Linfield University

Linfield University seniors Paige LaFountain (exercise science), Kaylee Schow (mathematics) and Jordan Worthington (marketing/journalism and media studies) and junior Peyton Bergevin (elementary education) all earned selection to the 2022-23 College Sports Communicators (CSC) NCAA Division III Academic All-District Team, released Tuesday. A total of 15 women's basketball players representing four NWC institutions were honored. Linfield matched Whitworth and Willamette with its four selections. Pacific Lutheran rounded out the group with three honorees. The 2022-23 CSC Academic All-District Team recognizes student-athletes for their combined efforts in both athletics and academics. The honorees will advance to the Academic All-America ballot. Academic All-Americans will be announced by the CSC in March. Learn more at golinfieldwildcats.com.

Emily Sullenger became the first women's wrestler in Linfield University history to qualify for the national championship tournament on Sunday, finishing as runner-up in the nine-team National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship Region V tournament hosted by Colorado Mesa University. Shortly thereafter, Ayana Medina became the second Wildcat to make nationals, coming from behind in a dramatic winner-take-all "true fourth place" match to claim her spot. The two Wildcats will represent Linfield at the NCWWC National Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, March 3-4.

Three Linfield University students received the U.S. Department of State's Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which funds study-abroad programs. Billie Melchor '25, a nursing student; Divenson Willis '24, a sport management major; and history and international relations major Emma Brissey '23 were awarded up to $5,000 for their January Term studies. The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program began in 2001 and has since sent more than 36,000 students to study or intern in 155 different countries around the globe. The program, funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and supported by the Institute of International Education, provides undergraduate students with the chance to learn skills critical to the future of national security and economic prosperity.

Linfield University congratulates the 575 students who earned Dean's List honors during the fall 2022 academic term. The Dean's List identifies undergraduate students who have earned a term GPA at least equivalent to a cum laude (at least 3.650 GPA) for a given semester. It is computed following the posting of grades at the end of each semester. Congratulations to these distinguished scholars on earning this academic achievement. See the full list at https://inside.linfield.edu/academic-affairs/deans-list.html.

Linfield University is proud to recognize its newest alumni. A total of 98 students earned their degrees from Linfield University following the fall 2022 semester. The students earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the Linfield University-Good Samaritan School of Nursing participated in the Pinning Ceremony in December 2022. All students earning their degrees this semester will be honored at the 2023 Commencement in May. More information is at linfield.edu.

Emma Inge and Meghan Mullaly, two students at Linfield University, won a design contest from Premier Press, a Portland-based creative production firm. The company gives wrapping paper to its clients each year, and this winter, it held a contest open to college and university students to create the designs. More than 20 submissions from throughout the region were received. Inge and Mullaly's two-sided designs were selected among the top four designs and printed for distribution. The pair sold rolls of their wrapping paper at Linfield's inaugural Maker's Market in December, each selling out of the stock on hand. Both students are seniors double majoring in digital art and journalism and media studies. Inge is from Seattle, Washington, and Mulally is from Seward, Alaska. The other two creators of winning designs were Aleah Jones of North Idaho College and Kayla Dartez and Grey Sawger of Portland Community College. See all the designs at https://www.premierpress.com/project/2022-holiday-wrapping-paper/.

The 18th annual D3football.com All-Region Teams have been announced, and seven players from the nationally-ranked Linfield Wildcats made the list. Highlighting the Wildcats with First Team All-Region 6 honors are graduate student center Matt Metcalf, senior offensive tackle Taylor Adams, sophomore returner Maclain Stoneking and junior linebacker Blake Rybar. Senior guard Julien Sears landed on the All-Region 6 Second Team while sophomore quarterback Blake Eaton and senior defensive tackle Chase Lydig were picked as third-teamers.

