Sports Briefs

WIU Senior Drafted by Colorado Rapids

Western's senior midfielder Kosuke Kimura got word in January that his soccer career would continue after being drafted by the Colorado Rapids in the Major League Soccer (MLS) supplemental draft.

Kimura was the 35th pick overall in the supplemental draft going in the third round.

"I'm very excited for Kosuke," said Leathernecks Head Coach Eric Johnson. "He is very deserving of the opportunity to continue his playing career at the next level. His dedication and focus to become an elite player are second to none, and he has been an inspiration to his teammates over the last four years."

A Second-Team All-Mid-Con member from 2006 and first-team all-conference selection from 2005, Kimura scored five goals and recorded 14 assists in his four-year career at Western. He was named team MVP of the 2005 season and was captain of the 2006 team.

Kimura scored a career-high five goals and dished out a career-high five assists in the 2006 season, leading the Leathernecks to their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance and their third consecutive Mid-Continent Conference Tournament Championship.

The 2006 team tied a school record for wins (15) and became the only team in the conference to win three championships.

 

WIU to host Mid-Con Baseball Tournament

For the first time in school history, Western Illinois will host the Mid-Continent Conference Baseball Championship May 24-26, at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium. For the last three years the Leathernecks have finished second in the conference, and last year were the runners-up in the Mid-Con Tournament in Tulsa, Okla.

The 2007 season will be the first full season to be played in Alfred D. Boyer Stadium, which was completed in April and opened to the public in May 2006.

The top four teams in the conference will qualify for the conference tournament.

 

LaFalce Named to Academic All-Star Team

Quarterback Steve LaFalce '06, a WIU graduate student, was one of 54 football players named to the ninth annual Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team.

Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision institutions were eligible for these awards. Each of the 94 nominees was required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.2 in undergraduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. He must also have participated in 50 percent of the games played at his designated position, among other requirements.

 

Westerwinds Soccer GPA No. 4 in NCAA

In November of 2006, the WIU Women's soccer team posted a record-setting 11-7-1 (.605 winning percentage) season, including new marks for single season wins (11), shots taken (296), shots on goal (153) and goals against average (1.3).

In January 2007, the team was also honored for its academic success with an award from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America for a team GPA over 3.0 Western ranked fourth of 310 participating schools in the academic ranking.

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