University of St. Thomas Athletics
Freshman Brooke Ellestad led all Summit League players with a .425 batting average
Photo by: Wesley Dean
DI Year I - Freshmen make their mark in D-I debut season
6/8/2022 3:23:00 PM | Athletics
Among the positive aspects of St. Thomas' move into Division I athletics last year was witnessing the number of dynamic freshmen and redshirt freshmen that showed exceptional potential and helped their teams compete.
Two of the newcomers -- Women's Hockey's Saskia Maurer and Nicole Vallario -- made school history as the first current St. Thomas student-athletes to compete in an Olympic Games. Both played well and gained excellent experience wearing the Purple in the WCHA, the nation's top hockey conference.
The Swiss hockey standouts were not alone as impact athletes on campus. Here's a look at other top freshmen standouts for the Purple in 2021-22:
St. Thomas had six freshmen-eligible student-athletes receive major conference awards:
More Fun Freshmen Facts
Track and Field's Afram ran the fastest 100 meters by a Tommie (10.52) in 22 seasons. He was seeded seventh in the conference in the 100 but placed second at the league outdoor meet.
Also in track and field, Rosner placed third in the Summit outdoor meet in the decathlon with 6,626 points. That was the No. 4 total in program history and the 17th best score by a D-I freshman in 2022. Fellow freshman Sam May placed eighth in the decathlon to score one team point. Isaiah Hopf's 47-4 1-4 mark in the triple jump was the best indoor performance in that event by a Tommie in the last eight seasons. Hopf made all-conference indoors and outdoors.
Brianna Schoenrock and Katie Nollette were two of the four freshmen pole vaulters in the Summit League to surpass 11-0 indoors or outdoors in track and field.
Men's Soccer Holton (three) and Faris Colic (two) scored half of their team's 10 goals.
Football's Adebayo's 12 touchdowns were the ninth most nationally among all FBS and FCS freshmen. He ran behind an offensive line that included two true freshmen starters in tackle Rasmussen and guard Shea Albrecht. On defense, redshirt freshmen who shined included Herzog (four sacks) and Bunce (three sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception return TD).
Women's Basketball's Hill logged the most minutes per game of any women's freshman player in D-I hoops as she averaged 36.2 minutes per game over 28 contests. She averaged 13.6 points and 3.0 assists, and converted 77 percent at the foul line. Fellow freshman Jo Langbehn converted 69 percent from the field and averaged six points and four rebounds off the bench.
Baseball's Richartz finished fourth among all Summit League players in batting with runners in scoring position (.386, 17-of-44). He went 9-for-13 with six RBI over a three-game sweep of Omaha to close the season. His freshman teammate, Ben Vujovich, had a six RBI game at Tarleton State and also hit the program's first D-I grand slam, on the road against eventual NCAA playoff qualifier Oral Roberts. Carl Cano had two saves and a 1.60 ERA out of the bullpen, and starter Evan Esch fanned 46 in 49 innings.
Softball pitcher Christina Crawford broke a program record for strikeouts in a game with 19 against Evansville. Crawford posted 100 Ks over 130 innings and recorded 13 complete games and one shutout with an 8-11 season record. Her teammate, Ellestad, made the 25-player national watch list for top freshmen, compiled by the NFCA. Ellestad led all Summit League players in batting at .425 and recorded 57 hits over 42 games. Other freshmen standouts included Kaitlyn Raymond (.324 average, 47 hits, 20 walks in 48 games) and Cassidy Carby (8 HRs, 24 RBI).
Volleyball's Galvin ranked among the top 20 freshmen nationally in kills per set at 3.42. Coach Thanh Pham will return six players in 2022 who logged extensive court action as freshmen.
Helping Men's Cross Country to a runner-up finish in the Summit League were three redshirt or true freshmen, and all three broke 26:00 for the 8,000-meter course: Caven placed ninth, Harris Anderson took 18th, and Tony Weeks placed 19th.
Helping Women's Cross Country to a fourth-place finish out of nine teams in the Summit League meet were two true freshmen: Desotell placed 11th, and Ava Pankratz finished 32nd.
At the nine-team Summit League Championships for Women's Golf, Isabelle Lynch's final-round score of 70 was a season low by five strokes. She shared the day's low round and finished in a tie for 14th place out of 45 players after sitting in 38th place after day one, and 25th after day two. Her round of 70 is the second best score by a Tommie women's golfer in any tournament, and the Toms' best round in any conference tournament. Lynch (79.4) and fellow newcomer Lauren Contreras (83.0) had the team's best stroke averages.
