From Joe Hakes, the Director of Athletics:
Stay in the Game

Sports headlines have been rife with negative college news lately regarding academic fraud running through athletic departments. The term “student-athlete” has been devalued as high-profile programs turn away from academic integrity toward profit.

The NCAA’s Division III is often known by a negative: It is the division that doesn’t allow athletic scholarships. Some people will take that as a sign that schools don’t care about being good in athletics. The positive side of that philosophy is that DIII student-athletes are fully invested students who also can gain a depth of fulfilling athletic experience as well. Division III is the largest of the NCAA’s three groupings and contains some of the world’s finest academic institutions. The athletic experience at those schools enhances what is learned in the classroom and provides valuable lessons in sportsmanship, the outcomes of hard work and self-discipline, time management, and integrity.

Illinois Tech’s decision to move to DIII was not an easy one. But the division that emphasizes academics’ blend with athletics is the best fit for our identity as an institution. Our student-athletes will get the full benefit of an IIT education along with the opportunity to be part of a competitive athletic team that competes against other strong academic institutions. This provides an extra layer of education that will translate to the real world in a variety of ways.

The ability to compete with other DIII institutions, especially in the Midwest, will be enhanced by our new membership. The athletic programs that we will now face are loaded with great athletes and strong traditions in their programs. Our recruiting will become more rigorous as we seek those top/top student-athletes-top-quality students, top-quality athletes.

We currently are in the first year of provisional membership and need to complete four provisional years before we gain full membership. We also are seeking a conference affiliation that will group us with other schools that have a similar athletic philosophy in relationship to producing the true student-athlete.

Athletics background: Kyllian Griffin swam for four years at Lawrence University, a Division-III liberal arts college in Appleton, Wisconsin. As a collegiate swimmer, he was a two-time Midwest Conference champion and a 19-time Midwest Conference finalist. Griffin was also voted Most Valuable in 2008 and Most Dedicated in 2009.

Why he choose his sport: “I’ve loved the water since I was little, and I started swimming competitively when I was 7 years old. There’s just something about bonding with your teammates at 5 a.m. practices that is so fun and rewarding!”

Career background: Griffin began working in higher education in the area of student affairs, then moved into campus activities and residence life for four years, all while serving as an assistant coach for swimming. In 2012–13, he decided to obtain a master of education degree in intercollegiate athletic leadership and take the plunge into full-time swim coaching.

Why did you chose IIT?: “The academically rigorous environment, the vibrant city of Chicago, and the uniqueness of each student-athlete were big draws for me. I could really see myself enjoying my time at Illinois Tech, and also knew that we could build a strong program for years to come.”

Favorite IIT memory: “Beginning the 2014–15 season with two victories on both the men’s and women’s teams—and our first trip to Florida in four years!”

Current season recap: The Men’s Swimming and Diving team finished the season with a dual meet record of 8-1 and the Women’s Swimming and Diving team finished with a dual meet record of 2-7. As the teams prepare for the Liberal Arts Conference Championship meet, the men are looking to compete for the championship and the women are looking to finish in the Top 5. Both would be the highest finishes for Illinois Tech in the past two years. The first-year student-athletes have led the way for both the men’s and women’s teams as Jay Korhonen (CE 1st year), Luke Workman (ChE 1st year), Brigitte Temple (ME 1st year), and Briana Tyler (ME 1st year) all have top 10 times in their events in the Liberal Arts Conference.

Player shout-outs: Billy Bafia (CS 4th year) and Ray Mohaimani (ChE 4th year) are poised to have yet another successful season and have led the team through a great season. Kevin Boldt (AE 3rd year) and Tanner Grieve (ME 3rd year) will both have huge impacts on the team’s overall finish at the Conference meet. Going into the final meet, Boldt is ranked first in the 500 Freestyle, third in the 200 Freestyle, and fifth in the 1,650 Freestyle. Grieve is ranked fifth in the 100 Butterfly and second in the 200 Butterfly.

The large first-year classes for both the men and the women have helped to add speed and depth to the team. Heading into the Liberal Arts Conference Championship, Korhonen is ranked fourth in the 200 Individual Medley, first in the 400 Individual Medley, and third in the 200 Breaststroke. Workman is second in the 500 Freestyle and fifth in the 100 Freestyle. For the women, Temple is heading into the final meet ranked seventh in the 200 Individual Medley, fourth in the 400 Individual Medley, and seventh in the 200 Breaststroke. Teammate Tyler is ranked sixth in the 100 Butterfly and fourth in the 200 Butterfly.

