March 20, 2001 Titan Sports Notes

IWU's Kasten Earns All-Region Honors

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Illinois Wesleyan sophomore Luke Kasten has been chosen to the first team of the all-Midwest region squad selected by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Kasten, a 6-foot-7 forward from Coffeen (Hillsboro HS), led the Titans to a third-place finish in the NCAA Division III national tournament and was selected to the all-tournament team last weekend in Salem, Va.
Kasten paced IWU with a 16.3 scoring average and grabbed 5.3 rebounds per game. His 504 points is tied for 20th best in a single season at IWU and his 127 free throws is the 10th best. He was IWU's leading scorer in 14 games and scored in double figures 27 times. He paced IWU in rebounding six times and had three "double-doubles" in points and rebounds.
After two seasons, Kasten has 911 points, good for 44th all-time at the school, and has 345 rebounds, making him No. 40 in an IWU career. The 911 points is the second best total for an IWU freshman/sophomore, behind only Jack Sikma, who had 934 in his first two years, but Kasten is the first IWU player to have 400 points in each of his first two years.
Kasten was a first team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin all-star this season after being on the second team as a freshman.
The Titans finished their season with a 24-7 record.
Joining Kasten on the all-Midwest first team were Ryan Knuppel, Elmhurst; Jason Wiertel, Carthage; Derek Reich, Chicago; Terry Frigo, Benedictine; and Chris Alexander of Washington U. On the second team were Jeff Reis, Webster; Jabari Harrell, Aurora; Corey Grace, Thomas More; Joe Neuman, Hanover; Henry Grant, Beloit; and Defiance's Gavin Sever. Elmhurst's Mark Scherer was the region's "Coach of the Year."
Selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC, the 88 student-athletes from eight districts are now eligible for the NABC/Chevrolet Division III All-American Team to be announced at the conclusion of the men's basketball season.

IWU's Ellen Furr Gets CCIW Softball Honor

Illinois Wesleyan sophomore Ellen Furr has been named "Player of the Week" in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin softball.
Furr, a lefthanded pitcher from Newark (HS), was 1-1 with one save in games played at the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla. She scattered five hits and got 19 ground ball outs as the Titans downed nationally-ranked College of New Jersey, 3-1, on March 18. Furr also got a save in a 3-1 win over Rowan on March 17, and her lone loss came when she pitched a two-hitter in the Titans' 2-1 setback to Maryville.
Furr has a 0.93 earned run average in 15 innings for the Titans, who are 3-1.

IWU's Carroll Swims in Division III National Meet

Illinois Wesleyan University junior Kathy Carroll earned the highest finish ever for an IWU women's swimmer at the NCAA Division III women's swimming and diving championships, held March 8-10 at Flickinger Aquatic Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
Carroll (Orland Park, Sandburg HS) finished eighth in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:37.85. She was 14th in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:07.61 and placed 16th in the 1,650 free with a mark of 17:35.47 at the national meet.
Carroll, who was IWU's sole representative at the national meet, amassed 15 points, which was good for 36th place as a team, the best-ever finsih for the Titans and higher than 13 other teams, some with as many as five competitors.
Carroll, a two-time "Most Outstanding Performer" in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin meet, was an All-American in the 400 IM and honorable mention All-American in the other two events. Persons finishing in the top eight (unless disqualified) at swimming/diving nationals earn All-America honors. Places nine through 16 receive Honorable Mention All-America.
In the 2000 NCAA meet, Carroll was 11th in the 1650 freestyle, 13th in the 400 individual medley and 12th in the 500 freestyle. As a freshman in the 1999 national championships, Carroll finished 14th in the 400 individual medley, was 16th in the 500 freestyle, and 19th in the 1650 free.