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| For Kim Bingley, basketball
is what she does between soccer and track and
field. Defiance athletics photo |
A three-sport athlete is just who Kim Bingley is. She always has been.
Even while attending Defiance, Bingley has continued to participate in the sports she loves, moving from soccer in the fall to basketball in the winter to track and field in the spring.
She doesn’t know any other way.
“It can get hectic at time,” said Bingley, who is in her senior year at Defiance. “I've done three sports forever. The transition of going from a three-sport athlete in high school to a three-sport athlete in college, for me wasn't that bad. It was a little more demanding and stressful on my body (and) I had to develop my time management skills a lot better.”
Bingley is currently wrapping up her senior season on the basketball team, where she averages 6.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
“I keep her as our first one off the bench because she brings a spark that nobody else can bring,” Defiance head coach Jessica Morris said. “That comes from her love and passion for the game and her pure athleticism.
“She has a great spirit about her and she has a lot of willpower as far as pushing herself to the limit,” the coach added. “She’s somebody that you love to coach and love to have as part of your team.”
Bingley does a lot on the basketball court, racking up 34 steals and 32 assists this season. It’s not surprising considering how diverse she is as an athlete.
After soccer and basketball season, she moves on to track and field. But Bingley doesn’t settle on one event. She is a two-time national qualifier in the heptathlon and a two-time HCAC champion in the javelin.
“I have such a passion for all three sports that I play, so I could not imagine going through four years of college without them,” Bingley said. “There's no way. I'd lose my mind without it.”
Although she concedes to having more personal success in track, Bingley said her personal favorite is basketball.
“When it comes to overall passion and love the sport, I would pick basketball to be the absolute top one. I've just been around it for so long,” Bingley said, adding she considered competing in indoor track this winter but changed her mind. “That was one sport — regardless of the recognition or how successful we were — that was one sport I absolutely love and could never quit.”
Attending a Division III institution like Defiance has allowed Bingley to compete in all three sports. She said she looked at other colleges – including Division II and NAIA schools – but they were not as keen to the idea of having a multi-sport athlete.
“When I visited Defiance, and I told them I was thinking about doing two sports, they were all for it. They supported me,” said Bingley, who also manages a 3.73 grade point average.
“When I started, I knew I was going to do soccer and basketball,” she continued. “Once basketball season ended after my freshmen year, I took a week off and then when straight to track. I never looked back.”
Bingley’s coaches are very understanding when it comes to her commitment to other athletic programs.
“All the coaches are really good about sharing me,” Bingley said. “They're all very respectful of that.”
“Being a Division III institution, that's something that we all do well. We have a lot of dual-sport athletes," Morris said, noting she shares athletes with volleyball, soccer, track and field, softball and lacrosse. "We really work together as a team.
“When Kim is in soccer, I don't really mess with her. I keep her up to date with what's going on,” the coach continued. “But we don't really ask anything of her. When soccer's over, she's in basketball.”
Because of Bingley’s success in both athletics and academics, Morris often uses her gifted player as an example to other students.
“I don't think that I've had a recruiting visit that I haven't mentioned her and what is possible to do here,” Morris said. “The three sport athlete that is at a 3.73 GPA and is taking care of business is doing just fine. Anything can be done if you put your mind to it.”
Although Bingley’s final season of basketball is coming to a close, the team still has a goal it wishes to accomplish. The Yellow Jackets are looking to get the sixth and final spot in the HCAC tournament.
They need to win their final two games and hope for some help from other teams in the league.
“We really want to get into the tournament, and we still have an opportunity to do that,” Morris said. “(Our) five seniors are trying to get it together and finish the season and get us to the conference tournament.”
Conference champs
Several teams have won conference championships or, at the very least, clinched a share of a title.
The St. Norbert men have clinched the Midwest Conference title and will try to finish its MWC schedule undefeated at Ripon Wednesday and at home versus Illinois College Saturday.
St. Thomas clinched at least a share of the MIAC men’s title. The Tommies have a two game lead over St. Olaf with two games remaining. In the NACC, Marian secured a share of the championship as they hold a one-game lead over Milwaukee School of Engineering with one game remaining.
Whitworth earned a piece of the Northwest Conference title and can win the league championship outright with a win at home versus Whitman on Tuesday. UW-Stevens Point secured a share of the WIAC title, taking a two-game lead with two remaining. The Pointers can win the conference outright Wednesday at UW-Oshkosh.
The UW-Whitewater women clinched the WIAC championship outright and will try to finish the conference schedule undefeated versus UW-Eau Claire Saturday.
The Loras women have claimed a share of the IIAC title and can win it outright with a win at Coe Saturday. Also in women’s competition, Wisconsin Lutheran clinched the women’s NACC championship, Transylvania won a share of the HCAC title and Minnesota-Morris secured at minimum a share of the UMAC title.
Marquee games
Illinois Wesleyan travels to Wheaton Saturday. The men’s CCIW title will likely be on the line when the two rivals face off. The Titans won the first meeting by seven.
St. Mary’s (Minn.) (21-2 overall, 18-2 conference), Concordia-Moorhead (19-4, 17-3), St. Thomas (19-4, 17-3) all have hopes of winning the women’s MIAC title. St. Mary’s can clinch a share of the title with a win at home versus Hamline. The Cardinals then host Augsburg Saturday.
Also in women’s play, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (20-3, 12-2) is tied for the SCIAC lead. The Athenas host Redlands, which sits a half-game back in the standings, Thursday. Iowa Wesleyan will try to stay in the SLIAC lead when the Tigers host second place Eureka Tuesday.
Where they rank
Three teams from the Region are ranked in the top five this week’s Top 25 poll, including WIAC rivals UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater at Nos. 1 and 2.
The top-ranked Pointers received 24 first place votes with the other going to the second-ranked Warhawks. Illinois Wesleyan moved up one spot to No. 4 and St. Norbert is now No. 5 in the poll.
St. Thomas remained No. 11 while Whitworth shot up three places to No. 16. Rose-Hulman was one of three teams that entered the Top 25 this week, checking in at No. 24.
Augustana (Ill.) (31), Wheaton (Ill.) (30), St. Olaf (11), Dubuque (11) and Milwaukee School of Engineering (1) also received votes in the men’s poll.
The Whitman women’s basketball team is still undefeated and still ranked No. 2 nationally.
Carthage fell one spot to No. 10 in the women’s poll, sitting one spot ahead of No. 11 UW-Whitewater.
George Fox fell to No. 13 while UW-Oshkosh and St. Thomas swapped places from a week ago. The Titans are No. 16 this week and the Tommies are No. 17. St. Mary’s (Minn.) is the No. 19 team and Whitworth enters the poll at No. 25.
Concordia-Moorhead (23), Illinois Wesleyan (9), Wisconsin Lutheran (8), St. Norbert (3), Wheaton (Ill.) (2), Cornell (2), Transylvania (2) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (1) also received votes in the women’s poll.
Check in
Do you have a story idea for the Around the Region column? Contact me about approaching milestones, broken records, break-out players or any other storylines in the area’s conferences. Or just drop me a note and let me know what you like or don’t like about the column. All ideas and feedback are welcome. Email me at josh.smith@d3sports.com or follow me on Twitter @DU_Josh_Smith.