Future expectations: “We plan to build two strong programs on both sides, with the men consistently contending for the conference championship and the women growing to a competitive level to win more dual meets and eventually compete for a conference title.”

Grad year: 1961

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Sports: Basketball, cross country, golf

Postgraduate: Stanford 1962— Masters in Mechanical Engineering; Stanford 1966— Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering

Work experience: John began his company, Sierra Instruments, Inc., in 1973. Based in Monterey, California, Sierra Instruments, Inc., is a global manufacturer of flow measurement and control instruments and automotive test systems. John is deeply gratified that his children continue the work he started in 1973. His son, Matthew, is currently the CEO, and his daughter, Erica, is Vice President of marketing.

Memorable academic experience: When asked by his ME department head, Professor Feyer, to do an undergrad thesis, John had a heart warming academic experience. Working in the basement of Machinery Hall, John took experimental data on the performance of an axial air compressor with help from his retired father. In this college environment, John worked side-by-side in mutual pride and respect with his father, who never attended high school or college.

Memorable athletic experience: While John says he was the worst player on the golf team, we find that hard to believe with all the success he had on the basketball court. John played varsity ball all four years at IIT from 1957-1961. One of his most memorable moments was scoring 41 points in a single game, setting the school record. He also recalls winning the Rochester Invitational Tournament in 1960. The Hawks were heavy underdogs to a team from West Virginia that averaged over 100 points per game. The Hawks beat them 61 to 56 and won the championship. John also remembers the last game of his career when he was given a trophy by Coach Ed Glancy for setting the record for most points scored in a career, averaging over 19 points per game. At that same game, John’s father was called out of the stands and given a special trophy by Sonny Weismen, the Athletic Director, because John’s father had attended every single home and away game that season.

Why did you choose IIT?: John’s uncle went to Armour Tech, and John was surrounded by cousins who majored in mechanical engineering in college. John wanted a great engineering education, and so it is no surprise that he chose IIT and majored in ME.

What Impact did IIT have on your career?: IIT taught John how to compete; how to play his hardest; how to win with poise and grace; how to learn from mistakes; and how to work as a team.

Family: This past summer John and his wife, Jane, were able to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with their two children, Matthew and Erica, in John and Jane’s ancestral country, Sweden. John and Jane have six basketball-playing grandchildren, all within ten minutes of their home in Carmel Valley, CA. John is grateful to have resided in that beautiful part of the world since 1975.

Major/graduation year: Biomedical Engineering/2016

Hometown: “I’m from Spring Grove, Illinois, home to the world’s largest corn maze!”

Why she chose her sport: “There’s an unspoken understanding of the struggle running takes, and a respect between runners who can push their bodies past their comfort zone again and again all in the hope of getting a better time. Also, what you put into it, you get out of it. There’s never a conflict about playing time or fouls; you get to compete within the level of competition you train yourself to attain. Cross country is a bit tougher for me but in track, I absolutely love the mile and half-mile. You leave everything out there and always find a way to do what you thought you couldn’t.”

Athletics background: “I just completed my sixth year of cross country and am entering Trakmy seventh year in track. I also played basketball for nine years and am bringing back some of those skills to help out the women’s team this spring.”

Why she chose IIT: “For the engineering, small class sizes, and running. There are not many places where you can have all three; I knew that together, they would help to keep me challenged. Plus I’m close enough to home that my parents get to cheer me on at my meets and games. They’re my superfans!”

Career aspirations: “For my work career, I hope to one day lead a research team to improve drug delivery methods and effectiveness for mental health illnesses. As for my running career, I want to qualify for the Boston Marathon.”

Favorite athletics memory: “Breaking my high school’s record by nine seconds and qualifying for the state track meet in the 4x800 my junior year. The race was surreal. I still can't believe how well we managed to pull our team together at the last minute!”

Standout academic memory: “Learning how to Matlab code to control an Arduino microcontroller last spring at IIT. I never imagined myself connecting coding to controlling a device like that.”

Awards: High school—Senior Outstanding Athlete Award, Army Award for Leadership in Academics and Athletics, state qualifier in track for three years, and Most Valuable Player in cross country; IIT—Camras Scholarship, Greek Council Outstanding Service Award, and a Sportsmanship Award for track for two years

Coach’s Comment: “April is one of the best student-athletes I have been associated with thanks to her great work ethic and her positive attitude; I truly believe that our track and field program is better since she has been part of it,” says Calin Hantau, head coach for IIT cross country/track and field. Although track and field is an individual sport, “April proves to me every time that she is a team player. Her positive outlook is contagious and can really bring an athlete back up or the entire team together. She is constantly ready to take on new challenges and lately joined the basketball team, without shying away from our morning track workouts.”

