Choosing the greatest Northwestern athlete of all time: Round of 64

With the lack of real brackets this March and April, we here at Inside NU thought it a good idea to generate a list of the 64 greatest athletes in Northwestern history and put them in a bracket for the purpose of seeing which fine Wildcat would prevail.

Most of these athletes had Hall of Fame-worthy careers in Evanston, and many went on to do great things both on and off the playing fields after graduating.

Seeding for this bracket was not straightforward, especially as we tried to find a way to equalize different sports and eras. To simplify and even things out, each region — named after various Evanston streets: Sheridan, Sherman, Orrington and Central — has eight men and eight women from a variety of teams and times.

It is hard to compare, for instance, a women’s lacrosse player with a men’s wrestler. As such, matchups should be evaluated on individual accomplishments and team achievements throughout an athlete’s NU career. A brief blurb accompanies each matchup, but feel free to incorporate outside research to help inform your decisions.

We know there are athletes deserving of a bracket spot who did not make the field, so sound off in the comments! Voting is open until Thursday at 11 p.m. God’s Time Zone. Without further ado, we start with the Sheridan Region.

Sheridan Region

1. John Shurna (Men’s Basketball, 2008-2012) vs. 16. Matt Eliason (Men’s Soccer, 2006-2010)

Shurna leads Northwestern MBB in all-time scoring and shots blocked while he averaged 20 points per game, a mark that led the Big Ten, in his senior season. Four-year starter Eliason is NU’s all-time goal scorer on the pitch. Both men were enshrined in the NU Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

8. Damien Anderson (Football, 1997-2001) vs. 9. Tammy Williams (Softball, 2006-2009)

Anderson reached the 2,000 yard plateau in 2000 and that year finished fifth in the Heisman voting while leading the ‘Cats to a share of the Big Ten title. Is this seed a little low for such an illustrious career? Probably, but his first round matchup is no pushover. Williams owns Wildcat records in batting average, runs, hits and home runs. She hit an extra-inning homer against UCLA in 2006 to send the ‘Cats to their first ever National Championship Series and earned two All-Tournament team honors during her time in Evanston.

4. Bryant McIntosh (MBB, 2014-2018) vs. 13. Frank Ehmann (MBB, 1952-1955)

As NU’s all-time assists leader, McIntosh was the heart and soul of the 2017 ‘Cats squad that made the first NCAA Tournament in program history. The point guard scored 25 points against Vanderbilt in the first round to secure Northwestern’s memorable first-ever tournament win. In this first round, he faces Ehmann, who held most of Northwestern’s offensive records after his illustrious career ended in 1955. He’s currently ninth all-time scoring and second in free throws made.

5. Gretchen Scheuermann (Field Hockey, 1991-1994) vs. 12. Ralph Baker (FB, 1924-1926)

Another intriguing first-round matchup comes in the form of Scheuermann and Baker. Scheuermann, on the Mount Rushmore of NU field hockey, won the Honda Broderick Cup in 1994 as the nation’s top player. She was twice an all-American and named to the 1994 all-NCAA tournament team. “Moon” Baker was part of the inaugural NU Sports Hall of Fame class. He was primarily known for his “triple threat” skills on the gridiron: running, kicking, and passing. A 1926 All-American, Baker was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

2. Luke Donald (Men’s Golf, 1997-2001) vs. 15. Brandon Precin (Wrestling, 2006-2011)

Future world no. 1 Luke Donald was a collegiate stud: He was named an all-American four (!) times and led the ‘Cats to three consecutive Big Ten titles. The Brit capped off his career with two straight Big Ten individual championships as well. Precin is the underdog in this matchup, but he is no pushover: The three-time All-American went 138-31 in his career, finishing third at the NCAA Tournament in both 2009 and 2011.

