded by outscoring Aquinas 16-2 over a six minute span to take a three point advantage. Over the final eleven minutes the game remained close with neither team opening up a lead bigger than three points. John Lierman hit the go ahead bucket with 28 seconds remaining to give the Saints the hard fought victory.

Aquinas returns to action on January 3rd as they travel to play the University of Indiana - South Bend.

Freshman Games

Hudsonville 63 (Hunter Prince - 16 points, 17 rebounds)

West Catholic 59 (Andy Slomski - 19 points, 4 rebounds)

Cedar Springs 39 (Ryan Hines - 15 points, 2 rebounds)

Catholic Central 61 (Tom Lyons - 22 points, 6 rebounds)

Junior Varsity Games

Hudsonville 54 (Luke Besteman - 19 points, 6 rebounds)

West Catholic 39 (Zack Smith - 13 points, 1 rebound)

Cedar Springs 52 (Cody Maddox - 14 points, 1 rebound)

Catholic Central 74 (Conor Hogan 25 points, 7 assists)

Varsity Games

Hudsonville 67 (Anthony Allen - 25 points, 4 assists)

West Catholic 49 (Max Prendergast - 18 points, 6 rebounds)

Cedar Springs 60 (Jason Gast - 18 points, 4 rebounds)

Catholic Central 67 (Sultan Muhammad - 26 points, 9 rebounds)

Action resumes today starting at 11:00 a.m. with Cedar Springs matched up with West Catholic, while Hudsonville and Catholic Central will battle for the championships in all three divisions.

December 23 -- The men's basketball team gave their fans an early Christmas present as they defeated St. Francis (IN) 91-61. With the Saints holding a slight 60-55 advantage with 8:28 to play, Aquinas finished the game on a 31-6 run to turn back the Cougars.

The Saints offensively continue to show improvements. Aquinas continually was making the extra pass to find the open man, this led to 25 assists and 59% shooting from the field (33-56), including

12-21 (57%) from behind the three point arc.

Pedja Lazic was a force as he dominated the Cougars from all areas of the court. Lazic filled the stat sheet with 22 points (9-11 from the field), 12 rebounds and six assists. Also scoring in double digits for the Saints were John Lierman (18), Jordan Torres (14) and James Telman (12).

The Saints overall record now stands at 6-7 and will next play on Sunday and Monday in a holiday tournament hosted by Ashland University.

December 21 -- The men's basketball team defeated Hope College 62-57 to sweep the Flying Dutchman for the first time since the

1999-00 season. The Saints trailed Hope 57-51 with 5:28 to play in regulation. Aquinas proceeded to outscore the Flying Dutchman 11-0 down the stretch to secure the come from behind victory.

The victory also marked only the second time ever that Aquinas has swept two games from Calvin and Hope in the same season. The Saints only other time to accomplish this feat was in 1979 when the Terry Bocian led Saints defeated the Knights and Flying Dutchman twice a piece.

John Lierman led the Saints with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists. Pedja Lazic contributed 16 points and seven rebounds for Aquinas. The victory runs the Saints record to 5-7 and they will look to inch closer to the .500 mark when they host St. Francis (IN) on Monday at 7:00 p.m.

December 18 -- The men's basketball team traveled to historic Calihan Hall and were defeated by the University of Detroit Mercy Titans 58-48. The Saints, who had only nine players available for service, responded well to the hostile environment and almost pulled off the upset in Motown.

The Saints and Titans played a very evenly matched first half in which Aquinas built an early five point lead and only trailed Detroit Mercy by three at the half. During the second half the Titans used their advantage from the free throw line (28 attempts to 11) and points off turnovers (20-4) to outdistance the Saints by ten.

Pedja Lazic led the Saints with 21 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Freshman Damacious White played extremely well recording ten points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Overall the Saints are now 4-7 and return to action on Saturday at home versus Hope College at 2 p.m.

The effort raised over $500 in toys for needy children in the Toys for Tots drive, over $2,500 in food, clothing, toys, and gift cards for the Adopt a Family/Catholic Social Services drive for 22 families and numerous boxes of clothes for the GR Home for Veterans.  Each athletic team adopted a family (with the larger squads having two families) and all team members were asked to donate in some way. 
 
Special thanks go to Crystal Laska for organizing the "Adopt a

Family " drive and to all on campus who got involved.  The Saints are indeed involved with giving back this holiday season. 
 
Clothing donations for the GR Home for Veterans will continue throughout the winter.

Freshman games are at 11:00 and 12:30 daily, JV games are at 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. with varsity games being at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.  Ticket prices are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for students and senior citizens.  Each ticket is good for all six games on that day.  For further information contact Aquinas College at 632-2474.  Tickets are currently on sale at the Aquinas College fieldhouse.

December 15 -- The men's and women's track teams kicked off their respective season's at the Grand Valley State Holiday Open. The Saints received many great efforts and are coming into the season much improved in all areas of the team.

Outstanding performances included:

Rumeal McKinney -1st place -60m-Automatic Qualifier-3rd All-Time

Jake Sanders-6th place-60m-Provisional Qualifier-6.96

Kolin Stickney-4th place-600m-4th All-Time-1:24.11

Allison Strouse-7th place-200m-3rd All-Time-26.03

Joordan Hall-8th place-60m-4th All-Time-7.96

December 11 -- The men's basketball team made it two for two against Calvin this year, as the Saints defeated the Knights 78-63. The victory for Aquinas was its fourth in its last five games and the win pushes their overall record to 4-6.

The Saints exploded out of the gates and built a 21 point lead midway through the first half. Calvin stayed calm and started to hit a few shots and closed the half on a run to trim the lead to nine, 39-30. Both teams increased the intensity in the second half, but the Saints continued to hold the Knights to a double digit deficit. Aquinas stayed hot from the field (59% for the game), dominated the paint and eventually put away Calvin 78-63. Pedja Lazic once again was a force inside as he scored 21 points and recorded nine rebounds. Both Jordan Torres and John Lierman contributed 18 points apiece.

The Saints return to the hardwood next Wednesday when they will travel to Detroit to play the University of Detroit Mercy.

December 11 -- The women's basketball team continued their winning ways as they defeated Grace College 95-70. The victory extended the Saints winning streak to five games and overall their record now stands at 7-3.

Aquinas held a slim three point advantage over the Lancers from Grace after the first half of play. The Saints proceeded to take over the game in the second half as their offense was clicking on all cylinders. For the half, Aquinas shot 59% from the field (including 5-7 from the three point arc) and 86% from the free throw line. April Feldpausch led all scorers with 23 points, while Carrie Abdo chipped in with 16 points. Joslyn Narber stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

Aquinas will return to action next weekend as they travel to Mishawaka, Indiana to take part in a tournament hosted by Bethel College.

In the latest NAIA national rankings the Aquinas College women are ranked #14. The Saints return to action this Wednesday as they host Grace College at 6 p.m.

December 9 -- The Aquinas College athletic department is proud to announce the NAIA All-Americans from our fall athletic seasons. Through hard work and dedication to their sport and school these student athletes have received the highest honor by the NAIA.

All-Americans

Amanda Strouse (Cross Country)

Katie Vander Meer (Volleyball)

Jeovani Pantoja (Soccer)

Academic All-American

Rebecca Mudri, Brian Himes, Ben Richardson (Soccer)

Amanda Strouse, Kelsey Webb, Mitch Hoffman,

Sean McGlothlin, Chris Leikert, Andy Vereecke (Cross Country)

December 8 -- This past weekend the Saints traveled to Georgetown (KY) to take part in the Jim Reid Classic. The Saints, who were fresh off their Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame title, were looking to keep momentum going in this highly competitive tournament.

Pedja Lazic and the rest of the Saints played very well on the opening night as they outdistanced St. Catherine's 73-59. Lazic scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to pace the Saints. Aquinas shot 51% from the field and 73% from the free throw line in route to the victory.

In the championship game the Saints played host Georgetown (KY) who is currently ranked #9 in NAIA Division 1. Aquinas and Georgetown (KY) matched up evenly in the first half, but the second half Georgetown pulled away for the 68-46 victory. The Saints were paced by John Lierman's 15 points and Pedja Lazic's 13 points.

