­­North Coast Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week – Week of Jan. 23, 2024
 
Offensive Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week – Caleb Washington, DePauw
DePauw first-year Caleb Washington (New Albany, IN/Floyd Central) was near perfect from the floor after the Tigers went 2-0 in NCAC play last week. In a 65-61 win over Denison, Washington shot a perfect 7-for-7 from the field and 3-for-3 from behind the arc while also making 4-of-5 free throws. The forward scored a career-high 21 points during the second half of the four-point victory over the Big Red. On Saturday, Washington netted 16 points in 22 minutes of play, going 7-for-12 from the floor and 2-for-4 from three-point range in a 76-58 win over Kenyon.
 
Defensive Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week – Noah Hupmann, Wabash
Wabash junior post Noah Hupmann (Sunset, SC/Covington Catholic) recorded five blocked shots, six defensive rebounds, and one steal in the Little Giants 69-62 win over Oberlin last week. All seven of Hupmann’s total rebounds came during the second half to defend the Yeomen’s comeback effort. The junior’s five blocks are tied for the eighth-best single-game effort in Wabash basketball history.
 
Offensive Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week – Riane Burton, Wittenberg
Wittenberg sophomore forward Riane Burton (Houston, TX/Cypress Ranch) propelled the Tigers to a 2-0 week with conference wins over Hiram (65-55) and Ohio Wesleyan (70-66). Burton recorded her sixth double-double of the season against the Terriers with 23 points and a career-high 20 rebounds. Against the Battling Bishops, the sophomore made her first start of the season contributing 14 points and eight rebounds. On the week, Burton also collected four steals, two assists, and one block.
 
Defensive Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week - Ada Taute, Denison
Denison first-year guard Ada Taute (Chicago, IL/St. Ignatius College Prep) recorded 16 defensive rebounds, three steals, and two blocks as the Big Red went 2-0 in NCAC action. Taute’s defensive efforts helped Denison hand DePauw its first conference loss of the season, 54-48, and collect a 74-62 victory on the road at Oberlin. Against the Tigers, the rookie held her opponent to six points, five below their season average entering the game. On Saturday, Taute recorded her first career double-double effort after grabbing 11 rebounds and scoring 23 points against the Yeowomen. On the week, the Chicago, Illinois native averaged 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block per game.
 
Men's Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week – Djordje Dragojlovic, Kenyon
Kenyon sophomore Djordje Dragojlovic (Begrade, Serbia/Nada Dimic) and the Owls competed in a dual with NCAA Division I Miami University (OH) on Saturday. Against the RedHawks, Dragojlovic captured three first-place finishes to go along with a second-place finish and four NCAA B-Cut times. The sophomore swam a leg on the winning 200 medley (1:28.47) and 400 freestyle (2:58.96) relays, to go along with an individual win in the 100 freestyle (44.01). The Begrade, Serbia, native also finished second behind a teammate in the 100 backstroke (48.54).
 
Women's Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week – August Lemert, Ohio Wesleyan
Ohio Wesleyan first-year August Lemert (Granville, OH/Granville) and the Battling Bishops competed in a double-dual meet against Ohio Northern and Bluffton on Friday and a dual meet against Wooster on Saturday. In the double-dual, the rookie claimed the crown in the 100 and 200 freestyles with times of 56.91 and 2:03.21, respectively. Against the Fighting Scots, Lemert finished the 100 butterfly in 1:04.19 to claim first while also finishing the 500 freestyle in 5:38.60 to garner second.
 
Men's Indoor Track Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week – Sam Fechner, Oberlin
Oberlin junior Sam Fechner (Hamburg, Germany/Trinity-Pawling School) bested a field of 14 to win the 400-meter dash in a personal-best time of 49.96 seconds at the Fighting Scots Invitational on Saturday. Fechner also ran the third leg of the 4x200 relay that clocked in at 1:31.01, which broke the Oberlin program record. The Hamburg, Germany native currently ranks third in the NCAC in the 400, while the Yeomen own the fastest 4x200 in the conference.
 
Men's Indoor Track Distance/Mid-Distance Athlete of the Week – Will Callender, Wooster
Wooster junior Will Callender (Seattle, WA/Roosevelt) won the 3,000-meter race at the Fighting Scots Invitational on Saturday. Callender crossed the line in 8:42.97, setting a new facility record and only finishing a few seconds shy of his school record (8:40.60).
 
Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week – Riley Orth, Kenyon
Kenyon senior Riley Orth (Cincinnati, OH/Anderson) and the Owls attended the Fighting Scots Invitational on Saturday. Against a field of NCAC competition, Orth finished first in both the shot put and weight throw with tosses of 14.32 meters and 14.19 meters, respectively. The senior broke the Kenyon program record in the weight throw on his final attempt of the competition. Orth broke the previous record, held by Dylan Brintwood, by nearly half a meter.
 
