Intramural Update: That’s all Folks

The final Intramurals for the year were played last week, here are the results.

Women’s

While Gamma Rho took care of business against Theta Theta Theta in the first semifinal round, Lambda Chi Zeta broke seed with a win over the freshmen to make the final. While Sydney Hampton broke through the defense early in the second half to get Lambda on the scoreboard in the championship game, the pressure provided by Natalie Smith and Addie Neal was too much and Gamma pulled away with another A league title for the year.

Men’s

Following solid semifinal wins from each, the Freshmen class battled Delta Gamma Sigma in the final. But this matchup would have to wait for the first penalty shootout all season. Kappa Sigma Tau and Chi Lambda Phi were duking it out during regulation, and despite the heroic efforts from athletic director Brayden Olson to take an early lead and keep Kappa in the penalty shootout for one shot longer, it was not enough. 

Following this duel was the championship game. While the freshmen stayed in the game the entire time, Delta’s improved defense from the regular season allowed them to take the title with a 3-1 win. Relying more on passing the ball rather than dribbling allowed them to keep possession of the ball more frequently, and creating consistent pressure at the midfield stifled the freshmen attack. 

Final Individual Tournaments

The intramural season and the race for all sports closed with the men’s pool doubles and the women’s ping pong doubles. Defending their title from freshman year, Addie Neal and Cianne Knowles took home the championship for Gamma Rho after beating Lambda’s Holly Grimes and Eden Tucker. While defending pool doubles champions Jaxen Roden and Brayden Jones made the final once again, now representing Alpha Gamma Omega instead of the freshmen, they could not get past Kappa’s Steven Porter and Caleb Fennell.

End of Year Awards

This year’s Intramural awards were given out earlier this week. Kappa’s Brayden Olson and Gamma’s Natalie Smith were the intramural athletes of the year. Athletic directors Sophie Mae Smith spoke on Smith’s performance this year.

“We’re so excited,” Smith said. “ We think she is so deserving in every sport.” 

“She’s such a great leader,” Burmaster added. “We love her so much.”

Meanwhile for Kappa, very little was said about Olson winning athlete of the year.

“It was expected” was the comment by athletic director Caleb Conner. 

For the second year in a row, intramural director Rick Judd gave out a third award, the referee of the year in honor of Karla Ramirez. This year the award went to TJ Lee. 

Women’s Intramural Athlete of the Week: Natalie Smith (Gamma Rho)

Simply put, no other forward was able to do what Natalie Smith did this year. Her presence on the field was a constant threat, and her strength in her left foot opened the door for shots and crosses that few defenses were ready to handle. Smith’s consistent scoring allowed her to be one of the best to ever play, and her consistent performances allowed Gamma to win by at least 3 goals every game this year. 

First Runner Up: Lauren Yarnell (Lambda Chi Zeta)

Leading as Lambda’s back line on defense while quarterbacking the attack is a tough task for anyone, but Lauren Yarnell was up to the task. From taking free kicks to running down strikers to winning back the ball to pushing up on attack, Yarnell’s presence was proven to be invaluable and she will be greatly missed next year. 

Second Runner Up: Hanna Hodge (Theta Theta Theta)

Having to take on the intramural athlete of the year is no easy feat, yet Hanna Hodge was up to the task. During a tough semifinal match Hodge played a crucial role in keeping Natalie Smith in check, and her movement on offense during the second half allowed Theta some more attacking opportunities. Hodge’s determination and grit forced Gamma to play through other forwards, and that kind of performance is one to be commended. 

Men’s Intramural Athlete of the Week: Luke Ferguson (Delta Gamma Sigma)

After spending the last couple of years as a dominant forward and punishing defenses, Luke Ferguson lined up on the back line and focused on defense. The decision paid off, as Delta went from allowing over 10 goals across the three regular season games to only two during the playoffs. This is not to say Ferguson was not a key aspect to Delta’s scoring: His free kick in the championship extended Delta’s lead to 2-0 before half, and his ability to push the ball on attack leaves him as one of the best to ever play intramural soccer. His presence, or lack thereof, will be sorely missed by Delta, and allow other men’s clubs a sigh of relief. 

First Runner Up: Will Mattocks (Freshmen) 

As a midfielder, it is a tough challenge having to work on both attack and defense, but the freshmen’s Will Mattocks was up for the challenge. His vision and passing created opportunities for his team, and his goal in the championship kept the freshmen in the game until the very end. No matter what club Mattocks rushes next year, expect Mattocks to be a key player for their soccer team. 

Second Runner Up: LeAndre Tucker (Delta Gamma Sigma)

In the absence of Ferguson on the attacking side, LeAndre Tucker stepped up and took control. Tucker’s ball handling and finesse while shooting was on point this year, capped off with two goals in the championship game. The few times he was unable to get the ball early on an attack, his runs kept him open for long ball opportunities that were just as threatening as when he was looking for a through ball himself. With Ferguson graduating in less than 10 days, expect Tucker to be the top forward for Delta moving forward next year. 

All-Intramural Soccer Teams

Name	Club	Position
Cole Klaassen	Chi Lambda Phi	Goalkeeper
Luke Ferguson	Delta Gamma Sigma	Defender
Cotter Hensal	Chi Lambda Phi	Defender
Caleb Benjamin	Freshmen	Midfield
Joel Hendricks	Freshmen	Midfield
Will Mattocks	Freshmen	Midfield
Brayden Olson	Kappa Sigma Tau	Forward
LeAndre Tucker	Delta Gamma Sigma	Forward
Jackson Ortiz	Freshmen	Forward

Name	Club	Position
Kate Bradley	Gamma Rho	Goalkeeper
Jill Duncan	Theta Theta Theta	Defender
Lauren Yarnell	Lambda Chi Zeta	Defender
Hanna Hodge	Theta Theta Theta	Defender
Katie McCullock	Gamma Rho	Midfield
Jenna Stillings	Beta Beta Sigma	Midfield
Nikki King	Freshmen	Forward
Sydney Hampton	Lambda Chi Zeta	Forward
Natalie Smith	Gamma Rho	Forward