Category: Sports

The March Madness bracket of the sportswriting seminar currently has an unlikely winner: President Larry Arnn.

In the only home game of the spring semester, Hillsdale College’s rugby squad fell to the visiting Hope College Flying Dutchmen 19-7 on Saturday.

Hillsdale College’s shotgun team boasts a top-tier Division III program and hopes to increase its standing this week at the ACY National Championship in San Antonio, Texas, after a successful competition at the Delta Conference in Arkansas.

Head softball coach Joe Abraham had his eye on the Hillsdale job for several years when the position finally opened up.

After swimming the final race of her distinguished career, senior Linda Okonkowski climbed out of her lane, hugged her teammate, junior Sarah Leitner, and fought back tears.
“I’m done,” Okonkowski said.
Leitner, Collegian sports editor and a Texas native, flew in from Michigan on Friday morning to try to catch Okonkowski’s final race and arrived about 10 minutes before she dove in.
“I am so glad I was able to make it to that race,” Leitner said. “After not having a teammate at nationals with her for the past two years, I wanted to show her the same kind of support that she has given all of the girls on the team throughout her time at Hillsdale [College].”
Okonkowski finished her career with four appearances at the NCAA Division II National Swimming Championships, an All-American title, eight school records, one pool record, and several All-Academic awards. Okonkowski finished her fourth and final national meet with the race she’s dominated her whole career, the 200-yard butterfly. It’s the event she owns Hillsdale’s pool and team record in.
Unfortunately, Okonkowski said she was not totally pleased with her performance at nationals, even though it followed an extremely successful GLIAC meet. In the 200 fly and the three other events she swam at nationals, she couldn’t break into the top 16 and recorded slower times than she expected.
“It’s just disappointing,” Okonkowski said. “I’ve been trying to figure out what happened.”
In the month leading up to the nationals, Okonkowski trained hard for two weeks and then backed off, or tapered, for the remaining two. It’s a schedule Okonkowski expressed frustration over. Going back to both training and tapering in the window of only a month after GLIAC’s is difficult, she said.
“I didn’t feel as strong,” Okonkowski said. “I didn’t feel as prepared. It’s just such a tough month.”
Okonkowski presented her senior thesis, visited graduate school, and recovered from a sick-spell in the weeks prior to Nationals.
Head coach Kurt Kirner said he would have liked to allow Okonkowski more time for tapering.
“It was hard,” Kirner said. “I would like to have given her more rest, but with all those things going on I was afraid the missed time would effect her.”
Okonkowski arrived in Dallas, Texas, March 12. The next day, she trained and attended a banquet hosted by the NCAA before swimming in her first event, the 200-yard Individual Medley on Wednesday.
Okonkowski finished 44th with a time of 2:10.55
Not phased by an off race, Okonkowski moved on. She next swam the 400-yard IM and placed 26th at 4:36.58.
“I was hoping each day we would fall into a good performance,” Kirner said.
Next came the 100-yard fly. Okonkowski tied Kauthryn Sauborn of Fairmont State College for 31st at 57.99.
With one more event to go, Okonkowski honed in on her best event: the 200-yard fly
“The 200-Fly. That’s my baby,” Okonkowski said.
But Okonkowski finished 18th, just two places short of a chance to swim in the consolation finals that night.
“It just didn’t feel right,” she said.
Despite her disappointing performance, Kirner recognized the effort and applauded her.
“Even though she wasn’t at her best, she was very classy,” Kirner said. “She’s a great competitor.”
Wayne State University women’s team went on to win the meet, and although Kirner and Okonkowski did not stay for the close of the championship, she said she was cheering for the Warriors.
“It just goes to show how tough the GLIAC is,” Okonkowski said of Wayne State’s national championship title.
Kirner said Okonkowski will be missed.
“She’s really been the cornerstone of the team,” Kirner said. “I would love to have here for another four years. She’s matured into a great team leader.”
And Leitner agreed.
“I’ve always looked up to Linda,” she said. “I remember as a freshman just being in awe of her and feeling so lucky to train in her lane, and now she’s not only my training buddy, but one of my best friends. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.”