North Coast Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week | Oct. 29, 2024
Field Hockey Athlete of the Week – Ella Morris, DePauw
DePauw junior Ella Morris (New Albany, OH/Columbus Academy) scored a crucial goal in the Tigers’ 3-1 victory over Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday. After being tied 1-1 at the half, the defender sank a shot into the back of the cage during the 39th minute of competition to put the Tigers ahead for good. With the win, DePauw improves to 10-6 overall and 7-2 in league play.
Football Offensive Athlete of the Week – Brazos Gadler, Wooster
Wooster senior Brazos Gadler (Houston, TX/Cypress Creek) logged 248 all-purpose yards in the Fighting Scots’ 46-21 win over Oberlin on Saturday. The senior returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, marking Wooster’s second game-opening kickoff return touchdown of the season. With the return touchdown, Wooster became the seventh NCAA Division III team with multiple kickoff return touchdowns this fall. As receiver, Gadler had a career-high 11 receptions, a career-high 163 yards, and tied his career-high with three touchdowns.
Football Defensive Athlete of the Week – Bryar Ramey, Ohio Wesleyan
Ohio Wesleyan senior Bryar Ramey (Polk, OH/Mapleton) and the Battling Bishops defeated Hiram 41-14 at home on Saturday. The senior made several big plays that helped OWU secure the victory, including a stop that kept a Terrier receiver short of a first-down on third-and-10 to force a punt. He also assisted on a tackle for loss on the final play of the first half, made a stop for no gain on a second-and-goal from the Bishops’ three yard line, and picked off a pass that he returned to the Hiram 24-yard line late in the third quarter. Ramey’s interception set up OWU for a touchdown on the next play, which extended the lead to 28-7. The senior led the Bishops with eight tackles, including three solo and 1.5 tackles for a loss of two yards.
Men's Golf Athlete of the Week – Jake Yarbrough, Wittenberg
Wittenberg senior Jake Yarbrough (Dublin, OH/Jerome) propelled the Tigers to a first-place finish at the Tigers’ Jeff Roope Invitational at the Springfield Country Club. The senior finished the two-day tournament in a three-way tie for third out of 64 golfers with a one-over 142 (69-73).
Women's Golf Athlete of the Week – Lizzy Grant, Denison
Denison sophomore Lizzy Grant (Hudson, OH/Hudson) paced the Big Red at the Jeff Roope Invitational, hosted by Wittenberg at the Springfield Country Club, after she tied for third place out of 57 competitors. The sophomore finished the two-day tournament with a six over 150 (74-76) to help lift Denison to a second-place finish out of 11 teams.
Men's Soccer Athlete of the Week – Jaggar Brooker, Ohio Wesleyan
Ohio Wesleyan senior Jaggar Brooker (Powell, OH/Olentangy Liberty) propelled the Battling Bishops offensively last week, scoring four goals and three assists across two NCAC matchups. Against Wabash, the senior recorded two goals, including the game winner, and two assists in 44 minutes of play. In a win over Wooster, Brooker set up the game-winning goal in the 16th minute, assisting senior Franklin Rodriguez (Santiago, Dominican Republic/Berkshire (MA)) on the score. He later scored two of his own goals during the 36th and 69th minutes. With the wins, Ohio Wesleyan improves to 10-3-2 overall and 5-0-1 in league play.
Women's Soccer Athlete of the Week – Aubree Empie, DePauw
DePauw sophomore Aubree Empie (Carmel, IN/Carmel) recorded 12 saves to guide the Tigers to a 2-0 week with wins over Wittenberg (2-1) and Kenyon (2-1). Through the first 40 minutes against the Ohio Tigers, the sophomore tallied four saves to keep DePauw ahead and Wittenberg scoreless. After Wittenberg tied the game at 1-1, Empie recorded four more saves in the eventual 2-1 victory. In the win over the Owls, the goalkeeper notched four saves with three of them coming during the second period. On the week, Empie accumulated a .857 save percentage with two goals allowed on 26 shots faced.
