Skilliter’s Purple Raiders play for national championship
Mount Union 5-foot-8, 180 pound junior running back Blair Skilliter (Genoa) and his Purple Raiders played for an NCAA Division III national championship on December 16.
Skilliter has played in all 14 Mount Union games and is the team’s second leading rusher with 547 yards on 80 carries (39.1 yards per game). He is averaging 6.8 yards per carry and has scored seven touchdowns. He has also caught five passes for 38 yards (7.6 per catch).
No. 2 ranked Mount Union and No. 1 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater played each other for an unprecedented seventh time at the Stagg Bowl in Salem, Virginia.
The teams had played in each of the previous six Stagg Bowls with Mount Union winning three in 2005, 2006 and 2008 and Whitewater taking the title three times in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Even closer is the total points over the six games favors Mount Union 171-170.
Mount Union (14-0) completed its sixth straight undefeated regular season to win its 23rd overall and 20th straight Ohio Athletic Conference and an automatic bid into the 32-team tournament then won its opening round game 47-7 over Benedictine (Ill.), a 30-10 second round victory over No. 25 Centre (Ky.), a 20-8 win against No. 9 Wabash (Ind.) in the quarterfinals before a 28-21 victory over No. 7 Wesley (Del.) in the semifinals.
The Purple Raiders are averaging 451.6 yards per game, 238.9 yards rushing, 38.9 points, and 23.4 first downs. Ten of their 14 wins were played at home.
The Purple Raiders are making their 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance with a 73-12 record in NCAA Playoff games. Mount Union has advanced to the Stagg Bowl (National Championship game) 15 times and have won a record 10 National Championships.
Last year, Skilliter played in eight games and ran for 52 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries, plus returned a kick 30 yards. In 2009, he played in six games and rushed for 101 yards on 20 carries, returned three kicks for 44 yards, and had five rushes for 41 yards against Albright (Pa.). He was an All-Ohio football player for Coach Mike Vicars at Genoa.
Winning Rockets
University of Toledo 6-foot-10, 240 pound sophomore center Richard Wonnell suddenly finds himself on a team that is winning.
The Rockets are 6-3 after losing 57-55 to Loyola on a buzzer beater. Wonnell has played in seven games, averaging five minutes per game with seven rebounds, one steal, and three points so far.
As a freshman, Wonnell played in 26 games, averaging 0.7 points and 0.8 rebounds in 5.8 minutes per contest. He started his lone collegiate contest, playing 13 minutes at No. 22 Temple and scored a season-high five points in 11 minutes at Youngstown State. Wonnell grabbed a team-high five rebounds in 14 minutes at No. 13 Illinois last year.
A 2010 graduate of Genoa, Wonnell averaged 14.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.4 blocked shots per game as senior, receiving third-team all-district and first-team All-Suburban Lakes League honors. He registered 9.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game as junior, was named to honorable-mention all-league squad and a third-team all-state selection as defensive lineman in football as senior. He also notched the sixth-best shot put (54-7) in the state.
Following Saturday's contest against Youngstown State, Toledo has three of its four remaining non-conference contests at home. UT will host Norfolk State (Dec. 20), Cleveland State (Dec. 28) and Indiana Northwest (Jan. 3) with its lone road date at Florida Gulf Coast (Dec. 22).
On top NCAA record book
Ashley Ciesielczyk, Florida Gulf Coast University women’s soccer player, finished her soccer career atop the NCAA record book for her senior season.
Ciesielczyk was ranked for her total assists in Division I as high as second through October 16 and finished the season in the number 10 spot. Her season high 12 assists also had her leading the Atlantic Sun Conference. As a defender, she was a critical member of the back line, which posted twelve shutouts. She helped FGCU earn their second Atlantic Sun Conference title and first trip to the NCAA tournament.
Sports Announcements
The East Toledo Family Center is accepting registrations from youngsters interested in playing basketball this year. The season begins in January and runs through March. An instructional program, Junior Hoops, is offered for kids K-2, a Co-Ed league is offered for grades 3-4, and a boys’ and girls’ league is offered for the fifth and sixth grades. All games are held at the East Toledo Family Center, 1020 Varland Avenue, Toledo, 419-691-1429 and registration and league fee is submitted at that site. Volunteer coaches are also needed and may submit their applications at the same location. Game play begins in January.
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The Ranger Run to benefit the Northwood Community Athletic Project will be held May 5 at 8:30 a.m. Cost is $20, $15 for Northwood High School alumni. Participants get a t-shirt. The route runs through the Northwood campus with a finish on the new all-weather track. NCAP organizes and finances Northwood athletic facilities upgrades. Call Kelley Wills at NHS at 419-691-4651.
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