Women's Tennis' Madeline Bremel went 6-3 in doubles play and 1-1 in singles, while fellow first-year Shrichandrakala Tentu went 4-5 in doubles and 5-7 in singles.
Women's Soccer's Brantner (four) and Lexi Huber (three) combined to score seven of their team's 13 season goals to rank 1-2 in team scoring. In all, Coach Sheila McGill started four freshmen in her 11-player starting cast with Brantner, Huber, Ellie Tempero and Lissa Mizutani.
Women's Hockey's freshmen contributors included Olympians Maurer and Vallario; plus the team's No. 1 and 3 scorers in Abby Promersberger (13 points) and Lauren Steslie (10 points). Maurer recorded 60 saves in one game.
Men's Basketball's Ben Nau played in all 30 games off the bench and sank 21 3-point baskets.
Two of the newcomers -- Women's Hockey's Saskia Maurer and Nicole Vallario -- made school history as the first current St. Thomas student-athletes to compete in an Olympic Games. Both played well and gained excellent experience wearing the Purple in the WCHA, the nation's top hockey conference.
The Swiss hockey standouts were not alone as impact athletes on campus. Here's a look at other top freshmen standouts for the Purple in 2021-22:
St. Thomas had six freshmen-eligible student-athletes receive major conference awards:
- Softball's Brooke Ellestad (SS) was named Summit League Freshman of the Year
- Men's Track and Field's Jack Rosner (heptathlon) was selected Newcomer of the Meet at the Summit League Indoor championships
- Men's Track and Field's Gary Afram (100, LJ, 4x100) was selected Newcomer of the Meet at the Summit League Outdoor championships
- Molly Desotell was selected Newcomer of the Meet at the Summit League Women's Cross Country championships
- Football redshirt freshmen Hope Adebayo (RB) and Luke Herzog (LB) were selected Pioneer Football League Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year
- Softball's Brooke Ellestad made the All-Summit League first team
- Men's Track and Field's Jack Rosner, Isaiah Hopf and Gary Afram made All-Summit League with top-three conference places, indoors and/or outdoors
- Women's Cross Country's Molly Desotell made the All-Summit League second team
- Men's Cross Country's Charles Caven made the All-Summit League second team
- Football had five freshmen or redshirt freshmen made the All-Pioneer League Team: Hope Adebayo, Luke Herzog, Alex Rasmussen (OL), Jonathan Bunce (LB and Kolby Gartner (P)
- Volleyball's Lauren Galvin (OH) made the Summit League All-Freshman team
- Women's Soccer's Abby Brantner (forward) made the Summit League All-Newcomer team
- Men's Soccer's Charlie Holton (forward) made the Summit League All-Newcomer team
- Women's Hockey's Saskia Maurer (goalie) made the WCHA All-Rookie team
- Women's Basketball's Jade Hill made the Summit League All-Newcomer team
- Baseball's Brigs Richartz (OF) was selected as a Summit League Player of the Week
- Softball's Brooke Ellestad (SS) was selected as a Summit League Player of the Week
- Women's Track and Field's Caroline Anderson (HJ) was selected as a Summit League Indoor Athlete of the Week
- Men's Track and Field's Gary Afram (sprints-jumps) was selected as a Summit League Outdoor Athlete of the Week
- Men's Swimming and Diving's Joe Rudd and Alex Foti were selected as Summit League Swimmers of the Week
- Women's Swimming and Diving's Elizabeth Bonneville and Skyler Leverenz were selected as Summit League Swimmers of the Week
- Women's Hockey players Saskia Maurer (goalie) and Nicole Vallario (defender) were selected as WCHA Rookies of the Week
- Men's Hockey's Tim Piechowski (forward) was selected as a CCHA Rookie of the Week
- Men's Swimming's Alex Foti (1000 free, 1650 free)
- Women's Swimming's Elizabeth Bonneville (400 medley relay)
- Men's Track and Field's Jack Rosner (Indoor 60 hurdles)
More Fun Freshmen Facts
Track and Field's Afram ran the fastest 100 meters by a Tommie (10.52) in 22 seasons. He was seeded seventh in the conference in the 100 but placed second at the league outdoor meet.
