Lindenwood - Your Alumni Connection - Fall 2017

LINDENWOOD MAKES COLLEGIATE BILLIARDS HISTORY Alumnus Sets New Weightlifting Record Former Lindenwood Olympic weightlifter Fernando Reis (’15) set a new record in the snatch at the 2017 Pan-American Games in Miami, Fla., over the summer. The Lindenwood graduate hoisted 198kg July 27 to establish the new mark in the 105+kg division as an exhibition lifter at the event. The Brazilian native already owned Pan-American records for the clean and jerk at 240kg and the overall total of 435kg for his class after establishing those marks at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Bowler Enjoys International Success with Team Haley Cummings, a Lindenwood junior on the university’s bowling squad, earned five gold medals and one silver at the 55th Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Competing for Junior Team USA in the Junior A (age 16-19) division, Cummings also earned a high game and high series medal at the event. The week started with singles competition, and Cummings emerged as the second-place player with a 12-game total of 2,250 (187.5 average). In doubles, Cummings and her American partner, Adrianna Stacy, took the top spot. In mixed doubles and the four-person team event, Cummings and the Americans again captured gold in victories over Canada, and Cummings won the individual gold over all, with a total of 6,255 pins in all events (195.47 average). She earned her final gold medal of the event as Team USA captured the national all-events crown. Women’s Rugby Player Selected for World Cup Rugby player AnnaKaren Pedraza was selected to the USA Eagles World Cup squad in July. Pedraza is the first Lindenwood player to be chosen for one of the highest honors in rugby. Pedraza, who enters her senior year with the Lady Lions, is one of 28 players named to the World Cup team and was the second youngest on the squad at the age of 20. The selection puts her among the top female players in the nation at any age. Lindenwood University SPORTS STUDENT LIFE SPORTS ATHLETES SHINE ON WORLD STAGE 18 Briana Miller made history while Chris Robinson won his first national title at the 2017 ACUI Collegiate 9-Ball Championships June 16-18 at the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor. Miller captured her fourth straight title by defeating Heather Platter from Maryland, becoming the first player to ever to claim four national collegiate championships. It was an all-Lions final in the men’s division with Robinson besting teammate Landon Shuffett, the 2014 and 2015 title holder. Robinson also won the Sportsmanship Award. “It’s been very satisfying to see how the performance and behavior of our team has raised the standard of competition overall, and to have one of our players voted for the Sportsmanship Award by his peers is even more rewarding,” said Head Coach Mark Wilson. “It’s more than just the final score. It’s also setting a good example while changing the image and direction of our sport in a positive way.” Five players represented the Lions at the 9-Ball Championships with Carly Fristoe finishing in the seventh position in the women’s field and Alan Oliver finishing in the ninth through 12th position in men’s competition. The victories by Miller and Robinson extended to four years a streak of Lindenwood players winning both the men’s and women’s individual championships.