Quick - how many Northwestern sports can you name? If you said football, basketball and then struggled to think of more, you're missing out. Northwestern has 19 varsity sports teams, comprised of hundreds of student-athletes, and many of them simply aren’t recognized for their amazing abilities. From fencers to wrestlers to everything in between, these dedicated student-athletes - who work just as hard as football and basketball players - need some love. While we couldn’t shout out all those who are underappreciated, here are a few of the most talented Wildcats that you probably haven’t heard of.
Zach Jones - Baseball
By Max Goodman
While Northwestern baseball made a coaching change this offseason, hiring Spencer Allen, there are some things that the Wildcats shouldn’t change as they begin their season. One of the constants will be senior Zach Jones, the undisputed anchor of the Wildcat offense. Jones, who will see action at first base and in the outfield this season, led NU with 70 hits, 32 RBIs and 20 doubles in 2015. The senior started 52 of last season’s 54 games and finished with a remarkable batting average of .321, contributing to his stout NU career average of .314. Not only was Jones one of the conference’s best, earning a spot on the 2015 College Sports Madness All-Big Ten Second Team, but he was also an Academic All-Big Ten Honoree – a prototypical Northwestern athlete. Look for Jones to once again lead the ‘Cats in a multitude of offensive categories, while also leading the Northwestern defense (Jones boasts a career .982 fielding percentage). A stellar senior season from Jones will prove vital to Wildcat success as well as his promising draft stock.
Selena Lasota - Women’s Lacrosse
By Rob Schaefer
Selena Lasota burst onto the scene of an already elite Northwestern women’s lacrosse program as a freshman in 2015, scoring 69 goals in 21 games, good for fifth most in the country. In her sophomore year, she has picked up right where she left off, combining for seven goals in the first two games of 2016. While NU suffered its first loss of the season Saturday against Virginia, the ’Cats still find themselves ranked sixth in the country, thanks in large part to Lasota’s play. The scariest thing about Lasota, though, is that she’s only a sophomore. With accolades such as Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2015), All-Big Ten honors (2015) and IWLCA First-Team All-West/Midwest Region (2015) already under her belt, and with so much time left in her career to grow, Lasota could end her time at NU as one of the all-time greats in Northwestern history.
Courtney Dumas - Fencing
By Tim Hackett
Really, you could choose any member of the fencing team and they would fit the “underappreciated” billing perfectly. But we’re going with one of the best members of the squad, Courtney Dumas. A senior from Cleveland, Dumas currently owns the best record of anyone on the team at 60-9, and her .870 win percentage is the best out of any of her teammates who have competed in at least 10 bouts. Her career win percentage of .783 is also best of anyone with more than 160 bouts under their belt. Dumas competes as an epee fencer, the Wildcats’ strongest discipline as a team, in which they are 37-3 this year as part of a 34-6 overall record. Dumas has contributed 60 of Northwestern’s 269 total epee wins and 22 percent of all her team’s wins. This is Dumas’ final season as a NU fencer, and she’s already taking a stab at the record books.
Jason Tsirtsis - Wrestling
By Will Fischer
Jason Tsirtis, a redshirt junior, is already one of the best wrestlers in Northwestern history. As a redshirt freshman, Tsirtsis was the NCAA champion and Big Ten champion at 149 lbs. He went 32-2 in his first season of eligibility and was voted Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Tsirtsis did even better as redshirt sophomore, going 39-3, the seventh most wins in a single season in program history. He was a Big Ten champion at 149 lbs once again and was voted an All-American, finishing third at the NCAA championships. This season, Tsirtsis has faced tough opponents and dealt with injuries, struggling more than usual. He went up against five straight top-six opponents during one stretch, but managed to win two of the five matches. Tsirtsis’s career record is still an incredible 79-10, good for the third highest winning percentage in program history. Perhaps no current Wildcat athlete has dominated their respective sport like Tsirtsis has.
Ben Vandixhorn - Men’s Tennis
By Hayden King
Ben Vandixhorn is, as Dick Vitale would say, the tennis team's "diaper dandy." He is a 6'2" lefty from nearby Libertyville. The freshman made some noise in the fall season when he made the Big Ten Singles Tournament Semifinals, and he has continued to play well in dual match competition. He is 4-1 in 2016, playing primarily in the team's sixth spot. Vandixhorn is the only player younger than a junior to regularly crack the 6-man match squad on the No. 21 men’s tennis team (yes, NU men’s tennis is ranked 21st in the country - where have you been?). Since the team has no sophomores, he will presumably be the team's most experienced player in just two years. Ben Vandixhorn: the future of NU men's tennis. You heard it here first.