­­North Coast Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week – Week of Feb. 20, 2024
 
Offensive Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week – Avery Beaver, Wabash
Wabash senior guard Avery Beaver (Lafayette, IN/Lafayette Jefferson) propelled the Little Giants to two conference victories and the program's second NCAC title last week. Beaver produced back-to-back career high scoring games in Wabash's wins over Ohio Wesleyan (90-76) and Wooster (91-81). Against the Battling Bishops, Beaver recorded a career high 24 points and 10 assists, marking his first career double-double. In a must win game against Wooster to decide the 2023-24 conference champion, the senior upped his career high to 27 points, sinking  7-of-10 shots from beyond the arc, and handed out five assists to claim the top tournament seed.
 
Offensive Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week – Taryn Cash, Wittenberg
Wittenberg junior guard Taryn Cash (Cincinnati, OH/Princeton) led the Tiger offense to a 2-0 week with wins over Oberlin (75-57) and Ohio Wesleyan (76-73) to claim a share of the NCAC crown last week. Against the Yeowomen, Cash was 5-for-9 from the floor and recorded eight assists, seven defensive rebounds, one steal, and one block. In the must win contest against the Battling Bishops to earn a share of the conference title, Cash was a perfect 6-for-6 from the line, recording 19 points, four rebounds and one steal. She also recorded eight assists in the win over OWU which brought her total to 128 this season to set a new program single-season record.
 
Defensive Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week – Anastasia Lawler, Hiram
Hiram senior guard Anastasia Lawler (Hudson, OH/Hudson) and the Terriers went 1-1 on the week with a tough loss to Denison (67-41) and a buzzer beater win over Kenyon (45-44). Against the Big Red, Lawler recorded two rebounds, one steal, and one block. In the dramatic win against the Owls, the senior posted a career-high and team-leading six steals.
 
Men's Lacrosse Athlete of the Week – Ryan Blasberg, Oberlin
Oberlin senior attacker Ryan Blasberg (Atlanta, GA/Avon Old Farms) and the Yeomen defeated Trine (12-5) in their season opener on Saturday. Heading into the fourth quarter, Oberlin was ahead 6-5, but the Yeomen went on to score six times in the final stretch to secure the win. Blasberg led the Oberlin offense with four goals, two coming in the team's fourth quarter push, and one assist to total five points. Additionally, the senior picked up four ground balls and put 10-of-11 shots on goal.
 
Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week – Jay Dixit, Wooster
Wooster first-year Jay Dixit (Pune, India/Vidya Valley School) claimed a pair of wins to lead the Fighting Scots to a 6-3 win over Lourdes last week. Dixit won a three setter in the No. 1 singles flight, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. He also teamed with classmate Anthony VanOyen (Dexter, MI/Vanoyen) for an 8-5 win in the top doubles flight.
 
Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week – Frankie Nuss, Ohio Wesleyan
Ohio Wesleyan first-year Frankie Nuss (Gahanna, OH/Lincoln) garnered two wins in the Battling Bishops' season opening win against Baldwin Wallace (7-2). Nuss teamed up with classmate Lily Hershey (Columbus, OH/Worthington Kilbourne) for an 8-4 win at No. 2 doubles, helping the Bishops to a sweep of doubles play. Nuss then clinched the victory for Ohio Wesleyan by blanking her opponent at No. 3 singles, prevailing by scores of 6-0, 6-0.
 
Men's Indoor Track Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week – Josh Massaquoi, Wabash
Wabash sophomore Josh Massaquoi (El Passo, TX/Franklin) won the 60-meter hurdles at the Friday Night Spikes Tune-Up meet hosted by Rose-Hulman. Massaquoi finished the race in 8.89 seconds and was the only runner to finish under nine-seconds in the finals.
 
Men's Indoor Track Distance/Mid-Distance Athlete of the Week – Matt Rowley, DePauw
DePauw junior Matt Rowley (Downers Grove, IL/Downers Grove North) won the 800-meter run at the Wittenberg Invitational on Saturday. Rowley bested the competition as he crossed the finish line in 1:53.85, improving his personal best and moving him to third on DePauw's all-time list. Heading into the NCAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, the junior ranks third among conference competitors in the event.
 
Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week – Jacob Brown, Denison
Denison senior Jacob Brown (Dover, MA/Dover-Sherborn) defended his NCAC heptathlon title after recording a new program record of 4,895 points at the 2024 NCAC Indoor Track and Field Combined Events Championships. Brown placed first in the long jump (6.52 meters) and shot put (12.29 meters) and claimed second in the high jump (1.85 meters), 60-meter hurdles (8.81 seconds), pole vault (4.03 meters) and 1,000-meter run (2:54.42). The senior also garnered a third-place finish in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.43 seconds. In addition to ranking 11th in Division III in the heptathlon this season, Brown also set new personal records in the 60 meter dash and the 1,000 meter run in the process.
 
Women's Indoor Track Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week – Anaya Jolivette, Denison
Denison junior Anaya Jolivette (San Francisco, CA/San Francisco Waldorf) and the Big Red competed at the Wittenberg Invitational on Saturday. Jolivette recorded a season-best time of 26.24 seconds in the 200-meter dash to place fifth and move up the NCAC standings. Heading into the 2024 NCAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, the junior ranks third among conference competitors in the event.
 
Women's Indoor Track Distance/Mid-Distance Athlete of the Week – Sophie Porter, DePauw
DePauw junior Sophie Porter (Westfield, IN/Westfield) and the Tigers competed at the Wittenberg Invitational on Saturday. Porter took first out of a field of 35 and broke the school record in the 3,000-meter run after finishing the event in 10:08.05. The junior broke the record that was reset by classmate Lily Monnett (Cloverdale, IN/Cloverdale) earlier this season.
 
Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week – Hayden Hill, Oberlin
Oberlin senior Hayden Hill (View Park, CA/Marlborough School) claimed the pentathlon victory at the 2024 NCAC Indoor Track and Field Combined Events Championships after scoring 3,139 points. Hill placed first in the high jump (1.58 meters), shot put (11.11 meters) and 800-meter run (2:31.49), claimed fourth in the long jump (4.77 meters) and earned fifth in the 60-meter hurdles (10.32 seconds). The senior accumulated personal bests in the long jump and shot put and currently ranks 25th in the Division III standings in the pentathlon.
 
 
NCAC Milestones & Records (Feb. 12 - 18)
 
Denison, Women's Indoor Track & Field – Senior Cara Bodary (New Boston, MI/Father Gabriel Richard) recorded a personal best time in the mile at 5:18.51, which is the sixth fastest mark in program history.

Ohio Wesleyan, Men's Basketball – Junior guard Henry Hinkle (Powell, OH/Olentangy Liberty) scored a career-high 33 points and sank a three-point shot for the final lead change of the Battling Bishops's 70-69 win over Oberlin.
 
Ohio Wesleyan, Women's Basketball – The team's win over Wooster (82-37) clinched a share of the NCAC championship, marking the Battling Bishops first NCAC crown since the 2000-01 season … The win also was Ohio Wesleyan's 20th of the season, which marks the Bishops' second 20-win season in the last three years under head coach Stacey Ungashick Lobdell and it marks the 11th overall 20-win season … Senior point guard Elizabeth Homan (Cincinnati, OH/Anderson) dished out eight assists in Saturday's game against Wittenberg, raising her season total to 170, breaking the school record (167) set by Homan a season ago.
 
Wooster, Men's Basketball – The Fighting Scots 83-54 win over Hiram on February 14th marked the program's 10th straight win, giving Wooster its 42nd 10-game win streak in program history … Junior Jamir Billings (Lorain, OH/Lorain) recorded his 445th assist to break the program's all-time assists record against Wabash on Saturday.
 
Wooster, Men's Swimming and Diving – Junior Tucker Andrewjeski (Henderson, NV/Green Valley) broke the program's 200 breaststroke record with a time of 2:05.4, while the 400 medley relay consisting of junior Max Likins (St. Clair, MI/St. Clair), sophomore Boston Sullivan (North Canton, OH/Hoover), senior Josh Pearson (Cincinnati, OH/Indian Hill), and sophomore Callum Glover (Houston, TX/Stratford) also set a program record at the NCAC Championships (3:25.03).
 
Wooster, Women's Swimming and Diving – Senior Maddie Becker (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) (100 individual medley, 58.88), junior Ollie Bream (Melbourne, Australia/Firbank Grammer School) (400 individual medley, 4:29.68), and the 400 medley relay consisting of Becker, junior Izzy Bellefleur (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little), Bream, and junior Hallie Findlan (Jefferson Hills, PA/Thomas Jefferson) (3:53.33) set school records during the NCAC Championships.
 
Wooster, Women's Track and Field – Senior Ainsley Wiesner (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) upped the program's school record in the weight throw to 17.36 meters at Friday's Kenyon Tune-Up.