The Saints record now stands at 3-6 overall and will look to get back in the win column this Wednesday at home versus Calvin.

December 4 -- The women's basketball team defeated Purdue Calumet 95-64 to extend their winning streak to four games. The Saints shot the ball extremely well and used a balanced attack to notch the victory.

After leading by 15 at the halftime break the Saints continued to open the game up as they controlled the middle and made the extra pass to the open shooter. Aquinas outscored Purdue Calumet 60-22 in the paint and the Saints recorded a season high 24 assists. Carrie Abdo led all scorers with 19 points. Joslyn Narber (15), April Feldpaush (12) and Courtney Banks (10) all pitched in with double digit scoring efforts.

The Saints are 6-3 overall and look to continue their winning ways with a home contest versus Grace on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

December 4 -- For his play during the week ending Nov. 30, Aquinas College forward Pedja Lazic was named the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Men's Basketball Player of the Week. 

The 6-foot-6-inch senior from Kentwood, Mich. averaged 16.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game during Aquinas' two victories. Lazic shot a blistering 50% from the field (10-for-20) and 76% from the charity stripe (13-for-17).  In a 78-73 victory against Calvin College (Mich.), he scored 19 points and seven rebounds while handing out two assists. Against Hope College (Mich.), he recorded a double-double (14 points, 16 rebounds) to lead the Saints to a 58-46 victory. He also had one assist and two steals. 

Lazic was named the GR Sports Hall of Fame Classic MVP and helped Aquinas record its first wins of the season. So far this season, he is averaging 15.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.  Aquinas, 2-5 on the season, will meet St. Catharine (Ky.) on Dec. 5. 

November 25 -- For her efforts in helping the #24-ranked Saints to a perfect 3-0 week, junior Joslyn Narber has been named the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Player of the Week. 

The forward from Wyoming, Mich. demonstrated a balanced attack as she averaged 22 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.3 steals during the three-game week. Against Alma College (Mich.) she tallied 19 points, six rebounds and eight assists as the Saints won 77-50. In a home contest with Goshen College (Ind.) she scored 22 points, grabbed five rebounds, handed out five assists and had one steal. Aquinas won 85-64. Her 25 points, three rebounds, four assists and three steals were a key in upsetting No. 16-ranked Taylor University (Ind.), 82-64. 

Along with the player of the week honor, Narber was named the MVP of the Aquinas Classic as she shot 52.5% from the field and 90% from the charity stripe. Next on the schedule for Aquinas (5-3) is Purdue University Calumet (Ind.) on Dec. 3.

November 24 -- This past weekend the men's basketball team traveled to Denver, Colorado to take part in the Metro State Classic. The Saints, who are in the process of getting healthy, endured two tough losses to some quality NCAA Division II programs.

On Friday, Aquinas fell behind host Metro State 36-16 at the half. The Saints trimmed the lead to seven with nine minutes to play, but that's as close as Aquinas would come as the Roadrunners pulled away down the stretch to secure the 65-50 victory. Jordan Torres led the Saints with 15 points.

The following day the Saints were in action against Colorado Christian. Aquinas started off strong and enjoyed an early eight point lead. The lead was short lived as CC went on a 39-19 run to close out the half and take the advantage into the locker room 43-31. The Saints continued to battle and recaptured the lead with nine minutes to play. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the game with Colorado Christian surviving 72-67. The Saints were led by Jordan Torres and Pedja Lazic, both who chipped in with 15 points.

The Saints will return to action on Friday as the Saints travel to Holland to compete in the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame Tournament against Calvin College at 6 p.m.

November 24 -- The women's basketball team posted victories over Goshen and Taylor this past weekend at the Aquinas College Classic. The two victories push the Saints record to 5-3 on the year.

On Friday, the Saints defeated Goshen 85-64. Aquinas went into the halftime locker room clinging to a slim three point lead. The Saints responded with solid defense and timely shooting to pull away from the Leafs down the stretch. Aquinas was led in scoring by Joslyn Narber and Carrie Abdo, both who contributed 22 points. Katie Carbee filled the stat sheet with nine points, eight rebounds and five assists.

The Saints finished the two day sweep of the MCC schools on Saturday as Aquinas defeated Taylor 82-64. The Saints opened up a large first half lead and never looked back as Aquinas' defense forced 25 turnovers which led to instant offense. Once again Carrie Abdo and Joslyn Narber led the Saints in scoring. Both were honored on the All-Tournament team with Narber being crowned the MVP.

The Saints will return to action at home on December 3rd versus Purdue Calumet at 7 p.m.

November 19 -- Pedja Lazic headlines an all-star roster for the WHAC this season as the senior from Kentwood was named the Preseason Player of the Year. Last year Lazic averaged 14.2 points and 7.2 rebounds for the Saints.

Junior Joslyn Narber was selected by the conference coaches as the top player in the WHAC Women's Basketball Preseason All Conference Team. Narber averaged 18.6 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Saints last season.

November 19 -- The Aquinas College women's basketball team reverted back to their winning ways with a convincing 77-50 victory over Alma College. The Saints, who snapped a three game losing skid, currently stand at 3-3 on the young season.

After a slow start to the game where points were at a premium on both sides of the ball, the Saints started connecting on a few shots and built a 16 point lead. Aquinas led 29-14 at the halftime break and continued to add to the advantage in the second half as the Saints shot 51% from the field and 91% from the line during the second 20 minutes.

Aquinas was led by the dynamic duo of Joslyn Narber and Carrie Abdo who combined for 35 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists. The Saints return to action this Friday as they will play host to Goshen College at 8 p.m.

November 19 -- The Aquinas College men's basketball team opened the home portion of their schedule with a 68-67 setback to Olivet. The loss for the Saints is their third straight to start the season.

The Saints and Comets played a very closely contested first half with neither team leading by more than four points. Aquinas, who led by four at the half, extended the lead to 11 at the midway point of the second half. Slowly, but surely Olivet whittled the deficit to a tie game with three minutes to go. Two free throws by Andre Evans with three seconds remaining proved to be the difference as the Comets held on for the one point victory.

Aquinas was led in scoring by senior Jordan Torres who contributed 24 points and Pedja Lazic who chipped in with 21 points and 10 rebounds. The Saints return to action on Friday, where they will be taking part in the Metro State Classic, which is being held in Denver, Colorado.

The program is dedicated to the principle that character is a choice and that being a champion is not just about winning, but making good decisions consistently in daily life. To be considered a Champions of Character institution, schools must complete a form which is later reviewed by a team directed by Haworth. These institutions must demonstrate how the campus incorporates the Champions of Character program in five specific areas: athletic contests, public service projects, established policies related to behavior in practice and game situations, athletic and academic environment and character education.

November 16 -- The men's soccer team fell one victory shy of its goal of advancing to the NAIA National Championships. The Saints were defeated by Madonna 2-0 in the WHAC tournament championship game.

Both teams battled the cold, the wind and the rain, but it was Madonna who struck first in the 31st minute on a goal by Doran Drai. The Crusaders extended the lead in the second half as Otieno Victor went top shelf on Ben Richardson. Madonna's defense limited the Saints to only two shots on goal.

The Saints season ends with an overall record of 14-6.

November 16 -- The men's basketball team fell to Spring Arbor

67-56, during day two of the WHAC/MCC Challenge hosted by Cornerstone University.

Another slow start by the Saints put them in a 14-2 disadvantage five minutes into the game. The lead swelled to 18 at one point in the first half before the Saints closed the half on 16-8 run to make the halftime score 36-26. Unfortunately for the Saints that would be as close as they would get as they never could get the game to a single digit deficit in the second half.

Pedja Lazic led all scorers with 19 points. Jordan Torres and Ty Motley both contributed 11 points for the Saints. Aquinas will return to action on Tuesday night as they host Olivet at 8:00 p.m.

November 16 -- The Aquinas college women's basketball team was defeated by St Fancis (IN) 69-61. The big story for the Cougars was the play of Marie Kaufmann who netted 35 points on 13-19 shooting from the field and 9-10 from the line. The loss for the Saints was their third consecutive and puts their overall record at 2-3 for the season.

