NCAC Weekly Newsletter & Athletes of the Week - 3/20

NCAC Weekly Newsletter & Athletes of the Week - 3/20

Baseball Player of the Week – Edwin Groff, Kenyon
Kenyon sophomore Edwin Groff (Los Angeles, CA/Campbell Hall) went 11-for-18 (.611) with an .833 slugging percentage in a perfect 4-0 week for the Owls. Groff recorded five RBI, five runs, two doubles and one triple on the week. The designated hitter started the week with a 3-for-5 effort, which included two RBI, two runs and one triple in a win over Lasell. He then went 6-for-8 in a doubleheader sweep of Mount St. Vincent, as he scored two runs, tallied one RBI and earned one double. To end the week in a win over Marywood, Groff tallied two hits, two RBI, one run, and one double.
 
Baseball Pitcher of the Week – Devin Anthony, Wooster
Wooster first-year Devin Anthony (Charon, OH/Hawken School) fired eight innings of four-hit shutout baseball in his first collegiate start, as the Fighting Scots defeated Arcadia 5-1. Anthony struck out five batters, allowed zero walks, zero runs and did not allow a Knight to reach scoring position until the eighth inning.
 
Men's Golf Athlete of the Week – Logan Spiess, Kenyon
Kenyon senior Logan Spiess (New Albany, OH/New Albany) tied for the team lead with a three-day total of 220 (79, 66, 75) at the Jekyll Island Collegiate, which included 30 teams and nationally ranked opponents. The senior tied for 37th among the entire field of 150 golfers. During the second round of play, Spiess carded eight birdies and shot a six-under 66, which was the best 18-hole score among all golfers throughout the tournament.
 
Women's Golf Athlete of the Week – Isabella Dolan, Denison
Denison first-year Isabella Dolan (St. Petersburg, FL/Shorecrest Preparatory School) led the Big Red with a 229 (77-74-78) at the Jekyll Island Collegiate, which included 24 teams and nationally ranked opponents. The rookie tied for 18th place out of 120 golfers. Dolan moved into 18th place after shooting a two-over-par during round two on Saturday to move up five spots on the leaderboard.
 
Men's Lacrosse Athlete of the Week – Archer Darrach, Denison
Denison senior Archer Darrach (Radnor, PA/Radnor) played all 120 minutes in goal, as the Big Red went 2-0 on the week. Darrach recorded 26 saves, a .578 save percentage and a 9.50 goals-allowed average. The senior finished with 11 saves and a .524 save percentage in a 14-10 win over St. Mary's College of Maryland on Tuesday. Then in a 10-9 upset win over no. 2-ranked Gettysburg on Saturday, the netminder made 15 saves, five of which came in the final period, to finish with a .625 save percentage and eight ground balls.
 
Women's Lacrosse Athlete of the Week – Caroline O'Neil, Kenyon
Kenyon senior Caroline O'Neil (Ponte Vedra, FL/Ponte Vedra) helped lead the Owls to two wins on the week. In an 11-10 upset of No. 25-ranked SUNY Geneseo, O'Neil tallied four goals including the game-winner. Two days later, O'Neil recorded three more goals in a victory over Marymount.
 
Softball Player of the Week – Kaydee Clark, Wooster
Wooster junior Kaydee Clark (Medina, Ohio/Buckeye Senior) hit .407 (11-for-27) with six RBI, three stolen bases, two runs, two walks and one double in a 4-4 week for the Fighting Scots in Florida. Clark hit safely in seven of her team's eight games, with three multi-hit games, which included a 3-for-3, three RBI performance in a 10-5 win over Geneva to start the week. She then went 2-for-4 with one run and one stolen base in a tough three-run loss to Lake Forest. In a 5-4 victory over Defiance, the junior produced a 2-for-3 effort with one run, one RBI, one double and one stolen base.
 