7. Amy Jaeschke (Women’s Basketball, 2001-2005) vs. 10. Amy Balcerzak Field (Swimming, 1996-2000)

The battle of the Amys could go either way. Jaeschke was a Wooden Award finalist and first-team all-Big Ten selection in her senior year while ranking first on NU’s all-time block list and second in scoring and rebounding. Field has an impressive résumé as well: she owns three individual Northwestern records in the pool, earned four all-American honors and won six Big Ten championships.

3. Chelsea Armstrong (FH, 2009-2012) vs. 14. Sannie van Dijck (FH, 1985-1988)

Two field hockey stars with comparable CVs a few decades apart clash. The Aussie is Northwestern's all-time points and goals leader, beating van Dijck’s record of 139 points as a senior. Van Dijck won Big Ten Offensive POY twice (in 1986 and 1988) and anchored four NCAA Tournament-bound teams.

6. Taylor Thornton (Women’s Lacrosse, 2010-2013) vs. 11. Adrienne Monka (SB, 2009-2012)

Two recent inductees to the NU Sports Hall of Fame face off with the potential for an upset. Thornton won the 2012 Lacrosse Honda Sports Award and 2011 IWLCA National Defender of the Year while earning four all-American honors. Monka left Evanston as the ‘Cats all-time leader in walks, OBP, and slugging percentage, which was a whopping .747 across her four years at the Sharon J Drysdale Field.

Sherman Region

1. Pat Fitzgerald (FB, 1993-1996) vs. 16. Chick Evans (MGOLF, 1912)

Fitz is one of the favorites for this bracket, to no one’s surprise. The winner of two consecutive National Defensive Player of the Year awards, the hometown product led the ‘Cats to two Big Ten Championships and a Rose Bowl berth before his current role as the mobile phone-detesting head coach of Northwestern football. Evans is a bit of a wild card. He played golf his freshman season before leaving school for financial reasons. Four years later, he won both the U.S. Amateur Open and the U.S. Open before establishing the Evans Scholars Foundation, a non-profit that provides full college scholarships to golf caddies.

8. Christy Finch (WLAX, 2005-2008) vs. 9. Darnell Autry (FB, 1994-1996)

Autry, the Heisman finalist, a nine seed? Really?? Bear with me here. Finch won a whopping four national championships and twice won National Defender of the Year. She’s fourth all-time in NCAA history with 183 caused turnovers. Famously enshrined on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Autry was a part of the 1995 and 1996 NU teams that competed for Big Ten titles. He rushed for over 3,000 yards across those two seasons and was named team MVP in 1995. He left for the NFL after his junior season, which knocks him down a few seeds. Both have an impressive trophy case.

4. Chris Hinton (FB, 1979-1982) vs. 13. Mark Loretta (Baseball, 1990-1993)

Hinton was a phenomenal offensive lineman for the ‘Cats, captaining them in his senior season on his way to All-American honors. He was eventually picked fourth overall in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Colts, which stands as the highest a Northwestern player has ever been drafted. He went on to make seven Pro Bowls in his 12-year professional career. Loretta played shortstop and won the 1993 Big Ten Player of the Year Award and was named an all-American that same season. His success in Evanston translated to a fourteen-year career in the majors, including all-star seasons with the Padres in 2004 and the Red Sox in 2006.

5. Billy McKinney (MBB, 1974-1977) vs. 12. Jordan Wilimovsky (SWIM, 2012-2017)

McKinney was as natural a scorer as they come, tallying 1,900 points in his career, good enough for a Northwestern record at the time. He scored in double figures every game of his senior season and averaged 21.3 points. Wilimovsky set program records in three freestyle events and finished third in the 1650-yard freestyle at the NCAA Championships in 2015. After nearly medaling at the 2016 Olympics, the Malibu native was the first American male to qualify for the 2020 games. 5-12 matchups are always dicey, and this is another one that could see an upset as record-holders face off.