Also in track and field, Rosner placed third in the Summit outdoor meet in the decathlon with 6,626 points. That was the No. 4 total in program history and the 17th best score by a D-I freshman in 2022. Fellow freshman Sam May placed eighth in the decathlon to score one team point. Isaiah Hopf's 47-4 1-4 mark in the triple jump was the best indoor performance in that event by a Tommie in the last eight seasons. Hopf made all-conference indoors and outdoors.
Brianna Schoenrock and Katie Nollette were two of the four freshmen pole vaulters in the Summit League to surpass 11-0 indoors or outdoors in track and field.
Men's Soccer Holton (three) and Faris Colic (two) scored half of their team's 10 goals.
Football's Adebayo's 12 touchdowns were the ninth most nationally among all FBS and FCS freshmen. He ran behind an offensive line that included two true freshmen starters in tackle Rasmussen and guard Shea Albrecht. On defense, redshirt freshmen who shined included Herzog (four sacks) and Bunce (three sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception return TD).
Women's Basketball's Hill logged the most minutes per game of any women's freshman player in D-I hoops as she averaged 36.2 minutes per game over 28 contests. She averaged 13.6 points and 3.0 assists, and converted 77 percent at the foul line. Fellow freshman Jo Langbehn converted 69 percent from the field and averaged six points and four rebounds off the bench.
Baseball's Richartz finished fourth among all Summit League players in batting with runners in scoring position (.386, 17-of-44). He went 9-for-13 with six RBI over a three-game sweep of Omaha to close the season. His freshman teammate, Ben Vujovich, had a six RBI game at Tarleton State and also hit the program's first D-I grand slam, on the road against eventual NCAA playoff qualifier Oral Roberts. Carl Cano had two saves and a 1.60 ERA out of the bullpen, and starter Evan Esch fanned 46 in 49 innings.
Softball pitcher Christina Crawford broke a program record for strikeouts in a game with 19 against Evansville. Crawford posted 100 Ks over 130 innings and recorded 13 complete games and one shutout with an 8-11 season record. Her teammate, Ellestad, made the 25-player national watch list for top freshmen, compiled by the NFCA. Ellestad led all Summit League players in batting at .425 and recorded 57 hits over 42 games. Other freshmen standouts included Kaitlyn Raymond (.324 average, 47 hits, 20 walks in 48 games) and Cassidy Carby (8 HRs, 24 RBI).
Volleyball's Galvin ranked among the top 20 freshmen nationally in kills per set at 3.42. Coach Thanh Pham will return six players in 2022 who logged extensive court action as freshmen.
Helping Men's Cross Country to a runner-up finish in the Summit League were three redshirt or true freshmen, and all three broke 26:00 for the 8,000-meter course: Caven placed ninth, Harris Anderson took 18th, and Tony Weeks placed 19th.
Helping Women's Cross Country to a fourth-place finish out of nine teams in the Summit League meet were two true freshmen: Desotell placed 11th, and Ava Pankratz finished 32nd.
At the nine-team Summit League Championships for Women's Golf, Isabelle Lynch's final-round score of 70 was a season low by five strokes. She shared the day's low round and finished in a tie for 14th place out of 45 players after sitting in 38th place after day one, and 25th after day two. Her round of 70 is the second best score by a Tommie women's golfer in any tournament, and the Toms' best round in any conference tournament. Lynch (79.4) and fellow newcomer Lauren Contreras (83.0) had the team's best stroke averages.
Women's Tennis' Madeline Bremel went 6-3 in doubles play and 1-1 in singles, while fellow first-year Shrichandrakala Tentu went 4-5 in doubles and 5-7 in singles.
Women's Soccer's Brantner (four) and Lexi Huber (three) combined to score seven of their team's 13 season goals to rank 1-2 in team scoring. In all, Coach Sheila McGill started four freshmen in her 11-player starting cast with Brantner, Huber, Ellie Tempero and Lissa Mizutani.
Women's Hockey's freshmen contributors included Olympians Maurer and Vallario; plus the team's No. 1 and 3 scorers in Abby Promersberger (13 points) and Lauren Steslie (10 points). Maurer recorded 60 saves in one game.
Men's Basketball's Ben Nau played in all 30 games off the bench and sank 21 3-point baskets.
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