On Campus: Hampshire’s Rummell brothers eager to share national title stage together

During his college football career, Hampshire graduate Nic Rummell has started dozens of games, played on the biggest stage in the sport and won two national championships.

But the North Central College cornerback’s senior season has provided unique memories alongside his younger brother, Jack, a freshman wide receiver.

“It’s been an honor to play with him for the first time in our lives in my last year,” said Nic Rummell, who is four years older. “It’s easier to relate to one another once you go through the same things together, like college and sports.”

With the Rummell brothers as starters, the No. 1 ranked Cardinals (14-0) will play for their third NCAA Division III national title in the past four seasons Friday night in Salem, Va. (6 p.m., ESPNU) against No. 11 Cortland (13-1).

“This team is really special,” Nic Rummell said Monday. “This season has meant a lot to me, being the last year that I can play. Five days from now, it’s all going to be hung up.”

The brothers took different paths to North Central, starting in different states. Nic Rummell gave up football after high school and was a student at Iowa State.

“Probably two weeks in, I realized that I made the wrong choice,” he said. “(Former NCC head coach) Jeff Thorne basically told me the door was open, and if I ever changed my mind to give him a call. I’m very grateful that door was open. It’s been a blast.”

With the Cardinals making deep playoff runs each year, he’s played in more than 50 career games and made contributions on both sides of the ball.

Jack Rummell spent three years at Hampshire before moving to Tennessee for his senior season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He spent a season at Division I FCS Tennessee Tech before changing course.

“I wanted to come back home and be closer to my family, play with my brother and get a chance to make a bigger impact on a really good team,” he said.

Nic Rummel’s impact has been as a two-way player this season. He began the fall as a starting wide receiver, catching two touchdowns. Several weeks before the playoffs began, he went back to cornerback.

“That’s what was needed,” said Nic Rummel, who has two interceptions. “I’ve always let my coaches know that whatever spot they need me at, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability. I care about the winning and the team.

“It’s like riding a bike. I’ve had a lot of experience on both sides of the ball.”

The NCC defense allows fewer than 16 points a game and ranks fifth nationally in interceptions (21).

Jack Rummell starts at slot receiver on an offense that leads all NCAA divisions with 60.1 points a game. He has three touchdowns and is the only freshman in the starting receiver group that features three seniors.

“I’m grateful to have those receivers helping me out,” he said. “I like to learn from these seniors, who have been in the game so long.”

At the start of the season, the brothers occasionally lined up on the same side of the formation at receiver. These days, the rest of the team stops when they line up in practice across from each other.

“Sometimes when we’re doing perimeter blocking, they’ll line me and him up against each other to go one-on-one,” Jack Rummell said. “Everybody likes to watch us. They know it’s going to be fun.”

Being on the field together Friday will be the biggest reward of Jack Rummell’s year.

“The past three seasons, I’ve watched him get to achieve all this stuff – these rings and national championships,” he said of his brother. “It’s been great to watch. I’m very blessed to compete for one with him. That’s what I’m most excited for and most happy for.”

Karlblom, Hope up to No. 16: Hope (Mich.) College’s women’s basketball team jumped three spots to No. 16 this week in the D3Hoops.com national rankings.

Hope sophomore guard Karsen Karlblom (Prairie Ridge) is averaging 9.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in her first season as a starter.

The Flying Dutch (8-1) improved to 4-0 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association games Saturday with a 52-32 win against Calvin, its 17th straight victory in “The Rivalry” between the two schools separated by 35 miles.

Kowalak honored in juco: Crystal Lake South grad Justin Kowalak, a freshman quarterback at Northeast Mississippi Community College, was named second-team North Division All-Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference on Nov. 29 by JucoWeekly.com.

Kowalak, who began his career at FCS Eastern Illinois, played in eight games for the Tigers (6-3), completing 103-of-193 passes for 1,252 yards and seven touchdowns. He threw for a season-best 254 yards Sept. 14 in a 19-3 victory against Pearl River.

Thriving at Marquette: The Marquette women’s volleyball team shared the Big East Conference regular-season championship for the third year in a row this fall, thanks in part to the efforts of assistant coach Abby Gilleland, a Marian Central grad.

The Golden Eagles (21-11) lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament, 3-1, to Purdue earlier this month. Marquette was playing in the NCAAs for the 12th time in the past 12 seasons. In her two seasons on the Marquette staff, Gilleland has helped the team to a combined record of 50-15.

Lehigh contributor: Jessie Ozzauto (Huntley), a freshman women’s basketball guard at D-I Lehigh, scored a season-high 11 points Nov. 6 in the Mountain Hawks’ 78-42 win against East Stroudsburg.

Ozzauto has played in every game as a reserve this season for Lehigh (8-2).

• Barry Bottino writes about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at barryoncampus@hotmail.com and follow @BarryOnCampus on Twitter.