2. Anucha Browne Sanders (WBB, 1982-1985) vs. 15. Julie Calahan Bauer (WBB, 1977-1981)

Two former women’s basketball stars face off. Browne set 24 Northwestern records in her career and led the nation in scoring with an unbelievable 30.5 points per game in a 1985 season during which she was also a Naismith Award finalist. She finished her career with 2,307 points, good for first on Northwestern’s all-time leaderboard and breaking Calahan’s previous record of 1,648 points. Browne just missed playing with Calahan, who was the first Northwestern women’s basketball player to earn all-American honors. She and Browne are the only two ‘Cats to surpass 700 points in a single season, and Calahan also holds Northwestern’s single-game rebounding record with 26 boards.

7. Anthony Walker (FB, 2013-2016) vs. 10. Olivia Rosendahl (Diving, 2015-2019)

This first-round matchup focuses on two relatively recent graduates. Walker carved out a nice career, earning first-team all-Big Ten honors his redshirt sophomore season in 2015 and leading the ‘Cats with 122 tackles. He declared for the draft after his redshirt junior year, going to the Colts in the fifth round of the 2017 draft. In Indianapolis, he has consistently started and put up solid numbers for the Colts linebacking corps. Rosendahl gets a 10-seed based on her recent graduation, but the back-to-back National Champion diver (who also went to the same high school as fellow ‘Cat Meghan Markle) is arguably the ‘Cats’ greatest diver of all time. This 7-10 duel has the smell of an upset.

3. Shannon Smith (WLAX, 2009-2012) vs. 14. Christa French (Fencing, 2006-2010)

Smith is one of Northwestern's greatest lacrosse players ever. She’s second on the all-time goal-scoring list with 254 — including 86 in a single season, another Northwestern record. She won the 2011 Tewaaraton and Honda Sports Awards as the National Player of the Year as well two NCAA Tournament MVPs as she led the ‘Cats to two more national titles in her junior and senior seasons. French is perhaps Northwestern’s most heralded epeeist, holding a record of 341-107. She won nine out of ten conference contests in 2007 and a first-team all-Midwest Conference award.

6. Amy Kekeisen Fedorchak (FH/SB, 1982-1986) vs. 11. Alexis Prousis (Women’s Tennis, 2003-2007)

Kekeisen was a two-sport athlete who played in two field hockey Final Fours and three softball College World Series in her career. She is among the all-time leaders in goals and points for Northwestern field hockey. Prousis and partner Cristelle Grier captured Northwestern’s second-ever national title in tennis. The Lake Forest native’s prolific career saw her earn three First Team All-Big Ten selections and was a wildcard entry into the 2006 U.S. Open.

Orrington Region

1. Otto Graham (FB, MBB, BASE, 1941-1944) vs. 16. David Roth (MSOC, 2004-2007)

As a member of the Northwestern Athletic Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Otto Graham managed to become an All-American in both football and basketball while also hitting above .300 in baseball. That alone warrants a number one seed, strengthened by the fact he is one of the greatest quarterbacks in the early history of the NFL, winning seven championships under center for the Cleveland Browns. His first round opponent is no pushover, though. Roth, was the first men’s soccer player enshrined in the NU Athletic Hall of Fame after leading the ‘Cats to their first ever tournament berth in 2004. Named to Soccer America’s yearly XI in 2006, he left Northwestern as its all-time assists leader.

8. Jennifer Averill (FH, WLAX, 1983-1986) vs. 9. Joe Gaziano (FB, 2015-2019)

This eight vs. nine matchup is an interesting one, to say the least. Averill was a two-sport athlete who earned a combined six All-American honors while also winning the Broderick Award for the top field hockey player in the country. Additionally, while he was not selected in last week’s draft, Gaziano leaves Evanston as Northwestern’s all-time sack leader with four HATs as well.

4. Lisa Ishikawa Sliwa (SB, 1984-1987) vs. 13. Erica Westrich Scullion (WSOC, 1996-1999)

Ishikawa is perhaps the greatest pitcher in Northwestern history. She left Evanston as the ‘Cats’ all-time leader in wins, innings pitched, ERA and strikeouts. Most impressively, she pitched 14 no-hitters in her career. Westrich, who won Big Ten Player of the Year in 1998 and was a four-time All-Big Ten selection, was the first soccer player ever inducted into the Northwestern Athletic Hall of Fame.

