College Update: Glendale college product Kraemer has career effort
The following are updates on area athletes at the collegiate level.
Grant Kraemer (Glendale Community College, 2015) Drake University football: A career-best effort from Kraemer helped Drake get off on the right note in Pioneer League competition Sept. 23.
It proved to be a dazzling display by Kraemer, who completed a career-high 28 of 42 passes for 445 yards to help Drake post a 38-13 home win against Valparaiso. He tossed two touchdown passes and had an interception.
“Grant did a great job and honestly it was all set up from our offensive line by not allowing a sack today,” Drake coach Rick Fox told the university’s website. “They gave him time back there and Grant did a great job managing the offense. That’s what we need him to do, because then his skills and our playmakers come out when he does that.”
Kraemer, a senior, scored on a two-yard run to give Drake (3-2, 2-0 in league) a 7-6 lead with 7:40 left in the first quarter. He threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Steven Doran to give the Bulldogs a 14-6 lead. Kraemer tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Devin Cates to extend Drake’s lead to 31-13 with 1:39 remaining in the third quarter.
On Saturday against host Butler, Kraemer had another stellar effort. He completed 27 of 40 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns in Drake’s 27-16 victory. In one stretch, he completed 11 straight passes for 172 yards. Kraemer connected on a 28-yard touchdown pass to Doran to give the Bulldogs a 14-6 lead with 13:29 left in the second quarter and then found Connor Ostrander on a 15-yard touchdown reception to make it 21-6 with 7:34 remaining in the first half.
Kraemer has completed 103 of 164 passes for 1,423 yards. He’s thrown for 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in five games.
Drake will be at home against Dayton in a league game at 11 a.m. PDT Saturday.
James Williams (Burbank High, 2016) Washington State football: Williams and the Cougars recorded their biggest win of the season Friday against USC in a Pacific Athletic Conference-12 contest.
Williams, a sophomore and former All-Area selection, rushed for 34 yards in 10 carries in Washington State’s 30-27 upset home victory. USC entered the game ranked fifth in the country and Washington State was 15th. Washington State got a game-winning 32-yard field goal from Erik Powell with 1:40 remaining. Williams added three catches for 24 yards.
It marked the first time since 2002 that Washington State defeated USC and it was the first time since 1992 that the Cougars beat a top-five team in a regular season contest. Washington State is now ranked 11th.
Williams has rushed for 182 yards in 47 carries and one touchdown on the season and has 40 catches for 290 yards and three scores.
Washington State (5-0, 2-0 in conference) will be at Oregon at 5 p.m. Saturday in a conference game.
Kayla Lund (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2017) University of Pittsburgh women’s volleyball: Lund, who was tabbed the All-Area Girls’ Volleyball Player each of the last two seasons, has made a smooth transition to the next stage.The outside hitter has helped the Panthers win eight straight matches.
Lund recorded the winning point with a kill to help Pittsburgh notch a 25-15, 25-22, 25-17 home win against Virginia Tech on Sunday in an Atlantic Coast Conference contest. Lund finished with four kills.
Lund’s best outing during Pittsburgh’s winning streak came Sept. 16 against Cleveland State. Lund collected a team-best 12 kills and three aces to propel Pittsburgh to a 25-22, 25-19, 25-10 nonconference home win. Lund also contributed eight digs.
Overall, Lund has 67 kills, 70 digs and eight aces.
Pittsburgh (11-4, 4-0 in conference) will take part in a conference match at Florida State at 3:30 p.m. PDT Friday.
Sophia Coffey (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2015) University of Seton Hall women’s volleyball: Coffey, a former All-Area Girls’ Volleyball Player of the Year, is turning in another quality season season for the Pirates.
The junior setter had 13 assists and five digs Saturday to spark Seton Hall to a 25-22, 25-23, 25-14 home win against Providence in a Big East Conference home match. The win was the 100th for Seton Hall coach Allison Yaeger.
On Friday, Coffey finished with 22 assists and eight digs in Seton Hall’s 26-24, 25-12, 25-21 loss to 14th-ranked Creighton.
Coffey has recorded 366 assists and 166 digs entering Wednesday’s conference match versus visiting Georgetown. The Pirates were 8-9, 2-2 in conference.
Samantha Sullivan (Burroughs High, 2016) L.A. Mission College women’s volleyball: Sullivan, a sophomore libero who spent last season at setter, has proven to be a key contributor for the Eagles during the first part of the season.
Sullivan’s steady work led to her being tabbed the school’s women’s volleyball athlete of the week of Sept. 25. Sullivan capped that week Sept. 22 with 12 digs and three aces to propel L.A. Mission to a 22-15, 25-22, 25-23 nonconference home victory against Southwestern.
In Mission’s last match against Santa Barbara on Friday, Sullivan contributed 10 digs and two aces. However, Santa Barbara recorded a 25-19, 23-25, 25-15, 25-15 win.
Sullivan leads Mission (8-5) and the state in serving, according to the college’s website. Sullivan has 52 service aces and averages 1.11 aces per game, ranking first in the state in both categories..
She’s also recorded 164 digs heading in to Mission’s nonconference match against visiting Victor Valley at 6 p.m. Friday.
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
