Soccer Standout Hollinger-Janzen Commits to Indiana

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Hollinger-Janzen

GOSHEN — Bethany senior Femi Hollinger-Janzen has verbally committed to continue his academic and soccer careers at Indiana University beginning next fall, according to a column published in the Elkhart Truth this morning. Despite not beginning his senior season of high-school soccer for another nine days, Hollinger-Janzen verbally committed to the seven-time-national-champion Big Ten program last week.

Entering his final season of high-school play, the 6'1", 175-pound senior is already tenth on Bethany's all-time goal-scoring list with 38. If Hollinger-Janzen were to replicate his 2010 season, in which he was the leading scorer with 17 goals on a sectional-champion Bruin squad that went 13-5-2, it would put him in third place on the all-time goal list with 55.

Hollinger-Janzen will be the second Bethany athlete to play Division I soccer and the second to play a sport at Indiana; 2010 graduate Jesse Ramer played one soccer season at Western Michigan, while 2009 graduate Chelsea Noble played on the Indiana softball team her freshman year. The Hoosiers had one of several scholarships offered to the center midfielder; among others, Hollinger-Janzen considered a full-ride scholarship from IUPUI before accepting the Indiana offer.

The Hoosiers have amassed 24 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, a streak that dates back to the fall of 1986, and played in that tournament 36 times since gaining varsity status in 1973. Indiana has advanced to the national semifinals in 17 of those tournaments and played for the national championship 12 times. In addition, the Hoosiers have won the Big Ten regular-season championship 14 times since its inception in 1990, including 10 championships in 11 years from 1994 to 2004.

Due to NCAA regulations on signing, Hollinger-Janzen will be unable to physically sign his letter of intent until November 9; Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley will be unable to comment on the recruit until he signs.

Indiana finished 10-8-2 in 2010, the program's 39th consecutive winning season and 38th season with double-digit wins since 1973, and finished first in the Big Ten with a 4-1 record. Bethany opens its season against Elkhart Memorial on Thursday, August 18 after a Saturday morning scrimmage against Concord.

Bethany's Hollinger-Janzen to play soccer at IU (Steve Krah/Elkhart Truth)

Basketball Standout zumFelde Headed to EMU

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zumFelde

HARRISONBURG, Va. — 2011 Bethany graduate Marla zumFelde will be taking her talents to Eastern Mennonite University and continuing her academic and basketball careers there, according to information released by the university today. After finishing her Bruin career with 897 points, third-most in school history, zumFelde joins a nine-person recruiting class at Eastern Mennonite, which graduated just two seniors from last year's team.

In addition to her scoring marks, zumFelde trails only 2008 graduate Kari Heusinkveld (88) with 85 career games played; she is also among the top five in school history in free-throw percentage, field-goal percentage, and three-point percentage as well as total attempts mad in all three of those categories. In her senior season, the 5'10" guard sank 67 of 87 foul shots, a rate of 77.0 percent that trails only Heusinkveld and Jill Troyer for best ever in a season.

Eastern Mennonite, a four-year liberal arts university affiliated with Mennonite Church USA, competes in Division III of the NCAA and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The women's volleyball team finished 15-11 in 2010-11, losing to Washington & Lee University in the ODAC quarterfinals. The Royals are coached by 1993 EMU graduate Kevin Griffin, the 2006-07 ODAC coach of the year, who will begin his seventh season at the helm this fall.

Basketball Women Bring In Another Nine New Players (Eastern Mennonite University)

Lehman Part of EMU Volleyball's Latest Class

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Lehman

HARRISONBURG, Va. — 2011 Bethany graduate Mattie Lehman is one of eight incoming freshmen to join the Eastern Mennonite University women's volleyball team this fall, according to information released by the university today. Lehman, a setter and defensive specialist over the last four seasons for coach Lois Mast's Bruins, finished her high school career in second place among BCHS volleyball players with 635 digs and 217 aces; she is also fifth all-time with 577 assists.

Lehman is one of three players from Bethany's volleyball class of 2011 to continue their athletic career in college; Mandy Schlabach signed with Goshen College in January, with one more signing as of yet unannounced.

Eastern Mennonite, a four-year liberal arts university affiliated with Mennonite Church USA, competes in Division III of the NCAA and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The women's volleyball team finished 4-21 in 2010, finishing eleventh in the ODAC. The season concluded a six-year tenure for coach Steve Benson, who resigned following the conclusion of the men's campaign this spring. EMU starts its 2011 schedule in just over a month when they host the Hampton Inn & Sleep Inn Invitational September 2 and 3 at Yoder Arena.