5. Selena Lasota (WLAX, 2015-2019) vs. 12. Todd Martin (Men’s Tennis, 1988-1990)

Lasota is one of the most recent alumni in the tournament, graduating last year. The attacker holds Northwestern’s all-time goals record with 287, including 85 her final season, which saw the ‘Cats advance all the way to the Final Four. In Martin’s sophomore season, he won Big Ten Player of the Year and left Evanston with the highest winning percentage in NU tennis history. He turned professional in 1990, a regular on the ATP Tour, and jumped to as high as No. 4 in world rankings.

2. Hilary Bowen (WLAX, 2006-2009) vs. 15. Antoinette Lucas (WLAX, Field Hockey, 1998-1991)

Bowen is another lacrosse player with four national titles in four years. She previously held the ‘Cats’ single-season goal scoring record with 81 and ranks top five in NU history in points, goals and assists. Where her high seed really comes from is two NCAA Championship MVPs, truly one of the most clutch athletes in Northwestern history. The versatile Lucas should put up a good fight against Bowen. She was a four-time All-American in both lacrosse and field hockey and represented the United States’ field hockey squad at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

7. Lindsey Pulliam (WBB, 2017-Present) vs. 10. Scott Rowe (MGOLF, 1993-1997)

As the only current Northwestern athlete in this bracket, Pulliam has a prime opportunity to join Anucha Browne Sanders and Amy Jaeschke among some of the greatest to play for the women’s basketball team. This past season, she led the ‘Cats in scoring, becoming the fastest in program history to score 1,000 points. She also earned unanimous first-team All-Big Ten honors and led the team to a share of the regular season conference title. Rowe might not be a familiar name to many, but the two-time Big Ten Golfer of the Year can hold his own. He totaled six individual titles, second in program history behind only Luke Donald.

3. Evan Eschmeyer (MBB, 1995-1999) vs. 14. Jack Griffin (WREST, 1987-1990)

The three-time All-Big Ten selection Eschmeyer is a heavy favorite here. The center remains one of the all-time leaders in field goal percentage, rebounds, blocks and points, leading his team to the NIT in 1999. His first-round opponent has plenty of accolades as well. Griffin leads Northwestern wrestling in winning percentage, including the 118-pound NCAA Championship in 1990 and consecutive Big Ten titles in ‘89 and ‘90.

6. Brett Basanez (FB, 2002-2005) vs. 11. Sybil Bauer (SWIM, FH, WBB, 1924-1926)

As a four-year starter at quarterback, Basanez is second on Northwestern’s all-time and single-season passing lists and among the top twenty in total yards in NCAA history. His career also saw one of the most famous wins in program history over Ohio State in overtime. His first-round opponent never beat the Buckeyes, but she does have a gold medal from the 1924 Olympic Games in the 100-meter backstroke to her name. The three-sport athlete was a trailblazer for female athletes in Evanston, setting 23 world records in women’s swimming while simultaneously serving as the President of the Women’s Athletic Association of Evanston.

Central Region

1. Justin Jackson (FB, 2014-2017) vs. 16. Rohan Gardner (WREST, 1991-1996)

JJTBC is one of Northwestern football’s all-time greats, setting school records in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and all-purpose yards. He helped the ‘Cats win two bowl games in his junior and senior seasons and remains an active player for the Los Angeles Chargers. Everyone loves a walk-on, and Gardner certainly embodies the scrappy underdog coming out of nowhere to capture the hearts of ‘Cats fans. He was a two-time All-American and a 1996 Big Ten Champion, weighing in at 177 pounds. He faces off against a heavily favorite Jackson, but you never know.