Four Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing students have won prestigious Nurse Corps Scholarships, a federal program that pays for tuition and fees in full as well as living expenses. The program is designed to bring high levels of care to underserved communities, and students commit to working at a Critical Shortage Facility (CSF) for two years after graduation. Recipients: Collin Hoyt of Holtville, Calif. (expected graduation June '23); Sarah Miller of Vancouver, Wash. and the Big Island of Hawaii (expected graduation June '23); Ellie Rogge of West Bend, Wis. (expected graduation June '23); Monica Salazar of Hillsboro, Ore. and Santa Rosa, Guatemala (expected graduation Dec. '23). "In a normal year, we're proud when one Linfield School of Nursing student received a Nurse Corps scholarship - it's a very competitive and prestigious award," said School of Nursing Dean Paul Smith. "When four students are selected, it's a true honor to our student body, because it shows not only current excellence but also a commitment to bring the highest level of care to the communities who need it most upon graduation."

Linfield University's Team Medalia tied for second place in this year's Intercollegiate Wine Business Invitational, a competition where students build a virtual wine business, including articulating the mission, vision and goals; sales and marketing strategies; competitive analysis; cost-of-goods calculations; operations; and even designing wine labels for their winery. The team, organized through Linfield's Evenstad Center for Wine Education, was composed of five seniors. Team roster: Lindsey Burns '23, Alex Burkeen '23, Emma Libby '23, Devin Thacker '23 and Megan Stanek '23. "I'm amazed at how quickly the team came together, and so proud of what the students accomplished," said Wine Studies Department Coordinator Toni Ketrenos. "Each of them has so many other activities and classes, but they put in the work to produce a winning entry with minimal guidance from Professor Christopher Dahlvig and me. I'm impressed with their effort!" Learn more about Linfield's wine studies program at linfield.edu/wine.

This weekend, Linfield University ended a remarkable 10-1 football season, but for some Wildcat student-athletes, success was also found in the classroom. Six student-athletes earned selection to the 2022 College Sports Communicators NCAA Division III Academic All-District Football Team, announced last week. Seniors Isaac Hoidal and Brady Wessel, juniors Logan Carr, Chase Michalczik and Jacob Slifka and sophomore Gavin Dalziel are among 40 student-athletes from six Northwest Conference institutions selected to the Academic All-District Team. Puget Sound, Whitworth and Willamette all led the conference with eight honorees while George Fox and Pacific Lutheran had five apiece. The 2022 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Football Teams recognize student-athletes for their success on the field and in the classroom. Linfield's honorees will advance for consideration on the CSC Academic All-America ballot. Academic All-America Teams will be announced in December.

Paige Richards and Kara Thomas were pivotal pieces on the court in Linfield University's improved 2022 season, but the duo also performed well in the classroom, earning their ways to the 2022 College Sports Communicators NCAA Division III Academic All-District Women's Volleyball Team, released Tuesday. Richards, an exercise science major, and Thomas, a public health major, were among 19 student-athletes selected from the Northwest Conference. Pacific Lutheran, Puget Sound, Whitworth and Willamette all had four Academic All-District honorees while Pacific rounded out the conference with one selection. The sophomore Richards finished second on the team with 256 digs, averaging 3.51 digs per set. She appeared in 20 matches and 73 sets, totaling 47 assists and 17 service aces. A senior right-side hitter, Thomas eclipsed the century mark in kills, notching 111 and averaging 1.46 per set. She added eight assists, 46 digs and 42 blocks, which ranked third on the team. The 2022 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Women's Volleyball Teams recognize student-athletes for their success in both athletics and academics. Linfield's honorees will advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. Academic All-Americans will be announced in December.

Showing excellency on the pitch and in the classroom, six members of the Linfield University women's soccer team earned their ways to the 2022 College Sports Communicators NCAA Division III Academic All-District Women's Soccer Team, announced Tuesday. Seniors McCall Bennion, Laney Green and Megan Sweeney, juniors Ellie Friedrichsen and Riley Omonaka and sophomore Emily Hyde were all acknowledged by CSC, formally known as the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The 2022 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Women's Soccer Teams recognize student-athletes for their success on the field and in the classroom. Linfield's six honorees will advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. Academic All-Americans will be announced in December.