2014 Men’s Soccer Recap

The Illinois Tech Men’s Soccer team finished the season with a 13–5–1 record and qualified for the USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) National Tournament. The Scarlet Hawks were ranked fifth in the final USCAA poll and lost a tough 3–1 decision in the USCAA Quarterfinals to Concordia College (Ala.). Illinois Tech ended on a high note with a 2-0 victory over Washington Adventist (Md.) in the USCAA National Tournament consolation game.

Two members of the Scarlet Hawks were named All-Americans. Midfielder Brahadon Ramirez (ARCH 4th year) was named as a USCAA First Team All-American. He led the Scarlet Hawks with 13 goals and eight assists, totaling 34 points on the season. Centerback Rex Meier (ARCH 5th year) was honored as a Second Team All-American. Meier anchored the back line of the Hawks, which ranked fourth in the nation with 1.11 goals against average and had seven shutouts. He has also contributed two goals and an assist this season.

The future is bright for Illinois Tech as 17 players return for the 2015 season. The schedule is complete with 13 home games set at Stuart Field next year, including a battle with 2014 USCAA National Champion West Virginia Tech on Friday, September 25. IIT begins the 2015 campaign on the road at Rockford University on Tuesday, September 1 at 4 p.m.

The Scarlet Hawks host the Illinois Tech Tournament on September 5–6 with Trine University (Ind.), Marian University (Wis.), and Manchester University (Ind.) for their first home contests.

Home games include Elmhurst College, Lake Forest College, Carthage College, Rochester College (Mich.), Wisconsin Lutheran, Blackburn College, Finlandia University (Mich.), and Coe College (Iowa). Illinois Tech hosts the Scarlet Hawks Tournament on October 24–25 with Cleary University (Mich.), Robert Morris Lake County, and Robert Morris Springfield.

The Scarlet Hawks also take to the road in matches against Andrews University (Mich.), Maranatha Baptist University (Wis.), Ripon College (Wis.), and Moody Bible Institute.

More than 250 young men and women from Special Olympics Chicago participated in a day of fun and friendly competition capped by a high school basketball tournament at IIT’s Keating Center. The university’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted the event, which was held on January 15. A total of 55 members from each of the 13 varsity sports at Illinois Tech volunteered their time to help run the tourney. Ten Illinois Tech coaches were also on hand.

The Special Olympics athletes not only played in several games but also cheered on other teams from their school as well as across divisions. Illinois Tech student-athletes helped referee, keep score, and, most importantly, cheer on the Special Olympics athletes.

Olympians comprising 22 teams played in the tournament with first-place teams advancing to the state tournament in Bloomington, Illinois. The event was covered by television station ABC7 Chicago. Click here to see the story from their newscast.

“It’s always a great experience to give back to the community, but opportunities for our athletes to see the true sportsmanship showcased at this event by these Olympians is a rare and rewarding opportunity,” says Kirk Lamitie, Illinois Tech’s community service representative and SAAC advisor.

April Wanagas (BME 3rd year), SAAC president, perhaps summarizes the experience best.

“The Olympians really didn't take one second of playing time for granted—they just loved being on campus with their team and having other student-athletes there to support them,” she says. “I couldn't have been prouder. Illinois Tech had the chance to be a part of their big tournament and help give them a day to do what they love.”

The date of the annual South Side Classic has been set! Illinois Tech baseball will take on Maranatha Baptist under the lights on Friday, May 1 at 7 p.m. at U.S. Cellular Field. Please stay tuned for more information!

IIT’s 125th Anniversary

This year marks the 125th anniversary of Illinois Institute of Technology. The Department of Athletics is looking for you—our alumni student-athletes—to share memories of your college experiences with the Illinois Tech community. We will be publishing your recollections in this e-newsletter as well as on our website. Please send your information to Kirk Lamitie at IITAthleticAlumni@iit.edu.

Interested in receiving more Scarlet Hawks updates? Click here to register.

For more information about this e-newsletter and Illinois Tech Athletics, contact Kirk Lamitie at IITAthleticAlumni@iit.edu or 312.567.3239.