Aquinas jumped out to an early six point lead before St. Francis went on a 25-11 run to end the half. With the score 30-22 at halftime, the Saints looked to veteran Joslyn Narber to lead them back. Narber chipped in a game high 25 points for the Saints, but it was not enough as St. Francis' strong inside played proved to be the difference. Katie Carbee, who scored ten points, was the only other Saint to score in double figures.

Aquinas returns to the hardwood on Tuesday as the host Alma College at 6:00 p.m.

November 15 -- This year the women's volleyball program has resurfaced as a real threat in the WHAC. This maturation was evident last night as the Saints fell to #11 ranked Madonna in a hard fought 3-1 match in the WHAC Tournament semifinal.

After losing the first set 25-21, Aquinas bounced back to wrestle away the second set 26-24. The hotly contested third set brought about 14 ties and eight lead changes only to see the Crusaders prevail 27-25. The fourth and decisive set also went Madonna's way as they ended the match and the Saints season 25-15.

The Saints were led by Chelsea Phillips who scored on 12 kills and five blocks. Katie Vander Meer led the team in assists with 36, while Sarah LeClair was once again the defensive leader with 17 digs.

Aquinas closes their season with a record 22-13, a 17 win improvement over last year.

November 15 -- The men's basketball team was defeated by Indiana Wesleyan 61-49 in the first day of the WHAC/MCC Challenge.

The Saints fell behind early and dug themselves a 19 point hole by halftime. Aquinas chipped away at the lead and climbed within five points with nine minutes remaining. The Wildcats made big shots down the stretch and held on for the 12 point victory.

Aquinas was led in scoring by freshman Damacious White, who scored 18 points in his Saints debut. Senior forward, Pedja Lazic contributed 11 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for Aquinas.

The Saints are back in action tonight at Cornerstone as they will take on Spring Arbor at 1 p.m.

November 13 -- In three of the past five meetings these two teams have produced exciting overtime affairs. Last night was no different as Aquinas and Huntington needed more than regulation to decide the winner.

The Saints fell behind by as many as eight points in the first half only to go on a 13-4 run to end the half to take a one point lead into the locker room. The lead for the Saints quickly rose to eight with 13 minutes to play before Huntington mounted their come back and closed the gap. The remainder of the game see-sawed back and forth with the Foresters taking a three point lead into the final seconds. A three point make by Joslyn Narber with 1.2 seconds remaining tied the score and sent the game into overtime. Huntington outscored the Saints 4-3 in the extra period to hold on for the victory.

Aquinas was led by the duo of Carrie Abdo (17 points and 15 rebounds) and Joslyn Narber (21 points and 12 rebounds). The Saints also received solid play off their bench by Courtney Banks who tallied ten points, eight rebounds and five assists.

The Saints fall to 2-2 overall and look to bounce back on Saturday with a home contest versus St. Francis.

November 12 -- The Saints volleyball team defeated UM Dearborn 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the WHAC Volleyball Tournament. The victory advances the Saints to the semifinal game on Friday versus Madonna.

After quickly defeating the Wolves in the first two sets (25-15, 25-13), the Saints dropped the third set 25-20 and had to rally in the fourth set to win the match three sets to one.

Statistically the Saints were led by Jessica Curtis, who recorded 14 kills, and Katie Vander Meer who compiled 41 assists. Defensively Sarah LeClair led Aquinas with 20 digs and Chelsea Phillips, who stuffed four attacks.

The victory pushes the Saints overall record to 22-12.

November 9 -- The women's basketball team suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of Olivet Nazarene 102-87. The Saints, who are know 2-1 on the young season, played well but could never quite get over the hump against the Tigers.

After trailing 52-47 at the half, the Saints went cold from the field for stretches in the second half and never quite recovered.

Aquinas was once again led by the strong play of Carrie Abdo who scored 26 points and tallied nine rebounds. Vicky Vandyke provided some quality minutes off the bench contributing 15 points on 7-9 shooting. The trio of April Feldpausch, Kaitlyn Lang and Joslyn Narber all scored eleven points.

The Saints return to action on Wednesday as they host Huntington

at 7 p.m..

November 9 -- The women's soccer fell to Siena Heights on cool, windy day in Adrian 1-0. The loss eliminates the Saints from the WHAC tournament and thus ends their season.

The lone score of the game came in the 69th minute when Bridgette Scott delivered the game winning goal for Saints. Siena Heights will now travel to Madonna on Friday to face the Crusdars for the WHAC crown.

After starting the season at 2-6, the Saints finished strong and compiled an overall record of 8-8-3 for the year.

November 9 -- The Aquinas College men's soccer team shutout Davenport 5-0 to advance to this Saturday's WHAC Tournament Championship versus Madonna.

The Saints, who have won 10 out of their last 11 matches, scored first on a goal by Jarod Smith in the 33rd minute. Aquinas held the halftime advantage 1-0 and extended the lead early in the second half on a penalty kick by Jeo Pantoja. With the Saints holding the 2-0 lead Pantoja struck again, his 18th goal of the season. Carlos Martinez and Brian Himes added late goals to give Aquinas the 5-0 victory. Senior Ben Richardson was solid in net as he stopped all eight of the Panthers shots.

The Saints will travel to Madonna on Saturday to battle the Crusaders for the WHAC Tournament Championship.

November 9 -- The women's cross country team placed second at the 2008 WHAC Championships.

The Saints were led by the All-Conference performance of Amanda Strouse (2nd place - 18:45) and the National qualifying efforts of Katy Cramer (8th place - 19:27) and Alicia Boynton (9th place - 19:29). Also scoring for the Saints were Emily Popma (13th place - 19:46) and Samantha Rinkus (14th place - 19:48).

Earning Academic All-Conference honors for the Saints were Ruth Blaxton, Kaitlyn Meernik, Emily Popma, Amanda Strouse and Kelsey Webb.

The trio of Strouse, Cramer and Boynton will be traveling to the National Championships in Kenosha, Wisconsin in two weeks.

November 9 -- The men's cross country team used strong pack running to outdistance themselves from the rest of the field to win their seventh straight WHAC Championship.

Individual champion, Chris Leikert (25:38) led a charge of four Saints finishing within ten seconds of each other to secure the victory. Joining Leikert on the All-Conference team was Rob Veldman (2nd place - 25:41), Sean McGlothlin (6th place - 25:48) and Nate Poirier (7th place - 25:48). Rounding out the scoring for the Saints was Victor Rameriz (26:05) who finished in 11th place.

Earning Academic All-Conference honors for the Saints were Mitch Hoffman, Chris Leikert, Sean McGlothlin, Nate Poirier and Andy Vereecke.

The Saints will be making their ninth consecutive trip to the National Championships which will be contested in Kenosha, Wisconsin in two weeks.

November 8 --The women's basketball team defeated Goshen 84-46 to raise their record to 2-0 on the young season. The Saints shot the lights out as they connected on 47% (29-62) of their field goals, 44% (14-32) of their 3-point shots and 91% (11-12) of their free throws.

Aquinas, who took a 33 point lead into the halftime locker room, was led by Joslyn Narber's 22 points. April Feldpausch chipped in with 15 points and Carrie Abdo contributed nine points, five assists and four rebounds for the Saints.

Aquinas will play host Olivet Nazarene today at 2:30 p.m.

November 7 -- The women's volleyball team dropped their final regular season match to #19 ranked Indiana Tech (29-2, 12-1 WHAC) three games to zero. The Saints, who have posted a 16 win improvement over last season, are now preparing for the WHAC Tournament which will begin on Tuesday with a home match versus UM Dearborn.

After dropping the first two sets, the Saints seemed poised to win the third, but a late rally by the Warriors ended the set 25-19. Aquinas was led by Jessica Curtis' eight kills and Katie Vander Meer's 24 assists and ten digs.

Seniors Heather Becker and Kari Carnell were honored before the start of the game for their contributions to the volleyball program over the last four years.

November 6 -- Members of the Aquinas College men's and women's soccer teams were honored by the WHAC for their efforts on and off the playing field.

All Conference First Team

Jeo Pantoja, Mike Vaughn and Jessica Greaney

All Conference Second Team

Jarod Smith, Chad DeRussell, Chris Smith, Ben Richardson

Honorable Mention All Conference

Erich Jackson, Jose Guillan, Kaitlyn Burns, Natalie Walter

Champions of Character

Carlos Martinez, Kathryn Chandonnet

All-Academic Team

Brian Himes, Carlos Martinez, Ben Richardson, Rebecca Mudri

The men's soccer team will host Davenport on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the semifinals of the WHAC men's tournament.