Lady Royals Add Eight To Women's Volleyball Team (Eastern Mennonite University)

Another Soccer Signing: Yoder a Knight

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Yoder signs letter of intent

INDIANAPOLIS — Bruin soccer standout Sharisse Yoder has signed a letter of intent to continue her academic and soccer careers at Marian University, Bleeding Bruin Blue has learned. Yoder's 41 goals and 35 assists in four years of Bethany soccer combine for 117 career points, good for fourth in school history; she trails only 2003 graduate Destiny Peshina (42) and 2002 alumna Sarah Thompson (41) in assists.

Coming off a senior season where she was named MVP of November's PostYourT.com all-star game, Yoder will join a Knights team looking to improve upon a 12-6 record in 2010, with a 5-3 Mid-Central Conference mark that was good for third in league play. Marian is coached by Kurt Guldner, who will begin his 14th season on Saturday, August 20 against Madonna University in Indianapolis. The Knights' closest approaches to Elkhart County this season will be a trio of games at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne: the USF tournament on Friday and Saturday, September 16-17, and a road game against the hosting Cougars on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

Soccer Standout to Marian (Bethany Christian Schools)

(Marian University photo via BCS)

Maple Leafs Ink Third Bruin for 2011

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Yoder

GOSHEN — The Goshen College men's soccer team has picked up its third Bethany alumnus in the last seven weeks. That institution announced Monday that Bruin senior and 2010 first-team all-Northern Indiana Soccer Conference selection Joel Yoder has signed a letter of intent to continue his academic and soccer careers  just a few minutes up the road. Yoder joins Aaron Stiffney and Western Michigan transfer Jesse Ramer as Bethany graduates being added to the Goshen team in 2011; the 2010 roster featured three more former Bruins who are eligible to return in David Eigsti ('08), Lewis Caskey ('09) and Jordan Weaver ('09).

Yoder started for two years and earned three varsity letters in the Bruin midfield. During his tenure on the varsity, Bethany was 38-13-6, the winningest three year stretch since 1991-93. The Bruins' three NISC championships and 2010 sectional title during that span form a three-year title stretch unmatched in the 45 years of Bethany soccer. Individually, Yoder was named to both the all-NISC first team and the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association all-state team after his senior season.

The Maple Leafs will look to return to their Region-VIII-champion form of five years ago when the 2011 season commences in August. Goshen is coached by Tavi Mounsithiraj, the second-winningest coach in school history at 101-81-20 and 2006 NAIA Region VIII Coach of the Year, who will begin his 11th season at the helm in just more than two months. The Leafs compete in the Mid-Central College Conference, where they went 2-6 last season as part of a 5-14 campaign.

Stiffney Signs With Goshen Soccer

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Stiffney

GOSHEN — Current Bethany senior Aaron Stiffney has signed a letter of intent to continue his academic and soccer careers at Goshen College, that institution announced Friday. Aaron will be the third Stiffney brother to play college soccer for the Maple Leafs, joining junior-to-be Josh on the 2011 roster and following in the footsteps of 2010 alumnus Kyle.

Stiffney was a starter on defense for all four seasons at Bethany, anchoring the back line for a Bruin squad that gave up fewer goals per game over four years than any class since 1995 and earned shutouts in 40 percent of its matches. In his career, the Bruins have been conference champions all four seasons, a stretch unequaled in the Northern Indiana Soccer Conference since Argos won five consecutive championships from 1978-82.

The Maple Leafs are looking for a return to power in their own Mid-Central Conference slate, in which Goshen has won or shared the league title 19 times since 1971; however, their last win was in 2007, which coincides the last year Bethany failed to win its conference. Goshen, coached by Tavi Mounsithiraj, went 2-6 to tie for seventh in the MCC in 2010, part of a 5-14 season overall. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics.

Aaron Stiffney signs with Mounsithiraj, Maple Leafs for 2011 (GoLeafs.net)

Soccer Standout Ramer Headed to Goshen

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Ramer

GOSHEN — 2010 Bethany graduate Jesse Ramer has transferred to Goshen College and will continue his academic and soccer careers there, that institution announced today. Ramer played his freshman season of collegiate soccer at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, where he played eight games and started once for a team that was the runner-up in the Mid-American Conference tournament. The Broncos compiled a record of 10-8-2, losing in the MAC tournament championship to eventual national champion Akron University.

