St. Xavier University senior Ayobami Arokoyo, a Schaumburg High School graduate, celebrates with Cougars throws coach Anthony Kowalczyk after winning the NAIA men’s discus title May 22 in Marion, Ind.
Courtesy of the NAIA
St. Xavier University senior Ayobami “Ayo” Arokoyo (Schaumburg High School) won the discus championship at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships last week in Marion, Ind.
A three-time NAIA All-American, Arokoyo’s second attempt of 54.37 meters (178 feet, 5 inches) made him the first individual from the men’s team at the Chicago school and the second overall to win a national title. Arokoyo finished fourth in discus in 2023, sixth in 2022.
On May 4 in Joliet, Arokoyo earned his third straight Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Most Outstanding Field Performer honor after winning both shot put and discus. According to St. Xavier records, Arokoyo owns the 26 farthest discus marks in program history, and 15 of the Cougars’ best 16 outdoor marks in shot put, eight of the top nine indoors.
Ayobami Arokoyo, a three-time NAIA All-American, owns the 26 farthest discus marks in St. Xavier University history.
Courtesy of the NAIA
Finishing strong
At the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championship in Geneva, Ohio, Aurora University senior Deedee Colon Maldonado (East Aurora) moved from 10th place at one point up to third in the 10,000-meter run. On Saturday, she placed ninth in the 5,000. The Spartans’ 2023-24 Female Athlete of the Year and a 10-time Division III All-American spanning outdoor and indoor track and cross country, Maldonado owns nine Aurora University records and seven Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference records.
Baseball and softball
Taking two of three baseball games from Wisconsin-Oshkosh in last weekend’s super-regional, Wisconsin-Whitewater (44-6) advanced to the NCAA Division III World Series starting Friday in Eastlake, Ohio. Warhawks starters include junior pitcher Logan Eisenbarth (Barrington), sophomore catcher Aaron Holland (Wheaton North), junior third baseman Danny Hopper (Palatine), and senior outfielders Sam Paden (Libertyville) and Matt Scolan (Downers Grove South). More on the Warhawks next week.
Michigan senior pitcher Lauren Derkowski (York) was named Most Outstanding Player at the Big Ten Conference softball tournament. Earning the award a second straight season, Derkowski pitched 5 shutout innings in a 2-0 title-game win over UCLA and finished the tournament with a 3-0 record and 1.11 ERA. Her 653 strikeouts rank ninth all-time at Michigan.
Lawrence University junior third basemen Zoe Doherty (Huntley), who led the league in OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) and was in the top-10 in nine other categories, earned all-Midwest Conference softball honors. Lawrence junior second baseman Janessa Gonzalez (Conant) joined her on the all-conference team, her second league honor. Illinois College junior first baseman Kendall Cole (Downers Grove North) and Grinnell College freshman outfielder Kayla O’Malley (Buffalo Grove) also made the all-Midwest team.
Lewis University senior second baseman Mikey Kocen (Warren) earned the Great Lakes Valley Conference player of the year award, and then was named Division II Midwest Region player of the year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the Division II Conference Commissioners’ Association. Kocen hit .407 with 16 doubles, 19 home runs, 63 RBI and 61 runs scored, plus an OPS of 1.319 and an .825 slugging percentage.
For a second-straight year in the College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin, Illinois Wesleyan junior pitcher Gianna Certa (Grayslake North) was a first-team selection. She helped the Titans (37-9) become the first team to go 16-0 in league play; they advanced to a Division III super-regional for the first time since 2019. The right-hander went 19-3 with a 2.26 ERA and 10 complete games in 124 innings. Titans outfielders included freshmen Grace Wilkens and Julia Wilkens (Bartlett), the twin daughters of Glenbard North football coach Ryan Wilkens.
Other CCIW first-teamers included North Central College graduate students Ronnie Latka (Kaneland), an outfielder, and Talia Torosian (Schaumburg), a utility player mainly at third base and shortstop.