Women's Indoor Track Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week – Makyndree Smith, Hiram
Hiram first-year Makyndree Smith (Parrish, FL/Parrish) and the Terriers traveled to Geneva, Ohio, to compete at the Spire Midwest Open on Saturday. Smith placed ninth in the 60-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 9.75 seconds to improve her own school record, which was originally set last month on December 10 (10.10). The Parrish, Florida native is currently ranked eighth in league standings with that time.
 
Women's Indoor Track Distance/Mid-Distance Athlete of the Week – Sophie Porter, DePauw
DePauw junior Sophie Porter (Westfield, IN/Westfield) and the Tigers finished first out of seven teams at the Rose-Hulman Friday Night Spikes Series 2 meet. Porter clocked in a personal best time of 5:13.85 in the mile, besting 12 other competitors. The Westfield, Indiana native finished 5.17 seconds ahead of second place and currently ranks first in the NCAC with that time.
 
Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week – Katie Moore, DePauw
DePauw junior Katie Moore (Lawrenceville, IL/Lawrenceville) placed second in the pentathlon at the Indiana University Invitational on Saturday. She compiled 3,078 points after finishing first in the 60-meter hurdles (9.42 seconds/824 points) and 800-meter run (2:30.86/682 points), while also earning second in the shot put (9.35 meters/487 points), third in the long jump (4.85 meters/519 points) and tied for fourth in the high jump (1.45 meters/566 points). Moore's 3,078-point total ranks third in DePauw program history for most points, just behind Courtney Lauer (3,395 points, 2011) and Erin Pasch (3,640 points, 2022).
 
NCAC Milestones & Records (Jan. 15 – Jan. 21)
 
Denison, Men’s Track & Field – Junior Ari Skolnik (Glencoe, IL/New Trier Township) won the 60-meter hurdles (8.21 seconds) and added a second-place finish in the 60-meter dash (7.07), at the Fighting Scots Invitational. It was a new personal record in both events for Skolnik, who improved upon his school record in the 60-meter hurdles and moved up to the third fastest PR in program history in the 60-meter dash.
 
Denison, Women’s Track & Field – Senior Sophia Ellerkmann (Baltimore, MD/Roland Park Country School) won the 400-meter dash at the Fighting Scots Invitational with a personal best time of 59.10 seconds. Ellerkmann is currently ranked second in the NCAC and 24th in Division III this season and is now the third fastest finish in Denison program history … Senior Cara Bodary (New Boston, MI/Father Gabriel Richard) earned a win at the Fighting Scots Invitational with a new personal record time of 10:56.24 in the 3,000-meter run.
 
Kenyon, Men’s Track & Field – Junior Sam Rabieh (Cambridge, MA/Buckingham Browne & Nichols School) smashed his personal best time in the 3,000-meter run by 14 seconds at the Fighting Scots Invitational on Saturday. Rabieh crossed the line in 9:10.18 and earned a second-place finish.
 
Oberlin, Women’s Track & Field – Sophomore Ryley Steggall (Oberlin, OH/Oberlin) competed at the Fighting Scots Invitational on Saturday and left with a new personal best in the long jump. Steggall placed fourth in the event with a leap of 4.75 meters.
 
Ohio Wesleyan, Women’s Basketball – Senior guard Lauren Denison (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial) scored 15 points in OWU's game at Wittenberg, raising her career total to 1,011 points and making her the 20th Ohio Wesleyan women's basketball player to surpass the 1,000-point mark.
 
Wittenberg, Men’s Basketball – Junior guard Cameron Harrison collected a career-high 30 points against OWU on Saturday, making 11-of-16 from the field and 8-of-12 from three-point range. His eight three-pointers against OWU were one short of the school record of nine, held by two players and last achieved in 1999.
 
Wittenberg, Women’s Track & Field – Sophomore Tymeerah D’Armond (Springfield, OH/Springfield) competed at the Ashland Invitational on Saturday and finished fifth in the 300-meter dash with a school record time of 42.43.
 
Wooster, Men’s Basketball – Junior guard Jamir Billings (Lorain, OH/Lorain) moved into the program's all-time top-five with his 399th career assist in Saturday's 82-67 win over Denison.
 
Wooster, Men’s Swimming & Diving – Sophomore Callum Glover (Houston, TX/Stratford) broke 13-time All-American Wes Bennett's Timken Natatorium record (2000) with a time of 46.98 in the 100 freestyle during Saturday's win over Ohio Wesleyan.

Wooster, Men’s Track & Field – First-year King Jeju (Johannesburg, South Africa/Silver Oaks International) crossed the line in 7.00 seconds in the 60-meter to break the Wooster program record and win the event. The previous record was set by Bryan Douglas II in 2022 (7.04) … Wooster won its first indoor meet larger than a quad since winning the Kenyon College Classic on Feb. 16, 2019.

Wooster, Women’s Track & Field – Senior Ainsley Wiesner (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) upped her own program record in the weight throw this past Saturday at the Fighting Scots Invitational after she earned first place with a throw of 16.63 meters.