Friday, April 13, 2007 1:13 AM CDT
Lake Land looks within to start
BY RICK DAWSON Staff Writer
rdawson@jg-tc.com
MATTOON – Mentioning that recent applicants for Lake Land’s open basketball coaching position “fit all different categories,” athletics director Denny Throneburg said that it is being advertised as a full-time faculty and head coaching job.
“We are just now starting the actual advertising process,” said Throneburg on Thursday.
The first step is to offer the role internally before opening it to outside applicants about a week and a half from now.
The nature of the faculty position has not been specified.
“That’s something that is negotiable depending on what the availability is at the college,” Throneburg said.
“We’ve had a lot of interest, I think. Once we advertise internally as well as outside we’re going to get a lot more applications. I’m definitely looking for somebody that can be on the campus all day, if possible. I think that’s extremely important if we can find that full-time position.”
- Among the opponents on Lake Land’s men’s basketball schedule next season is Parkland, returning after a two-year absence.
Recently retired coach Jim Dudley has helped the Lakers piece together upcoming games, including nonconference home-and-away dates with Parkland, Vincennes University and Danville Area.
Other hopefuls in a schedule that may contain fewer junior varsity foes are Illinois Central and Lewis & Clark. Another in-state college that has played Lake Land in recent years, Kankakee, won’t be available.
- Six of Lake Land’s seven women’s basketball recruits have carried through with verbal commitments by signing letters of intent this week.
Katie Weber (Taylorville) was the first to sign on Monday, followed by Mallory Deters (Neoga) and Erika Schwartz (Tolono Unity) on Tuesday and Aerial Hawkey (Teutopolis), Ashley Will (Teutopolis) and Jillian Ginder (Olney) on Wednesday.
Weber averaged more than 15 points per game and hit 57 3-pointers. Hawkey, who averaged nine points and 4.5 assists per game, should give the team immediate help at point guard with Ginder, one of the top athletes in the group, joining them in the backcourt.
Deters (16.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg), Will and Schwartz either help on the wing or up front.
Schwartz (12 ppg) was forced to complete her signing ceremony at Unity’s junior high because high school classes were interrupted Tuesday by the presence of several drug-sniffing police dogs.
Laura Packard of Bismarck-Henning, the sixth player from the school to come to Lake Land since Dave Johnson began coaching there, still plans to sign. She was the prep teammate of current Lake Land player Kayla Foster.
It’s a class, as mentioned before, that is on a par with the best the college has ever announced.
“The competition level for starting spots should be greatly increased next year compared to this year,” Johnson said.
“They already know from open gyms how good Hawkey and Will are.”
The Lakers have also re-signed all but one of next year’s returnees. Johnson hasn’t talked to Mattoon freshman Sarah Wagner since Spring Break ended last week, but had no reason to think she wouldn’t return.
- Lake Land sophomore pitcher Michael Kellar signed to play for Niagara University, an NCAA Division I baseball team, next season.
Another sophomore, Effingham St. Anthony outfielder Matt Dasenbrock, is headed to Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis, an NAIA member.
- Lake Land assistant softball coach Dara Updegraff recently gave birth to a daughter, Reese.
Updegraff and father Kyle have another daughter, Brya.
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