The women's soccer team will travel to Siena Heights on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the semifinals of the WHAC women's tournament.

November 6 -- The Aquinas women's basketball team opened their 2008-09 season in impressive fashion as they defeated Spring Arbor 81-40. The Saints, led by Carrie Abdo's 21 points and 14 rebounds, jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as Aquinas dominated every facet of the game.

Joslyn Narber tallied 14 points and freshman Logan Marsh contributed ten points. Junior college transfer Kaitlyn Lang stuffed the stat sheet with seven points, five assists and five steals. Aquinas shot 46% from the field and 68% from the line.

The Saints return to action with a weekend tournament at Olivet Nazarene.

November 5 -- As the championship portion of their schedule draws near the Saints remained sharp as they defeated Concordia last night 3-1. The victory for the Saints pushes their overall record to 21-11 and their conference record to 10-3.

After splitting the first two sets, the Saints played a very strong third set, winning 25-16. Aquinas then went on to win the fourth set and the match 25-17. Offensively Aquinas was led by Jessica Curtis who recorded 15 kills and Katie Vander Meer who connected on 34 assists.

The Saints will close out the regular season portion of their schedule on Thursday as they host #19 ranked Indiana Tech at 7 p.m.

November 4 -- Over the last several years, Frank Rogers, Aquinas’ new women’s lacrosse coach, has worked hard to help the sport of lacrosse grow.  Focusing mainly on the West Michigan area, Coach Rogers has helped to start or rejuvenate 7 girls programs and 5 boys programs in the last few years.  Now his hard work and expertise in this area is being recognized by the US Lacrosse Foundation, the national governing body of lacrosse in the USA.

For the last few years, lacrosse has been the fastest growing sport, particularly at the high school and college club level. Due to Coach Rogers’ experience with these levels, the foundation has asked Rogers to present a session at their national convention in Baltimore this January on the proper way to start and grow a college club team.

November 3 -- The Aquinas College men's soccer team defeated Concordia 4-3 in double overtime to secure a share of the WHAC crown with Madonna. The pesky Cardinals gave the Saints all that they could handle before finally falling to Aquinas.

The four goals scored by the Saints marks the first time this year that they have tallied over three. Jeo Pantoja jump started the Saints with his 15th goal of the year in the 13th minute of play. Concordia responded with a goal of their own before heading into the halftime break.

Pantoja struck again, this time via the penalty kick, to give Aquinas the 2-1 advantage. The Cardinals scored their next goal on a penalty kick as well to pull even with the Saints. Michael Vaughn and the Saints broke the tie in the 64th minute as Vaughn kicked a rebound past the Concordia keeper. In this see-saw game it was appropriate that the Cardinals countered with a goal of their own to send the game into overtime. After a scoreless first overtime session, the Saints sealed the victory in the second overtime as Erich Jackson's header from Jarod Smith found the back of the net.

The Saints concluded their regular season with a record of 13-5 overall and 11-1 in the WHAC. The Saints open the WHAC tournament with a home date versus Davenport on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

November 3 -- The late season surge continued for the Saints as they defeated Concordia 1-0 to extend their undefeated streak to six entering the WHAC tournament that begins on Saturday.

Kelsey Duley stopped fourteen shots and has solidified herself in net for the Saints. The lone goal of the game came in the 64th minute when Rande Siroky centered a pass to Jessica Greaney who shot it pass the keeper. With the victory the Saints close the regular season with 8-7-3 record overall and a 6-3-3 record in the WHAC.

Aquinas, who is seeded third in the upcoming WHAC Tournament, will play at #2 seed Siena Heights on Saturday in one of the semifinals.

October 30 -- The men's soccer team posted a 2-1 overtime victory over Davenport to run their conference record to 10-1 and their overall record to 12-5. The Saints remain in a first place tie with Madonna in the WHAC standings.

Jeo Pantoja, who has been on a goal scoring tear of late, connected on a shot in the first half set up by Carlos Martinez. The Saints maintained the 1-0 lead until the 59th minute when Carl Winterbottom executed a header off the corner kick to tie the score at one. Aquinas won the match in overtime when Pantoja scored the game winner on a set up by Chad Du Russel.

The Saints conclude the regular season portion of their schedule with a road contest at Concordia on Saturday.

October 29 -- The women's volleyball defeated UM Dearborn in an exciting five set thriller 3-2. The win for the Saints marks the first time since 1997 that the Saints have reached the twenty win plateau. Aquinas currently is in third place in the WHAC with a 9-3 conference record and a 20-11 record overall.

After dropping the first set 27-25, the Saints responded by winning sets two and three, 25-22 and 25-10. The Wolves would not go quietly as they rallied to win game four 25-23. In the fifth and decisive set the Saints defeated UM Dearborn 15-13.

Aquinas was led in kills by Jessica Curtis and Mollie Lounds, both who had 15. Katie Vander Meer recorded 54 assists and Sarah LeClair contributed with 29 digs.

The Saints return to action on Tuesday as they travel to play Concordia.

October 29 -- The women's soccer team, who is 3-0-2 in their last five games, defeated Davenport 5-1 to clinch a berth in the WHAC postseason tournament. With the victory, the Saints moved past Cornerstone to take over third place in the WHAC.

The Saints received first half goals from Teresa Buiocchi and Rande Siroky to take a 2-1 lead at halftime. Insurance goals were scored by Jessica Greaney, Natalie Walter and Emily Wabich. Carlee Chapman's accurate passing led to two of the second half goals. Kelsey Duley played strong in net stopping five of the six Panther shots.

The Saints will close out the regular season portion of their schedule with an away contest versus Concordia on Saturday.

October 27 -- The men's soccer team was defeated by Saginaw Valley State 4-3 in overtime, thus halting the Saints seven game win streak. The Saints record now stands at 11-5 overall and 9-1 in the WHAC which currently has them in a first place tie with Madonna.

With Saginaw Valley leading 1-0 at the halftime break, the Saints came out in the second half and scored three goals in a six minute span to go up 3-1 on the Cardinals. Jeo Pantoja scored twice and Carlos Martinez also sent one by the Saginaw Valley keeper. The Saints seemed poised to close out this game when Saginaw Valley struck for two goals in the last two minutes of regulation to send the game into overtime. The Cardinals completed the comeback with the game winner nine minutes into the extra period.

The Saints will return to the field on Wednesday as they travel to Davenport in a key WHAC contest.

October 27 -- The Saints finished off their busy week by splitting a tri match hosted by Spring Arbor. Aquinas' record now stands at 19-11 overall and 8-3 in the WHAC.

In the first match of the day against Spring Arbor the Saints took a quick two sets to zero lead (25-23 and 25-23). The Cougars responded by winning the next three sets (25-19, 25-21and 15-13) to take the match.

Aquinas opened up the same two sets to zero lead over Marian in the second half of the doubleheader (25-19 and 25-23). Marian prevented the sweep by winning the third set 25-19, but the Saints closed out the match in set four in convincing fashion 25-15.

Aquinas will return to the hardwood on Tuesday as they travel to UM Dearborn for a date with the Wolves.

The women's squad placed ninth out of 25 at the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge. Amanda Strouse led the way for the Saints with an eighth place finish (18:15). Following Strouse for the Saints were Katy Cramer (19:32), Rachel Fechik (19:37), Kaitlyn Meernik (19:40) and Samantha Rinkus (19:43). Rounding out the top seven for the Saints were Alicia Boynton (19:45) and Emily Popma (19:48).

The Saints will be off this week and then return to action to compete at the WHAC Championships hosted by Aquinas College next Saturday.

October 25 -- The men's soccer team extended their winning streak to seven games with a 3-0 shutout victory over Cornerstone. The Saints, who have not lost a match in over a month, now post a record of 11-4 overall and 9-1 in the WHAC.