Linfield University earned a seat at the table in 2022 as juniors Angel Hernandez and Sid Kosaris were named to the All-Northwest Conference Men's Soccer Team, released Wednesday. Both players received the first all-conference honor of their careers. Hernandez spearheaded the Linfield backline on his way to being selected to the All-NWC Second Team. The Wildcats' leader on the attack, Kosaris was picked as an honorable mention. Linfield went 5-13-1 overall with a 4-9-1 record in NWC play to place sixth in the standings with 13 points, four points back of Whitworth for fifth place. The team's season was highlighted by three consecutive 1-0 shutouts against George Fox, Pacific and Whitman.

Three student-athletes from Linfield University earned recognition on the All-Northwest Conference Women's Soccer Team, announced last week. Senior Laney Green leads the Linfield trio with a Second Team All-NWC nod while freshmen Janae Lewis and Bella Hanna were named honorable mentions. Green was selected as an honorable mention as a junior in 2021. Linfield went 5-8-7 overall with a 3-7-6 mark in NWC play. The Wildcats finished in sixth place with 15 points, four points back of the No. 5 spot in the NWC standings.

One of the biggest names in Linfield volleyball in the last decade, Raelynn Hammock finished her senior campaign as a Second Team All-Northwest Conference selection, released Monday. An honorable mention last season, Hammock is the first player in program history to earn second-team honors since libero Kayla Magbaleta in 2017. The outside hitter from Oakridge, Oregon, finished the season ranked No. 2 in the NWC with 325 kills and 3.69 kills per set. Her kills per set just cracked the Division III top 50. Hammock was also second in the conference with 383 points and 4.35 points per set while leading the league with 44 service aces, a mark that's tied for sixth in Linfield's single-season record book.

Division III student-athletes tackle a well-rounded college experience that emphasizes academic programs and earning a degree. Excelling in both academics and athletics isn't easy, but two Linfield University men's soccer players did just that as Logan Clizer and Cameron Gaines were named to the 2022 College Sports Communicators NCAA Division III Academic All-District Men's Soccer Team, announced Tuesday. Clizer and Gaines were among 19 student-athletes honored from the Northwest Conference. The 2022 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Men's Soccer Teams recognize student-athletes for their success on the field and in the classroom. The honorees will advance for consideration on the CSC Academic All-America ballot. Academic All-America honorees will be announced in December.

Linfield completed its second straight undefeated regular season in 2022. A perennial powerhouse in Division III football, the nationally-ranked Wildcats earned two major awards and 21 selections to the All-Northwest Conference Football Team, released Monday. After being named an honorable mention a year ago, junior linebacker Blake Rybar was named the NWC Defensive Player of the Year, marking the 17th time that a Linfield player has earned the award. Head coach Joseph Smith was voted on by his peers as the NWC Coach of the Year for the third straight season and the 12th time in his 16 years at the helm. Smith led Linfield to a 9-0 overall record and a 7-0 mark against conference opponents. It was the program's 21st unbeaten regular season. The Wildcats claimed their third straight NWC championship and will head to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the 12th time in the last 13 seasons. The 'Cats now have 38 NWC titles, including 31 won outright. Linfield's 21 all-conference selections are just one shy of the program's record of 22, set in 2021. Nine players repeated as first-teamers.

Linfield University congratulates the 103 students who earned Dean's List honors during the summer 2022 academic term. The Dean's List identifies undergraduate students who have earned a term GPA at least equivalent to a cum laude (at least 3.650 GPA) for a given semester. It is computed following the posting of grades at the end of each semester. Congratulations to these distinguished scholars on earning this academic achievement. See the full list at https://inside.linfield.edu/academic-affairs/deans-list.html.

Linfield University is pleased to release its newest list of graduates. Following the spring 2022 semester, Linfield awarded nine master's degrees, 243 bachelor's degrees and five certificates to 252 students. Honors are determined once a student's final grades have been submitted. For undergraduate students, these include summa cum laude (3.9-4.0 cumulative GPA), magna cum laude (3.8-3.89 cumulative GPA) and cum laude (3.65-3.79 cumulative GPA). Graduate students earn honors or high honors for earning a GPA of 3.8-3.89 and 3.9-4.0, respectively.