8. Joe Girardi (BASE, 1983-1986) vs. 9. Kyle Bubolz (SWIM, 2004-2008)

Girardi was an All-Big Ten catcher in the mid ‘80s, hitting .351 with 24 home runs and 156 RBIs in his college career. He was drafted by the Cubs in the 1986 and had a solid big-league career, winning three World Series with the New York Yankees in the late 1990s. He managed the Florida Marlins for a season before going back to the Yankees, leading them to a title in 2009. He now is the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. Bubolz earned 19 all-American honors and won 12 Big Ten Championships and one national title in his four years in Evanston. He specialized in the butterfly and free sprint, one of the fastest swimmers in the NCAA throughout his career.

4. Kate Oleykowski Bernatowicz (WLAX, FH, 1984-1987) vs. 13. Sarah Albrecht (WLAX, 2002-2006)

Oleykowski is another two-sport star, earning three All-American honors in lacrosse and three All-Big Ten selections in field hockey. Notably, as an attacker in lacrosse, she led the nation in scoring in 1986, leaving Evanston as the program’s leading all-time leading goalscorer. Albrecht led the reincarnated women’s lacrosse program to two national titles in 2005 and 2006. While she ranks in the upper echelon in goalscoring and points with many of the program’s other Hall-of-Fame-worthy athletes, Albrecht was also an incredibly technical player who led the team in draw controls and ground balls.

5. Kristen Kjellman (WLAX, 2004-2007) vs. 12. Eric Hutchinson (FB, 1968-1971)

As another all-time great in the lacrosse program, Kjellman won the Tewaaraton Trophy twice and led NU’s all-time goal scoring and points categories. She also set an NCAA-record for career goals in tournament play. Hutchinson is one of NU’s top defensive backs of all-time, captaining the ‘Cats to a couple of winning seasons from 1969 to 1971. He was recognized as one of the best safeties in the nation, garnering an All-American nod in 1971 before being drafted by the Houston Oilers.

2. Hannah Nielsen (WLAX, 2006-2009) vs. 15. Marilyn Peck Hall (SWIM, 1987-1991)

Northwestern lacrosse’s all-time leading points and assists leader won the Tewaaraton Trophy twice. While her individual accomplishments are certainly impressive, she also won an unbelievable four national titles. Peck was a star swimmer who starred in distance freestyle events, garnering four All-American honors throughout her career.

7. Clayton Thorson (FB, 2014-2018) vs. 10. Katrina Adams (WTEN, 1984-1987)

As the Big Ten’s leader in games started behind center, Thorson accumulated a 36-17 record quarterbacking the ‘Cats to two bowl wins and a Big Ten Championship game berth. He holds program records for yards, touchdowns and completions. Adams was a fixture for NU tennis in the 1980s, winning an NCAA doubles title her senior season. She also won 23 of 25 singles matches that season at the number two slot. Adams went on to win 20 doubles titles on the WTA Tour and served as Chairwoman and President of the United States Tennis Association.

3. Jake Herbert (WREST, 2003-2009) vs. 14. Ralph T. Bryer (SWIM, 1923-1924)

Herbert is the most dominant wrestler in Northwestern history. He won two NCAA national titles — the first ‘Cat to accomplish that feat since 1932 — and was awarded the Hodge Trophy as the nation's top college wrestler in 2009. He won his final 66 collegiate wrestling matches. Bryer won four individual NCAA championships in freestyle competitions and just as impressively earned a gold medal at the 1924 Paris Games on the 4x200-meter freestyle relay team.

6. Ndidi Opia Massay (SB, 1986-1989) vs. 11. Julie Földi (FEN, 2001-2005)

As one of the top players in Northwestern softball history, Opia hit at a .299 clip with 29 stolen bases in her collegiate career, among the top in program history. She also was named All-Big Ten four times, leading the conference in batting average in 1989. Földi was a four-time All-American fencer. The Hungarian went 386-77 in her career, becoming the first fencer to be enshrined in the NU Athletic Hall of Fame.

Whew, that was a lot. If you’re overwhelmed, that’s okay. Be sure to comment your favorite Northwestern athlete, especially if we didn’t include them. Tune in for Friday, when we’ll reveal the Round of 32.