Bears senior wide receiver Brad Duesing etched his name into the NCAA record book Nov. 12 with a school-record 15 catches for 218 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bears to a 42-24 season-finale win at Greenville College.
With that performance, Duesing eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for a fourth consecutive season, becoming just the second player in NCAA history — Division I, II or III — to record four consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Mark Bartosic (2000-03) of Susquehanna University was the first to achieve the feat.
“It’s a great accomplishment, and it hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Duesing said. “It’s still hard to believe that I accomplished an achievement like that. I never imagined something like this happening coming in as a freshman.
“It’s a testament to how hard all my teammates worked in the last four years to make me a better player.”
Duesing, who ranks first in WUSTL history in pass receptions and receiving yards, finished his collegiate career ranked third in Division III history in receptions (287) and sixth in receiving yards (4,249).
Duesing put up totals of 1,073 receiving yards in 2002, 1,029 in 2003 and 1,011 in 2004. As a senior co-captain, Duesing saved his best year for last, posting a school-record 75 catches for 1,136 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“This is just as much my teammates’ record as it is mine,” Duesing said.
“I appreciate Coach (Larry) Kindbom for giving me an opportunity to play college football, and I’ve loved the past four years here at Washington University.”
Consistency was key, though it’s easier said than done. In Duesing’s four years on the Hilltop Campus, he had the task of working with five starting quarterbacks and three offensive coordinators. He also started in all of the Bears’ 40 games over that stretch.
“That, to me, is the most impressive thing about the record,” Kindbom said. “Each coordinator has his own needs in practice and at the game, and no two quarterbacks threw the ball the same. Brad had to deal with that since he’s been here. The stats speak for themselves.”
Duesing, on the other hand, feels nothing changed throughout his four years here.
“The offense has remained basically the same,” said Duesing, who played at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. “The quarterbacks we have had have all shared similar attributes, and the plays we run haven’t been too different.”
A political science major in Arts & Sciences, Duesing isn’t sure yet of his post-college plans. They could include law school or even football.
“If the opportunity to keep playing football arises, I’ll look into it,” said Duesing, who is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds. “I worked out for the Cleveland Browns last year and did some tests for a scout, but right now I’m just looking for a job and thinking about law school.”
Women runners win 2nd regional crown
The No. 4 women’s cross country team claimed its second NCAA Midwest Region championship Nov. 12 in Peoria, Ill., advancing to the NCAA Championship meet Nov. 19. The women also claimed the regional championship in 2002.
WUSTL’s men finished sixth at regionals. Still, senior Brennan Bonner and junior Kevin Gale each qualified individually for the NCAA meet with their top-20 finishes.
The women, led by seven All-Region Team members, claimed their second title with 76 points. No. 3 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse took second with 99 points. The men finished sixth with 163 points, while No. 2 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse claimed the title with 42 points.
All seven Bears women’s runners finished in the top 35. Junior Beth Herndon represented the lone top-10 finisher with a sixth-place finish. Senior Stephanie Felz (13th), sophomore Tyler Mulkin (18th), junior Lindsay Harkema (19th) and sophomore Kate Pentak (20th) rounded out the scoring. Senior Andrea Moreland (29th) and sophomore Amy Levine (34th) also earned all-region honors.
Bonner crossed the finish line in eighth place, while Gale finished 20th.
Volleyball team wins regionals
The No. 3 volleyball team won the NCAA Central Region Championship Nov. 11-12. WUSTL defeated No. 9 Carleton College, 3-0, and host and No. 13 University of St. Thomas, 3-0, to secure the region title.
Sophomore middle hitter Emilie Walk tallied 12 kills and seven blocks, while junior right attacker Whitney Smith posted a match-high 14 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Haleigh Spencer posted 10 kills and 14 digs, while senior setter Kara Liefer added six kills, 11 digs and 38 assists.
The Bears played the University of La Verne in the NCAA quarterfinals Nov. 17. Results were not available at presstime.
Volleyball has five named All-America
Five volleyball players were named to the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association (AVCA) All-America Team, as announced by the AVCA.
The five total citations matched the program’s highest number in a single season (also achieved in 1992).
Seniors Megan Houck and Liefer were each named to the first team.
Houck earned first-team honors for the first time (she earned third-team accolades last season).
Liefer, a three-time (two first-team nods) AVCA All-America selection, leads the UAA in assists per game (11.92).
Smith was named to the second team as a dominant force on the right side. Smith, a first-team all-Central Region honoree, has a team-season-high 354 kills (3.44 per game) and is hitting .381. Spencer earned third-team honors.
Walk garnered honorable-mention honors at middle hitter. Walk is the University Athletic Association leader in blocks per game (1.54).
Football team bumps Greenville, closes 6-4
Senior wide receiver Brad Duesing scored two touchdowns to lead the football team to a 42-24 win at Greenville College Nov. 12.
With the win, Washington U. caps the season with a 6-4 overall record and clinches its 13th-straight winning season.
The Bears scored 35 unanswered points after trailing 24-7 with 10:34 left in the second quarter. Washington U.’s defense held the Panthers to 72 yards on 33 plays in the second half.
Junior quarterback Nick Henry threw for a career-high 337 yards on 29-of-40 passing with four touchdowns. Junior running back DaRonne Jenkins led the ground attack with 22 carries for 74 yards and two touchdowns.
Swimmers, divers finish middle of pack
The men’s swimming and diving team took third and the women placed fourth at the University of Chicago Maroon Invitational on Nov. 11-12 in the Windy City.
The WUSTL men won six events, led by senior Eric Triebe, who won the 50-yard freestyle. He also helped the 200-medley and 400-free relay squads to first place. Freshman Kevin Leckey won the 400-yard individual medley, while sophomore Ross Vimr won the 200 freestyle. Freshman Julian Beattie also took home the 200-yard breaststroke title.
The Bears women won eight individual titles, highlighted by sophomore Meredith Nordbrock, who won the 100 backstroke, missing an NCAA “B” cut by .68 seconds. She also helped the 200-medley and 400-free relay squads to victory.
Senior Jenny Scott won the 200-yard freestyle, while sophomore Jennifer Yu took first place in the 400 individual medley. Freshman Kelly Kono won the 1,650 free title, while sophomore Priya Srikanth won both the one- and three-meter diving titles.
Rizzo, Liefer make ESPN All-District
Seniors Joe Rizzo (football) and Kara Liefer (volleyball) were named to the ESPN The Magazine College Division Academic All-District VII Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Rizzo, a member of the first-team, led the Bears with six interceptions and 16 passes defended. A finance and accounting major in the Olin School of Business, he was named to the 2003, 2004 and 2005 UAA All-Academic teams.
Liefer was named to the third team. A mathematics major in Arts & Sciences, she was named to the 2003, 2004 and 2005 UAA All-Academic teams.