The Saints jumped out to the early 1-0 lead thanks in part to a penalty kick off the foot of Jeo Pantoja. Defense ruled the next hour of play before Aquinas' Jose Guillan connected on his two shots in the 66th and 77th minute. Guillan was assisted on his goals by Jarod Smith and Ruben Ornelas-Luna. Ben Richardson recorded the victory for the Saints as he saved all four shots on goal.

The Saints will return to action on Sunday with a home non conference game versus Saginaw Valley State.

For the second consecutive game the Aquinas Saints women's soccer teamed played to a 1-1 draw. Aquinas, who is currently holding on to the fourth spot in the WHAC, has a record of 6-7-3 overall and 4-3-3 in league play.

The Saints received its lone goal from Jessica Greaney who scored in the 15th minute. Kelsey Duley played well in net as she stopped nine of ten Golden Eagle shots.

The Saints will return to the field on Tuesday as they play host to Davenport.

October 24 -- The Aquinas Saints defeated Cornerstone 3-1 in a matchup of the third and fourth place teams in the WHAC. Both teams came ready to play at a high level and had the crowd at the Aquinas Field House on the edge of their seats with great digs, picture perfect sets and powerful kills.

In set one, Cornerstone prevailed 28-26, due in large part to their outside hitter Holly Cousins, who recorded 26 kills in the match. The Saints tied the match up by winning the second set 25-22. Aquinas kept rolling in the third set as the Saints; and senior Kari Carnell who notched 13 digs, won 25-19. In the final set the Saints went on 10-4 run to close out the set and match 25-19.

The Saints defensively were spectacular, posting season highs in many categories. Jessica Curtis led the Saints with 18 kills, while Katie Vander Meer posted 55 assists. Sarah Leclair also recorded 25 digs for the Saints.

The victory positions the Saints securely in third place in the WHAC behind conference powers Madonna and Indiana Tech. Aquinas returns to action on Saturday as they travel to Spring Arbor.

October 23 -- The Saints traveled to Allendale for a non conference tilt with the Lakers from Grand Valley State. The Lakers (22-2) have won 19 straight matches and are currently ranked #5 in NCAA Division II.

Aquinas fell behind early in set one but never gave up as they fell 25-19. In set two, the Saints went serve for serve with the Lakers before a late surge by Grand Valley State ended the set at 25-18. Aquinas jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the third set, but saw it quickly erased as the Lakers closed out the game on a 23-9 run. The Saints are now 17-10 overall and 7-3 in the WHAC.

The Saints have no time to think about the defeat as they return home for an important conference match against cross town rival Cornerstone tonight at 7 p.m.

October 22 -- With four matches in the next five days it was imperative that the Saints got off on the right foot versus Siena Heights on Tuesday night.

Currently sitting in third place in the WHAC, the Saints came out right away and took control of set one 25-17. The strong play continued in sets two and three as Aquinas won both of those 25-19 and 25-17.

The Saints used a balanced attack and received contributions from all team members in the victory over Siena Heights. Aquinas' record currently stands at 17-9 overall and 7-3 in the WHAC.

The Saints will travel to Grand Valley State to play the host Lakers tonight.

October 21 -- MY TEAM TRIUMPH is an athletic ride-along program created for children, teens, adults and veterans with disabilities who would normally not be able to experience endurance events such as triathlons or marathons. The participants with disabilities are known as "Captains," and the athletes who have the honor of pushing and pulling the Captains on the course are called their "Angels."

The Aquinas College cross country team had the unique opportunity to take part in this wonderful program and to be Matt's "Angels" at the Grand Rapids Marathon. "Captain" Matt Smith, who all the team members will never forget, provided encouragement, inspiration and motivation to keep pushing faster as the Saints, in relay form, pushed Matt through the 26.2 mile course.

"Captain" Matt and his "Angels" covered the course in a very respectable three hours and 21 minutes. "Captain" Matt received his finishing medal and wore it with pride and honor and showed his "Angels" the real meaning of courage and spirit.

Also at the Grand Rapids Marathon, former Aquinas College Cross Country and Track standouts had very successful days. Josh Miller finished second overall with a time of 2:32 and Leo Foley finished right behind Miller in third place with a 2:33. On the women's side Val (Kunde) Thomasma finished fourth overall with a time of 3:05

The women's race will feature the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the country in Azuza Pacific University (CA) and Cedarville University (OH). The field will also include # 9 Indiana Tech, #10 Indiana Wesleyan, #14 Aquinas College, #16 Embry-Riddle (FL), #17 Shawnee State (OH) and #18 St. Xavier (IL).

Top individuals in the women's race include the top two finishers from last year's national championships, Jaime Caneterbury and Jacky Kipwambok, both running for Azuza Pacific. They will be pursued to the finish line by Indiana Tech's Alissa McKaig (last year's 5k and 10k national champion in track) and All-Americans Nicole Santos (Cedarville), Amanda Strouse (Aquinas), Joyce Woki (Spring Arbor) and Lydia Wong (Cedarville) among others.

The men's race will be just as competitive as ranked teams in the field include #2 Azuza Pacific University (CA), #3 Embry-Riddle (FL), #4 Indiana Tech and #6 Aquinas College. will battle for the team title. Also expected to battle for top team honors are #14 Olivet Nazarene (IL), #19 Indiana Wesleyan and #22 Shawnee State (OH) as well as unranked Cedarville University (OH).  

Top individuals to watch include last year's individual national champion Aron Rono from Azuza Pacific as well as All-Americans Abednego Magut (Azuza Pacific) and Cameron Walter (Indiana Tech).

The men's race will start at 11:00 AM with the women's race to follow at 12:00 PM.

October 20 -- The Aquinas volleyball team placed second in a four team tournament this past weekend hosted by Aquinas College. The Saints lost their first match and then proceeded to win its next two to finish the day with two wins and one loss.

Aquinas was matched up with Purdue North Central in game one of the

day. The Saints fell three games to one. Katie Vander Meer filled the stat sheet as she recorded nine kills, 34 assists and 11 digs. In game two of the day, Aquinas defeated Rochester College three games to one. Jessica Curtis played big as she had 13 kills, seven digs and four service aces. The final game of the day matched Aquinas versus Calumet St. Joseph, a game in which the Saints won 3-0. Katie

Vander Meer continued her all around play will 10 kills and 24 assists.

For their efforts both Katie Vander Meer and Chelsea Phillips were named to the All Tournament Team. The Saints lift their record to 16-9 overall and 6-3 in the WHAC. Aquinas returns to the court on Tuesday as they host Siena Heights.

October 20 -- The Aquinas Saints men's soccer team continues its push for a WHAC championship as they defeated Siena Heights 2-1 to earn their sixth consecutive victory. The Saints are now 10-4 overall and 8-1 in the WHAC, which positions them in a first place tie with Madonna.

Defense ruled much of this game until late when Michael Vaughn scored a goal in the 70th minute to break the 0-0 tie. Siena Heights quickly responded on a goal by Joel Parrish four minutes later. The game seemed destined for overtime when Jeo Pantoja's header from Elvis Fetic with 1:20 remaining in regulation gave Aquinas the victory

2-1. The Saints return to action on Saturday as they travel to Cornerstone to play the host Golden Eagles.

The Saints women's soccer team played to a 1-1 overtime draw with Siena Heights. Aquinas' record stands at 6-7-2 overall and 4-3-2 in the WHAC.

The Saints scored in the 28th minute on a goal by Matthea Brandenburg, she was assisted by Rande Siroky and Teresa Buiocchi. Siena Heights tied the score with just over seven minutes to play on a goal by Kim Stoutenburg. Kelsey Duley was in net for the Saints, she recorded four saves. The Saints return to action on Saturday as they travel to Cornerstone to play the host Golden Eagles.

October 17 -- The Aquinas Saints volleyball team continues its fine season with another come from behind victory over Davenport 3-2. The young Saints who seem to enjoy making their coach sweat out victories are know 14-8 overall and 6-3 in the WHAC.

Aquinas jumped out early and dominated the first set 25-11. The following set the Panthers responded by winning 25-21 and then controlled the entire third set 25-14. With their backs to the wall the Saints saved their best for last with a thrilling 25-19 win in set four and then a 15-7 victory in the decisive fifth set.

The Saints were led by the all-around play of Mollie Lounds who contributed 12 kills on 20 attempts; Lounds also played a role in eight blocks. Jessica Curtis also played big for the Saints as she tallied 11 kills, 19 digs and connected on two service aces.