Softball Pitcher of the Week – Katie Chittum, Ohio Wesleyan
Ohio Wesleyan junior Katie Chittum (Hebron, OH/Lakewood) went 3-2 on the mound for the Battling Bishops, throwing four complete games in five appearances. Over 30.2 innings, Chittum faced 143 batters and scattered 43 hits, while allowing just six walks and striking out 22. In a 2-1 win over Marywood, Chittum allowed just five hits, zero walks and struck out a career-high 10 batters. In a 5-3 win over no. 18-ranked Rowan, which snapped the Profs 14-game winning streak, the junior scattered 10 hits and struck out one for the complete game victory. Chittum then worked five innings, scattered nine hits and struck out six in an 8-4 victory over Trinity (CT).
 
Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week – Andy Mackler, Denison
Denison junior Andy Mackler (Lake Mary, FL/Seminole) posted an 8-1 record after going 5-0 in singles and 3-1 in doubles. Mackler won 6-0, 6-1 at no. 5 singles in a 5-1 win over North Central. He collected a 6-3, 6-0 win at no. 4 singles, while he and sophomore Colin Gramley (Sharon, PA/Shady Side Academy) came out on top 8-5 at no. 2 doubles in a 9-0 victory against Carthage. In a 7-2 win over no. 30-ranked Skidmore, Mackler and junior Zachary Portnoy (New York, NY/Dwight School) won 8-1 at no. 2 doubles. Against NCAA Division I Niagara, Mackler won 6-3, 6-4 at no. 5 singles to clinch the 5-2 win for Denison. Mackler and Portnoy pulled out a 7-5 win in no. 2 doubles in the Big Red's 6-1 win over NCAA Division II Dallas Baptist. In the final match of the week at no. 8-ranked Emory, Mackler defeated Brandon Cohen 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) at no. 5 singles, while his only loss of the week was an 8-3 decision at no. 3 doubles with Portnoy against the Eagles.
 
Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week – Janaki Jagannathan, Wooster
Wooster sophomore Janaki Jagannathan (Malvern, PA/Whitmore School (WV)) went 4-0 on the week with two wins at no. 1 doubles and two wins at no. 2 singles. In a 9-0 victory over Edgewood, Jagannathan and junior Otilia Oita (North Olmsted, OH/North Olmsted) collected an 8-4 win in doubles, before Jagannathan recorded a 6-1, 6-1 victory in singles. Then in a 5-4 win over Washington, Jagannathan clinched the match with a 7-6 (2), 6-3 win in singles, while she and Oita also recorded an 8-5 victory in doubles.
 
Men's Outdoor Track Sprint/Hurdles Athlete of the Week – Joe Shilts, Wooster 
Wooster senior Joe Shilts (Flemington, NJ/Pingry School) logged times of 11.67 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, 57.32 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles, and was the leadoff leg of the Fighting Scots' 4x400 relay that crossed at 3:30.45 at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational. Shilts' time in the 400 hurdles ranks 26th nationally. 
 
Men's Outdoor Track Distance/Mid-Distance Athlete of the Week – Will McMichael, Wooster
Wooster senior Will McMichael (Evanston, IL/Evanston Township) was the runner-up in the seeded 800-meter run at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational. McMichael's time of 1:55.75 is currently 21st nationally.
 
Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week – Davis Patterson, Wooster
Wooster junior Davis Patterson (Evanston, IL/Evanston Township) won the decathlon at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational. Patterson was one of two NCAA Div. III competitors in the seven-competitor field, with the other five coming from NCAA Div. II programs. The junior's score of 5,424 points is No. 2 nationally and marks the program's highest decathlon score since 1999. 
 
Women's Outdoor Track Sprint/Hurdles Athlete of the Week – Mary Sirois, Wooster
Wooster junior Mary Sirois (Meriden, CT/Mercy) logged times of 15.79 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles and 1:14.17 in the 400-meter hurdles at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational. Sirois' 100 hurdles time ranked sixth at the meet and is inside the top-30 nationally for this spring. 
 
Women's Outdoor Track Distance/Mid-Distance Athlete of the Week – Athena Tharenos, Wooster
Wooster junior Athena Tharenos (St. Louis, MO/Mary Institute & St. Louis Country Day School) recorded a top-20 time nationally in the 800-meter run, crossing the line in 2:22.38 at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational. Tharenos placed sixth in the seeded event, then helped the Fighting Scots claim an eighth-place finish in the 4x400 relay in a time of 4:12.05. 
 
Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week – Ainsley Wiesner, Wooster
Wooster junior Ainsley Wiesner (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) broke the program's school record in the hammer throw at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational. Wiesner, who continuously broke the program's weight throw record during indoor season, reached 136' 2" in the hammer throw last week. She also had a collegiate-best in the discus at 97' 10".
 
NCAC Milestones & Records (March 13 - 19)
Denison, Baseball - In a 25-23 marathon win over Arcadia, junior Noah Leib (Evanston, IL/Evanston Township) broke the Big Red's record for total bases (13).
 
Denison, Women's Swimming & Diving - The Big Red women captured their second national title in program history, after accumulating 464.5 points over the course of the four days of action at the 2023 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships . . . Gregg Parini was selected the DIII Women's Coach of the Year after guiding the Big Red to a first-place finish and 21 Top-8 All-American performances.
 
Hiram, Baseball - Freshman Mike Midea (Medina, OH/Buckeye) tied the program record for most hits in a single game, going 5-5 with two doubles and six RBI in a 15-11 win over Grove City on Thursday. His six RBI also made him the sixth different player in program history to have at least six RBI in a single game.
 
Hiram, Men's Lacrosse - Sophomore Ambrose Colliluori (Gilbertsville, PA/Pope John Paul II) tallied seven goals and three assists in a win against La Roche on Saturday, which tied the Hiram program record for most points (10) in a single game . . . The Terriers recorded their first two shutout wins in program history this past week, an 11-0 win over Mount St. Joseph and a 25-0 victory over La Roche. The 25 goals against La Roche also marked their most goals in any game in program history.
 
Kenyon, Swimming & Diving - The Owls set multiple records at the NCAA Championship in Greensboro. For the women, sophomore Jennah Fadely (Siler City, NC/Jordan Matthews) swept the breaststroke titles, winning the 100 (59.94) and 200 (2:11.22) to set new program records . . . For the men, the 200- and 400- medley relay teams set Kenyon records at 1:26.76 and 3:11.39, respectively. Juniors Yurii Kosian (Odesa, Ukraine/Odesa School 101) and Marko Krtinic (Bor, Serbia/Gimnazija Patrijarh Pavle) and senior Luis Weekes (St. Thomas, Barbados/Baylor School) were a part of both relays, while senior Cherantha De Silva (Colombo, Sri Lanka/Ananda) joined them on the 200-yard relay, and freshman Djordje Dragojlovic (Begrade, Serbia/Nada Dimic) joined them on the 400. In individual events, Krtinic set the NCAA meet record in the 100-yard butterfly at 46.51 and junior Israel Zavaleta  (Mexico City, Mexico/Universidad del Valle de Mexico) set the NCAA meet record in the one-meter diving competition, scoring 602.00 points and was named the 2023 DIII Men's National Diver of the Year for the second-consecutive season. Kenyon diving coach Ron Kontura was tabbed the national Men's Diving Coach of the Year after guiding Zavaleta to a sweep of the boards for the second-consecutive season.
 
NCAC, Lacrosse - There are only three NCAA DIII schools with both their men's and women's lacrosse teams still undefeated. Two of the schools are Kenyon (7-0 men, 6-0 women) and Wooster (8-0 men, 6-0 women), while Middlebury is the third.
 
Wabash, Men's Lacrosse - The Little Giants recorded their first win in school history over Hanover, 10-9, which gave them a program-best sixth win of the season.
 
Wooster, Baseball - Head coach Barry Craddock collected his 250th career win with Tuesday's 5-1 victory over Arcadia.
 
Wooster, Men's Lacrosse - The Fighting Scots are off to the best start in program history at 8-0, which currently ties Christopher Newport for the best in NCAA DIII this spring.
 
Wooster, Outdoor Track & Field - Junior Ainsley Wiesner (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) broke the program's hammer throw record at 136' 2" at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational last week.

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