At Bethany, Ramer was named to the All-Northern Indiana Soccer Conference team three times, including being named the 2009 NISC Player of the Year; he was a starter on the first Bruin team to win a sectional championship and the first Bethany player to be named all-state by the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association.

The Maple Leafs finished the 2010 campaign 5-14, with a 2-6 record good for seventh place in the Mid-Central College Conference. They are coached by Tavi Mounsithiraj, who picked up his 100th career coaching win in September and led the Maple Leafs to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national tournament in 2006, when he was named NAIA Region VIII Coach of the Year.

Former All-State Pick Transfers from WMU to Goshen (GoLeafs.net)

Schlabach First 2011 Senior to Sign

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Schlabach

GOSHEN — Three-sport varsity letterwinner and Bethany senior Mandy Schlabach has signed a national letter of intent to continue her academic and volleyball careers at Goshen College, that institution announced today. Schlabach, whose four varsity volleyball letters are complemented by one in basketball and two in tennis, will join 2010 alumna Lexi Kantz and 2009 graduate Hannah Grieser in becoming the third Bruin on the Maple Leaf volleyball team next fall. Goshen volleyball coach Jim Routhier praised Schlabach's versatility in the signing's announcement, telling GoLeafs.net that "she hit outside, hit right side, hit middle, was setter ... and got two aces serving. She can definitely do it all."

Schlabach's name appears multiple times in the record books at Bethany, where she ranks third in career assists, fifth in serving aces and sixth in kills, while her 506 assists in a six-hitter/two-setter rotation in 2009 were a school record for that strategy.

The Maple Leafs went 18-15 in Routhier's second season as head coach in 2010, bowing out in the conference tournament quarterfinals after going 17-16 and advancing to the conference championship the previous season. Goshen competes in the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics and the Mid-Central College Conference.

Routhier Adds More Local Talent In Bethany’s Schlabach (GoLeafs.net)
(GoLeafs.net photo)

Ramer, Third D-1 Bruin Athlete, Plays for WMU

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KALAMAZOO, Mich. — With an appearance in today's Concordia-Western Michigan match, 2010 Bethany graduate Jesse Ramer became the third Bruin to appear in an official NCAA Division I sporting event. Ramer, who was part of both preseason exhibition games for the Broncos, entered the game as a substitute for Western Michigan at halftime and did not manage a shot in the match from his defense position; no more information is available in the statistics on the WMU website.

Ramer follows partially in the postsecondary footsteps of Jennifer Mortrud, who also continued her career at Western Michigan after graduating from Bethany in 1994; however, Mortrud played softball instead of soccer. Ramer is the second Bruin to make his D-I debut in the last five months, after 2009 alumna Chelsea Noble, who appeared in seven games for the Indiana softball team as a pinch-runner last season. Listed as an outfielder, Noble scored twice on the basepaths, but had no at-bats or fielding chances.

Links from WMUBroncos.com:

• Men's Soccer Statistics
• Men's Soccer Schedule
• Jesse Ramer Player Page
• Men's Soccer Dominates Season Opener, 5-0

(Photo: Zolton Cohen/Western Michigan University)

Bruin 'Keeper Snyder Signs With Goshen

GOSHEN — Just more than a day before the 2010 edition of the Bethany girls soccer team started play, a member of the 2009 edition officially revealed her intentions to keep playing. Kelly Snyder signed a national letter of intent to continue her academic and soccer careers at Goshen College, a decision announced by that institution this afternoon. Snyder, a four-year varsity starter between the goalposts at Bethany, will join classmate Marissa Weldy on the Goshen soccer team this year; the pair of Maple Leafs, along with Bluffton University's Karli Graybill and Hesston College's Sierra Wheeler, mean that two-thirds of last year's girls soccer seniors are playing collegiately.
Snyder was named Bleeding Bruin Blue's Athlete of the Week on October 18 last season after a series of nominations; her five saves in a shootout three days before, followed by a seven-save effort in the next match, were instrumental in Bethany's 2009 sectional title. Snyder finished with the second-most saves in school history, only ten behind 2005 graduate Melissa Gingerich; she holds three of the top five spots on the school's season saves list.
Snyder will be one of three Bruins on the Maple Leafs roster this season. Joining her will be Weldy and junior Jennifer Snyder, Kelly's sister. The signing also gives Goshen three goalkeepers for the upcoming season, as they also feature senior Rachel Mast and senior Lynn Weaver, the latter of whom dropped a 1-0 contest to Bethany while starting for Goshen in 2008.
Goshen's soccer team, which was 5-11-1 in 2009, is coached by Thavisith Mounsithiraj. The Maple Leafs compete in the Mid-Central Conference, where they finished ninth, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Mounsithiraj Adds Another, Kelly Snyder From Bethany Christian (GoLeafs.net)

