Lake Forest College Sports Information
February 26, 2006
Contact: Mike Wajerski, SID

Lake Forest Men Defend National Title, Women Place Second
Foresters capture both doubles championships
  

Carly Stickles (top-left), Lisa Jeziorny (top-right), Jon Iglesias (left), Tyler Stevens (bottom-left), and Billy O'Donnell (bottom-right) all earned Handball All-America honors. Both of the doubles teams (top and bottom rows) won national titles while Stickles and Iglesias reached the Open Singles semifinals.
COLLEGE STATION, TX - The Forester handball teams competed in the annual United States Handball Association Collegiate National Championships over the weekend (February 22-26) and made their usual strong showings. Lake Forest’s men captured the team title while the women placed second. Lake Forest also placed second in the combined competition. In addition to the program’s 28th national team title, Forester individuals claimed both doubles championships and earned a pair of Handball All-America honors in singles play.

Sophomore Jon Iglesias (Elmhurst, NY) won 21-14, 12-21, 11-9 in the quarterfinals of the men’s Open Singles division to reach the semifinals and earn All-America status. He was unable to advance to the championship, falling 12-21, 15-21 to the eventual champion. Junior Tyler Stevens (Toledo, OH) and freshman Billy O’Donnell (Bayside, NY) captured the Open Doubles title with a 21-9, 21-10 victory in the championship. On the women’s side, sophomore Carly Stickles (Ridgeway, ON) also needed a three-set triumph to reach the Open Singles semifinals, where she too was knocked off by the eventual champion. Stickles claimed a title of her own when she teamed with junior Lisa Jeziorny (Orland Park, IL) for a 17-21, 21-3, 11-6 triumph in Open Doubles.

Stevens also advanced to the quarterfinals in Open Singles and senior Ivan Ruiz (Los Angeles, CA) reached the round of 16. O’Donnell went on to win the A Singles title with a hard-fought 12-21, 21-15, 11-10 victory. Sophomore Mike Mehilos (Addison, IL) and senior Arturo Herrera (Anchorage, AK) fell in the division’s quarterfinals and round of 16, respectively. Sophomore Kevin Jarvis (Chicago, IL) reached the round of 16 in B Singles and freshman James Zender (Fishers, IN) matched that feat in C Singles. Senior Rob Burda (Meridian, ID) and sophomore Tom Pfiel (Philadelphia, PA) also competed in the C Singles bracket and made it to the round of 32. Freshman Ryan Molloy (Lake Forest, IL) fell in the Challengers round of 16 while freshmen Asa Reynolds (Bethesda, MD) and Chris Bembynista (Overland Park, KS) and sophomore Jimmy Kite (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL) were ousted in the Contenders division’s semifinals, round of 16, and first round, respectively. Freshman Kushal Modi (North Little Rock, AR) won three times before falling in the Novice division’s semifinals.

Ruiz and Iglesias reached the Open Doubles semifinals and Mehilos and Herrera made it to the division’s quarterfinals. Jarvis and Burda claimed the B Doubles title while Pfiel and Zender were quarterfinalists.

Jeziorny advanced to the women’s A Singles quarterfinals. Senior Melissa Peters (Buffalo Grove, IL) and junior Lindsay Ross (Springfield, IL) reached the B Singles quarterfinals while senior Clare Longfellow (Wilmette, IL) fell in the division’s round of 16. Senior Kim Lawser (West Chester, PA) was eliminated in the C Singles round of 16. Sophomore Kim Braden (Beloit, WI) rattled off six straight wins to claim the Intermediate Singles division championship. Sophomore Jessie Birecki (Andover, MA) and freshman Alex Charron (Calgary, AB) were knocked off in the Challengers division quarterfinals and first round, respectively.

The teams of Peters and Longfellow, Ross and Lawser, and Birecki and Braden were all able to reach the Open Doubles quarterfinals.

Head Coach Mike Dau ‘58, who has directed the program since its beginning in 1968, has now coached 55 players to 87 All-America performances.

Lake Forest Results: Men | Women
Complete Results