The Saints return to action on Saturday as they host the Aquinas College Volleyball Classic.

October 16 -- With only eight goals in the first twelve games of the season you knew it was only a matter of time before the Saints offense started to click. After posting a 3-0 victory earlier in the week over Indiana Tech, the Saints kept the offense in high gear with an impressive 5-0 shutout victory over Goshen.

Aquinas struck quickly as Teresa Buiocchi scored a goal in the first minute of the game. The Saints added a late first half goal by Olivia Dorgan to go into halftime ahead 2-0. The intermission did not slow down the Saints attack as Randie Siroky, Matthea Brandenburg and Teresa Buiocchi all scored second half goals. Mary Lothschultz recorded the shutout victory in net for the Saints. With the victory the Saints are know 6-7-1 overall and 4-3-1 in league play.

The Saints return to action on Saturday as they play host to Siena Heights.

October 16 -- Frank Rogers will direct the newly announced women’s lacrosse team at Aquinas College which will begin competition in the spring of 2010.  Rogers brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position and is very eager to get everything up and running from the “ground floor”.

Coach Rogers began his coaching duties at various high schools in New York in the early 90’s. Rogers took control of the men’s lacrosse program at Western Michigan University in 1996. Most recently Roger’s has been coaching the women’s lacrosse team at Western Michigan University and working with various travel teams in the Kalamazoo area.

Rogers also is very active in camps, clinics and foundations all aimed at continuing the growth and development of the sport of lacrosse.  Rogers has been a member of the US Lacrosse Foundation for 35 years and is always looking for new and exciting ways to expose lacrosse to novices of the sport.

October 15 -- The women's volleyball team was defeated by #17 ranked Indiana Tech 3-0. The game marked the first game for the Warriors since the loss of teammate Liz Lykowski, who passed awayed last week. Heavy hearts and inspired play lead to a very one sided game in which Aquinas fell (25-9, 25-12, 25-14). The loss drops Aquinas' record to 13-8 overall and 5-3 in the WHAC.

The Saints will return to action on Thursday with a road contest versus Davenport.

October 15 -- The Aquinas women's soccer team traveled to Fort Wayne, Indiana and posted a victory over Indiana Tech 3-0. The Saints scored a flurry of goals halfway through the first half to distance themselves from the Warriors. Aquinas' Emily Wabich scored goals in both the 25th and 28th minute. Sandwiched in between was a goal scored by Jessica Greaney, Carlee Chapman assisted on both the second and third goals.

Monica Rischiotto posted the shutout in goal for the Saints who are know 5-7-1 overall and 4-3-1 in WHAC play. Aquinas will next take the field on Thursday as they host Goshen College in a non-conference affair.

The men's soccer team continues to gain momentum as the championship portion of their schedule draws near. The Saints recorded their fifth straight victory as they defeated Indiana Tech 3-1. Jose Guillen opened the scoring for Aquinas as he struck for a goal in the 31st minute. Indiana Tech's Stu Thorton tied the game shortly before halftime to make it a 1-1 game. Eight minutes into the second half Jarod Smith scored the go ahead goal and Brian McKeough added a corner kick insurance goal late in the game to preserve the victory for the Saints.

Ben Richardson recorded the victory in net for the Saints who know have a half game lead in the WHAC standings with a record of 7-1, 9-4 overall. The Saints return to the turf to host Siena Heights on Saturday.

October 13 -- The women's volleyball team traveled to Goshen, Indiana this past weekend to participate in the Maple Leaf Invitational. The Saints split the four matches they played and finished third in the five team tournament.

On Friday night Aquinas defeated Taylor University at Fort Wayne 3-1 and then was defeated by the tournament champion Bethel 3-0. The following day the Saints suffered a defeat against host Goshen in the first match of the day and then closed the tournament out with a victory over Indiana Univesity - East 3-1. Both Jessica Curtis and Katie

Vander Meer were named to the all tournament team.

The Saints will travel to Indiana Tech on Tuesday to play the host Warriors. Aquinas record sits at 13-7 overall and 5-2 in league play.

The women's squad placed fourth out of 31 at the Lucian Rosa Invitational. Amanda Strouse led the way for the Saints with a ninth place finish (18:51). Following Strouse for the Saints were Emily Popma (19:39), Katy Cramer (19:43), Samantha Rinkus (19:51) and Kaitlyn Meernik (19:53). Rounding out the top seven for the Saints were Rachel Fechik (19:55) and Kelsey Webb (20:00).

The Saints will be off this week and then return to action to compete at the NAIA Great Lakes Invitational hosted by Aquinas College next Saturday.

October 13 -- The Aquinas Saints defeated Madonna 1-0 in a battle for ownership of the top spot in the WHAC men's soccer standings. The Saints with the victory are know 8-4 overall and 6-1 in the WHAC and find themselves in a first place tie with the Crusaders from Madonna.

Jeo Pantajo's goal in the sixth minute proved to be the difference maker as defense ruled the remainder of the game. Pantajo was assisted on his goal on a pass from Ruben Orneles-Luna. The Saints, winners of six of their last seven, know switch their attention to Indiana Tech who they travel to play on Tuesday.

In the opening game of the day the Aquinas Saints women's soccer team fell to Madonna 2-0. After a scoreless first half, the Crusaders received a pair of goals from Kaila Moore in the 57th and 58th minute.

The loss drops the Saints record to 4-7-1 overall and 3-3-1 in the WHAC. Aquinas looks to rebound with a game at Indiana Tech on Tuesday.

October 10 -- The Aquinas Saints recorded their 11th win of the season last night in dramatic fashion over Concordia. The Saints trailed two sets to one and rallied to win the fourth set 25-18 and the final and decisive set 15-7.

Aquinas was led by Katie Vander Meer who recorded a rare feat in volleyball, a triple double. Vander Meer tallied 15 kills, 10 digs and 42 assists for the Saints. The Saints were also sparked by the play of Chelsea Phillips who had 16 kills and Sarah LeClair who led Aquinas with 20 digs.

The victory pushes the Saints record to 11-5 overall and 5-2 in the WHAC. This weekend the Saints will travel to Goshen, Indiana to take part in the Maple Leaf Invitational.

October 7 -- The Saints fell to the #5 ranked Crusaders from Madonna last night 3-0. The lost snapped Aquinas' four game win streak and dropped the Saints record to 4-2 in the WHAC and 10-5 overall.

After dropping the first two sets 25-16 and 25-15, the Saints battled Madonna to a hard fought 25-22 match ending set in which their were ten ties and five lead changes. Mollie Lounds provided the offensive spark for the Saints leading the team with 11 kills.

The Saints return to action on Thursday to play host to Concordia at the Aquinas Field House starting at 7 p.m.

October 6 -- The Aquinas College men's soccer defeated Concordia 3-0 in the annual homecoming soccer game. The victory is the Saints fifth in the last six games and third consecutive conference win. The Saints, currently in second place in the WHAC, are 7-4 overall and 5-1 in league play.

Erich Jackson's fourth goal of the season opened the scoring for the Saints during the 11th minute. A header during the last minute of play in the first half by Brian Himes extended the Saints lead to 2-0. Carlos Martinez added a penalty kick goal late in the second half to secure the victory 3-0. The Saints will travel to Madonna on Saturday to face the Crusaders in a battle for first place in the WHAC.

In the first game of the homecoming doubleheader, the Aquinas College women's soccer team played to a 2-2 overtime tie versus Concordia. The Saints are currently 4-6-1 overall and 3-2-1 in WHAC play.

Carlee Chapman scored the first goal of the game on a great play set up by Jessica Greaney and Bri Hil. The Saints took the 1-0 lead into the halftime break and extended the lead to 2-0 with a quick second half goal by Randie Siroky. Concordia responded with a pair of goals by Abby Lorian to tie the game at two during the 60th minute. The two teams battled for the next fifty minutes without anyone finding the back of the net resulting in the 2-2 tie. Aquinas will travel to Madonna on Saturday to play the host Crusaders.