Parson Named Head Harrier

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GOSHEN — Bethany physical education instructor Krysten Parson has been named the head boys and girls cross country coach for the 2010 season, Bleeding Bruin Blue has confirmed. This will be the third sport Parson has coached at Bethany, as she serves in that capacity with the girls basketball team and led the softball program for seven years from 2003 to 2009.
As cross country coach, Parson replaces Benji Hurst, who was named coach on January 7 before being named athletic director for the 2010-11 year nine weeks later; he has since opted to resign the former position. Ken Willems preceded Hurst as cross country coach, serving a four-year tenure from 2006 to 2009 that included two individual appearances in the state meet by Ali Hochstetler in the middle two years and a regional berth for the girls team in 2008.
Hurst spent the 2009 season coaching the middle school cross country teams; high school English instructor Michael Yeakey is expected to assume that role, becoming the fourth middle school coach in four years following Hurst, Daniel Gingerich and Tim Lehman.

Goshen Inks Former Bruin Standout Heusinkveld

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GOSHEN — Former Bethany standout Kari Heusinkveld has signed a national letter of intent to continue her academic and basketball careers at Goshen College in 2010-11, the college announced today. Heusinkveld spent the previous two seasons at Hesston (Kan.) College, where she averaged 7.7 points and 1.6 steals per game while recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament.
At Bethany, Heusinkveld played four seasons of varsity basketball, scoring a total of 1,013 points that is good for second in school history, coached for the last two seasons by Goshen alumna Krysten Parson. The Maple Leafs are coached by Steve Wiktorowski, under whose direction the team finished 10-20 in 2009-10. Goshen competes in the Mid-Central College Conference and Division II of the NAIA.



Former Bethany Star Kari Heusinkveld Signs With Maple Leafs (GoLeafs.net)

Noble Second Bruin to Appear in D-I Game

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — With a pinch-running appearance in the fifth inning of today's Indiana-Michigan State softball game, 2009 Bethany graduate Chelsea Noble became the second Bruin to appear in an NCAA Division I sporting event. Noble replaced Sara Olson as the designated player after Olson was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fifth inning; she scored on a grand slam by the Hoosiers' next batter, Cassie Gogreve. While Olson remained in the game as the pitcher, Noble would have hit second in the bottom of the seventh inning; however, the hosting Hoosiers led 6-4 on the Gogreve blast, making the final half-inning unnecessary.

Noble follows partially in the postsecondary footsteps of Jennifer Mortrud, who also continued her softball career at the Division I level after graduating from Bethany in 1994; however, Mortrud did so at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. Western will also be the destination of the third Bruin to go D-I as Jesse Ramer is set to join their men's soccer team this fall.

Links from IUHoosiers.com:
Gogreve's Grand Slam Propels Hoosiers to First Big Ten Win Over Michigan State
Box Score
Chelsea Noble Player Page

Photo: Mike Dickbernd/Indiana University

Steury Picks Hesston

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HESSTON, Kan. — Bethany's Kate Steury recently signed a national letter of intent to continue her academic and volleyball careers at Hesston (Kan.) College, that school announced. The Larks are coached by Kristin Rhodes, under whose direction they finished 1-28 in 2009.
Steury, a 5'11" middle and outside hitter, was named the sportsmanship award recipient on Bethany's 2009 volleyball team, which was the sectional runner-up for the second consecutive year. During the season, she reached third place on the single-season skills list with 273 and seventh place in block assists with 51.

