PioSports

Football

The Pioneer football team reclaimed the field this fall, after an abbreviated season last year. The team boasted 24 returning players, including 11 seniors, a solid influx of first-year talent, and a new head coach, Chris Sulages.

For the first time since 2002, the Pioneers had a first team All-Northwest Conference football player. Wide receiver Brandon Zerr-Smith ‘07 led the Northwest Conference in receptions per game (7.78) and was in the national top 10 in that category all season long. Zerr-Smith was also nationally ranked in receiving-yards-per-game, averaging 60.6 per contest.

Four other Pioneers received postseason honors: three second-team members, Casey Wilson ‘08, Erik Gerwick ‘07, and Kevin Takeno ‘09, and honorable mention Mike Brooder ‘07.

Soccer

The Pioneer soccer team ended their season 5-14-1, finishing eighth in the Northwest Conference.

For the third season in a row, striker Lisa Housman ‘08 led the team in scoring. Housman, despite playing in only nine games, had six goals, including two gamewinners.

Midfielder Katie Burnett ‘08 received an honorable mention in All-Northwest Conference postseason honors.

Volleyball

The Pioneer volleyball team played the toughest schedule of any of the fall sports teams, taking on five different top-25 teams in the first weeks of the season.

Sara Kettler ‘08 finished the season fourth in the Northwest Conference in hitting percentage (.265) and fifth in blocks (28 solo, 43 assisted). She was a second team All-Northwest Conference selection, the second straight year the Pioneers have had a player named to the second team. With her senior season yet to come, Kettler is already on Lewis & Clark’s top-five all-time lists for solo blocks (85) and assisted blocks (119) and is sixth in kills (615).

Cross Country

The women’s cross country team had another outstanding season, finishing third at the Northwest Conference championships. The team duplicated its conference success at the West Regionals, finishing fourth out of 16 teams.

Tamma Carleton ‘09 earned her second straight first-team All-Conference honors. Amanda Phillips ‘08 was named to the second team. Both runners ran strong races at the West Regionals (Carleton finished second and Phillips ninth)–good enough for both runners to earn individual invitations to the NCAA Championships. It was the first time since 1985 that the Pioneers sent two runners to the National Championships and the second time that Carleton competed at Nationals. Running in West Chester, Ohio, Carleton placed 42nd and Phillips 96th. Carleton’s finish was the highest ever for a female Pioneer runner at cross country Nationals.

On the men’s side, Yancey Lawrence ‘09, the young team’s top runner, was named All-West Region with his 23rd-place finish in the race. The men’s team finished 7th in the Northwest Conference and 11th in the region.