Fontbonne University violates NCAA rule
The NCAA declared April 12 that Fontbonne University committed “major violations in its athletics program regarding its financial aid process,” according to an NCAA press release.
The violations occurred when an incoming class of freshmen had their athletic performance taken into account when the university awarded merit-based scholarships. The NCAA indicated that $48,000 in financial aid was given to 23 student athletes who would not have been eligible for aid if athletics hadn’t been considered.
The NCAA stipulates that Division III schools cannot consider athletic performance when calculating financial aid because Division III schools do not give scholarships for athletics.
Further violations occurred when a former coach of Fontbonne’s women’s basketball team, as well as the current men’s lacrosse coach, served on a committee that recommended financial aid for incoming freshmen.
NCAA rules state that no athletics staff members may be involved in the review of scholarships to student athletes. The press release states that the mistakes were deemed unintentional, but still considered major due to the amount of aid given.
Fontbonne will be on probation for two years and is required to inform all incoming prospective athletes of the violation and the subsequent sanctions. The school must also provide compliance reports to the committee on infractions.
Golf team wins John McNaughton Memorial Classic
Webster University’s men’s golf team won their second event of the season on April 11, as the squad beat out nine other teams to take the John McNaughton Memorial Classic, which was hosted by Illinois College.
Sophomores Dan Klipsch, Kyler Scott and Steven Kinsman paced the Gorloks in the win, which was the team’s second championship of the season.
Klipsch shot an even par 72 to record the best individual score of the event. Scott’s 73 placed him second overall and Kinsman’s 74 placed him third, as the Gorloks swept the top three spots. Webster shot a 297 and beat out four other SLIAC schools in the field.
Up next for Webster is the SLIAC championship on April 18 and 19 at the Forest Park Golf Course. If the Gorloks win that event, they will automatically qualify for the NCAA Division III championship, which begins May 10 in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Basketball players earn recognition on local website
Webster University basketball players Willie Trimble, a junior, and Katy Meyer, a senior, were named to the first team of the Area College All-Stars on April 10 by EarlAustinJr.com, a website dedicated to St. Louis metro area basketball.
It was the second year that the site presented the list, which includes players from NCAA Division II and III teams, as well as NAIA players.
Trimble averaged 15.5 points on the season, a team-best for the Gorloks. He hit over 46 percent of his shots and averaged 4.1 assists, 4 rebounds and 2.9 steals a game. Trimble helped Webster to a 20-7 record and an appearance in the NCAA Division III postseason tournament.
Meyer scored a team-high 14 points per game and was the only Webster player to average double digits in scoring. She hit over 41 percent of her 3-point shots. Meyer recorded a Webster-high 7 rebounds and 0.9 blocked shots per game. She led the Gorloks to a 17-11 record and an appearance in the NCAA Division III postseason tournament.
Three Webster athletes earn Player of the Week honors
Golfer Kyler Scott, baseball player Cody Stevenson and men’s tennis player Agustin Villalba were selected as the SLIAC players of the week for April 4 through 10.
Scott, a sophomore was named the player of the week for the second straight time, as he helped the Gorloks win the John McNaughton Classic on April 11. On April 8 and 9, Scott paced Webster to a third-place finish in the Big Blue Classic. His two-day total of 144 put Scott eighth out of 81 individuals in the event.
Stevenson, a sophomore centerfielder, was picked as the SLIAC hitter of the week after going 11 for 15 in four Webster victories last week. Stevenson ranks near the top of the NCAA Division III leaders for stolen bases, and he went 7 for 7 in that category. He scored 10 runs and had 5 RBI, as Webster beat Greenville College once and Principia College three times.
Villalba, a sophomore, went 3-0 at No. 1 singles and 3-1 at the No. 2 doubles spot last week for the men’s tennis team. He posted a 6-3, 6-1 singles win over NCAA Division II Quincy University’s top player. Villalba also helped the Gorloks beat Greenville 5-4, as he came back from a 5-2 deficit in the third set against Greenville’s Joe Newlin to win the match 6-7, 6-4, 7-5.
– Collin Reischman also contributed to this article.
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