The Gustavus Adolphus College Athletics Department has announced the 2004-05 Male and Female Athletes of the Year and they are Tara Houlihan, a volleyball and tennis player from Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Joe Hartwell, a soccer player from Apple Valley, Minnesota. Houlihan and Hartwell, who are the fifth annual recipients of the Gustavus Athlete of the Year awards, will be honored at the Gustavus Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet which will take place on Saturday, September 24 in Alumni Hall on the Gustavus campus.
Houlihan made her mark both on the volleyball court and the tennis court. In the fall, Houlihan starred as a right side hitter on the volleyball team and in the spring she was the #1 singles player and part of the #1 doubles team on the tennis team. On the volleyball court, the Sioux Falls native led the Gusties in kills with 417 and digs with 310 while earning first team all-conference honors. She also broke the school record for digs in a career with 1,226. The team posted a record of 19-7 overall and earned a berth in the MIAC Post-season Tournament. On the tennis court, Houlihan and partner Lyndsey Palen won the NCAA Division III Doubles title and finished the season with a record of 20-4 at the #1 doubles position. At #1 singles, Houlihan posted a record of 18-5 and finished the season ranked #10 in Division III. She helped the Gusties post a record of 30-3 overall and finish fifth in the NCAA Team Championship. Houlihan was named First Team All-Conference, First Team All-Region, and First Team All-America.
Hartwell, the central defender on the soccer team, anchored a defensive unit that allowed only four goals in 23 games which was the fewest goals allowed in all of Division III soccer. The Minneapolis native was the captain and catalyst of a team that posted a record of 18-2-3 overall and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The Gusties won the MIAC regular season title with a mark of 8-1-1 and then went on to win the MIAC Playoff title. A four-year starter and three-time all-conference selection, Hartwell was named the 2005 MIAC Player of the Year. He also received First Team All-Region and First Team All-America honors.
Houlihan and Hartwell were selected from a group of 28 candidates (12 men and 16 women). To be a candidate for the Gustavus Athlete of the Year, an athlete had to have been selected one of nine Athlete’s of the Month selected during the school year or put on the ballot by their head coach as a result of being selected their team’s Most Valuable Player. The winners are selected by a vote of the Gustavus Head Coaches.
The 16 finalists for the Gustavus Female Athlete of the Year included: Kelly Crandall of Plymouth, Minn. (junior, ice hockey), Chandra Daw of Duluth, Minn. (junior, nordic skiing), Beth DeLaRosby of Two Harbors, Minn. (senior, swimming and diving), Joyce DeWitz of Good Thunder, Minn. (sophomore, softball), Molly Doyle of Eagan, Minn. (first year, ice hockey), Ashley Erickson of Lakeland, Minn. (junior, gymnastics), Kelli Groff of Bloomington, Minn. (junior, golf), Lauren Hom of Stevens Point, Wisc. (sophomore, tennis), Tara Houlihan of Sioux Falls, South Dakota (junior, volleyball, tennis), Kristin Kachelmyer of Mankato, Minn. (senior, basketball), Eva Miller of Sartell, Minn. (senior, swimming and diving), Lyndsey Palen of Rochester, Minn. (junior, tennis), Nichole Petersen of Arco, Minn. (senior, cross country, track and field), Andrea Peterson of Vadnais Heights, Minn. (sophomore, ice hockey), Kristi Schneider of Hastings, Minn. (senior, track and field).
The 12 finalists for Gustavus Male athlete of the Year included: Keith Detlefsen of Lakeville, Minn. (junior, ice hockey), Doug Espenson of Mankato, Minn. (senior, basketball), Joe Hartwell of Apple Valley, Minn. (senior, soccer), Brady Hoffman of Owatonna, Minn. (senior, golf), Jered Hokenson of Watertown, Minn. (junior, track and field), Ben Lundell of Dubuque, Iowa (senior, tennis), Andy Moulton of St. Peter, Minn. (senior, soccer), Ben Sherer of Bismarck, North Dakota (junior, baseball), Isaac Sieling of Watertown, Minn. (senior, football), Will Sutor of Fergus Falls, Minn. (senior, swimming and diving), Adam TeBrake of St. Peter, Minn. (junior, basketball), Alex Zuppan of Monona, Wisc. (sophomore, cross country).