Volleyball

Amy Schuster, senior

It’s no surprise that senior outside hitter Amy Schuster is near the top of almost every statistical category for the Storm this season. The senior leader averaged .32 service aces per set and 3.06 kills per set. Schuster notched 349 kills and 94 digs on the season, leading the Storm to a 17-17 overall record. Besides that, she battled a torn labrum during the entire season. “It’s hard to believe that it is over,” Schuster said. “The whole team really stepped up this year and worked so well together even with the challenge of a young team. I’m really pleased with how this past season turned out and will miss all the girls.”

Football

Braden Everding, junior

Junior linebacker Braden Everding made himself a force to be reckoned with this season as he recorded a total of 82 tackles, five sacks, 8 tackles for loss and grabbed one interception. He was named IIAC Player of the Week for the period ending Sept. 19 as he led the Storm in its defensive effort. Everding shared the top spot with JJ Nair for sacks this season for the Storm and was second on the team for total tackles. If you didn’t hear his name over the loud speakers on a Saturday, then you weren’t paying attention.”It’s a great honor to be recognized even though the season didn’t go as planned. We had a lot of fun playing as a group and hopefully with the talent coming back we can put together a good season next year.”

Women’s Cross Country

Catie Ellingson, senior

Catie Ellingson’s name has been a mainstay for Simpson Cross Country since she began competing for the Storm. She set the tone for her year in September as she grabbed her first first-place finish at the Dutch Invitational in Pella, and she never looked back. Following that performance she grabbed 3rd place at St. Olaf and Augustana and 10th place at Wartburg. The successful runner finished 2nd at the IIAC finals a two weeks ago, and will go on to compete in the NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships for the second year in a row. “I have really enjoyed the season this year, it’s hard to believe that it is all over.”

Men’s Cross Country

Ryan Edwardson, junior

Pacing the Simpson men’s cross country team, junior Ryan Edwardson has lead the team to a great season. Running a 25:51.9 during the NCAA Division III Central Regional Championships, Edwardson placed 10th and also earned himself all-region honors. The Spencer native kicked it into high gear when he ran to a fifth-place finish at the Iowa Conference Championships. “The 2009 season was the beginning of a new era for Simpson men’s cross country,” Edwardson said. “We’re a young, tight knit group with tons of potential, which we will fulfill next year. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the group that is Simpson Cross Country.”

Women’s Tennis

Mikayla Struebing, junior

Indianola native Mikayla Struebing made a positive impact on the Storm Women’s Tennis team this fall, and she helped the team achieve its 7-7 overall record as she went 6-8 in singles matches and 6-8 in doubles matches with fellow teammate and junior Allison Anderson.

Men’s Soccer

Lucas Haack, senior

Senior Lucas Haack leads the offensive statistics at the end of his last season. Haack has proven himself as very versatile; while usually an outside mid or striker, Haack was able to play different positions with ease. With five goals out of 25 attempts and one assist on the season, Haack has made a huge impact on the field. He also added 14 shots on goal with a .200 shot percentage.

Women’s Soccer

Katherine Bird, junior

After a season where the team went 7-11-1 and 3-5 in the conference, some of the highlights were plays by the junior Katherine Bird. Bird started all 19 games for the Storm, scoring 10 goals while tallying five assists for a total of 25 points. In a 4-0 win against Central on Oct. 20, the junior from Iowa City had four shots on goal, one goal and two assists. Another highlight came for Bird in a 5-0 win against UM Morris where Bird had three shots on goal and two goals.