There’s no doubt that St. Thomas had some stellar seasons, standout games and high performing athletes during the 2012-2013 academic year. TommieMedia’s sports team took a look back at the year and found some of the most noteworthy performances.
Best Comeback: Volleyball vs. Calvin College
Clinching its first national title in school history, the Tommies overcame a two-set deficit under the control of Calvin College (Mich.). As 3,423 fans filled the DeVos Fieldhouse, a sea of maroon and gold sported the fans’ loyalty to the Knights. The odds were stacked against the Tommies as the heavily favored Knights got an early two-set lead. After securing a win in the third set, the team moved forward to win the match in a five-set thriller. Not only did the Tommies win the school’s first volleyball title, but they also won the MIAC’s first national volleyball title.
-Sean Crotty
Best Game: Football vs. Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Imagine making your first collegiate start on the road trailing by 11 points with only 3:46 left. First-year starting quarterback Matt O’Connell was as cool as the other side of the pillow in leading his team back, in regulation, to defeat the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds 27-24 on a scorching September day. The win was the first step in catapulting the Tommies’ championship run, but what could have been if O’Connell had not lead the Tommies back from the brink?
With 3:46 remaining, O’Connell hit sophomore wide receiver Dan Ferrazzo for a 49-yard touchdown. After an interception by safety Tyler Erstad, O’Connell rushed for the touchdown that capped the furious St. Thomas rally.
After the game, Erstad summed up the win best: “After a battle like that, it’s such a great feeling to pull out a win.”
-Ross Schreck
Best Team Performance: 2012-2013 women’s basketball
After finishing out of the MIAC season with a second place run, the women’s basketball team went on to win the postseason conference tournament. The team battled through hardships when powerhouse center Maggie Weiers suffered a season-ending injury early on, and when tragedy struck point guard Kellie Ring after her father’s death during the regular season. Despite the difficulties the team faced, the Tommies finished second in the regular season and battled to the NCAA sweet sixteen round.
-Sean Crotty
Best Male Athlete: Nick Rapisarda, men’s soccer and Dylan Thomas, baseball
There could have been many recipients of this award, yet two players stood out and helped carry their teams to strong seasons: men’s soccer’s Nick Rapisarda and baseball’s Dylan Thomas.
Forward Nick Rapisarda was a goal-scoring machine for the Tommies, posting 10 goals and 22 points in conference matchups. His strong season helped St. Thomas make the MIAC postseason tournament for the first time since 2009. In addition to his Player of the Year honors, Rapisarda was named to the All-MIAC team for the third-straight season. Rapisarda will lead an experienced St. Thomas team heading into next fall as the Tommies seemed (seem? Or seemed?) poised for an NCAA tournament run under Major League Soccer veteran and second-year coach Jon Lowery.
Pitcher/designated hitter Dylan Thomas receives this honor following a productive season on both the mound and at the plate. Thomas finished the year hitting a scorching .365 with five homers and 28 RBI. While toeing the rubber, the All-American went 7-2 in 55 ⅓ innings with a 2.51 ERA. Thomas threw three complete games this season. In his two-year Tommie career, Thomas won conference pitcher of the year each year. Thomas often pitched and played designated hitter in the same game. Needless to say, baseball will have a big hole to fill come next season on both the mound and at the dish.
-Ross Schreck
Best Female Athlete: Kellie Ring, women’s basketball and Emily Punkyo, women’s swimming
Point guard Kellie Ring, the lone senior on this year’s St. Thomas women’s basketball team, helped lead her team to a MIAC championship and a thrilling run to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament. Ring started every game for the Tommies this season, finished third on the team in scoring and averaged nearly 10 points per game. She also tallied 85 assists and 95 steals on the season, team highs in both categories.
Ring’s perseverance and leadership helped the St. Thomas women through a particularly rough stretch in January in which the team lost three straight games and fell to third-place in the MIAC. Ring also played the final months of the season with a heavy heart after the unexpected death of her father. Despite the mid-season hardship, Ring and the Tommies rattled off 11 straight wins near the end of the season, claiming their third consecutive MIAC title, and reaching the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament.