Breaking: Hurst Named New AD

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GOSHEN — Sources close to the situation tell Bleeding Bruin Blue that cross country coach Benji Hurst will become Bethany's next athletic director, effective July 1; he is expected to remain as cross country coach as well. Hurst replaces Bryan Kehr, who is leaving Bethany to become head women's soccer coach at Hesston (Kan.) College.
Bethany's cross country job is only one stop in Hurst's coaching career; he has begun practice for his second season as track coach and led the Bruin middle school cross country team in 2005. Prior to that, he coached girls cross country for five years at Goshen High School.
Hurst resides in Goshen with his wife, Leah, and their two children.

Breaking: Ramer Signs with WMU

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KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Bethany midfielder Jesse Ramer has signed a national letter of intent to continue his academic and soccer career at Western Michigan University, Bleeding Bruin Blue has learned. The Broncos compete in the Mid-American Conference under the direction of head coach Stu Riddle. WMU finished 6-10-1 in the 2009 fall season, 3-2-1 in MAC play.

Ramer, the 2009 Northern Indiana Soccer Conference Player of the Year, becomes the third Bruin to appear on the athletic roster of an NCAA Division I institution; 2009 graduate Chelsea Noble and 1993 graduate Jennifer Mortrud both played softball for Indiana and Western Michigan.

He was a four-year starter at Bethany, helping the team to three straight conference titles and the school’s inaugural sectional championship. Bethany head coach Hank Willems commented that the signing is a big deal, because although he has had multiple Division I players during a 17-year coaching career, “it’s not that may compared to the number of D-I players.”

Men's Soccer Signs 10, Adds Two Transfers for 2010-11 (WMUBroncos.com)

Weldy Signs with Goshen

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GOSHEN — Bethany midfielder Marissa Weldy, a four-year varsity player and captain, signed a national letter of intent recently to continue her academic and soccer careers at Goshen College. Weldy started every game for Bethany in 2008 and 2009, finishing her career with five goals and twelve assists. Goshen's soccer team, which was 5-11-1 in 2009, is coached by Thavisith Mounsithiraj. The Maple Leafs compete in the Mid-Central Conference, where they finished ninth, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Mounsithiraj Signs First For 2010: Bethany’s Marissa Weldy (GoLeafs.net)

(Goshen College photo)

Breaking: Kauffman Inks Letter of Intent

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GOSHEN — Seth Kauffman, Bethany's career leader in blocked shots, signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at Goshen (Ind.) College Monday. Goshen plays in the Mid-Central Conference, an NAIA Division II league with five of nine teams receiving votes in the season-opening Top 25 poll. Goshen finished 14-17 in 2008-09 with a 5-11 record in conference play, and opens the season tomorrow night at Indiana University-South Bend. The Maple Leafs are coached by 1987 Bethany alumnus Gary Chupp, who is set to begin his third year at Goshen.

Photo by J. Tyler Klassen/Elkhart Truth.

Goshen Signs Bruin Scorer Weaver

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GOSHEN — Four-time Bethany boys soccer letterwinner and 2009 offensive MVP Jordan Weaver has signed a national letter of intent to continue his academic and soccer careers at Goshen (Ind.) College, Bleeding Bruin Blue has learned. Weaver will join Lewis Caskey and Martin Brubaker as former Bruins at Goshen in 2009. The Maple Leafs, coached by Tavi Mounsithiraj, went 9-8-2 in 2008 after advancing to the NAIA national championships in 2007.

Weaver will join Caskey, Hannah Grieser (volleyball), Luke Slagel (baseball), Alita Yoder and Nick Handrich (cross country) along with two seniors who have not yet signed as Bethany graduates at Goshen in 2009-10, while Jodi Stutzman will continue her softball career at Hesston (Kan.) College, and several more athletes have not yet signed at various schools.

Handrich Signs with Goshen

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GOSHEN — Four-year cross country letterwinner Nick Handrich has signed a national letter of intent to continue his athletic and running careers at Goshen (Ind.) College, that institution announced yesterday. Handrich was named MVP of Bethany's 2008 team and won three varsity letters in baseball in addition to his cross country career. He is one of nine freshmen signed by Goshen coach Doug Yoder for the 2009 season, joining a maximum of seven returning underclassmen. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics and the Mid-Central College Conference, where they finished seventh in last season's conference meet.

Handrich will join Hannah Grieser (volleyball), Luke Slagel (baseball), Alita Yoder (cross country), and Lewis Caskey (soccer) as Bethany graduates at Goshen in 2009-10, while Jodi Stutzman will continue her softball career at Hesston (Kan.) College and several more athletes have not yet signed at various schools.