Crim: Notes on McCulla’s return to NCAA Tournament, QU women’s basketball transfer and record-setting season for QU tennis

QUINCY – Quincy Notre Dame product Alex McCulla has been named to the all-Missouri Valley Conference golf team, and Illinois State is headed to the NCAA Division I tournament after winning the league title for the second time in three years.

A final-round 285 enabled the Redbirds (856) to outlast Murray State (859) and Belmont (866) in the 10-team MVC tournament in Des Moines, Iowa.

McCulla, a senior, shot a final-round 74 to finish 13^th overall with a three-round score of two-over 218. 

ISU’s TJ Barger shot a final-round 68 and finished third individually at 209, the second-lowest MVC tournament score by a Redbird in program history. Felix van Dijk carded a 204 in 2023. Barger also was named to the all-MVC team.

McCulla has recorded a 73.1 scoring average during the 2024-25 season, a tick below his career average of 73.2. He has one top-5 finish and five top-10 finishes in 12 events, with a low round of 68.

McCulla was twice named MVC Golfer of the Week as a junior, including the opening week in which he shot a then-program-record 199, winning medalist honors at the Island Resort Intercollegiate. His 64 in that tournament is tied for the third-lowest single-round score in program history.

Illinois State will learn its regional destination on April 30.

Burton named to head QU sprint football program

The head coaching revolving door continues to spin for the QU sprint football program.

Conner McLaughlin resigned last fall after three seasons at the helm. Austin Bortle was hired in December but left before coaching a game and has since been named defensive coordinator at Eastern New Mexico University.

Kirkland Burton, the offensive coordinator the past two seasons, will now lead the program in its fourth season.

A Quincy native who played football at Quincy Notre Dame, McLaughlin was named the sprint football program’s coach in 2021 and led the Hawks to winning seasons in each of his first two campaigns. He compiled an 11-10 record in three seasons and made the Midwest Sprint Football League playoffs twice.

Bortle was the inaugural head coach for Fontbonne University’s sprint football team but left to become the wide receivers coach at Missouri Baptist University following the March 2024 announcement that Fontbonne would be closing. He spent less than three months at QU.

Burton was a strong safety and running back on the Hawks’ football team from 2013-17. He served as a strength and conditioning coach at Quincy High School before becoming special teams coordinator for the QU sprint football program in 2023. He was elevated to offensive coordinator last season.

Another player transfers from QU women’s basketball team

Point guard Mikayla Huffine is following former QU women’s basketball coach Courtney Boyd to Valparaiso University.

Huffine averaged 5.8 points and 1.8 assists per game for the GLVC tournament champion Hawks despite missing the first half of last season. She scored a season-high 18 points in a double-overtime victory over Drury.

The Rockford Lutheran High School product started all 28 games during the 2023-24 season after transferring from Iowa Western Community College. Her departure, following that of shooting guard Mariann Blass, leaves forward Chomp Danson as the only remaining upperclassman on the QU roster as the search to replace Boyd continues.

QU tennis team sets school record for victories

The Quincy University men’s tennis team made history Monday with its 13^th victory this season by defeating Southwest Baptist University in a Great Lakes Valley Conference match in Bolivar, Mo.

The Hawks (13-8, 2-2 GLVC) surpassed the previous record of 12 wins set by the 2002-03 team. The victory also keeps QU’s postseason hopes alive as it awaits word on a potential bid to the GLVC championships May 2-4 in Springfield.

“Today’s victory was one of the best moments in QU tennis history,” QU coach Wyatt Pauley said in a press release. “They have accomplished all of our preseason goals, which is something many teams are never able to do.”

Iniqo Villacampa and Joseph Restrepo claimed a 7-5 victory at No. 1 doubles, and Gianni Lopez and Rodrigo Coello Treviño survived a tiebreaker to win 7-6 (7-5) at No. 2 doubles to set the tone against SBU.

In singles play, Villacampa grabbed a 6-2, 7-6 (13-11) win at No. 1. Restrepo followed with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 2, while Gerard Abad Puig rallied from a set down for a 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory at No. 4. Pablo Mateos Niella added the final point for QU with a 6-2, 6-2 victory at No. 6.

WIU baseball team earns first road victory over Big Ten team since 2014

Kennett Perez had two hits and two runs scored and Kyree Alexaner added two hits and two runs batted in Tuesday to help the Western Illinois University baseball team to a 7-3 victory over Big 10 Conference leader Iowa.

It was the Leathernecks’ first road victory over a Big 10 team since topping Iowa 8-6 on April 15. 2014.

Three relievers – Jackson Rodgers, Karsten Stotlar and Billy Humphrey – pitched the final six innings for WIU, which will carry a 12-24 record into a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series this weekend against Lindenwood.