LUTE CLOSER KONOPASKI MAKES HISTORY AS FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICAN
The post-season accolades continue to roll in for Pacific Lutheran junior AJ Konopaski. This week he became the first baseball player in PLU school history to be selected as a first-team All-American for NCAA Division III. Konopaski was the sole reliever on the All-American team as he led the nation with 13 saves during the Lutes’ successful 25-14 season. The big right-hander set a school record for saves in a season to go along with an impressive 1.10 ERA, as well as a 2-0 record. Konopaski’s ERA was the second-lowest in school history behind his record-setting mark of 0.97 which he set last season.
In addition, Konopaski was named to the first-team West Region team along with junior starter Trevor Lubking. The pair were also first-team All-Northwest Conference selections. Lubking was the anchor of the best pitching staff in PLU history as he went 6-2 with a 2.12 ERA and led the nation and broke the school strikeout record with 111 K’s. The PLU pitching staff finished the season with a 2.75 ERA which broke a 46-year PLU record set by the 1968 team with a 3.09 ERA.
TACOMA BAPTIST SENDS 21 ATHLETES TO THE 2B STATE TRACK MEET
The Crusaders of Tacoma Baptist are in the hunt for another state track and field team title. Despite changes in the number of athletes to qualify from the 2B Sea-King District and move on to the 2B State track and field meet at EasternWashington University on Friday and Saturday May 30 and 31, TBS qualified in enough events to possibly make some noise in the team standings.
The girls team won the Sea-King District title with 163 points, outpacing the La Conner girls who finished with 121. The boys team finished second with 132 points to La Conner’s 147, but will be sending competitors in eight events to state. The girls will be represented in six events. Due to changes in to-state allotments this season, only the top-two boys and the top-three girls in each event garnered spots for the state meet.
On the boys side, Abram Jackson won the 100 meters in 11.85 and took second in the 200 meters at 24.08. Austin Lutterloh has been at the top of state 2B times in the hurdles this season and looks to be the favorite this weekend. Lutterloh won the 110 meter hurdles in 15.81 and the 300 meter hurdles in 39.60. TBS also looks strong in both relay events with times of times of 44.88 and 3:35.08 in the 4x100 and 4x400 respectively.
The girls are led by sprinter McKenna Neufeld who won both the 100 and 200 and anchored the winning 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams. Ashley Brooks also won the 100 and 300 meter hurdles.