NCAC Athletes of the Week | Oct. 1

North Coast Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week | Oct. 1, 2024
 
Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week – Conor Kolka, Wittenberg
Wittenberg senior Conor Kolka (Dexter, MI/Dexter) finished first out of 140 runners at the Knight Invite, hosted by Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday. The senior finished the 8,000-meter course in 25:20.0 to help the Tigers' finish third out of 11 teams with 84 points.
 
Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week – Megan Keys, Wittenberg
Wittenberg senior Megan Keys (Dublin, OH/Dublin) competed at the Knight Invite, hosted by Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday. The senior completed the 6,000-meter course in 22:32.1 to place third out of 114 runners. As a team, the Tigers placed second out of 10 teams with 63 points, finishing just 16 points behind Division II Saginaw Valley.
 
Field Hockey Athlete of the Week – Lila Smith, Denison
Denison sophomore Lila Smith (Charlotte, NC/Myers Park) scored twice in a 4-1 win over Kenyon on Saturday. The sophomore tallied the eventual game winner to put the Big Red ahead in the second quarter (2-1). Smith later added Denison's third goal of the game to lead the team to its third-straight win in NCAC play.
 
Football Offensive Athlete of the Week – Park Penrod, Kenyon
Kenyon senior quarterback Park Penrod (Pittsburgh, PA/Avonworth) guided the Owls to a 32-26 win over Wooster on Saturday after going 29-of-52 for a career-high 370 yards and two touchdowns. Kenyon defeated Wooster for the first time in 10 years after Penrod and the Owls went 4-of-6 for 56 yards and recorded a four-yard rushing touchdown, brought in by Drake Lewis (Washington, DC/Maret), during the final drive of the game.
 
Football Defensive Athlete of the Week – Eli Renick, Wittenberg
Wittenberg junior Eli Renick (Sarasota, FL/Riverview High School) was credited with five total tackles, three solo, two sacks, and 2.5 tackles for a total loss of 10 yards in the Tiger's 36-29 victory over Howard Payne. The junior and his defensive efforts helped Wittenberg pull ahead after he recorded a sack, recovered the fumble, and ran for a 40-yard touchdown, scoring with 5:04 remaining in the third. Renick finished the game with two forced fumbles, a pass break-up and three quarterback hurries.
 
Women's Golf Athlete of the Week – Ally Siewert, Wooster
Wooster senior Ally Siewert (Northfield, OH/Nordonia) recorded two first-place finishes on the week after she found herself atop of the competition at the Grove City Fall Invite and at the Wooster/Ohio Wesleyan Dual. The senior started the week as the medalist at the Fall Invite after she posted a collegiate best one-over-par 73 to extend her program record to 19 top-five finishes at tournaments with a minimum four teams. She followed that up with a program record-tying fourth medalist honor in Saturday's dual win over the Battling Bishops after shooting a six-over-par 77.
 
Men's Soccer Athlete of the Week – Jake Krueger, Denison
Denison senior Jake Krueger (Wilmette, IL/New Trier Township) played a role in all four goals as the Big Red secured a 4-2 victory over No. 8 Christopher Newport on Friday. The senior scored the second and fourth goals in the win, knocking down shots during the 23rd and 63rd minutes. He also assisted on the first and third goals of the game scored by sophomore Eli Tayor (Henrico, VA/St. Christopher's School) in the 22nd and 55th minute marks.
 
Women's Soccer Athlete of the Week – Hallie Krzys, Wooster
Wooster senior Hallie Krzys (Berea, OH/Berea-Midpark) scored twice and assisted on the game-winning goal in the Fighting Scots 3-2 win over John Carroll on Saturday. The senior started Wooster's scoring with a goal just two minutes into the contest. She later connected on a penalty kick in the second half to tie the game at 2-2. With 1:42 left on the clock, Krzys found classmate Alyssa Lubba (Torrance, CA/South) in front of the goal box for the game-winner.
 
Women's Volleyball Athlete of the Week – Claire Hamilton, Denison
Denison sophomore Claire Hamilton (Lower Merion, PA/Lower Merion) turned in a career-high 29 kills in the Big Red's five-set win over DePauw to open league play on Saturday. The sophomore hit .418 in the reverse sweep comeback victory. Hamilton also tallied 18 kills in a tough 3-1 loss to No. 16 and unbeaten Marietta. On the week, Hamilton compiled 47 kills while hitting .311 and averaging 5.22 kills and 5.33 points per set.
 
NCAC Milestones & Records (Sept. 23-29)
 
Allegheny, Field Hockey – First-year Rowan O'Toole (Glen Burnie, MD/Archbishop Spalding) recorded 24 saves across two games last week to become the first Gator to surpass 100 saves in a season and now owns the program single-season record for saves with 120. In only 10 games played as a first-year, O'Toole ranks second all-time in career saves in program history.
 
Denison, Men's Soccer – In the Big Red's 4-2 win over No. 8 Christopher Newport, Head Coach Brandon Bianco tallied his 100th career win at Denison.
 
Hiram, Volleyball – Junior Kelly Hoffman (Streetsboro, OH/Crestwood) posted a career-high 31 assists in a tough five-set loss to Allegheny on Saturday.
 
Kenyon, Football – Senior Drake Lewis (Washington, DC/Maret) had a big game for the Owls, recording 78 receiving yards, 82 rushing yards, and the four-yard game-winning run in a 32-26 win over Wooster. The senior recorded career-highs in carries (26), receptions (4), and receiving yards (78) while also tallying a new career-long reception with a 51-yard catch.
 
Oberlin, Men's Soccer – Senior Xander Francoeur (Cupertino, CA/Monta Vista) scored two of the Yeomen's three goals in a 3-1 road win over Washington & Jefferson on Saturday. The senior recorded his first multi-goal game of the season and first since September 17, 2022, when he posted a hat trick against Alma.
 
Ohio Wesleyan, Volleyball – Ohio Wesleyan defeated Wittenberg 3-1, earning the Battling Bishops their first road win over the Tigers in more than 40 years.
 
Wittenberg, Football – With the Tigers' 36-29 victory over Howard Payne, the Wittenberg football program tallied its 800th program win and the second most wins in NCAA Division III history.
 
Wooster, Women's Golf – Interim Head Coach Kaitlin Neumann won her first event with Saturday's 326-375 dual win over Ohio Wesleyan.
 

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