Physical Education

Marquardt makes 500 strikeouts
Fourth-year pitcher Elizabeth Marquardt recorded her 500th strikeout on April 25 as the Chicago softball team faced the University of Wisconsin--Whitewater, splitting the doubleheader. In the first game, Marquardt struck out ten batters in seven innings, bringing her career total to 505. Only 13 other NCAA Division III players have come close.

Echols wins track title
Fourth-year Rhaina Echols won the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Division III Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship on March 10-11. Her time of 16:41.49 beat the previous record, set in 1991, by 7.3 seconds and carried the Maroons to 12th place in the championship.

Men's basketball scores coach
Michael McGrath has been named head men's basketball coach after serving as interim head coach during the 1999-2000 season. He and assistant coach Rob Passage were named UAA Coaching Staff of the Year.

Women's lacrosse sticks it out
The women's lacrosse team advanced to the Women's Collegiate Lacrosse League playoffs for the second year in a row after beating division rivals Northwestern and the University of Wisconsin in a home tournament on April 22. The Maroons reached the Final Four in playoffs at the University of Toledo where, sporting a regular season record of 7-0, the team beat Truman State in the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

Softball swings into postseason
The U of C softball team advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time in its history, chosen, along with nine other teams, from a pool of independents and non-automatic qualifiers. In the competition's Great Lakes Regional, the Maroons (24-12-1) beat Marian College 5-2, but later lost 3-4 to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and 4-6 to the University of St. Thomas.