RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Concordia University Chicago (CUC) athletics showed out this week with big wins and top performances. Check out all the action below.
 
Track & Field
The Cougars competed at the Big Blue Outdoor Meet hosted by Millikin University.
 
The men's team dominated with four gold medal performances. Austin Knight (Forest Park, Ill.) won the 200m with a time of 22.21. Dayton Merli (Union Mills, Ind.) took gold in the pole vault with a height of 3.90m. The Cougars also secured first in both jumps. Jayden Taylor (Southfield, Mich.) won the long jump with a leap of 6.40m while Korey Randle (East Moline, Ill.) won the triple jump with a leap of 13.49m. Vincent Scarnato (Pottstown, Pa), Kamren Hannah (El Paso, Texas), Henry Jones IV (Atlanta, Ga.), and Knight competed in the 4x100m relay and finished second with a time of 43.67. Darius Strother (Joliet, Ill.)  leapt for 1.70m, placing second in the high jump.
 
The women's team also produced podium performance. Madison Hipshire (Riverview, Mich.) took the top spot in the 400mH with a new personal best of 1:10.20. Aniyah Isom (Chicago, Ill.) finished second in the long jump with a season best leap of 5.02m. Noor Sammour (Berwyn, Ill.) leapt 1.50m in the high jump for second place. Lydia Vonderhaar (Apple Valley, Minn.) placed third in the 100m with a time of 13.40. Hipshire, Vasquez, Fairless, and Addi McKee placed second in the 4x400m relay with a time of 4:16.81.
 
The Cougars' next meet will be on Thursday, April 2. The Cougars will compete at the ONU Tiger Open, hosted by Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill.
 
Men's Volleyball (11-11, 3-7)
The men's volleyball team continued Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) play this week against two nationally ranked teams.
The Cougars first hosted No. 12 Aurora University and fell, 3-0. Leon Gudzovski (Des Plaines, Ill.) led the match with eight kills while adding two digs and a block. Alexander Ford (Skokie, Ill.) recorded eight kills and a block. Tate Johnson (Plainfield, Ill.) followed closely with six kills, an ace, two digs, and a block. Tyrise Armstrong (Grayslake, Ill.) added six kills and five digs.
 
The Cougars then headed up to Wisconsin to face No. 15 Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). CUC never gave up but fell, 3-0. Jackson Stella (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) recorded five kills while Ford totaled seven kills. Leon Gudzovski (Des Plaines, Ill.) recorded six kills. Elijah Mosher (Clayton, Ohio) registered 17 assists.
 
CUC enters its final week of the regular season. The Cougars will take on Illinois Tech on Wednesday, April 1, at 7:00 pm in Chicago, Ill. Then on Saturday, April 4, the Cougars will host Marian University at 1:00 pm.
 
Baseball (8-11, 3-3)
The CUC baseball team continued NACC play.
 
The Cougars first faced off against Division Street rival, Dominican University. In game one, the Cougars won, 17-11. Cam Buckley (New Lenox, Ill.) was perfect at the plate, going three-for-three with four runs, one RBI, and one stolen base while being walked four times. Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) followed closely behind going three-for-four at the plate with two runs and two RBIs with one walk. Brendan Holloway (Vernon Hills, Ill.) led with four RBIs while going two-for-five at the plate with two runs of his own. Xavier Zagerman (Chandler, Ariz.) also had multiple hits, going two-for-four at the plate with two runs and two RBIs. Richie Sperando (Darien, Ill.)  rounded out the multi-hitters, going two-for-six at the plate with two runs.
 
In game two, CUC won 14-4. Jake Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) went four-for-five at the plate with six RBIs and four runs, including two home runs. B. Mahler went two-for-three at the plate with one run and one RBI. Buckley went two-for-four at the plate with three runs and one RBI with one home run. Four pitchers dished on the mound for 11 total strikeouts, including a career-high six strikeouts for Jack Carroll (North Aurora, Ill.).
 
The Cougars then faced Lakeland University. CUC took game one 17-3. B. Mahler led at the plate, going four-for-five with four RBIs and three runs of his own, including two home runs. Jeffery Beckert (Mount Prospect, Ill.)  went one-for-one at the plate with one RBI, two runs, and three walks. Connor Jerkatis (New Lenox, Ill.)  went one-for-one, picking up his first career home run and tacking on three RBIs with three walks. On the mound, Ryan Renella (Bartlett, Ill.) throwing six innings with four strikeouts while Jack Linko (New Lenox, Ill.) came in for one inning of relief where he delivered three strikeouts in six batters faced.
 
In game two, CUC fell 10-9 to the Muskies. Beckert led the charge, going three-for-four at the plate with two runs and two doubles. Zagerman went one-for-five with three RBIs after picking up his second home run of the season.
 