The Saints were led by senior Jessica Morse who shot an 87 which placed her in a tie for third individually on the day. Also scoring for Aquinas was Allie Dragoo (89), Liz Clement (92) and Anne Hertel (92). Currently the Saints are in third place in the WHAC with one conference jamboree yet to play. The Saints will host that jamboree on Wednesday at Scott Lake starting at 1 p.m.

The men's golf team placed fifth in the jamboree hosted by Cornerstone University. Davenport took home top honors with a 15 stroke advantage over runner up Indiana Tech.

The Saints were led by senior Dan Szatkowski who shot a 79. Also scoring for Aquinas was Jason Lewinski (81), Andrew Kish (83) and Brad Hall (85). Currently the Saints are in sixth place in the WHAC with one conferences match yet to play. The Saints host that jamboree at the Highlands on Wednesday at 11 a.m.

October 3 -- The women's volleyball team extended their winning streak to four matches as they defeated the University of Michigan Dearborn 3-1. With the victory, the Saints find themselves with a record of 10-4 overall and 4-1 in WHAC competition.

Aquinas played near flawless volleyball during the first two sets in which they won handily 25-14 and 25-15. UM Dearborn bounced back and took set three 25-23 and led in set four 19-11 before the Saints went on a 15-5 to close the set and the match. The combination of Vander Meer to Curtis proved too much in the end as Aquinas now finds themselves alone in third place in the WHAC.

The Saints will travel to Madonna on Tuesday to tangle with the Crusaders who are ranked #5 in the country with a record of 20-0.

October 2 -- After two successful meets to start the season the cross country teams find themselves ranked with some of the top teams in the nation.

In the lastest NAIA National Rankings the Aquinas College men are currently ranked #4 and the women are ranked #16. The Saints return to action next Satuday at the Lucian Roas Invitaitonal hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

October 2 -- The Aquinas College men's soccer team continues to gain momentum as they defeated Davenport 3-2 on a cool, windy day in Grand Rapids. The Saints winners of four out of their last five are beginning to show all the signs of championship calibar team.

The Saints fell behind early, but quickly responded with a goal by Jarod Smith who was assisted by Jose Guillan on the play. The score remained tied until an early second half goal by Erich Jackson propelled the Saints into the lead. The Panthers evened the score with David Wood's second goal of the game in the 70th minute. Just when the game appeared destined for overtime; Mike Vaughn scored the game winning goal with just over five minutes to play in the game.

The 3-2 victory lifts the Saints record to 6-4 overall and 4-1 in WHAC competition. Aquinas returns to the field to host Concordia on Saturday at the annual Homecoming game at 3 p.m.

The Aquinas College women made it two straight victories as they defeated host Davenport 2-1. The win pushes the Saints record to 3-2 in the WHAC and 4-6 overall.

After a scoreless first half, the Saints struck quickly in the second half as Bri Hill scored on a loft shot from 30 yards out. Davenport tied the score in the 68th minute on a goal by Shayla Crossman. Aquinas sealed the victory with less than five minutes to play when Jessica Greaney took a pass from Emily Wabich and put in past the Panther's keeper.

The Aquinas College women's soccer team returns to action on Saturday to host Concordia in the annual Homecoming game at

1 p.m.

September 30 -- The Aquinas volleyball team continues to make huge strides as they continue to gain confidence and come together as a team. After dropping their first conference match, the Saints have now when three in a row and find themselves alone in third place in the WHAC.

After falling behind two games to one, the Saints responded by taking the next two games 25-16 and 15-12 to secure the victory.

Aquinas received outstanding play from Jessica Curtis who contributed 16 kills, 19 digs and 2 blocks and Katie Vander Meer who controlled the game with 41 assists.

Currently the Saints are 9-4 overall and 3-1 in league play. Aquinas will look to extend their win streak this Thursday with a home contest versus UM Dearborn at 7 p.m at the field house.

The Saints were led by senior Jason Lewinski who shot a 76. Also scoring for Aquinas was Alex Smith (77), Dan Szatkowski (79) and Brad Hall (80). Currently the Saints are in sixth place in the WHAC with two conferences matches yet to play. The Saints will look to improve in the standings as they will play in the jamboree hosted by Cornerstone on Friday.

September 29 -- The men's cross country team placed 5th out of 35 schools this past weekend at the Sean Earl Invitational hosted by Loyola University. The Saints were led Rob Veldman, who ran a career best (25:43). Right on Veldman's heels were Mike Gravelyn (25:48), Nate Poirier (25:49) and Sean McGlothlin (26:01). Rounding out the score sheet for the Saints were Seth Bjorle (26:30), Mike Morgan (26:38) and Eddie Seymour (26:53).

The women's squad placed 9th out of 32 at the Sean Earl Invitational. Amanda Strouse led the way for the Saints with a 4th place finish (18:01). Following Strouse for the Saints were Alicia Boynton (19:32), Samantha Rinkus (19:39), Katy Cramer (19:40) and Rachel Fechik (19:55). Rounding out the top seven for the Saints were Caitlyn Bonney (20:13) and Kelsey Webb (20:23).

The Saints will be off this week and then return to action to compete at the Lucian Rosa Invitational hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Parkside next Saturday.

September 29 -- The Aquinas women's soccer earned a much needed home victory as they defeated Cornerstone 1-0 on Saturday. The Saints, who were in the midst of a three game losing streak played an all around solid game against the Golden Eagles. The lone goal of the game came from Rebecca Mudri in the 37th minute; the goal was assisted on by Jessica Greaney. Monica Rischiotto earned the victory in net as she posted a shutout on seven saves. The Saints (3-6 overall, 2-2 WHAC) will travel to Davenport on Tuesday.

The men's soccer team made it a two for two day as they to defeated the Golden Eagles 2-1. After a scoreless first half the Saints offense came alive and Jarod Smith scored a goal five minutes into the second half. After Cornerstone tied the score at one, Jeovani Pantoja scored his seventh goal of the season to break the 1-1 tie. Pantoja was assisted on the goal by Michael Vaughn and Jose Guillan. Ben Richardson notched the victory in net for Saints stopping six shots and only allowing one goal.

The Saints know find themselves alone in second place in the WHAC with a record of 5-4 overall and 3-1 in league play. Aquinas returns to action to face Davenport on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the Aquinas Soccer Field.

September 29 -- The Aquinas College men's and women's golf teams competed this past weekend at two different jamborees hosted by Concordia and Madonna.

On Friday the men finished in 6th place by shooting (+19) at the Pheasant Run Golf Course in Canton, MI. The Saints were led by Brad Hall's 74. Hall was followed by Dan Szatkowski (76), Jason Lewinski (78) and Alex Smith (79).

The Saints rebounded with their best round of the year on Saturday at the Fellow's Creek Golf Course in Canton, MI. The day was highlighted by Dan Szatkowski's 1st place finish. Szatkowski's 3-under (69) led the Saints to a third place finish. Also scoring for the Saints were Brad Hall (74), Jason Lewinski (76) and Alex Smith (79).

Davenport University won both events over the weekend.

The Aquinas women played their best match of the season as they finished tied for second at the jamboree contested on Friday. Jessica Morse led the Saints with an (80). Also scoring for the Saints was Taylor Giesen-Bayley (82), Allie Dragoo (87) and Anne Hertl (94). Indiana Tech won the event by 8 strokes.

On Saturday the women's golf team placed fifth at the jamboree hosted by Madonna. The Saints were once again led by Jessica Morse who shot a (96). Morse was followed by Taylor Giesen-Bayley (99), Allie Dragoo (99) and Anne Hertl (104). Madonna won the event by six strokes.

September 24 -- The Aquinas College Saints defeated cross town rival Davenport in a thrilling five set match at the Aquinas Fieldhouse.

The win was the first league victory for Aquinas in almost two years.

After winning the first game 25-19, the Saints dropped both the second and third games to the Panthers. Aquinas responded by edging Davenport in the fourth game 25-20. In the decisive fifth game, the Saints fell behind early 9-3 before an inspired rally lifted Aquinas to the 15-13 victory.

Coach Dave Rawles commented, "The way we stay composed and focused in the fifth set was very gratifying. It proves that this team believes and trusts one another and that the direction of this team is positive."

The victory moves the Saints record to 7-4 overall and 1-1 in the WHAC. Aquinas returns to the court on Thursday when they travel to Siena Heights.

