Former Bettendorf soccer standout Charlie Schwartz is enjoying the ride of his life while waiting for an opportunity.

Schwartz is a redshirt sophomore member of the Drake Bulldogs squad that has played its way to an Elite Eight date in the NCAA Division I soccer tournament.

Schwartz is excited, even though he has been relegated to the sidelines for second and third-round Bulldogs victories, including a 6-4 Sunday win over host Boston College.

"Just to play on this team has been really special," he said of a group that will vie Friday at North Carolina for a Final Four berth. "Hopefully, we can keep it going."

Drake is 16-6-2 and ranked 24th. North Carolina is ranked fourth and is 15-2-3.

Schwartz is one of two Quad-Citians on the Bulldogs roster, although freshman Nick Mims (Davenport Central) has not seen any varsity action this year.

Schwartz has played in 15 games, starting one, and scored his first collegiate goal in a 4-1 win last month at Eastern Illinois.

But he has been an odd-man-out as coach Sean Holmes tightened his tournament rotation.

"It's really tough," the former prep all-star said. "I played all year. These last couple of games have been really tough for me. I'm just making it count, just trying to do anything I can to help support, and if coach wants to put me in there, I know I have to be ready to go."

As is, it has been a fun run, starting with a Missouri Valley Conference championship followed by a tourney-opening home win over Western Illinois.

Then the Bulldogs went to Ohio State and scored a 1-0 overtime victory over the Buckeyes, followed by Sunday's success in Boston.

"We had some high expectations to get back to the tournament," said Schwartz, whose club dropped its NCAA opener last year. "To win a game was awesome. Now, to win two more games, it's just been really special. We've got a great group of seniors and for them to go out like this is really awesome.

"I know I'll get my shot next year, which I am excited for."

Men's basketball

Former Davenport Central prep Hal Bateman of Des Moines Area Community College was named by the National Junior College Athletic Association as a Division II men's basketball player of the week last week. The

5-foot-8 freshman knocked down 19-of-22 field goal attempts, an 86.4-percent touch over three wins. He finished with 33 points against Illinois Central and scored 14 points in a win over Loras JV and 11 in the victory over the Grand View JV.

Men's cross country

Pleasant Valley grad Jordan Lang and former Maquoketa prep Drew Burmahl, both of Luther, joined Wartburg sophomore Grant Moser of Wapello and Loras junior Ryan Engelmann of Bellevue Marquette as academic all-conference choices in the Iowa Conference.

Former Rock Island Alleman runner Nathaniel Hird closed his collegiate career at North Central with a 13th-place individual finish in the NCAA Division III national championships last week. He was part of a dominating North Central run to a team title. With all seven runners earning all-American status, the Cardinals finished with 50 points to runner-up Williams College's 181.

Women's cross country

Central College sophomore Melanie Louis, a former Davenport Central prep, Dubuque sophomore Kelsey Rursch of Clinton and Loras junior Tara Kilburg of Andrew were named as academic all-Iowa Conference selections.

Football

Former Durant prep Jake Soy broke a 25-year-old single-season receptions record at Northwest Missouri State with a 11-catch, 136-yard effort in a 21-20 NCAA Division II quarterfinal win over top-rated Central Washington. Soy has 79 catches covering 1,393 yards this season, 50 yards better than the previous record.

Quinn McVey, a Drake senior from Bettendorf, was named a first-team all-conference offensive lineman in the Pioneer Football League after leading the Bulldogs to a runner-up finish in the league. McVey was a second-team choice a year ago.

Former Moline prep Evan Lawrence, a sophomore offensive lineman at Drake, earned honorable mention all-Pioneer Football League recognition.

Women's golf

Former Central DeWitt golfer Ashten Henningsen, a sophomore at Dubuque, and Wartburg senior Ellen Rickert of Davenport have been named as academic all-conference choices in the Iowa Conference.

Men's soccer

Luther sophomore Adam Dane, a former Bettendorf prep, and Matt Winegard, a senior at Simpson from Muscatine, were awarded academic all-conference recognition in the Iowa Conference.

Women's soccer

Coe senior Keli Goddard of Clinton and Wartburg sophomore Katy Wendt, a former Pleasant Valley, earned academic all-Iowa Conference recognition.

Women's tennis

Wartburg sophomore Leanna Jenkins, a former Muscatine prep, earned academic all-conference honors in the Iowa Conference.

Volleyball

Former Bettendorf prep Ashley Lichtenberg leads NCAA tourney qualifier Northern Colorado with a .352 hitting efficiency. She ranks second on the team in blocks and third in kills for the Big Sky Conference champions, who face sixth-ranked Washington in their NCAA opener this weekend. Lichtenberg was earlier named to the all-tourney team at the Hawkeye Classic in Iowa City.

Coe sophomore Kaitlin McClimon, a former Central DeWitt prep, joined Cornell senior Laura Dudgeon of Bettendorf, Dubuque senior Carly Green of Clinton and Wartburg senior Jane Ohde of Columbus as academic all-Iowa Conference choices.

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The Alumni Report highlights what former Quad-City area high school athletes are up to at the college level. To submit information, Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbatterson@qctimes.com.