Swimmer Emily Punyko was named an Honorable Mention All-American in two separate events at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. The sophomore helped her team finish 16th in the 200 meter medley relay and 20th in the 400 meter medley relay at the NCAA championships, qualifying both relay teams for All-American status. Punyko’s strong performance at nationals came after an impressive showing at the MIAC championships, including a first-place finish in the 200 meter medley relay. All four members of the 200 meter and 400 meter medley relay teams will return next season as Punyko and her teammates look to repeat as All-Americans.
-Jacob Sevening
Coach of the Year: Thanh Pham, volleyball
Winning the school’s first national volleyball title, coach Thanh Pham ended the season strong with a 40-1 overall record. Pham lead the team to clinch the regular season title followed by the postseason championship victory. Since 2003, Pham has racked up a 216-57 record, 78-10 for MIAC regular-season play. Pham’s improbable victory over the Calvin Knights showed his inevitable strength in leading the team. A regular season victory, a MIAC championship and a national title make Pham the coach to beat.
-Sean Crotty
Sportsmanship Award: Riley Horgan, men’s hockey
It is said that hockey doesn’t build character, it reveals it. It might be true that no Tommie athlete embodies that more than senior forward Riley Horgan. The St. Thomas men’s hockey team clawed its way to a regular season first-place finish in the MIAC with Horgan leading the way in scoring. With five goals and thirteen assists in 24 games, Horgan finished 18th in the MIAC in scoring for the season.
Despite the lack of individual firepower in the Tommie lineup, the men’s hockey team used its depth and grit to claim first place in the MIAC at the end of the regular season. The MIAC title gives the St. Thomas men’s hockey team its 29th conference championship in school history. Team captains Tyler Gubb and Jeremy Hepler will lead the Tommies in their hunt for the school’s 30th conference title in the fall.
-Jacob Sevening
Best Single-Game Performance: Will DeBerg, men’s basketball
Guard Will DeBerg likes shooting threes. In fact, the “DeBerglar” took 184 of them this season. In the MIAC tournament championship game, Augsburg should have brought a fire-extinguisher out on court. DeBerg was on fire, canning 7-of-9 3-pointers in the Tommies’ 92-65 victory. At one point, he made five straight.
With the Tommies trailing at the half, DeBerg’s hot shooting helped push the team clinch its third straight MIAC playoff title. Covering this game personally, every time DeBerg put up a three, I just knew it was going in. When he hit five straight, the fifth three (would crowd make more sense here) shook the building and might have registered on the Richter scale. Needless to say, DeBerg’s March afternoon game against Augsburg is well worth the performance of the year. St. Thomas will have to find someone to replace the sharpshooter from Edina next year.
-Ross Schreck
Best Breakthrough Performance: Matt O’Connell, football
Sophomore Matt O’Connell had big shoes to fill when taking over for former quarterback Dakota Tracy, who led a team to a national semifinal game; however, for many, O’Connell exceeded expectations.
O’Connell charged on week after week after the season’s first game against Wisconsin-Eau Claire, throwing for 2,771 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. This quarterback has two seasons left, and St. Thomas better be ready for a show.
-Jesse Krull
Comeback Athlete: Tommy Hannon, men’s basketball
Fifth-year senior Tommy Hannon is no stranger to overcoming adversity. As a junior at Cretin-Derham Hall high school, Hannon was cut from the varsity basketball team. Hannon used this as motivation, and just 16 months later was competing for a section championship as a Raider senior. The 6-foot-7 center found himself in a similar situation when he suffered a torn meniscus late in his senior season at St. Thomas. As he did in high school, Hannon came back stronger than ever, contributing to a 2012-2013 Tommie men’s basketball team that went 30-2 and was ranked number one in the nation for a majority of the season.
Hannon was named a pre-season All-American by d3hoops.com. He played in all 32 games, averaging 11.4 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game to help lead St. Thomas to its eighth-straight MIAC regular season title and third-consecutive MIAC playoff title. In the MIAC championship game, Hannon became the 30th member of St. Thomas men’s basketball’s 1,000-point club. He was named to the All-MIAC First Team and is just the ninth Tommie to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds all in a St. Thomas uniform.