Men's Swim & Dive Athlete of the Week – Patrick Daly, Denison
Denison senior Patrick Daly (New Albany, OH/New Albany) and the Big Red went 1-1 last week with a win over NCAA Division I’s Xavier (173-84) and a tough 182-116 loss to Ohio State. Against the Musketeers, the senior tallied wins in the 200 medley relay (1:30.70), 100 breaststroke (56.30), and the 200 individual medley (1:52.81). Against the Buckeyes, Daly placed first in the 100 IM (51.25), earned runner-up honors in the 100 breast (56.53), and placed third in the 50 breast (25.95).
Women's Swim & Dive Athlete of the Week – Lillian Cook, Wittenberg
Wittenberg first-year Lillian Cook (Renssealaer, IN/Rensselaer Central) won three events in the Tigers’ 175-36 victory over the Hiram Terriers. The rookie earned her first crown in the 200 medley relay as the unit finished in 1:56.43. Cook brought home an individual victory in the 100 backstroke, touching the wall first with a time of 1:02.84. She was also a part of the victorious 200 freestyle relay that finished in 1:46.98.
Women's Volleyball Athlete of the Week – Claire Hamilton, Denison
Denison sophomore Claire Hamilton (Lower Merion, PA/Lower Merion) helped lead the Big Red to conference sweeps over Oberlin and Ohio Wesleyan last week to remain unbeaten in NCAC play. The sophomore finished with 11 kills versus the Yeowomen on Wednesday and then added a game-high 14 kills against the Battling Bishops on Saturday. On the week, Hamilton compiled a .314 hitting percentage to go along with four digs and one block. With the wins, Denison improves to 11-10 overall and 5-0 against league competition.
NCAC Milestones & Records (Oct. 21 – 27)
Denison, Women’s Swim & Dive – In a dual versus NCAA Division I Xavier, junior Quinn Brown (Portland, OR/Grant) bested the competition in the 500 freestyle with an NCAA B Cut time of 4:58.51.
Hiram, Football – Senior Ricardo Jimenez (Dunnellon, FL/Dunnellon) recorded his first career touchdown on a 19-yard fumble recovery in the fourth quarter against Ohio Wesleyan. The senior also intercepted a pass and returned it 40 yards during the third quarter. The interception marks his first-career season with multiple interceptions after his first came during Hiram’s season opener against Heidelberg on September 5.
Hiram, Volleyball – Senior Cate Maguire (Austintown, OH/Austintown Fitch) collected 20 kills and hit .429 to guide the Terriers to a 3-0 victory over Kenyon on Saturday. In the win, the senior recorded her second career match with at least 20 kills.
Ohio Weselayn, Field Hockey – Senior goalkeeper Meg McCarthy (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) recorded a shutout at Washington & Jefferson on Oct. 19, marking the 20th of her career and establishing an Ohio Wesleyan career record. McCarthy has recorded 20 solo shutouts and has been part of 23 additional combined shutouts, which are no longer included in season or career totals.
Ohio Wesleyan, Women's Soccer – Ohio Wesleyan's shutout against Wooster on Saturday was the Bishops' fifth in a row and was the 25th of junior Natalie Ryan's (Beavercreek, OH/Dayton Carroll) career, breaking the Ohio Wesleyan career mark set by Sandra DeWitt from 1994-97. Ryan leads the NCAC and is tied for 17th in NCAA Division III in shutouts (8).
Wabash, Football – The Little Giants tied a school record with ten sacks in Saturday's 38-0 home win over Kenyon. The victory keeps Wabash tied for first place in the NCAC standings with a 5-0 record in league games and a 6-1 overall mark. The shutout win is Wabash’s third of the season, marking the most by a Little Giants’ defense since a three-shutout season in 2015.
Wooster, Volleyball – Sarah Davis won her 250th match as head coach of the Fighting Scots with Saturday’s 3-1 win over Kenyon.