Vanguard merits seven All-Americans from spring sports

COSTA MESA - Seven Vanguard University spring athletes were NAIA

All-American selections, bringing the school’s year-end total to 11.

The seven athletes are Peter Skrzeczynski (men’s tennis), Joakim

Ulfvebrand (men’s tennis), Sebastian Camara (men’s tennis), Anthony

Walker (baseball), Jeremy Isherwood (baseball), Chad Chop (baseball) and

Gina Liebengood (softball).

Skrzeczynski, the only first-team selection for the Lions, is a junior

from Stockholm, Sweden. He was ranked 14th in singles by the NAIA and

helped the Lions reach the NAIA Tournament for the seventh straight

season.

Ulfvebrand, also from Sweden, is a three-time All-Golden State

Athletic Conference selection as well as a two-time All-Region 2 and

All-American selection. He was 16-7 as the Lions’ No. 2 singles player

and was ranked 32nd in singles by the NAIA.

Camara transferred to Vanguard from Chattanooga State Tech Community

College. As a Lion, he was 12-8 in doubles and he and Skrzeczynski were

ranked 16th by the NAIA in doubles.

Walker posted a 9-4 record with a 4.28 ERA as the Lions’ No. 1

pitcher. His nine wins were the most for a Vanguard pitcher since 1997.

He also hit .331 with three home runs.

Isherwood played only one season for the Lions as a transfer from

Michigan’s Oakland University. But he made the most of it, hitting .373

with 62 hits, seven stolen bases and a team-high 30 walks.

Chop transferred to Vanguard from San Diego State and racked up

team-high numbers in batting average (.416), hits (77), runs (53),

doubles (20) and runs batted in (52). The junior was also second on the

team in home runs with nine and posted a 2-1 record on the mound in 31

2/3 innings.

Liebengood, a junior, rebounded from an injury-plagued sophomore

season with a 19-9 record and a 0.98 ERA as a Lions’ No. 1 pitcher. She

topped all GSAC pitchers with 196 strikeouts and helped Vanguard return

to the NAIA’s Top 25 poll (No. 18). She has a 53-16 career record heading

into her senior season next year.