Mikayla Minton will be interning at the Humboldt County District Attorney's Office this summer thanks to a premier internship at Linfield University. The Deborah M. Olsen Public Service Internship is an endowed internship established to provide $2,500 for one Linfield student from the McMinnville campus per year to pursue an unpaid or very modestly paid summer internship with a government or non-profit organization either in the US or internationally. The internship aims to provide liberal arts majors with educational opportunities that expand their education and learning experience outside the classroom and to prepare them for graduate or professional school; advanced work in writing, the visual arts, or performing arts; or for nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships. Funds may be used for travel to and from the internship, living expenses, and/or appropriate research or other materials necessary to conduct the internship. Funds may not to be used for tuition for the internship.

Linfield University congratulates the 595 students who earned Dean's List honors during the spring 2022 semester. The Dean's List identifies undergraduate students who have earned a term GPA at least equivalent to a cum laude (at least 3.650 GPA) for a given semester. It is computed following the posting of grades at the end of each semester. Congratulations to these distinguished scholars on earning this academic achievement. See the full list at https://inside.linfield.edu/academic-affairs/deans-list.html.

Linfield University is proud to announce that two current students and one recent graduate received grants from the U.S. Fulbright Student Program for the 2022-23 academic year. Both current students, who are set to graduate from Linfield later this month, were awarded Fulbright Open Study/Research Awards. Hanna Shields '22, a biochemistry and molecular biology major from Star, Idaho, will travel to Germany for research at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Disease. Nick Zdroy '22, an applied physics major from Pendleton, was awarded a research grant in Finland. His grant will take him to Aalto University to study and research mechanical engineering and product development. In addition, Anne Christine Walkup, a 2021 alumnus from Eugene who double majored Spanish and journalism and media studies, received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award (ETA) to Spain. The ETA program places Fulbright recipients in classrooms abroad to provide assistance to local English teachers.

Linfield University ace Tayah Kelley was named the Northwest Conference Softball Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week for the second time in as many weeks on Monday after throwing three complete games and striking out a combined 37 batters at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia. With Kelley setting the tone in the circle, the Wildcats went 5-1 in the tournament and moved to 11-2 overall (3-0 NWC). She improved to 7-0 on the season with a NWC-leading 0.93 ERA and 62 strikeouts. She also leads the conference with two shutouts. The junior from Myrtle Creek, Oregon, opened the tournament by striking out a career-high 15 batters in Linfield's 11-1 win over West Region foe Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Friday, allowing one run on two hits. Her 15 K's surpassed her previous best mark of 12 and is tied for fourth in program history for strikeouts in a single game. Kelley claimed another 14 batters via strikeout while again allowing just one run in the Wildcats' 7-1 win on Saturday over Coe, which was among others receiving votes in the NFCA Preseason Poll. She came back on Sunday and fanned another eight batters in a 9-4 win over No. 8 Salisbury. Kelley was named to the all-tournament team for her efforts.

Linfield University's theatre program earned a series of awards from the 2022 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Region VII thanks to a trio of students. The event, held online Feb. 14-19, recognizes top theatre programs in nine states. Earning recognition from Linfield University were Abbie Northrop '22, Alea Tran '23 and Hadley Nelson '25. "What an achievement!" said Joe Wilferth, dean of Linfield's College of Arts and Sciences. "Such recognition points to the creativity and success of our theatre students, as it likewise reflects the outstanding teaching and mentorship of our faculty. I'm very proud of our students and our faculty." Linfield's theatre students return to the stage April 21-May 1 for the live production of "Heathers the Musical," in collaboration with the Department of Music and with support from the Lacroute Arts Series. More information on upcoming performances can be found at www.linfield.edu/arts.

