Colleges: Augie gains three pledges

Staff report | Monday, May 12, 2008

Chris Anderson of West Carroll, a finalist for Quad-City Times male athlete of the year honors, is one of three high school basketball players to announce their intentions to join the program at Augustana College.

Anderson, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound power forward, led West Carroll to the state quarterfinals in both his junior and senior seasons. He averaged 17.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.2 blocks on a 23-7 team last season.

He is a two-time second-team all-state selection and was a member of the Times’ All-Western Illinois team.

Also joining coach Grey Giovanine’s program will be Griffin Dwyer, a 6-2 guard from Arlington Heights Hersey, and Eric Safranski, a 6-0 guard from Putnam County.

Dwyer averaged 14.4 points and 3.1 assists while shooting 44.3 percent from 3-point range as a senior at Hersey, where he earned all-Mid Suburban Conference honors.

Safranski was a special mention all-state selection at Granville, Ill., high school. He averged 12.9 points, 3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while earning all Tri-County Conference recognition.

Van Wetzinga honored in Colorado

Annie Van Wetzinga, a Pleasant Valley alum in her first season as the head softball coach at Colorado School of Mines, has been named as the coach of the year in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

Van Wetzinga, a former St. Ambrose and Indiana State assistant, has led the NCAA Division II program to a school-record 37 victories and a regular-season conference title this year. The Orediggers are 37-17 heading into this weekend’s conference tournament.

ISU wrestling program signs New Jersey standout

Anthony Valles, a 130-pound New Jersey state high school champion, has signed a letter of intent to continue his wrestling career at Iowa State.

Wrestling for Blair Academy, Valles is ranked among the top-20 high school wrestlers in the nation this year by Intermat. He finished as the runner-up in the 130-pound division at the Beast of the East tourney and took third at the 2008 National Prep Championships.