Fun facts (in sets of four) as CNU heads to the D-III Final Four

As Christopher Newport University from Newport News prepares to compete this weekend in the Division III Final Four, the staff at LadySwish honors the occasion with some fun facts, all done as a celebration of the number 4.

The nicknames of the four schools competing in the D-III F-4:

1.) Christopher Newport Captains (29-3)

2.) Illinois Wesleyan Titans (27-4)

3.) Washington University Bears (24-5)

4.) Amherst Lord Jeffs or Lady Jeffs (30-1), named in honor of Lord Jeffrey Amherst, namesake of Amherst, Mass., where the college is located

We’ve told you all about CNU star Chelsie Schweers, the second-leading scorer in the history of D-III women’s hoops. But since you don’t know much about CNU’s other four starters, we asked Chelsie to describe them in one word apiece. Here are her choices:

1.) Kimmy Hopkins: “committed”

2.) Barbara Davis: “determined”

3.) Lauren Gural: “silent assassin” (yes, we know, that’s two words, but it’s such a cool phrase that we’ll let it slide)

4.) Jessica Moore: “willing”

This year’s D-III F-4 is hosted by Illinois Wesleyan. Here are four facts about the host school:

1.) Located in Bloomington, Ill., hometown of Lt. Col. Henry Blake of “M*A*S*H” fame.

2.) The Shirk Center, built in 1994, seats 2,680. It is named for the Russell and Betty Shirk Foundation, started by the local businessman who owns the Beer Nuts snack food company.

3.) The biggest name in IWU basketball history is Jack Sikma, who played for the Titans and went on to become a seven-time NBA all-star.

4.) What’s the connection between Wesleyan and Newport News? Character actor Frankie Faison – born in Newport News, graduated from Illinois Wesleyan – who appeared in such films as “The Silence of the Lambs,” “Do the Right Thing” and “Ragtime.”

What you didn’t know about the four schools competing in the D-III F-4:

1.) Illinois Wesleyan almost didn’t make it to the Final Four that it’s hosting. In the regional final against George Fox, the Titans fell behind 16-0 and trailed by as much as 23. They didn’t pull ahead until the final seconds, when Nikki Preston’s free throws gave them a 61-60 lead.

2.) Washington University is the defending national champion. In addition to last year’s title, the school won four straight D-III women’s basketball championships from 1998-2001.

3.) Amherst – which has 10 times been ranked by U.S. News and World Reports as the top liberal arts college in America – claims to have the oldest collegiate athletic program in the U.S, dating back to the compulsory physical fitness program instituted in 1860. One-third of the student body competes in intercollegiate sports; if you include club sports and intramurals, that number goes up to 80 percent.

4.) Christopher Newport has produced an NBA player – Lamont Strothers, who played in four games for Portland in 1991-92 and nine games for Dallas in 1992-93. Not exactly Jack Sikma, but CNU is proud of him. Strothers scored 60 points in his NBA career.