Athletics News Releases
Bladt, Dudgeon, Tobben and Peota garner IIAC weekly honors
MOUNT VERNON - Cornell College had four student-athletes recognized as Iowa Conference Performers of the Week in their respective sports, the most of any IIAC school, for the period ending Sept. 13.
Senior safety Don Bladt (Shelby, AHST) was named the IIAC's Special Teams Player of the Week in football. Senior middle hitter Laura Dudgeon (Bettendorf/Bettendorf) was cited as the Volleyball Hitter of the Week. Junior Andrew Tobben (Washington, Mo./St. Francis Borgia) was honored in men's cross country. Sophomore forward Julian Peota (Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest) was recognized as Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week.
Bladt was honored by the IIAC for the second consecutive week. He totaled 172 all-purpose yards in a 27-21 loss Sept. 12 at Carleton. Bladt returned four punts for 35 yards and ran back five kicks for 126 yards, including a long of 49 yards. He kicked off four times for a 52-yard average. Bladt also intercepted his fourth pass in two games, returning it 11 yards.
Bladt leads all of NCAA Division III with four interceptions. He is the IIAC leader in kickoff return average (25.2 ypr) and ranks second in the league in all-purpose yards (131.0 ypg) and punt return average (8.8 ypr).
Dudgeon paced the Rams with 3.88 kills per set and a .463 attack percentage in five matches last week. She raised her career kill total to 1,131, needing only 20 kills to tie the school's all-time mark. Dudgeon accumulated 66 kills in 17 sets, including a career-high 23 against Beloit. She leads the IIAC this fall in hitting percentage (.478) and kills (3.68 kps).
Tobben placed fifth in a field of 215 runners at the Les Duke Invitational Sept. 12, completing the 8,000-meter course in 26 minutes, 13 seconds. He was the top IIAC finisher involving four other conference schools. Tobben helped lead the Rams to a third-place team finish, also tops among IIAC schools. The Rams placed ahead of three teams ranked in the Central Region top 10 (Bethel, St. Olaf and Loras). Tobben now has a pair of top-five finishes this fall after taking second at the Dubuque Invitational Sept. 1.
Peota recorded a hat trick with three goals, including the game-winner, to go along with one assist in an 8-4 victory over MacMurray Sept. 12. They were his first goals as a Ram. Peota leads Cornell in scoring with seven points in five matches.
Bladt, a 2006 graduate of AHST High School, is majoring in chemistry. He is the son of Larry and Collette Bladt, Shelby. Dudgeon, a 2006 graduate of Bettendorf High School, is majoring in kinesiology. She is the daughter of Linda Dudgeon, Bettendorf. Tobben, a 2007 graduate of St. Francis Borgia High School, is majoring in history. He is the son of David and Lucy Tobben, Washington, Mo. Peota, a 2008 graduate of Southwest High School, is majoring in environmental studies and Spanish. He is the son of Bob and Carmen Peota, Minneapolis.