This week, the Cougars play five games. On Monday, March 30, CUC hosts Benedictine University for a 3:00 pm game. The following day, the Cougars and Eagles will play the second game against each other at 11:00 am. The Cougars take a quick break in NACC play for a single game against North Park on Thursday, April 2, at 3:00 pm. Then on Saturday, April 4, the Cougars host the Green Knights of St. Norbert College (SNC) with first pitch at 12:00 pm.
 
Softball (6-12, 1-7)
The Cougars played three doubleheaders this week.
 
The team first took on North Park. In game one, the Cougars won 7-4. McKyler Morris (Belvidere, Ill.) and Arissa Santos (Moreno Valley, Calif.) both went two-for-three at the plate where Morris also tallied an RBI. Emily Lucero (Chino, Calif.) went one-for-three, with a triple that helped her finish with three RBIs.
 
In game two, the Cougars won 10-3. Jazmine Gonzales (Riverside, Calif.) went four-for-five at the plate, collecting two runs. Julia Pataluna (Commerce City, Colo.) and Alyssa Campos (Eastvale, Calif.) both went two-for-three at the plate. Pataluna added two runs and two RBIs while Campos totaled one run of her own and two RBIs.
 
The Cougars then faced Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW). In game one, the Cougars took an intense 4-3 (11 inn.) victory. Melisa Hadzic (Westchester, Ill) recorded a home run in the top of the 11th inning to secure the victory, going four-for-five at the plate with a run and two RBIs. Emily Garcia (Eastvale, Calif.) went one-for-two at the plate, collecting a run. Eliza Auger (Littleton, Colo.) and Campos both went two-for-five at the plate, and each added a run, while Campos also recorded an RBI.
 
In game two, CUC fell, 8-3. Campos went two-for-three at the plate and collected a run. Santos went one-for-two at the plate. Mayah Larenas (Chino, Calif.) and Garcia both went one-for-three at the plate, while Larenas added a run.
 
Finally, the Cougars hosted Dominican. In game one, the Cougars fell 6-5. Lucero went two-for-two at the plate, collecting two runs. Hadzic and Haley Gulsby (Englewood, Fla.) both went two-for-three at the plate. Gulsby tallied an RBI. Larenas went two-for-four at the plate and grabbed an RBI.
 
In game two, CUC fell 4-2. Campos went one-for-one at the plate, tallying a run and an RBI. Gulsby went two-for-four at the plate, collecting a run. Linley Southern (Decatur, Ill.) went one-for-two.
 
This week the team has two doubleheaders. They will play Carthage College on Wednesday, April 1 in Kenosha, Wis. First pitch will be at 2:30 pm. Then on Saturday, April 4, the Cougars head to De Pere, Wis. to face SNC. First pitch will be at 12:00 pm.
 
Men's Tennis (1-11, 1-1)
The Cougars began NACC play this week.
 
They first faced Edgewood University and fell 5-2. August Barnes (Sodus, Mich.) won his No. 6 singles match in two 6-2 sets. The Cougars also won the doubles point. At No. 2 doubles, Barnes and Collin Dickey (Frisco, Texas) won 6-3. At No. 3 doubles, Kevin Bullens (River Forest, Ill.) and Kyle Pelzek (Hales Corners, Wis.) won their match, 6-2.
 
This week the Cougars have three matches. On Wednesday, April 1, CUC hosts Olivet Nazarene at 2:00 pm in River Forest. Then on Saturday, April 4, CUC will first host Monmouth College at 2:30 pm. Then at 7:30 pm, the Cougars will be in Chicago, Ill. to face Illinois Tech in NACC matchup.
 
Esports
The playoffs began for the Esports teams.
 
The Smash team fell 2-0 to #3 Drury University. The Cougars fell in game one, 12-10. CUC forced a final match but couldn't secure the last two stocks. James Bruxvoort (Holland, Mich.) secured six stocks while Luis Cortes (Maywood, Ill.) got two. Cameron Hall (Chicago, Ill.) and Chrisovalanti Charisis (Elmwood Park, Ill.) each took one. In game two, CUC fell 12-8. Bruxvoort and Hall each secured three stocks, while Cortes took two. The Cougars await to see if they have enough points to secure a bid to Nationals.
 
The Overwatch team rescheduled its playoff match and will play #3 Waynesburg University on Wednesday, April 1, at 7:00 pm. The match will be streamed live on the CUC Esports Twitch page: https://www.twitch.tv/cucesports.
 
You can keep up with all things CUC Athletics on Twitter @CUChicagoSports, watch all the action at cucougars.com/coverage, and view all photos from the seasons here.