-Kyle Jonas
Best Female Student Athlete : Kia Johnson, volleyball
Not only does defensive specialist Kia Johnson dig hits on the volleyball court, but it seems like she also digs biology. When the national championship-winning volleyball team took home its first national championship, Johnson was named a second-time recipient of the Elite 89 award, an honor that recognizes the top student-athlete in each individual sport’s national tournament.
In 2012, Johnson was awarded the prestigious United Negro College Fund and Merck Undergraduate Science Research Scholarship Award. This highly competitive honor is given annually to just 15 students throughout the country and provides a monetary award as well.
Johnson graduated with a biology degree Saturday. In her time at St. Thomas, she was given the elite Goldwater scholarship for students who are pursuing careers in the fields of mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering. Johnson worked in Tom Ippoliti lab in the university’s chemistry department. In addition to the scholarship, Johnson received two Merck Summer Research Internships. After graduating, she will be taking part in the second of the two internships.
-Jesse Krull
Best Male Student Athlete: Michael Mortenson, men’s golf
Senior Michael Mortenson is a true representation of a “student-athlete.” Mortenson competed at a high level on the golf course, while remaining sharp in the classroom. He was an Elite 89 award winner in 2012 and was the only men’s golfer from Division III to receive the award. Mortenson is an actuarial science major, who had a 3.93 GPA when he received the award. Mortenson said he has always known the importance of academics.
“It sure is fun to play a sport at the same time,” Mortenson said. “But in Division III, school is the main focus.”
While staying consistent in the classroom, Mortenson had a successful career on the golf course as well. The Iola, Wis. native helped lead the Tommies to a third-place finish in the MIAC championships in fall 2012, as well as an at-large bid into the NCAA D-III Championship this spring.
Best Play: Ayo Idowu’s 86-yard fumble return
Senior defensive end Ayo Idowu had not one, but two fumble returns for touchdowns during the 2012 season. The two scores were the product of Idowu’s combined 111 yards, 86 of which came on a standout move against Elmhurst College (Ill.) and 86 of which earned him the best play of the 2012-2013 year.
Late in the first half of the NCAA second round game, Elmhurst quarterback Joe Furco found himself looking for options on first and goal at the 8-yard line. Furco rolled to his left and attempted to pitch the ball to running back Scottie Williams, who then fumbled the ball for Idowu to scoop up.
“I saw the ball on the ground and I picked it up,” Idowu said. “God didn’t build me to run 80 yards. I just slowly trotted my way into the end zone.”
Idowu’s crucial move broke the 14-14 tie and send the Tommies’ momentum rolling for the rest of the game as they would not renounce their lead.
-Briggs LeSavage
Best Female Career: Taylor Berg, cross country and track and field
For the past four years, senior Taylor Berg has electrified the St. Thomas women’s track and field and cross country teams. A seven time All-American recipient, Berg has set the scene for Tommie dominance within the conference, and has a name that is now synonymous with “nationals.” Berg has eight top-five finishes in the MIAC championships and continuously breaks personal best times. After injuring her achilles tendon sophomore year, Berg has responded with tenacity and constant improvement.
Capstoning her cross country career, Berg placed eighth at the NCAA D-III cross country national championships, the highest of any Tommie since 1997. Berg finished off her collegiate running career with two second place finishes in the 1,500 and 5,000 meter races at the NCAA D-III track and field national championships Saturday. Those finishes gave the women’s team 16 points and lead it to a ninth place finish overall.
-Alex Goering
Best Male Career: Eyo Ekpo, track and field
Senior Eyo Ekpo has risen to become not only St. Thomas’ premier athlete, but a premier student. Specializing in the triple jump, Ekpo charged forward with an 11th place national finish in the high jump and a national runner up in the triple jump after the 2012 season.
With such dominance, Ekpo has earned the MIAC Outstanding Men’s Field Athlete four years in a row, making it a clean sweep. Just as important, Ekpo is the fourth Tommie to earn the Capital One Academic All-American award, and is the 2013 Tommie Award recipient.
Ekpo added a third place finish in the triple jump at the NCAA D-III national championships Saturday. Ekpo leaped a career-best 50-5 1-4 and scored six team points for St. Thomas. It was his seventh career All-America performance.
-Alex Goering