Area roundup: Lewis' Priesler wins national pole vault title

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Lewis pole vaulter Rebecca Priesler (Romeoville) became the first Flyer in 17 years to win a national title at the NCAA Division II Indoor Women’s Track and Field Championships on Friday.

Priesler broke her school record with a vault of 13 feet, 51/4 inches, topping her previous standard of 12-51/2 set earlier this season. She is the first Lewis women’s indoor national champion since Magdalena Paszta won the mile in 1998.

Chantel Stennis (Bolingbrook) qualified for the 400 finals with a preliminary time of 54.98. She was unable to advance out of the preliminary heats of the 200 (24.71). The Flyers’ distance medley team of Kristen Bonsor, Zoe Mead, Amy Polhemus and Amanda Farrough finished 12th (11:54.23).

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Troy, Homer fall in three: The Troy and Homer seventh-graders both dropped three-set matches in the IESA Class 4A State Volleyball Tournament. Troy lost to Manteno, 25-17, 7-25, 25-16, while Homer fell to Mount Zion, 24-26, 27-25, 25-20.

Natalie Stefanski had 23 services points, including eight aces, for Troy (15-6). Brooke Borgra added nine points with two aces and Sam Fair had five points with three aces. For Homer (12-7), Payton Tripam totaled 16 points, Madison Deutscher 10 and Nora Dykstra eight.

GIRLS TRACK & FIELD

Minooka takes first: Eight first-place finishes helped Minooka win the Plainfield South Invitational with 70.5 points. Mackenzie Callahan broke Minooka’s indoor school record in 800 (2:19.2). Taylor Prieboy, Emily Shelton, Emma Tonelli and Ashleigh Wilson won their events, while Latricia Dean, Danyelle Myers, Tonelli and Amber Jackson took the 800 relay and Myers, Callahan, Prieboy and Wilson won the 1,600 relay.

MEN’S SWIMMING

Lewis national honors: No. 19 Lewis earned a pair of national honors at the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving National Championships.

Bryan Wiener swam a 47.40 in the finals to earn All-America honors and finish sixth in the 100 backstroke. It is his first outright All-American award. His 11th place in 2013 merited honorable mention status.

Victor Tarin earned honorable hention All-America after taking 15th in the 500 with a time of 4:32.59 in the consolation finals. It is Tarin’s first career national accolade.

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

Lewis 1-4, Quincy 0-2: The pitching of Kelly Bowler (Lockport) and Lainie Schweickert powered visiting Lewis to the sweep on opening day in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Bowler (9-3) tossed her second career no-hitter in the opener, facing the minimum 21 batters and striking out four. In the nightcap, Schweickert (2-3) held the Hawks hitless for 41/3 innings, allowed one earned run and struck out four. Bowler picked up her second save as she thwarted a one out, bases-loaded Quincy rally in the seventh.

Justina Coll drove in the run in the first game for Lewis (11-6, 2-0) with a groundout. Brittany Russell had two hits. In Game 2, Sarah DeMasi (Lockport) went 3 for 4 and Kelsey Ullrich and Carly Jaworski were 2 for 4.

St. Francis wins two: USF (9-3) extended its winning streak to eight with a 6-5 win over Mount Mary and a 9-1 win over Texas Wesleyan in nonconference play.

Caitlyn Balandis drove in four runs against Mount Mary, including a three-run homer. Morghan Dieringer (Lincoln-Way West) threw three scoreless innings in relief. She retired 10 of the 12 batters she faced, six via strikeout, for her first career save. Erin Gaston (Dwight, 4-2) earned the victory.

Against Texas Wesleyan, Caroline Roberts (Plainfield North) belted a three-run homer to cap a six-run first inning. Dieringer (2-1) went the distance, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out five.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Ohio State 3, Lewis 2: The Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association loss snaps Lewis’ 13-match win streak. Greg Petty picked up a double-double of 20 kills and 10 digs for Lewis (15-2, 6-2). Geoff Powell had 15 kills, five block assists and one solo block, while Jacob Schmiegelt contributed 10 kills off 14 swings (.643), eight block assists and two solo blocks. Lewis out-blocked Ohio State 17.5 to 7.0.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

St. Francis splits: Adam Panayotovich helped snap a five-game losing streak for USF with a complete game n a 3-1 victory over Spring Arbor (Michigan), but the Saints lost their other game, 6-4, to St. Ambrose.

Panayotovich (3-1) struck out six and walked nobody in seven.. Kyle Cunningham (Joliet Catholic), who doubled later, drove in the first run on a groundout. Zach Barkdull’s double following a walk and error brought home two runs to give the Saints (4-11) a 3-0 lead. In the nightcap, Brandon Mendoza had two hits and two RBIs. Rick Faron drove in the Saints’ first run with a sixth-inning single. Chris Blatti (Joliet Catholic) (0-1) suffered the loss.

MEN’S TENNIS

Northwest Missouri 6, Lewis 3: Armand Levandi and Erik Aunapuu won at No. 1 doubles. Levandi also won No. 1 singles. Mate Srdanovic won at No. 3 singles.

Embry-Riddle (Florida) 9, St. Francis 0: For the second time this season, the Saints (6-6) were shut out.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Lewis 5, Northwest Missouri 4: Nora Mindiyarova and Ana Banic teamed up fto win at No. 1 doubles. Banic won at No. 3 singles for Lewis (3-4). At No. 2 doubles, Megan Nguyen and Jill Wetmore won, and they also prevailed in singles.

Embry-Riddle (Florida) 9, St. Francis 0: Embry-Riddle ended a six-match win streak for the Saints (7-4).

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD

USF’s Moody earns All-America: St. Francis’ Jenna Moody (Plainfield Central) finished fourth in the 400-meter with a time of 55.32 seconds at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships at Geneva, Ohio, earning her All-America certificate. Kaitlin Hoy (Minooka) placed 11th in the 5,000 in 17:46.25.