REGION COLLEGIANS: SXU's Karp feted for basketball and academics

The awards keep coming for Brad Karp.

St. Xavier University's sophomore guard was recognized three times in the past week, twice for his basketball exploits and once for his classroom achievements. Karp, a Valparaiso graduate, became the first Cougars player in four years selected as the NAIA National Division I Men's Basketball Player of the Week, one day after earning his fourth Player of the Week honor this season from the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

In addition, Karp was named to the Capital One Academic All-District team. The latter group was chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America, and each student-athlete is now eligible to become an Academic All-American.

Karp's NAIA award came after he averaged 31 points, 13 rebounds and 3.5 assists in a pair of CCAC games the week of Jan. 30. He notched career highs of 39 points and 20 rebounds in SXU's 99-96 loss to top-ranked Robert Morris University.

Senior Nick Curosh (Clark) had nine points on 3-of-3 shooting and five rebounds for Wabash College in its 77-59 loss to the College of Wooster. Curosh has hit 65 percent of his field-goal attempts this season and currently leads the Little Giants in rebounding with a 6.6 per-game average.

Golf

Illinois senior Samantha Sloan (Marian Catholic) was tabbed as the Big Ten Golfer of the Week after leading the Illini to a victory against  Illinois State at the Illinois Challenge. Sloan, who received the award for the third time in her collegiate career, won 5-4 in individual match play and 4-3 while teamed with Jacqueline Calamaro against a Redbirds duo.

Sloan was also the last Illinois golfer to earn the conference's weekly honor, doing so on Feb. 2, 2011.

Women's basketball

Senior guard Lizzie Stapke (Highland) scored her 1,000th career point at Indiana University-South Bend, becoming only the 12th Titans player ever to do so. She reached the milestone against the University of St. Francis (Ill.), part of a 16-point performance by Stapke that also included four rebounds, three steals and three assists.

Shortly after that game, Stapke was chosen as the CCAC Division I Women's Player of the Week. The award was given in recognition of both the contest against USF and one against No. 13 Olivet Nazarene, where Stapke had 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocks for IU-South Bend.

Baseball

The 2012 season isn't yet underway, but University of Indianapolis senior Chris Saroff (Crown Point) has already received a second honor. After being one of 17 Midwest Region Preseason All-Americans named by the American Baseball Coaches Association, Saroff was chosen for the 13-player All-Midwest Region first team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Saroff, a pitcher/third baseman, was selected as a utility player to the NCBWA squad. He is coming off a 2011 campaign in which he batted .336 and registered seven saves as the Greyhounds' closer.

Track & field

Detroit Mercy junior Joe Raffin (Chesterton) was runner-up in the 400-meter dash (49.86 seconds) and a member of the Titans' 1,600 relay quartet that placed fourth (3:25.76) at the Youngstown State National Invitational.

Junior Rachel Zajac (Lake Central) posted a time of 5:16.73 and finished second in the mile for IUPUI at IPFW's Mastodon Invitational. Zajac trailed the race winner by just more than three seconds.

"Rachel looked really good," IUPUI coach Antonio McDaniel said on the school's athletic website. "She led for quite a bit. It would've been nice if she could've sat behind someone, but she couldn't."

The Times welcomes information about local athletes for inclusion in Region Collegians. Email Ken Karrson at kenneth.karrson@nwi.com or fax to (219) 933-3249. Karrson can be reached at (219) 933-3232.