September 24 -- The doubles team of Nick Ludwig and John Telfer were crowned champions of the Wilson/ITA Midwest Regionals this past weekend at Cedarville University. The tournament included competition from various NAIA institutions throughout the region. The pair of Saints won four matches in route to the championship. In the finals, Ludwig and Telfer defeated Wright and Bischoff from Indiana Wesleyan 8-4.

The pair will now travel to the Wilson/ITA Nationals which will be contested in Mobile, Alabama in a few weeks.

September 22 -- The Aquinas cross country teams kicked off their seasons on Saturday with a strong showing at the very competitive Calvin Knight Invitational. The Saints used strong pack running to place fifth on both the men's and women's side.

Aquinas freshmen Mike Gravelyn (26:02/13th) led a charge of seven Saints finishing within 36 seconds of each other. Following Gravelyn was Rob Veldman (26:09/17th), Chris Leikert (26:10/18th), Mike Morgan (26:22/25th) and Nick Thelen (26:24/26th). Sophomores Nate Poirier (26:36/32th) and Seth Bjorle (26:38/33rd) rounded out the scoring for the Saints.

In the women's race senior Amanda Strouse (18:02/4th) picked up right where she left off last year with a great opening race. Following Strouse was Katy Cramer (19:24/33rd), Alicia Boynton (19:38/42nd), Samantha Rinkus (19:38/43rd) and Kaitlyn Meernik (19:56/55th). Emily Popma (19:58/57th) and Ruth Blaxton (19:59/58th) finished in the sixth and seventh spots for the Saints.

Aquinas returns to action on Saturday as the Saints travel to Chicago to compete in the Sean Earl Invitational hosted by Loyola University.

September 22 -- The Aquinas women's soccer team fell to Siena Heights 6-1. The Saints from Siena Heights (5-2-0, 2-0-0 WHAC) built an early lead and stayed in control for the remainder of contest. Aquinas' lone goal came on a breakaway by Bri Hill. The defeat drops the Saints record to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in league play.

The Aquinas men's soccer team won in dramatic fashion as the Saints scored goals in the 72nd and 84th minute to claim the 2-1 come from behind victory over Siena Heights. The Saints first goal came from Dan Parejo on a header off a corner kick, the goal was assisted on by Jose Guilan. The game winning goal came from Jeovani Pantoja who was set up by Mike Vaughn, the goal was Pantoja's sixth of the year.

The Saints (4-3-0, 2-1-0 WHAC) will look for their third consecutive win as they travel to Fort Wayne to play a non conference game versus St. Francis on Wednesday.

The Saints were led by senior Jessica Morse who shot a 91. Also scoring for Aquinas was Liz Clement (92), Taylor Giesen-Bayley (92) and Anne Hertl (95). Currently the Saints are in third place in the WHAC with three conferences match yet to play. The Saints will look to improve in the standings as they travel to Concordia on Friday and Madonna on Saturday.

September 18 -- The men's and women's cross country teams open up their respective seasons this Saturday at the Calvin College Invitational. The women's race will begin at 10 a.m. with the men's race to follow.

In the latest NAIA national rankings the Saints were ranked #8 on the men's side and #15 on the women's side.

September 18 -- The women's soccer team notched a shutout victory over Indiana Tech on Tuesday 1-0. Bri Hill scored the only goal of the game during the first overtime period. The Saints were much more assertive on offense as Aquinas recorded 24 shots (10 on goal). Monica Rischiotto posted the shutout in net for the Saints; the freshman stopped four shots by the Warriors.

The victory evens the Saints record in the WHAC at 1-1 and overall the win improves Aquinas to 2-3. The Saints return to action on Saturday as they travel to Adrian to play the Saints of Siena Heights (4-2, 1-0).

The men's soccer team also shutout Indiana Tech 3-0 in a game played at home last night. The Saints used two converted penalty kicks by Michael Vaughn and Jeovani Pantoja and a goal by Erich Jackson to outdistance themselves from the Warrriors. Ben Richardson earned the victory in net for Saints.

Aquinas' record is now even in the conference at 1-1 and overall at 3-3. The Saints will travel on Saturday to play Siena Heights (2-1-2, 1-0).

September 17 -- The men's golf team placed sixth at the WHAC Jamboree #2 hosted by Davenport University at The Golf Club at Thornapple Pointe. Davenport won the competetion with an eight stroke victory over second place Madonna.

Aquinas was led by Alex Smith and Jason Lewinski who carded 77 and 78 respectively. Other scores for the Saints included Steffen Nisinski (83) and Andrew Kish (86). The Saints return to the links on Friday September 26 as they compete in a WHAC Jamboree hosted by Concordia.

The women's golf team placed fourth at the Jamboree hosted by Davenport. Madonna took home top honors with a five stroke advantage over runner up Indiana Tech.

The Saints were led by freshman Taylor Giesen-Bayley who shot a 94. Also scoring for Aquinas was Jessica Morse (96), Allie Dragoo (97)and Anne Hertl (97). The Saints will look to improve in the standings as they travel to Siena Heights on Saturday to compete in the 3rd WHAC Jamboree of the season.

September 17 -- The young Saints volleyball team competed very well versus the #6 ranked team in the country. National power, Madonna, defeated the Saints 3-0 last night. Aquinas was in every game and made the Crusaders earn the victory.

Chelsea Phillips led the attack for the Saints with 11 kills and three blocks. Floor general, Katie Vander Meer added 29 assists for the Saints who overall fall to 6-4 and 0-1 in the WHAC.

The Saints return to the hardwood next Tuesday night as they play host to cross town rival Davenport at 7 p.m. at the field house.

September 1 -- What a difference a year makes!!!

Last year the women's volleyball team won five matches. After one week of competition completed, the Saints win total already stands at four.

After defeating Rochester (3-0) to open the season, the Saints then fell to Ferris State (0-3). Over the holiday weekend the Saints competed in the highly competitive Cornerstone Classic which drew teams from all over the country. Aquinas finished third out of the ten team field and finished the weekend with three victories and only one defeat.

On Friday night Aquinas opened up against Northwestern Ohio. After falling behind two sets to zero, the Saints rallied to win the next three sets and the match. The Lady Saints kept momentum on their side as

Aquinas proceeded to defeat the #17 ranked team in the country, Walsh (3-0). Coach Dave Rawles, who was more than a little excited by his team's play replied, "This has to be one of the biggest victories in some time by a Saints volleyball team, it is definitely something to build on.".

On Saturday Aquinas split their two matches. In the early contest the Saints were defeated by Malone (1-3), but responded very well in defeating Virginia Intermont handily (3-0) in the final match of the tournament.

The Saints return to the floor on Friday when they travel south to play Indiana University Northwest and Purdue North Central.

August 11 -- Veteran Aquinas College women’s assistant basketball coach Ray Fron has accepted a head coaching position at Spring Hill College.  Located in Mobile, Al, Spring Hill College, the third oldest Jesuit college in the country, competes as a NAIA Div. 1 institution.  Fron, a native from Grand Rapids, MI and a graduate of Catholic Central High school joined head coach Linda Nash during Nash’s first season as head coach twelve years ago.  During that period, Fron has assisted in developing Aquinas College into a perennial powerhouse.  The Saints are coming off their fourth consecutive 20-plus winning season and two trips to the NAIA national tournament in the last four years.  During that period, the Saints have boosted six All-Americans and numerous All-Conference performers.     

Nash comments, “I am so happy for Ray Fron.  He has contributed so much to our women’s basketball program over the 12 years at Aquinas College.  He has wanted to be a head coach for a while and I think Spring Hill College is very fortunate to get a quality coach of his caliber.  He is a hard worker, a knowledgeable coach and most importantly a good person.  He cares about his players.  Our friendship will live on.”

Prior to coaching at Aquinas College, Fron was the girl’s varsity basketball coach at Central Catholic High School in Modesto, CA.,  from 1992-96 where he led the program to its first ever state sectional playoffs and recorded a school record number of victories.  Fron upon completing his undergraduate degree at Grand Valley State University was a Special Education teacher the past nine years at Pinewood Middle School in the Kentwood district.  He will complete his Masters Degree in the Art of Teaching in the fall from Aquinas College.