Two complete-game shutouts and a combined 15 strikeouts later, Tayah Kelley from Linfield University was named the Northwest Conference Softball Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week on Monday. The junior from Myrtle Creek, Oregon, moved to 4-0 on the season and improved her earned run average to 0.29 as the Wildcats took all three games against Willamette. She didn't walk a single batter in her two outings. Kelley tossed seven innings in a 4-0 win over the Bearcats on Friday, allowing just two hits while striking out eight. She went the distance again in a five-inning 8-0 rout of the Bearcats on Saturday, allowing three hits and claiming seven more victims via strikeout. The 'Cats are 6-1 on the season and 3-0 in NWC play, their only blemish coming in a 12-8 loss at Whittier on Feb. 19. Kelley leads the NWC with two shutouts and has allowed two runs, one earned, in her four starts. She has struck out 25 batters on the season while walking eight.

Linfield's big three of Dempsey Roggenbuck, Max Lommen and Aaron Baune has spearheaded the Wildcats to a share of the Northwest Conference regular-season title for the second straight season. It's no surprise that all three seniors were named to the 2022 All-NWC Men's Basketball Team. Roggenbuck was named to the All-NWC First Team for the second straight season, having also earned the honor in 2020. He earned second-team honors as a sophomore in 2019 and was an honorable mention and the NWC Freshman of the Year in 2018. First-time honorees on the All-Conference Team, Lommen landed on the second team while Baune was picked as an honorable mention. Roggenbuck becomes just the sixth player in program history to earn an All-Conference selection four times. He's the 18th player to earn multiple first-team nods in the program's 110-year history.

Gillyan Landis, a freshman forward from Yakima, Washington, made an immediate impact in her collegiate debut at Linfield University. She represents the Wildcats as an honorable mention on the 2022 All-Northwest Conference Women's Basketball Team. Landis started in all 24 games for the Wildcats. She led the 'Cats with 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game to go with a 44.4 field goal percentage, all of which rank in the NWC's top 20. She led the NWC with 32 blocked shots and finished the season with 19 assists and 17 steals. Landis scored in double figures 12 times in her freshman campaign. Her season high came in a 22-point performance against Trinity (Texas) on Nov. 19. She also scored 20 points against Chapman on Nov. 13 and 21 points against Pacific on Feb. 8. Landis grabbed 10 rebounds against Trinity to complete the first double-double of her career. She pulled down a season-high 14 rebounds against Lewis & Clark on Jan. 28.

For the second time in as many seasons, the Linfield Wildcats men's basketball team is regular season champions of the Northwest Conference. It is the first time Linfield has claimed consecutive NWC championships since 1978, when the Wildcats won three straight league titles under the legendary coach Ted Wilson. Winning 99-85 over the Willamette Bearcats (6-18, 3-13) on Senior Night on Saturday, Linfield clinched a share of the NWC title with an 18-6 overall record and a 13-3 mark in conference play, becoming co-champions with the Whitworth Pirates (20-4, 13-3) and the Pacific Lutheran Lutes (18-7, 13-3). Owning the tiebreakers over the Pirates and Lutes, the Wildcats will be the number one seed in the Northwest Conference tournament, hosting the four-seed Whitman Blues (11-13, 9-7) on Thursday Feb. 24 in the first round of the Northwest Conference tournament.

The men's and women's swimming teams wrapped up their 2021-22 season with Northwest Conference championships in three relays and three individual events. The Wildcat men placed third overall and the women's placed fourth at the NWC Championships. The nine-team, four-day event was hosted by Willamette University and staged at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. Aside from bringing a hardware haul back to McMinnville, four Wildcats are now waiting to see if they will receive invitations to the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships, March 16-19, in Indianapolis.

Linfield University congratulates the 582 students who earned Dean's List honors during the fall 2021 semester. The Dean's List identifies students who have earned a term GPA at least equivalent to a cum laude (at least 3.650 GPA) for a given semester. It is computed following the posting of grades at the end of each semester. Congratulations to these distinguished scholars on earning this academic achievement. See the full list at https://inside.linfield.edu/academic-affairs/deans-list.html.